Podcast Summary: Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Episode 1241: Ope Amosu, Chef/Owner/Blok Captain of ChòpnBlọk
Date: January 1, 2026

Episode Overview

In this episode, host Eric Cacciatore sits down with Ope Amosu, founder and “Blok Captain” of ChòpnBlọk, one of Houston’s hottest up-and-coming West African-inspired restaurant concepts. Together, they unpack Ope’s unexpected journey from oil and gas executive to celebrated restaurateur, examining the leap from zero restaurant experience to building a thriving, two-location concept, and the systems, mindset, and community focus underpinning his success. Ope shares hard-won insights on validation tactics, the value of authenticity, designing operations for scale, accessible cultural storytelling through food, and leveraging data and mentorship in launching a hospitality venture.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Ope’s Origin Story & Motivation

• Early Life & Inspiration

  • Ope's upbringing as the child of Nigerian immigrants in Houston gave him a deep appreciation for West African culture and the community’s relationship with food.
  • Felt a disconnect between the rich West African culinary traditions and their availability/representation in American dining, especially in mainstream settings.

• Corporate Career & “Aha Moment”

  • Prior to ChòpnBlọk, Ope worked in oil and gas, traveling internationally and noticing effort required to access his cultural comfort food.
  • Inspired by fast-casual concepts like Piada and Cava, Ope realized there was a gap in the market: “I am going to create the first modern West African inspired food and beverage concept to share the beauty of my culture with the world in languages that people understand.” (15:48)

2. Mantra & Mission

• “What is yours is yours.”
  • Ope lives by this mantra:

    “I believe our steps are already ordained here. If you put your mind to something, if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen... People are not going to really be able to stop that blessing that’s on the other side for you.” (05:50)

3. Business Validation & Early Tactics

a. Seeking Mentorship & Industry Learning

• Leveraged his Rice University network to connect with successful Houston restaurateurs and business professors—learning firsthand the importance of details, operational systems, and “maximizing your chicken”.
• Sought out podcasts and content to fill knowledge gaps (e.g., Restaurant Unstoppable, How I Built This).

b. Getting Hands-On: Chipotle Dishwasher

• Purposefully took an entry-level job (dishwasher/prep) at Chipotle to study high-volume systems and gain operational empathy.

  “If I can, as a corporate oil and gas professional, humble myself and take this nighttime gig to do something else... I’m gonna appreciate. And if you still like it after doing it...there’s like that intrinsic value.” (28:08)

c. Community-Based MVP Approach

• Hosted private, invite-only dinners in local apartment club rooms, intentionally cultivating a diverse demographic and collecting detailed feedback through “keeping it real cards.”
• Used these dinners (twice a month, ~20 people each) as both grassroots R&D and network-building, leading to larger public restaurant takeovers (pop-ups) and robust customer data.

  “Don’t build it in a vacuum. Build it alongside your customers. They’ll lead you the right way.” (38:38)

4. Transition to Brick & Mortar

a. Food Hall Entry Point

• ChòpnBlọk’s first physical presence was inside Houston’s “Post” food hall—a strategic, low-risk launchpad with shared revenue model (no fixed rent).
• Opened in Nov 2021 with a compact, highly digestible menu and a small physical footprint (670 sq ft).

b. Second Location: Montrose Flagship

• In Oct 2024, launched a much larger full-service location (~3,000 sq ft, 100 seats) in Houston’s diverse Montrose neighborhood—chosen for high traffic, eclectic spirit, and proximity to historic Black neighborhoods.
• Pivoted quickly from counter service to full service based on customer feedback (“it’s too cute in here, we’re not getting up”).
• “Montrose is probably going to be what we lead with more.” (59:21)

c. Financial Performance (Timestamps refer to first deep discussion of topic)

• Food Hall:
  • ~$2M annual revenue, double-digit margins (>10%), efficient because of revenue share model (08:29-09:02)
• Flagship:
  • ~$5M run rate, 50-55% prime cost, rent at only 3-4% of revenue (09:24-10:26)
  • “We are able to operate the model really well... we have been able to exceed our expectations relative to our rent percentage, so we’re doing about 20% profits.” (09:58–10:12)

5. Operational Scaling & Mindset

a. Menu & Experience Strategy

• Focused on “making the menu digestible”—bundling traditional dishes with sides and proteins for ease of ordering, reducing “decision anxiety”.

  “If you don’t want to have that...decision anxiety, we’ve already done the thinking for you.” (57:10)

b. Organization Structure

• At Montrose: ~80 employees, with a clear structure—front-of-house and back-of-house leads, GMs, sous chefs, with central support roles for catering, development, and (soon) operations director.
• Emphasizes building strong infrastructure prior to scaling beyond 100 employees (“Dunbar’s number” and management challenges at scale).

  “You’ve got to build the house before you move in.” (76:03)

c. Tech Stack & Outsourcing

• Uses Toast POS, OpenTable, Restaurant365 (via Siboney), with growing interest in AI solutions (chatGPT for business planning, brainstorming operations structures).
• Outsources accounting, payroll, and PR, with the intention to bring in fractional executives (CFO/COO) as needed for financial forecasting and strategic growth.

6. Community & Cultural Impact

• 80-90% of ChòpnBlọk’s diners are NOT West African, yet immense support and pride from the local community.

  “One of the things that we've done ...is we've come up with a way to celebrate our cuisine but also invite others to the table.” (20:06–20:53)

• “The restaurant industry is uniquely poised to change the world...food is such a vehicle to connect and to understand a culture.” (21:47–24:06)
• ChòpnBlọk as “platform”—plans for philanthropic arm (Fella: Finance and Entrepreneurship Literacy Academy) and ongoing community engagement initiatives.

7. Scaling Playbook

• Raises initial capital via a convertible debt round (~$500K from friends/family), keeping overhead low and leveraging success/data for subsequent growth.
• Rigorously validates new concepts at small scale before expansion.
• Future: Plans to expand in tandem with West African diaspora communities in major US metros (Houston, Dallas, DMV, NY/NJ, etc.), with careful attention to supply chain and brand support.

  “I believe there’s a lot of value in going into the markets where [my community] has influence.” (92:48)

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• Motivational Mantra

  “What is yours is yours... If you put your mind to something, if it’s meant to be, it’s going to happen.” – Ope (05:50)

• On Validation and Listening to the Customer

  “Don’t build it in a vacuum. Build it alongside your customers. They’ll lead you the right way.” – Ope (38:38)

• Operational Humility

  “If I can, as a corporate oil and gas professional, humble myself and take this nighttime gig to do something else... If you still like it after doing it, there’s like that intrinsic value.” – Ope (28:08)

• On Impact Beyond Food

  “The beauty of the restaurant industry is food is a vehicle to connect and understand culture… It invokes natural curiosity.” – Ope (24:03–24:05)

• Scale and Building Infrastructure

  "You've got to build the house before you move in." – Eric (76:03)
  “Now we are really trying to build out the infrastructure that allows growth to land in the right place.” – Ope (76:04)

• Authenticity

  “One thing you can never duplicate is authenticity.” – Ope (91:32)

• Timeless Wisdom

  “Move authentically. What’s yours is yours. Make time for what matters the most.” – Ope (99:03)

• On Collaboration

  “What I hear we don’t do much in other parts of the country is understanding how we can work together. In collaboration, you go further.” – Ope (96:57)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Ope's Background & Motivation: [11:15]–[16:19]
• Mantra Explanation: [05:42]–[06:14]
• Business Model & Numbers: [08:20]–[10:12]
• Early MVP & Community Testing: [36:00]–[41:57]
• Pop Up & Food Hall Entry: [41:57]–[47:29]
• Funding & Structure: [47:41]–[51:11]
• Scaling Lessons/Second Location: [52:30]–[57:10]
• Approach to Menu ‘Digestibility’: [55:47]–[57:44]
• Organization Building & Scaling: [69:54]–[76:04]
• Tech Stack & Outsourcing: [77:46]–[86:20]
• Vision & Future: [88:04]–[95:06]
• Principles for Life/Legacy: [99:03]
• OG Shout-outs/Influences: [99:36]–[101:46]

Takeaways for Aspiring Restaurateurs

• Validation beats vanity: Start small, co-create with real customers, iterate based on data.
• Seek mentorship fearlessly: Leverage your network, reach out to those ahead of you (“Come correct” and present your progress).
• Be authentic and inclusive: Build for your community, but design a space, product, and narrative that invites everyone to the table.
• Design operations for scale: Invest in systems, organizational structure, and humility-training via hands-on roles, especially if you lack experience (Chipotle hack!).
• Embrace technology and outsourcing: Use enterprise solutions and experts to handle back-office and financials; focus on your strengths.
• Share your story: Use food and hospitality as a bridge; frame your brand as a platform for cultural amplification and community building.
• Move with confidence: If it’s meant for you, it will be yours. And, as Ope says, always “move authentically.”

Recommended Next Steps

• Listen to the full episode for the exact language, anecdotes, and actionable steps from Ope and Eric.
• Dive into more episodes for further mentor connections, success tactics, and best practices in the restaurant industry.

For additional resources, show notes, and tools discussed in the episode, visit RestaurantUnstoppable.com.