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Artwork for The Pre-Shift

The Pre-Shift

7shifts
Franchising
Restaurant Industry
Restaurant Technology
Condado Tacos
Cúrate
7shifts
Hospitality Industry
Pepper Lunch
Tipping Model
Jeremiah's Italian Ice
Leadership
Workplace Culture
Leadership Development
Payroll Management
Fast Casual Restaurant
Employee Empowerment
Covid-19
Living Wage
Culinary Agents
Restaurant Hiring Trends

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.

PublishesMonthlyEpisodes84Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementArtsBusinessFood

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Artwork for The Pre-Shift

Latest Episodes

Two hours into portioning sauce into cups, Joe Fontana decided he was done doing the work and needed to start building the system. In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we sit down with Joe, founder and owner of Fry the Coop, a Nashville hot chic... more

YouTube

Andrew Scott, founder of Owner Shift Training and former multi-unit restaurant owner, walks us through the expensive mistakes that nearly took him under at his fifth location—and the systems he rebuilt to stop being the operating system his restauran... more

YouTube

Getting workplace law advice after you get a complaint is like fixing a schedule after the shift's over. In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we sit down with Felice Ekelman, a principal at Jackson Lewis who leads the firm's restaurant industry ... more

YouTube

Growing from one restaurant to nine teaches you that what worked at one location might not work at another. In this episode of The Pre-Shift Podcast, we sit down with Sam Aguilar, Brand President of Oak & Stone Restaurants, to discuss what it actuall... more

YouTube

Key Facts

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Recent Guests

Joe Fontana
Founder and owner of Fry the Coop
Fry the Coop
Episode: Put down the ramekins: How Joe Fontana built Fry the Coop to 10 locations | 077
Andrew Scott
OwnerShift/Ownership Training founder and author of systems-driven restaurant growth strategies
Ownership Training / Ownership Training
Episode: The pitfalls of restaurant scaling with Andrew Scott of OwnerShift | 076
Tom Schmidt
Co-owner and lead busboy of Salt and Smoke Barbecue
Salt and Smoke Barbecue
Episode: Letting go of the day-to-day: Tom Schmidt's journey from busser to leader | 073
Anthony Valletta
CEO and President of Bartaco
Bartaco
Episode: Anthony Valletta on tech, training, and tearing up the traditional pay model | 070
Lorena Borstein
Chief Operating Officer at WOWorks
WOWorks
Episode: The WOWorks growth playbook for repeatable systems and unified tech | 068
Kyle Mark
Chief Information Officer at WOWorks
WOWorks
Episode: The WOWorks growth playbook for repeatable systems and unified tech | 068
Garrett Mills
Partner at Uncommon Brands, focused on restaurant investments
Uncommon Brands
Episode: What do restaurant investors really want? unlocking the financial trifecta with Garrett Mills | 066
Shawn Walchef
Owner of Cali BBQ and founder of Cali BBQ Media, focusing on storytelling in the restaurant industry.
Cali BBQ Media
Episode: AI is here, but your story is your superpower | Shawn Walchef, Cali BBQ | 064
Katie Button
Chef and owner of Cúrate and La Bodega
Cúrate, La Bodega
Episode: Can restaurants survive without traditional tipping? | Katie Button (Reupload) | 063

Host

D. J. Costantino
Full name preferred spelling; host with long-running affiliation to the network's hospitality content.

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Great source of restaurant industry info

    Solid guests, good conversations, and useful insights.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    CDJ-YXE
    Canada4 years ago
  • informative

    I like the different guests

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Guitarlovin
    Canada4 years ago
  • 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!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    oliviabaker13
    United States4 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners appreciate the practical, actionable takeaways aligned with real restaurant ops.
Guests are described as insightful, with conversations that translate to tangible improvements in teams and systems.
The host and guests consistently bring depth on people-first cultures and growth.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Apple Podcasts
#159
Norway/Business/Management

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Put down the ramekins: How Joe Fontana built Fry the Coop to 10 locations | 077
Q: How did marketing evolve to support growth across 10 locations?
He used PR/publicists in city markets, social video storytelling (including a chicken costume stunt), and consistent internal communications via Seven Shifts to maintain culture and awareness across locations.
Put down the ramekins: How Joe Fontana built Fry the Coop to 10 locations | 077
Q: What was the practical approach to scaling the business beyond the first location?
He focused on building systems, hiring a chef to create replicable recipes, and turning the business into a repeatable training program with one-page materials and clear core values.
Put down the ramekins: How Joe Fontana built Fry the Coop to 10 locations | 077
Q: How did Fry the Coop begin and what was the motivation behind starting the concept?
Joe speaks about leaving a corporate path to return to hospitality, being inspired by Nashville hot chicken after trying a sandwich in San Diego, and deciding to build a scalable, simple menu that could be replicated across multiple locations.
Letting go of the day-to-day: Tom Schmidt's journey from busser to leader | 073
Q: What did you learn through the process of building a team that could scale with you across eight locations?
The importance of hiring people who aren't exactly like you, spreading out responsibilities, and creating a leadership team that can operate with autonomy while maintaining culture.
Letting go of the day-to-day: Tom Schmidt's journey from busser to leader | 073
Q: What's something that operators don't talk super honestly about, or maybe they take too long to figure out, like you said, about making that transition?
The realization that moving from frontline work to a leadership role means redefining your value to the company and reconciling your hands-on identity with strategic leadership.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
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Frequently Asked Questions About The Pre-Shift

What is The Pre-Shift about and what kind of topics does it cover?

Across recent episodes, the show centers on building great restaurant teams through leadership, culture, and systems. Conversations frequently center on scaling operations without sacrificing service quality, empowering staff with clear incentives and data-driven practices, and leveraging technology to improve scheduling, forecasting, and payroll. Guests range from restaurant founders to operators deploying innovative pay models, internal promotion paths, and open-book finance, all underscored by practical tactics for retention, training, and growth. The format often blends personal storytelling with actionable frameworks and real-world examples that listeners can adapt to their own brands or multi-unit expansions. A few standout themes inc... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Pre-Shift?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Pre-Shift:

1. The Next Big Idea
2. The Prof G Pod with Scott Galloway
3. The Knowledge Project
4. The Daily
5. Pivot

How many episodes of The Pre-Shift are there?

The Pre-Shift launched 6 years ago and published 84 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on The Pre-Shift?

Recent guests on The Pre-Shift include:

1. Joe Fontana
2. Andrew Scott
3. Tom Schmidt
4. Anthony Valletta
5. Lorena Borstein
6. Kyle Mark
7. Garrett Mills
8. Shawn Walchef

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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