Restaurant Talk By Save Fry Oil

·S1 E12

Episode 12 : Is 50% of Your Restaurant's Success & Profit Decided Before You Open?

Nov 25, 2025
34 mins

Episode Description

In this episode, host Chrissy Symeonakis sits down with Ivan Brewer, Founder and Managing Director of Peiso, the world's first hospitality profitability software. With over 25 years in the industry, from making 2,000 coffees a day as a barista to consulting for top venues, Ivan shares his unconventional journey and reveals why the hospitality industry's approach to profitability is fundamentally broken.

This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil, cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate.

Connect with Ivan Brewer Key Takeaways
  • How a sports injury accidentally changed Ivan's entire career trajectory in an unexpected way

  • The daily coffee volume that would make modern baristas completely freak out

  • What working in both luxury hotels and budget restaurants revealed about the real nature of hospitality

  • The shocking truth about a popular 1980s technique that dozens of consultants still recommend today

  • Why half your restaurant's fate is already sealed before you unlock the doors each day

  • The disturbing pattern Ivan discovered when analyzing tech spending across major hospitality groups

  • What suddenly stopped working for restaurants in 2024 after years of reliability

  • The data nightmare hiding in one venue's point of sale system that most operators never see

  • The harsh financial reality facing Australian venues that nobody wants to talk about

What happened to Ivan eight years ago that nearly ended everything and changed his perspective forever

Chapters

  • (00:00:00) - Restaurant Talk: Ivan Brewer
  • (00:01:26) - Leading the hospitality industry's evolution
  • (00:07:15) - Peso: The World's First Hospitality Profitability Software
  • (00:10:53) - PESO: The challenge of technology in hospitality
  • (00:13:34) - Developing an App for the Future
  • (00:15:25) - Top Chef: The challenge of hospitality
  • (00:19:26) - What's the future of the Melbourne Cup?
  • (00:20:54) - Data driven decision-making in the hospitality industry
  • (00:23:53) - Operating in a Challenging Industry
  • (00:27:03) - Future of hospitality: AI and the industry
  • (00:30:21) - Favorite Experience as a Hospitality Customer
  • (00:31:59) - What Would You Do If You Had To Give Advice To Your Guests
See all episodes