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Artwork for The Pre-Shift

The Pre-Shift

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

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.

The Pre-Shift Podcast is taking a hiatus. Thank you for listening and being part of our restaur... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes81Founded6 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
ManagementArtsBusinessFood

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Artwork for The Pre-Shift

Latest Episodes

The Pre-Shift Podcast is back!

Tom Schmidt, co-owner of Salt + Smoke BBQ, talks with host D.J. about shifting from hands-on restaurant work to leading an eight-location, 550+ employee business, a transition he says truly began around the fourth loca... more

YouTube

The Pre-Shift podcast is taking a hiatus. 

This podcast launched in 2021, and we’re so grateful to our listeners. We’ll continue to talk about hospitality and share tips from real operators in our newsletter, so make sure to subscribe to Food Runner... more

How do you grow from a single taco joint to a 50+ location brand without losing the soul of your company? For Joe Kahn and Chris Artinian of Condado Tacos, the answer is simple: QUESO. In this episode, Founder Joe Kahn and CEO Chris Artinian share th... more

In an industry struggling with retention and wage disparity, how can operators build a business that is both profitable and truly equitable? In this episode, we talk to Ji Hye Kim, the celebrated chef-owner of Miss Kim and a leading advocate for One ... more

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Recent Guests

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
Alice Cheng
Founder and CEO of Culinary Agents
Culinary Agents
Episode: Winning the restaurant hiring game in 2025 with Alice Cheng | 061
Josh Kopel
Michelin awarded restaurateur and marketing expert
Full Comp Podcast
Episode: AI marketing strategies that boost restaurant revenue with Josh Kopel | 059

Host

D. J. Costantino
Host of The Pre-Shift Podcast

Reviews

4.8 out of 5 stars from 34 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.

High-quality insights into people-focused hospitality and growth.
Engaging conversations with actionable takeaways for restaurant teams.
Casts a wide net with practical guests across operations, tech, and franchising.
The host and guests spotlight real-world strategies, not just theory.

Chart Rankings

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

Apple Podcasts
#204
Israel/Business/Management

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

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.
What do restaurant investors really want? unlocking the financial trifecta with Garrett Mills | 066
Q: What are the key things you look for when partnering with a restaurant brand?
Mills talks about evaluating financial success through key metrics like revenue volume, store-level cash flow, and the cost of opening new stores, collectively referred to as the trifecta.
What do restaurant investors really want? unlocking the financial trifecta with Garrett Mills | 066
Q: Can you walk us through your journey and notable moments that led you to the restaurant business?
Garrett shares he transitioned from the NFL to Goldman Sachs and finally into the restaurant industry through a friend who helped him start with a restaurant group in Oklahoma.
Building skills beyond the kitchen with Justin Khanna | 060
Q: What advice would you give to someone young who's working in the industry who's like, I want to make content about my job?
Document your experiences rather than focusing on creating; this makes it easier to share genuine insights. Use post-production editing to refine your approach, providing viewers with valuable lessons from your work life.

Audience Metrics

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

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
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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?

The show centers on building strong restaurant teams through culture, leadership, and scalable systems. It frequently features operators and experts discussing workforce development, open-book finances, technology in hospitality, franchising, and growth strategies for multi-unit brands. A notable thread across episodes is the emphasis on empowering staff, transparent communication, and purpose-driven workplaces, often paired with practical frameworks and real-world case studies that listeners can apply to their own operations.

Where can I find podcast stats for The Pre-Shift?

Rephonic provides a wide range of podcast stats for The Pre-Shift. We scanned the web and collated all of the information that we could find in our comprehensive podcast database. See how many people listen to The Pre-Shift and access YouTube viewership numbers, download stats, audience demographics, chart rankings, ratings, reviews and more.

How many listeners does The Pre-Shift get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Pre-Shift have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Pre-Shift has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Pre-Shift?

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

1. How Leaders Lead with David Novak
2. Habits and Hustle
3. Restaurant Rockstars Podcast
4. The Daily Stoic
5. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy

How many episodes of The Pre-Shift are there?

The Pre-Shift launched 6 years ago and published 81 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Pre-Shift?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

Where can I see ratings and reviews for The Pre-Shift?

Rephonic pulls ratings and reviews for The Pre-Shift from multiple sources, including Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Castbox, and Podcast Addict.

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What guests have appeared on The Pre-Shift?

Recent guests on The Pre-Shift include:

1. Tom Schmidt
2. Anthony Valletta
3. Lorena Borstein
4. Kyle Mark
5. Garrett Mills
6. Shawn Walchef
7. Katie Button
8. Alice Cheng

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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