Podcast Summary

Episode Overview

Podcast: Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Episode: #1235 — Dan Weinberger, Founder of Weinberger's Deli
Date: November 24, 2025
Theme:
Eric sits down with Dan Weinberger in Grapevine, TX, to unpack how he built Weinberger’s Deli—now a local institution generating $2.75M/year with a 12% profit margin—from the ground up. The episode dives into Dan’s family legacy in delis, his unique sandwich philosophy, pricing strategies, operational systems, labor practices, guerrilla marketing efforts, and why partnering with expert vendors is crucial for modern restaurant survival. The conversation is candid, lively, and full of wisdom for restaurateurs at any stage.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Dan’s Background & Legacy

• Deep Roots: Dan’s family has run delis in Chicago since 1952; he’s the "second-and-a-half generation" in the biz (10:34).
• Pivot Post-9/11: Consulting dried up for Dan and his wife, prompting the deli’s launch in Texas in 2002 (07:00, 30:28).
• Lifelong Food Evolution: Originally trained as a biologist; discovered passion for food through classes after friends critiqued his cooking (19:25).

Notable Quote:
“Nothing goes to waste. This is not a business of dollars. It’s a business of pennies.”
—Dan Weinberger, on lessons from his dad and culinary mentors (17:46)

2. Weinberger’s Deli Today

• Single 1,276 sq ft location, counter service, 36 seats (07:31).
• $2.75M in revenue last year (07:39).
• Menu boasts 84 sandwiches and salads (09:32); plans to grow to over 130 (51:18)!
• Offers community-voted special sandwiches and features a rotating selection (09:55).

Notable Quote:
“I’ve created my own style, my own architecture of a sandwich. I have a flavor wheel.”
—Dan Weinberger (09:59)

3. Operations, Financials & Employee Philosophy

• High Labor, Purposeful Choice: Labor is 43% of sales; Dan’s committed to “working wages”—some sandwich makers earn $92K/yr (42:53).
• Prime Cost Challenges: Prime cost sits high at 73%, but offset by low occupancy—rent is only 3% of revenue (07:48, 36:59).
• 12% Profit Margin: Still above industry averages, and steadily increasing since bringing in experts (08:34, 101:45).
• Heavy Employee Investment: Dan prioritizes loyalty, career paths, and treats labor as an investment over profit maximization (40:35, 42:18).

Notable Quote:
“I can make a lot of money for what I do—but I keep reinvesting it into my employees. The loyalty I get... what other employees would do that for?”
—Dan Weinberger (40:35)

4. Menu Philosophy & Product Engineering

• “Smoke and Mirrors” Strategy: Menu lists 130 sandwiches, but only 20 are core sellers—ingredient overlap keeps inventory tight (51:39–52:09).
• Each ingredient must have at least three uses—minimizing waste and maximizing efficiency (52:09).
• Menu Engineering: Placement and category ordering influences what people buy and thus affects margin mix (55:51–56:54).
• Local Taste Adaptation: Original NYC/Chicago-style deli items had to be re-invented for the Texas palate (45:05, 45:23).

Notable Quote:
“I have 130 sandwiches up there. 20 sell constantly. 110 don’t. It’s smoke and mirrors.”
—Dan Weinberger (51:47)

5. Marketing Genius & Community Building

• Guerrilla Marketing: Personal outreach to media, community leaders, and even radio shows helped spread the word pre-tipping point (61:39–62:12).
• Sandwich Naming Strategy: Created menu items named after local celebs/personalities—winning their buy-in and word of mouth (45:23–46:44).
• Charity Auctions: Auctioned off the right to have a sandwich named after you, with bids upwards of $2,100, benefitting charities (49:25).

Notable Quote:
“Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle… You’ve got five senses before you even taste the product—if those fail, taste is going to get you a C, not an A.”
—Dan Weinberger (25:01, 25:23)

6. Systems & Technology: Surviving Modern Complexity

• Fractional CFO/Back Office: Hired Sir Bony for bookkeeping, payroll, taxes, compliance, and financial clarity (37:10–38:34).
• Tech Stack: Square POS, PopMenu for online ordering/reviews, and Restaurant365 for back office/accounting—Sir Boni manages/oversees integrations (77:33, 99:03–99:33).
• Online Orders: $70K/month through PopMenu; credits AI for saving hours in review responses (78:23–81:24).
• Pandemic Impact: Menu diversity boosted takeout business; reduced staff initially, but demand surged as diners tired of the usual burger/pizza rotation (77:41–78:11).

Notable Quote:
“The fact that I can sleep at night… Cerboni [Sir Boni] straightened all that up. They tell me exactly if I owe, if I don’t owe. Last year, I did not owe anything.”
—Dan Weinberger (91:47)

7. Key Benchmarks & Lessons Learned

• Benchmarks Shared:
  • Labor: 43%
  • Occupancy/rent: 3%
  • Food CoGS average: around 30% (ranges 17–36% by category) (53:12–54:46)
  • Total sales: $2.75M; Net profit: $220K–$300K (102:23–102:44)
• Profit Jump: Increased from 8% to 12–16% after implementing Sir Bony’s systems (101:45, 101:52).
• Systems Save Money: Sir Bony handled back taxes, improved margins, took over time-consuming back office tasks, and allowed Dan to focus on food (37:10–38:34, 91:47–93:01).
• Finding the Right Tech: Choosing the vendors who’ll last and integrating platforms is a huge concern for Dan—“Who’s going to win the race?” (83:03, 84:37).

Notable Quote:
"It's not a cost, it's an investment. That's the best way to describe it."
—Dan Weinberger, on hiring Sir Boni (96:39)

8. Vision, Expansion & Staying Relevant

• Expansion: About to double in size, adding seats and eventually breakfast menu and kiosks for self-ordering (105:06).
• Philosophy: Reinvents the menu every five years; keeps the human touch (no digital menu boards), uses the shop as a community space (106:15–107:03).
• Worldly Recognition: Sandwich shop known worldwide—including write-ups in the London Post, South African and Chinese media, driven by visiting global subcultures (e.g., gamers from Warhammer headquarters across the street) (108:26–109:21).

9. Advice for Restaurateurs & the Future

• Don’t DIY Everything:
  • “You cannot maneuver a business today without having specialists in accounting, in law, in architecture, in equipment...”
  • “When you think, ‘I got this’—you don’t got this. Nobody’s got it.”
    (90:43, 97:19)
• Share Benchmarks & Ask for Help: Both host and guest agree: open up about your numbers; seek help and partners; it’s the only path to sustainability (98:02, 98:57).
• Embrace Change, Keep Community: Regular reinvention is part of longevity, but keep some things tactile and “real”—don’t over-digitize at the cost of soul (106:15–107:03).

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

| Timestamp | Speaker | Quote | |-----------|---------|-------| | 10:32 | Dan | “Second and a half generation [sandwich maker]… grandfather a produce man, great grandfather a fisherman on the Mississippi, dad a butcher and deli owner.” | | 11:27 | Dan | “It’s just keep moving forward. You just cannot stop. It's like being a shark.” | | 17:46 | Dan | “Nothing goes to waste. This is not a business of dollars. It’s a business of pennies.” | | 25:01–25:23 | Dan | “Don’t sell the steak, sell the sizzle...You have five senses. The first four need to set up the fifth, which is taste.” | | 40:35 | Dan | “I keep reinvesting in my employees…the loyalty I get out of them…and the extra.” | | 42:53 | Dan | “I’ve got sandwich makers that are making $37.50 an hour, plus tips…one makes $92,000.” | | 51:47 | Dan | “I have 130 sandwiches up there. 20 sell constantly. 110 don’t. It’s smoke and mirrors.” | | 91:47 | Dan | “The fact that I can sleep at night…Cerboni (Sir Boni) straightened all that up.” | | 96:39 | Dan | “It’s not a cost, it’s an investment. That’s the best way to describe it.” | | 97:19 | Dan | “When you think, ‘I got this’—you don’t got this. Nobody’s got it.” | | 106:15 | Dan | “Restaurants every five years have to reinvent themselves…but I’m not going digital. I want to keep that touch, that feeling.” |

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Dan’s Restaurant Model, Revenue, Labor Costs: 06:57–08:43
• Sandwich Philosophy & Family History: 09:55–14:15
• Labor Practices & Employee Investment: 40:16–42:59
• Menu Engineering “Smoke & Mirrors”: 51:39–54:07
• Marketing: Sandwich-Naming Strategy: 45:23–46:44
• Transition to Hiring Professionals (Sir Bony): 37:10–38:34
• The Value of a Financial Partner: 91:47–93:01
• Profit Improvement (Benchmarks): 101:45–102:44
• Lessons on Tech Stack Choices: 83:03–84:37
• Pandemic Evolution & PopMenu Adoption: 77:40–78:23
• Community, Reinvention, and Worldly Reputation: 106:15–109:21

Conclusion

Dan Weinberger’s story is a masterclass in blending family heritage, product obsession, grassroots marketing, and a willingness to adapt—all while fiercely investing in people and the right experts. Whether it’s serving up a “life-changing” sandwich, turning a profit in a fierce industry, or finding harmony in the chaos with the help of Sir Bony’s financial stewardship, Dan’s deli stands as proof that old-school hospitality, community roots, and modern systems can coexist—if you don’t try to do it all alone.

Essential Takeaway:
You can't do it all yourself. Invest in your team, your systems, and the right partners; then focus on what you do best—making great (and memorable) food.

For more, find Dan at weinbergersdeli.com or visit (Main Street, Grapevine, TX). Reach him at weinbergersdeli@aol.com. Catch the next “Coffee with Eric” at restaurantunstoppable.com/CWE