The Pre-Shift Podcast

Great teams make great restaurants. On The Pre-Shift, restaurant operators and industry experts dive into what it takes to build great restaurant teams. We explore their stories, the strategies they use, and valuable lessons on running restaurant teams. Hosted by D. J. Costantino. Presented by 7shifts.

Can restaurants survive without traditional tipping? | Katie Button (Reupload) | 063
May 29, 2025 – 24:33
The people-first culture that drives just 17% turnover at Brasa with Michel Falcon (Reupload) | 062
May 14, 2025 – 38:26
Winning the restaurant hiring game in 2025 with Alice Cheng | 061
Apr 29, 2025 – 41:15
Building skills beyond the kitchen with Justin Khanna | 060
Apr 15, 2025 – 39:50
AI marketing strategies that boost restaurant revenue with Josh Kopel | 059
Apr 1, 2025 – 31:54
Stop fixing light bulbs and start delegating with Avery Ward | 058
Mar 19, 2025 – 45:19
Navigating Tariff Uncertainty for Canadian Restaurants with Jay Ashton | 057
Mar 4, 2025 – 38:02
Growing careers (and franchises) at Jeremiah's Italian Ice | 056
Feb 18, 2025 – 33:21
The end of boring training for restaurants with Arrow Up | 055
Feb 4, 2025 – 42:44
Insights for serving up restaurant excellence with Square | James Schonzeit, Square, Eric Cacciatore, Restaurant Unstoppable | 054
Oct 17, 2024 – 57:02
Building an a kitchen OS | Josh Sharkey, CEO of meez | 053
Sep 25, 2024 – 40:38
The small town soul behind Pizza Ranch | Ross Groeneweg, Pizza Ranch | 052
Aug 28, 2024 – 22:43
Mastering the art of pizza and business | Mike Bausch, Andolini's | 051
Aug 15, 2024 – 33:02
Building Chicago's Thattu | Margaret Pak, Chef/Owner | 050
Jul 31, 2024 – 38:54
Fostering community and belonging in the restaurant biz | Ellen Yin, Founder of High Street Hospitality | 049
Jul 10, 2024 – 30:36
Rethinking Server Pay: The Commission Model Revolution with Zach Feinstein
Jun 26, 2024 – 28:28
Leadership lessons from Felipe's Taqueria | Pike Howard, CEO | 047
Jun 11, 2024 – 43:04
The fight for psychological safety in food service | Hassel Aviles, Director of Not 9 to 5 | 046
May 21, 2024 – 30:25
Tacos, tequila, and teamwork at Agave & Rye | Chris Britt, COO of Epic Brands | 045
Apr 24, 2024 – 42:36
Making pay transparency work in restaurants | Stella Dennig, Co-Owner/GM of Daytrip | 044
Apr 4, 2024 – 31:44
How commission-based pay for servers transformed this restaurant | Chad Mackay, CEO of Fire and Vine Hospitality | 043
Dec 5, 2023 – 24:02
How restaurants exist beyond four walls | Irene Shiang Li, Cofounder of Prepshift & Mei Mei Dumplings | 042
Oct 31, 2023 – 24:04
Can open-book finance work for restaurants? | Ji Hye Kim, Chef/Owner at Miss Kim | 041
Oct 11, 2023 – 25:15
How Lula Cafe stays ahead, 25 years in | Jason Hammel, Chef and Owner of Lula Cafe | 040
Jun 30, 2023 – 18:57
Practical steps for a better staff experience | Kwini Reed, Poppy & Seed | 039
Jun 14, 2023 – 32:18
The QUESO code at Condado Tacos | Joe Kahn and Chris Artinian | 038
May 24, 2023 – 25:55
How Brasa redefines employee experience | Michel Falcon, Founder & CEO of Brasa Peruvian Kitchen | 037
May 10, 2023 – 38:05
Managing Michelin-star restaurant teams | Ron Hsu, Owner of Lazy Betty, Humble Pie, and Juniper Cafe
Apr 27, 2023 – 24:57
Fine dining to fried chicken success | Eric Huang, Chef/Owner of Peking House | 035
Apr 12, 2023 – 19:08
Conquering the front and back of house divide with equal pay scales | Katie Button, CEO / Co-Founder of KB Restaurants | 034
Mar 29, 2023 – 24:13
Family matters in the restaurant business | Eric Scheffer, Scheffer Group | 033
Mar 10, 2023 – 12:12
The dynamic culture of care that drives 7leaves | Newton Hoang, 7leaves | 032
Feb 24, 2023 – 23:18
Crafting careers in restaurants | Kelly Phillips, Destination Unknown Restaurants | 031
Feb 8, 2023 – 16:34
Inside Bartaco's game-changing growth strategies | Anthony Valletta, President of bartaco | 030
Jan 25, 2023 – 20:58
Creating culture that attracts and retains | Danny Meyer + Jordan Boesch | 029
Aug 30, 2022 – 56:25
How do you know when things need to change? | Adam Lamb, Chef Life | 028
Aug 16, 2022 – 46:03
How Chris Smith scaled Zunzi's with kickass culture | Chris Smith, Zunzi's | 027
Aug 2, 2022 – 39:20
The journey of Amelie Kang and dry pot cuisine | Amelie Kang, MáLà Project NYC | 026
Jul 20, 2022 – 26:30
A roadmap for repeat customers | Matt Plapp, America's Best Restaurants | 025
Jul 5, 2022 – 52:04
Inside the tech that drives Carl's Jr. & Hardees | Phil Crawford, CKE Restaurants | 022
Jun 6, 2022 – 38:50
Franchise dreams and bus tub discoveries | Mijo Alanis, Beyond Juicery | 021
May 24, 2022 – 36:49
The restaurant trends that defined 2022 | Danny Klein, Food News Media | 020
May 10, 2022 – 50:41
Finding grounded certainty in restaurants | Brandon Poole, BrandGabs | 019
May 3, 2022 – 33:39
How to work *on* your restaurant—not *in* it | Monte Silva, Restaurant Coach | 018
Apr 19, 2022 – 37:07
Unlocking restaurant prosperity | David Scott Peters | 017
Apr 4, 2022 – 31:42
A new way to look at restaurant labor costs | Jim Taylor, BenchmarkSixty | 016
Mar 28, 2022 – 28:28
Expansion Insights for Restaurateurs | Lauren Fernandez, Founder of Full Course | 015
Mar 14, 2022 – 41:31
Vertical Kitchens, Digital Dining at ClusterTruck | Charles Wright, VP of Ops | 014
Mar 7, 2022 – 27:27
How &Pizza Thrives with Unique Employee Benefits | Andy Hooper, President &pizza | 013
Feb 23, 2022 – 26:36
Restaurant Growth Podcast Trailer
Feb 17, 2022 – 00:38

Recent Reviews

oliviabaker13

Engaging and actionable!

DJ and his guests shine the brightest of lights on the restaurant industry and those inside of it! Engaging conversations, actionable tips to level up your restaurant, and insights into the industry abound in these episodes. Thanks for putting out such a superb show - keep up the great work!