In this episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil talks with restaurateur-turned-coach Josh Kopel about his journey from running highly successful, Michelin-rated restaurants in Los Angeles to how he ultimately transitioned to teaching profitability and marketing. Kopel emphasizes that hospitality is fundamentally about people, not products, and that lasting success requires a servant’s heart, resilience, and a willingness to embrace failure as a teacher. Their conversation explores the grind of restaurant ownership, the importance of clarity in brand storytelling, the danger of “scope creep” in menus or features, and why businesses must focus on benefits over features. Kopel also shares his philosophy of teaching everything he knows through a free masterclass, his use of AI as an “executive” assistant, and his mission to give more back to the industry than he takes.

Key Takeaways

1. Hospitality as performance art — Kopel discovered the industry young, viewing the bar as a stage and service as a performance.
   
   
2. Servant’s heart over foodie passion — Restaurants succeed when owners love serving people, not just food.
   
   
3. People burn you out, not the product — True resilience comes from loving the challenges of leading and serving people.
   
   
4. Success without fulfillment — Despite outward success, Kopel sold his restaurant group during COVID to pursue time freedom and reduce overwhelm.
   
   
5. Fall in love with failure — Excellence comes from reps and reframing failure as progress toward mastery.
   
   
6. Clear positioning beats going broad — Success in marketing and restaurants comes from narrowing focus and stripping away distractions.
   
   
7. People buy benefits, not features — Businesses must sell transformation and outcomes, not just functions or menu items.
   
   
8. Michelangelo principle (via negativa) — Growth often comes from subtraction—removing what isn’t essential.
   
   
9. Build a loyal tribe, not mass appeal — Strong brands unapologetically define who they are, attracting the right customers while turning others away.
   
   
10. Marketing is storytelling clarity — Customers ask: Does this need to exist? Is it for me? How does it fit into my life?
    
    
11. Teaching as giving back — Kopel runs a free five-day marketing masterclass to serve restaurateurs and build authentic trust.
    
    
12. AI as an executive partner — Custom GPT tools can streamline SOPs, competitive analysis, and marketing execution for restaurants.
    
    

Tom and Amy Johnson are turning a years-long dream into B-Side the Tracks Brewing Company in Conyers, GA. Amy, a 30-year finance pro turned American Brewers Guild grad, will helm the brewhouse. Tom will run front-of-house and a small distillery (bourbon, whiskey, vodka; rum later). Their vision is a true “third place” with standout hospitality, pizza from a 700° rotating oven, smart limited specials, weekend brunch, and education-forward beer & spirits pairings. The path wasn’t linear: failed financing, lost earnest money, an architect/GC reset, a surprise ~$42k water fee, and an 18-month slog to close on their historic railroad-side building. Permits landed late May, renovation began in June, target opening is October. Equipment is en route, community excitement is real, and their service-first mindset (“welcome home”) is the throughline.

• Hospitality > Hype: They’re building a neighborhood “third space” where regulars feel known. Service is the differentiator, not bells & whistles.
  
  
• Beer + Spirits, thoughtfully: Six house beers on 12 taps, a 1-bbl pilot for experiments (first up: a peach wheat), and a micro-distillery launching with three core spirits.
  
  
• Education matters: Tasting flights, three-course pairings (beer and spirits), and “why you like what you like” guidance to win over the “I don’t like beer” crowd.
  
  
• Menu discipline: 700° oven, ~90-second pizzas, tight rotating specials, and brunch on weekends, quality over quantity to control COGS and execution.
  
  
• Perseverance playbook: Multiple failed loans, lost deposits, a full architect/GC change, and a late surprise water impact fee, yet they kept going.
  
  
• Community roots: Name and location honor Conyers’ rail history. Goal is a Cheers-style welcome: “Welcome home, we’re glad you’re here.”
  
  
• Real operator chops: Amy’s ABG training (and engineering-heavy exams) plus Tom’s FOH leadership and distilling background from UVM/Colorado Boy.
  
  
• Own the asset: They bought the historic building; renovations started June after permits cleared in late May.
  
  
• Right partners: POS via GoTab for responsive support and fit; local construction management to keep it community-driven.
  
  
• Target timeline: Brewing kit is on the water (ETA late September); opening aimed for October (Oktoberfest whenever the doors open).
  
  

In this episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil sits down with Nick Patel, a CPA who left corporate accounting to become a multi-unit franchise restaurant owner before pivoting back into accounting, this time with a focus on helping restaurant operators. Patel shares his personal journey from owning restaurants in Florida, the challenges of partnering with family, and the lessons learned from expanding too quickly. Today, he runs a thriving accounting and advisory practice that specializes in restaurants, helping owners navigate razor-thin margins, complex tax credits, and strategic planning.

The conversation spans everything from partnership structures and breakeven analysis, to practical tools like Margin Edge and bill.com, to how strong customer service and “high touch” relationships are becoming rare advantages in business. Both Wil and Nick emphasize the importance of focus, humility, and planning as the foundation for restaurant success.

8–10 Key Takeaways

1. Focus Before Scaling – Patel’s experience taught him to master one location before attempting rapid multi-unit growth. Confidence without experience can lead to mistakes.
   
   
2. Partnerships Require Operating Agreements – Family or friends in business together must clearly define roles and responsibilities upfront to avoid conflict and confusion.
   
   
3. Cash Flow Is King – Restaurants should aim for at least six months of fixed costs in reserves when opening to weather delays, early inefficiencies, and training costs.
   
   
4. Market Research Matters – Demographics, traffic counts, and competitor sales tracking (even via receipt numbers) are critical before selecting a location.
   
   
5. Leverage Tax Credits – Tools like the FICA tip credit and Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC) can save restaurants tens of thousands of dollars annually, yet many accountants overlook them.
   
   
6. The Value of Niche Expertise – An accountant who has actually owned and run restaurants brings empathy and practical insights that generalist CPAs may lack.
   
   
7. Technology Should Enhance, Not Replace Relationships – Tools like Margin Edge, Ramp, and bill.com help manage costs, but true value comes from maintaining high-touch service and communication.
   
   
8. Service Excellence Is a Competitive Edge – With customer service expectations so low across industries, simply answering calls and emails promptly can set a business apart.
   
   
9. First Jobs in Restaurants Build Lifelong Skills – Both Wil and Nick argue that everyone should work in a restaurant at least once to learn resilience, multitasking, and people skills.
   
   
10. Relationships Create Opportunity – Patel turned an “unsuccessful” restaurant experience into a successful CPA firm by maintaining strong relationships and becoming a preferred vendor.