FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution

I've always viewed the restaurant industry as risky but Chef Sam Marvin sees no risk. He's able to pump out hit after hit without missing a beat. From Bottega Louie to Echo & Rig, the chef has proven that success in the hospitality industry is a formula and it's a formula we can learn. On today's show, we'll be discussing the formula he used to turn Bottega Louie into a 10 million dollar blockbuster.
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Click here to book time on my personal calendar.
Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide.
Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.
SHOW NOTES
Started a consulting job in LA
Met a family who dined at the consulting restaurant 89 times over 10 months
Father of the family was son of CEO of Hilton
Pitched him on the idea for Bottega Louie
Spent 2years working closely to create the restaurant
Restaurants have opened the same way fro 100years
Key pillars of focus
Shift from restaurant business to experience business
Goal to create egocentric gratification in guests
Investing in experience
Keeping average check mid-range
Goal to bring guests back 3 times per week
Industry goal is one guest to come back every 90 days
Focusing on the human psyche
Tapping into subconscious
130 metrics including the 5 key pillars
Example: $1300 leather-bound reservations book
Example: Intentional confusion whe a guest walks in because restaurant is open plan. Create opportunity for connection from hosts
Opportunities during tragedy
Bottega Louie opened during economic crash of 2009
Invested over $6million on the opening
Opportunities and tragedy move at equal pace
Inspiration from European restaurants
Laduree inspired macarons
Italian is the #1 food genre in the world
Why choose Downtown LA
Has a reputation of being homeless town
Research showed surrounding restaurants were doing well
Research on local population
Size of population
Average income
Average check amount per restaurant
Bottega Louie made $8-9million
Zero profit in year one
Investing in the future
Four points for decision-making
Good for employee
Good for investors
Good for guests
Good for community
Why Sam left Bottega Louie
Stayed for 5.5years
Wanted to control his own destiny
Gained business knowledge
Strategy to open a new restaurant
Figuring out what the community needs
Finding gap in the market
Lots of Research and Development
Echo & Rig strategy
Studying surrounding steakhouses in Las Vegas
$28 or $88 check average - nothing in between
Decided on $53 check average
Studying the weight of meat
Steakhouses serve large steak because it is the norm
Do guests really need 30z steaks?
Decided to serve best possible steak at smaller size
Is Covid going back to zero?
Everything has changed
Grand revenue numbers hide flaws
Previously needed to make over $90k a week to make a profit
Retooling to create bigger and better businesses
Feeling excited about the future
Improving delivery
Elevated packaging
Making guests feel special even outside the restaurant

Show Notes

I've always viewed the restaurant industry as risky but Chef Sam Marvin sees no risk. He's able to pump out hit after hit without missing a beat. From Bottega Louie to Echo & Rig, the chef has proven that success in the hospitality industry is a formula and it's a formula we can learn. On today's show, we'll be discussing the formula he used to turn Bottega Louie into a 10 million dollar blockbuster.

Click to sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Click here to book time on my personal calendar.

Click here to download our Restaurant Recovery Guide.

Want to streamline your front-of-house operations and increase sales? Head over to http://restaurants.yelp.com/fullcomppodcast to claim your free page and learn more about these powerful tools for your business.

SHOW NOTES

Started a consulting job in LA

Met a family who dined at the consulting restaurant 89 times over 10 months

Father of the family was son of CEO of Hilton

Pitched him on the idea for Bottega Louie

Spent 2years working closely to create the restaurant

Restaurants have opened the same way fro 100years

Key pillars of focus

Shift from restaurant business to experience business

Goal to create egocentric gratification in guests

Investing in experience

Keeping average check mid-range

Goal to bring guests back 3 times per week

Industry goal is one guest to come back every 90 days

Focusing on the human psyche

Tapping into subconscious

130 metrics including the 5 key pillars

Example: $1300 leather-bound reservations book

Example: Intentional confusion whe a guest walks in because restaurant is open plan. Create opportunity for connection from hosts

Opportunities during tragedy

Bottega Louie opened during economic crash of 2009

Invested over $6million on the opening

Opportunities and tragedy move at equal pace

Inspiration from European restaurants

Laduree inspired macarons

Italian is the #1 food genre in the world

Why choose Downtown LA

Has a reputation of being homeless town

Research showed surrounding restaurants were doing well

Research on local population

Size of population

Average income

Average check amount per restaurant

Bottega Louie made $8-9million

Zero profit in year one

Investing in the future

Four points for decision-making

Good for employee

Good for investors

Good for guests

Good for community

Why Sam left Bottega Louie

Stayed for 5.5years

Wanted to control his own destiny

Gained business knowledge

Strategy to open a new restaurant

Figuring out what the community needs

Finding gap in the market

Lots of Research and Development

Echo & Rig strategy

Studying surrounding steakhouses in Las Vegas

$28 or $88 check average - nothing in between

Decided on $53 check average

Studying the weight of meat

Steakhouses serve large steak because it is the norm

Do guests really need 30z steaks?

Decided to serve best possible steak at smaller size

Is Covid going back to zero?

Everything has changed

Grand revenue numbers hide flaws

Previously needed to make over $90k a week to make a profit

Retooling to create bigger and better businesses

Feeling excited about the future

Improving delivery

Elevated packaging

Making guests feel special even outside the restaurant

What is FULL COMP: The Voice of the Restaurant Industry Revolution?

What if I told you that the difference between struggling and thriving in the restaurant industry is just one conversation away?

I’m Josh Kopel, a Michelin-awarded restaurateur who’s spent decades building blockbuster brands across every tier of dining. I know the challenges you’re facing—because I’ve been there. That’s why I created FULL COMP.

Every week, I go one-on-one with the smartest minds in the game: restaurateurs, chefs, and industry insiders who’ve cracked the code. Together, we unpack their biggest wins, hardest lessons, and the strategies that changed everything.

No fluff, no filler—just actionable insights to help you boost profits, build your brand, and create the kind of restaurant you’ve always dreamed of.

So, if you’re ready to stop spinning your wheels and start seeing results, hit subscribe.