1250: Understanding Tip Credits with Joshua Santana, Co-Founder of Cerboni Services

1250: Understanding Tip Credits with Joshua Santana, Co-Founder of Cerboni Services

Author: Inspiring interviews with todays most successful restaurateurs 2-days a wee February 5, 2026 Duration: 1:02:20

Joshua Santana is the co-founder of Cerboni Services, an outsourced accounting and financial consulting firm dedicated to helping restaurant and hospitality operators turn numbers into smarter decisions. A Houston native and graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in Accounting, Joshua has spent more than 15 years specializing in tax strategy, compliance, and financial planning for both individuals and businesses through his work with Santana & Associates, Cerboni's sister tax firm. At Cerboni, he combines deep tax expertise with industry-specific financial insight to build forecasting, budgeting, and reporting systems that help owners improve profitability, control costs, and reach their long-term growth goals. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Joshua partners closely with operators nationwide to demystify their financials and give them the clarity and confidence to run more resilient, profitable restaurants.

Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary

Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live

Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve

Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable

Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/

Today's sponsors:

-

Restaurant Technologies — the leader in automated cooking oil management. Their Total Oil Management solution is an end-to-end closed loop automated system that delivers, monitors, filters, collects, and recycles your cooking oil eliminating one of the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen.. Automate your oil and elevate your kitchen by visiting rti-inc.com or call 888-779-5314 to get started!

-

Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof. Call (281) 888-2413 and mention Restaurant Unstoppable to get 20% off your first month of service.

-

Restaurant Systems Pro - Lower your prime cost by $1,000, and get paid $1,000 with the Restaurant Systems Pro 30-Day Prime Cost Challenge. If you successfully improve your prime cost by $1,000 or more compared to the same 30-day period last year, Restaurant Systems Pro will pay you $1,000. It's a "reverse guarantee." 

Let's make 2026 the year your restaurant thrives.

-

US Foods®. Running a restaurant takes MORE than great food—it takes reliable deliveries, quality products, and smart tools. US Foods® helps you make it. Ready to level up?

Visit: usfoods.com/expectmore.

-

Guest contact info: 

  • Website: https://cerboniservices.com
  • Email: joshua@cerboniservices.com

Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share! 


Eric Cacciatore sits down with the people who actually run the show in the world of food service. Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore is built on conversations with established restaurateurs and seasoned professionals who have navigated the intense realities of the industry. Twice a week, these interviews dig past the surface, focusing on the tangible details of leadership, team management, and effective marketing that separate a thriving venue from a struggling one. You’ll hear firsthand accounts of what worked, what didn’t, and the often-overlooked decisions that shape a restaurant's path. This podcast serves as a direct line to collective experience, whether you're dreaming of your first opening or steering a multi-location group. The dialogue is practical, centered on the daily grind and long-term strategy needed to build something lasting. For anyone invested in the business of hospitality, these regular episodes compile a vital resource, turning shared insights into actionable knowledge for your own journey.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 100

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Podcast Episodes
1248: Alec Bauer, Founder of Kitchen, Restaurant & Bar Specialists [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:54:47
Alec Bauer joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 2nd, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's gue…
1246: Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak, Co-Owners of Frankie's [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:01:57
Jordan Ware and Cindi Kozak are the chef-and-general manager team behind Frankie's in Burlington, Vermont, a 70-seat, seafood-forward, farm-to-table restaurant in the former Penny Cluse Café space that has quickly become…
1245: Eric Scheffer, Founder and CEO of The Scheffer Group [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 2:04:29
Eric Scheffer is the Founder and CEO of The Scheffer Group, based in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric comes from a family that worked in the entertainment business in NYC and LA and he too joined them in that business at…
1242: Leonard Botello, Pit Master and Owner at Truth BBQ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:31:42
Leonard Botello is the owner and Pit Master of Truth BBQ, which currently has two locations in Houston and Brenham, TX. Leonard grew up in restaurants with his family and went on to study Biology at A&M. He pivoted to BB…
1241: Ope Amosu, Chef/Owner/Blok Captain of ChòpnBlọk [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:44:42
Ope Amosu is the chef/owner of ChòpnBlọk located in Houston, Texas. Ope began his career working in oil and gas all over the globe. The son of Nigerian parents, Ope found that no matter where he travelled, it was difficu…
1240: Neil Chand, Co-Founder of FoodServiceIQ [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:42
FoodServiceIQ is based in Austin, Texas and helps specifically independant restaurants reduce food costs by an average of 5-7% on a 100% performance basis. To use their services, please email Eric at eric@restaurantunsto…
1239: Willet Feng and Diane Wu Feng, Co-Owners of burger-chan [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:59:51
Willet Feng and Diane Wu Feng are the Co-Owners of burger-chan, a "mom and pop burger shop" founded in 2016 and located in Houston, Texas. Chef Ryan Stewart of Silver Linings Hospitality recently partnered with them and…