On this episode of Behind the Numbers, we sat down with Paul Potvin, CFO of California Fish Grill, a seafood-driven concept that has quietly become one of the most operationally savvy brands on the West Coast.
There’s growth — and then there’s smart growth. On this episode of Behind the Numbers, we sat down with Paul Potvin, CFO of California Fish Grill, a seafood-driven concept that has quietly become one of the most operationally savvy brands on the West Coast. From mastering food costing down to the gram to building scalable systems for labor, Potvin shared how California Fish Grill went from a single store to 58 (and counting) without compromising on flavor, culture, or financial control.
For operators looking to scale efficiently, reduce waste, and use data to power decisions, Paul’s story is a playbook worth bookmarking. Here’s what stood out.
A lot of brands talk about wanting to grow. But according to Potvin, success comes down to how you grow — and what you’re willing to measure, optimize, and refine along the way. California Fish Grill didn’t just add locations. They built the bones to support them: SOPs, tech stacks, KPIs, and teams that could scale without chaos.
Their mindset? Measure everything. Question assumptions. Make each store better than the last.
One of Potvin’s core beliefs is that you can’t manage what you don’t measure. It sounds simple — but it’s where so many operators get stuck. California Fish Grill doesn’t just track food costs. They break them down using AVT (Actual vs. Theoretical) so they know why variances are happening.
They ask: Are we over-portioning? Is spoilage creeping in? Are we optimizing prep?
This approach doesn’t just keep margins healthy — it arms every GM and kitchen leader with the data they need to course-correct in real time. And when every location is watching the same dials, operational consistency becomes second nature.
My responsibility in this organization is to measure as much as we can, because the more things you can measure, the more things you can control.
Paul Potvin, CFO
California Fish Grill
Global supply chains don’t care about your P&L — but they’ll absolutely wreck it if you’re not ready. When tariffs made importing seafood significantly more expensive, California Fish Grill didn’t panic. They adapted.
“So, you know, sourcing seafood is difficult. And then obviously the shock of the tariffs, because it was going to be substantial to us,” said Potvin, “I was on vacation, but I knew when the tariffs Came out I’m like oh man I know what I’m doing monday i gotta go sit down and pull up Restaurant365.”
Potvin and his team have since diversified their supplier base and explored more local sourcing options, using cost analysis tools to keep profitability in check. That’s the power of a flexible, data-informed supply chain strategy — one that can absorb shocks without passing pain to the guest.
Labor is the #1 controllable cost in restaurants — and also the most emotional. Potvin gets that. That’s why California Fish Grill uses time studies to take the guesswork out of scheduling, prep time, and service flow.
By watching how long each task actually takes — from chopping to cleaning to ticketing — they built a labor model grounded in reality. That means more accurate forecasting, smarter schedules, and less burnout for teams.
This is the kind of insight that turns labor from a liability into a competitive advantage.
California Fish Grill was ahead of the curve in rolling out self-service kiosks — and it wasn’t just about reducing labor costs. Potvin notes that kiosks actually improved accuracy and order speed.
Think about it: no handwritten notes, no miscommunication, no messy modifiers. Just clean, direct orders that hit the kitchen exactly as the guest intended.
Plus, kiosks free up staff to focus on hospitality — the one thing machines will never beat us at.
One of the hardest parts of growth is holding onto the soul of your brand. Paul Potvin knows this. As CFO, he’s responsible for the numbers — but also the people behind those numbers.
That’s why California Fish Grill builds culture into its operational model. From GM training to local sourcing decisions, they work to keep the brand human — even as they introduce tech and analytics into every aspect of the business.
The end goal? A guest experience that’s consistent and personal — and a team that’s empowered to deliver it.
t self-service kiosks — and it wasn’t just about reducing labor costs. Potvin notes that kiosks actually improved accuracy and order speed.
Think about it: no handwritten notes, no miscommunication, no messy modifiers. Just clean, direct orders that hit the kitchen exactly as the guest intended.
Plus, kiosks free up staff to focus on hospitality — the one thing machines will never beat us at.
What might stand out most in this conversation is that Paul Potvin is that he’s not afraid of the numbers. He welcomes them. Because when you know the truth about your business — what’s working, what’s wasting, what’s wowing the guest — you can build something that actually lasts.
And in a category as competitive and unforgiving as restaurants, that kind of clarity is rare. It’s also powerful.
If you’re a restaurant leader looking to scale, simplify, and sharpen your operation, take a page from California Fish Grill — and from Paul Potvin. The numbers won’t steer you wrong. You just have to be willing to look.
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