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.

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Today's sponsors:

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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!

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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.

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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.

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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?

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Guest contact info: 

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

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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
1228: 7 Phases of Menu Engineering with Sean Willard [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:17
Sean Willard has two decades of hospitality experience. He started in the business in his teens in a steakhouse and quickly moved through nearly all positions (FOH and BOH) until he landed at menu engineering. He then at…
1226: Three Elements that Define Excellence with Rudy Miick, Part 3 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:07:11
Rudy's an executive coach, psychologist, restaurateur, writer, speaker, athlete and dad. His clients typically run at 3 – 5 times above median profit within our industry, and they get there within contract periods. He is…
1224: Three Elements that Define Excellence with Rudy Miick, Part 2 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:14:44
Rudy's an executive coach, psychologist, restaurateur, writer, speaker, athlete and dad. His clients typically run at 3 – 5 times above median profit within our industry, and they get there within contract periods. He is…
1223: Oli Petit, Co-Founder/Co-Owner of The Red Bar and Louis Louis [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:40:09
Oli Petit is the Co-Owner and co-Founder of The Red Bar, located in Grayton Beach, Florida. Oli is the son of a successful Belgian restaurant professional and moved to the United States in 1986 to begin his restaurant ca…
1222: Three Elements that Define Excellence with Rudy Miick, Part 1 [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:26:09
Rudy's an executive coach, psychologist, restaurateur, writer, speaker, athlete and dad. His clients typically run at 3 – 5 times above median profit within our industry, and they get there within contract periods. He is…
1220: Why Every Restaurant Needs a VA with Rashmi Bhat [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:01:49
Rashmi Bhat is the co-owner of 7 Monk's Cafe in Braunfels, Texas. She is also the co-owner of Lazy H Retreats, a property management company, as well as Rezo Hospitality, a boutique hotel management company. In this epis…
1219: Aaron Lyons, CEO and Founder of Five 12 Restaurant Concepts [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:55:11
Aaron Lyons is the CEO and Founder of Five 12 Restaurant Concepts, based on Houston, TX. Aaron was previously a guest on Restaurant Unstoppable in 2019 for episode 608. Back then, there were five locations of his flagshi…