In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, I sit down with Megan Coignard, owner of Nicolo’s Pizza in Lakewood, Colorado—an independent restaurant operator who was once drowning in chaos, burnout, and the never-ending cycle every owner knows too well: firefighter mode. Two years ago, Megan picked up the phone because she had hit a … Continue reading Episode 177 – From Firefighter Mode to Success Mode with Megan Coignard →

In this episode of The Restaurant Coach® Podcast, I sit down with Matt & Stephanie Dunken, the powerhouse duo behind Slam Dunk Pizza. Their story is one every independent restaurant owner needs to hear. When they started working with the TRC Method™, they were drowning with a prime cost of 94%. Profit was non-existent, stress … Continue reading Episode 176 – From Bleeding Cash to Banking Profit with Matt & Stephanie Dunken →

Restaurants are rarely just about food. The ones that rise above the noise—the ones that dominate their markets—understand that culture drives everything. That’s the story behind The Plough @ Myrniong in Australia, led by Mark and Ruth Mills. In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, we uncover what happens when passion is channeled into … Continue reading Episode 175 – Passion Drives Profits with Mark & Ruth Mills of The Plough →

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 We talk about the outdated tactics that make … Continue reading Episode 174: From Cringe Posts to Killer Growth with Bruce Irving →

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. … Continue reading Episode 173 – From Ruin to Renaissance with Lisa Gasparian →

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. … Continue reading Episode 172 – No Coach, No Chance →

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 … Continue reading Episode 171 – Leadership Drive Profits with Bo Bryant →

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, … Continue reading Episode 170 – The 5 F’s of Restaurant Success with Robert St. John →