Jason Berkowitz
About Jason
Jason Berkowitz has opened and scaled 50+ restaurants in California. He’s served as VP of Operations at Umami Burger and Sweet Lady Jane, COO at Tocaya Organica, and consulted for global brands including José Andrés Group.
He’s built training and operating systems for mom-and-pop shops, James Beard-nominated teams, and Michelin star-winning concepts like GUCCI Osteria.
As founder of Arrow Up Training and a board member of the Independent Hospitality Coalition in Los Angeles, Jason works at the intersection of operator advocacy and practical training, helping restaurants build safer, stronger teams.
He’s also the author of the cult favorite, Please Don’t Sleep With The Host.
Most managers try to lead through control – enforce the rules and hold the line. In California restaurants, that doesn’t just fail; it creates risk and leaves managers frustrated when effort doesn’t turn into results.
In this workshop, Jason Berkowitz breaks down three paradigm shifts that help managers build trust and performance without losing authority. Drawing on years in California restaurants, he shows what power looks like on a busy shift and how to lead with your team, not against them.
Guests keep saying the same thing: “Everything’s more expensive, and I’m not sure it’s worth it.” That’s not a vibe issue – it’s a training issue.
In this workshop, Jason helps operators design an in-store trainer role that actually works: who it is, what they own, and how they teach. Leaders leave with a simple onboarding path and weekly training hits, so someone clearly owns training – and service, sales, and value all rise together.
Most restaurant risk isn’t created by bad intentions – it’s created when managers make fast calls without a playbook.
In this workshop, Jason breaks down 10 moments that most often turn into complaints, claims, or costly mistakes in California restaurants. Instead of legal theory, managers get clear mid-shift guidance: what to say first, what to avoid, when to pause and document, and when to escalate.
How Managers Lead
Jason helps managers trade control and panic for trust, clarity, accountability.
Consistency & Clarity
Jason turns award-winning training into simple, repeatable service and hospitality playbooks.
Shifts & Teams
Jason helps reduce claims while protecting culture, not just tightening rules.
I came into this workshop thinking I just needed a few new productivity hacks. I couldn’t have been more wrong. ‘Paradigm Shifts’ forced me to dismantle my entire approach to authority and rebuilding it around empowerment. It wasn’t just ‘theory’—it was a mirror held up to my management style. I left not just with a to-do list, but with a completely different lens through which I view my team’s potential. If you’re feeling stuck in the ‘boss’ role and want to become a ‘leader,’ this is the catalyst.
— Marcus Chen, Senior Operations Manager at Velo Dynamics
In our industry, everyone talks about ‘customer experience,’ but few people actually know how to build one from scratch. This workshop provided the literal blueprint. The ‘Experience, Designed & Delivered’ framework helped us identify friction points in our pipeline we didn’t even know existed. We’ve already implemented three of the journey-mapping techniques we practiced, and the feedback from our clients has been immediate. It’s the perfect blend of creative design thinking and hard-nosed operational delivery.
— Sarah Jenkins, Director of Client Success at Loft & Main
There is no substitute for the pressure-cooker environment created in ‘Game-Time Calls.’ As a leader, you’re often paralyzed by the fear of making the wrong move when the clock is ticking. This workshop gave me a repeatable mental framework for cutting through the noise and making decisive, data-backed choices under fire. The simulations were intense, but they built a level of ‘muscle memory’ for crisis management that I haven’t found anywhere else. I feel significantly more equipped to handle the unpredictable.
— David ‘Dax’ Patterson, VP of Engineering at CloudPulse
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