Restaurant Leaders Unplugged
Real conversations with the people transforming the restaurant industry—from the inside out.
Restaurant Leaders Unplugged goes beyond the headlines to bring you raw, insightful, and inspiring interviews with the most respected founders, operators, and executives in hospitality.
Hosted by Sebastian Stahl, former restaurant operator turned growth strategist and founder of Breadth Marketing, this podcast is where real operators get real about what it takes to build brands that last.
If you're tired of surface-level chatter and want to hear how industry leaders are actually navigating growth, tech, culture, and private event revenue—this is the show for you.
You’ll learn how to:
- Build restaurant brands that guests (and staff) love
- Scale without losing your soul or your culture
- Use tech and automation without killing hospitality
- Create “guest-for-life” experiences that drive revenue
- Convert more private event leads without paid ads
No fluff. No hype. Just unplugged conversations with the minds behind the brands.
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe and grow with us.
Restaurant Leaders Unplugged
From Line Cook to Wealth Advisor: Funding & Scaling Restaurants w/ David Spungen
Former line cook turned wealth advisor David Spungen joins Restaurant Leaders Unplugged to break down the real economics of opening, funding, and scaling restaurants. We dig into what’s working right now outside the major metros, the true cost stack (rent, labor, food), when to use friends & family vs. alternative financing, and how operators can build financial literacy without becoming accountants. We also cover advisory boards, exit planning for fast casual vs. full service, and why personal wealth planning should start before the liquidity event.
In this episode you’ll learn:
- How to pressure-test a restaurant model (traffic, Avg Check, turns, beverage mix, unit economics).
- Where operators are finding better profitability outside NYC/Miami — and why.
- Funding paths beyond pure equity: dining-credit prepay models (e.g., Inkin), build-out loans (e.g., Phoenix), equipment financing, and targeted crowdfunding (e.g., New Market).
- The finance stack that actually helps: great bookkeeping, hospitality-savvy CPAs, Restaurant365, and AI P&L visualization (Starfish).
- When to form an advisory board and how to run it so it’s useful.
- The fast-casual “3–5 units then scale” playbook vs. realities of fine dining.
- Why estate/tax planning shouldn’t wait until a deal is signed.
Connect with our guest:
Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/david-spungen/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/davidspungen/channel/
Restaurant Leaders Unplugged with Sebastian Stahl
Follow us on social media to stay updated:
Instagram: @sebastian_stahlb | @breadthrestaurantmarketing
YouTube: @SebastianStahlb
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