Hospitality40 min

How to Stop Bleeding Profits in Your Restaurant

With Shane Stephen Stagg, Founder, Culinary Systems Global

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Former private chef Shane Stephen Stagg on the food waste, weak ordering systems and poor portion control that quietly wipe out restaurant margins, and how to fix them.

From the show notes

Culinary Systems Global

More about Culinary Systems Global Below

In this episode of Founders Mindset Unfiltered, host Albert sits down with Shane Stephen Stagg, culinary consultant and founder of Culinary Systems Global.

With over a decade of experience in high-pressure kitchen environments from Hilton Hotels to managing culinary operations for Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) families, Shane breaks down the operational flaws, profit leaks, and management mistakes that plague the hospitality industry.

Shane shares how turning a blind eye to food wastage, poor procurement systems, and weak portion control can wipe out thousands in revenue each month. He breaks down how structured culinary systems, clear leadership, and smarter operational strategies can improve efficiency, protect margins, and set up hospitality businesses for sustainable, long-term success.

Key Topics Covered

  • Reality vs. Hollywood tropes in professional kitchens (Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares, The Bear).
  • Navigating kitchen hierarchy, high-pressure environments, and mental health in hospitality.
  • How a 900kg carrot ordering blunder taught Shane the ultimate lesson in operational management.
  • The hidden cost of food wastage, voids, and broken procurement systems.
  • Practical strategies to fix inventory depletion, manage portion control, and boost profit margins.
  • Transitioning from a professional chef to cooking for UHNW families and yacht owners.
  • Financial mindset shifts: moving from high spending to reinvesting and building long-term wealth.
  • How Culinary Systems Global helps restaurants eliminate waste and optimize back-of-house operations.

About Culinary Systems Global

Protecting Profit. Strengthening Systems. Building Better Food Businesses.

CSG specialises in helping food businesses identify operational inefficiencies, improve stock and costing systems, strengthen financial control and uncover opportunities to protect and maximise profit.

Timestamps

  1. 00:00:00Introduction
  2. 00:00:13Behind the Scenes: Pressure & Culture in Professional Kitchens
  3. 00:02:37Starting at Age 15: The Hilton Apprenticeship & Early Regrets
  4. 00:06:33Debunking Kitchen Tropes: The Reality of TV vs. Real Life
  5. 00:09:23Managing Pressure, Efficiency, and Knowing Which Corners to Cut
  6. 00:11:03Shifting Pressure: From Busy Saturday Services to Solopreneurship
  7. 00:13:33Diversity, Camaraderie, and Hierarchy Behind the Scenes
  8. 00:15:04The 1,000kg Carrot Ordering Mistake & Key Operational Lessons
  9. 00:17:48The Best Advice: Be a Sponge, Listen, and Absorb Everything
  10. 00:18:50The Hidden Cost of Food Wastage and Voids in Hospitality
  11. 00:20:47Step-by-Step Solutions: Procurement Systems & Portion Control
  12. 00:24:40Great Chef vs. Good Business Owner: Balancing Passion & Strategy
  13. 00:26:13Lessons Learned from Ultra High Net Worth (UHNW) Clients
  14. 00:27:41The Truth About Cooking for Billionaires, Celebrities & Yacht Owners
  15. 00:29:33High Earnings & Financial Mindset Shifts: Spending vs. Saving
  16. 00:31:10Founding Culinary Systems Global: Solving Back-of-House Inefficiencies
  17. 00:34:33Why Relying on Systems is Better Than Relying on One Person
  18. 00:35:49Rapid Fire Round: Scares, Working Hours & Biggest Wins
  19. 00:39:56Expanding Internationally & Outro

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