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716: Danielle Rosse on Live and Die by Your Budget

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Release Date: 05/21/2020

1293: Alexis Guttridge, Founder of Anchor Consulting show art 1293: Alexis Guttridge, Founder of Anchor Consulting

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to joinrunlive.com to get access to today's guest specifically OR join the newly relaunched Restaurant Unstoppable Network!    Alexis Guttridge is an experienced hospitality consultant and advisor who provides on-the-ground operational support for restaurants, hotels, and venues. Originally an NYC transplant who built a highly regarded career as a restaurateur and general manager in Boston, she is now based in Melbourne, Australia, where she focuses on optimizing venue workflows and front-of-house culture    Alexis...

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1292: Matt Wampler, co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGs show art 1292: Matt Wampler, co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGs

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on October 5th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to to get access to today's guest specifically OR join the newly relaunched Restaurant Unstoppable Network! Matt Wampler is the co-founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, a restaurant intelligence platform using AI and predictive analytics to help operators forecast demand and make smarter decisions around prep, purchasing, and labor. Before founding ClearCOGS, Matt took over a struggling Jimmy John’s franchise at age 21, turned it...

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1291: Adam Weisblatt, co-founder of Last Word Hospitality show art 1291: Adam Weisblatt, co-founder of Last Word Hospitality

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on September 28th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to to get access to today's guest specifically OR join the newly relaunched Restaurant Unstoppable Network! Adam Weisblatt is the co-founder of Los Angeles–based Last Word Hospitality, the restaurant group behind acclaimed concepts including Found Oyster, Barra Santos, Queen’s Raw Bar + Grill, Same Same Thai, and Red Dog Saloon. Since launching Last Word Hospitality in 2014, he has helped build people-driven,...

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1290: Danny Azzarello & Alan Frati, co-founders of CRACK’D Kitchen & Coffee show art 1290: Danny Azzarello & Alan Frati, co-founders of CRACK’D Kitchen & Coffee

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on September 28th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to to get access to today's guest specifically OR join the newly relaunched Restaurant Unstoppable Network! Danny Azzarello and Alan Frati are the co-founders of CRACK'D Kitchen and Coffee. Both guests grew up in restaurants and learned the fundamentals from working in profitable and system-heavy chains. They met while working together and decided to open CRACK'D in 2019. Today there are 5 locations, along with retail and...

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1289: Jeremy Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of 86DeadStock show art 1289: Jeremy Fitzgerald, founder and CEO of 86DeadStock

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

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1288: Jesse Stein, founder and CEO of Hermetic AI show art 1288: Jesse Stein, founder and CEO of Hermetic AI

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

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1287: Meredith Tipping, General Manager and Head of Marketing at The Boston Sail Loft show art 1287: Meredith Tipping, General Manager and Head of Marketing at The Boston Sail Loft

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 31st, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Meredith Tipping is the General Manager and Head of Marketing at The Boston Sail Loft, a longtime waterfront restaurant located on Atlantic Avenue in Boston’s North End. She has helped lead the restaurant’s operations, marketing, and business development...

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1286: Jason Santos, Chef/owner of Buttermilk & Bourbon Group show art 1286: Jason Santos, Chef/owner of Buttermilk & Bourbon Group

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chef Jason Santos is the chef/owner of the Buttermilk & Bourbon Group, a family of New Orleans–inspired Southern restaurants in Massachusetts including Buttermilk & Bourbon, Citrus & Salt, and related concepts. A Massachusetts native and Newbury College culinary grad, he rose through Boston kitchens before gaining national attention as the...

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Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 24th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Kathy Terry co-founded with her husband, Patrick Terry, in 2005, opening the first location in Austin, Texas. Known as the company’s guiding conscience, she helped shape the brand’s mission around quality food, exceptional service, and community-minded...

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1284: Restaurant Profit Breakthroughs with Robert Sloop: AI, Kaizen, Tech Stack Implementation, and Fractional CFO Support show art 1284: Restaurant Profit Breakthroughs with Robert Sloop: AI, Kaizen, Tech Stack Implementation, and Fractional CFO Support

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Robert Sloop is the CEO of , a consulting firm that helps restaurant operators improve financial performance, operations, and tech stack implementation. With over 30 years in foodservice, he has served as CFO for leading multi‑concept restaurant groups and now advises owners on data‑driven systems and continuous improvement. Join RULibrary:  Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: -  - Private event leads die in inboxes every day. Mia fixes that. She's an AI agent that responds within seconds,...

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More Episodes

Danielle Rosse was just 22 and recently widowed when she first opened Oceans 234 in 2001. In 2013 She purchased the restaurant to become the sole owner of the establishment and in 2015 she underwent a massive $1.8-million-dollar renovation on the property elevating the guest experience.

In addition to Oceans 234 in 2007, Rosse launch The Whale Raw Bar, A neighborhood New England Raw bar in Parkland. After six years of successful business ownership she sold in 2013.

Grounds Zero Bootcamp a guided online Bootcamp dedicated to helping restaurants rebuilding their  business.

Check out episode 437 with David Scott Peters about menu engineering as mentioned in today's episode.

Check out Tripleseat Sales and Event Manaent Software as mentioned in today's episode!

We interviewed the Founder of Tripleseat. Check out that episode here.

Show notes…

Calls to ACTION!!!

Favorite success quote or mantra:

"A goal without a plan is just a wish."

In today's episode with Danielle Rosse we will discuss:

  • Mentors
  • Budgeting
  • Labor costs
  • Recipe costs
  • Relinquishing control of aspects of your business
  • The 2008 recession
  • Preparing to sell your business
  • Inventory best practices
  • Toast POS and why she uses it
  • Hand-held tablet ordering and how to integrate it into you restaurant
  • COVID-19 reactions and plans; transitioned into a grocery store
  • We must stay relevant, especially during COVID-19
  • Ground Zero Bootcamp; what is it?

Today's sponsor:

Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue.

Toast - A POS built for restaurants by restaurant people Adapt fast with Toast's cloud-based restaurant POS system that updates to evolve your POS along with changing industry trends and guest expectations. Toast is built exclusively for restaurants of all shapes and sizes, with over 2/3 of our employees having restaurant experience to serve you better. Online Ordering - Let guests easily order directly from your restaurant for pickup or contactless delivery to keep revenue flowing during these uncertain times. Toast Delivery Services Dispatch local drivers through an on-demand network to keep your community fed and revenue coming in.

 

Knowledge bombs

  1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
    • "Sense of responsibility"
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
    • "My people skills"
  3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
    • "Sense of responsibility"
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
    • "Being open with down revenue"
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
    • "Everything matters"
  6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
    • Empathy
  7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
    1. The Culture Solution by Matthew Kelly
    2. Restaurant Prosperity Formula by David Scott Peters
    3. GET THIS BOOK FOR FREE AT AUDIBLE.COM 
  8. What's one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
    • Budgeting
  9. Name one service you've hired.
  10. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your restaurant walls and how has it influenced operations?
  11. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    • Use time, talent, and resources to give back to your community
    • Care about your team
    • Create the life you want for yourself

Contact info:

Email: [email protected]

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Huge thanks to Danielle Rosse for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!