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The Restaurant Success Podcast

The Restaurant Success Podcast

Matthew Mabel 67 Episodes Apr 20, 2026

The Restaurant Success Podcast is a weekly show for restaurant owners, packed with advice on running and improving their businesses. Host Matthew Mabel focuses on maximizing relationships and profits while encouraging restaurateurs to treat themselves as well as they treat their guests. Based in Dallas, Mabel is devoted to helping successful independent multi-unit restaurant owners find joy and success in their work.

Episodes

Three Ways Fantastic Bosses Make Restaurant GMs Great
Three Ways Fantastic Bosses Make Restaurant GMs Great Apr 20, 2026 498 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel tackles one of the most overlooked opportunities in multi-unit restaurant business growth: developing the bosses of your general managers. While most restaurant entrepreneurship focuses on training GMs, the real breakthroughs in guest count, profit, and culture happen when owners invest in their operations directors, area managers, a
The Key to Fantastic Growth?  Knowing What You Don't Know
The Key to Fantastic Growth? Knowing What You Don't Know Mar 30, 2026 389 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel explores why even the most successful multi-unit restaurant entrepreneurs can hit a growth ceiling — and how to break through it. Matthew reveals that the key to fantastic business growth lies in identifying and addressing what you don't know. Drawing on decades of experience advising independent restaurant companies generating
How to Actually Increase Guest Count and Lead the Industry
How to Actually Increase Guest Count and Lead the Industry Mar 23, 2026 426 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, restaurant business consultant and advisor Matthew Mabel breaks down exactly what it takes to grow guest count and lead the restaurant industry. Drawing on real-world observations from top-performing restaurant groups, Matthew reveals the specific behaviors that are quietly holding restaurants back from reaching their full revenue and profit poten
Six Beautiful Improvements Can Happen When You Take a Break
Six Beautiful Improvements Can Happen When You Take a Break Mar 16, 2026 371 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant business advisor Matthew Mabel makes the case for why every restaurant entrepreneur needs to step away from their operation. Rather than focusing on revenue growth or management strategy, Matthew shares six powerful improvements that happen when independent restaurant owners take a real vacation. From stress-testing your busines
Remembering Ed Murph, America’s Only Cafetuer
Remembering Ed Murph, America’s Only Cafetuer Mar 9, 2026 402 In this special episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant consultant Matthew Mabel pays tribute to Ed Murph, the owner and driving force behind Norma's Café in Dallas. Rather than the usual business strategies, Matthew reflects on thirty years of friendship and collaboration with a man whose restaurant career spanned from the legendary Beggar and Bell Ringer clubs in the s
Why Avoiding Risk Isn’t Actually a Great Strategy
Why Avoiding Risk Isn’t Actually a Great Strategy Mar 2, 2026 356 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel tackles a critical question facing many restaurant entrepreneurs today: is playing it safe actually the riskiest business strategy of all? For multi-unit independent restaurant owners navigating a flat market, the comfort of stability can mask the slow deterioration of brand strength, business performance, and net worth. Matthew prov
Increase Guest Count Now by Doing These Five Things
Increase Guest Count Now by Doing These Five Things Feb 23, 2026 386 In today's challenging restaurant industry, many operators are watching revenue hold steady while their guest count quietly erodes. In this episode, restaurant business advisor Matthew Mabel breaks down why guest count is the most critical metric for independent restaurant entrepreneurs—and why menu price increases have been masking a deeper problem. Drawing from his recent presentation at th
How To Wake Up Your Brand and Increase Guest Count
How To Wake Up Your Brand and Increase Guest Count Feb 16, 2026 393 Is your restaurant brand showing signs of fatigue? In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, veteran restaurant advisor Matthew Mabel tackles what he calls "Sleepy Restaurant Syndrome" — the slow decline that happens when independent restaurant groups defer updates to their branding, marketing, menu design, culture, and physical spaces. Matthew walks through the warning signs th
The Best Ways Restaurants Activate and Retain Excellent Management
The Best Ways Restaurants Activate and Retain Excellent Management Feb 9, 2026 393 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel tackles one of the most pressing challenges in the restaurant industry today: how to activate and retain excellent management talent. With restaurant owners and entrepreneurs across the business struggling to find and keep great managers, Matthew breaks down what managers truly want from their organizations, including professional de
Why You Miss the Biggest Hidden Opportunities in Your Restaurants
Why You Miss the Biggest Hidden Opportunities in Your Restaurants Feb 2, 2026 403 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel reveals why successful restaurant entrepreneurs often overlook their greatest business opportunities. Drawing from his extensive consulting experience with multi-unit restaurant owners, Matthew explains how focusing solely on problems can blind operators to the untapped potential hiding in the parts of their business that already see
Only 3 Worthwhile Places to Look When Developing a Healthy Restaurant Business
Only 3 Worthwhile Places to Look When Developing a Healthy Restaurant Business Jan 26, 2026 361 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel cuts through the noise of restaurant entrepreneurship to reveal the three essential areas every restaurant business owner must examine when developing a healthy, profitable operation. Whether you're running a single location or scaling a multi-unit restaurant group, Matthew shares the critical questions that should occupy your a
Improve Your Restaurants Big Time by Taking a Buyer's Perspective
Improve Your Restaurants Big Time by Taking a Buyer's Perspective Jan 20, 2026 351 In this episode of the Restaurant Success Podcast, Matthew Mabel shares one of the most powerful mindset shifts a restaurant owner can make: viewing your business as if you just bought it. This entrepreneurial approach helps restaurant operators identify hidden opportunities for profit growth, improved guest experience, and operational efficiency. Matthew explains the difference between "stor

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