Josh Kopel is the President of the L.A. chapter of the California Restaurant Association, he’s a Michelin-rated restaurateur with over 20 years of experience in the industry, and is the CEO of FLO Hospitality Solutions. We were thrilled to have him on the show!

Here’s one of our takeaways from this episode and Josh’s answers to some of our questions:

Featured Takeaway: People Support People, Not Places

Josh highlighted the benefits that come from publicly integrating your story, personality, and motivation as a restaurant owner into your restaurant.

“It took more than a decade for me to stand in front of my restaurant and say, ‘This is mine. This is why I built it. This is why it’s meaningful. This is why I chose your community. This is this is my commitment to you. And this is what I’d like to get back in return for that commitment.’

And a lot of us are afraid to do that. We just want to keep our head down, do a good job, and hope for the best. But ultimately, at the end of the day, your restaurant, your food will be forgettable. But you’re not forgettable.”

1) What is the most important aspect of the guest experience?

“What does the guest really notice? What do they value, and especially what does the next generation of guests value?… The truth is, especially for the newest generation, the prize is efficiency over everything else.”

2) What’s something successful you’ve seen or tried lately?

Marketing! “You know what works guys? Marketing. Marketing works. So old school marketing, new school marketing, in general marketing works. But authentic marketing works really well. Data collection works incredibly well.”

3) Who is someone in the industry that deserves an Ovation?

“My wife and every spouse out there that has chosen to love and spend their life with anyone in the hospitality industry…Because I can tell you right now, I wouldn’t have survived the last year and a half without the love and the support of my wife.”