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 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.

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