The Restaurant Coach Podcast

Donald Burns•therestaurantcoachpodcast.blubrry.net

Get cutting edge tools, techniques, tips and straight talk from the world’s leading restaurant coach. Donald Burns is know for unique programs and methods that create dramatic results for his clients. When restaurant owners or chefs need change and success they call The Restaurant Coach. Are you ready to take your business and life to the next level?

Last refreshed: August 17th, 2025 at 1:42 PM ⓘ

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Episodes

Episode 174: From Cringe Posts to Killer Growth with Bruce Irving

Most restaurant owners think they’re doing “marketing.” But what they’re actually doing is noise. In this raw and real conversation with Bruce Irving—founder of Smart Pizza Marketing and one of the most respected voices in restaurant marketing—we pull back the curtain on what’s really holding restaurant owners back. We talk about the outdated tactics that make you look desperate, the cringe-worthy content that’s pushing guests away, and the simple moves that actually create momentum and drive gr...

Jul 10, 2025•54 min

Episode 173 – From Ruin to Renaissance with Lisa Gasparian

Lisa Gasparian’s Café Cremerie Comeback She got hit. HARD. 2020 didn’t just rattle Lisa Gasparian. It tried to wipe her off the map . When COVID strangled foot traffic in downtown Chicago, and looters ravaged her café during the riots, her small café was left gutted—physically and emotionally . Most would have folded. But Lisa? Lisa got F*CKING RELENTLESS. She joined the TRC Method when the world was burning—and we got to work rebuilding her mindset, her brand, and her future from the ground up....

Jun 25, 2025•52 min

Episode 172 – No Coach, No Chance

Welcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast , it is the cure for the common restaurant. In this powerful episode, I’m joined once again by TRC Method Lead Coach, Michael Kontras , for a no-BS conversation about the harsh truth most independent restaurant owners ignore: Running your restaurant without a coach is a guaranteed way to stay stuck. Michael opens up about his own journey—what it really looked like when he was drowning in the chaos of running his restaurant. Overworked. Underpaid. And dange...

Jun 20, 2025•56 min

Episode 171 – Leadership Drive Profits with Bo Bryant

Welcome to The Restaurant Coach Podcast . It is the cure for the common restaurant. I’m Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach®, author of the Your Restaurant Sucks trilogy and Ingredients:Creating TOTAL Restaurant Success in 90-Days , creator of the TRC Method, and founder of TRC Nation. In this high-impact episode, I sit down with Bo Bryant—known across the industry as The Restaurant Giant . Together, we unpack the undeniable truth: your restaurant’s profits are a direct reflection of your leaders...

Jun 09, 2025•1 hr 9 min

Episode 170 – The 5 F’s of Restaurant Success with Robert St. John

In this heartfelt and wisdom-packed episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast , I sit down with the legendary restaurateur, author, and Southern hospitality icon Robert St. John to uncover the secret sauce behind his enduring success—not just in business, but in life. Robert breaks down his personal philosophy he calls The 5 F’s : Faith, Family, Friends, Food, and Fun . This episode isn’t just about building great restaurants—it’s about building a great life through aligned values, intentional lea...

May 31, 2025•1 hr 6 min

Episode 169 – From Struggling to Savage with Michael Kontras

Most restaurant owners think they can figure it out on their own… until they hit a wall. HARD. Michael Kontras from Bailey’s Seafood was grinding day and night, drowning in the chaos, and stuck in the same endless cycle. Then he made a game-changing move—he got a coach. And everything shifted. In this episode, Michael gets real about what it took to break free from the struggle, the brutal truths he had to face, and how having a coach gave him the clarity, systems, and strategy to scale his rest...

Mar 18, 2025•1 hr 1 min

Episode 168 – From Special Ops To Restaurant Coach

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ From combat zones to restaurant battlefields. As a former Air Force Pararescueman, I will teach you how to improve your restaurant’s survival strategy. Warrior-level restaurant leadership strategies that cut through the chaos. No fluff, just hardcore tactics to stop spinning your wheels and start dominating your market. Military precision meets restaurant management. Learn how to lead your team, build unbreakable system...

Feb 05, 2025•8 min

Episode 167 – Stop Running From The Pressure

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com/ Think pressure is just pain? Let’s break that mindset. Pressure is a privilege – it’s the fire that forges greatness. Embrace the grind, push through the doubt, and let pressure transform you into an unstoppable force. In this episode, I will reveal how the top players in the game leveraged pressure to build legendary careers and legacies. It’s time to step up and embrace what separates the warriors from the weak. Are y...

Jan 22, 2025

Episode 166 – Broken Bonds Broken Life

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Is your restaurant running you instead of you running it? Your life is like a car with four crucial tires: body, being, balance, and business. When even one tire is underinflated, everything falls apart. I will break down why most restaurant owners are heading for a crash by neglecting these key areas. From physical health to spiritual well-being, relationships to financial growth. Get the hard-hitting truth about what i...

Jan 15, 2025•9 min

Episode 165 – Being Married to The Restaurant Is Killing You

Ready to 4X your restaurant’s revenue? ► https://www.therestaurantcoach.com Is your restaurant taking a toll on your family? Discover the true cost of being “married to your restaurant” – and how to finally create the balance and success you deserve. This powerful coaching session lays it all on the line, pulling no punches about the sacrifices restaurant owners often make at the expense of their families. If you want the full playbook on growing your restaurant to 4X revenue and finally spendin...

Jan 03, 2025•8 min

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