In this episode of Supy Talks, we're joined by Mark Summers, founder of Bubala – the veg-led Middle Eastern restaurant group that grew from pop-ups into one of London's most celebrated multi-site brands – to talk about what scaling a restaurant actually looks like when you're doing it without shortcuts.Mark shares the real story behind Bubala's growth: two years of pop-ups before a single permanent site, a six-week opening at Spitalfields, a coffee machine that took out the electrics on opening night, and a bold decision to drop their set menu price from £46 back to £39 in pursuit of the value perception that built the brand in the first place.We cover:✅ Two years of pop-ups before the first permanent site✅ Why ”leave your ego at the door” is the most important rule in restaurants✅ Going veg-led: the margin advantage and the creative constraint✅ Hiring a GM six months before opening – and why it changed everything✅ Winning Happiest Workplace: voted for by the team✅ Tech, Tenzo & All Gravy: how Bubala uses data without letting it run the business✅ Why the most popular restaurant in the world can still go brokeYou'll also hear:🔥 The pop-up disaster that served 150 guests – 3 hours late⚡ How a coffee machine killed the electrics on Bubala's opening night📉 Why going from £30 to £46 on the set menu made no extra profit🧠 The mindset shift that keeps operators calm when everything goes wrong📲 Connect with Mark:https://www.linkedin.com/in/mark-summers-bubalaWatch the full episode: https://youtu.be/484u4Cnp_Yg