In Episode 16 of Supy Talks, we’re joined by Tom Stanley, Founder & CEO of William Stanley & Co – a restaurant operator-turned-accountant whose team supports 600+ hospitality businesses across the UK, US, Middle East and beyond. From Soho House to Big Mamma Group, Tom has seen the inside of more P&Ls than most operators will in a lifetime — and he’s refreshingly honest about what really drives profit.Across the episode, Tom breaks down the realities of rising wage costs, why “best-of-breed” tech stacks beat all-in-one, and the operating systems you need in place before you scale from two sites to ten.We cover:✅ The three levers great operators obsess over (and how often to review them)✅ The £200k stockroom audit: controls, accountability and transparent food cost✅ Labour in 2025: structuring sections and rotas without hurting service✅ Why menu engineering is better than hard upsells✅ Best-of-breed tech stacks (“LEGO bricks”) that scale with you✅ Weekly rhythms for making P&Ls usable ✅ When central kitchens pay back — and when they don’t✅ UK expansion hotspots (Manchester, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Bristol) and global watch-outsYou’ll also hear:🔥 Why private dining often beats retail as a new revenue stream📊 What “healthy” food cost looks like by concept — and why many now manage to a ~60% combined food+labour envelope🛠 Simple controls that stop waste, errors and theft before they hit the P&L🤝 How tight operator–vendor relationships solve problems faster than any feature list🏗 The single biggest prerequisite to franchising without chaos: a replicable operating systemWhether you’re an FD, COO or multi-site operator planning your next five openings, this conversation is a masterclass in turning numbers into decisions — and decisions into profit.📲 Connect with Tom: williamstanley.co | https://www.linkedin.com/in/tmhstanley/