A Restaurant Growth Strategy That Works
In this episode of The Restaurant Prosperity Formula podcast, I had the pleasure of interviewing Mark McShaffry, a seasoned restaurant owner with nearly 40 years of industry experience. After starting his career with Houston's, McShaffry eventually took the leap into independent ownership, opening The Backyard Grill in 2001. Since then, he’s grown to operate multiple concepts, including Creekwood Grill and Aero Crafters, all while becoming deeply rooted in his community.
In this conversation, McShaffry shares his journey from corporate manager to thriving multi-unit owner, the tough lessons he learned along the way, and why systems, leadership and continuous learning have been the keys to his long-term success. If you’re a restaurant owner who wants to grow, get your life back and achieve true prosperity, you won’t want to miss this inspiring episode.
Tune in to learn:
- How McShaffry got his start and what he learned early on
- McShaffry’s turning point
- Why systems are critical no matter the concept
- How community involvement skyrocketed backyard grill’s success
- Why continuous learning and coaching are non-negotiable
- The power of bringing your team to seminars
- How McShaffry runs his restaurants now, mostly remotely
Despite decades of experience, McShaffry admitted that when he first opened his own restaurant, he was just "running shifts" instead of "running a business." A low point came when a consultant offered to "fix" his restaurant for $20,000. Instead, McShaffry had a realization: he already knew what needed to be done — he just wasn’t doing it. That wake-up call led him to commit to true ownership, digging into systems, training, and accountability. It’s a lesson every independent operator needs to hear: owning a restaurant takes a different mindset than managing one.
Even after decades in the business, McShaffry says he still shows up to every coaching call and seminar as a student, not an expert. After COVID, he rejoined my coaching program because he recognized he needed support, accountability and a sense of community with other restaurant owners who get it. Being a member of mastermind coaching group not only helped him tighten up his systems again but gave him a network of peers to brainstorm with and learn from.
This episode is loaded with lessons from the restaurant owner’s perspective. Be sure to make time to listen.
Click the podcast player above to listen in, or you can watch the video on YouTube, click here to download the latest episode.
