JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

An 800-square-foot restaurant generating $2.5 million in its first year is every food entrepreneur’s dream—but as Stephen Le of The Kroft discovered, early success can quickly become a nightmare without discipline and operational control.

In this incredibly raw and transparent episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro sits down with Stephen Le to unpack the meteoric rise, painful fall, and triumphant rebirth of his fast-casual empire.

Stephen’s story is a masterclass in extreme accountability. He shares how his ego grew alongside his sales, leading him to step back from the business just when it needed him most. As standards slipped and the pandemic hit, revenues plummeted by more than 50%, and Stephen found himself spiraling into substance abuse. His decision to check into rehab in April 2022 didn't just save his life—it saved his business. By taking absolute ownership of his failures, re-establishing daily discipline, and getting back into the trenches with his staff, he rebuilt The Kroft into a highly optimized, scalable brand.

The Journey of The Kroft

1990s-2000s: The Spark - As a first-generation Vietnamese American latchkey kid, Stephen discovers his passion for food by cooking for his family's weekend BBQs.

 
2010: First Venture of Shabu-Shabu - Opens a shabu-shabu restaurant in Irvine with friends. He learns the hospitality ropes through a concept that requires heavy prep but no traditional line chefs.

 

2013-2014: The Kroft Explodes - Pivots to fast-casual with The Kroft, serving artisan poutine and sandwiches. The tiny 800 sq. ft. Anaheim location does a staggering $2.5 million in year one.

 

2018-2021: The Decline - Success breeds ego. Stephen steps back to golf and pursue side projects. Standards slip, sales drop to $1.2 million, and pandemic stress leads to a downward spiral.

 

April 2022: Rehab & Rebirth - Checks into rehab, gets sober, and takes full accountability. He starts building daily habits (like making his bed) and returns to lead the business from the front lines.

 

Present: Optimization & Expansion - Returns to original recipes, empowers staff, dials in finances, and hires a dedicated marketing team. The Kroft scales successfully across Southern California.

The 3 Spreadsheets That Saved The Business
A major turning point for Stephen was moving away from "gut feeling" management to data-driven leadership. He maintains a strict 26% to 30% Cost of Goods Sold (COGS) target by relying on three core reports:

Report Type
Primary Purpose
Impact

Gross Sales Analysis
Tracks MoM and YoY growth.
Allows for direct performance comparisons across all locations.

Bread Par Sheet
Tracks exact daily usage of artisan bread.
Eliminated $300/month in bread waste by adjusting pars based on product mix.

COGS Tracker
Monitors vendor invoices (meat, produce, supplies).
Identifies location-specific waste (e.g., catching when one store uses 10% more meat than another).

 

Key Lessons for Scaling Entrepreneurs

Extreme Ownership: You cannot fix your business until you accept that every failure—from slipping food quality to high turnover—is ultimately your fault as the owner.

Invest in Your Core Team: Stephen’s turnaround relied heavily on identifying five key players at each location. By investing in them and genuinely caring about their growth, he transformed $15/hour line cooks into six-figure General Managers.

Standardize Before You Market: Never pump the gas on marketing if your operations are broken. Stephen spent a full year walking the line, tasting food, and re-standardizing the original recipes before he spent a dime on new ad campaigns.

The Power of Routine: Chaos in the kitchen is inevitable. Stephen manages it by ruthlessly scheduling his life—if an inventory check, vendor order, or staff lunch isn't on the Google Calendar, it doesn't exist.

The episode covers practical lessons: recipe standardization, staffing and culture, financial tracking, marketing strategies, R&D, and personal recovery and discipline—straightforward advice for food entrepreneurs planning to scale.

 

IG: @thekroft

Address: www.thekroft.com 

Location: 440 S Anaheim Blvd #109, Anaheim, CA 92805

 

Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

 

Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

 

Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro?

Justin Ryan Bizzarro is a multi-dimensional entrepreneur, mentor, and strategist whose career is defined by the intersection of legacy, leadership, and human growth. With a journey that began in his family’s basement in 1998, Justin helped scale a 24-year-old ecosystem of food and technology enterprises into a global benchmark for vertical integration and lean manufacturing.

While his professional foundation is built on complex supply chains, restaurant development, and brand acceleration, Justin’s true north is development—whether it’s a startup, an elite athlete, or a community. As the founder of GorillaBrave, he has transitioned from building businesses to building humans, utilizing his "Troop" philosophy to empower the next generation of culinary and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Justin is a sought-after voice on free markets, food diversity, and high-performance culture. His influence extends from the boardroom to the soccer pitch, where he coaches with the same tactical precision and "warrior" mindset he applies to his corporate ventures. Whether he is hosting a global podcast that reaches millions or developing curriculum for youth athletes, his mission remains constant: accelerating human potential.

A lifelong student of leadership and service, Justin holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and deepen his perspective through taking classes towards a  Master of Divinity in Leadership at Denver Seminary. Based in Colorado, he is a dedicated father, a steward of his family’s legacy, and a persistent advocate for those brave enough to capitalize on their own opportunities.

 

Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

 

Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

 

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

 

All music is scored by host or royalty free.

How does a Navy veteran go from turning wrenches on F-18 Hornets and managing thousand-person teams at Amazon to slinging double-smashed "Jedi Jammer" burgers out of a 16-foot trailer in Delaware?

In this powerhouse episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, Justin sits down with Chris Wheeler to unpack the raw, unfiltered reality of leaving the corporate safety net to launch Mealz on Wheelz. Chris breaks down his incredibly fast-paced startup journey, including a grueling 26-hour round trip to secure his trailer and how he utilized AI—specifically his custom digital assistant, "Phyllis"—to design his branding, map out his equipment flow, and execute his menu in a fraction of the usual time.

The mental toughness required to pivot when things go wrong is a major theme in this conversation. Pushing through adversity and teaching resilience through tough losses on the pitch with GorillaBrave FC perfectly parallels the exact perseverance Chris needed to transition into the high-stakes chaos of food entrepreneurship. Justin and Chris dive deep into the mindset required to survive 16-hour days, the importance of finding the right mentors, and why true leadership means getting behind the scenes to clean up the mess rather than just leading from the front.

Whether you are looking to break out of the corporate grind, want to learn how to leverage AI to shortcut your startup phase, or just need a masterclass in relentless execution, this episode delivers.

 

IG: @mealzonwheelzde

Address: www.mealzonwheelzde.com 

Location: 17603 Shady Road, Lewes, DE 19958

 

Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

 

Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

 

Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro?

Justin Ryan Bizzarro is a multi-dimensional entrepreneur, mentor, and strategist whose career is defined by the intersection of legacy, leadership, and human growth. With a journey that began in his family’s basement in 1998, Justin helped scale a 24-year-old ecosystem of food and technology enterprises into a global benchmark for vertical integration and lean manufacturing.

While his professional foundation is built on complex supply chains, restaurant development, and brand acceleration, Justin’s true north is development—whether it’s a startup, an elite athlete, or a community. As the founder of GorillaBrave, he has transitioned from building businesses to building humans, utilizing his "Troop" philosophy to empower the next generation of culinary and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Justin is a sought-after voice on free markets, food diversity, and high-performance culture. His influence extends from the boardroom to the soccer pitch, where he coaches with the same tactical precision and "warrior" mindset he applies to his corporate ventures. Whether he is hosting a global podcast that reaches millions or developing curriculum for youth athletes, his mission remains constant: accelerating human potential.

A lifelong student of leadership and service, Justin holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and deepen his perspective through taking classes towards a  Master of Divinity in Leadership at Denver Seminary. Based in Colorado, he is a dedicated father, a steward of his family’s legacy, and a persistent advocate for those brave enough to capitalize on their own opportunities.

 

Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

 

Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

 

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

 

All music is scored by host or royalty free.

How does a young girl from Kazakhstan, whose mother encouraged her to wear high heels and oversized belts at age eight, eventually become a high-end fruit carving artist in Overland Park, Kansas?

In this fascinating episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro sits down with Zhamilya Koshmambetova, the founder and creative force behind Azaya Fruit Design Studio. This is a conversation about the power of creativity, the immigrant journey, and how a simple act of bringing fruit to a party blossomed into a unique and thriving business.

Zhamilya shares her incredible international story. Born in Kazakhstan to an artistic family that championed self-expression, she traveled to Moscow for her education in advertising. It was there she met her husband, leading them on a global journey to Australia, Canada, and eventually Denver, before finally putting down roots in the welcoming community of Overland Park.

This episode delves into the unexpected origin of her business. As a mother of three, Zhamilya was searching for a creative outlet when she noticed a recurring issue at social gatherings: many friends couldn't eat traditional sugary desserts due to health or dietary restrictions. Her solution? Bringing beautifully arranged fruit platters. What started as a thoughtful gesture for friends quickly escalated into a demand for her stunning, hand-carved fruit displays at weddings and major events.

Zhamilya opens up about the realities of being a self-taught artist, learning intricate carving techniques from Russian masters on YouTube, and the constant drive to elevate her craft from simple platters to grand, architectural fruit table installations. She also discusses the importance of community support, leaning on her faith during challenging times, and her commitment to giving back through local charities like KC for Refugees.

Tune in for an inspiring discussion on finding your niche, the beauty of building a business that aligns with your values, and why true entrepreneurial success is about more than just profit—it's about bringing joy, health, and a touch of art to your community.

Key Takeaways

The Power of the Pivot: How Zhamilya transitioned from a background in ballroom dancing and advertising to becoming a self-taught fruit carving artist.

Solving a Problem: The origin of Azaya Fruit Design Studio, born from a desire to provide beautiful, healthy dessert alternatives for friends with dietary restrictions.

The "Free" Marketing Strategy: How Zhamilya built her brand and portfolio by initially offering her elaborate fruit displays for free at large community weddings.

The Importance of Community: The role of the supportive vendor community in Kansas and the necessity of asking questions and learning from peers.

Faith-Driven Business: How Zhamilya’s faith shapes her approach to business, emphasizing the importance of giving back (Zakat/Sadaqah) and trusting the journey during difficult times.

 

IG: @azayafruits

Address: https://www.facebook.com/azayafruits/ 

 

Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

 

Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

 

Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro?

Justin Ryan Bizzarro is a multi-dimensional entrepreneur, mentor, and strategist whose career is defined by the intersection of legacy, leadership, and human growth. With a journey that began in his family’s basement in 1998, Justin helped scale a 24-year-old ecosystem of food and technology enterprises into a global benchmark for vertical integration and lean manufacturing.

While his professional foundation is built on complex supply chains, restaurant development, and brand acceleration, Justin’s true north is development—whether it’s a startup, an elite athlete, or a community. As the founder of GorillaBrave, he has transitioned from building businesses to building humans, utilizing his "Troop" philosophy to empower the next generation of culinary and agricultural entrepreneurs.

Justin is a sought-after voice on free markets, food diversity, and high-performance culture. His influence extends from the boardroom to the soccer pitch, where he coaches with the same tactical precision and "warrior" mindset he applies to his corporate ventures. Whether he is hosting a global podcast that reaches millions or developing curriculum for youth athletes, his mission remains constant: accelerating human potential.

A lifelong student of leadership and service, Justin holds a BA from Dickinson College and an MBA from UNC-Chapel Hill, and and deepen his perspective through taking classes towards a Master of Divinity in Leadership at Denver Seminary. Based in Colorado, he is a dedicated father, a steward of his family’s legacy, and a persistent advocate for those brave enough to capitalize on their own opportunities.

 

Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

 

Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

 

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

 

All music is scored by host or royalty free.

How does a young girl from a tiny Thai village with no running water build a multi-location spa empire in Canada, all while preserving the authentic, communal spirit of her homeland?

In this deeply restorative and insightful episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, host Justin Bizzarro welcomes Neata Goutier, the founder of Sabai Thai Spa, an established brand with seven corporate locations in Vancouver and a newly launched franchise model. This is a conversation about the intersection of hospitality, healing, and the long-game of building a legacy business.

Neata’s story begins in a 200-person village in Thailand, where community support was a way of life and natural healing—through herbal remedies and massage—was a daily routine. Discover how she identified a massive cultural gap when she moved to North America: a fast-paced society that felt guilty about self-care. Neata opened her first spa 20 years ago with less than $1,000 and a vision to create a sanctuary where Westerners could experience the warmth, five-sense hospitality, and preventative health benefits of traditional Thai culture.

This episode is a masterclass in slow, sustainable growth. Neata details her evolution from an exhausted owner-operator to a strategic CEO. She explains the critical importance of stepping back to work on the business rather than in it, the necessity of trusting your team, and why she spent nearly three years meticulously building out her systems and SOPs before ever offering a franchise.

More than just a business playbook, this is a profound discussion on purpose. Neata and Justin delve into the difference between a money-driven "sole proprietor" and a true "entrepreneur" who seeks to elevate the world. Learn about Sabai Thai Spa’s incredible commitment to the environment—planting a tree for every massage and kelp for every product sold—and why Neata believes that the ultimate superpower in business is finding joy in the journey and leaving the world better than you found it.

Key Takeaways

Cultural Translation: How Neata successfully introduced the Thai philosophy of holistic, preventative self-care to a fast-paced North American market.

The Power of Grassroots Marketing: Building a customer base by physically knocking on doors, introducing the business to neighbors, and sponsoring local sports teams and schools.

Scaling with Systems: Why it took two and a half years to build the foundational systems (HR, accounting, training) required to support a franchise model, ensuring long-term success over rapid expansion.

From Operator to CEO: The necessary, often difficult transition of handing over the keys to management and stepping back to focus on business development.

Purpose-Driven Profit: How tying the business to environmental restoration (planting trees and kelp) provides deep motivation and connects the brand to a larger global mission.

 

IG: @sabaithaispa

Address: www.sabaithai.com 

 

Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

 

Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

 

Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe.

 

Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

 

Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

 

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

 

All music is scored by host or royalty free.

How does a kid selling rocks from his bedroom turn into a touring musician, and eventually the founder of a powerhouse marketing agency?

In this episode of the JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS Show, Justin sits down with John Smiddy, the visionary behind NutraMarketers (www.nutramarketers.com).

This conversation dives deep into the gritty reality of building a business from the ground up. Justin and John bond over the mental toughness forged through physical disciplines like 75 Hard, exploring how training the body is the ultimate preparation for surviving the chaotic, high-stress world of entrepreneurship.

John pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to market consumer packaged goods and nutritional supplements today. Listeners will get a masterclass in consumer psychology, learning why having a great product simply isn't enough if you don't understand the math behind your marketing. John breaks down the exact formulas for scaling: balancing customer acquisition cost (CAC), maximizing lifetime value (LTV) through strategic subscribe-and-save models, and crafting a unique "story within the formula" that builds instant brand credibility.

Whether you are trying to break into a crowded retail market, dialing in your e-commerce strategy, or just need the raw motivation to keep pushing forward when you want to throw in the towel, this episode delivers the exact playbook you need to win.

 

Address: www.nutramarketers.com

 

Entrepreneur interested in being on the show: https://calendly.com/justin-bizzarro/podcast

 

Hosted By: Justin Ryan Bizzarro (IG: @justinbizzarro and LinkedIn: FOLLOW ME )

 

Who is Justin Ryan Bizzarro? – Justin Bizzarro is a serial food, restaurant, technology, media and marketing entrepreneur, who helped build a 24-year-old group of food and restaurant related businesses, he created with his father and business partners out of his family’s basement, in 1998. He is a highly desired business management, personal and athlete growth, free market, food diversity, and entrepreneurial leadership speaker. Justin’s expertise are in human growth, motivation, leadership and management development, health foods and beverages, global lean manufacturing facilities, vertically integrating businesses, food marketing and advertising, supply chain creation and management, direct to consumer fulfillment, transportation and distribution, personal brand building, restaurant development and construction, and entrepreneur acceleration. Justin received his BA in International Business and Management from Dickinson College, in 2002, and his MBA from University of North Carolina - Chapel Hill, in 2014. He is currently pursuing his Master of Divinity in Leadership from Denver Seminary. His leadership and entrepreneur podcasts have positively impacted millions of people across the globe.

 

Our [ELITE] Food, Farming, Hospitality, Nutrition, and Beverage Entrepreneurs Community: Under [NEW] Construction

Blog Anyone?: GorillaBrave Blog

On Instagram: GorillaBrave on Instagram

GorillaBrave Group on Whoop: COMM-473D96

 

Free Podcast.  No Advertisements.  The stories of Food, Beverage, Farming, Hospitality, and Nutrition Entrepreneurs and how their failures led to the successes in their lives and in their business.  What does the future have in store for the food, beverage, and nutrition entrepreneur?

 

JUSTIN AND THE [FOOD] ENTREPRENEURS

Email: justin.bizzarro@gmail.com

Instagram: @justinandthefoodentrepreneurs ( #foodentrepreneurs )

 

All music is scored by host or royalty free.