

FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution
Josh Kopel
What if I told you that the difference between struggling and thriving in the restaurant industry is just one conversation away?
I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur who’s spent decades building blockbuster brands across every tier of dining. I know the challenges you’re facing—because I’ve been there. That’s why I created FULL COMP.
Every week, I go one-on-one with the smartest minds in the game: restaurateurs, chefs, and industry insiders who’ve cracked the code. Together, we unpack their biggest wins, hardest lessons, and the strategies that changed everything.
No fluff, no filler—just actionable insights to help you boost profits, build your brand, and create the kind of restaurant you’ve always dreamed of.
So, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results, hit subscribe.
I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur who’s spent decades building blockbuster brands across every tier of dining. I know the challenges you’re facing—because I’ve been there. That’s why I created FULL COMP.
Every week, I go one-on-one with the smartest minds in the game: restaurateurs, chefs, and industry insiders who’ve cracked the code. Together, we unpack their biggest wins, hardest lessons, and the strategies that changed everything.
No fluff, no filler—just actionable insights to help you boost profits, build your brand, and create the kind of restaurant you’ve always dreamed of.
So, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results, hit subscribe.
Episodes
Mentioned books

Aug 5, 2022 • 31min
Building a Beverage Brand: Brett Lawrence & Stephen Young of Elephant Hard Seltzer
Knowing how to cook doesn't mean you can farm and building a beverage brand is very different from building a restaurant. So, I've brought in some experts. Brett Lawrence and Stephen Young have not only built a successful hard seltzer brand, they built a brewery and a beer company before that. In today's episode we leverage their years of experience to determine the path of least resistance when building our own brands.
For more on Elephant Craft Seltzer visit https://elephantcraftseltzer.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Aug 2, 2022 • 39min
The Benefits of Disruption: Stratis Morfogen of Brooklyn Chop House
Stratis Morfogen has done business differently from the beginning and, over the last 30 years, it's made a dramatic impact in how successful he's become as a restaurateur. Today, we unpack lessons to be learned from both his successes and his failures on his path of industry disruption.
For more on his concepts visit https://www.brooklynchophouse.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 29, 2022 • 32min
Media Matters: John McDonald of Mercer Street Hospitality
In this episode, we chat with restaurateur and media mogul John McDonald who grown a successful media empire alongside his restaurant empire, leveraging the lessons learned from one to improve the other. Today we unpack why media matters.
For more on his restaurant group visit https://www.mercerstreethospitality.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 26, 2022 • 27min
A New Labor Model: Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty
Jim Taylor of Benchmark Sixty, believes he's found the solution to our biggest hurdle as an industry: the lack of predictability when it comest to sales. In our conversation he lays out how we can optimize restaurant profits, make major costs more predictable, and forecast more accurately.
For more on Benchmark Sixty visit https://www.taylorcoconsulting.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 22, 2022 • 37min
The Next Supper: Author Corey Mintz
Corey Mintz is a failed cook and a successful writer. His latest book "The Next Supper: The End of Restaurants as We Knew Them, and What Comes After" carefully lays out the thesis for why success is so hard to come by in our industry. In today's conversation we discuss the obstacles within the restaurant business and practical solutions to overcome them.
Be sure to pick up his book, The Next Supper, wherever you buy books.
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 19, 2022 • 36min
The Right Way to Build a Restaurant: Michael Benson of SoCal Restaurant Design Group
Michael Benson's company SoCal Restaurant Design Group has built some of the most prolific restaurants in California and today he's sharing the tactics, tools and strategies he uses to ensure his clients get the most for the least in the shortest period of time.
For more on his company visit https://www.socalrestaurantdesign.com/
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 15, 2022 • 32min
The Only Rule That Matters: Selwyn Yosslowitz of Marmalade Cafe
What is the only rule that matters in our industry? If you ask today's guest Selwyn Yosslowitz the rule is simple: keep it simple. Other than that, I'd argue Selwyn has broken every rule in the book. In our conversation Selwyn explains how big rents, big menus and big profits can all work together.
For more on Marmalade Cafe visit https://marmaladecafe.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 12, 2022 • 36min
The 10 Disciplines: Rob Dube of The 10 Disciplines
There's a proven process to live our optimal lives and Rob Dube is here to share it with us. It's called The 10 Disciplines for Managing and Maximizing Your Energy and it changed my life. Today Rob and I run through some of my favorites.
To check out the course for yourself at a discounted rate visit https://www.the10disciplines.com/fullcomp
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 8, 2022 • 36min
Make No Small Plans: Elliott Bisnow of Summit
Do you run your restaurant or does your restaurant run your life. As entrepreneurs, we build these businesses with a singular goal in mind: freedom. But how many of us are really free?
Today we chat with Elliott Bisnow, co-founder of Summit and author of Make No Small Plans, a book about building a great business and a great life. In our conversation, Elliott breaks down the key decisions that led to his success so that we too can enjoy the freedom that we deserve.
Pick up your copy of Make No Small Plans wherever books are sold.
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls

Jul 5, 2022 • 36min
How to Survive 100 Years: Mark Echeverria of Musso & Frank Grill
How does a restaurant stay relevant for a decade? If that feels impossible, imagine if that restaurant survived a century. Today we chat with Mark Echeverria, a 4th generation restaurateur of the famous Musso and Frank Grill on Hollywood Blvd.
We'll talk about what it took to survive the last 100 years and how they intend to thrive for the next 100.
For more on Musso & Frank Grill visit https://mussoandfrank.com
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Full Comp brought to you by Yelp for Restaurants: In July 2020, a few hundred employees formed Yelp for Restaurants. Our goal is to build tools that help restaurateurs do more with limited time.
We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows:
Restaurant Marketing School
Industry Town Halls


