This Michelin-Rated Restaurateur Found Success in Digital Media with Strategic Vulnerability

Josh Kopel’s journey from successful restaurateur to media personality and business coach is one of resilience, vulnerability, and a commitment to helping others. As the host of Yelp for Restaurant’s podcast Full Comp, he has asked the hard questions and shared his battle scars through more than 400 episodes.

Watch now to learn about making hospitality media, the benefits of scarcity, and elevating the restaurant industry.

Chapters:

[05:09] - Leaning Into Vulnerability

[13:54] - Learning from Defeat

[23:47] - Lessons from 400 Podcast Episodes

[29:23] - Catering is Important for Restaurants

[34:20] - Josh Kopel Personal Tech Stack

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Episode Links:

Josh Kopel Website

FULL COMP Podcast

Josh Kopel LinkedIn

Josh Kopel Instagram

Takeaways:

Tough Lessons - Josh Kopel’s success as a business coach stems from lessons learned during his toughest moments in the restaurant industry.

Empathy is Valuable - Empathy is central to Kopel’s coaching approach, building deeper connections with his clients and students.

Simple is Better - Kopel’s recipe for business success is to simplify operations, optimize for revenue, and delete distractions.

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ABOUT JOSH KOPEL —

Josh Kopel is a restaurateur, business coach, and media personality. Throughout his 20-year career, he’s managed venues ranging from the Alligator Bayou Bar to Hollywood nightclubs, bars, and ultra-lounges. He opened New Orleans-inspired bar, Five0Four, in the heart of Hollywood in 2010. He then opened Michelin-rated fine dining concept Preux & Proper, as well as South City Fried Chicken. Josh Kopel also created Full Comp in partnership with Yelp for Restaurants in 2020, which has now published more than 400 episodes.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media