Think you need years of restaurant experience to run a successful franchise? Think again. Today, Kyle sits down with Carl Comeaux, the CEO of Crust Pizza Co., one of the fastest-growing pizza brands in the Southeast. Carl’s journeyfrom personal trainer to smoothie entrepreneur is anything but conventional. Packed with actionable insights on strategy, culturebuilding, franchising, and leadership, Carl’s story proves there’s no single path to restaurant success.

💡 Actionable Takeaways:

• Leveraging diverse experiences to drive innovative leadership

• Building and nurturing a strong, scalable company culture

• Effective franchising strategies for rapid, sustainable growth

• Common leadership pitfalls to avoid when scaling a restaurant brand

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:

• Restaurant entrepreneurs looking to scale through franchising

• Leaders seeking fresh perspectives on culture and strategy

• Anyone intrigued by non-traditional pathways to restaurant industry success

• Operators eager to learn how diverse backgrounds can fuel innovation and growth

Connect with Carl on LinkedIn:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/carl-comeaux-2ab87a3b/

Learn more about franchising with Crust Pizza Co.

https://www.crustfranchise.com/

If you enjoyed this episode, can we ask a small but mighty favor?

Taking 30 seconds to subscribe and/or leave a review truly changes everything for an independent podcast like ours.

Here's why: Each review not only makes our day (seriously, we screenshot and share them with the whole team), but it also helps new listeners discover Closed Monday when they're searching for restaurant growth content.

The algorithm gods favor podcasts with active reviews, and your words help us climb those charts and reach more operators and franchisors who could benefit from these conversations.

Whether it's a quick star rating or a few words about what you found valuable, your review helps us continue bringing you these expert conversations week after week.

Thank you for being part of our community. We're building something special here, and your support makes all the difference!

Still relying on gut feelings and scattered notes when selecting your restaurant’s next location? In this practical, hands-on episode, Kyle walks you through his "Location Viability Calculator and Site Tracker," tools he personally uses to guide restaurant brands to profitable, data-driven real estate decisions. Learn how to systematically assess site viability, track important details, and confidently scale your restaurant without risking what you’ve already built.

Key Conversations:

• The critical criteria you must evaluate before signing a lease

• How to remove emotional bias from your site selection process

• Leveraging free tools and resources to gather key market data

• The real cost of ignoring detailed site analysis and relying solely on broker flyers

• Why tracking and rating potential sites systematically can be the difference between success and failure

  
  

💡 Actionable Takeaways:

• Step-by-step guide to using Kyle’s custom Location Viability Calculator

• Easy-to-implement methods for gathering demographic and market-specific data

• Strategies for effectively comparing multiple potential locations side by side

• Common site-selection pitfalls and how to avoid them

  
  

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:

• Restaurant entrepreneurs looking to expand into new locations

• Operators seeking a more systematic, data-driven approach to real estate

• Multi-unit managers who need consistent tools for site evaluation

• Anyone considering signing a restaurant lease who wants to avoid costly mistakes

  
  

  Download the FREE Location Viability & Site Tracker here!

  
  

  Want a second opinion on site?

  Are you considering a site and want a Custom Site Analysis? Schedule a 15min call here - and we can talk through the details.

  If you enjoyed this episode, can we ask a small but mighty favor?

  
  

  Taking 30 seconds to subscribe and/or leave a review truly changes everything for an independent podcast like ours.

  Here's why: Each review not only makes our day (seriously, we screenshot and share them with the whole team), but it also helps new listeners discover Closed Monday when they're searching for restaurant growth content.

  The algorithm gods favor podcasts with active reviews, and your words help us climb those charts and reach more operators and franchisors who could benefit from these conversations.

  Whether it's a quick star rating or a few words about what you found valuable, your review helps us continue bringing you these expert conversations week after week.

  Thank you for being part of our community. We're building something special here, and your support makes all the difference!

  
  Thanks,

  Kyle

Think restaurant financing has to mean crippling debt or invasive investors? Think again. In this weeks conversation, Kyle sits down with Johann Moonesinghe, founder and CEO of InKind, a revolutionary financing model reshaping how restaurants grow and succeed. Johann shares his unique journey from tech entrepreneur to restaurant owner, and reveals how InKind has infused nearly $392 million into top-tier restaurants without the strings attached by traditional lending. From creating vibrant dining experiences at his own restaurants to funding celebrated groups like José Andrés, Johann is redefining financial sustainability in hospitality.

💡 Actionable Takeaways:

• Evaluating alternative financing solutions to boost your restaurant's profitability.

• Understanding the true cost of traditional lending vs. revenue-based models.

• How to strategically use funding to enhance guest experience and grow sustainably.

• Pitfalls to avoid when choosing financial partners for your restaurant.

🎯 Who This Episode Is For:

• Restaurant owners frustrated with traditional financing methods.

• Operators seeking innovative solutions for sustainable growth.

• Investors and entrepreneurs looking to understand cutting-edge financial strategies in hospitality.

• Anyone passionate about the future of restaurant growth and sustainability.

  
  

  Connect with Johann on LinkedIn:

  https://www.linkedin.com/in/moonesinghe/

  Check out InKind Capital

  https://inkindcapital.com/

  If you enjoyed this episode, can we ask a small but mighty favor?

  Taking 30 seconds to subscribe and/or leave a review truly changes everything for an independent podcast like ours.

  Here's why: Each review not only makes our day (seriously, we screenshot and share them with the whole team), but it also helps new listeners discover Closed Monday when they're searching for restaurant growth content.

  The algorithm gods favor podcasts with active reviews, and your words help us climb those charts and reach more operators and franchisors who could benefit from these conversations.

  Whether it's a quick star rating or a few words about what you found valuable, your review helps us continue bringing you these expert conversations week after week.

  Thank you for being part of our community. We're building something special here, and your support makes all the difference!

  
  Thanks,

  Kyle