Building an Empire with Lisa Gasparian: How She Turned a Crisis into a Multi-Million Dollar Brand
What do you do when everything you’ve built gets turned upside down?
You build something even bigger.
In this episode of The Restaurant Coach Podcast, Donald Burns sits down with entrepreneur and restaurateur Lisa Gasparian, founder of Cafe Cremerie, to share the remarkable story of how she transformed one of the most difficult seasons of her career into the foundation of a thriving multi-million-dollar café brand.
Like so many operators, Lisa watched the restaurant landscape change dramatically during COVID. The business she had invested years building was no longer the business she wanted to own. Instead of clinging to what was, she made the difficult decision to start over.
That decision led to the birth of Cafe Cremerie—a brand built with intention, systems, leadership, and a vision that extends far beyond a single location.
This isn’t just another success story.
It’s a masterclass in resilience, reinvention, and what it really takes to build a restaurant business that can scale.
Throughout the conversation, Lisa shares the lessons she learned while navigating uncertainty, building a brand from the ground up, creating a culture people want to be part of, and making decisions that position her company for long-term growth instead of short-term survival.
She also opens up about something many successful entrepreneurs rarely discuss: the importance of having a coach.
Lisa explains how implementing The Restaurant Coach® (TRC) Method helped reshape the way she thinks as a business owner, gave her greater clarity as a leader, and provided the accountability and strategic perspective needed to build the company she envisioned.
As she says during the interview, having an experienced coach in her corner became one of the foundational pieces behind the business she’s building today.
In This Episode You’ll Learn:
- How Lisa rebuilt her career after COVID changed everything
- The mindset required to walk away from the past and start over
- Why building a brand is different than simply opening a restaurant
- The biggest leadership lessons learned while growing Cafe Cremerie
- How systems create freedom and scalability
- Why culture must be built intentionally from day one
- The importance of making decisions like an owner instead of an operator
- How coaching accelerated Lisa’s personal and professional growth
- The role the TRC Method played in helping build a scalable restaurant company
- What it really takes to create a restaurant brand designed for long-term success
Key Takeaway
Restaurants are built by operators. Empires are built by owners.
Lisa’s story is proof that setbacks don’t have to become permanent. When you’re willing to change your thinking, raise your standards, and build systems that support your vision, adversity can become the catalyst for something far greater than you originally imagined.
Quote of the Episode
“Sometimes losing the business you thought you wanted is exactly what creates the opportunity to build the business you were meant to own.”
About Lisa Gasparian
Lisa Gasparian is the founder of Cafe Cremerie, one of Chicago’s fastest-growing café concepts. After navigating the challenges brought on by the pandemic, she chose to build a new brand centered on exceptional guest experiences, operational excellence, and scalable systems.
Today, Cafe Cremerie continues to expand while staying true to the values that inspired its creation—proof that resilience, vision, and disciplined execution can transform even the toughest circumstances into extraordinary opportunities.
Connect with Lisa Gasparian
Follow Cafe Cremerie’s journey and learn more about the brand by connecting with Lisa and her team on social media and visiting their website:
Cafe Cremerie
Ready to Build Your Own Restaurant Empire?
Every successful restaurant owner reaches a point where working harder is no longer the answer.
The next level requires better thinking.
Better leadership.
Better systems.
That’s exactly what The Restaurant Coach® helps independent restaurant owners build.
If you’re ready to stop surviving and start building a restaurant that creates freedom, profitability, and long-term wealth, apply for a complimentary Profit Rescue Call today.
Learn more at: TheRestaurantCoach.com
Subscribe to The Restaurant Coach Podcast
Every week, Donald Burns brings you conversations, strategies, and real-world coaching designed specifically for independent restaurant owners who refuse to settle for average.
If you enjoyed this episode:
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Remember…
All business problems are people problems…and coaching fixes the people problems.
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