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When he was 13, Shawn was washing dishes in his grandpa’s restaurant business. Now, he owns that space for his restaurant, CaliBBQ, and has done more than $35 million in revenue in their 15 years of operation. Hear Shawn’s advice for how to start a restaurant business in this interview.

One big factor in Shawn’s success has been his skill with restaurant marketing. He’s embraced podcasting and platforms like TikTok as a way to share CaliBBQ’s story, and has expanded his brand into a barbecue media company that generated $1.3 million in revenue so far in 2023. He’ll share his advice for how to use social media as a restaurant owner and how they leverage these online communities for organic marketing that keeps their advertising budget low.

While Shawn’s successful now, there have still been bumps in the road. He started out with a business partner who he bought out four years into the business before pivoting concepts from breakfast to barbecue. He’ll share his advice for overcoming setbacks in the restaurant industry and how to make a restaurant thrive even through challenges.

Along with their main restaurant and digital media company, CaliBBQ has recently opened up new ghost kitchen locations around San Diego. He’ll explain the advantages of this model and how to open a restaurant ghost kitchen that’s built for success. You’ll also hear his secrets to restaurant management across his business and what it takes to hit 7-figure revenue as a restaurant startup.

If you want more advice about how to run a restaurant, check out some of our past interviews:

This Pizza Sells Out 3 Months in Advance!! How? ►
   • This Pizza Sells Out 3 Months In Adva...  

Don’t Open a Restaurant Business Until You Watch This! ►
   • Don't Open a Restaurant Business Unti...  

Resources
https://calibbq.media/ - Find out more about CaliBBQ on their website
https://www.upflip.com/podcast - Hear more interviews with real-world business owners on the UpFlip podcast
https://www.upflip.com/courses - Learn how to start a business from scratch with UpFlip’s business blueprints

Timestamps:
00:00 - START
01:04 - Meeting Shawn
02:33 - Tour of the kitchen
03:02 - Lessons from grandpa
04:22 - Kitchen operations
05:53 - Biggest challenge
06:57 - Enjoying a meal
07:29 - Shawn’s background
08:40 - Expanding into media
09:32 - Starting at 13
12:20 - Fan blitz
14:07 - Partners
15:32 - CaliBBQ truck
17:22 - New location
18:49 - Social media tips
20:10 - Startup costs
20:38 - Right time to expand
21:50 - Starting for cheap
23:50 - Lessons from the pandemic
25:52 - Leadership mindset
27:34 - Advertising budget
28:48 - Best business advice
30:23 - Revenue
31:09 - Systems and software
31:45 - Mantra
33:26 - Coping with competition
35:05 - Managing stress
38:14 - 3 people he’d dine with
39:03 - Final advice
39:58 - Outro

17b disclosure
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The information provided in this marketing material is for illustrative purposes only and should not be considered as financial advice. Past performance, including the success of certain individuals, is not indicative of future results. Investing in any market, including startups, involves risks, and there is no guarantee that similar opportunities will yield comparable returns.

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