Josh Kopel, Host of Full Comp and Founder of FLO Hospitality Solutions | S1E10

29m · The Pre-Shift Podcast · 25 Oct 14:32

This episode was originally published as part of the Restaurant Growth Podcast. It has been rebranded as part of The Pre-Shift Podcast as of January 2023. The information presented may no longer be up-to-date and may differ from the viewpoints and insights currently shared on The Pre-Shift Podcast.

Are you meeting the demand of local diners? Are you leveraging social media properly? Are you leaving money on the table? These are all questions that you should ask as you lay the foundations for a $10 million dollar restaurant. Josh Kopel, restautauateur and content creator, lays the blueprint for reaching profitability and then some in this tactic-packed episode.

The Restaurant Growth Podcast is brought to you by 7shifts and hosted by Dominick “D.J.” Costantino

About Josh Kopel

Josh Kopel is a restaurateur, tech pioneer and environmental advocate. Born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, the spawn of bootleggers and retail giants, he was bred for the hospitality industry. Throughout Kopel’s 20+ year career in hospitality he has managed venues ranging from the Alligator Bayou Bar, located on Alligator Bayou Road, seated on Alligator Bayou (it was exactly how you’re picturing it in your mind) to the hottest Hollywood nightclubs, bars, and ultra-lounges (far less glamorous than you’re picturing it in your mind).

Kopel went independent in 2010, opening his first concept Five0Four, a New Orleans-inspired bar, on the Walk of Fame in the heart of Hollywood. In subsequent years, he would open the Michelin-rated fine dining concept, Preux & Proper as well as South City Fried Chicken, voted the best fried chicken in Los Angeles by LA Weekly. Despite his success, he saw foundational issues within the industry and set out to fix them himself.

In 2018, Kopel founded FLO Hospitality Solutions, a company solely focused on leveraging tech to bring more humanity to the customer service experience, not less. His first product, FLO, launched in 2019 offering an all-in-one communication solution for restaurants, saving restaurateurs 1,500 labor hours per year while increasing their profits, on average, 5-15%. .

In 2020, the pandemic offered another opportunity for Kopel to serve the industry. In response to the devastation he saw, Josh created FULL COMP, a podcast, blog and video series dedicated to seeking out thought leaders from within and outside of the hospitality industry, using their wisdom to help the restaurateurs survive the present and thrive in the future.

Kopel’s varied interests and talents have landed him several positions of influence including board seats on the Hollywood Hills West Neighborhood Council and the California Restaurant Association. He is also a co-founder of the Friends of Runyon Canyon, a non-profit focused on the protection of local Los Angeles Park areas.

Listen, rate, and subscribe!
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
Google Podcasts
YouTube
TikTok
7shifts Blog

Credits
Host & Executive Producer: D.J. Costantino
Editor: Fina Charleston
Producer: Samantha Fung
Designer: Jake Sinclair

The episode Josh Kopel, Host of Full Comp and Founder of FLO Hospitality Solutions | S1E10 from the podcast The Pre-Shift Podcast has a duration of 29:50. It was first published 25 Oct 14:32. The cover art and the content belong to their respective owners.

Permalink

More episodes from The Pre-Shift Podcast

Episode #44: Chris Britt, COO of Epic Restaurants

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts is a deep dive into what it takes to run great restaurant teams.

Host DJ Costantino covers the restaurant industry with conversations featuring industry leaders and innovators sharing their business growth insights, backgrounds, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams.

In this episode, Chris Britt, Chief Operating Officer of Epic Restaurants, joins us.

For nearly five years, Chris has served in a leadership capacity at Agave & Rye, one of the fastest-growing restaurant concepts in the U.S. He has accumulated a diverse array of experiences since joining the Agave & Rye team in 2018, and through his expertise, Chris has helped continually grow the company into a now multi-brand restaurant group, touting such revered concepts as Agave & Rye, S.O.B. Steakhouse, Shindig Park—and the soon-to-be-unveiled, Trashy Dawg. Chris started as the GM of the original location in Covington, Kentucky, before taking the same position at Agave & Rye’s flagship location in Liberty Township, Ohio. Soon after, he was promoted to Regional Director, followed by a promotion to the Director of Operations role. Chris has been in his Chief Operating Officer role for more than a year, right in time for expansion plans in 2023.

Resources

Episode #43: Stella Dennig, Co-Owner/GM of Daytrip

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts is a deep dive into what it takes to run great restaurant teams.

Host D.J. Costantino covers the restaurant industry with conversations featuring industry leaders and innovators sharing their business growth insights, backgrounds, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams.

On this episode, we’re joined by Stella Dennig, Co-Owner/GM of Daytrip in Oakland, California.

Stella Dennig (she/her) is the Co-Owner/GM of Daytrip, a fermentation-driven party of a restaurant in Oakland, CA. Core to Daytrip’s mission is to push toward a more equitable future for this industry and at the center of that, its workforce. Daytrip has been written up for its employment practices by publications like Bon Appetit, The New York Times, and the SF Chronicle. Daytrip was a Bon Appetit top 10 Best New Restaurant in America in 2023 and Co-Owner/Chef Finn Stern was a James Beard Semifinalist in 2024.

Topics Covered:

Exploring Daytrip's Business Model: Equal entry-level wages and a shared service charge benefiting all staff challenge industry norms.
Cultivating a culture of fairness through democratic management and transparent hiring practices.
How regular team dialogues foster a supportive and inclusive work environment.

Resources

Daytrip
RAISE
10 Best New Restaurants in America 2022 | Bon Appetit

Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire and Vine Hospitality

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts is a deep dive into what it takes to run great restaurant teams.

On this episode, we’re joined by Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire & Vine Hospitality in Seattle, WA.

Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire & Vine Hospitality, leads a multi-concept operator of full-service restaurants and oversees the successful Revelers Club loyalty program, boasting 80K members and contributing 30% to the company’s revenue since its 2011 inception. El Gaucho, the flagship concept founded in 1996, spans five locations, while Fire & Vine owns AQUA by El Gaucho, Aerlume, and the Witness Tree lounge. The Revelers Club extends to independently owned properties like Walla Walla Steak Co., Crossbuck Brewing, and Yellowhawk Resort in Walla Walla, WA. Drawing from two decades of hospitality expertise, Chad founded Brigado, a consulting and technology firm. He actively serves on Oracle's Customer Advisory Board for the Global Food and Beverage Industry Group and has held leadership roles in associations like the Washington Hospitality Association and Visit Seattle. Chad is a sought-after speaker on adapting compensation models for full-service restaurants in response to the $15 minimum wage.

Links
Fire & Vine Hospitality
Brigado

Irene Shiang Li, Cofounder of Prepshift & Mei Mei Dumplings

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts is a deep dive into what it takes to run great restaurant teams.

Host DJ Costantino covers the restaurant industry with conversations featuring industry leaders and innovators sharing their business growth insights, backgrounds, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams.

On this episode, we’re joined by Irene Shiang Li, Cofounder of Prepshift & Mei Mei Dumplings in Boston, Mass.

Irene Shiang Li co-founded Mei Mei in Boston in 2013 and built the brand around ethical, sustainable sourcing and fair and transparent employment practices, including open book management. Mei Mei is now a dumpling company and Irene is now building Prepshift, a tech-enabled coaching and workforce training firm. Prepshift focuses on aligning food business teams around their common goals and empowering them with education and transparency. Irene believes that in restaurants, everyone can win. She is a Zagat and Forbes 30 Under 30 honoree, six-time James Beard Foundation Rising Star Chef nominee, and 2022 James Beard Foundation Leadership Award winner. In 2023, Irene and her sister co-authored Perfectly Good Food: a totally achievable zero-waste approach to home cooking with W.W. Norton.

Additional Resources

Mei Mei Dumplings
Prepshift
One Fair Wage
Follow Irene Li
Get Irene’s Book

Ji Hye Kim, Chef/Owner at Miss Kim | S2E12

The Pre-Shift Podcast presented by 7shifts is a deep dive into what it takes to run great restaurant teams.

Host D.J. Costantino covers the restaurant industry with conversations featuring industry leaders and innovators sharing their business growth insights, backgrounds, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams.

On this episode, we’re joined by Ji Hye Kim, Chef/Owner of Miss Kim in Ann Arbor.

Ji Hye was awarded one of Food & Wine's Best New Chefs in 2021 and a multi-time James Beard Award semifinalist. She also advocates for fair wages in the hospitality industry, working with organizations like One Fair Wage to enact change. We get into how staff are paid above the industry average at Miss Kim, the tools Kim uses to get her teams engaged, and more.

Additional Resources

Miss Kim
Zingerman’s
Zingerman’s Community of Businesses
One Fair Wage
RAISE: High Road Restaurants

Every Podcast » The Pre-Shift Podcast » Josh Kopel, Host of Full Comp and Founder of FLO Hospitality Solutions | S1E10