Aubergine Kitchen's Secret to Growth? Stop Selling and Start Building Community
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View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/a6415397-d5eb-404c-abff-26d8eee7c05b/Jason_Osmond__GTM_Podcast.png?t=1794244826) Follow image link: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB09pIXjBio) Caption: ---------- Most restaurant chains spend a fortune trying to convince people to walk through their doors. Aubergine Kitchen has a different strategy: Give people something worth believing in, feed them something delicious, and let the community do the rest. It's an ambitious approach for a restaurant brand with even more ambitious growth plans. Aubergine Kitchen has 15 locations, five more planned, and a long-term vision of expanding to 300 restaurants. But according to Jason Osmond, Director of Business Development, the company's growth isn't simply about opening more locations or spending more money on advertising. It's about creating a brand that people genuinely want to be part of. In this episode of the Go-To-Market Podcast, host Dr. Amy Osmond Cook, CMO and co-founder of Fullcast, sits down with Jason to discuss the marketing philosophy behind Aubergine Kitchen's growth. The two share more than a professional connection. They're cousins, longtime friends, and former business partners who spent nearly a decade building Osmond Marketing, later known as Stage Marketing. Their conversation explores what happens when a business gets its positioning right, builds a loyal community, and discovers that sometimes the best way to sell something is to stop selling. Here are some interview highlights. ----------——————————————————————————— ---------- **You've always been a tremendous marketer. I remember when we were building Stage Marketing, there was no job too small for you. You'd happily spend hours making phone calls if that's what the business needed. How has that experience influenced your work at Aubergine Kitchen?** I learned so much from those years working with you. When we started, it was just a handful of people. We were building something from the ground up, and everybody had to be willing to do whatever was necessary. That experience gave me an incredible foundation in marketing. Now I'm applying those same principles to something I'm personally passionate about. I love the product. I believe in the mission. And that makes the work exciting. -------------------- **One thing that really impresses me is how clearly you've differentiated Aubergine Kitchen from other restaurants. What makes your approach different?** We have seven principles that really set us apart. The first is that everything has to be both tasty and healthy. "We want the and, not the or." There's this perception that healthy food doesn't taste good. People think they're going to get cardboard and kale. We want to prove that you can have incredible flavor and nutritious food at the same time. That's probably the number one thing that surprises people when they first come into Aubergine Kitchen. The second is that we sweeten with fruit instead of adding refined sugar to our recipes. The third is that we focus on nutrients rather than obsessing over calories. Our philosophy is to concentrate on putting good things into your body. Fourth, we make our food from scratch every day. We're trying to move away from the ultra-processed, industrialized food that's become so common. Fifth, we bake rather than fry. We don't even grill our food. We have specific cooking processes that are part of how we differentiate ourselves. The sixth principle is about fats. We're very intentional about the oils we use, including 100% cold-pressed extra virgin olive oil imported from Italy. And finally, we emphasize whole foods. It all comes down to keeping food simple, fresh, and nutritious. ----------View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/421b04e5-73b0-4271-8c60-e0877f8423b2/Build_vs_Buy.png?t=1786496115) Follow image link: (https://www.fullcast.ai/ebooks/builder-buyer-both-ebook/?utm_campaign=16537492-This%20Week%20in%20RevOps%20Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_z0Ze7XGmFf8BSZZIEVynbKiMjq5KrqZkW15RrK6byn5hnH2q1mjjZHZ7IhZRHe0iQ8PXT) Caption: Every RevOps and GTM leader is facing the same question right now: build it with AI, or buy the platform built for the job? Fullcast surveyed nearly 100 senior revenue operators, 97% Director-level or above, to find out how they're actually making that call. This is a de-identified, question-by-question analysis built for the people who actually own these tooling decisions. Whether you're deciding what to build next quarter or trying to bring some structure to a decision that's currently made ad hoc, this report gives you the data to back it up. [_**Click here**_](https://www.fullcast.ai/ebooks/builder-buyer-both-ebook/?utm_campaign=16537492-This%20Week%20in%20RevOps%20Weekly%20Newsletter&utm_source=hs_email&utm_medium=email&_hsenc=p2ANqtz-_z0Ze7XGmFf8BSZZIEVynbKiMjq5KrqZkW15RrK6byn5hnH2q1mjjZHZ7IhZRHe0iQ8PXT) to download the ebook today! ---------- **You've talked about building community, but you're also pursuing some pretty aggressive expansion goals. How big is Aubergine Kitchen today, and where do you want to take it?** We're at 15 restaurants right now, and we're building five more this year. Our long-term goal is to reach 300 locations. It's exciting because we're seeing people gravitate toward what we're doing. We believe in the food, we believe in the mission, and we're seeing that message resonate with customers. -------------------- **That's incredible growth. And what's especially interesting is that you're building a brand people want to seek out, rather than relying entirely on traditional advertising to drive traffic.** That's exactly what we're trying to accomplish. We want to build something that people believe in. When you create a strong community around your business, people become part of the story. They share their experiences. They tell other people. They help spread the message. And that gives us a foundation to keep growing. That's how I try to approach my work. ----------——————————————————————————— ---------- **The Go-To-Market Lesson: Build, Teach, Feed** There's a reason Aubergine Kitchen's marketing philosophy is worth studying, even for businesses that have nothing to do with food. The company has identified a clear market position, built its operations around that promise, and found a way to connect with customers through education and shared values. Its approach also challenges an assumption that shows up in nearly every industry: More advertising is always the answer to growth. For Aubergine Kitchen, the strategy begins somewhere else. Build relationships. Teach people something valuable. Deliver a product that lives up to the promise. **Build. Teach. Feed.** It's a remarkably simple formula for a business with ambitions to grow from 15 restaurants to 300. And it might be one of the most useful marketing lessons on the menu. ----------Listen To The Full Interview Now (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nB09pIXjBio) ——————————————————————————— ---------- ## **Want more insights like this?** We drop brand new episodes of the Go-To-Market Podcast every Wednesday to help you keep your revenue engine running hot. Catch up on our previous interviews [here](https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIy8DhlOVHnaDpTFALhl8vlobaaQUaGyp) and subscribe so you never miss an update! ----------——————————————————————————— View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/6449c252-17be-4d54-89b9-59856817f421/Screenshot_2025-11-18_at_10.53.32_PM.jpg?t=1764617312) Caption: ## **Did you hear? Fullcast published a book! ** The RevOps Advantage reveals how the best revenue teams operate like world-class pit crews–driving alignment, executing seamless handoffs, and making every move data-driven. Co-authors Ryan Westwood, Dr. Amy Osmond Cook, and Bala Balabaskaran break down why nearly half of RevOps leaders are investing in AI for sharper insights, and how you can use automation to deliver the accelerated growth your board needs. View image: (https://media.beehiiv.com/cdn-cgi/image/fit=scale-down,format=auto,onerror=redirect,quality=80/uploads/asset/file/a92f3af8-c73a-4ba6-8534-bcab8f38d9c2/Amy-Headshot.jpg?t=1764602148) Caption: **Amy Osmond Cook, PhD** _Cofounder and CMO at _[_Fullcast_](https://na2.hubs.ly/H01flYw0) [amy@fullcast.ai](mailto:amy@fullcast.ai) (949) 813-0182 [**Connect with me on LinkedIn**](https://www.linkedin.com/in/amyosmondcook/) [**Schedule a meeting with me**](https://calendly.com/amy-fullcast) ---------- ### Sincerely, The Fullcast Pay Team. ---------- ——— You are reading a plain text version of this post. For the best experience, copy and paste this link in your browser to view the post online: https://commissionly.beehiiv.com/p/aubergine-kitchen-s-secret-to-growth-stop-selling-and-start-building-community
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- 10 November 2026 · 18:00 UTC
