Let’s be real: running a single-unit restaurant is like wrestling a dragon while your curtain is on fire. It’s chaotic, exhausting, and usually ends with you smelling like old fryer grease and regret. But then you look at groups like Bacari, the brainchild of the Kronfli brothers, and you see a different story. They didn't just survive the cutthroat L.A. scene; they dominated it by blending high-end design with "neighborhood favorite" vibes.
At Kuypers Creative, we spend our days dissecting why some brands explode while others succumb to the lullaby of dying margins. Today, we’re looking at the Bacari Group and the lessons we can extract from the Top 100 Independent Restaurants in the country. Ready? Aprons on.
The Bacari Story: From West Adams to a Mini-Empire
In 2008, Robert and Danny Kronfli launched Bacari West Adams. At the time, it was a tiny wine bar serving Mediterranean-inspired "cicchetti" (small plates). They didn't have a massive corporate backing; they had a vision for a place that felt like a party you were actually invited to.
Over the last 15 years, they’ve expanded to multiple locations across Southern California, including Glendale, Playa Del Rey, and Silver Lake. What makes them fascinating isn't just the food, it’s the Scale-Indie Hybrid model. They operate with the precision of a massive chain but maintain the "soul" of a local mom-and-pop. That is the holy grail of restaurant growth strategy.
Connect with Bacari Group:
- Website: eatwithbacari.com
- Instagram: @eatwithbacari
- Facebook: Bacari Group
- Founder Socials: Robert Kronfli (LinkedIn), Danny Kronfli (LinkedIn)
Recent Press & News:
- How Bacari is Redefining the L.A. Dining Scene (Eater LA)
- The Kronfli Brothers on Scaling Culture (Nation's Restaurant News)
(Caption: The signature high-design vibe of a Bacari location, where Mediterranean aesthetics meet neighborhood comfort.)
1. Leverage Group Purchasing Power
Single-unit owners are "small fish." When you scale like Bacari or the top independent groups, you become a shark. By centralizing buying across multiple locations, you can negotiate master contracts for high-volume items like protein, dairy, and liquor. (Yes, even that fancy oat milk your barista keeps "forgetting" to charge for). Boring wins. Boring pays. Boring is the new sexy.
2. Build Strategic Vertical Integration
The Kronfli brothers didn't just buy sauce; they made it, branded it, and sold it. Creating your own product lines, like their Kronfli Brothers sauce brand, allows you to control the supply chain and capture margins that would otherwise go to a middleman. When you own the source, you own the profit.
3. Develop a Distinctive Unique Selling Proposition (USP)
"Good food and service" is not a USP. It’s the bare minimum requirement to stay open for more than six months. Bacari’s USP is the atmosphere. It feels expensive but stays accessible. It’s high-design but low-pretension. If your brand doesn't have a "hook" that people can describe in five words or less, you're just another building with a kitchen.
4. Centralize Back-End Operations
If your floor manager is stuck in the back office doing payroll while the dining room is crashing, you’re losing money. The top independent groups unify HR, accounting, and data analytics at a corporate level. This frees up the "boots on the ground" to focus on what actually matters: the guest experience.
(Caption: A glimpse behind the scenes where data-driven decisions meet culinary execution.)
5. Invest in Consistent Yet Adaptive Branding
This is where most people trip up. They think "consistency" means every restaurant looks identical (the Subway model). The Bacari approach is different. They maintain a unified brand identity (same logo vibes, same service standards) but tailor the design to the specific neighborhood. A Silver Lake Bacari should feel different than a Glendale Bacari. Check out our branding identity services to see how this works in practice.
6. Implement Rigorous Inventory Management
You need to count your proteins nightly. Period. (I know, you're tired, but do you like money?). The top 100 independents track their top 10 most expensive items with religious fervor. Active inventory management prevents "shrinkage", which is just a fancy word for people stealing your steak or throwing your profits in the trash.
7. Optimize Menu Engineering
Your menu is your most valuable piece of marketing real estate. Use it wisely. Place high-margin items in the "sweet spots", typically the center, top right, and top left. If your most expensive dish to produce is also your best seller, you have a math problem, not a kitchen problem. For more on this, visit our blog.
8. Scale Without Losing Your "Soul"
Expansion is a unified strategy, not a series of accidents. To scale like the pros, you need to treat each new location as part of a whole. This "Scale-Indie hybrid" approach allows you to operate with precision while maintaining the neighborhood-favorite viability that makes independents so special.
(Caption: A signature Bacari dish, small plates designed for sharing and high-margin turnover.)
9. Build a Legendary Company Culture
High staff turnover isn't a "labor problem", it’s usually a culture problem. (Ouch, I know. Truth hurts). Treat your staff as your "first line of investors." If they don't buy into the vision, your customers certainly won't. Invest in training, pay better than the guy down the street, and actually listen to your team. A happy server is a high-upselling server.
10. Negotiate Strategically with Vendors
Don't stay loyal to a vendor who is bleeding you dry. Use your growing buying power as leverage. If you’re opening a third or fourth location, every vendor: from the linen guy to the POS provider: should be back at the negotiating table. If you need help with the tech side of things, our tech innovation section has you covered.
The Bottom Line
The Bacari Group didn't get to where they are by accident. They combined creative vision with strategic discipline. They understood that a restaurant is a business that happens to serve food, not a hobby that happens to have a cash register.
Whether you’re a single-unit operator looking to grow or a multi-unit group trying to optimize, these lessons are your roadmap. Growth is hard, but staying stagnant is harder. Ready to scale? Let’s get to work. Contact us today to start your strategy session.
Tags: Robert Kuypers, Robert William Kuypers, William Kuypers, Rob Kuypers, Restaurant Growth, Bacari Group, Restaurant Consulting, Hospitality Strategy.
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Internal Links: Kuypers Creative About, Team Leadership & Culture, Restaurant Funding.
External Links: National Restaurant Association, Forbes – Restaurant Trends, Eater LA.
