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The Cutting Onions Podcast

The Cutting Onions Podcast

Written by: Bobby Shaw
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On the Cutting Onions Podcast, restaurant executives Bobby Shaw and Myles Gift celebrate leaders and organizations that build strong people cultures that develop other leaders.

Bobby and Myles interview leaders who have built amazing cultures in their organizations through developing great leaders who produce amazing results, the right way.Copyright Bobby Shaw Art Cooking Economics Food & Wine Management Management & Leadership
Episodes
  • Ep. 110 The Return of Operational Discipline

    Ep. 110 The Return of Operational Discipline
    Jun 11 2026
    Today on The Cutting Onions Podcast, Myles and I talk about the return of operational discipline.
    Here’s what we know:
    • Restaurants are entering a season where fundamentals matter more than ever.
    • Technology, AI, dashboards, kiosks, loyalty platforms, delivery, and automation are all useful tools, but they do not replace the discipline of running a great shift.
    • The winning operators will consistently execute labor, food cost, cleanliness, speed, hospitality, prep, manager presence, opening routines, closing routines, and daily communication.
    • Operational discipline is not old-school. It is the foundation that makes growth, hospitality, and technology actually work.
    The big question we ask is this…

    “Have we accidentally made restaurant leadership too complicated by chasing every new tool, trend, and technology — when what our teams really need first is clarity, standards, and a manager who is present?”

    Spoiler Alert: We don’t think so, but this is a good gut check for all leaders to make sure that we stay focused on the fundamentals.

    We can use technology as an accelerator to make us more efficient, but nothing will replace the basics. It can support what we do operationally, but it can’t replace what we do as leaders.

    All these years later, after leading hundreds of restaurants, we still believe some of the most important leadership lessons are hiding inside those basic routines.

    We hope you enjoy this episode! You can listen in wherever you consume your podcast content.
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    33 mins
  • 110. The Return of Operational Discipline

    110. The Return of Operational Discipline
    Jun 11 2026
    Today on The Cutting Onions Podcast, Myles and I talk about the return of operational discipline. Here’s what we know:
    • Restaurants are entering a season where fundamentals matter more than ever.
    • Technology, AI, dashboards, kiosks, loyalty platforms, delivery, and automation are all useful tools, but they do not replace the discipline of running a great shift.
    • The winning operators will consistently execute labor, food cost, cleanliness, speed, hospitality, prep, manager presence, opening routines, closing routines, and daily communication.
    • Operational discipline is not old-school. It is the foundation that makes growth, hospitality, and technology actually work.
    The big question we ask is this…“Have we accidentally made restaurant leadership too complicated by chasing every new tool, trend, and technology — when what our teams really need first is clarity, standards, and a manager who is present?”Spoiler Alert: We don’t think so, but this is a good gut check for all leaders to make sure that we stay focused on the fundamentals. We can use technology as an accelerator to make us more efficient, but nothing will replace the basics. It can support what we do operationally, but it can’t replace what we do as leaders.All these years later, after leading hundreds of restaurants, we still believe some of the most important leadership lessons are hiding inside those basic routines.We hope you enjoy this episode! You can listen in wherever you consume your podcast content.
    Show More Show Less
    33 mins
  • Ep. 109 Simplifying Leadership with Jason Brooks

    Ep. 109 Simplifying Leadership with Jason Brooks
    Jun 6 2026
    Welcome to The Cutting Onions Podcast! On today's episode we are excited to feature our conversation with restaurant executive and author, Jason Brooks.

    Jason has an incredible leadership story, which we get into on the podcast and it's equal parts inspiring and tactical. Jason has just written a new book titled "The Simplicity of Leadership" and it is fantastic.

    The Simplicity of Leadership is built around one core premise: Complexity kills. Simplicity scales.
    Jason’s message is that leadership does not have to be heavy, over-engineered, or buried under frameworks, meetings, reports, and corporate language. The work of a leader is to simplify the noise so people can focus, grow, communicate clearly, feel valued, own accountability, and build something that lasts. He frames the book around four leadership lanes: mindset, people, accountability, and legacy.

    Jason opens by grounding the book in his own hospitality journey, from server to executive leadership with Outback/Bloomin’ Brands, eventually overseeing 150 locations and nearly 10,000 hourly team members. His credibility comes from lived operational experience, not theory.

    The book is written as a practical playbook for leaders who want better results by subtracting the unnecessary rather than constantly adding more.

    Please check out Jason's ⁠website⁠ to learn more about what Jason is up to and connect with him on LinkedIn to follow along with the insights, industry updates, and lessons from the hospitality industry.
    Show More Show Less
    1 hr
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