FULL COMP · 2026-07-03 · 36 min
What if your guests aren’t choosing your competitors, they just forgot you exist? Ben Leventhal has spent 20 years building the infrastructure that connects diners to restaurants. He co-founded Eater in 2005, co-founded Resy in 2014, sold it to American Express in 2019, and is now the CEO and founder of Blackbird Labs, a loyalty and payments platform built to give independent restaurants the tools that large brands have had for years. In this conversation, we get into why 42% of restaurants aren't profitable and what role loyalty plays in fixing that, how frequency and access are more valuable than acquisition, and why the independent restaurant's biggest competitive disadvantage is being invisible to guests who already love them. If your regulars aren't showing up as often as they should, this episode is where to start. To learn more about Blackbird Labs, visit blackbird.xyz . _________________________________________________________ Free 5-Day Restaurant Marketing Masterclass - This is a live training where you'll learn the exact campaigns Josh has built and tested in real restaurants to attract new guests, increase visit frequency, and generate sales on demand.
Rob Herold: This is the secret to delegation55 / 100
Rachel Cope: The City Nobody Wanted
How to Build a Restaurant That Can Scale Without Breaking: Jeff Fenster, Everbowl
Kyle Willis: The Busy Trap
How to Build a Restaurant That Can Grow Profitably: Randy Sharpe, Wahlburgers