About The Bottom Line- Real Stories Behind Restaurants
The Bottom Line: The Real Stories Behind Restaurants is a straight-to-the-point, 50 minute podcast where restaurant operators and industry leaders share their biggest wins and toughest challenges. Each episode dives into real, unfiltered stories about what it takes to run a successful restaurant, from scaling operations to overcoming financial struggles. Whether it’s a breakthrough strategy or a hard-earned lesson, this podcast gives listeners actionable insights they can apply to their own businesses. It’s about the reality of the restaurant industry—not just the highlights, but the hard work behind the success.
From Tulsa Pizza to National Recognition: Lessons from Mike Bausch
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki Soyturk sits down with restaurateur, consultant, and author Mike Bausch. Known for founding Andolini’s Pizzeria, Mike shares the story of inventing“Tulsa style pizza” and growing his concepts into multiple thriving operations across Oklahoma. Mike opens up about the hard-earned lessons of scaling a restaurant business and discusses the disconnect between what employees need and what managers expect. He also unpacks today’s biggest ...
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Kevin Moll, founder of Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc. Kevin brings over four decades of experience to the table, offering deep insights into the challenges, myths, and realities of running an independent restaurant. From outlining the "Rule of Thirds" — a sobering look at restaurant survival rates — to his candid breakdown of why most restaurants fail, Kevin delivers invaluable knowledge every aspiring restau...
16 Aug 2025
Scaling a Family-Owned Restaurant Brand with Arita Matini
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line Podcast, host Naki Soyturk sits down with Arita Matini, co-founder of Sweet Leaf Café — a family-owned fast-casual brand with six thriving locations in the Washington, D.C. metro area. Arita shares her entrepreneurial journey from studying interior design to opening her first restaurant in McLean, Virginia during the 2009 recession. She reveals how her vision for affordable, healthy, everyday food resonated with her community and how Sweet Lea...
8 Aug 2025
How Brooks Bassler created Tex-Orleans Cuisine and grew BB’s Tex-Orleans to 13 locations
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki sits down with Brooks Bassler, founder of BB’s Tex-Orleans, to unpack the origin story and explosive growth of one of Houston’s most beloved restaurant brands. Brooks shares how his Southern roots and experiences in the restaurant industry inspired him to launch the first location with no menu, just a drive to build something unique for late-night Cajun-style dining with a Texas twist. Brooks shares the early days of risking it all, ope...
30 Jul 2025
Storytelling Is the Secret Sauce to Restaurant Growth with Shawn Walchef
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Shawn Walchef, founder of Cali BBQ and Cali BBQ Media. What started as a single-location barbecue restaurant in San Diego has evolved into a national brand and thought leader in hospitality tech and digital storytelling. Shawn shares the philosophy behind turning every restaurant into a media company, breaking down how consistent storytelling builds brand equity and customer trust. From using content to drive cater...
21 Jul 2025
From a $10k Loan to a Michelin Star: The Unstoppable Grit of Fred Castellucci
Send us a text Fred Castellucci, founder of Castellucci Hospitality Group, didn't just build a restaurant business; he built an empire on grit. He started by reviving a failed family restaurant with a $10,000 handshake loan and went on to launch his flagship, The Iberian Pig, with a negative bank account, a stolen budget, and a chaotic opening night where 200 unexpected guests showed up. Years later, he would open the now Michelin-starred Mujo in the middle of a global pandemic. This episode ...
17 Jul 2025
From a Single Shop to Six Locations: The Bel Fries Strategy for Scaling Simplicity
Send us a text How does a recent college grad turn a simple European street food into a thriving six-location brand in the heart of New York City? Annalee Schlossberg, founder of Bel Fries, reveals the strategy behind her fast-growing french fry empire. Inspired by the "frit shops" of Belgium, Annalee didn't just copy a concept—she perfected it for the American market with 16 artisanal sauces and a clever business model. This episode is a masterclass for any entrepreneur on how to adapt...
16 Jul 2025
The Seven Brothers Story: How Faith and Family Built a Burger Empire
Send us a text In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk speaks with Seth and Shem Hannemann of Seven Brothers Burgers—a family-run restaurant born in Laie, Hawaii, that’s now spreading the spirit of aloha across the mainland U.S. The brothers share how their father’s uncompromising vision for quality and their family's deep-rooted faith turned a tiny, "hole-in-the-wall" spot into a beloved, fast-growing brand. We dive into how Seven Brothers balances sacred family values with sc...
15 Jul 2025
How Joe Fontana Built a Fried Chicken Empire by Starting Lean
Send us a text Episode Summary In this episode of The Bottom Line, your host Naki Soyturk sits down with Joe Fontana, the founder of the wildly successful Chicago-based restaurant group, Fry the Coop. Joe shares the unfiltered story of his journey, starting with the financial pressure that pushed him to leave his corporate job and chase a dream in the restaurant industry. With no money of his own, Joe details how he devoured over 50 business books, pitched investors, and used "lean startup"...
3 Jul 2025
Mission-Driven Burgers: How Grassburger Is Changing Fast Casual
Jessie Kileen and Ed Kileen describe how Grassburger integrates sustainability and values-driven leadership into their fast-casual restaurant, focusing on sourcing 100% grass-fed beef; Naki Soyturk interviews the pair about their mission-driven business.
1 Jul 2025
From One Oven to a Movement: The Billy Bricks Story
Host Naki Soyturk interviews Ric Gruber Jr., who recounts building Billy Bricks pizza from a single oven into a regional brand, highlighting the power of family and perseverance.
27 Jun 2025
No More Guesswork: Inventory, Cost Management and Consistency, and Real Results with MarginEdge
Matt Molaski and Rich Dunham from MarginEdge discuss inventory myths and how their software transforms restaurant back-office operations into profit for host Naki Soyturk in this interview episode.
27 Jun 2025
Scaling Restaurants & Systems: Real-World Lessons with Greg Provance
Greg Provance, founder of GP Hospitality Partner, discusses the challenges of scaling restaurant businesses and mastering fundamental systems with Naki Soyturk in an interview.
19 May 2025
25 Years, 8 Stores: Pete Boniface’s Restaurant Systems Playbook
In this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki Soyturk sits down with Pete Boniface, co-founder of Yampa Sandwich Company, to dissect what it takes to build and sustain a thriving restaurant business for 25 years. Pete shares the philosophy behind Yampa’s longevity, including how consistency, trust, and people-first leadership fuel everything from team development to customer loyalty. They dive deep into the practical operations of scaling a restaurant—from digital recipe systems and co-packi...
3 May 2025
Pizza Boss of Minnesota Antonio Gambino (Andrea’s & Tono’s) on Great Food, Culture & Partnership
In this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki sits down with Antonio Gambino, co-founder of Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, to unpack the real strategies behind one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing restaurant brands. Antonio shares his story, from growing up in a family of pizzeria owners to launching multiple concepts for new restaurants. He explains how he modernized the cheesesteak experience, stayed authentic to East Coast roots, and navigated early challenges—including launching Tono just be...
Who has been a guest on The Bottom Line- Real Stories Behind Restaurants
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Jessie Kileen
Ed Kileen
Ric Gruber Jr
Matt Molaski
Rich Dunham
Podcast Authority Score: 34 / 100
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