Restaurant Unstoppable Ep. 1216: “Three Pillars to Scale Your Restaurant Group without Losing Control” with Christin Marvin

Release Date: September 4, 2025
Host: Eric Cacciatore
Guest: Christin Marvin, Author of Multi Unit Mastery & Restaurant Coach

Episode Overview

This episode dives deep into the three foundational pillars—People, Process, and Profit—that independent restaurateurs need to master in order to scale a restaurant group without losing control. Returning guest and restaurant coach Christin Marvin shares insights from her new book, frameworks developed through her coaching work, and firsthand lessons from both chaotic and successful multi-unit expansions. With actionable advice, candid stories, and engaging banter, the episode is essential listening for anyone aiming to scale their restaurant business intentionally and sustainably.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

Motivational Mantra

• [05:04] Christin Marvin: “Slow down to speed up.”
  • Marvin emphasizes that pausing, reflecting, and being intentional in your actions helps prevent burnout and chaos, especially during periods of growth. Slowing down can be as simple as taking a walk, meditating, or even taking a tech break—whatever helps you pause and think deeply about your next steps.

Pillar #1: People – Building Your Leadership Foundation

[09:24–35:22]

The Importance of Who, Not How

• The biggest challenges come from moving from 2 to 3 locations—where everything can no longer go through a single owner/operator.
• Hiring & Promoting: Don’t just promote your best server; align every new hire and promotion with your core values and specific skillsets needed for that role.
• Utilize “fractional” or outsourced professionals as you scale—don’t assume every function must be full-time or internal.

Memorable Quote:

“No restaurant can operate…without people. And it's about understanding, again, successfully scaling is all about understanding who exactly you need to hire and making sure that they align with the core values of your business.” — Christin Marvin [11:55]

Clarifying and Living Core Values

• Core values are not wall art; they must be integrated into every aspect (hiring, performance reviews, daily rituals).
• Values should be revisited regularly (e.g., annual reviews, daily pre-shifts, social media shoutouts).
• They’re allowed to evolve as the company grows.

Notable Advice:

“You can't live it if you're not being constantly reminded of it.” — Marvin [18:59]

Promotional Traps & Creating a Talent Pipeline

• Avoid promoting staff without training or a clear job description.
• Use 30-60-90 day plans and leadership workshops to set new managers up for success.
• Anticipate future openings: build a “bench” so you’re ready with promoted leaders when you open new units.

On Hiring:

“They don’t have to check all the boxes... If there’s a willingness and desire, you can coach them into your core values.” — Marvin [26:26]

The Power of One-on-One Meetings

• Consistent one-on-ones are “the most important thing” to transform chaos into proactive leadership.
• Foster trust and development: ask what’s going well and what team members want to learn next.

Notable Quote:

“One-on-ones help you go from complete chaos to recognizing problems before they even become problems.” — Marvin [35:22]

Pillar #2: Process – Creating Consistency without Micromanaging

[39:30–56:41]

Defining Systems vs Procedures

• System: Big-picture ecosystem, e.g., delivering a great guest experience.
• Procedures: Step-by-step methods within the system.
• Use tech tools or platforms (Opus, Wisetail, Me’s, Google Docs) for documentation and continuous access.

“There’s a difference between systems and procedures. The system is the bigger picture goal... The procedures are the step-by-step ways you’re going to achieve that.” — Marvin [41:09]

Communication & Training Architecture

• As you grow, make communication systematic: weekly meetings, quarterly reviews, scorecards.
• Train for information flow, not just in-person communication. Seven repetitions may be needed to cement a new concept.
• Document everything you train and create easily accessible troubleshooting/protocol guides for emergencies (“Oh Shit Guide”).

Meeting Architecture & EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)

• Establish a meeting cadence—weekly operational meetings, quarterly vision reviews, and regular one-on-ones for accountability.
• Use frameworks like EOS to keep everyone aligned and moving toward the same goals.

“Nine out of our ten ideas are complete. The visionary is constantly coming in right to the organization and bringing new ideas... that quarterly review is the check to go: Does this align with us or is this something we need to put on the long list?” — Marvin [46:10]

The Delegation Framework

• Delegate by finding the right “who,” not just dumping tasks.
• Delegating to underqualified staff can create more work—align responsibility with demonstrated skillsets and empower staff to learn to find answers on their own.

Pillar #3: Profit – Tracking What Actually Matters

[57:57–77:42]

Making Profit Not a Dirty Word

• Instill financial literacy and a profit-positive mindset throughout your team.
• Clarify what profit is for: reinvesting in staff, facilities, and future growth, not just owner payouts.
• Be transparent about the company’s goals, targets for sales, labor, cost of goods, promotions, and retention.

“It’s very important for your team to be aligned on what does it take to run a really successful business and what is the result of that success?... None of that can happen without profit.” — Marvin [61:49]

Vital Metrics Over Vanity Metrics

• Track:
  • Sales goals (by year, by unit)
  • Labor and COGS
  • Internal promotions (tracked as a %)
  • Employee happiness (daily/weekly pulse checks)
  • Customer satisfaction (using tools like Marquis, Ovation, Sunday App)
  • Waste, comp, retention

“The number one most important number you should be tracking…people happiness.” — Cacciatore [65:05]

Preventing Profit Leak

• Monitor for hidden losses: inconsistent food prep, inventory errors, unnecessary overtime, inefficient seating, missing opportunities in reservation management.
• Train staff to recognize and fix these leaks proactively.

The Power of Strategic Planning

• Scaling requires a plan: set clear annual and quarterly targets for locations, cash flow, leadership, and more.
• Start from the end goal, then build the roadmap and benchmarks.
• Use scorecards for accountability and engagement.

“The numbers just tell part of the story; making sure your team understands why those numbers are that way and what they can impact.” — Marvin [74:20]

When Is It Time to Scale?

• Do not rush into opening new locations. Assess:
  • Cash flow and capital runway.
  • Sufficient depth in leadership pipeline.
  • Team readiness/buy-in.

“Growth doesn’t come from the outside, it comes from the inside. You put your energy into what you’re already doing and the people you’re doing it with.” — Cacciatore [77:24]

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments (with Timestamps)

• [05:04, Marvin]: “Slow down to speed up.”
• [11:55, Marvin]: “No restaurant can operate, whether you’re a single unit or multi-unit, without people.”
• [18:40, Marvin]: “Core values aren't just wall art; they're living and breathing and need to be revisited.”
• [26:26, Marvin]: “They don’t have to check all the boxes... If there’s willingness and desire, you can coach them.”
• [35:22, Marvin]: “One-on-ones help you go from complete chaos to recognizing problems before they even become problems.”
• [41:09, Marvin]: “Systems are the bigger picture; procedures are the step by step.”
• [46:10, Marvin]: “That quarterly review is the check to go: Does this align with us?”
• [61:49, Marvin]: “It’s very important for your team to be aligned on what does it take to run a really successful business and what is the result of that success? ... None of that can happen without profit.”
• [65:05, Cacciatore]: “The number one most important number you should be tracking … people happiness.”
• [77:24, Cacciatore]: “Growth doesn’t come from the outside. It comes from the inside…”

Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |---------------------------------------------|------------| | Introduction & Mantra | 05:04 | | People Pillar (Leadership, Hiring, Values) | 09:24–35:22| | Process Pillar (Systems, Docs, Meetings) | 39:30–56:41| | Profit Pillar (Metrics, Preventing Leaks) | 57:57–77:42| | Closing Thoughts & Resources | 77:52–79:21|

Further Resources

• Christin Marvin’s free book: www.irfbook.com
• Contact Christin: kristenmarvin.com/contact (also active on LinkedIn @christin-marvin and Instagram @kristenlmarvin)
• Host: Eric Cacciatore

Final Takeaway

Scaling a restaurant group is possible and sustainable—not by luck or hustle alone, but by investing in your people, building bulletproof processes, and managing to clear metrics and profit. Be intentional, stay curious, and keep refining—slow down to speed up, and make your restaurant dreams truly unstoppable.