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, opening too many locations too fast, and the lessons behind the stores that succeeded and the one that had to close. He shares his expectations and philosophy behind hiring the right people and how if you want an A grade process then you need A grade operators. This episode is a playbook for anyone building a business from the ground up—without losing their soul in the process.

🔗 Brooks Bassler’s Links:

Website: https://bbstexorleans.com
Instagram: BB's Tex-Orleans (@bbstexorleans) • Instagram photos and videos
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/brooks-bassler-37a49410/

💡 What You’ll Learn
- The key mindset shift that helped Brooks scale beyond one location
- Remember to listen to what the customers want
- Why keeping the books tight in the early days mattered
- Dangers of growing too quickly (5 locations in 15 months)
- Impact of top level operators if you want top level results
- Why your staff needs an “Ownership Mentality”
- The role of personal accountability in business success

💬 Key Quotes
“I didn’t know how to do it, but I knew I’d figure it out.”
“We’re the best late-night dining restaurant in the city. I don’t care what anybody says.”
“If your GM’s a B player, you got a B training program.”
“You can have all the systems and procedures and blah blah blah—but if your GM is not a player, your training is going to suck.”
“Ownership mentality is one of our core values.”

YouTube Chapters
00:00 – Intro & Meet Brooks Bassler
01:20 – Humble Beginnings to First Location
05:04 – Give the Customer What They Want (Crawfish Story)
06:57 – Menu And A+ Locations
09:43 – Breaking Past The Bottle Neck
13:16 – Ownership Mentality and Hiring High Skilled Operators
20:31 – The Right Structure Requires the Right GM
26:16 – ROI on the Right Operator
29:39 – What Prevents Raising Prices on Operators and Overhead
33:10 – Hidden Costs of Restaurant Management
35:10 – Developing A Sales Forecast

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

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 catering sales to automating digital hospitality through smart tech, Shawn outlines a playbook any operator can follow.

This episode is a must-listen for any owner or GM wondering how to stand out in an AI-driven, content-hungry world—and how to build a brand that lasts longer than the next trend.

Shawn Walchef’s Links:
Website: https://calibbq.media
Instagram: @shawnpwalchef
Podcast: Cali BBQ Media

What You’ll Learn

• Why every restaurant is already a media company—whether they admit it or not
• How Cali BBQ built a global brand with one location and a smartphone
• The “3 Ts” that every operator must master: Time, Temperature, and Tech
• Why storytelling beats advertising for long-term success
• How podcasting and video built a stronger catering business
• The mindset shift required to invest in content even when it feels like a luxury
• What hospitality looks like in a digital-first world

00:00 – Meet Shawn
01:38 – Time of Technology and Story Telling
05:30 – Shawn's Podcast, Cali BBQ Media
06:27 -- Getting Started
08:22 -- Digital Hospitality
12:20 – How Companies Tell Their Stories
18:42 – Who is Going to Listen to Me?
26:31 – Treating Vendors like Partners
27:51 -- True Partnership Matters
28:38 – What Transparency Can Do For Your Professional Relationships
31:09 – Connect with Shawn

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

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 is a raw and honest look at the real challenges of the restaurant industry. Fred shares the invaluable lessons he learned from his parents, his strategic philosophy on brand building, and the frameworks he uses for making high-stakes decisions. Learn why passion beats forcing a concept into a pre-existing lease, how to measure what truly matters, and how to persevere when failure seems imminent.

Fred Castellucci’s Links:

• Website: https://chgrestaurants.com
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/fred-castellucci-2431a39
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chgrestaurants/

Visit Castellucci Hospitality Group Restaurants:

• The Iberian Pig (Modern Spanish Tapas)
• Cooks & Soldiers (Basque Wood-Fired Grilling)
• Mujo (Michelin-Starred Omakase)
• Double Zero (Upscale Neapolitan Pizza & Pasta)
• Sugo (Family-Style Italian)

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

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, pivot, and scale intelligently. Annalee shares candid insights on:

• Overcoming the high overhead of a brick-and-mortar store by expanding into food trucks and pop-ups.
• The critical cash flow lessons she learned from opening two locations at once.
• Hiring key team members to transition from a hands-on operator to a strategic CEO.

Her plan to become the "new Auntie Anne's" by franchising fry kiosks in malls nationwide.

Annalee Schlossberg’s Links:

• Website: https://bel-fries.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bel_fries/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/annalee-schlossberg-0562051a9

Visit Bel Fries:

• Locations: Bel Fries operates a brick-and-mortar store in the Lower East Side, along with various pop-ups, food trucks, and kiosks in locations like the Turnstyle Underground Market, Bryant Park, and the High Line.

What You’ll Learn

• How to adapt a simple European food concept for the American palate by expanding sauce options and adding meal components.
• Why pivoting to lower-overhead models like food trucks and pop-ups can be a solution to the high costs of a brick-and-mortar location.
• How to leverage a flagship store with a full kitchen as a central commissary to support multiple smaller locations.
• The critical lesson of managing cash flow and the danger of scaling too quickly without the revenue to support it.
• The importance of building a support system, such as hiring a Director of Operations, to shift your focus from daily management to strategic growth.
• How to create a "barrier to entry" for copycats by being the first to market and telling your brand's story widely and clearly.
• Actionable advice on finding mentors by talking to everyone and anyone until you find someone who connects with your vision.

00:00 – Meet Annalee Schlossberg, Founder of Bel Fries

01:34 – The Concept: Bringing European Fry Shops to America

02:30 – What Makes Fries "Belgian" Not "French"

05:18 – From One Store to Six Locations in Fi

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

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 scalable business systems, what makes their & "Ohana" culture so powerful, and how they maintain quality and connection while expanding into markets like Utah and Arizona. If you'r looking for proof that authentic purpose and smart hustle can grow a business, this episode delivers.

Seven Brothers's Links:

• Website: https://www.sevenbrothersburgers.com
• Instagram: @sevenbrothersburgers

What You’ll Learn
 How Seven Brothers grew from a single surf-town burger shop, bought on a whim by their father, to a national brand.
 The role of faith and family values in building a resilient team culture.
 The "Five Points of Contact" they use to create an unforgettable, high-touch guest experience in a fast-casual setting.
 How they turn a cashier into the most coveted, customer-facing role in the
restaurant.
 Their unique hiring and training approach that starts with prayer and
unapologetically shares their core principles upfront.
 How former college-student employees have become their most successful
franchisees.
 How they evaluate new markets and build community support from the ground up.

• 00:00 – Meet Seth & Shem: The Seven Brothers Origin Story
• 05:45 – "It Has to All Be About the Food": The Uncompromising Vision of Their Father
• 10:24 – The Foundation: How Faith and Service Create a 4.9-Star Experience
• 14:10 – "More Than a Meal": Building a Culture of Ohana (Family)
• 18:15 – The 5 Points of Contact & Training Employees to be "Disney Princesses"
• 21:50 – The Hiring Process: Finding People Who Align with the Mission
• 28:45 – The Path to Ownership: How Employees Become Franchisees
• 39:00 – Why Human Connection Wins in a World of Kiosks and AI
• 47:30 – How to Deliver Hospitality Through a Drive-Thru or Delivery Bag
• 52:25 – The Next Level of Service: Using a Guest's Name to Change the Game
• 1:03:30 – Bottlenecks & Growth: A Q&A on Marketing and Operations

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

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" principles to open his first location for just $61,000 in a second-generation space. He unpacks the single most pivotal moment that changed his business forever: hiring a publicist, which led to a TV spot that created lines around the block overnight. This episode is a masterclass in hustle, strategic thinking, and building resilient systems for sustainable growth.

Joe Fontana’s Links:
 Website: https://www.frythecoop.com/
 Instagram: @frythecoop
 LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/josephfontana/
 Email: joe@frythecoop.com

Visit Fry the Coop in the Chicago Area: Listeners in the Chicagoland area can visit one of their 10 locations, including:
 Oak Lawn (The Original): 5128 W 95th St, Oak Lawn, IL 60453
 Elmhurst: 623 W North Ave, Elmhurst, IL 60126
 Chicago (West Town): 1529 W Chicago Ave, Chicago, IL 60642
 Prospect Heights: 123 E Rand Rd, Prospect Heights, IL 60070
 And more locations in Tinley Park, Orland Park, and beyond!

What You’ll Learn
 The "Lean Startup" Method: How Joe opened his first restaurant for just $61,000.
 The Power of PR: Why hiring a publicist was a game-changer that put his restaurant on the map.
 Actionable Book Insights: Key takeaways from The E-Myth, Profit First, and Finish Big that shaped Joe’s strategy.
 Working ON vs. IN Your Business: The two-year struggle to delegate and why Joe
had to mentally "tie his hands behind his back."
 The "Trust and Track"; Method: How to ensure brand and product consistency across multiple locations.
 Financial Strategy: How setting up multiple bank accounts saved the business early on, and why that system had to change at scale.
 Menu Engineering & Pricing: A candid discussion on navigating rising costs when customers are price-sensitive.

 00:00 – Meet Joe Fontana, Founder of Fry the Coop
 01:02 – From Corporate Burnout to Restaurant Entrepreneur
 05:17 – The "Lean Startup" Playbook: Opening a Restaurant for $61k
 09:29 – The Marketing Gamble That Paid Off: Hiring a Publicist
 13:10 – The 3 Books Every Restaurateur Must Read (E-Myth, Profit First, Finish Big)
 15:06 – The Painful Process of Working ON vs. IN Your Business
 22:59 – The Secret to Scaling: Why "Operations Create Sales"
 35:28 – How to Ensure Brand Consistency Across 10+ Locations
 43:02 – The #1 Challenge Today: Rising Costs vs. Customer Prices
 46:52 – Naki's Pro Tips: GPOs and Findin

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

Send us a text

In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Jessie and Ed Kileen, the husband-and-wife duo behind Grassburger, a growing fast casual brand that fuses sustainability, values-driven leadership, and operational discipline. The Kileen’s share their journey building a burger concept with a conscience.

They source 100% grass-fed, U.S.-raised beef from regenerative, humane ranches—never grain-fed, no antibiotics or synthetic hormones. Their philosophy: “grass-fed cattle live a happy and active life on pasture (as nature intended)”—and the ranch practices are kinder to animals and better for the planet.

They’ve earned acclaim as serving award-winning burgers and fries. The concept began with Jessie and Ed’s desire to feed their family allergy-friendly, nutritious food—an ethic eflected in their family- and allergy-friendly menu
They unpack the challenges of staying true to their mission while scaling a business in a competitive space. We cover everything from team culture, cost controls, and sourcing integrity, to why owning your brand narrative matters more than ever in today’s market.

Jessie & Ed’s Links:
Website: https://www.eatgrassburger.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grassburger
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grassburger

What You’ll Learn
• How to build a mission-driven brand in fast casual
• Why sourcing integrity can be a competitive advantage
• How to manage costs without compromising values
• How to build company culture in a multi-unit setting
• The realities of expanding in small markets
• Why it’s hard—but necessary—to lead with authenticity
• How the Kileens used purpose to weather tough seasons

• 00:00 – Intro & Meet the Kileens
• 03:30 – Grassburger’s Origin Story
• 07:00 – Building a Values-Driven Fast Casual Brand
• 11:00 – The Role of Supply Chain & Sourcing
• 15:30 – Leading a Team with Purpose
• 19:00 – Managing Growth Without Compromising Integrity
• 23:30 – Culture, Turnover, and Hiring with Heart
• 27:00 – Operational Discipline with Soul
• 31:00 – Scaling Infrastructure & Expansion Hurdles
• 35:00 – What’s Next for Grassburger
• 39:00 – Final Advice for Operators

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/

Send us a text

In this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki Soyturk sits down with Ric Gruber Jr., the attorney-turned-entrepreneur who brought Neapolitan-style pizza to Chicagoland 20 years ago—and never looked back. Ric shares how he and his family bootstrapped Billy one unique wood-fired oven into a powerful regional brand with seven stores, seven food trucks, and a growing catering operation. Along the way, they added Moo Joe’s, a mobile ice cream parlor that’s redefining dessert experiences.

Ric dives deep into the early challenges of introducing a new pizza style to a deep-dish city, and how commitment to quality and storytelling helped Billy Bricks stand out. He also explains why his team invests in artisan-level training, technology like MarginEdge, and organic SEO over paid marketing. The episode is a masterclass in balancing growth with authenticity.

It’s also a story about building IP, intellectual property and trademarks for the brands that he builds.

This conversation covers everything from branding and operations to failure, resilience, and what it really takes to run a profitable, scalable, and soulful business. Whether you’re running one restaurant or looking to grow your concept into a fleet, Ric’s wisdom will give you tools, tactics, and serious inspiration.

Awards, Accolades & Recognition
 Named among PMQ’s “20 Pizza Brands to Watch” (2025)
 “Loved on Yelp” Award in 2015 for Oak Park catering
 Celebrated 20-year anniversary in 2025—one of the earliest adopters of wood-
fired brick ovens in Chicagoland (only ~5 in 2005)
 Featured widely in local media for elevating Chicago pizza culture

Billy Bricks stands out in the fastcasual space by combining:
 Authentic wood-fired craft with premium ingredients
 A premier casual experience in neighborhood pizzerias
 Mobile-first innovation via pizza and ice-cream trucks
 Strategic brand extension through Moose Joe’s
 Techenabled operations and careful scaling Locations & Footprint
 7 brickandmortar pizzerias in Chicagoland: including Lombard, Wheaton,
Naperville, St. Charles, Downers Grove, Oak Park, and LaGrange
 7 woodfired pizza food trucks servicing events across the suburbs
 Catered events & weddings nationwide via roaming trucks

Guest Links
• Website: https://www.billybrickwoodfiredpizza.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/billybrickspizza/

Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.

Have a question or need a professional opinion? Reach out!

Web: https://consultingaccross.com

Get a Free Profitability Audit

Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/