I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur and the creator of the Restaurant Scaling System. I’ve spent decades in the industry, building, scaling, and coaching restaurants to become more profitable and sustainable. On this show, I cut through the noise to give you real, actionable strategies that help independent restaurant owners run smarter, more successful businesses.

In this episode, I break down exactly what it takes to build a recognizable brand and boost profitability through smarter marketing. And I’m not talking about throwing money at ads or posting randomly on social — I’m talking about strategy. Structure. Systems.

I dive into how constraints in your marketing — yes, constraints — actually create clarity. I talk about the power of having a clear brand narrative and how leveraging AI can make content creation faster, easier, and way more effective.

One of the game-changers I share is working off a monthly theme — keeping your messaging tight and your content consistent. When you focus your story and show up with intention, your audience listens… and they show up.

Takeaways:

• Most restaurant marketing fails due to lack of structure.
• Tight constraints are essential for effective marketing.
• Repetition is key to gaining audience attention.
• Your audience is constantly changing; adapt your marketing accordingly.
• Creativity thrives within clear boundaries.
• Use AI to enhance, not replace, your marketing efforts.
• Build a compelling narrative around your brand.
• Focus on a monthly theme to guide your marketing.
• Discipline in marketing leads to momentum.
• Engage your audience with consistent messaging across platforms.

Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Restaurant Profitability
02:11 The Importance of Structured Marketing
06:00 Creating a Compelling Brand Narrative

If you’ve got a marketing or profitability related question for me, email me directly at josh@joshkopel.com and include Office Hours in the subject line. If you'd like to scale the profitability of your restaurant in only 5 days, sign up for our FREE 5 Day Restaurant Profitability Challenge by visiting https://joshkopel.com.