Dishwasher Turned $35,231,006 Restaurateur!!

Dishwasher Turned $35,231,006 Restaurateur!!
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.