The Blog
Clarity in writing.
Field notes from twenty-plus years of coaching independent restaurant owners. What works. What doesn’t. What the noise is hiding.
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Why Your Restaurant Can’t Run Without You (And How to Fix It)
If you own a restaurant, you probably know this feeling. You don’t really get a day off. You get a day away, and there’s a big difference between the two. Even when you’re nowhere near the restaurant, your phone keeps ringing. As a restaurant coach, I hear this from owners all the time. Let’s talk…
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Your Food Cost Percentage Is Fine — So Why Are You Losing Money
You calculated your restaurant food cost percentage the right way. You’re taking inventory, you’re using the correct formula, and the number that comes back looks reasonable. So why does your P&L still feel like something is missing? Here’s something I share with restaurant owners all the time: Your food cost percentage can look perfectly acceptable…
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Your Restaurant Labor Percentage Is Lying to You
Your labor percentage came in at 20% last week, and everybody’s celebrating. But what if your managers had nothing to do with it? In Episode 161 of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast, I explain why labor percentage is a scoreboard, not a steering wheel, and why restaurant owners who manage by that single number end…
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How to Know If a Restaurant System Is Actually Working
You’ve got systems. You’ve got checklists, prep sheets, a manager log, and opening and closing procedures. You’ve put in the work. So why does it feel like nothing runs right when you’re not there?
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Why Your Restaurant Employees Keep Making the Same Mistakes
At some point, every restaurant owner asks the same question: Is this the employee, or is something else going on?
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I’d Rather Be Short-Staffed Than Have the Wrong Restaurant Employee
In episode 160 of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast, I explain why I’d rather be short-staffed than keep the wrong employee on my team.
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How to Price a Restaurant Menu Using Real 2026 Data
If you’re pricing your menu off what the place down the street charges, you’re not pricing. You’re copying somebody else’s homework and hoping they did the math right. Here is how to price your menu using real data from 2026.
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What Are Restaurant SOPs — and Why Writing Them Down Isn’t Enough
You were told to document everything in your restaurant. So you did it. Today I want to walk you through what restaurant SOPs really are, and why writing them down is only the first step.
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How Restaurant Owners Can Turn AI into a Marketing and Sales Team
This “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast episode teaches restaurant owners how to maximize AI for stronger brand identity and marketing.
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How to Train a Restaurant Employee So the Behavior Actually Sticks
Let’s talk about how to train a restaurant employee so the behavior actually sticks, because this is one of the biggest frustrations I hear from restaurant owners.
Reading is not the same as deciding.
If something in these posts named a decision you’ve been avoiding, book a Systems Check Call with Ryan James. 30 minutes. No sales pitch. He’ll tell you the truth either way.