.png)
The Bottom Line- Real Stories Behind Restaurants
The Bottom Line: The Real Stories Behind Restaurants is a straight-to-the-point, 50 minute podcast where restaurant operators and industry leaders share their biggest wins and toughest challenges. Each episode dives into real, unfiltered stories about what it takes to run a successful restaurant, from scaling operations to overcoming financial struggles. Whether it’s a breakthrough strategy or a hard-earned lesson, this podcast gives listeners actionable insights they can apply to their own businesses. It’s about the reality of the restaurant industry—not just the highlights, but the hard work behind the success.
Episodes
14 episodes
Restaurant Startup Playbook: SBA Loans + Profit Strategies
In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Kevin Moll, founder of Restaurant Consulting Services, Inc. Kevin brings over four decades of experience to the table, offering deep insights into the challenges, myths, and realit...
•
51:40
.png)
Scaling a Family-Owned Restaurant Brand with Arita Matini
In this episode of The Bottom Line Podcast, host Naki Soyturk sits down with Arita Matini, co-founder of Sweet Leaf Café — a family-owned fast-casual brand with six thriving locations in the Washington, D.C. metro area...
•
34:37
How Brooks Bassler created Tex-Orleans Cuisine and grew BB’s Tex-Orleans to 13 locations
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 ex...
•
43:29
Storytelling Is the Secret Sauce to Restaurant Growth with Shawn Walchef
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 lea...
•
32:17
From a $10k Loan to a Michelin Star: The Unstoppable Grit of Fred Castellucci
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 flagsh...
•
34:42
From a Single Shop to Six Locations: The Bel Fries Strategy for Scaling Simplicity
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. In...
•
31:51
The Seven Brothers Story: How Faith and Family Built a Burger Empire
In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk speaks with Seth andShem 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...
•
59:54
How Joe Fontana Built a Fried Chicken Empire by Starting Lean
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 w...
•
1:04:11
Mission-Driven Burgers: How Grassburger Is Changing Fast Casual
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 ...
•
36:28
From One Oven to a Movement: The Billy Bricks Story
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 bootstr...
•
1:04:56
No More Guesswork: Inventory, Cost Management and Consistency, and Real Results with MarginEdge
In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk welcomes Matt Molaski and Rich Dunham from MarginEdge—the industry’s “Swiss Army knife” for inventory, invoice processing, and restaurant cost control. They break down the biggest myths about inv...
•
40:31
Scaling Restaurants & Systems: Real-World Lessons with Greg Provance
In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Greg Provance—restaurant consultant, former operator, and the founder of GP Hospitality Partner —to talk about the real challenges and rewards of growing a restaurant business toda...
•
50:39
25 Years, 8 Stores: Pete Boniface’s Restaurant Systems Playbook
Key Quote:"You don’t need to lose your soul to grow—but you do need systems." — Pete BonifaceIn this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki Soyturk sits down with Pete Boniface, co-founder of Yampa Sandwich Company, to dissect what i...
•
58:56
Pizza Boss of Minnesota Antonio Gambino (Andrea’s & Tono’s) on Great Food, Culture & Partnership
In this episode of The Bottom Line, host Naki sits down with Antonio Gambino, co-founder of Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, to unpack the real strategies behind one of Minnesota’s fastest-growing restaurant brands.
•
42:35