#63 : Dialed in Operations: Creating More Great Days in Restaurants with Matt Wampler

CULINARY MECHANIC

Matt Wampler, CEO, Co-Founder of Clear Cogs, joins CULINARY MECHANIC to share how his predictive analytics platform is transforming restaurant operations across four countries. With a background in restaurant turnarounds and multi-unit management, Matt brings hard-earned wisdom on scaling operations from two to four locations while maintaining quality and culture.

This conversation tackles the critical intersection of systems and people—revealing how data can eliminate daily operational guesswork while strong leadership creates the culture necessary for sustainable growth. Whether you're managing one location or scaling to multiple units, Matt's insights on being "dialed in" provide a roadmap for reducing chaos, developing leaders, and capturing those elusive percentage points on the bottom line.

Timestamps

[02:15] Matt's journey growing Clear Cogs from startup to serving 100+ brands

[04:30] The magic of having a "dialed in" restaurant operation

[06:20] How small inefficiencies hit hardest in low-volume stores

[09:45] Using predictive analytics to answer practical operational questions

[12:40] Leadership moment: how to handle team member breakdowns

[16:30] Culture building: when staff uphold quality standards with owners

[18:50] The balance between processes and people in restaurant management

[23:10] Scaling from two to four locations through people development

[27:40] Creating systems that keep operations "on the rails"

[31:20] How operators normalize chaos without realizing it

[35:45] Intentional leadership vs. reactive management

[38:10] The Restaurant AI podcast announcement

[41:55] Final thoughts on sustainable systems and leadership

Key Quotes

"Running a restaurant is incredibly hard... It's a thankless job a lot of days where you just walk in the door and wait to get sucker punched in the gut. Our goal is to help restaurants have more days go right." - Matthew Wampler

"It's not the Friday night that you get wrong that really hits the bottom line. It's the Tuesday, Wednesday, it's these little decisions where if you have any little inefficiency in a low volume store, it really hits you." - Matthew Wampler

"Processes are those bumpers you put on the bowling alley. Processes keep you hemmed in from side to side, and the ability to go down the bowling alley is amazing when you can't get off the rails." - Simon Zatyrka

"Most people are unaware that they're living in insanity. As restaurant operators, we start to have a little chaos and then a little bit more. And then one day you wake up and you manage insanity, but you don't even notice that you're managing insanity." - Matthew Wampler

Key Takeaways

• Predictive analytics solve the industry's persistent forecasting challenges by providing simple, actionable insights: "Today it's Tuesday, two hours prior to close, 18 sticks of bread."
• Leadership moments during pressure situations determine whether you lose potential talent or develop great team members—intentionally creating a culture where staff support each other.
• When scaling from two to four locations, invest in developing leaders from within who understand your standards and culture, rather than relying solely on external hires.
• The most successful multi-unit operations balance strong systems with empowered people—systems provide the structure, people provide the execution.
• Most operators normalize chaos without recognizing it—intentional leadership with clear processes reduces burnout while improving both operations and quality of life.

Connect Section

Matthew Wampler / Clear Cogs

• Website: https://www.clearcogs.com
• The Restaurant AI Podcast: Coming soon!

Simon Zatyrka / CULINARY MECHANIC

• Instagram: @culinary.mechanic
• Linkedin: @simon-zatyrka
• Email: [email protected]
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