How this Restaurant Owner Runs Four Restaurants and Still Has Time for a Life
What does it take to go from pulling double shifts in your family’s restaurant to running four successful locations while still making time for family? In this episode of “The Restaurant Prosperity Formula” podcast, I sat down with Matt Jacobs, a Pennsylvania-based restaurant entrepreneur who built Ben Franklin’s Tap Room and now owns three Jersey Mike’s franchises. Matt shares his journey of starting out overwhelmed, underpaid and stuck in the day-to-day grind to creating systems, building a strong leadership team, and ultimately gaining both financial and personal freedom. Listeners will walk away with inspiration and clarity on what’s possible when you commit to systems, accountability and scaling with purpose.
Building freedom into your restaurant business
We talk about why systems are the foundation of freedom for owners and their teams. We dig into how tools like checklists, recipe costing cards and labor tracking aren’t just paperwork — they create consistency, accountability and breathing room so you can focus on growth.
Leadership that drives restaurant prosperity
This episode highlights why leadership is more than just being present in the restaurant. Jacobs talks about the impact of aligning your team, trusting managers to execute and how clear expectations can unlock both better performance and more personal time for owners.
Scaling restaurant growth with confidence
Thinking about growth? Jacobs explains how having systems in place makes expansion — whether adding new locations or entering franchising — not only possible but sustainable. We discuss what it takes to be prepared for opportunities and how to avoid being chained to the business as you expand.
Why you’ll want to tune in
If you’ve ever felt stuck in your restaurant, working harder but never feeling caught up, this episode will show you another way forward. You’ll learn how to shift from survival mode to strategic growth, hear how accountability changes everything and gain clarity on what prosperity can really look like for you.
Click the podcast player above to listen in, or you can watch the video on YouTube, click here to download the latest episode.
