Advice | KRG Hospitality

A blue dumpster covered in graffiti placed against a concrete wall, resting on asphalt

August 15, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Your One-Page Business Plan is Trash

Your One-Page Business Plan is Trash

by Doug Radkey

Subtle, no?

If you’re planning to open a bar, restaurant, or hotel using a one-page business plan or an AI-generated template, you’re setting yourself up for failure.

Let me be clear: using an AI-generated template is the absolute worst option.

I’ve seen it too many times. A passionate operator walks in with a dream and a slick one-pager (or even a 20-page document) in hand.

There are a few bullet points. A vision statement. Some rough numbers. A bit of basic demographics. Maybe a “mission.”

They think they’re ready right then and there to pitch to investors, lease a location, and operate a successful business.

Here’s the truth: a one-page plan isn’t a plan.

What it is, is a wishlist. And wishlists don’t build profitable, scalable, legacy-driven hospitality businesses.

It might feel good in the moment to have something down on paper. But when the real work starts—the budget controls, construction delays, staffing issues, supplier negotiations, licensing hiccups, margin pressures—that one-page business plan doesn’t do one damn thing to help you.

So, let’s call it what it is: lazy, outdated, and dangerous.

The Seduction of Simplicity

One-page business plans are everywhere. They’re easy. They’re free.

Maybe they’ve become trendy because some business guru got lucky and built a unicorn business with one.

One-pagers are sold as “quick-start” tools for entrepreneurs who want clarity and speed.

Well, clarity without depth is misleading. Speed without structure is reckless.

If you’re building a side hustle e-commerce business to run out of your basement or garage, fine. Maybe a one-pager can help you validate an idea.

But if you’re investing $250,000 to $2,500,000 or more into a physical property? If you want to build a business that hires teams, serves guests, signs leases, and burns through cash every day? You need more. Way more.

This is particularly true of an industry where the margin for error is razor thin. Where failure rates still hover around 60 to 80 percent. And where the smallest mistake can cost tens of thousands of dollars in a matter of weeks.

Let’s Talk About What’s Actually Missing

A one-pager or basic template from the bank or an AI program might give you a north star, but it doesn’t show you the terrain, the weather conditions, or the pitfalls along the way.

Here’s what it doesn’t give you:

1. Financial Reality Checks

You won’t see line-by-line startup budgets. You won’t understand contribution margins. And you won’t forecast labor productivity or revenue per available guest during different dayparts or seasons.

Most one-page plans have a single line called “Projected Revenue,” and maybe a “Cost of Goods Sold” and “Profit” box, if you’re lucky.

That’s not a financial strategy. That’s napkin math.

2. Market Nuance

“Target Market: Millennials.” Oh really? Which Millennials? Urban 30-somethings with disposable income? Foodies influenced by TikTok? Business travelers who value speed and convenience?

One-pagers flatten your market. What is the projected TAM/SAM/SOM?

These one-pagers don’t unpack demographics, psychographics, or behavioral segments. They definitely don’t account for neighborhood trends, transit flow, or tourism cycles.

3. Operational Strategy

Where’s your tech stack? Your vendor procurement plan? Your SOPs?

What about your training systems, performance metrics, shift structure, and flow-of-service blueprints?

A one-pager won’t even mention these, let alone show you how they connect to your financial model.

4. Brand Experience

“Cool vibes” is not a brand strategy. “Elevated, yet accessible” is not brand positioning.

Real brand work takes introspection, data, story, and soul.

A one-pager gives you slogans. A proper strategy playbook gives you meaning, and that in-depth meaning is what drives guest loyalty and differentiation.

5. Risk Mitigation

Let me ask you something: How do you know the size of property you need? How do you know what space is available to you?

If you don’t know either of those details, how do you plan to maximize your available budget, and the opportunity?

What happens if your chef walks out before you open? If your liquor license gets delayed?

Your one-pager doesn’t know. Because one-page business plans assume success.

Real strategic playbooks prepare you for failure and build contingency into every strategy.

So, Why Do So Many People Still Use Them?

Because they’re fast. Because they’re cheap. They look nice.

Because someone on YouTube said you could launch your restaurant in 60 days with ChatGPT.

And, let’s be honest, because they’re easy to hide behind.

You don’t have to face your gaps. You don’t have to confront what you don’t know. Your free to keep pretending your dream is “almost ready,” when really, you’re coasting on delusion.

One-pagers, templates, and auto-generated AI business plans might feel efficient. Most of the time, they’re simply a distraction from doing the real work.

You Need Playbooks, Not Just a Plan

At KRG Hospitality, we don’t do templated PDFs. We don’t sell cookie-cutter plans.

What we build with our clients are playbooks. These are dynamic, connected, tactical documents that actually help you start, stabilize, and scale your business.

Here’s what that looks like with our KRG Method program:

Feasibility Study

Validate your market. Understand your guests. Assess the viability of your business. Build confidence for your investors, and for yourself.

Concept Development

Design the business experience: programming, service, space, and an introduction to design. Create the DNA of your operation with clarity and cohesion.

Prototype Playbook

Layout. Flow. Fixtures. Furniture. Equipment. Zones. Build the engine that powers your day-to-day without friction.

Brand Strategy

Voice. Story. Purpose. Positioning. No more “vibe” businesses. Instead, you’ll build a brand that matters.

Tech-Stack Playbook

POS. PMS. CRM. Ordering. Inventory. We plug you into the right systems from day one.

Marketing Playbook

We map the entire journey from awareness to loyalty. Not just what platforms to use, but how to use them effectively for ROI.

Financial Playbook

Revenue models. Labor strategies. Cost controls. Funding schedules. Pre-opening cash flow. Profitability targets. Real math. Real insight.

Business Plan

This is the final product, the operation-facing doc. It’s not the starting point, it’s the summary of all your previous thinking tied into one strategic playbook.

And guess what? It works.

We’ve maintained a 98% startup success rate since 2009. And our clients average 18-plus-percet profit margins (over 24 percent for hotels). That doesn’t happen with a one-pager.

Real Story, Real Risk

We recently had a potential client come to us after trying to launch their venue with a one-page plan, hence the inspiration for this article.

They claimed they were 60 days from opening. Lease signed. Equipment was ordered.

Well, here’s the thing: There was no brand. There was no menu strategy, no staffing plan, no leadership. The financial model? Non-existent. The only semblance of a tech stack was a basic POS built for retail.

Their one-page plan had a paragraph about “innovative food,” and how they “will use social media and build great local partnerships.”

What it didn’t have was reality.

They were behind in their schedule, already $100K over budget, and couldn’t secure any investor confidence to help with their needed cash injection.

Had we been involved earlier, they could have saved thousands of dollars and months of stress.

The Bottom Line

I bet you’ve heard this one before: If it’s worth doing, it’s worth doing right.

If your business is worth doing, it’s worth doing right from the very start.

You don’t need a shortcut, you need a system. You don’t need a one-pager, you need a proven method.

And you don’t need a “pretty” template, you need to think deeply about your business, because that’s what leads to results.

At KRG Hospitality, we don’t sell plans. We build brands, systems, strategy, and profit.

What we sell is strategic clarity.

So, if you’re serious about this business, ditch the one-pager. Because success isn’t something you manifest, it’s something you plan for. And planning requires both depth and critical thinking.

Image: Kevin Butz on Unsplash

A surreal image of stacks of cash resting on a pile of blue slush, representing a slush fund

August 8, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

A Party Slush Fund? We’re Down

A Party Slush Fund? We’re Down

by David Klemt

I asked AI for a visual representation of a slush fund, and I am not disappointed.

Innovation and adaptability have always been crucial for hospitality. Today, in increasingly challenging times, both are more important than ever.

So, whenever we come across an idea that’s outside the norm, we pay attention. Two days ago, we came across one such promotion.

The originators are a New York-based concept called Torch & Crown Brewing Company. They operate two locations, one in SoHo, and another in Union Square.

Torch & Crown is well aware that people appear to be pulling back from spending in bars, restaurants, clubs… Pretty much anywhere that’s offering anything not deemed essential.

To motivate people to gather and “throw down,” Torch & Crown has introduced their Slush Fund.

Their Story

From what I can find, the founders of Torch & Crown, Joe Correia and John Dantzler, are childhood friends. Yes, I put their names in alphabetical order because I feel like they may be competitive people.

They took an interesting route into brewing beer.

Basically, they wanted to drink beer while underage (something we would never endorse, of course) but were thwarted at the age of 16. That’s the age they were when their fake IDs were confiscated by a business in the East Village.

As the story goes, the duo got their hands on a homebrew kit, proceeded to cause it to erupt, and were grounded for weeks. Apparently unfazed, the two learned how to brew beer, and even entered homebrew contests.

During a trip to Ireland, Correia and Dantzler committed to opening their own brewery. They accomplished that goal in the 2010s, opening a brewery in the Bronx.

In 2021, the duo opened a 9,000-square-foot brewery with a taproom and restaurant. Upon opening, Torch & Crown became the only production brewery in Manhattan.

The company has faced its own challenges, as most operators have for the past several years. From what I’ve gathered, their production team was let go roughly one year ago. With any luck, the skilled team members have found new brewing homes.

Slush Fund

Now, let’s get into why we’re here.

Torch & Crown has announced Slush Fund, and they describe it on their Instagram profile as a “party scholarship program.” People pitch a party to them via this link. The team selects their favorite pitches—considering theme, vibe, what makes the idea special, the Torch & Crown location, and proposed date—and the winners receive an impressive party package.

First, successful pitches can select the SoHo location, Union Square location, or help setting up their own party venue. Second, Torch & Crown provides up to $5,000 in beer, non-alc beverages, food, and decor. Finally, those selected also get support from the Torch & Crown team to bring their party idea to life.

The application process is open now, and the plan is to select five pitches for each season. That’s 20 parties across a calendar year.

The Slush Fund Copy

Below, you’ll find the text of Torch & Crown’s post about the Slush Fund party scholarship.

“The data is in: partying is dead. We’ve read the think pieces, we’ve seen the stats, and as a bar, we feel it. People are drinking less, gathering less, and opting out because it feels too expensive, too stressful, or just too much. We recently learned that some people literally thought house parties only existed in movies…

“So, that’s where we come in…Torch & Crown is here to revive the lost art of throwing down. Introducing Slush Fund: our party scholarship program designed to help you party like it’s the summer of 2016. Each season of the year, we’ll pick 5 party pitches and provide:

🍻 Venue space at our SoHo or Union Square locations — or help throwing down at yours
🎉 Up to $5K in beer, food, non-alc drinks, and decor
👯 Our team’s support to bring your idea to life

“We’re currently taking applications for our fall Slush Fund parties. Tell us your theme, your vibe, and where you’d host. If you’re selected, we’ll help make it happen. Link in bio to apply!”

Image: Canva

Canadian flag against blue sky and white clouds

August 1, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Five Traits Quantify Admirability

5 Traits Quantify Admirability

by David Klemt

In part three of this series, I look at what traits people find admirable in others, and apply them to hospitality concepts.

Some venues are effortlessly cool. Others are undeniably good.

In 2012, a team led by psychologist Ilan Dar-Nimrod published a study in the Journal of Individual Differences titled “Coolness: An Empirical Investigation.”

Researchers asked more than 1,000 Canadian survey respondents (hence the image up top) to define what “cool” meant to them. They were also asked to describe someone they believed fit the label.

Their findings? People tend to assign admirable traits to “cool” individuals. Specifically, attractiveness, competence, desirability, friendliness, and trendiness.

Admirability, to provide further context, “is the quality of being admirable, worthy of respect or approval due to excellent qualities or achievements. It’s a noun that describes something or someone deserving of admiration.”

Interestingly, these attributes, while appealing, don’t align with the “counter-cultural” or “edgy” factors that typically define “actual” coolness in subcultures or social identity theory, per the research team.

In short, people blur the lines between being cool and being appealing or admirable. In hospitality, we often do the same.

Let’s break these five traits down, and look at how they shape the way guests may perceive your brand. If you can set out to build a cool or good hospitality concept, can you build one that’s worthy of admiration?

Attractiveness

In the Dar-Nimrod study, physical and aesthetic attractiveness ranked high as a “cool” trait. That’s largely because many people conflate outer appeal with inner value.

We all know (or should, at least) that being deemed physically attractive doesn’t automatically equal cool. Still, in this particular study of coolness, being attractive was ranked high as an admirable trait.

However, that’s easy for guests to forget when they’re surrounded by sleek interiors, photogenic food, or staff who look like they belong in a luxury fashion brand’s campaign shoot.

In a hospitality setting, attractive design can make a strong first impression. Some bar, restaurant, and hotel operators throw a lot of resources toward making their space look and feel cool. And why not? It does make some sense to assume that an attractive space will attract attractive people.

But cool isn’t curated, it’s effortless. At least, it it should feel that way, from discovery and arrival, and from service to exit and followup. Every aspect of service should be as amazing as the interior and exterior design.

Operators and their teams should identify and remove pain points and deliver smooth, seamless service to help the guest relax and escape. That’s effortless cool.

If the concept lacks a cohesive vision beyond “make it look cool,” there’s a feeling of inauthenticity. The service feels far more like a business deal than experiential, and the experience lacks soul. Soon, guests will see through the attractive façade.

In other words, a stunning dining room or bar doesn’t compensate for transactional hospitality.

If you’re leaning heavily on looks, make sure there’s substance beneath the surface. Create moments. Don’t let the aesthetic do all the heavy lifting.

Competence

Guests love a restaurant or hotel that runs like a Swiss watch. Precision is admirable, and competence feels reliable.

And when things just work, it puts people at ease.

But let’s be honest—competence isn’t inherently cool. In fact, when a brand flaunts its expertise too much, it can come across as smug or inaccessible.

In the Dar-Nimrod study, competence was one of the most frequently mentioned traits in cool people. But being competent doesn’t mean you break rules, take risks, or build culture.

Further, many people today are less interested in your how than your what. It’s becoming nearly as important as your why.

If a guest comes to your bar, what should they expect? What does your restaurant have to offer them? Is there something about your hotel that guests should see and experience?

Focus much more on the why and what, and let them decide if they want to know your how.

It’s the difference between a chef who lets their food do the talking versus one who drills guests with the minutiae of each ingredient and every technique they use to create each dish. Sure, a handful of guests are interested; most just want to scan the menu, order, and eat.

For most concepts, operational excellence should support the experience, not be the experience. Let your team’s confidence come through in calm, collected moments.

Again, coolness seems like it takes very little, if any, effort. It’s a bit of paradox, but great operators put the hard work into analyzing and refining every step of service until it becomes so smooth that it seems to come off effortlessly.

Desirability

Exclusivity creates demand. Demand fuels the perception of coolness.

But here’s the trap: When people want in just because everyone else does (FOMO, anyone?), a concept or brand risks becoming nothing much more than a hype machine.

That can look like cool from the outside. It can even seem like the concept is printing money if seats or rooms are unavailable for weeks or months. However, if the guest experience is just average, all that has been built is a fragile house of cards.

In Dar-Nimrod’s research, social desirability—the idea that someone is wanted, valued, or sought after—was commonly linked to perceived coolness. But desire is contextual.

Just because a place is hard to get into doesn’t mean it’s good, or cool, or will be relevant six months after opening, let alone a year into operations.

Most concepts don’t need a velvet rope. And they don’t need reservations so exclusive that an entire black market industry sprouts up just to obtain one.

What operators, their teams, and their brand need are values, intention, and consistency. That’s what drives real brand loyalty.

Artificial scarcity, like superficial desirability, is fleeting; integrity and authenticity are enduring.

Friendliness

This one’s a bit of a curveball. Friendliness is thought to be one of the core tenets of hospitality. So, how could it not be cool?

In the study, friendliness was often linked with coolness, but not in a defining way. More often, it was background noise—something that made someone likable, not legendary.

Here’s the thing: being friendly is expected in our industry. Being cordial is our baseline; it’s our standard level of professionalism.

It’s warmth, however, that really draws in guests, makes an experience memorable, and inspires repeat visits. In fact, warmth is included in a list of attributes that people tend to equate with being good. You can find that and the rest of the “goodness” traits in the second article in this series.

When everything is pleasant but perceived as too polished, the experience can slide into forgettable territory. Worse, it can feel disingenuous, and easily become off-putting.

I’d argue that being warm and welcoming is a true tenet of hospitality. More so than friendliness, anyway.

To me, friendliness is a byproduct of being warm. It’s what really makes a guest feel welcome when stepping into a bar, restaurant, or hotel. A person really can’t be warm and welcoming without being friendly (unless they’re incredible actors).

Guest-facing staff should be warm, not robotic. They should build rapport, not routines.

Let your team’s personalities shine through, even if it breaks script now and then. Guests remember what’s real, and how staff made them feel.

Trendiness

Trendiness is the most deceptive trait on this list of five.

Dar-Nimrod’s participants often cited trendiness when describing cool people. But deeper analysis by the researchers revealed that trendiness is perceived cool, not authentic cool.

It’s difficult for any concept to seem authentic if its constantly chasing trends. What is the concept if there’s little to no consistency because the operators are just jumping on every shiny, new toy that comes across everyone’s social media feeds?

A venue that pursues every current trend—cocktail techniques, food items, cuisine mashups, design palettes, even vibes—might look cool (attractiveness). We need to keep in mind that fads are fleeting, and trends, however one may influence culture, tend to have short lives.

The authentically cool thing to do is be discerning. Sit back and let others chase fads or trends every time one pops up. It takes much more savvy, and therefore coolness, to wait to embrace a trend that seems organic to your concept.

Make sure you’re building something lasting. Integrate trends in ways that feel organic rather than opportunistic.

Don’t chase every trend; be the source of a trend. That’s a cooler move by nearly every measure.

Final Bite

So what do you do with all this?

Pursuing attractiveness, competence, desirability, friendliness, and trendiness to be cool isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Neither is perceiving these traits as admirable, and striving to develop a concept that has these attributes.

These traits can be cool, and can be admirable, and they do contribute to brand value.

But if you want to build a venue that feels cool in the way that draws a crowd without trying too hard, builds loyalty through authenticity, and sets the tone instead of following it, you’ll need to go deeper.

Cool can’t be faked, but it can be felt. At the end of the day, operators and their teams should strive to be hospitable, warm, and welcoming.

Image: Chris Robert via Unsplash

A vertical hotel sign reading "GOOD" with glass buildings in the background.

July 25, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Eight Traits Quantify Good

8 Traits Quantify Good

by David Klemt

Is this too on the nose? I feel like it’s too on the nose. At least it isn’t AI!

We took a look at what traits may make a bar, restaurant, or hotel cool. Now, we’re turning our focus to what would make one “good.”

Similarly to cool, it can be easier to identify good than to sit down and quantify it. That is to say, most of us sense goodness better than we describe goodness.

But what meaning of “good” am I using as a form of measurement? For this article, understand that I’m not using the words “good” or “goodness” in the context of rating a restaurant or bar, or its F&B items.

Rather, I’m going the direction of the article I based on the “Cool People” experiment. If we can quantify cool as a person, we can a bar, restaurant, or hotel’s coolness. Therefore, we should be able to do the same to measure a venue or brand’s goodness.

Drilling down further, I’m also not really looking at goodness to judge a brand’s ethics. I like restaurants and bars that implement SOPs that reduce waste. And I think it’s important for hotels to operate in sustainable manners.

However, we can all argue over responsible, ethical operations and whether that makes a brand good. Can a brand be performative but still good? If the result is the same, does it matter if the company doesn’t really care?

Instead, I’m using the “Cool People” experiment’s own attribute measurements, and looking at how they can apply to a hospitality business.

Agreeable

Three attributes scored in the “Cool People” experiment were part of a Big Five Personality Traits* list. This is one of them, along with being conscientious and calm.

If someone is agreeable, they’re sympathetic and warm. They’re perceived as compassionate, cooperative, and kind. People who are perceived as highly agreeable are regarded as empathetic, altruistic, and focused on maintaining positive relationships.

To me, that sounds a lot like a definition of hospitality. The spirit of hospitality is selflessness, kindness, helpfulness, and a devotion to welcoming all.

*Anyone curious to learn more can search for “A very brief measure of the Big-Five personality domains” by Samuel D. Gosling, Peter J. Rentfrow, and William B. Swann, Jr., published in the Journal of Research in Personality in 2003.

Calm

A calm person is emotionally stable. Perhaps the best way to look at this attribute is through its opposite: neuroticism.

If someone’s neurotic, they’re emotionally reactive. Stress and change are seen as threatening by neurotic people. Due to poor coping mechanisms, someone who’s neurotic may think less clearly about what they’re experiencing, and therefore make worse and worse decisions.

On the other hand, a calm person retains their composure, handling stressful situations rationally and gracefully. They’re able to make good, effective decisions in the midst of stress and tension.

So, a calm restaurant or bar doesn’t make its guests feel negative emotions. The vibe may be energetic rather than placid, but it doesn’t feel anxious or angry. Guests who visit a calm hospitality venue won’t be overcome with the desire to leave; they’ll feel comfortable and safe.

This is an attribute that’s certainly tied to culture. If leadership is reactive or emotionally unstable, the rest of the team will feel it, and that will be felt by guests. The same can be said for problematic staff that infect the team with their reactivity and negativity.

A stable, supportive leadership team that hires for and nurtures a positive, healthy team will create a calm atmosphere for guests.

Conforming

Let’s look at how the “Cool People” team presented this attribute to respondents.

This person believes that people should do what they are told.
He/she follows rules at all times, even when no one is watching.
It is important for this person to always behave properly.
He/she avoids doing anything people would say is wrong.

At first glance, this sounds like it’s describing an authoritarian: do as your told, and don’t deviate from the rules.

Now, let’s put “conforming” into the context of a well-run bar, restaurant, or hotel.

Ruling with an iron fist is poor leadership. Identifying a brand’s values and mission, and adhering to them every step of the way is real leadership.

Crafting a hiring and onboarding materials, including an employee manual that includes clear SOPs for every role, is the type of conformity that’s healthy for a hospitality business.

The benefit of everyone knowing what’s expected of them, and believing leadership walks the talk of values and mission, is consistency. And consistency is the key result of this form of conformity.

That said, leadership needs to strike a balance between conformity and adaptability. The team should adhere to SOPs without being robotic; empower them to adapt should they find themselves in a service recovery situation.

Conscientious

This is a slippery one. A person who’s perhaps too conscientious can be perceived as obstinate, refusing to change a course of action. People who have low conscientiousness may be viewed as unreliable and sloppy.

The ideal balance, then, is someone who’s reliable and organized, and wants to complete their tasks efficiently.

Were a restaurant or bar to be perceived as conscientious, the team would be known for its top-level service. That impeccable service—including service recovery—would, of course, be linked directly to being conforming, calm, and agreeable.

In short, a conscientious restaurant would be known for its reliable service. A conscientious bar is led by an organized team. Such a hotel would be a well-oiled machine that develops and nurtures a team committed to efficiency.

Secure

There are a couple of ways to view a bar, restaurant, or hotel through the lens of security.

A hospitality venue perceived as secure makes guests and staff feel safe and comfortable. Even those in rougher locations can be secure if the operators do the work to make guests feel safe once they’ve stepped through their doors.

That feeling of security must also extend to staff. The team needs to know and feel that leadership sees their value, treats them fairly, has their back when guests are being difficult or making them feel uncomfortable, and enforces rules consistently.

Security can also take the form of reliability. Putting in the work to be a guest’s “safe” option can pay big dividends. There’s security and long-term success in becoming someone’s “third spot.”

It’s fun to innovate and be edgy. However, it’s also important to be familiar and approachable. Security as reliability and consistency is how a bar, restaurant, or hotel encourages a guest’s second visit, and then the all-too-important third visit that transforms them into a regular.

In either sense of the word, security is a key attribute for a good venue.

Traditional

I’m going to admit that I struggled with this one. The way it was presented to participants of the “Cool People” experiment doesn’t appear to translate directly to bars, restaurants, or hotels.

Half of the measures for this attribute focus on religion explicitly. It’s also presented as the antithesis to hedonism, an attribute associated with people perceived as cool.

Okay, so how can I relate religion to hospitality? Respectfully, I hope. As I view its essence, religion can be defined by community, guidance and belief, and practices.

Traditionally, hospitality is about building and serving communities. Hospitality workers are also a community in and of themselves.

As far as beliefs and guidance, hospitality is driven by service, generosity, and an authentic desire to welcome and accept others.

Those beliefs are reinforced by hospitality professionals who practice:

selflessness and sacrifice;
creating memories through kindness;
providing what guests want;
anticipating and honoring their needs; and
being respectful, friendly, and welcoming to everyone.

The way I see it, all hospitality venues that are welcoming and committed to hospitality are traditional.

Of course, there’s also the way we all perceive bars, restaurants, and hotels. Even the most innovative, experimental, and experiential concepts (The Aviary in Chicago, for example) are traditional in the sense that guests have an idea of what they should expect when they walk through the doors.

Universalistic

“This person thinks it is important that every person in the world be treated equally.” That’s how someone defined by this attribute could be measured, per the “Cool People” experiment team.

Let’s be honest, treating every guest as equal and equally important is the baseline for hospitality.

People can choose to spend their time and money at any bar or restaurant. Or they can decide against doing that at all, stay home, and make their own food and drinks. The same is true of lodging and accommodation: there are plenty of motels, hotels, and resorts someone can visit.

The question is: Why should they spend their time and money at your bar, restaurant, or hotel?

The answer is: Because you treat every guest with respect, and make them feel welcome and special.

Make someone feel cool and they’ll make return visits. They’ll tell their family, friends, coworkers, tourists, and people online to check out your spot. Make every guest feel relevant, seen, and heard.

It’s non-negotiable for a good restaurant, and that’s what makes a great hospitality brand and venue universalistic. If you’re not interested in welcoming everyone and treating them as equals, you’re in the wrong business.

Warm

Warmth is one of the core elements of hospitality. The people who conducted the “Cool Person” experiment may as well have been talking about a hospitality pro when they included the measures of this attribute:

it is important to this person to help people;
they care for other people;
they’re loyal to his/her friends; and
this person devotes himself/herself to people that are close to him/her.

With very few minor revisions, that could absolutely describe the ideal candidate in a bar, restaurant, or hotel job listing.

It’s crucial to hospitality, and it walks hand in hand with being welcoming and agreeable.

We can train just about anyone on the technical aspects of a given hospitality role. That’s what onboarding, training, and ongoing training is all about: developing and reinforcing skills.

That’s why the prevailing wisdom from successful hospitality operators and leaders is to hire for personality. Look for genuine warmth, extraversion, and the personality traits you need for your concept’s team.

Final Sip

Can a hospitality business be perceived as good in similar fashion to a person?

Perhaps. I’ll say that this has been a bit of an odd exercise.

Of course, finding out if I can attribute “goodness” to a bar, restaurant, or hotel has also been fun for me. I hope these two articles—one on quantifying cool, one on measuring good—have been entertaining and compelling for you, as well.

As it stands, I’ve got one more in me. We’ve got a series! Cheers!

Image: Carson Masterson on Unsplash

AI-generated image of a bottle of Cognac, two Cognac snifters, and some mints on a silver platter on a restaurant table

June 20, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

It’s Time to Perfect Your Moves

It’s Time to Perfect Your Moves

by David Klemt

This AI-generated image will make sense after you read this article.

Will Guidara doesn’t just believe in hospitality, he’s all in on the kind that goes beyond expectations and transforms into unreasonable hospitality.

I mean, it’s the title of his best-selling book, and the subject of a Guidara-hosted TED Talk. That should tell you all you need to know about his belief in taking hospitality to “unreasonable” levels.

At the 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo in Las Vegas, Guidara delivered a keynote that was part challenge, part call to arms. His message was clear: the only true long-term competitive advantage in food and beverage isn’t the food, the drinks, or the space. It’s the hospitality.

The KRG Hospitality team also lives this approach to hospitality. At the end of the day, most concepts are selling the same items. Makes sense given the iron grip purveyors have on F&B, right?

So, a hugely important differentiator is how operators and their teams deliver on hospitality. To that end, Guidara has identified 130 touch points that influence the guest experience. That’s 130 in roads. Or, depending on which moments a team doesn’t leverage, 130 self-imposed obstacles or exits.

The Only Competitive Advantage

“Eventually, someone else is going to come around and create a better product,” Guidara told a packed room in Las Vegas. “The only competitive advantage that exists in the long term is your hospitality.”

That might sound like a line, but coming from Guidara, it’s a philosophy.

He urged operators to “throw [y]ourselves wholeheartedly at the pursuit of those relationships,” referring to the guest connections that drive loyalty, advocacy, and repeat visits.

These aren’t just transactions; these are opportunities to make people feel seen, valued, and appreciated.

Drilling all the way down, whether someone is tossing a few bucks at a quick bite or dropping tens of thousands for an experience, they want the same thing. Everyone wants to feel relevant. To feel important, and even cool.

You may not see the guests you make feel special every day. However, the chances of transforming them into repeat guests increases when you treat them like VIPs regardless of who they are, what they order, and how much they spend.

130 Moments

At Eleven Madison Park, Guidara and his team identified 130 distinct touch points in a guest’s dining experience.

The first moment is that guest researching your venue online, and the last is leaving their table. One of those touch points (or moments) is dropping the check.

And yet, said Guidara, most operators treat it like the end of the story, as nothing more than a transactional curtain call.

Guidara sees it as one last moment to connect. He referenced a study involving 2,000 restaurants: the 1,000 that dropped a mint with the check saw an 18-percent increase in tips. Call it a gimmick if you want, but it’s a small gesture that had a tangible impact. And all those teams had to do was include a mint that costs literally three to five cents.

A Better Ending

As I was sitting in the audience, Guidara’s thoughts on dropping the check reminded me of a Jim Gaffigan bit. Joking about the restaurant experience, he says getting the check can feel like a bit of a gut punch, particularly when the service has been so warm and friendly. Upon receiving the check in his standup bit, Gaffigan deadpans, “I thought we were friends.”

Surely, we can all do better than just walking up, dropping the check, and waiting for payment.

Guidara shared a personal example of turning this touch point into more of a moment. After delivering a particularly high check, he returned to the table with a full bottle of Cognac. He poured a splash into each guest’s glass, then simply left the bottle on the table. Rarely did anyone pour more—but that wasn’t the point. The gesture itself was the takeaway.

Do I expect operators to accompany checks with expensive spirits or wine? No, of course not. But I do want operators, their leaders, and their staff to consider what they can do to leverage the final moments of a guest’s experience.

Review, Rethink, Refresh

Guidara encouraged every operator in the room to review their own touch points.

“In the next month, identify one touch point you may not think about much, and get creative to enhance it,” he said.

This doesn’t mean swinging for the fences and transforming the moment you’ve selected into something needlessly grandiose. Instead, the key is intentionality.

Even a small change—if it’s thoughtful—can become unforgettable.

Further, taking on this exercise should help you fine-tune your service cadence. I recommend undergoing this exercise each month from now until the end of the year, choosing at least one touch point to elevate. More than likely, your steps of service will benefit from this intentionality and resulting refinement.

Team First, Always

Pre-meal, Guidara argued, is the most important time to rally your team.

It’s the moment to communicate the “why” behind your service. This is the time to set the tone, reinforce values, and spread passion.

Pre-meal also happens to be on Chef Brian Duffy’s non-negotiable daily checklist, in case you needed more proof to its importance.

“I believe passion is contagious,” Guidara said during his BRE keynote. “Energy begets energy. Passion begets passion.”

But operators have to be brave enough to go first. Too many are caught up in trying to look “cool,” when what’s actually needed is a little vulnerability and a lot of real talk.

He also reminded leaders to get their hands dirty.

Some people have a romanticized vision of restaurant, bar or nightclub ownership. They think they’ll be the cool person showing up to their hotspot in an expensive drop-top, fawned over by staff and guests alike. The reality is typically much further from that dream.

As an owner, you’ll be the one sprinting to the bathroom to unclog a toilet, or staring at an electrical panel, trying to figure out why half the kitchen went down suddenly.

When your team is in the weeds, the fastest way to earn their respect is to do the most menial task in the room: “Don’t ask them to do anything you wouldn’t do yourself.”

Perfect Your Moves

Guidara uses the word “moves” to describe signature gestures. These are moments that define your operation, steps within your service cadence that set it apart.

Before you start overthinking your cadence or second-guessing every step, your moves don’t have to be dramatic or expensive. What’s important is that they’re yours.

“Only do what you can do well,” said Guidara. “If you can only do one thing, do that one thing and stand out.”

But keep a simple mantra in mind: Complication is the enemy.

“Nothing will gain traction with your team if it’s too difficult to implement.” We take this to heart at KRG, encouraging operators to keep their menus to 12 to 15 items, prepared better than any competitor makes them.

Also, bear this in mind: When team members are invited into the creative process—when they get to contribute to the magic—engagement skyrockets. The back-of-house team should be part of the initial food menu development stage. For the bar menu, the bar team should be actively engaged.

When it’s time for seasonal or mid-year menu refreshes, encourage involvement from the entire team.

Turn Guests Into Ambassadors

This isn’t about over-delivering or giving everything away. Rather, it’s about being present.

When your team is empowered and your service is intentional, you create moments that guests talk about. Those moments turn guests into evangelists.

They come back. They bring others. Your regulars become a legion of ambassadors for your brand.

We live and run businesses in a world where the food, the drinks, and the vibe can all be copied. But that kind of guest loyalty? That’s the one thing that pretenders can’t replicate.

Image: Canva

Diplomático Rum launches Single Vintage 2013, a limited-edition bottle

June 13, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

We Tasted Diplomático’s Latest Release

We Tasted Diplomático’s Latest Release

by David Klemt

I had the opportunity to attend a guided tasting of the latest release from Diplomático Rum, hosted by national brand ambassador Jose Luis Ballesteros.

During this guided tasting, those of us lucky enough to attend tasted Diplomático Reserva Exclusiva against the newest expression: Single Vintage 2013.

It’s odd to refer to a super-premium Venezuelan rum as “standard,” but Reserva Exclusiva is the entry point into Diplomático’s Traditional Range. It’s not up on the website currently, but Single Vintage 2013 will take its place in the Prestige Range.

In my experience, sharing tasting notes can hinder the experience for others. Someone who doesn’t detect the same notes as somebody else may think there’s something wrong with their palate. So, I’ll share the top-line notes from my tasting, with the caveat that “your mileage may very,” as it were.

When I sip Reserva Exclusiva, I pick up brown sugar, toffee, coffee, and dark chocolate. Personally, I pick up subtle orange peel notes, and also get a bit of licorice on the back end. As far as a lineup’s defining standard, Reserva Exclusiva is sophisticated sipper.

If I were limited to a single word to describe Single Vintage 2013, it would be “rich.” Overall, it’s a richer, deeper drinking experience in comparison to Reserva Exclusiva.

Along with a warm hug of brown sugar, I detect vanilla, dark chocolate, and, interestingly, a touch of smoke and mint.

Limited Allocation

For anyone who has yet to be introduced to Jose Juis Ballesteros, he’s uniquely qualified for the role as Diplomático’s national brand ambassador.

He happens to represent the fourth generation of the family that founded the company.

In addition to guiding us as we tasted the benchmark expression versus the latest one, Ballesteros shared some compelling insights and tips.

Interestingly, there are less than 18,000 bottles of Single Vintage 2013 worldwide. Roughly 6,000 are allocated for the US, making this a rather exclusive rum for 2025.

So unique is Single Vintage 2013, Ballesteros is uncertain Diplomático will ever replicate its specific profile. In other words, if you find yourself with the opportunity to taste it, do it.

And, once you’ve tasted it, consider doing what it takes to add it to your bar, restaurant, or nightclub’s inventory.

Switch it Up

It’s natural, perhaps, to compare rum to whiskey. Seems like a no-brainer, right? Tasting notes, production, cocktail creation… They seem rather similar.

In fact, it’s not uncommon at all for bartenders and educators to use whiskey as entry point for people who say they’re not rum drinkers.

However, Ballesteros feels the better comparison is tequila. So, take a look at your inventory, and taste your premium and super-premium rums against tequilas in similar categories.

When it comes to making cocktails, tequila educators have steered me toward orange rather than lime over the past year or two. Now, I can add using oranges when tasting rum.

To taste like Ballesteros, take an orange slice, cover it in cocoa powder, and take a bite. Then, taste the rum. I can’t say yet if this works for all rums or mainly Diplomático, but give it a whirl.

Final Pour

When I asked Ballesteros about a good evening out—thing pre-meal, meal, and afterward—he said the following:

He suggests starting with a Daiquiri, moving to a Rum Negroni made with Exclusiva Reserva, then ending with a Single Vintage.

Staying on the topic of cocktails, Ballesteros noted that he used to agree with the belief that adding high-quality rum to a simple cocktail like a Rum & Coke was foolish. However, he has shifted that mindset.

Now, he enjoys playing around, learning how a premium or super-premium rum’s profile can change with the addition of just one or two ingredients.

Finally, on the subject of pushback from people who say they don’t like rum, he had this to say: “Everyone has a palate for one style.”

There are so many styles, countries of origin, and expressions that there’s something for everyone. It’s the bartender’s job to help guide guests to their perfect match.

Cheers!

INTRODUCING DIPLOMÁTICO SINGLE VINTAGE 2013: A RUM TEN YEARS IN THE MAKING

NEW YORK, NY (JUNE, 2025) – Diplomático Rum, the award-winning super-premium rum from Venezuela, proudly announces the launch of Single Vintage 2013, a limited-edition release that showcases the brand’s passion for craftsmanship, innovation and precision in rum-making.

Single Vintage 2013 marks a first for Diplomático – a pioneering blend of the three types of Diplomático´s light distillates before ageing (standard column, batch kettle, and barbet column). Crafted from reserves distilled in 2013 and matured for 10 years in ex-bourbon and ex-whiskey casks, the result is a rum as rich in complexity as it is in character.

This distinctive rum opens with notes of toffee, fudge and toasted almonds, evolving into a layered palate of dark chocolate, cherry, pear, dates and raisin, finishing with a smooth blend of brown sugar, vanilla, and mint chocolate.

“The 2013 vintage is a tribute to the art of rum-making and the depth of our reserves,” said Jose Luis Ballesteros, National Brand Ambassador, Diplomático Rum. “It reflects our pursuit of excellence and the remarkable flavor that emerges when innovation meets patience.”

Diplomático Single Vintage 2013 will be available in limited quantities at select premium retailers across the U.S. for a suggested retail price (SRP) of $120. Featuring a redesigned bottle and packaging, the release brings modern elegance to the prestige range while honoring the timeless spirit within. For more information about Diplomático Rum and its full portfolio, visit www.rondiplomatico.com.

Learn More

PR Contact: KLG Public Relations | diplomatico@klgpr.com

About Diplomático:

Diplomático Rum, distributed in more than 100 countries, is a super-premium rum from Venezuela and one of the most awarded spirits around the world. Diplomático honors the rum’s signature flavor and the art in its blending over any other thing. The product range consists of the Tradition Range: Planas, Mantuano, and flagship Reserva Exclusiva, the Prestige Range: Single Vintage and Ambassador. Learn more: www.rondiplomatico.com.

ENJOY DIPLOMÁTICO WITH MODERATION.

Diplomático Rum, 40-47% ALC/VOL, Imported by Brown-Forman, Louisville, KY. DIPLOMÁTICO is a registered trademark of Diplomatico Branding, Unipessoal LDA.

Disclaimer: Neither the author nor KRG Hospitality received compensation, monetary or otherwise, in exchange for this post.

Image provided by Diplomático Rum

AI-generated image of a pile of chicken nuggets on a plate in a restaurant, wtih a red flag jutting out of them

June 6, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Chicken Tenders with a Side of Red Flag

Chicken Tenders with a Side of Red Flag

by David Klemt

Red flag! AI-generated image.

Chef Brian Duffy doesn’t mince words, and when it comes to restaurant menus, he has zero patience for mediocrity and the absence of creativity.

During his latest live menu read at Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025, Chef Duffy once again shared his unfiltered thoughts and tips in real time.

Reviewing menus submitted prior to his live menu read, Chef Duffy went after tired ingredients, uninteresting items, pricing, and menus that scream “I was designed by a supplier!”

For those who have yet to witness a Duffified live menu read, the process is simple. A call for menus is sent out, people send over their menus, and they’re put up on a large screen at the Bar & Restaurant Expo’s F&B Innovation Center or in a classroom.

A key element is that Chef Duffy doesn’t see the menus ahead of time; his thoughts are off the cuff and in the moment.

It’s important to note that not every menu is eviscerated. Chef Duffy points out strengths, and offers suggestions to make good menus great. And, without fail, attendees paying attention will walk away with a pile of helpful tips.

Oh, look, chicken tenders. Yay.

Which came first, the chicken tenders or the apathy?

“If chicken tenders are on your menu, you’re bastardizing your brand.”

That line alone set the tone for the session. Chef Duffy’s point? If you’re trying to build a unique, memorable food program—and you should be—then you can’t fall back on the same tired menu items as everyone else.

If your reports show that chicken tenders are at the top of your sales, that’s a justification for keeping them. However, at least consider getting creative with accompanying sauces, presentations, and enhancements so you stand out from the competition.

Chicken tenders may be “safe,” but safe isn’t what guests remember, photograph, post about, or come back for specifically. Not to slander big brands, but chicken tenders are what people expect from full-service national and global chain restaurants.

Meet with your culinary team, get creative, stand out.

Your first five items reveal everything.

Chef Duffy says he can tell, just from scanning the first five menu items, whether your menu was designed by you or handed down by the food purveyor.

The latter is a problem.

“Your menu is your brand,” Chef Duffy reminded the F&B Innovation Center. “It tells your story, your values, your creativity—or your lack of all three.”

As he has said before, your menu is also your billboard.

That means you need to ditch generic descriptions, rethink your item layout, and stop outsourcing identity to third-party salespeople.

“Everybody has the same shit on their menu,” Chef Duffy said just a year ago. “We’ve been told what to put on our menu buy our purveyors.”

Being honest with yourself, is your menu actually yours, or have you ceded control of your brand to your suppliers?

Pricing should be as intentional as plating.

“I’m all for a funky number, my friends,” Duffy said.

This statement was in response to a menu with less-standard pricing. Whole numbers ending in 0 or 5? Not exactly blowing anyone’s hair back. Rational numbers ending in a 5 or 9? Been done, haven’t they?

Chef Duffy’s reasoning is psychological: Funky numbers can create curiosity. Perhaps more importantly, nontraditional numbers communicate that the pricing wasn’t slapped on from a cost spreadsheet; it was considered.

Of course, you don’t have to pour nonstandard numbers all over your menu. There’s nothing wrong with sprinkling them around instead.

Just be sure that you’ve costed your items down to the temp picks in your burgers, and bev-naps that accompany your drinks, when pricing your menu.

Retire the balsamic.

If your go-to vinaigrette is still balsamic, it’s time to move on.

“It was cool in 1986,” Duffy quipped.

If that statement offends or surprises you, it may be time to check out some flavor trend news and reports. Also, ask your culinary team what they think about the dressings accompanying the salads and other items leaving the kitchen. Anything but enthusiasm should tell you that they have some ideas for more on-trend accompaniments. (Note: A disinterested kitchen is a disengaged kitchen. Get your team excited!)

I’m not saying, and Chef Duffy wasn’t suggesting, that tradition should be tossed in the trash. However, adhering strictly to decades-old tradition in the culinary world puts you, your menu, and your brand at risk of obsolescence.

You have a responsibility to embrace flavors that reflect today’s culinary trends and consumer palates if you work in F&B.

The same goes for buzzword-laden menus and what he calls “culinary white noise”—ingredients and terms that sound impressive but say nothing.

A box, a name, and a story.

When it comes to designing your menu, Chef Duffy likes to see creative item names, detailed but punchy descriptions, and a visual cue—like a box—surrounding (and therefore calling out) featured items.

Why?

Because you’re not just listing food, and that mindset needs a seismic shift.

Restaurant operators, their culinary and bar teams, and their service staff are curating a guest experience. The layout of your menu should help guide the guest journey, telling and reinforcing your brand’s story.

There’s limited real estate on a menu—including digital versions—so every millimeter requires careful consideration to maximize the results.

There’s no room for confusion.

Okay, this next one baffled not only Chef Duffy but every person who attended his live menu read. Honestly, if you have any idea what this meant, please email me with your thoughts.

One menu—remember, this is real life—that Chef Duffy reviewed included the phrase “choice of meat bar bbq” (written here exactly as it was on the menu). And where was this listed? Under the chicken wings.

Seriously, what does that even mean? If a room full of F&B professionals can’t figure it out, something has gone terribly wrong.

Put simply, ambiguity kills confidence. If a guest has to guess what they’re ordering—or worse, ask a server who also doesn’t know—you’ve very likely lost their return visit.

There’s nothing wrong with building mystery. Plenty of chefs, bartenders, and operators come up with item names and descriptions intended to pique guest curiosity.

But here’s the thing: That’s an intentional, curated choice. These items and descriptions are meant to provoke a response. It’s part of the experience, and each server and bartender can answer questions about such items confidently.

Put more simply, there’s a difference between, “Ooo, what’s that?” and, “Um, what’s that?”

Final Bite

Your menu is your voice, so make it count.

Chef Duffy’s latest live menu read was less a menu critique and more a rallying cry this year.

Stop giving up control of your inventory, menu, and brand to your purveyors. If you’re going to have the same dishes as other operators, at least get creative with the ingredients, sauces, and other accompanying items. Revisit your pricing strategy. And, hey, while you’re at it, revisit your dressings and other items, and determine if they’re still adding value.

Whether it’s weird pricing, boxed features, or creative naming conventions, every detail matters. Your menu doesn’t just feed your guests—it frames their expectations, defines your concept, and tells the world your brand story.

And if all else fails, just remember: Lose the chicken tenders and balsamic vinaigrette.

Image: Canva

Doug Radkey, KRG Hospitality, Bar, Restaurant, Hotel, Coach, Consultant

May 30, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Privilege of Being a Coach & Consultant

The Privilege of Being a Coach & Consultant in the Hospitality Industry

by Doug Radkey

I say this with gratitude and clarity: It’s not a right, it’s a privilege to be a coach and consultant in the hospitality industry.

And I don’t say that lightly.

To be trusted with someone’s vision—their dream of building a bar, restaurant, or hotel—is one of the greatest responsibilities I’ve ever carried. I’m not just strategizing, asking the right questions, or giving advice; I’m helping people make decisions that affect their livelihood, their families, their futures, and their legacy.

Every time a client says, “We want to work with you,” they’re inviting us into their world.

And that comes with an expectation to lead with clarity, honesty, and purpose.

It Isn’t Just Telling People What to Do

There’s a massive misconception about consulting. People think we saunter into a business, point out their flaws, hand over a plan, and walk away.

That’s not what we do. At least, that’s not what we do at KRG Hospitality.

We believe the most impactful results come from a hybrid approach, where coaching and consulting work together. Consulting gives you the strategy, the systems, the roadmaps. Coaching gives you the mindset, the accountability, the clarity to actually execute.

One without the other leaves a gap. That’s why we don’t just hand over a playbook and walk away, we look to walk alongside our clients, challenging their thinking while guiding their actions.

It’s not about telling people what to do; it’s about helping them become the kind of leaders who can start, stabilize, and scale truly remarkable hospitality businesses.

That balance is where transformation lives.

The Weight of Trust

When someone hires you as a consultant, they’re not just hiring your expertise. They’re hiring your integrity, your leadership, and your judgment.

They’re saying, “I’m willing to put my future in your hands.”

That’s not something I ever take for granted. Because with that trust comes an unspoken contract: To show up, be real, and deliver results.

The truth is, I’ve seen what happens when consultants don’t take that seriously. Cookie-cutter solutions. Generic strategies. Vague advice. And clients left more confused than when they started.

That’s not coaching or consulting; that’s just collecting a check. If you’re in this industry just to sell services, you’re in the wrong business.

But if you’re here to guide transformation, you understand the privilege this role holds.

The Real Role

Hospitality is different. We’re not selling widgets or other products. We’re creating experiences. More often than not, we’re building human connections.

And in this industry, every decision, from the lighting in the hallway to the type of salt on the rim of the glass, it all matters more than you think.

As a coach and consultant, our job is to:

Develop the strategies and details others overlook.
Ask the questions others are afraid to ask.
Challenge assumptions at the status quo.
Reinforce the standards of excellence.
Inspire bold, consistent, and strategic action.

This is where our playbooks come in. The eight playbooks we talk about all the time, they’re not just frameworks—they’re tools for clarity, accountability, and execution.

But the truth is, those playbooks are only as effective as the leadership behind them. And that’s what coaching is really about: bringing those plans to life with you. Because strategy without execution is just theory.

This is where our coaching framework activates the plan, through a combination of project task force support plus mindset and operational coaching. We step in as partners, not just planners, to help our clients start strong, stabilize with confidence, and scale with intention.

Whether it’s managing timelines, building culture, navigating change, or staying focused when things get hard, coaching ensures the strategy doesn’t just live on paper. Instead, it lives in the daily actions that drive real, measurable results.

This is where vision turns into reality. This is where momentum is built.

A Front-Row Seat to Transformation

One of the most rewarding parts of this work? Seeing the transformation happen in real time.

Watching a client go from idea to opening their doors. To go from stuck to clear. From chaotic to systematized. From dreaming to doing.

I remember working with a restaurant owner who came to us with a vague idea. She had heart but no direction. Through clarity sessions, a series of strategic playbooks, and post-open coaching, she found her confidence. She built a brand. She hired a team. She opened on time and on budget. And now, she’s highly profitable, and mentoring others within her community.

That’s building a legacy. That’s creating impact. That’s transformational.

The Humbling Truth

Here’s the humbling truth though: I don’t have all the answers. No one does.

But what I do have is perspective, experience, and a relentless commitment to seeing clients succeed. And that’s why we do the work. Not because it’s easy, but because it matters.

Being a coach and consultant in hospitality isn’t just about business. It’s about belief. It’s about believing in people’s ability to create something meaningful and by giving them the tools and support to do it.

So to every operator, entrepreneur, and leader who’s trusted us along the way, I have two words: Thank you. Thank you for giving us a front-row seat to your story.

And to every coach and consultant reading this: Never forget the privilege of what we get to do. Lead with clarity. Listen with empathy. Execute with excellence.

Because in this industry, the impact we make goes far beyond the glass, plate, or the check-in desk.

We help shape what hospitality looks and feels like for generations to come. And that right there is an absolute privilege.

Image: Microsoft Designer

AI-generated image of a clean, well-equipped restaurant kitchen

May 29, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Who Really Owns the Kitchen?

Who Really Owns the Kitchen?

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Who owns the kitchen? One of our favorites, Chef Brian Duffy, has some thoughts, and they boil down to taking ownership of the systems.

His 2025 Bar & Restaurant Expo session title, “Owners & Chefs: Who Owns the Kitchen?” sounded like Chef Duffy was teeing up a showdown: chef versus operator. But he had something else in mind.

During his session, Chef Duffy addressed ownership not as a title, but as an operating philosophy.

If you ask him who really owns the kitchen, his answer will be simple: Whoever takes responsibility for its systems.

Chef Duffy isn’t just theorizing from the pass. The chef and operator has opened more than 100 venues, and actively oversees ten restaurants each week. His experience and position in the business have helped him develop a uniquely sharp eye for what separates kitchen chaos from culinary consistency.

Spoiler alert: It’s not talent. It’s not even creativity.

What matters is taking ownership of systems, communication, and accountability. Are talent and creativity important in the kitchen? Absolutely. Will a restaurant survive (and thrive) without the development and strict adherence to effective systems? I think we all know the answer to that question.

Assumption Leads to Dysfunction

If you’ve ever attended a Duffified education session or demo, you know he jumps straight in. He’s passionate about this business. He loves talking about it, sharing his knowledge, sharing new ideas, and collaborating on ways to move the industry forward.

So, while I wasn’t fully expecting Chef Duffy’s opening provocation, it didn’t entirely surprise me that he kicked off his session with it: Restaurant owners are expecting too much without saying anything at all.

“They assume chefs and kitchen managers just know what to do,” he said. “Daily, weekly, monthly.”

That assumption is where dysfunction takes root.

Duffy plans six weeks out because that’s what it takes to run a kitchen like a business. With that proactive approach to lead time, he can lock in pricing with suppliers, ensure the products he needs are available, give teams time to plan events, schedule staff fairly and effectively, and control costs with precision.

When you don’t plan ahead (or don’t plan far enough ahead), your kitchen becomes reactive. Simply put, reactive kitchens are expensive.

Worse, they’re chaotic. And chaos burns people out.

Daily: Predictable Results

Chef Duffy doesn’t do ambiguity. Anyone who has spoken or worked with him can attest to this truth.

It should come as no surprise, then, that his expectations are decidedly unambiguous. They’re detailed, repeatable, and focused on communication, clarity, and control.

Here’s his daily checklist:

POS Counts: Know what you have. Open the line of communication with front-of-house.
Tasting: Everyone tastes the specials, cocktails, wines, and even a core menu item daily.
Pre-meal: Shift briefings with intention. Share what to sell, what’s 86ed, any kitchen concerns, etc.
Prep List: Created at the end of the shift, while everything’s fresh so nothing is missed.
Protein Counts: Same timing as the prep list to eliminate guessing on inventory.
Daily Recap: Communicate staffing, equipment, prep issues, and anything else those working the next shift should know.

You’ll notice none of these are flashy, and that’s the point: These rituals are how kitchens run efficiently, end of.

Chef Duffy’s clearly communicated expectations are how you reduce waste, avoid surprises, and build team alignment.

Crucially, he has tracked the results of his approach, and says a system like this can shave one to two percent off your costs. That’s a lot of dollars over the course of a year.

Know and Sell

One of Chef Duffy’s biggest irritants? Hearing a server say, “Let me go ask the chef.”

“If a guest asks if they can have a menu item without a certain ingredient, and the server doesn’t know the answer, it means the chef never had that conversation,” he said.

It’s a trust issue, an unforced service error. And it’s preventable.

Chef Duffy makes tasting part of the daily ritual. His teams rotate through core menu items so everyone understands the food. Therefore, they can talk about it like they believe in it.

The result? More confident service, better upsells, and fewer avoidable mistakes.

Let staff know the menu, and then step back and let them sell it.

Start with a Stretch, Not a Spiral

Culture isn’t built by luck or happenstance, it’s modeled. In some cases, it’s modeled physically.

Case in point: Chef Duffy uses pre-meal to reset the tone of the shift, not just brief the team. That includes a moment of breathing, and even light stretching.

“Don’t take last night’s negativity into today’s service,” he says when breathing and stretching with a team.

In high-stress environments, leaders don’t just direct traffic, they set the emotional baseline. That moment of reset might sound small, but it says something big: We show up intentionally.

Weekly: Breathing Room

Chef Duffy doesn’t stop at sharing day-to-day expectations.

Weekly deliverables create space for the kitchen to operate with their team, not against them.

Specials: Planned one to two weeks out.
Schedules: Also one to two weeks out. Give people time to plan and live their lives.
Inventory: Always on Mondays. It’s the cleanest window between Sunday close and Monday service.
Management Meeting: Review the past week, preview the next, and talk specials, events, holidays, and team concerns.

Chef Duffy also uses scheduling software that empowers the team to submit availability and day-off requests. Why? Because quality of life matters.

“Give your team a life,” he said.

People stay where they’re respected, and that absolutely, inarguably, non-negotiably includes considering their time.

Contests and Creativity

One of Duffy’s favorite ways to build buy-in? A little friendly competition.

He and I have talked about this on the Bar Hacks podcast, and I’ve shared this competitive approach of his in previous articles.

Like I said earlier, creativity is important; it just has its time and place.

“Go into the walk-in, come up with a special,” he’ll say to the kitchen team.

He’ll cost the special, price it out, and then add a dollar. For every special that sells (usually over a 30-day period), Chef Duffy gives that added dollar to the creator of the menu item.

It’s brilliant in its simplicity: The culinary team engages their creativity, the restaurant gets a low-risk special, and staff are rewarded directly.

That kind of engagement isn’t just fun, it’s a culture builder.

Monthly: Big Picture

Monthly meetings bring the business lens into focus.

For Chef Duffy, that includes:

Owner/Leadership Meetings: Discuss sales, budget, events, catering, and marketing.
Food & Labor Cost Reviews: Not just reporting numbers, but talking about them to ensure everyone understands the situation.
Marketing Roundtables: Let’s not forget that the kitchen is a core element of the brand experience.

There’s no mystery to what’s discussed. Everyone at the table knows what they’re accountable for, and what needs improvement.

Importantly, everyone must also be given the tools to improve. Otherwise, these big-picture sessions are essentially just performative.

The Common Thread

Chef Duffy flies more than 140,000 miles a year checking in on restaurant operations.

So, what’s the most persistent problem he encounters across his travels?

“Operators don’t talk to their teams,” he says.

That’s it. Not bad food (though that’s certainly a problem). Not weak concepts and uninspired menus (also issues, industry-wide). It’s poor communication.

To be honest, that’s such a mundane problem to have, and too many operators are letting it spiral out of control. Want to improve operations? Be clear about their expectations, and transparent about the business.

Communication fixes everything.

Clear communication is also a cost-controlling measure. Put yourself in the shoes of a back- or front-of-house team member. Which do you think inspires more confidence and buy-in, knowing exactly what’s expected of you every day, or having to figure things out as you go without direction? Clear communication is an effective retention tool.

It’s also a core element of consistency.

To that point, this is why Chef Duffy insists on daily, not weekly, prep lists. When lists are weekly, people feel like they’ve got time, and their urgency disappears. Tasks get pushed, and accountability drops.

Whenever a new chef joins one of his kitchens, Chef Duffy requires a manager to sign off on their prep tasks. This isn’t done to just check a box. Instead, this requirement confirms the food is tested, tasted, and good to go.

That’s ownership not in title but in action.

Heed Warning Signs

This is one of the quotes from Chef Duffy’s session that most resonated with me:

“If your head chef or kitchen manager has a problem with over-communication, that’s not your person.’

Too many operators ignore early warning signs in leadership. They tolerate resistance to systems, and avoid hard conversations.

To be blunt, that’s unacceptable. This is, at the end of the day, business. True leaders don’t run away from difficult discussions, they stride confidently toward them; it’s the job.

Red flags don’t get less red if they’re ignored; they start to glow. When left unaddressed, red flags just get more expensive.

Identifying issues is a leadership skill. Having the courage to address them immediately is a leadership skill. Taking ownership of systems is a leadership skill.

Last Bite: Ownership Is a Verb

This wasn’t a session about chefs versus owners; this session was about chefs and owners working together to own their restaurant’s systems.

It was a call to action for anyone leading a kitchen, hiring a chef, or trying to build a better back-of-house culture.

Ownership isn’t about who’s in charge, it’s about who’s committed to clarity, systems, and communication. Ownership is about who shows up consistently for the business: the team, the guests, and the bottom line.

Want to own your kitchen? Take ownership of your systems.

Image: Canva

An AI-generated image of a vintage, spherical restaurant or pub sign emblazoned with a script-style letter "L."

May 23, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Cultivating a Legacy Mindset

Cultivating a Legacy Mindset

by David Klemt

The letter “L” is for building a long-lasting, lucrative legacy. (AI-generated image)

We talk about legacy in restaurant, bar, and hotel brands like it’s something that happens once the awards start rolling in.

But at this year’s Bar & Restaurant Expo, a standout panel turned that idea on its head.

Legacy isn’t something we leave behind; we live our legacy in real time. Every hiring decision. Every shift meeting. Each and every moment we’re engaging with the public, representing our brand. Every awkward moment when a team member calls us out, and we choose whether to get defensive or get better.

And as Gen Z makes up more of our workforce—and, increasingly, our leadership—this mindset isn’t just good culture. A legacy mindset is great business.

Last week, I hypothesized that a growth mindset will help operators set themselves up for success from the outset. This theory is grounded on a few points made by Dave Kaplan about nontraditional capital raises, as well as being prepared to expand even if that never becomes part of the plan.

Part and parcel with a growth mindset is a legacy mindset.

As it happens, a panel of hospitality, operations, beverage, guest experience, artificial intelligence, and space tourism experts assembled during BRE 2025.

This powerhouse blend of operators and innovators included:

Meaghan Dorman: The Raines Law Room, and Dear Irving
Beth Hussey: Shifty, and Hazel’s
Dave Kaplan: Death & Co., and Gin & Luck
Colleen McLeod Garner: Paragon Space Development Corp., and Cecilia.AI

Each offered a different perspective on the idea of legacy, coming together to lay out a roadmap for what lasting leadership looks like now.

Legacy is Culture That Lives Beyond You

For Meaghan Dorman, legacy starts with perspective.

Not ego. Not personal mythology. Perspective.

“Legacy is building a shared perspective that can leave your concept and live on its own,” she said.

Take a moment to digest Dorman’s viewpoint.

An operator isn’t just building a concept they control. What they’re creating is a concept others carry forward because they believe in it. The team an operator builds and the guests they work to transform into brand evangelists believe in the brand and the mission.

At least, that’s what operators should do. Ultimately, success depends on whether team members and guests believe in the operator themself.

I take this to be a founder’s versus owner’s mentality. Anyone who can afford to do so can purchase equity in a business, and take a stake in ownership. A founder, however, takes ownership of the brand, mission, innovation…the entire business. That means owning the strategy, successes and failures, and responsibility for driving team members and the business forward.

This is exactly the shift in mindset needed to engage a generation that values transparency, inclusivity, and authenticity.

If the culture can’t thrive without the operator in the room, they’re an owner, not a leader. And if they’re not a leader, they’re not building a legacy.

In fact, what they’ve built is a leash, and they’ve strapped and padlocked it to their leg.

Staff Serves Guests. Management Serves Staff.

Beth Hussey doesn’t pull her punches. She’s refreshingly straightforward with her perspectives on, and passion for, hospitality.

For her, legacy is hospitality at its most fundamental: A value that lives on in others.

Expressing those values and their importance happens through modeling: small, consistent actions that communicate the message, “I’m here for you.”

Hussey takes the radical step of flipping the power dynamic.

“Management serves employees like they serve their guests,” she said.

That one sentence reframes everything. It forces leaders to examine how they show up, particularly when it’s inconvenient.

She also challenged operators to consider whether their training programs are as guest-friendly as they expect their team members to be.

Hussey encouraged the operators and leaders in the room to stop and think about their training processes as if they had just thrown their guests into the same experience. The majority who took the time to consider how they train their staff “probably wouldn’t like it,” she opined.

That’s a gut-check moment for anyone who’s watched new hires get thrown to the wolves. And if many people reading this are being honest with themselves, they’ve done exactly that to new team members at some point in their careers.

The Suggestion Box Question

Hussey doesn’t just talk about feedback. Instead, she builds in real, actionable systems for it

Two weeks before team meetings, Hussey puts out a suggestion box, open to any team member. Before the meeting, she and her leadership team sit down, go through each suggestion, and address them during the meeting.

This doesn’t mean the team always gets their way; not every suggestion gets implemented by leadership. However, the suggestion, good or bad, yay or nay, is addressed. A reason is provided, in front of the team member who suggested it, for the suggestion being embraced or rejected. That’s a powerful message of leadership, teamwork, and valuing the team’s input.

Shifty, interestingly, features a truly anonymous suggestion box. This is a real, anonymous channel that can be reviewed ahead of a team meeting.

However, Hussey has noticed something alarming about this feature.

“Operators have asked us to turn it off, even though it has never once been used for evil,” Hussey noted, to laughter throughout the room. “Why don’t you want honest feedback from employees?”

That question says it all, really. If an operator or member of the leadership team fears their team’s honesty, the problem isn’t the team.

Codifying Culture at Scale Without Killing It

Dave Kaplan knows what it means to build a brand that people believe in—and sometimes, walk away from.

During the panel discussion, he revealed an internal saying about the brand: “Everyone quits Death & Co. at least once.”

That may sound like a negative. However, the key insight is this: Everyone comes back.

That’s legacy in action.

Operating multiple concepts in multiple cities, Kaplan has learned how important it is to codify culture without strangling it. His company’s five core values aren’t just decorative, they’re operational.

These values are applied to hiring, recognition, and even when it’s time to let someone go.

Scaling that culture requires infrastructure. Kaplan shared how they’re developing a company-wide learning management system (LMS), and investing in a tight tech stack to align operations across markets.

That said, tools alone don’t build trust. For that, a leader needs transparency.

When a major operational change is proposed at Death & Co., they open a two-week feedback window. If necessary, they even hold a town hall. This process isn’t just good policy, it’s a direct response to something Kaplan once heard from a long-time team member.

Ronald Fucking McDonald

Kaplan told the story of being a bit surprised—and somewhat frustrated—by the reactions to him visiting a Death & Co. outpost.

To paraphrase the response from a long-term (I believe original) Death & Co. team member addressing Kaplan’s frustration: “You haven’t been around much. You may as well be Ronald Fucking McDonald.”

Brutal, but honest. And exactly the kind of wake-up call too many owners brush off. To his credit, Kaplan took that blunt feedback on board.

He could’ve flexed his title as Dave Fucking Kaplan, if he were that type of person. And he could’ve taken out his frustration on the team members he felt had slighted or at least ignored him. Instead, Kaplan used that reality check as fuel to double down on being present, accountable, and humble.

There it is again: the founder’s mindset.

Here’s the unspoken truth about legacy: It doesn’t care about your title. Legacy cares about how a leader shows up, and how often.

Reverse Mentoring, AI, and the End of Top-Down Leadership

Anyone still asking whether artificial intelligence has a place in hospitality (and building a legacy), Colleen McLeod Garner has a message for you: “Pandora’s Box is already open.”

In other words, AI is taking its place in hospitality, regardless of who agrees with it doing so. Operators can either determine the best ways to implement and succeed with the AI solutions best suited to their operations, or they can fall behind, ultimately finding themselves passed by.

McLeod Garner doesn’t support replacing people with tech. If she did, we at KRG Hospitality wouldn’t agree with her on AI, and I would say so.

Her approach is to enhance human connection through strategic automation. By streamlining ops and freeing up staff from menial tasks, AI empowers staff to spend more time doing what matters: serving guests, supporting each other, and representing the brand.

But McLeod Garner’s real breakthrough insight about leadership? Reverse mentoring.

Flip it, and Reverse It

“Age does not dictate knowledge or leadership,” she said.

In a world where Gen Z employees bring digital fluency and cultural insight to the table, the smartest thing a senior leader can do is listen. That means inviting younger team members into leadership discussions, not as silent observers, but as active participants.

An operator adding reverse mentorship to their leadership toolbox sends a powerful message: “You matter. What you do here matters. Your ideas matter.”

McLeod Garner challenged leaders to ask questions, then shut up and listen—literally.

Ask open-ended questions. Let people until they’ve exhausted the issue on their own. This isn’t done to prove a point about what a great leader an operator is; this simple action shows team members that an operator respects them enough to listen fully, and give their insights careful consideration.

Respect. Empathy. Trust. Those aren’t soft skills, they’re business survival skills. And for Gen Z, and therefore future-proofed businesses and brands, they’re non-negotiable from this point on.

The New Metrics of Leadership

What makes this conversation urgent isn’t just generational turnover. While our industry is facing that issue, what we’re all facing is cultural transformation.

Gen Z, speaking generally, doesn’t tolerate hypocrisy from employers. These team members, admittedly generalizing again, are quick to hold leadership accountable. They’re not impressed by surface-level perks or “cool culture” branding.

They want authenticity, action, and alignment.

Legacy, then, isn’t about what leaders build for themselves. It’s about what they build with, and leave for, their teams.

This commitment to legacy includes:

Transparent hiring and promotion processes.
Feedback mechanisms that actually lead to change.
Recognition systems rooted in core values.
Tech that improves but, crucially, doesn’t remove people from the human experience.
Intergenerational learning that flows both ways.

None of this is easy. It takes hard work, humility, and long-term commitment. As Kaplan has put it, practicing relentless pursuit until it’s a key component of your everyday life.

As each panelist explained in their own way, the payoff for all the hard work in developing a legacy mindset is real: improved staff and guest retention, stronger culture, and a business that stands for something more than a bottom line.

Last Call: Build a Brand That Outlives You

Legacy doesn’t just mean being remembered. At least, not to me. Legacy means an operator’s impact, and that of their brand, is being repeated.

If team members carry a former employer’s values into their next job, or share an operator’s leadership principles with someone else, or feel changed for the better because they worked with a given operator, that’s a legacy.

Achieving that type of legacy doesn’t take ten or 20 or 30 years. In fact, there’s no set timeline that determines a legacy has been developed. Building a legacy requires presence and perspective. It demands the courage to be the kind of leader a team actually wants to follow.

And if Gen Z in particular has anything to say about legacy in hospitality—and they do—that’s exactly the kind of leadership that will last.

Image: Canva

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May 14, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Relentless Pursuit: Future-Proof Your Bar

Relentless Pursuit: Future-Proof Your Business

by David Klemt

This image will make sense when finish the article, I promise. AI-generated image.

“This business is wildly rewarding but also wildly capital intensive.”

That’s a hard truth that anyone in hospitality learns sooner or later. It’s also a quote from Dave Kaplan, from one of a trio of presentations and panels he hosted or co-hosted during Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025.

In this case, Kaplan was addressing an important topic: raising capital, including via non-traditional avenues, to expand or future-proof your business.

It stands to reason that the topic of capital conjures thoughts of opening a hospitality business’ doors for the first time. However, it relates just as much to scaling an existing bar or restaurant.

One has only to look at how Gin & Luck has leveraged a series of capital raises to expand Death & Co. for proof.

Do You Want to Scale?

This is an honest question. Do you want to put yourself through the grueling process of expanding your business? Or do you think it’s what’s expected of you once your business is profitable, so you’re going through the motions?

The rewards, of course, are real: Building a brand and an empire from scratch, satisfying a creative itch and putting a different spin on your existing concept, the energy of the process, boosting revenue for longevity (and potentially a lucrative exit).

Equally real, however, are the demands of scaling your business: Longer hours, new and possibly unanticipated pivots, higher stakes (like a new location failing to catch), and higher costs, to name a few.

So, again, I ask you: Do you even want to scale your business? If you do, do any partners or investors you have want to come with you on the expansion journey? Does your leadership team want to come along on this adventure?

Relentless Pursuit

How do you scale in this industry without losing your soul or shirt?

In two words, relentless pursuit. That’s how Kaplan describes his approach to business. [And that of his business partners, presumably; I don’t want to put words in their mouths.]

In this context, that means, as Kaplan explains, waking up each day “and doing hard shit.” Systematize operations. Have difficult conversations rather than avoid them. Tackle challenging, mundane, and unappealing tasks instead of procrastinating. Learn every day how to lead with intention.

Implement and adhere to relentless pursuit so that the list of hard things shrinks for tomorrow. It’s about compounding effort, not chasing a quick win.

Kaplan isn’t shy or coy about his mindset. In fact, he’s more than willing to share what he’s learned about hospitality, business, and himself.

“I do not wake up thinking, ‘I’m going to be the best cocktail bar in the world.’ I wake up thinking about how I’m going to drive value for my brand, my team, and my investors.”

That mindset shift is powerful. It’s less about ego and more about legacy, and legacy starts not with your concept, but with you.

Start with Self

Before you define your brand, define yourself.

What are your values? What’s your mission as a human, not just as a founder?

Identifying core values, developing brand pillars, and crafting mission statements isn’t something we here at KRG do with our clients just for fun. The most impactful hospitality brands are extensions of the people behind them. That means that if you’re fuzzy about what’s driving you, that lack of clarity will impact your business.

If your team doesn’t know your core values or understand your mission statement, they won’t buy in and take a degree of ownership. That impacts the guest experience directly and affects their perception of your brand negatively.

With strategic clarity in place, everything else starts to lock in: your brand DNA, your aesthetic, your hiring philosophy, your service style…clarity coupled with relentless pursuit ties everything together.

And here’s the part too many operators skip, in our experience: documentation. Not just for investors. Not just for the employee handbook, onboarding process, and SOPs. Do it to plan ahead to scale the business in the future, even if you decide never to expand.

Why? Because scaling without structure is chaos. Creativity actually thrives when boundaries are defined. Documentation creates accountability, culture, and clarity. You’ll need all three just to lead your first business to success, never mind when you undergo the process of opening your second, third, or tenth location.

Who, Not How

Another game-changing mindset shift: Stop asking how and start asking who.

Scaling is about building a team of people who are smarter, more capable, and more experienced in their areas of expertise than you. That means you’re going to have to set aside your ego if you want to build a legacy. It also means putting your trust in others, and building a team you don’t feel the need to micromanage.

Who can you add to your team who won’t add to your workload? Who can you trust to stay on mission while you’re away? Have you built, or are you building, a team of people who help you work on your business, not in it?

Another way to look at it: Are you building a business, or have you just given yourself a job?

One of our goals is to help our clients eventually make themselves less essential to daily operations while remaining essential to the mission. We want every one of our clients to be able to step away from the business for a week at a time without chaos ensuing. That means not feeling the need to check emails, P&Ls, taking work calls, or answering work texts while away from the business.

Actual, real, unplugged vacations.

Trusting people does mean there will be failures. People you trust will make mistakes. You’ll make mistakes. Standards will slip.

But as Kaplan put it, “If you’re not falling, you’re not trying hard enough.”

He views the difference between hospitality and other businesses to the difference between wakesurfing and skateboarding. When someone falls on water instead of concrete, it tends to hurt much less, and recovery often takes less time.

Likewise, when you fall in hospitality, it can be easier to get back up. In Kaplan’s experience, this business forgives the ones who keep going.

Revenue Streams and Resilience

When we talk about scaling, it’s tempting to immediately think of square footage. But sustainable scaling often starts by thinking beyond your four walls.

Are you able to envision opportunities that exist outside your doors?

Can your brand live in e-commerce?
Are events like pop-up and takeovers authentic to your brand?
Is licensing a realistic option?
Can guests experience your brand outside of your venue?

Going further, new revenue streams should mean more than just generating more revenue. Rather, they should make your brand more resilient. They’re a means to drive brand awareness, and to not just convert first-time guests to regulars but transform them into brand evangelists.

However, it’s important to ensure that a new revenue stream isn’t a distraction from your core offering, but an extension of it.

If your systems are dialed in, your brand values are intact, and your team is empowered, scaling isn’t about copying and pasting—it’s about evolving with purpose.

Last Call

Here’s the truth we don’t hear nearly enough from people who speak at trade shows and conferences: They also fail.

Refreshingly, Kaplan had zero qualms about admitting that during his final presentation of BRE 2025.

“We still fail consistently, and we’re good with that.” As he pointed out, not a single speaker has done anything perfectly, and nobody ever will.

The difference appears to be that Kaplan, his partners, and his team have learned to fail, recover, and move forward.

Scaling a hospitality business with purpose means knowing your “why,” surrounding yourself with the right “who,” and never letting perfection get in the way of pursuing your vision.

You may never feel the urge to scale. However, developing and implementing the systems and teams to do so will only benefit your business.

At the end of the day, this business doesn’t reward perfection; it rewards the people who show up, fall down, get back up, and stay relentlessly on mission.

Image: Microsoft Designer

AI-generated image of an AI-themed superhero on a laptop

May 9, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Superhuman Hospitality: A New Era

Superhuman Hospitality: Where People and AI Build the Future Together

by Doug Radkey

AI is here. We can adapt and learn to leverage it, or we can be left behind.

Let’s get one thing straight: artificial intelligence is not here to replace humans in hospitality, it’s here to make us better.

And let’s be honest, that’s not a bad thing.

We’re entering an era I like to call Superhuman Hospitality. This is where the fusion of artificial intelligence and human empathy creates something far more powerful than either could do alone.

The question can no longer be, “Does AI belong in this industry?” The question is, “How do we integrate AI with intention, without losing the heart and soul of hospitality?”

As we tell our clients, the brands that figure out the answer to the latter question? They’re going to be the ones leading the pack.

The Misconception: Humans vs. AI

There’s this myth floating around that AI will take away hospitality jobs (and jobs in many other industries as well). That it’s all about automation, chatbots, and robots replacing real people.

Let’s be clear. Hospitality is, and always will be, a people-first industry. I think we learned that lesson once again during the pandemic when a majority of people (not, however, the team here at KRG Hospitality) were screaming from the hills that ghost kitchens were the future of restaurants.

That didn’t quite pan out, now did it?

You can’t automate warmth, social community, and engagement.

But what you can do is leverage AI to eliminate friction points, streamline your operations, and free your people to focus on what they do best: creating memorable experiences.

This isn’t about choosing sides; this is about building a hybrid model of intelligence, where AI supports the brain, and humans lead with the heart.

What is Superhuman Hospitality?

Superhuman Hospitality is about building systems that are tech-enhanced, not tech-dependent.

There is a major difference between the two. It’s about amplifying human potential through technology.

Think about it like this:

AI can analyze thousands of data points to recommend menu pricing adjustments.
But your bartender still needs to remember a regular’s name and favorite drink.
AI can forecast booking trends based on seasonal data.
But your front desk still needs to offer a warm smile and solve problems in real time.
AI can power your CRM and tailor marketing messages.
But your server still needs to read a table’s mood, and deliver genuine hospitality.

It’s not about doing less human work; it’s about freeing humans up to do the most human work possible.

Where AI Can Shine (and Should Be Used)

We’ve come to learn that there are areas where AI absolutely dominates. Ignoring those opportunities means you’re leaving money and efficiency on the table.

Predictive Analytics & Forecasting: AI can analyze past data to predict sales, foot traffic, and labor needs. This enables smarter scheduling, inventory ordering, and dynamic pricing.
Smart Inventory Management: AI-driven systems can track usage patterns, expiry dates, and cost fluctuations in real time, reducing waste and theft.
CRM & Guest Personalization: AI helps build personalized guest profiles, automating follow-ups, birthday messages, loyalty rewards, and upselling strategies.
Marketing Automation: From email flows to social ad targeting, AI ensures you reach the right audience with the right message at the right time.
Dynamic Menu & Room Pricing: Based on demand, time of day, weather, or major events, AI can help you optimize pricing for profitability.
AI Assistants & Chatbots: Useful for basic inquiries, reservation confirmations, and upsells, particularly during off-hours.

And that’s just scraping the surface of the potential.

Where Humans Must Lead

AI however, can’t replace empathy, intuition, adaptability, or real-time judgment.

Hospitality thrives on emotional intelligence. You still need:

People who know how to defuse a tense moment.
Leaders who can motivate a struggling team.
Servers who sense when a table wants privacy or a little extra attention.
Front desk agents who turn a mistake into a positive, memorable moment.

No algorithm will ever replace that. That’s the core of Superhuman Hospitality: AI provides the information, and humans provide the impact.

Use Case: The Superhuman Hotel

Imagine checking into a hotel where:

Your room temperature, lighting, and playlist are set to your preferences automatically, and there is a bottle of your favorite red wine sitting on the table with a hand-written note addressed to you personally.
You’re greeted by name because AI flagged your repeat visit.
You then get a text offering a curated spa or dinner recommendation based on your past behavior.
A staff member (not a bot) walks you to your room, answers questions, and builds rapport.

AI enabled that experience but humans delivered it. That’s what we should be building.

What This Means for Leadership

As operators, your role is to create systems that empower people with the tools to exceed expectations. You need to:

Train your team on how to use AI tools confidently, not fearfully.
Design SOPs that integrate tech without replacing the human touch.
Foster a culture that values both efficiency and empathy.

Superhuman Hospitality doesn’t happen accidentally. It requires strategy, clarity, and intentional integration.

My Final Thoughts: The Best of Both Worlds

The future of hospitality isn’t robotic. It’s not emotionless or transactional (at least, it better not be).

The future is powered by data, and then delivered with heart.

Superhuman Hospitality is about recognizing that tech is here to support us, not replace us. The brands that win will be those that embrace AI to work smarter, not colder.

So ask yourself:

Are you embracing AI with purpose?
Are your people equipped and empowered to use it?
Are your systems designed to enhance, not eliminate, the human element?

Because the goal is not to remove people from hospitality; the goal is to make them superhuman.

Image: Canva

An AI-generated image of a sign onstage that reads "5-cent City"

May 7, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Travis Tober: Entertain Like You Mean It

Why Travis Tober Says to Toss the QR Codes and Entertain Like You Mean It

by David Klemt

This was a fun AI-generated image to create.

If you ever get the chance to hear Travis Tober speak, do it. You’ll leave with a notebook full of quotables, and strategic clarity.

You’ll get a much-needed reminder that the hospitality industry isn’t about perfection; it’s about presence.

[Side note: If you ever get to hear Tober speak on a panel with Nectaly Mendoza and/or Eric Castro, do whatever it takes to not miss that golden opportunity.]

Tober, the force behind 13 bars and restaurants across Texas (and now expanding into Chicago, Hawaii, and Florida), stood on stage and did what few multi-unit operators can do: He told the truth about scale, struggle, and how to actually make money in this business, while hopefully avoiding burnout.

He opened his first venue in 2017. Eight years and more than a dozen properties later, 2025 is the first year he’s been able to take off for a weekend. That alone tells you plenty.

The real insights, however, came from how he views operations, branding, and the guest experience. That is to say, not as a checklist, but as a form of entertainment.

“Guys, we’re in the entertainment business, not the bar business,” noted Tober after asking how many people in the room thought they were in the drinks business.

So, let’s start there.

Bartender at Heart, Operator by Design

Tober doesn’t pretend to be the best bartender in the room. In fact, he said half the people attending were probably better bartenders than he.

But, as he made clear, “I can tend bar better than you.”

What he meant was simple: he knows how to read the guest in front of him. Guest-facing hospitality pros, that’s the job. It’s not just pouring the drink, dropping food, and touching tables; it’s knowing when to be the party, and when to shut it down.

Tober trains his teams not just to serve, but to entertain.

I’ve enjoyed the privilege of attending several sessions and panels hosted by Tober. One point he made years ago has stood out to me ever since: He views recruitment and hiring, at least in part, like casting a film or TV show.

He wants the super-dialed-in bartender who’s almost too serious about their job. He wants the young gun who thinks they can tend bar better than anyone else, neophyte or world-traveled veteran. Tober himself often steps into the role of old-school bartender who can put that young gun in their place in a single shift.

The smartass, the surly lifer, everyone’s best friend, the bubbly and energetic one…he wants a full cast capable of entertaining the guests at any one of his bars.

That full cast, by the way, also means there’s a personality that appeals to (just about) any guest. This bartender and that guest aren’t connecting? Let another bartender step in, see if they can recover the guest experience, and turn around that guest’s visit.

Consistency, Not Complexity

At his Nickel City locations, a bartender in Fort Worth can walk into the Houston bar and get to work immediately; the bar stations are identical. That’s not just convenience, that’s operational intelligence and strategic clarity in action.

The same goes for the drinks: Tober tracks what sells across the portfolio. Every LTO gets tested. If a cocktail moves, it stays. If not, it goes. There are 250 drinks in the system, and the data tells him what hits.

“McDonald’s tastes like shit here [Las Vegas], and it tastes like shit in every other city. There’s a reason they’re the most-successful restaurant brand in the world.”

Consistency wins. Period.

And yet, consistency isn’t boring. His menus are a design language. He works with a designer who gets his colors, paper stock preferences, layout…everything. Every menu is a training tool for guests, and a brand story rolled into one. The goal is clarity, not clutter.

That’s why you won’t find a bloated 30-drink cocktail list at his spots. Eight to 12 is the sweet spot now, and it has been for several years. Give guests a clear path. Include some quality alcohol-free options (otherwise, you’re leaving money on the table).

When met with a guest uncertain about stepping outside of their beverage comfort zone, train your staff to redirect: “You might not like that, but you might like this.”

Paper Menus, With a Twist

Speaking of menus, Tober doesn’t mince words, nor would I ever expect him to pull his punch: “Fuck QR codes.”

He wants guests to feel something. Literally.

Tober wants guests to hold the menu in their hands. And why is that? Because he wants to hold the menu in his hands. And if he wants something specific from the bar experience, why wouldn’t he deliver it to his own guests?

However, Tober’s not a purist. In fact, he acknowledges that a paper menu with a QR code for large wine or spirits inventories could be the right blend of physical and digital. The key? Use tech to complement, not replace, the tactile experience.

Further, not everything has to be on the menu. Discovery is part of the magic of any guest experience. So, you and your team need be in the habit of asking the right questions, offering the right off-menu item that will resonate with a guest and convert them to a regular.

Let the guest feel like they just unlocked something special. Do that, and they’ll want friends and family to experience the same thing.

Make Money, Not Passion Projects

This might’ve been one of his most grounded takes of the day: “I want to make money. I want to make sure my people are making money, I’m making money, my investors are making money.”

There’s room for passion, but it better be profitable. Tober recounted a conversation with a bar owner who’d never taken inventory. Eight years of running a bar…and no inventory or costing system in place.

That’s not just risky—that’s irresponsible. And let’s be clear: That irresponsible approach to operations, if it can be deemed an approach, affects more than just the bottom line. People’s jobs are at risk when an operator doesn’t put in the work to learn and nail the fundamentals. The community will be worse off if a third place with the potential to bring people together has to close due to incompetence.

If you don’t know what your drinks cost, you don’t know what you’re making. And if your team doesn’t know how to negotiate with suppliers or ask for items that are perfect for traffic-boosting, revenue-generating LTOs, like closeout wines, you’re leaving thousands on the table.

Your Menu Is Your Mission

Tober said it best, so I won’t even try to paraphrase him: “That menu is your whole journey.”

He wants a diverse menu for a diverse crowd. The business professional, the ironworker, the sorority girl, the guest with just $20 in their pocket, all should feel comfortable, respected, and relevant when gathering at and enjoying the same bar.

While that’s building a brand and vibe, it’s also smart business: curated chaos, energy, memorable stories, and, yes, entertainment.

Final Pour

Tober didn’t get here by accident. He got here by obsessing over the stuff that many owners ignore: station layout, menu flow, vendor strategy, staff training, drink tracking, and yes, whether or not the paper stock feels right.

Further, one of the things I admire about Tober the most is his dedication to knowing his numbers. He’ll readily admit that he’s loud, and can come across as a bar owner who’s just in it for a fun time. Honestly, I think just about anyone would want to have a beer and a shot with Tober.

And while, yes, Tober knows how to have fun, and sometimes he’ll share his opinions loudly, he’ll also probably run circles around the average bartender. Most importantly, he doesn’t just know his business intimately, he knows the business inside and out.

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again now: If I didn’t believe Tober’s approach to operations was one to emulate, or that it didn’t align with ours at KRG Hospitality, I wouldn’t share what I learned after attending one of his education sessions. In fact, I wouldn’t even attend in the first place.

If there’s one takeaway from his session, it’s this: Run your bar like a business. Even better, run it like an entertainment business.

Make your bar look like a fully realized brand, and make it feel like a show. You’re not just serving drinks, you’re entertaining and producing experiences.

And maybe, just maybe, you’ll attain a goal we at KRG Hospitality aim for all of our clients to achieve: taking an entire week off work.

Image: Canva

March 4, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: March 2025

by David Klemt

Our March book selections focus on outdoor cooking, miniaturized cocktails, restaurant design, hotel design, and prioritizing the right things.

To review the book recommendations from February 2025, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Tiny Cocktails: The Art of Miniature Mixology

Several years ago, Tales of the Cocktail featured an event highlighting Mar-tiny’s, miniature serves of an array of Martinis. Over the years, I’ve come across mini drinks at bars and pop-up events, and people have always seemed to find the concept compelling. Couple this interesting way of serving with today’s apparent preference for imbibing less alcohol and we have a recipe for successful drinks.

From Amazon: “Tiny Cocktails offers a unique and creative approach to mixology for those who want to savor delicious cocktails without overindulging. The recipes showcase smaller drinks with big flavors—an ideal way to explore new flavors and refine your mixology skills without making a full-drink commitment. Each drink comes in around 3-6 ounces, with about half the alcoholic punch of a full-sized cocktail.”

Order your copy here!

Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out: 100 Recipes That Redefine Outdoor Cooking

Funnily enough, this also reminds me of an awesome, engaging Tales of the Cocktail event. Not too many TOTCs ago, Kimpton Hotels hosted an event during which every food item (save for a couple of cheese boards) was prepared outside, over fire. The result was a fantastic dinner that showcased how the simplest form of cooking, when coupled with creativity, can produce something spectacular.

From Amazon: “In Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, Michael Symon offers 100 recipes for outdoor cooking including desserts and drinks too. Featuring fan-favorite recipes from his popular Food Network show, Symon’s Dinners Cooking Out, and brand new recipes, this cookbook is sure to excite budding and expert grillers alike. From live-fire classics like Bacon-Cheddar Smash Burgers to unexpected dishes like Fettuccine with Smoked Tomato Sauce, cooks who take it outside will find all kinds of creative ways to use their grills year-round.”

Pick yours up today!

Tasteful: New Interiors for Restaurants and Cafés

I’ve had the opportunity to speak to multiple hospitality-focused interior designers on the KRG Hospitality-produced Bar Hacks podcast. In each case, I’ve asked about their process for helping clients share their vision for a restaurant, bar, or other concept and transform it into a tangible design.

To that end, I present Tasteful, which I hope will help spark creativity in anyone considering the interior design of their own concept, and explain what they’re visualizing to others.

From Amazon: “The ever-evolving landscape of the gastronomic industry never fails to surprise with new ideas and trends—and Tasteful is a testament to that. A follow-up on the earlier gestalten title Appetizer, this book is a curated selection of the most eye-catching interiors of new restaurants, cafes, bars and all kinds of food places. Featuring a variety styles from a host of diverse locations around the planet, Tasteful serves as both a travel guide for intrepid foodies and an inspiration for those passionate about design.”

Grab a copy now!

Design: The Leading Hotels of the World

On the most-recent episode of the Bar Hacks episode I speak with Michael Suomi, an award-winning architect and interior designer who specializes in unique and complex hotel projects (along with restaurant and bar designs). That episode, and this book, should inspire those opening a hotel to knock their design out of the ballpark, and create a narrative for their property.

From Amazon: “Embark on a stunning visual journey through The Leading Hotels of the World, a collection of the world’s most exclusive independent luxury hotels, which consistently dominates prestigious awards, securing top honors in Travel + Leisure’s World’s Best Awards and Condé Nast Traveler’s Readers’ Choice Awards.”

Click here to order your copy!

Undoing Urgency: Reclaim Your Time for the Things that Matter Most

One of our goals for KRG Hospitality clients sounds simple on the surface: spend less time on their business. Imagine having the ability to step away for multiple weeks throughout the year, to actually unplug and not even think about your bar, restaurant, cafe, nightclub, or hotel. We want that for all of our guests, because while we can help make brands, brick-and-mortar businesses, and menus, and make operations run more smoothly, none of us can make more time.

Undoing Urgency, likewise, is about time, and what we do with it.

From Amazon: “Undoing Urgency…details the GAME Plan (Goals, Actions, Metrics, and Execution), which turns core values into high-priority goals and minimum effective dose actions for maximum impact. The GAME Plan works for all goals, having been used at the highest levels in business, health, life, and the most personal ambitions. It takes readers on a journey of personal discovery to identify what brings them value and joy. Ultimately, Reynolds wants to help people break free of urgency and start living a value-driven life dedicated to what is most important to them.”

Buy it now!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

Restaurant or bar owner sitting at the bar, working on a schedule or calendar

February 28, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: March 2025

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your March 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

Pay attention to the “weird” or unique holidays to raise eyebrows, carve out a niche for your restaurant or bar, and attract more guests. Why do what everyone else is already doing? Why program only around the same holidays as everyone else?

To provide a handful of examples, March boasts National Cold Cuts Day, Mario Day, and Make Up Your Own Holiday Day. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

Of course, you shouldn’t try to celebrate every holiday, strange or otherwise. Focus on the days that are authentic to your brand; resonate with your guests; and help you grab attention on social media.

You’ll find suggestions for promotions below. However, the idea behind our monthly holiday promotions roundup is to inspire you and your team to get creative and come up with unique programming ideas.

For our February 2025 holidays list, click here.

March 3: National Cold Cuts Day

If you’re a deli, are partners with a deli, or otherwise serve menu items featuring cold cuts, this holiday should certainly be on your radar.

Whether you choose to feature all the cold cuts available, focus on one specifically, or offer LTO sandwiches or other items, this is a holiday worth building a promotion around.

March 5: National Absinthe Day

Some people choose to celebrate “Cinco de Marcho” on this day, “training” their kidneys for St. Patrick’s Day. Well, allow me to propose an alternative: National Absinthe Day.

While there are also clear versions, absinthe is usually green. It’s interesting, and loaded with lore. And this holiday doesn’t necessarily encourage dangerous levels of alcohol consumption.

March 7: National Cereal Day

From breakfast shots to breakfast cereal-flavored shots and cocktails, this is a simple holiday for programming beverage promotions.

And on the food side, think about how much fun your culinary team can have reimagining famous cereals as new menu items.

March 10: Mario Day

People tend to associate Mario with a few powerups: Super Mushrooms, Fire Flowers, Super Leaves, and Starman stars. So, if we extrapolate and apply these powerups to F&B, operators and their teams can craft food and drinks that feature mushrooms, edible flowers, leaves, and star shapes.

And that’s to say nothing of the suits Mario can don, enemies he bests, and other associations with Mario.

March 13: World Kidney Day

I mention kidneys toward the top of this holiday roundup. Well, operators can celebrate World Kidney Day by offering healthy, zero-alcohol beverages. Going further, they can highlight food items that are free of ultra-processed ingredients, and low in sodium, potassium, and phosphorous. Instead, promote dishes that feature lean proteins and healthy fats.

March 15: National Corn Dog Day

On its own, a standard corn dog, one can argue, isn’t that unique. So…let’s change that. If you have corn dogs on your menu, or you have the capability of adding them as an LTO, think about how far you and your culinary team can go with it.

Elote treatment to the exterior? Awesome. Panko or cornflake crust? Yes, please. Going sweet and savory with a dusting of sugar, and accompanied with ketchup and mustard? I’ll try it.

March 21: National Countdown Day

For several reasons, a lot of people seem to like a countdown. Operators can leverage this by creating a countdown that ends later on National Countdown Day.

A special food item, unique drink, or LTO menu revealed when the countdown reaches zero are just a few ideas.

March 22: National Goof Off Day

I’m always a fan of giving guests an “excuse” to blow off work, errands, and other responsibilities. Not every day, of course, but once in a while.

This year, National Goof Off Day falls on a Saturday, so it shouldn’t be too difficult to encourage guests to goof off at your restaurant or bar.

March 26: Make Up Your Own Holiday Day

Hey, have you ever thought about a holiday celebrating your business? National [insert your bar, restaurant, cafe, nightclub, hotel] Day? Well, this is the perfect time to launch just such a holiday, or anything else you can dream up.

March 30: National Virtual Vacation Day

If National Goof Off Day doesn’t work with you, your brand, and your guests, perhaps this holiday does. While one way to celebrate this day is to use VR for a “vacation,” another is to simply embrace a holiday mindset. With nearly a month to plan, I’m sure you can come up with a promotion that helps transport guests to a vacation destination via your business.

Image: Microsoft Designer

A trio of protein shake bowls on a wooden plank, resting on a bar top

February 21, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Are Snacks Right for Your Menu?

Are Snacks Right for Your Menu?

by David Klemt

Wow, AI-generated food that actually looks like food!

The latest “-ification” to take root in food and beverage centers around people favoring consuming several meals throughout the day.

The “snackification” of F&B menus across the industry is joining “gamification” in moving from trend to standard.

So, what is snackification, and is it right for your concept, brand, and menus?

Let’s start by tackling the first part of that question.

What is Snackification?

Looking at this word from the consumer side, snackification is the replacement of full-size meals with multiple snacks.

There are several factors to which one can point to explain how this behavior went from trend to mainstay. One prevailing theory posits that people snacked more often throughout the day during the pandemic. That particular behavior simply hasn’t fallen to the wayside.

Another driver may be cost. A percentage of consumers perceive “traditional” daypart dining as more expensive than opting for smaller items whenever they feel hungry. Whether true, false, or somewhere in between, this perception exists, and it’s strengthening snacks as a viable menu category.

Of course, there’s also the treat factor. Some people simply like to treat themselves, and a snack several times a week helps them fulfill this desire.

On the operator side, snackification is the embracing of snacks as a revenue generator.

Several restaurants have created snack sections on their F&B menus. Indeed, more than a mere handful of quick-service and fast-casual concepts are leaning into snacks.

However, the creation of QSR brands that focus on snacks truly illustrates the strength of snackification.

Should You Snackify Your Menu?

Making changes to your concept and menu requires careful consideration.

Jumping on any trend should also be done with caution; the same goes for changing an element of operations to embrace a new standard.

There are several questions that need answers before deciding to snackify your menu.

What items will you offer as snacks? With the rise in usage of GLP-1 drugs, protein-rich snacks are growing in popularity. A focus on wellness is also motivating consumers to seek out snacks that are lower in sugar and calories. However, sweet treats are still sought after. Again, careful consideration is key.
How well do you know your guests? Using data, can you say with confidence that you can leverage snacks successfully? Do you know what types of snacks will resonate with guests? Are the snacks you’re considering in alignment with your brand and concept, or will the change confuse guests?
Will offering snacks increase your costs? You need to know know with certainty how snack items will affect labor and food costs.
Will the change to snacking impact other dayparts? It’s possible the shift can cannibalize dayparts, which will affect your costs, traffic, and revenue.
Can you transform items already on your menu into snacks? Doing so could keep your costs under control, and help you make the shift quickly. What on your menu is high in protein, craveable, and able to be produced in smaller portions easily?

It’s quite likely that snacks will resonate with your guests. However, you need to know, not guess. What does your data tell you about traffic, item sales, and guest preferences?

As I’ve said before, success in this business comes down to math, not magic.

Image: Microsoft Designer

February 7, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: February 2025

by David Klemt

Our February book selections focus on bartender techniques and cocktail balance, mushrooms, fusion, leadership, and mastering the fundamentals.

To review the book recommendations from January 2025, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Mushroom Gastronomy: The Art of Cooking with Mushrooms

On a recent episode of the Bar Hacks podcast, the topic of mushrooms in cocktails came up briefly. While mushrooms are somewhat divisive in the beverage space, they remain an important culinary staple. To that end, we want to put Mushroom Gastronomy on your radar.

Authored by culinary writer and mushroom specialist (seriously, don’t try foraging without expertise; consuming or serving the wrong mushrooms can severely, permanently harm or kill your, your team, and your guests) Krista Towns, this book shares just about everything you could hope to know about more than a dozen edible mushrooms, and features more than 100 recipes, along with fantastic photos.

From Amazon: “The book explores 25 of the most popular edible and delicious mushrooms. Stunning photographs introduce each variety, including their unique nutritional values, ideal cooking methods, culinary tips, and flavor pairings, making this book a go-to resource for anyone interested in cooking with mushrooms.”

Grab the hardcover today.

The Cocktail Balance 2.0

As the title of this book suggests, this is the followup to The Cocktail Balance, written by Stanislav Harcinik. The Cocktail Balance 2.0 dives even deeper into bartending and mixology, focusing on theory, practice (including infusion and carbonation), inspiration, and, of course, recipes. Nearly 300 pages are packed with knowledge, recipes, and beautiful photography. The first batch of books sold out quickly, but pre-orders are open for April of this year.

From the website: “Divided into three sections—theoretical, practical, and inspirational—the book provides in-depth knowledge on various aspects of bartending. The theoretical section includes detailed Excel sheets covering margins, cocktail costs, inventory management, and profitability, giving insights into the financial aspects of bartending. It also delves into advanced mixology techniques such as carbonation, clarification, and the use of enzymes, which have recently become more popular in bars.”

Pre-order yours here!

Give and Take: Why Helping Others Drives Our Success

We’ve recommended multiple books written by professor and researcher Adam Grant, including Think Again and Originals. Give and Take may be just over ten years old, but it’s lessons and message or no less relevant than they were in 2014.

From Amazon: “For generations, we have focused on the individual drivers of success: passion, hard work, talent, and luck. But in today’s dramatically reconfigured world, success is increasingly dependent on how we interact with others. In Give and Take, Adam Grant, an award-winning researcher and Wharton’s highest-rated professor, examines the surprising forces that shape why some people rise to the top of the success ladder while others sink to the bottom. Praised by social scientists, business theorists, and corporate leaders, Give and Take opens up an approach to work, interactions, and productivity that is nothing short of revolutionary.”

Order the paperback here.

Cutting Up in the Kitchen: Food and Fun from Southern National’s Chef Duane Nutter

I don’t usually include more than one pre-order in a monthly roundup. In fact, I try to avoid including them too often. However, this book came up on my radar, and I want to share it with you.

Cutting Up in the Kitchen is written by Chef Duane Nutter, known for fusing Southern food with other cuisines and flavors, whether regional or international. Further, Chef Nutter isn’t afraid to infuse his writing with humor. Those looking for culinary innovation and inspiration should pre-order this book today.

From Amazon: “This cookbook, full of sophisticated yet approachable recipes, is organized like a comedy act with chapter titles such as The Set Up (Cocktails), Stock Material (Sauces and Condiments), Open-Mikers (Appetizers, Salads, and Soups); Bit Parts (Side Dishes); The Hook (Fish and Seafood Main Courses); Headliners (Main Courses), and Curtain Calls (Desserts). You will find recipes for Spiced Rum Iced Coffee and Coconut Negroni to whet your whistle; Smoked Paprika Compound Butter and Mustard Green Chimichurri to flavor dishes; Arugula Salad with Golden Beets, Pickled Grapes, and Spiced Pecans along with Pimento Cheese Deviled Eggs to start the meal; Sautéed Royal Red Shrimp with Bourbon Maque Choux or Lamb Burger Helper for a main course, and Buttermilk and Honey Ice Cream, Citrus Bread Pudding, or Cheesecake Flan to close the show. A good time will be had by all!”

Pre-order here!

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

If you haven’t read Bar Hacks yet, this is KRG president and principal consultant Doug Radkey’s first book. In his this book he explains the importance of nailing the fundamentals in order to:

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

From Amazon: “This informative and conversational book is the perfect read for aspiring or seasoned bar, pub, lounge, or even restaurant owners, operators, and managers looking for that competitive edge in operations! If you’re looking for both fundamental and in-depth planning methods, strategies, and industry focused insight to either start or grow a scalable, sustainable, memorable, profitable, and consistent venue in today’s cut-throat industry–Bar Hacks is written just for you!”

Click here to get your copy today!

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

February 6, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: February 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: February 2025

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your February 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

To provide a handful of examples, February boasts National Pizza Day, National Cheddar Day, and National Retro Day. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

For our January 2025 holidays list, click here.

February 7: Rose Day

Rose presents interesting flavor and scent profiles. It can also be difficult to perfect; too little and it likely won’t register, too much and it will overpower. Notably, it doesn’t take much for rose to go in either direction. However, if your kitchen and bar teams are up to the task, rose dishes and drinks can be quite intriguing for your guests.

Of course, you can also go a different direction and celebrate Rose Day as Rosé Day with all manner of wine, spirits, and beers.

February 8: National Kite Flying Day

As one would expect, there are several drinks with “kite” in the name. Cocktails (including zero-proof versions), beers, and wines. Further, there’s the similar paper airplane, so you can feature the Paper Plane, as well.

February 9: National Pizza Day

Is programming around pizza unusual, unexpected, or unique? On its face, no, of course not.

However, restaurant and bar operators can make National Pizza Day an unusual food holiday by featuring unique ingredients, and interesting pizza styles.

February 10: National Cream Cheese Brownie Day

Much like pizza, most brownies aren’t considered unique. That said, your culinary team’s interpretation can become a signature dessert (or appetizer

February 13: National Cheddar Day

Is everything better (or “beddar”) with cheddar? No, not everything. But there sure are a lot of menu items that are great with this hard cheese.

I’m confident that you and your kitchen team can find plenty of ways to feature cheddar on an LTO menu.

February 14: Start of Alzheimer’s and Dementia Care Education Week

This week is dedicated to Alzheimer’s and dementia awareness and education, along with raising funds for charitable organizations looking for a cure. If you think you can organize a charity drive, be it for one day or the entire week, go for it.

One way to execute is to donate proceeds from an LTO item or menu. If you have signature drink or dish, that item can lead the charge for raising charitable donations. This important week has a hashtag, so be sure to include it to spread the word: #AlzheimersDementiaCareEducationWeek.

February 20: National Comfy Day

Sure, operators can go for comfy dress to celebrate this holiday. It can be “cute” to have staff show up in comfy gear, or encourage guests to do so.

Or, operators can go a different direction: focusing on the comfort foods on their menus. Whether they’re traditional or creative takes on comfort classics, a comfort food LTO menu is perfect for February 20.

February 24: National Tortilla Chip Day

Who doesn’t love a tortilla chip, particularly when it’s carrying an array of delicious toppings? You know what to do: highlight your nachos (if you have them on your menu), and get creative with the presentation (we like to go sky high), proteins, and other ingredients.

February 27: National Retro Day

It seems like the phrase, “Everything old is new again,” is always relevant. National Retro Day is one of the best times to dive into vintage F&B recipe books and select classics that work with your theme and resonate with guests. Grasshoppers, anyone?

February 28: National Floral Design Day

Edible flowers are visually appealing, and can also enhance the dining and drinking experience. You know what to do!

Image: Microsoft Designer

A classic, vintage microphone on top of a worn-in bar, next to a laptop

January 28, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Top 10 Bar Hacks Episodes of 2024

Top 10 Bar Hacks Episodes of 2024

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Bar Hacks has come a long way over the course of nearly five years and 130 episodes, including adding a new format toward the end of last year.

As we move forward, we’re taking a moment to look back at last year’s top ten episodes of Bar Hacks.

As with our other two KRG Hospitality-produced podcasts, Hospitality Reinvented and Turn this Way, the purpose of Bar Hacks has always been helping operators and hospitality professionals.

The original format focuses on sharing the stories of, and advice from, professionals throughout the industry: successful operators, brand founders and owners, chefs, bartenders, designers, brand ambassadors, and more. We encourage people to think differently, innovate in hospitality, and stay up to date about new ideas, new products, trends, and techniques.

ReFire‘s mission is similar in that I, along with my co-host Bradley Knebel of Empowered Hospitality, want listeners to think differently, and innovate while working on the fundamentals. On ReFire episodes, we analyze two to three real-life hospitality situations, and provide our thoughts on each matter.

Episode one kicked off ReFire by looking at second chances, onboarding, and pranking team members. On episode two, we talk about F&B influencers, reservation systems, and “firing” guests.

We’re excited to see where both formats go this year. This year is off to a great start, featuring conversations with designer Nancy Kuemper, and the founder of ITALICUS, SAVOIA, and ItalSpirits, Giuseppe Gallo. And Bradley and I have some awesome conversations coming up on ReFire.

Thank you for listening. Your support is humbling, and means everything to us. And, as always, thank you to our incredible guests for taking the time to chat with us. Cheers!

Bar Hacks Top 10: 2024

Episode 109 with Colin Asare-Appiah

Happy new year, and welcome to 2024! We wanted to kick off season five of the Bar Hacks podcast with an amazing guest.

Host David Klemt had the opportunity to chat with Colin Asare-Appiah, an industry icon he’s wanted to talk to for many years. Colin is Bacardí’s trade director of multiculture and lifestyle, and the brand’s LGBTQIA+ advocate. Not only does he spread the message of diversity, equity, and inclusion, he believes (as does KRG Hospitality and Bar Hacks) that diversity is necessary for our industry to thrive.

In this episode you’ll learn about Colin’s journey through hospitality, which includes saying he’d never be a bartender to becoming a bartender and creating a bartending school; his thoughts on what makes a successful operator and team; cocktail and spirits trends for 2024; the AJABU cocktail festival coming to South Africa in March of this year, spearheaded by Colin and his partner Mark Talbot Holmes; and more. Cheers!

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Episode 110 with James Grant

James Grant, World Class Global Bartender of the Year 2021 and Canada’s 100 Best Bartender of the Year 2022, stops into the Bar Hacks podcast!

As the director of mixology at the Fairmont Royal York in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, James oversees three distinct concepts: CLOCKWORK, REIGN, and The Library Bar. As he explains, this role is quite a step up from bartending at and managing an 18-seat speakeasy in Edmonton, Alberta.

On this episode, James talks about his journey through hospitality to his current role; his approach to developing the Fairmont Royal York’s cocktail programs; tips for speakeasy operators; advice for new operators; what it means to have The Library Bar recognized by World’s 50 Best Bars; and more. Cheers!

Spotify

Apple Podcasts

Episode 111 with Michael Tipps

It has taken a while but it has finally happened! Michael Tipps, friend of KRG Hospitality and podcast host David Klemt, dropped by Bar Hacks.

The two kick this episode off by discussing the 2024 Bar & Restaurant Expo. Both Tipps and KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey are speaking at this year’s show. In fact, they’re teaching back to back during a bootcamp on Monday, March 18. After the bootcamp, Tipps is presenting a workshop titled “Elevated Guest Experiences.”

Tipps also gives his thoughts on the state of the industry and consulting; speaks about creating cool concepts; makes a big announcement; and more. Cheers!

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Episode 113 with Emma Sleight

Sponsored by Perrier, North America’s 50 Best Bars is returning to San Miguel de Allende, Mexico, on April 23. The 2024 ceremony represents the third edition of North America’s 50 Best Bars.

And who better to share details about the upcoming ranking than Emma Sleight, Head of Content: Bars & Hotels for World’s 50 Best? Emma dropped by the Bar Hacks podcast to talk about the 2024 ceremony, the Voting Academy, special awards, and more. In fact, listeners will get to learn a bit about Emma herself, including her being a sommelier and Associate of Cheese.

We’re looking forward to this year’s list! Be sure to stream the ceremony on YouTube or Facebook if you won’t be attending in person. Cheers!

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Episode 114 with Anne Becerra

The fantastic Anne Becerra returns to the Bar Hacks podcast! Anne is also returning to the Food & Wine Classic in Aspen, Colorado, this year. That incredible event takes place from June 14 to June 16.

In addition to talking about the Food & Wine Classic, Anne and Bar Hacks host David Klemt chat about beer styles to check out and put on your menu now; service and turning non-beer drinkers on to beer; a few brewers you should have on your radar; whether 2024 is (finally) the Year of Lager; and more. Cheers!

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Episode 117 with Pete Flores

We love a savvy operator here at Bar Hacks and KRG Hospitality. Juan Please Drink Company co-founder Pete Flores certainly falls into that category.

For several years, Flores was sure someone would bring a simple-but-delicious drink to the RTD space: lemonade and tea with a tequila base. Yet, that prediction never did come to pass. So, as Flores says, realizing that door was open, he stepped through it with a small team and brought the TLT (tequila, lemonade, tea) to market under the Juan Please Drink Company portfolio.

During this conversation you’ll learn about Flores’ experience in the hospitality world, how his vision for an RTD became reality, the challenges he and the team have faced and overcome, plans for future expressions, and much more. Cheers!

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Episode 119 with Matthias Ingelmann

We’re excited to welcome Matthias Ingelmann, bars manager at KOL Mezcaleria in London, back to the Bar Hacks podcast! We first spoke to Matthias on episode 106, mostly about KOL, one of the World’s 50 Best Restaurants, and his role as the bars manager. This time, however, we’re learning about mezcal.

Matthias breaks down styles of mezcal, regions (including the fact that mezcal is made in countries other than Mexico), and producers. He also dispels a number of myths and misconceptions, shares his approach to introducing guests to mezcal (and sotol and raicilla), and suggests food pairings. Of course, there’s so much more, so make sure to give this episode a listen. Cheers!

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Episode 121 with Marybeth Shaw

Marybeth Shaw is the chief creative officer at Wolf-Gordon, an American design company that provides wallcoverings, wall protection, upholstery, paint, and more. Shaw has achieved an MBA from NYU Stern, an M. Arch. from the Ecole d’Architecture de Paris-Belleville, an MCP from MIT, and, most recently, an MBA. Further, she earned the HiP Award for Creative Direction from Interior Design in 2017, and serves on the Board of the Wallcoverings Association.

For the past couple of years, Shaw has curated intriguing design installations for HD Expo, held in Las Vegas. It was the first installation, HI > AI, that grabbed Bar Hacks host David Klemt’s attention. Since then, he has wanted to have her stop by the podcast. Finally, the two made that happen!

Shaw stops by the discuss wallcoverings, wall protection, sustainability, finding and nurturing the careers of designers, her own journey through the worlds of hospitality and commercial design, design trends (some that she’d like see go away), and much more. Cheers!

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Episode 123 with Roger Thomas

Real Las Vegas royalty stopped by the Bar Hacks podcast! That’s not hyperbole: Roger Thomas truly changed the face of Las Vegas and how people approaching gaming around the world over his 40-year career.

While Roger has made “cameo” appearances on projects for clients here and there, he really worked for a single client, building the Mirage, the Bellagio, and Wynn and Encore resorts and casinos in multiple markets across the globe.

During this conversation, Roger shares how he got his start in interior design in hospitality, his approach to luxury design, how he has mentored other designers, some of his favorite design features, his new book Resort Style: Spaces of Celebration, tips for hiring and working with interior designers, why designers flock to Las Vegas, and so much more. Cheers!

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Episode 124 with Laura Louise Green

Psychotherapist, soon-to-be organizational psychologist, and former bartender Laura Louise Green drops by the Bar Hacks podcast to talk about a very important topic: burnout.

The hospitality industry has been taking strides to address many of the challenges that affect hospitality professionals’ physical, mental, and emotional health. Burnout is one of the many dangerous issues we all face, yet we don’t always acknowledge.

Among other important conversations we need to have that are long overdue, Green has been taking on burnout head-on. On this episode, she defines burnout, shares symptoms, explains the truth and myths about burnout, offers some ways to heal from it, and much more.

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A restaurant or cafe owner flipping over the "open" sign on the door

January 24, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Bars and Restaurants: How Much to Open?

How Much Does It Cost to Open a Bar or Restaurant?

by Doug Radkey

One of the most common questions we get asked at KRG Hospitality is, “How much does it cost to start a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, or nightclub?”

It’s a loaded but valid question, one that every aspiring hospitality operator should ask before diving into this industry.

But here’s the thing: there’s no single answer. Your start-up costs will depend on a variety of factors, such as location, size, market, and whether you’re taking over a second-generation space (a previous hospitality space) or building from scratch.

However, we can provide general cost-per-square-foot estimates based on 15 years of experience with over 280 concepts developed around the world. This takes into account 45 datapoints, which we have listed further down in this article.

Square Footage Costs in 2025

What’s the general cost per square foot for each category in 2025? Let’s have a look.

To open a coffee shop, the cost is approximately $428 per square foot. That means if you’re planning a 1,200-square-foot coffee shop that provides beverages and some baked goods, your estimated total start-up cost would be, on average, $513,600 USD.

Starting a quick-serve restaurant (QSR) comes with an approximate cost of $535 per square foot. If you’re planning an 1,800-square-foot restaurant with counter service and a small dining area, your estimated total start-up cost would be, on average, $963,000 USD.

For a bar with a kitchen, assume an approximate cost of $545 per square foot. So, if you’re planning a 2,400-square-foot bar with a kitchen for a solid food program to go along with your beverages, figure on a total start-up cost of around $1.3 million USD.

To open a full-service restaurant (FSR), the cost is similar to a bar with a kitchen, coming in at approximately $555 per square foot. This will increase based on the level of finishes. That means if you’re planning a 4,000-square-foot restaurant, your estimated total start-up cost would be approximately $2.22 million USD.

The cost is approximately $480 per square foot to open a nightclub. Interestingly, this square-footage cost is less than most bars and restaurants. This is due to the larger open floor zones. If you’re planning a 12,000-square-foot nightclub, your estimated total start-up cost would be approximately $5.76 million USD, which will be allocated msotly to the bar, plus sound, video, lighting, and furnishing.

Realistic Expectations

Do the above costs sounds like a lot capital for each type of concept? It should, because it is.

Based on our in-house data, costs have increased between 40 and 60 percent since 2020. That’s a main driver for today’s operators seeking out smaller locations (and second-generation properties to leverage pre-existing infrastructure).

The key to not over (or under) spending, however, is strategic clarity.

Why Strategic Clarity Matters

Before you even think about signing a lease, you need to have a clear and calculated approach.

That means having the eight non-negotiable playbooks completed to ensure every decision aligns with your brand, budget, and long-term strategy.

You must complete a feasibility study, conceptual playbook, prototype playbook, brand strategy playbook, tech-stack playbook, marketing playbook, financial playbook, and business plan before you ever sign a lease or purchase a property.

One of the most critical playbooks? Your financial playbook. This isn’t just about revenue projections—it must include a comprehensive start-up cost analysis to prevent budgetary blind spots and financial surprises.

Below, a breakdown of what your start-up costs should include.

Pre-Opening Costs

(Ensuring legal, operational, and strategic groundwork is in place before opening day.)

Pre-Open Lease and Landlord Deposit Payments: Covers the rent requirements before opening, typically three to six months in advance, pending build-out requirements.
Pre-Open Utility Deposits: Initial security deposits for water, electricity, and gas.
First Month’s Lease: Your first month’s rent due the month you open officially.
Architect/Engineer/Design Fees: Costs associated with drafting MEP plans, structural assessments, and an interior designer.
Business Insurance Premiums: Coverage for build-out, liability, alcohol, property damage, and operational risks.
Start-Up Legal & Accounting: Initial legal setup, contract reviews, tax structuring, and financial consulting.
Strategic Planning: Consulting or internal resources used for feasibility studies and other strategy playbooks (the non-negotiables).
Consultants & Agencies: Fees for post-planning coaching and consulting, project management, menu development, and more.
Licenses & Permits: Alcohol licenses, building permits, and other business registrations.

Equipment, Fixtures & Technology

(Ensuring operational efficiency, and a seamless guest experience.)

Kitchen, Bar, Sound, Video & Game Systems: Budget for all of your bar, kitchen, service, audio-visual setups, and entertainment elements.
Interior & Exterior Signage: Branding, promotional, and wayfinding signage.
Furniture Fixtures: Chairs, tables, table bases, booths, and lounge seating.
FOH Smallwares: Cutlery, plating, glassware, trays, and other serving tools.
Branded Takeout Packaging: Custom-printed cups, bags, and other containers.
POS Technology & Install: Point-of-sale systems, tablets, and registers.
Additional Tech-Stack: All of your technology integrations (hardware and/or subscriptions) for reservation systems, inventory management, mobile ordering, and more.

Pre-Opening Inventory & Staffing

(Preparing your team, and supplies for a smooth opening.)

Training F&B Inventory: Food and beverage items used for staff training before opening.
Opening F&B Inventory: Initial stock of ingredients, prepared foods, wine, spirits, and other beverages.
Initial Staffing & Training: Hiring costs, onboarding, and initial training programs, plus labor costs for the first four weeks of operations.
Staff Uniforms: Branded attire for both front- and back-of-house teams.

Marketing & Launch Costs

(Attracting guests, and building brand awareness before and after launch.)

Marketing Agency Fees: Branding, digital marketing, and advertising strategy and agency.
Website/App Design: Custom website, online ordering, and mobile or loyalty apps.
Online/Social Media Ads: Paid campaigns on Google, Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok.
Soft Opening Strategies: Invite-only events to test operations and train staff.
Launch Month Strategies: Pre- and grand opening promotions and public relation efforts.
Other Marketing & Promo: Traditional advertising, influencer partnerships, and email marketing, plus other go-to-market strategies.

Build-Out & Infrastructure Costs

(Transforming the space into an operational hospitality venue.)

Contractor & Admin Fees: Fees for project managers, general contractors, and any other administrative or permitting processes.
Wall, Floor & Ceiling Structure: Installing new framing, drywall, flooring, and ceiling treatments.
Doors & Trim: Interior and exterior doors, trims, and moldings.
Glass & Glazing: Windows, glass partitions, and display cases.
Wall/Drywall Finishing: Final painting, wallpapering, and/or paneling.
Floor & Ceiling Finishing: Tiles, wood, epoxy flooring, ceiling tiles, and decorative finishes.
Counters & Millwork: Custom bars, countertops, display units, and cabinetry.
General Electrical: Wiring, panels, power outlets, and compliance updates.
General Plumbing: Pipe installations, water supply, and drainage systems.
Lighting Fixtures: Decorative, ambient, and functional lighting fixtures.
Plumbing Fixtures: Staff and guest restroom utilities.
Fire Protection Systems: Sprinklers, fire alarms, extinguishers, and emergency exit compliance.
HVAC Systems: Heating, ventilation, and air conditioning units.
Kitchen Hood Systems: Commercial exhaust and ventilation systems for kitchens.
Other Design & Install Costs: Additional decorative, acoustic, or functional installations.

Emergency & Miscellaneous Costs

(Budgeting for unexpected expenses and securing cash flow.)

Miscellaneous & Contingency Budget: Extra funds for unforeseen costs and emergencies during pre-open stage.
Pre-Open Interest Payments: Loan interest accrued before opening.
Opening Day Cash Flow: Initial capital to handle early operational expenses, and buffer against slow openings (plan for approximately three to six months).

Why You Need a Detailed Cost Guide

If you’re serious about starting a bar, restaurant, coffee shop, or nightclub, having accurate financial projections is non-negotiable.

But the truth is, most operators underestimate their start-up costs. This leads to broken trust with investors, unexpected expenses, and businesses failing before they even get off the ground.

That’s why every year, KRG Hospitality provides detailed cost guides tailored to different hospitality business models, including:

✔ Coffee shops
✔ QSRs
✔ Bars
✔ Full-service restaurants
✔ Nightclubs

Our guides break down real-world cost structures so you can build your financial plan with confidence. No guessing, no underestimating, no surprises.

If you want full visibility into your start-up budget, grab our latest start-up cost guide today, and make decisions with absolute clarity.

This cost guide provides all of the details (budget percentages) for each of the 45 data points for each style of concept, plus additional planning tools.

📩 Get the Full Cost Guide Now

Access our 2025 Bar & Restaurant Start-Up Cost Guide for just $14.99 USD

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A scene of absolute chaos and impossible physics inside a maximalist design bar

January 23, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Branding Chaos vs. Chaos Branding

Branding Chaos vs. Chaos Branding

by David Klemt

As realistic as this image appears, this was, indeed, generated by artificial intelligence.

It’s important to understand the marketing terms “chaos branding” and “branding chaos,” and what they mean for your business.

The first thing to realize is that the two terms aren’t interchangeable. One, when a brand executes it successfully, is a positive. The other goes in the opposite direction, and hints at a strategic problem.

In fact, it points to a lack of strategic clarity. And if you’ve been following KRG Hospitality president Doug Radkey’s articles, social media posts, or Hospitality Reinvented podcast episodes, or have attended one of his speaker sessions or webinars, you know strategic clarity is a KRG pillar.

So, what do the two terms mean, and why are they important?

Branding Chaos

Simply put, this isn’t good.

Branding chaos is a lack of clarity (there’s they keyword again) and consistency in branding. Generally speaking, when a brand lacks a clear and considered branding strategy, the result is branding chaos.

This can manifest in many ways, from the overt to the subtle. You’ll find some examples below.

Colors

A brand’s color palette is crucial to its branding strategy. This branding element is so important, in fact, that one of the eight KRG Hospitality playbooks is our branding strategy playbook.

Failing to establish a brand color palette and adhere to it strictly can create branding chaos.

Logo

Have you ever visited a company’s website, social channels, or brick-and-mortar location and seen more than one company logo? Or been handed a business card that had a different logo than the company’s current design?

That’s an egregious branding issue.

Slogans & Taglines

These are just as important to a brand’s identity as the logo. To provide clarity, the slogan speaks to a brand’s mission and is used in advertising; a tagline tends to be punchy and is used to promote brand awareness.

It’s one thing to have a slogan that’s a bit different from the tagline. It’s quite another thing when a brand generates multiple slogans and taglines, and it’s a problem.

Confusion

A great branding exercise is to ask your team members to describe your brand. If you’re not receiving consistent descriptions, your own team is confused about the brand, which is a red flag.

Voice

It’s important for a brand to establish its “voice.” To put this in simple terms, a key element of branding is attaching a personality to a brand. Is the brand silly? Snarky? Moody? Serious?

The brand’s messaging, from traditional advertising campaigns to social media posts, must embody that personality, or voice. Think about how jarring it can be for a brand that has established itself as serious or moody to take on a silly voice suddenly.

Consistency

Something as simple as seemingly small inconsistencies on a brand’s website, for example, can be a branding chaos warning sign.

At KRG, we’ve worked with clients who used “night club,” “nightclub,” “gastro pub,” “gastropub,” and even different versions of their brand name. That may seem like a simple error but, if not addressed, it’s a “small” mistake that harms the brand’s identity.

There’s also font mixing, or the use of several fonts on the same website or webpage. And that’s just on a website. Think about how a mix of inconsistent uniforms can affect guest perception.

Successful branding promotes engagement and loyalty, and requires a clear strategy. Or, strategic clarity.

Chaos Branding

Unsurprisingly, traditional branding methods don’t resonate with everyone. Speaking generally, many members of younger, tech-savvy, chronically connected generations find “old” marketing methods unappealing.

Again, I’m speaking in generalities; no demographic is a monolith. It’s crucial to develop a deep understanding of your target audience to communicate with them effectively.

That said, a common belief concerning Millennials and Gen Z is that they don’t trust polished content. Really, I’d say that applies to a significant number of people of all ages.

This is because social media posts and advertisements that are just too polished and slick put some people on the defensive. They immediately become suspicious that you’re only motive is to sell them something, and that your brand perhaps doesn’t share their values.

It’s not a leap to say this is the natural consequence of social media’s ubiquity. If nothing is real life on social media, everything is a trick or hustle.

Enter: Chaos branding.

Authenticity

Chaos branding seems far and away more honest and authentic because it eschews careful curation.

It seems off the cuff, in the moment, and honest. Chaos’ counterpart is curation. When we look at carefully crafted and curated posts, they seem to share the same aesthetic.

Whereas curated posts get lost in a sea of reels, stories, slideshows, and static images, posts that leverage chaos branding can cut through the white noise.

Be the Chaos

Get messy. Go maximalist. Be spontaneous. This is hospitality—every shift is punctuated with spontaneity and chaos. Embrace that, and share the reality of your brand’s day-to-day vibe to show people what they can expect when they visit.

To provide a solid example, Wendy’s snarky social media presence, complete with the audacity to roast rivals and even its own fans, has mastered chaos branding.

And if you really want to go hard, there’s unhinged branding. The image at the top of this article? It’s unhinged.

One way to leverage unhinged branding, if it matches your brand authentically, is to ask AI to make a video for your brand. If it’s just…unstable, you’re on the right track. But…it must be cool.

Takeaway

Branding and marketing require strategic clarity. That’s non-negotiable for operators who want to achieve long-term success and craft a legacy.

Our eight playbooks are bespoke documents that provide a roadmap to success built on strategic clarity.

However, chaos has a place in clarity, as at odds as those concepts may appear. Savvy operators can succeed with chaos branding if they make it a part of their well-crafted, carefully considered strategy.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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January 17, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Critical Thinking: Unlocking Success

Critical Thinking: Unlocking Success in Hospitality

by Doug Radkey

In hospitality, where creativity meets both precision and guest expectations, the ability to think critically is not just an asset, it’s truly a non-negotiable.

Whether you’re starting a new bar, stabilizing a restaurant, or scaling a hotel operation, critical thinking forms the framework of every successful decision.

When working with clients, I always look to emphasize this mindset in everything we do together. Why? Because we’ve seen its transformative impact firsthand.

Critical Thinking: A Mindset, Not Just a Skill

Critical thinking isn’t a one-time effort; it’s a continuous state of mind.

It requires being open-minded, curious, and analytical while maintaining the discipline to question assumptions, consider diverse perspectives, get creative, and rely on evidence for decision-making.

It’s about asking some potentially tough questions:

Why is this the right choice?
What are the potential consequences?
How can we improve this process?

But more importantly, it’s about cultivating thinking skills such as interpretation, analysis, evaluation, explanation, and self-regulation to create strategic clarity.

Let’s explore how these skills directly impact the hospitality industry’s three critical phases: starting, stabilizing, and scaling.

Starting: Laying the Right Foundation

Starting a bar, restaurant, or hotel is an exciting venture. It’s also fueled by decisions that can make or break the business.

This is where critical thinking over the use of tools such as AI or templates becomes indispensable.

Interpretation Skills: Understanding the Market

Every business should begin with a feasibility study. This critical document is about analyzing market trends, target demographics, detailed sociographics, competitive landscapes, conceptual trends, and financial understanding.

For example, understanding your TAM, SAM, and SOM can clarify the concept’s alignment with market potential. Without proper interpretation of these data points, a great idea can fail to connect with its intended audience or market.

Analytical Skills: Evaluating Business Models

Many aspiring operators rely too heavily on emotion when choosing a concept or location. I talked about this recently on an episode of the Hospitality Reinvented podcast.

Critical thinking helps us step back, assess the market objectively, and analyze whether the chosen model can succeed.

It’s never about what “feels” right, or “I’ve lived here my whole life, I know what people want.” In reality, it’s about what I tell everyone who says either of those things: “It’s about what works based on data and evidence.”

Asking the Right Questions

Does this location align with my budget and target audience?
What assumptions am I making about guest behavior?
What if this concept needs to pivot?

Stabilizing: Building Consistency and Efficiency

Once a hospitality business is operational, stabilizing it requires balancing guest satisfaction with operational excellence.

Critical thinking becomes the tool to identify inefficiencies, and adapt to challenges.

Evaluation Skills: Assessing Operations

Stabilizing a restaurant or hotel often involves analyzing the flow of operations.

Are staff members supported by efficient systems? Is inventory managed effectively?

Evaluating these aspects (and others) ensures that the business runs smoothly, even during peak times.

Self-Regulation Skills: Overcoming Bias

Operators in this industry often struggle to let go of ideas that don’t work. Have you ever sat inside a bar or restaurant that used to be busy all of the time, but now you’re one of only a few guests?

They didn’t let go of the past.

Self-regulation allows leaders to examine their biases, question their own decisions, and pivot when necessary.

For example, if a signature dish that uses a family recipe isn’t selling, it’s time to evaluate why, and consider alternatives rather than holding onto it for sentimental reasons.

Key Questions

What operational processes are causing delays or errors?
Am I listening to both staff and guest feedback objectively?
How can we improve efficiency without compromising quality?

Scaling: Preparing for Sustainable Growth

Scaling a hospitality business requires both vision and precision. It’s about replicating success without diluting the brand, and critical thinking provides the roadmap.

Inference Skills: Predicting Outcomes

Scaling involves making assumptions about new markets, guest preferences, and operational challenges.

By questioning the evidence and forming well-founded hypotheses, operators can make informed decisions about where and how to grow.

Explanation Skills: Communicating Vision

Whether it’s presenting a pitch to investors or aligning staff with a new strategy, scaling requires clear communication.

Critical thinking ensures that every argument is backed by data and articulated with precision, thereby building trust and alignment among all stakeholders.

Key Questions

What do industry and market trends tell us about future opportunities?
How do we maintain brand consistency across multiple locations?
What risks should we prepare for between now and full expansion?

Critical Thinking at KRG Hospitality

At KRG Hospitality, we integrate critical thinking into every aspect of our work.

Here’s how:

Open-Minded Collaboration: We listen actively to our clients, and challenge conventional thinking to uncover innovative solutions or blue ocean opportunities.
Data Driven Decisions: By interpreting each client’s unique needs, we craft strategies that align with their vision while ensuring practicality and scalability. From feasibility studies to business plans, we rely on evidence to guide strategy, not assumptions.

We also encourage our clients to adopt a critical-thinking mindset as they navigate all of the phases of business development.

Below, a few habits we help clients develop.

Vet Information

Question the credibility of data sources.
Ask what evidence supports a specific claim, and whose perspective is missing.

Ask Questions

Channel curiosity by exploring deeper inquiries, such as why, how, and what happens if we encounter various situations.
Use follow-up questions to uncover insights and challenge assumptions.

Listen Actively

Understand before responding. Critical thinking requires deep listening to build well-rounded solutions. (Want to learn more about the act of listening? Check out this podcast episode on listening by Jennifer Radkey on her Turn This Way podcast.)

Engage with diverse perspectives to avoid groupthink that might set you back.

Seek Diversity

Surround yourself with diverse voices and viewpoints to gain fresh insights, and avoid echo chambers.

Action Items to Strengthen Your Critical Thinking

How can you practice critical thinking this week?

Consider taking on the two challenges below.

Map the Guest Journey: Outline each touchpoint on your guest’s experience, from discovering your brand, booking or ordering, their arrival to your venue, their exit, and your follow-up with them. Identify potential gaps, and brainstorm ways to elevate guest satisfaction for each touchpoint.
Challenge Your Own Assumptions: Pick one operational or strategic belief you hold about your business. If you’re just developing your concept, maybe you believe your idea is perfect for the market. If you’re operational already, perhaps you assume that your team loves working for you, or that you the systems in place to expand. Analyze the validity of your assumptions, seek alternative perspectives, and test whether they truly hold up under scrutiny.

The Hospitality Mindset: Why It Matters

Critical thinking isn’t just a business tool, it’s a way of life that empowers you to:

make informed decisions that align with your goals;
navigate challenges with confidence and clarity;
lead teams effectively by fostering open communication and collaboration; and
position your bar, restaurant, or hotel for long-term success.

In an industry where every detail matters, adopting a critical-thinking mindset ensures you can respond to challenges proactively, adapt to change, and create experiences that guests remember for a lifetime, thereby creating a true legacy.

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January 2, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2025

5 Books to Read this Month: January 2025

by David Klemt

Our January book selections focus on changing the way we approach hospitality, mastering the fundamentals, America cuisine, bourbon, and more.

To review the book recommendations from December 2024, click here.

Let’s jump in!

Hacking the New Normal

Doug Radkey‘s followup book to Bar Hacks! The world around us has changed. The food and beverage industry has changed. The hospitality industry has changed. But will some ways of life change for the better? Will perhaps the restaurant, bar, and hospitality industry come out even stronger? With the right changes to the previous status quo, it is possible. There’s no question, resets are major undertakings, but a major reset will provide us with a clean start and that’s what this industry needs.

From Amazon: “Whether or not you’re a hotelier, restaurateur, bar owner or a front-line staff member—this book will position you for success in the new normal. With a spotlight on hybrid business models, real estate, profit margins, technology, guest experiences, culture, diversity, and mindset, Hacking the New Normal is the guidance you need.

Grab your copy here.

Bar Hacks: Developing The Fundamentals for an Epic Bar

It’s the last book roundup of the year and yes, I’m taking the opportunity to recommend KRG president and principal consultant Doug Radkey’s first book. In his this book he explains the importance of nailing the fundamentals in order to:

start your operator journey in the best possible position;
stabilize your business; and
scale when the time comes, if that’s what you want.

Click here to get your copy today!

Let There Be Havens: An Invitation to Gentle Hospitality

We find inspiration everywhere at KRG Hospitality. As important to us is sharing that inspiration to help our clients, partners, and readers hone their vision for hospitality concepts. This book, Let There Be Havens, is a look at “gentle hospitality,” an approach to providing impactful hospitality to those who visit your home. Operators and front- and back-of-house teams welcome guests to their “other” home every shift, and this book can improve every professional’s approach to service and hospitality.

From Amazon: “When one person reaches for another, makes an offering, and believes we all hold such worth. No matter what we have in our pockets or where we’ve been up until now, we take care of each other―whether we’re strangers on a sidewalk or families around a table. Each day, we create trails of beauty and connection. One open door opens the next. And then it happens: our streets fill with lamplight, our lives lift with spirit, and our homes become circles of gold.”

Click here to order the hardcover.

Bourbon Land: A Spirited Love Letter to My Old Kentucky Whiskey

Chef Edward Lee’s favorite spirit is bourbon. While this book, Best New Cookbook of Spring 2024 by Eater, Epicurious, and Food & Wine, dives into bourbon’s history, how to taste it, and famous distilleries, there’s another key element that should motivate you to buy it. Namely, how to cook with bourbon, and 50 accompanying recipes.

From Amazon: “Knowledgeable, entertaining, and more than a little infatuated with his subject, award-winning food writer and chef Edward Lee gives us his insight into bourbon, telling us everything we should know about the mellow honey-brown treasure that’s put Kentucky on the global map: How bourbon is made. Its history. How to read a label. A look inside the famous distilleries. The influence of oak. Tours of Kentucky’s bourbon regions. How to taste bourbon like a professional.”

Get it here.

Buttermilk Graffiti

Oh, Chef Lee is also an award-winning writer. In 2019, his book Buttermilk Graffiti won the James Beard Award for Best Book of the Year in Writing. It was also nominated for other awards. Chef Lee traveled the US, learned the personal and food stories of the people he encountered, and shared more than a dozen of those stories in this book, which also includes 40 recipes.

From Amazon: “American food is the story of mash-ups. Immigrants arrive, cultures collide, and out of the push-pull come exciting new dishes and flavors. But for Edward Lee, who, like Anthony Bourdain or Gabrielle Hamilton, is as much a writer as he is a chef, that first surprising bite is just the beginning. What about the people behind the food? What about the traditions, the innovations, the memories?”

Follow this link to buy your copy.

Image: Mikołaj on Unsplash

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January 1, 2025by David Klemt David Klemt No Comments

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2025

Program for Unique Holidays: January 2025

by David Klemt

AI-generated image.

Do you want to stand out from from other restaurants and bars in your area? Change how you think about your January 2025 holiday programming.

Several holidays are set against every date on the calendar, and this month is no exception. These holidays range from mainstream to esoteric.

To provide a handful of examples, January boasts celebrations of birds, tempura, a French comfort dish, and gift cards. Those are all things you can get creative and program around, and celebrate with your guests.

It’s also Dry January, which is embraced by a vast array of people: non-drinkers, the “sober curious,” the newish “zebra stripe” consumers, the health conscious… Whatever their motivation, these guests still need an amazing experience at your bar or restaurant. And you may recall that Whistlepig launched Dank January last year, releasing the limited-edition Dank & Dry Old Fashioned Cocktail. This was a non-alcoholic bottled cocktail made with rye “non-whiskey,” and enhanced with non-psychoactive terpenes. If you visit their site, they may have something planned for 2025.

For our December 2024 holidays list, click here.

January 5: National Bird Day

The Jungle Bird. Grey Goose. Famous Grouse. Redbreast. Eagle Rare. Wild Turkey. Kentucky Owl. Chicken wings. Duck fat. Use this holiday, which falls on a Sunday this year, to feature your bird-themed drinks and foods.

January 7: National Tempura Day

When it comes to comfort foods, battering and frying are winning partnership. If you can batter and fry it, put it on your menu, and promote it.

January 9: National Cassoulet Day

Did you know that less than one percent of restaurants have cassoulet, a warm and comforting French dish, on their menus in the US? Seems like an opportunity for a savvy operator and kitchen team to fill a gap.

January 11: National Milk Day

This is the day to promote your bar team and their skill crafting milk cocktails. The Coquito, Bourbon Milk Punch, the Grasshopper, the Mudslide… National Milk Day is easy and fun to celebrate.

January 12: National Mocktail Week Begins

If it hasn’t yet achieved ubiquity, Dry January has certainly reached proliferation. This week, National Mocktail Week (which runs through January 18), is the time to show that you’ve crafted a carefully considered zero-proof drink menu. Remember, some sober guests find the term “mocktail” disrespectful, so consider using a different term.

January 17: National Bootlegger’s Day

This is the holiday to celebrate brands or cocktails that have survived prohibition, were created during prohibition, or produce or feature moonshine.

January 20: National Use Your Gift Card Day

Are gift cards an element of your marketing and branding strategy? Do you see them as a viable revenue channel? If so, this is the day to encourage people to come in and redeem them. Send a targeted email campaign, and include a link to your restaurant’s reservation system.

January 21: Squirrel Appreciation Day

Did you know that it’s believed squirrels plant three billion oak trees every year? Well, you do now.

I’m sure you’ve gotten ahead of me already regarding what I’m going to recommend you do to celebrate this holiday: put the classic Pink Squirrel on your menu. And why not? This iconic cocktail has been around since the 1940s, and may inspire an upcoming Drink Donnybrook.

January 24: National Beer Can Appreciation Day

Creative beer can design goes hand in hand with craft beer brewing. In fact, the approval of can designs in the US is quite an important process.

A lot of thought goes into beer can design and particularly eye-catching labels deserve more than a passing glance. Feature the most creative and attention-grabbing beers on your menu on National Beer Can Appreciation Day. You should definitely feature them on your social media channels.

January 30: National Croissant Day

The humble but delicious, flaky croissant is a tasty canvas. Sure, you can just offer croissants, but what about going harder and offering an array of croissant sandwiches or desserts? Bacon, egg, and cheese. Plant-based sausage, plant-based egg, and plant-based cheese. Nutella…croissants are light, flaky, butter, and fun.

Image: Microsoft Designer

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