A Deeper Dive: Recent Episodes

Restaurant Business Magazine

Restaurant Business is the leading media brand in the commercial foodservice industry, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and growth.

What is the state of the restaurant industry right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rich Shank, senior principal with the data firm Technomic.

And it’s a really good question. While the stock market continues to thrive and certain segments of the restaurant industry are busy, a lot of other data suggests operators have a lot to worry about right now.

Shank talks about how all this affects the restaurant industry. We talk about Technomic’s forecast and why improving results in the summer appear to have given way to more weakness.

We talk about why consumers are ordering so many discounts, and how those discounts have changed. We also talk extensively about Starbucks and what’s behind its weakness.

This is a great episode on the state of the industry right now so please check it out.

What goes into an investment into one of the country’s fastest growing restaurant brands?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Scott Romanoff, the cofounder and co managing partner of Franchise Equity Partners.

Franchise Equity Partners is a long-term investor in multi-unit operators of all types and recently made a big investment in 7 Crew, a 50-unit franchisee of the rapidly growing beverage brand 7 Brew.

The beverage chain has been one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the country. It is also helping to lead a beverage revolution in the restaurant space.

We wanted to ask Scott about that investment and about 7 Brew. We discuss the brand and why it was worth the investment. Scott talked about the operator and why its ability to grow locations was so attractive.

We also discussed the environment of the past couple of years and why that’s made Franchise Equity Partners more choosy about its investments.

We’re talking 7 Brew on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Are restaurants missing a key opportunity on delivery?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Cameron Watt, the CEO of secret shopper firm Intouch Insight.

Intouch recently completed an exclusive study on delivery for Restaurant Business and we’re chatting about some of the conclusions. We caught up with Cameron at the recently concluded FSTEC conference.

The study featured some fascinating results. For one thing, first-party delivery on average isn’t much better, performance-wise, than it is ordering from third-party delivery companies themselves. That may be a missed opportunity for restaurants. Cameron and I talk about that.

We also talk about the growing influence of third-party delivery companies and the overall results from the study. And we talked about what restaurant companies can do to improve the delivery experience for customers.

We’re talking delivery on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why is McDonald’s taking on the tip credit?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive takes a hard look at the fast-food giant’s stand on the tip credit, which enables businesses to pay a subminimum wage to tipped workers, so long as the tips make up the difference.

We feature three guests on this podcast: Saru Jayaraman, the president and cofounder of the labor advocacy group One Fair Wage; Martin Murch, an independent restaurant operator out of Chicago, and Joe Kefauver, managing partner of Align Public Strategies and cohost of the Working Lunch podcast.

(Working Lunch also looked at the topic last week.)

We examine the tip credit, why McDonald’s and labor groups are against the wage and why many full-service restaurants believe they need it to remain in business. We also examine McDonald’s strategy in taking the topic on, and why it would choose to leave the National Restaurant Association over the issue. We also examine whether it really does give full-service restaurants an advantage.

We’re taking on the tip credit on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

What is the country’s fifth largest pizza concept doing to expand its reach?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Brennan, the chief merchandising officer for the Iowa-based convenience-store chain Casey’s.

That is right. Casey’s is the fifth-largest pizza concept in the U.S., at least based on sales.

This is a fascinating conversation with a top executive of a company that is a growing competitor with a number of different restaurant chains, including much of the pizza business.

We talk about that pizza business and how it became so vital to the company. Casey’s has been generating strong pizza sales this year even as fast-food pizza chains have been stagnant. Tom explains the company’s secret.

We also talk about the company’s broader foray into the food business and we also talk about beverages and how Casey’s plans to improve its sales in that area.

We’re talking convenience store pizza on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why are some restaurants having such a tough time this year?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Chad Moutray, the chief economist for the National Restaurant Association.

We wanted to talk with Chad for two big reasons: First, the association published its data abstract on the restaurant industry, which shows some surprisingly low profitability for both full-service and limited-service restaurants.

We talk about why restaurants are less profitable today compared with before the pandemic.

But we also talk about the economy and why it’s so unfriendly to fast-food restaurants in particular.

Many fast-food chains are seeing weak traffic, which has some speculating that lower-income consumers are cutting back. Moutray helps clear that up.

We’re talking about the restaurant economy on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What is Todd Penegor doing at Papa Johns?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Todd Penegor, who has been CEO of the Atlanta-based pizza chain for just over a year.

This is a great conversation. Penegor has helped Papa Johns regain sales momentum during a particularly difficult time, both for the sector and the fast-food business in general. The company has done this through a variety of means.

We talk about the company’s focus on its core pizza. Todd talks about that effort, and he gives some hints at what may be coming.

We talk about technology, including artificial intelligence, and the work being done on that front. We talk about loyalty. And we talk extensively about third-party delivery, and how Papa Johns can maintain its first-party service even as aggregators take more delivery business away.

We also talk about marketing, and especially local marketing. Papa Johns has worked to shift marketing back to local after moving that spending nationally under the previous management.

We’re talking pizza on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How are franchisees dealing with the current operating environment?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Raj Patel, a multi-brand franchisee out of the Chicago area.

Patel’s group operates nearly 100 Dunkin’ locations and a number of Dave’s Hot Chicken restaurants, among others. We wanted to talk with him to get a franchisee’s perspective of the current environment.

He provides some insight from a franchisee’s view of both those brands and why they are doing really well right now. What makes those brands tick?

We also talk extensively about development strategies. Patel provides some interesting insight into competition for restaurant real estate right now. He talks about what sites cost more, whether drive-thru-only locations make any sense and the best time to walk away from a potential location.

We’re talking restaurant development and franchising on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What kind of technology are restaurant companies looking for?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Juan George, a former Olo executive and cofounder of 858 Partners, which connects restaurants with technology companies.

Technology remains a key area of investment for a lot of companies. We were interested in hearing from George about what companies are looking for. He does not disappoint on that front.

We also talk about a lot of other stuff, including the state of technology mergers and acquisitions and why there is so much consolidation in that sector right now. Restaurant tech firms were getting massive, often ridiculous valuations a few years ago.

We also talk about what will happen with Olo as a private company.

We’re talking Tech on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Zaxbys is ready to fulfill its destiny.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion with Bernard Acoca, the CEO of the fast-casual chicken chain.

Acoca was hired as CEO three years ago and was the first non-founder to lead the Atlanta-based chain.

He has spent that time “bunkering” and working to fix the brand’s operations. Now he’s ready to talk and agreed to come on the podcast to detail everything being done at Zaxbys over that time.

Zaxbys has what it takes to be a major player in the chicken business but its sales have not reflected that more recently. System sales grew just more than 4%, according to Technomic, well under rivals like Raising Cane’s and Dave’s Hot Chicken. We talk about why that is.

We also talk about new management, unit economics, drive-thru speed, digital sales and, because it’s 2025, AI.

We’re talking Zaxbys on the podcast this week, so check it out.

How does a restaurant chain go from parking lot startup to $1 billion valuation in less than a decade?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive focuses on the recent sale of Dave’s Hot Chicken to Roark Capital. It features the fast-casual chain’s CFO, James McGehee, and SVP of Finance Scott Putman.

Dave’s Hot Chicken was founded in a Los Angeles parking lot—yes, a parking lot—by four friends in 2017.

They got favorable local reviews and the concept took off. It brought in investors and professional management and took advantage of a consumer that wants a lot more chicken and spicier options.

Dave’s has been one of the fastest-growing restaurant chains in the U.S. over the past several years, including nearly 60% system sales growth last year, according to Technomic. And it earned the company a $1 billion sale to the private-equity firm Roark Capital.

While some industries such as technology can reach $1 billion valuations in a hurry that kind of growth is nearly unheard of in the restaurant space.

We explore exactly how a company can achieve that kind of success, that quickly. Check it out.

Why doesn’t Handel’s Homemade Ice cream have an app?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jennifer Schuler, CEO of the Ohio-based Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream.

This is a great conversation. Handel’s was founded in Youngstown Ohio in 1945. It has been franchising for decades. But it has taken off last year—sales rose 38%.

Schuler was named CEO early last year and we wanted to talk with her about the brand and its strategies.

We talk about the chain’s extensive menu of ice cream flavors and how it trains franchisees to make that ice cream on site.

We also talk about the need for hospitality in that business and specifically why that chain doesn’t have its own mobile app. We also talk about why brands thrive when they focus more on hospitality.

We’re talking ice cream on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why is La Madeleine adding more fireplaces?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features John Dillon, CEO of the Dallas-based fast-casual chain La Madeleine.

This is the last in our series of podcast episodes recorded during the National Restaurant Show in May.

La Madeleine operates 91 locations, mostly across the South. Dillion was named CEO of the chain earlier this year.

He talks about the need for more hospitality and in-store business in the restaurants, which is increasingly vital these days. That’s why the company has decided to ensure all new restaurants have fireplaces.

We talk about Dillon’s history with the brand, his reaction when he got the job, the music in the dining room and the French lessons in the bathroom. We also talk about value and numerous other topics.

We’re talking French lessons on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How does a 106-year-old brand keep customers coming back? By tapping into nostalgia.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features A&W CEO Betsy Schmandt.

This is the latest in our series of podcasts recorded during the National Restaurant show.

This is a great conversation. We wanted to get to know Betsy, who was named chief executive of the chain earlier this year.

A&W was founded in 1919, making it one of the oldest restaurant chains in the country. Betsy talks about that history and we talk about some of the memories we’ve had visiting the concept growing up. Schmandt discusses why that works for the brand and how the company plans to tap into consumer nostalgia.

We also talk extensively about hospitality and why consumers today expect a lot more from their restaurants—and what A&W is doing about it. We also talk about the chain’s history of drive-ins and we talk about ways the company is adding technology into its restaurants. Betsy reveals a few things in that part of the conversation.

We’re talking A&W on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What’s the story behind the growth chain Mo’Bettahs?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rob Ertmann, the CEO of the fast-growing Hawaiian-style chain Mo’Bettahs.

This is the latest in our series of podcast episodes recorded at the National Restaurant Show in May.

We wanted to talk with Ertmann to get the story behind Mo’Bettahs, which is one of the industry’s more fascinating growth concepts. The company grew system sales 30% last year, according to Technomic.

We talked about the chain’s history and how it’s been able to fund its growth. We talk about growth plans and what kind of barriers are standing in the way of that growth. We also touch on a variety of other topics, including tariffs, traffic, portion sizes and what’s popular today.

It’s a wide-ranging episode on the podcast this week so check it out.

How do you take a 56-year-old brand into the future?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Heather Neary, the CEO of the fast-food Mexican chain Taco John’s.

This is our latest in a series of podcast episodes recorded from the National Restaurant Show in May.

Neary took over as CEO of Taco John’s last year. We speak with her about what she’s done over the past year-plus on the job.

We were particularly interested in the company’s technology initiatives, including its voice-activated drive-thru AI test. We talk with Neary about how well it works, how it benefits Taco John’s and what the company does with the labor that no longer has to take orders.

Neary discusses the company’s franchising strategy and its expansion plans. She also talks about the chain’s menu development efforts.

We’re talking tacos on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What’s the next step for the owner of Krystal?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Josh Kern, the CEO of the multi-brand restaurant operator SPB Hospitality, which owns several different chains.

This is the latest in a series of podcast episodes that we recorded during the National Restaurant Association Show last month.

SPB Hospitality owns and operates a wide range of restaurants, including the fast-food concept Krystal, the casual-dining brand Logan’s Roadhouse and the upscale casual brand J. Alexander’s.

Kern talks about the brands and how they’re doing. He also talks about operating a multi-brand company and how it can run both full-service and limited-service concepts.

He also talks about the company’s future strategy, and whether it plans to keep all these brands or whether it plans to put one or two of them on the market.

How does Velvet Taco come up with its recipes?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Clay Dover, CEO of the fast-casual taco chain.

This is the latest in a series of podcasts we recorded at the National Restaurant Show.

Velvet Taco is a rapidly growing chain of taco shops. It finished 2024 with 49 locations and grew sales nearly 22%, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.

The chain’s menu is more unique than a simple taco shop. You might go to one of the restaurants and be greeted with a Bacon Smashburger Taco or a Paneer Taco. And there are the WTF tacos, or weekly taco feature. We wanted to know how the brand develops these tacos and why that has helped the brand do things that perhaps other concepts cannot do.

We also talk about other issues, including the chain’s growth and its plans for international development and what Dover sees as the biggest barriers to growth right now.

We’re talking tacos on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How should marketing change in the era of AI?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kyle Drenon, the CEO and co-owner of Supper Co., a marketing firm that works with restaurants and other hospitality industries.

This is part of a series of podcasts we recorded at the National Restaurant Show last month and it is a good one.

We wanted Kyle on the podcast to talk about AI, and specifically its impact on marketing and how people look for your restaurant.

Kyle provides some sobering data on the impact AI is having on web traffic to normal, everyday websites.

We talk about what that actually means for restaurant companies. And then we talk about how those restaurant companies can adapt by marketing with short-form video.

We’re talking AI and marketing on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why are restaurant chains introducing so many limited-time offers?

This week’s episode of the restaurant finance podcast A Deeper Dive features Katie Belflower, manager of menu research and insights with Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.

This is part of a series of podcasts we recorded during the recently concluded National Restaurant Association Show.

We wanted to talk with Belflower about the shocking number of limited-time offers, or LTOs, restaurant chains have been pushing recently. The industry introduced a record number of LTOs last year, and she helps explain why.

We talk about the impact social media is having on restaurants’ need for more innovation and whether weak traffic is forcing more companies to push new items. But we also talk about the risks associated with so many LTOs.

And we also talk a bit about menu pricing.

We’re talking limited-time offers on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

How is the restaurant industry adjusting to the Trump administration?

This week’s episode of the weekly restaurant finance podcast A Deeper Dive features Michelle Korsmo, the CEO of the National Restaurant Association.

This is the first in a series of podcasts we recorded during the National Restaurant Association Show this week.

We wanted to get a pulse on the restaurant industry and on its dealings with Washington, given the number of monumental issues there are.

We discuss the impact of tariffs on the industry, for instance, and how much import taxes are expected to cost operators. We also talk about immigration. Restrictions on immigration are expected to drive up labor costs by reducing the pool of workers. But Korsmo has perhaps some surprising news on the prospects of immigration reform.

It’s always an interesting conversation with the head of the industry’s biggest trade group so please check it out.

What does Culver’s new CEO have in mind for the chain?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Julie Fussner, who was recently named chief executive of the 1,000-unit, Wisconsin-based burger chain.

Culver’s is quietly one of the most consistent restaurant chains in the country and is one of a generation of high-growth burger concepts. Its system sales grew 16% last year. By contrast, fast-food burger chain sales last year grew just 1%.

Fussner came to the brand in 2017 and was later named chief marketing officer, the first CMO in that chain’s history. In April she was named just the fifth CEO in Culver’s history and the brand’s first woman CEO.

So we thought we’d bring her on and ask her a bunch of questions about plans for the company.

How will tariffs affect restaurants?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Neal Sherman, the founder of the used equipment company Tagex Brands.

President Trump dramatically escalated the tariff rate on imported goods to an average of 27%, according to the Budget Lab at Yale.

That’s expected to have an impact on restaurants. Most restaurant chains source the bulk of their food from within the U.S., but equipment purchases could be another matter.

We spoke with Sherman at the Restaurant Leadership Conference. Sherman's company, which operates a secondary market for restaurant equipment, is expected to be a beneficiary as rising equipment costs lead operators to search for better deals.

We discuss the potential demand for used equipment as tariffs take hold. We also talk about the state of the restaurant industry and what a difficult economy could do to consumer demand.

We’re talking tariffs on the podcast so check it out.

How does Chili’s keep doing this?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business finance podcast A Deeper Dive features George Felix, the chief marketing officer for Chili’s parent company Brinker International.

We spoke with Felix at the Restaurant Leadership Conference. We wanted to talk about Chili’s marketing, and how it’s taken advantage of social media to draw attention to the brand. The chain’s same-store sales have increased more than 31% each of the past two quarters despite a brutal market for full-service chains.

Felix talks about the way Chili’s took advantage of consumer frustration over high fast-food prices and he details the company’s thinking as it elevated one of its long-time offers.

He also talks about social media in general and how the company recognized consumer affinity for cheese pulls. And he talks about the company’s Lifetime movie.

We’re talking Chili’s and marketing on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

How do you teach an old pizza chain new tricks?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Karam, the CEO of the pizza chain Sbarro.

The pizza chain was founded in 1956 and for years thrived inside mall locations. But the company took on too much debt and filed for bankruptcy twice after the Great Recession.

We wanted to talk with Karam to understand what Sbarro did to survive those two bankruptcies. Karam took over the chain between the two filings and has led the it ever since and now owns the concept. Sbarro just opened its 800th restaurant and has found new life in places like convenience stores and airports as well as international markets.

Karam discusses these plans and provides insight into how the company was able to find a life past bankruptcy.

How did restaurants do in 2024?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive is all about the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.

Kevin Schimpf, senior director of industry research at Restaurant Business sister company Technomic, joins the episode to talk about the ranking.

The restaurant industry did not have a great year in 2024 if you look at the overall numbers. Kevin and I talk about that and why restaurants didn’t do as well.

We also talk about what sectors did well and what did not. Hint: It’s more menu based than anything else. We talk about the shift from some concepts to others and from some menu types to others and what it means for the future of the industry. We talk about Texas Roadhouse, McDonald’s, Starbucks, KFC, Raising Cane’s, Chick-fil-A and others.

And also what sector should not exist.

We’re talking Top 500 on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How will the bankruptcy filings of TGI Fridays and Hooters affect the market for securitizations?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ed Cerullo, a credit analyst with Octus, to talk about whole business securitizations and the potential impact those bankruptcies can have on the market.

Whole business securitizations use a company’s cash-generating assets to back bonds. Cerullo helps explain how they work, and why they’ve been so popular in the restaurant industry over the past 15-plus years.

TGI Fridays was the first bankruptcy of a restaurant chain that used a whole business securitization, and Hooters was the second. Fridays also has the distinction of having lost control of its assets, the first time that had happened in any industry in 15 years.

Both were risky investments, however, at the time they went to the securitization market. Cerullo and I talk about that, and whether the investments properly denoted the risks those companies presented at the time. We talk about whether the securitizations promoted this risk, and what the impact will be on the market going forward.

In this special episode of A Deeper Dive — guest-hosted by Nation’s Restaurant News editor-in-chief and Take-Away host Sam Oches — Sam talks with Joey Cioffi, founder and CEO of The Salad House, a New Jersey based franchise that has grown to 20 locations since it first opened in 2011. Cioffi joined the podcast to share how The Salad House attempts to strike a balance between healthy and indulgent for the suburban customer and how he’s refined the business to support franchise success.

Like what you hear? Subscribe to Take-Away on Apple or Spotify.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

In kids’ menus, health-forward concepts have opportunity for growth
There’s a broad spectrum of customers looking for a balance of healthy and indulgent
An outside perspective can help you tighten up your business
You don’t need A+ real estate if you make enough noise in your messaging
You can’t fulfill your dreams if you don’t take a few risks along the way

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.

What is the strategy for Authentic Restaurant Brands’ newest acquisition?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Alex Macedo, the CEO of the multi-brand operator Authentic Restaurant Brands (ARB).

The company recently acquired the New England polished casual-dining concept Tavern in the Square, its latest in a series of deals for largely regional chains. The company owns Pollo Tropical, Primanti Bros., P.J. Whelihan’s and Mambo Seafood.

The company’s chains generate $1 billion worth of revenue and $150 million in EBITDA, or earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization.

We asked Alex why Tavern in the Square fits with these companies, when it plans to buy another chain and what’s the strategy behind acquiring regional concepts. We also asked Alex about ARB’s ultimate exit strategy.

Check it out.

How has the pandemic affected restaurants?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Lisa Miller, a consumer strategist and the author of "The Business of Joy."

The podcast is part of our series on the impact of the COVID pandemic on the restaurant industry five years after it first hit. The pandemic wiped out a huge percentage of sales.

More than half of the restaurant workforce lost their jobs. That period was an earthquake on the industry, and there have been many aftershocks since: supply shortages, runaway inflation and now traffic declines as consumers get frustrated over price hikes.

We discuss the lingering impact from that era. We also talk about how consumers have changed. And we talk about the potential restaurants have to get customers, even in a tough market. The U.S. diner hasn’t fully returned to the industry and still wants to eat out more often than they do.

Why are restaurant chains still having challenges in 2025?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rich Shank, the senior principal with sister company Technomic.

We wanted to talk with Shank because of the uncertain state of the restaurant business so far in 2025. A lot of people thought that things would improve this year after a difficult 2024. But so far that hasn’t quite happened. Many chains have reported weak sales beyond just weather concerns, saying that consumers are still cutting back.

We talk about why that is. We also talk about the uncertainty surrounding the economy, particularly with the threat of tariffs. We also talk about the potential impact of immigration restrictions.

In addition, Rich talks about how the restaurant business has changed since the pandemic started five years ago.

We’re talking about the state of the industry so check it out.

What’s going on with egg prices?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ricky Richardson, the CEO of the breakfast-and-lunch franchise Eggs Up Grill.

We wanted to talk to Ricky because he recently posted about a decision his franchisees made in reaction to egg prices.

Egg prices have hit record highs this year because of an outbreak of avian influenza, which has caused poultry farmers to get rid of much of their flocks, dropping supply. Because of the high costs, some chains such as Waffle House and Denny’s have instituted egg surcharges.

Richardson explains just how big a deal these price increases are to the company’s franchisees and how the company and operators are dealing with them. We also talk about surcharges and the impact on customers.

And we spend some time talking about Eggs Up and the breakfast-and-lunch category, quietly one of the hottest categories for years.

We’re talking about eggs on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How should we think of the shift in marketing at Starbucks?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive is about marketing restaurant brands and it features Dawn Kane, the CEO and co-founder of Hot Dish Advertising.

Kane has extensive experience in marketing and was recently named the 2024 Bonny LeVine Award winner by the International Franchise Association, which recognizes women for their contributions to franchising.

There’s been plenty of marketing news of late, including some from Starbucks, which has started television advertisements, something it hasn’t done all that often. Its promotions around the Super Bowl also generated record redemptions for the company’s free coffee offer the Monday after the event.

And then companies like Chili’s generated strong sales by taking advantage of social media opportunities and then using traditional advertising to supplement that.

We wanted to talk about these issues as well as the challenges of breaking through all the marketing clutter at a time when the restaurant business is more competitive than ever.

We’re talking advertising on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How do you take a hot restaurant concept national without destroying it?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Chris Schultz, the CEO of Voodoo Doughnut.

The doughnut chain was founded in Portland, Oregon, in 2000 by Kenneth Pogson and Tres Shannon. It quickly gained a reputation for off-the-wall doughnuts—we’ll let you check out the website for the names of said doughnuts—and a brilliantly pink color scheme.

The company has been expanding rapidly with private-equity owners. We talk with Chris about some of the changes the company has made and how the chain can make itself ready for growth without losing the irreverence that helped it gain popularity in the first place.

And we also talk with Schultz about the chain’s expansion strategy, and whether that strategy can work for a concept that focuses largely on treats.

How does a restaurant chain come back from bankruptcy?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Greco, the CEO of the recently-emerged-from-bankruptcy Tijuana Flats.

Greco is an industry veteran who has engineered turnarounds at Bruegger’s and Sbarro. He recently took over Tijuana Flats, the fast-casual Mexican chain, and is working on that comeback plan.

We wanted to talk with him to go over the best strategies for resuscitating struggling restaurant chains. It’s an important topic because a lot of companies are doing just that. So we talk about the importance of operations, marketing and, of course food.

Check it out.

Why are some chains easily outperforming their biggest competitors?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Pawlak, the managing principal with RB sister company Technomic, to talk about this topic.

Several restaurant chains are easily outperforming top competitors right now. Chili’s is beating Applebee’s. Dutch Bros is outperforming Starbucks and Texas Roadhouse is outdistancing Outback Steakhouse.

Pawlak uses data from Technomic to help explain a lot of this. Customers clearly prefer some chains over others right now, and amid intense competition they are voting with their feet.

We discussed what some of these chains are bringing to the table and how much luck plays a role. The discussion offers lessons for some brands as they look to win in a competitive restaurant market.

The best time to invest in a restaurant chain may be when the industry is struggling.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Andrew Smith, the cofounder of the private-equity firm Savory Fund.

We have long wanted Smith on the podcast, largely because of Savory’s unique history. Smith has a restaurant operations background as a franchisee of brands like Little Caesars.

These days, Savory invests in emerging chains. The ifirm has invested in brands like Swig, Mo’ Bettahs, Houston TX Hot Chicken, Pincho, Via 313 and others.

Smith discussed his firm’s investment strategies, what they look for and how to tell whether a brand will be a winner or not. He also discussed the right time to exit an investment and why it’s not about time. He also notes that tough times for the restaurant business can be good times to make an investment and explains why that is on the podcast.

Check it out.

What is the right franchising strategy for your restaurant brand?

It’s not as simple a question as you may think. And I brought in Sean Thompson, VP of IT with Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers, to discuss franchising strategies and what may or may not work for restaurant brands.

The number of strategies for franchising a restaurant brand, or any industry for that matter, is as varied as the companies themselves. There are companies that love big operators and those that prefer smaller franchisees and everything in between.

There are also misnomers about franchisees. They are not always local. And they’re not always small.

In any event, we sort it all out on this episode as we talk about what works and what doesn’t and what is the key ingredient in any franchise company. Please check it out.

Should restaurants worry about weight-loss drugs?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Leo Feler, chief economist with the data firm Numerator, to talk about the potential impact of GLP-1 drugs on consumers’ food-spending habits.

Drugs such as Ozempic and Wegovy are increasingly popular. The medications are historically used for Type 2 diabetes but were found to cause weight loss. They’ve been used increasingly for weight loss. With nearly half of Americans overweight or obese, they’re expected to only grow in popularity.

Numerator recently coauthored a study analyzing the impact of these medications on sales at grocers and fast-food restaurants. They show a real impact that could influence sales in these industries.

Feler talks about the study and the impact of GLP-1 medications and what restaurants should do to prepare.

Why did restaurants close so many locations last year?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Balis, the operations partner with the private equity and debt financing firm CapitalSpring.

We had Balis on the podcast to talk about the closures. A lot of companies closed locations in 2024. Many of them ended up in bankruptcy, such as Red Lobster and TGI Fridays. Others have struggled for years. But many of them include brands like Wendy’s and Denny’s that closed locations for strategic reasons.

Closures generate headlines in publications like Restaurant Business. But there are reasons they opt to close locations. We had Balis on the podcast to talk about these reasons. We talk about the reasons companies make these decisions and what issues operators should take into consideration before they opt to close a location.

We’re talking closures on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Traffic and value dominated restaurant news in 2024.

Unsurprisingly, then, this episode of the Restaurant Business podcast of A Deeper Dive, which features some of the best content from a year’s worth of podcast episodes, focuses mostly on discussions about that very topic.

The first clip features Technomic’s Robert Byrne, talking about consumer frustration over restaurant prices. You can find the full episode here.

The second clip comes from our discussion with Placer.ai’s R.J. Hottovy, in which we also discuss value and why restaurants need to get customers excited about coming in. You can find that episode here.

The third clip is a more broad look at the state of the industry, featuring the National Restaurant Association’s Hudson Riehle, who discusses a wide variety of topics, including some of the issues currently driving the industry. You can find that episode here.

This will be the last episode of the podcast for the year, as we take a break for Christmas and New Year’s Day. But we will return with a vengeance in 2025. Thank you for listening, and you can check out all of our episodes on Apple Podcasts or Spotify.

How can you tell if an emerging brand will be a long-term success?

It’s not an easy question to answer. A lot of private-equity firms, restaurant executives, real estate companies, consultants, vendors and others all spend hundreds of millions of dollars to try and answer that question.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive does its best to answer that question and features David Henkes, senior principal with RB sister company Technomic.

Thousands of entrepreneurs start new restaurants every year. Many of them yearn to grow those restaurants into major chains. The vast majority of them fail.

This year has demonstrated just how hard it is to tell whether a brand will ultimately fulfill whatever promise it once had. Companies such as MOD Pizza, Uncle Julio’s, Rubio’s, Tijuana Flats and many others, all of which had major backing at one point, either filed for bankruptcy or came close to it after their once-promising futures did not come to fruition.

And we recently told you the story of Baja Fresh, which 20 years ago was considered a pioneer of fast-casual Mexican only to quickly lose its place to the younger Chipotle Mexican Grill, which has gone on to become the biggest such concept in the world.

The result is a fascinating discussion on emerging chains and what it takes to make them work, and why it’s so difficult to tell winners from losers, at least early on. So check it out.

Restaurants have been loading their menus with new items lately.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive is all about menu development, and specifically why so many restaurant chains are turning to limited-time offers to get customers in the door. RB Senior Menu Editor Pat Cobe joins me to talk about that this week.

Here’s a statistic: There were nearly 26,000 limited-time offers in the restaurant industry last year, according to Technomic. That was up 46% from 2022 and 53% from 2019. And, apparently, that hasn’t slowed down this year.

In short, restaurants have broken out of their pandemic-fueled restrictions on new menu development in a really big way.

The reason is simple: Necessity. Restaurants have struggled to generate traffic the past couple of years and were leery of going too deep into a value war.

But there is little evidence that all this development is pulling in more customers. And there are real risks when it doesn’t do that.

We’re talking about new menu items on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

It’s impossible to kill a restaurant chain, even when it’s dead.

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features a discussion on a fascinating phenomenon in the restaurant world lately: Operators bringing formerly dead or dying brands back to life. RB colleagues Lisa Jennings and Joe Guszkowski join me to talk about three such concepts: Steak & Ale, Souplantation and Sweet Tomatoes and Ground Round.

Steak & Ale, a Norman Brinker-created brand that was a casual-dining pioneer, recently opened a location in suburban Minneapolis, 15 years after the entire chain was shut down.

Sweet Tomatoes, a buffet concept that was killed in a 2020, pandemic-related shutdown, recently opened a location in Arizona.

And Ground Round—which still has a couple of locations open in the west—is planning a new location in Massachusetts.

Why are these brands coming back? And most importantly, can these chains survive off nostalgia alone? We’re about to find out.

We’re chatting about resurrected restaurant brands this week so check it out.

Church’s Texas Chicken has a new recipe that’s its old recipe.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Guith, CEO of the chicken chain. He joined us for an exclusive look at the company and its growth plans.

Church’s does have some big growth plans. The company wants to get to $2 billion in system sales by 2028, up from $1.4 billion last year.

We talk about what the company plans to do to get to that, including remodels and more digital efforts.

And we talk about the company’s value proposition and its core customer, lower-income diners, and how the chain’s restaurants can profit when it focuses on value.

But we also talk about the company’s chicken recipe, which is its original recipe. Church’s went away from that recipe a decade ago, and Joe explains why the company did that and why the recipe was brought back. Church’s advertising using the term “original recipe” has led to a lawsuit from rival KFC.

We’re talking chicken on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What’s the story behind the Hawaiian barbecue trend?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Elisia Flores, the CEO of the 200-plus unit franchise, L&L Hawaiian Barbecue.

L&L is rapidly growing and helped pioneer the idea of Hawaiian barbecue, though Flores explains exactly what that is. The chain’s system sales grew more than 10% last year, according to Technomic, and it has plans to continue to expand through franchising over the next several years.

We talk about the company’s story, and the challenges of taking a Hawaii-based concept to the mainland, and about teaching consumers here about Hawaiian cuisine.

But we also talk about issues of family ownership. Flores took over as CEO from her father, who had owned and run the concept for decades. We talk about the challenges and opportunities of family ownership and why Flores needed to work outside the business before she came back to work for her father.

We’re talking Hawaiian barbecue on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

What is happening with TGI Fridays?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy filing by the casual-dining chain TGI Fridays. RB Senior Editor Joe Guszkowski joins me on the podcast to discuss the situation.

TGI Fridays’ filing over the weekend was hardly a surprise, given the chain’s years of decline and its apparent death spiral this year.

The company recently lost control of much of its business after the trustee on its whole business securitization terminated it as the manager of most of its assets.

TGI Fridays also failed to secure a sale to its U.K. operator, which also ended up seeking debt protection in that country.

Joe and I talk about these issues and why Fridays filed for bankruptcy and what it says about the casual-dining sector. We talk about the causes of the filing and what will happen with the company from here. We also talk about the kinds of things that work in this environment. Because casual-dining chains can win in an environment like this.

We’re talking Fridays on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What do we make of McDonald’s E. coli outbreak?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Bill Marler, the country’s leading attorney on food safety issues and foodborne illness outbreaks.

Marler is with the law firm Marler Clark. He has represented victims of outbreaks and consulted with companies on foodborne-illness issues for more than 30 years. We wanted to talk with him about the situation at McDonald’s.

As of now at least 75 people in 13 states, and likely many more, have been sickened after eating Quarter Pounders at McDonald’s. The issue appears to be linked to slivered onions.

We discuss this, how rare it is for McDonald’s to be involved in an outbreak like this, proving that it can happen to anybody. Marler gives us a lot of historical context. We talk about why beef has been relatively safe for the past 30 years but why vegetables—such as onions—now appear to be frequent causes of E. coli outbreaks.

And we talk about what companies can do to ensure that their food supply is safe.

We’re talking McDonald’s E. coli on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What are we to make of the weird year in restaurants?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kenny Kraft, a managing director with Houlihan Lokey, and Tyler Martinez, a vice president with the investment firm.

The three of us talk about the state of the restaurant industry, and there’s a lot to talk about. This year has been an odd one.

Consumers have cut back on dining out at fast-food chains and casual dining concepts but appear to be spending more at restaurants overall. Some chains are filing for bankruptcy and others like Wingstop are generating record high sales.

And many concepts are grabbing share, such as Chili’s, Popeyes and Domino’s.

We talk about what’s driving these share gains and these differences. We talk extensively about consumers’ perception of value, and how brands can get on the right side of consumer perception of quality.

We also talk a bit about the eatertainment sector and what’s driving challenges there this year.

We’re talking about the state of the restaurant industry on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Can your restaurant use customer reviews to manage their business?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Avi Goren, the cofounder and CEO of the hospitality technology company Marqii.

Marqii does a few things, such as automating updates on menus and location data. But it also has a product that helps operators manage and track reviews.

We spoke with Avi at the recent FSTEC conference in Dallas about this because we’re fascinated by the impact reviews can have on restaurants, both good and bad.

Avi and I talked about reviews, their impact on restaurants, and how operators can use them to help manage their business. We talk about best practices and how a bad review isn’t necessarily a death knell.

We’re talking restaurant reviews on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What are the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Richard Del Valle, the chief information officer with the Charlotte, North Carolina-based chicken chain Bojangles.

We spoke with Richard at the FSTEC restaurant technology conference in September.

We were interested in the efforts Bojangles was making in adding consumer-facing technology into its restaurants. In particular, Del Valle discussed the company’s use of voice-activated AI in the drive-thru.

AI is taking over much of the restaurant business. Bojangles has been adding the technology to its restaurant drive-thrus.

Del Valle talked about this effort and its impact on both customers and employees. He also talked about whether the technology can help restaurants save on labor. His answer may surprise you.

We’re talking AI on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How do you market a brand like Jack in the Box?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ryan Ostrom, the chief marketing officer for the San Diego-based burger chain.

This is a complicated environment in the restaurant industry and we wanted Ostrom on the podcast to talk about how to market a brand in an environment like this.

Ostrom and I talk about the complexities of this market, and about balancing the need for price-based promotions and customers’ desire for better fast food. We talk about the difficulties of marketing these days, given the presence of mobile orders and loyalty as well as traditional media.

We also talk about the chain’s strategy for new markets and its ability to make fun of its competitors.

And because it’s Jack in the Box we talk a lot about, you guessed it, tacos.

We’re talking marketing on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why is delivery so popular? Hint, it’s easy.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Cameron Watt, the president and CEO of Intouch Insight, to discuss the firm’s recent study for Restaurant Business on third-party delivery at restaurants and convenience stores.

Intouch Insight is a customer experience consulting firm that works with companies across restaurants and retail. It uses secret shoppers to provide insights into a wide variety of issues, and recently examined service by the three major delivery companies: DoorDash, Uber Eats and Grubhub.

The results were fascinating. We discuss those results and why consumers appear satisfied with their delivery services. We talk about speed, accuracy and, most important, ease of use. We also talk about why delivery from restaurants appears to be better, by a fair bit, than delivery from convenience stores.

And we take a bit of a side trip to talk about growing competition between fast-food chains and convenience stores.

We’re talking delivery on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

What is the future of Whataburger under its new CEO?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ed Nelson, the CEO of Whataburger, and Debbie Stroud, who will take the chief executive job at the end of the year when Nelson retires. They joined the podcast for an exclusive interview.

Whataburger is a Texas-based chain with more than 1,000 locations in 15 states. It had operated as a family-owned brand for 69 years before it was sold in 2019 to BDT Capital Partners.

Nelson has worked with the chain since 2004 and was named CEO in 2020. We talk with Ed about his tenure as chief executive, the transition from a family-owned brand to an investment firm-owned brand and how the company dealt with the pandemic. We also talk about the chain’s elevation of general managers into operating partners.

Stroud was brought in as chief operating officer last year. She had a long career with McDonald’s and Starbucks. We talk with her about her priorities for the brand, its future growth and the keys for its future success.

We also talk about technology and the love Texas consumers have for their homegrown burger chain.

It’s an exclusive interview with the current and future CEOs of Whataburger so please check it out.

What is the future of Topgolf?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mathew Focht, the founder and managing partner of the investment fund Emerging.

Emerging is a fund that invests in small technology and restaurant and entertainment concepts. The fund has invested in several food-and-entertainment brands.

Several such brands have emerged in recent years to combine restaurants with various activities, including minigolf, bowling, baseball, pickleball and even race cars.

Topgolf is one of the biggest names in that business. The company thrived coming out of the pandemic. It was sold to the golf equipment maker Callaway Brands in 2020 and the next year Callaway added Topgolf to its corporate name as the chain’s sales went through the roof.

But those sales have fallen more recently, prompting Topgolf Callaway to propose a spinoff. Meanwhile another food-and-games concept, Pinstripes, is cutting costs as its own sales fall. And Dave & Buster’s has also had sales problems.

We talked with Mathew about these issues and what they mean for Topgolf but also the emerging food-and-games sector, which is still receiving considerable interest from investors. Mathew and I talk about this as well as the overall state of investing in the restaurant space.

We’re talking Topgolf on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How does a pot-themed brand become one of the industry’s fastest-growing restaurant chains?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Marc Torres, the CEO of the fast-growing sandwich chain Cheba Hut.

The Fort Collins, Colorado-based chain has picked up its growth in recent years behind franchising and strong average unit volumes.

System sales grew 29% last year, according to Restaurant Business sister company Technomic. Average unit volumes are well over $2 million, far higher than traditional sandwich concepts.

Marc discusses Cheba Hut, its history and performance, including why it generates those volumes. We also talk about franchising.

He also talks about the company’s pot theme, and how it convinces customers and landlords that it is more than that. Cheba Hut does not sell any THC, and Torres notes that its marijuana theme can only get the company so far. Ultimately its food does the talking.

We’re talking Cheba Hut on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

What do all these bankruptcies mean for the future of the restaurant industry?

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive, RB editors Joe Guszkowski and Lisa Jennings join me to discuss the spate of bankruptcy filings this year and what they mean for the business.

Seventeen restaurant chains have filed for Chapter 11 debt protection this year, most of them since June.

That probably undercounts the true industry challenge as several companies are either close to filing or are doing an out-of-court restructuring. The filings include one of the industry’s biggest ever in Red Lobster.

We discuss these bankruptcies and get an update on where the businesses stand. We also talk about why these bankruptcies are happening now, four years after the pandemic.

We also get into a discussion on what works and how businesses can generate sales in a difficult environment.

Amid all the bankruptcy filings are companies like Chili’s and Wingstop that have reported ultra-strong sales. Why are they able to do that while others struggle?

We’re talking bankruptcies on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What does the potential Circle K-7-Eleven deal mean for restaurants?

This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Hannah Hammond, a senior editor with RB sister publication CSP Daily News.

CSP covers convenience stores, and I wanted to talk with Hammond about the big news of the week—maybe the year—in the convenience-store industry: The proposed acquisition of Seven & i holdings by Alimentation Couche-Tard.

Seven & i is the Japanese owner of 7-Eleven and Alimentation Coche-Tard, or ACT, is the owner of Circle K. 7-Eleven is the country and world’s biggest convenience store chain. Circle K is No. 2 in the U.S. This was the equivalent of Starbucks proposing to buy McDonald’s.

Hammond talks about the deal and what it means for the companies themselves and the c-store business and whether it could get through the FTC. We also talk about what this means for the respective chains’ growing competition with quick-service restaurants.

And we talk about all kinds of other c-store stuff, including Wawa and Buccee’s and why convenience stores can’t spell the word Quick.

We’re talking c-stores on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How can operating a franchise lead to multi-generational success?

This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kerri Harper-Howie, a second-generation McDonald's franchisee out of Los Angeles.

Harper-Howie has written a book: The Family Secret: The Business and Franchise Owner’s Guide to Building Generational Wealth. We talk about that book and the story behind it. We talk about her parents and why they got into the McDonald’s business.

We talk extensively about her mother and the impact she had, both on the family and on the people who worked with her.

We also talk about the benefits of getting into a franchise like McDonald’s and all kinds of other things such as the number of eggs I can crack at one time.

And we also talk about the operating environment out in California and what it takes to succeed there.

This is a great conversation about operating a McDonald’s on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why are some restaurant chains suddenly struggling in international markets?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joel Silverstein.

Silverstein is a periodic guest on the podcast. He is the founder and CEO of the hospitality consulting firm Canyon Springs Advisors. He has helped a lot of companies grow in overseas markets.

I wanted to talk with him about the state of international development. We talk quite a bit about the state of the industry in China, where a number of U.S. chains have suddenly struggled but which are still intent on growing there.

We focus particularly on the coffee market, where Starbucks is struggling as is Tim Hortons. Both are watching as several aggressive upstarts, notably Luckin Coffee, have grown rapidly with low-priced coffee. We talk about that competition and what it means for the market there.

We also talk about the global economy and its impact on restaurant brands, as well as overall conditions in the U.S.

It’s a great conversation about international development on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

Why should franchisees take private-equity investments?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mike Esposito, the cofounder of Franchise Equity Partners.

Franchise Equity Partners is a private-equity firm specializing in the franchise business. Mike helped found the firm in 2021 to invest in all kinds of franchisees. Before that he had an extensive career in investment banking, working 20 years with Goldman Sachs. He is also a Jersey Mike’s franchisee.

We talked with Mike about the state of the restaurant business, mergers and acquisitions and other issues, and the result was an extensive, interesting conversation about what kinds of investments work these days and what do not.

We talk about the necessity of restaurants’ value push and the impact it could have on margins. We talk about the kinds of concepts that have distanced themselves in today’s markets and how you can know whether an emerging chain has legs or not.

And we also ask why a private-equity investment is a good idea for certain franchisees.

But the biggest question we ask him is whether he is buying or not. His answer to that question is instructive.

It’s a wide-ranging discussion on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How does an international restaurant chain break into the toughest market in the world?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Troy Hooper, the CEO of Pepper Lunch.

Pepper Lunch is a Japanese fast-casual chain in which customers largely cook the food themselves. It is part of a generation of concepts with unique business models that are rapidly establishing themselves in a U.S. market hungry for more Asian fare that provides interesting experiences.

Hooper became the CEO of Pepper Lunch last year. We wanted him on the podcast to talk about this brand and what he’s done to establish the concept in the U.S. It’s tough to break into this market, and he can provide some unique perspective on what it takes to do so. Hooper talks about what makes the brand tick and discusses its recent menu overhaul and how that fits into its plans. We talk about its unique menu overhaul and why Asian chains are taking off right now.

It's a fascinating discussion with one of the country’s more interesting emerging brands, so please check it out.

Why are restaurants losing customers right now?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research with Placer.ai.Hottovy has followed the restaurant industry for years, and the foot traffic data firm has been tracking customer counts to restaurants and retailers. In November, Placer.ai noted traffic suddenly falling to Starbucks shops, foretelling a sales challenge the coffee giant has dealt with all year.We wanted Hottovy on the podcast to talk about these issues and about why restaurants are losing traffic. We also talked about the specific challenges facing Starbucks. We also get into plenty of other topics.Please check it out.

Why is it better for small restaurant chains to band together?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kelly Roddy, CEO of the brand platform company Woworks.

Woworks operates several restaurant concepts, including Saladworks, Garbanzo Mediterranean, Frutta Bowls, Simple Greek, Barberitos and ZEats.

It is one of a growing number of platform companies that collect small concepts, and these companies have been gobbling up a lot of brands lately. The idea is that they can get stronger buying power and therefore cheaper prices for franchisees, at least in theory.

They can also invest in technology. We asked Kelly about that and how it works.

We also ask about the market for mergers and acquisitions. Woworks is apparently in the market for a new chain and we talk about that, what the market is like, what kinds of companies they’re looking for and how they could fit in.

We’re talking brand collecting on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

Can technology fix restaurants’ workforce issues?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features two different discussions.

First, we chat with Michelle Korsmo, the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. We chatted with Michelle at the National Restaurant Show in May and discussed a variety of issues, including the regulatory environment, how companies are dealing with soaring costs and the importance of restaurant technology.

And speaking of restaurant technology, we also have RB Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski on to talk about drive-thru AI, an increasingly popular piece of technology. McDonald’s just ended its test of that technology and I wanted Joe to talk about what that means for the future of the innovation.

We also chat about Red Lobster.

It’s a two-for-one interview day on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How do brands operate in a price-sensitive restaurant market?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Juan Martinez, the principal and founder of the consulting firm Profitality.

We periodically have Martinez on the podcast when we’re concerned about profits and, well, this is one of those times.

Consumers are frustrated by rising restaurant prices and are cutting back on dining frequency. Restaurants don’t have pricing power and are about to enter a value war. That could squeeze margins for some time.

How do you operate through that, particularly when many restaurants have already spent a lot of time cutting costs as it is?

Martinez and I talk about this challenge and what operators can do about it. We talk about value and what exactly that means in this day and age.

We’re talking about operating in a tough environment, so please check it out.

What are the restaurant industry’s biggest concerns right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Scott Redler, the co-founder of Freddy’s Frozen Custard and Steakburgers.

We spoke with Scott at the National Restaurant Show in May and we chatted on a variety of issues. We wanted to talk with him about some of the bigger concerns in the industry right now, given regulatory efforts such as the $20 fast-food wage in California and other issues. I also wanted to talk about the overall operating environment, as many restaurants are struggling with weak traffic.

Scott has been busy in the three years since he and his co-founders sold a majority stake in Freddy’s to Thompson Street Capital Partners. We talk about what he’s been doing since then, including his role as the former chair of the National Restaurant Association.

It’s a wide-ranging conversation with the co-founder of Freddy’s on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

How can restaurant chains survive in this market?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features longtime industry executive James Walker.

At the moment, Walker has multiple titles. He is the chief culinary and concept officer for Experiential Brands, a concept creation engine that has created brands such as the Original Hot Chicken, Inked Tacos and Pinsa Roman Pizza.

He is also the CEO of Frisch’s Restaurants, the family-dining brand.

We talked with Walker at the National Restaurant Show last month, and it was a wide-ranging conversation. We talked with him about Frisch’s and his new concepts.

But we also got into a discussion on the state of the industry. Traffic has been down throughout the industry amid high prices, but plenty of chains, like Wingstop, Sweetgreen and many others, have done just fine. And plenty of hot independent restaurants remain tough to get into.

We talk about that and what differentiates the winners and the losers.

We’re talking all things restaurants on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What is the future of Red Lobster?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Victor Fernandez, the vice president of insights and knowledge at GuestXM.

GuestXM provides industry performance metrics, notably the Black Box index of industry sales and traffic.

I wanted Victor on the podcast so we could talk about the state of full-service restaurants, particularly a certain seafood chain that is filing for bankruptcy. We talked during the National Restaurant Show in Chicago.

Red Lobster filed for bankruptcy last month and has already closed 100 locations. It could close a lot more than that if it can’t renegotiate leases.

There are plenty of reasons Red Lobster is in this situation, but we wanted to get an assessment of the full-service climate, and how much that might have contributed. We talked about a host of other topics during the conversation as well, so it was a great snapshot of the state of the restaurant industry right now.

How has Dutch Bros changed its real estate strategy?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Christine Barone, CEO of the drive-thru beverage chain.

Dutch Bros is coming off a strong quarter under its relatively new chief executive, and we talk about a host of topics.

We discuss how Dutch Bros is refining its real estate strategy and what that means. We chat about fortressing, and why Dutch Bros believes building more locations in a market is important to the brand’s customers.

We talk about competition in the beverage space, particularly drive-thru beverages.

We chat about the company’s strong first quarter and what drove those sales—hint, boba tea helped—and how that reflects consumers’ changing beverage habits. And we talk about customization and energy drinks and all kinds of things.

This week’s episode is all about drinks, so please check it out.

What does the Technomic Top 500 tell us about the restaurant industry right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Pawlak, managing principal with Technomic. And we talk all about the report and the trends that it reveals.

The Top 500 is essentially data on the chain restaurant industry, since that data makes up the vast majority of chain sales. Restaurant sales increased more than 8% last year, but that was due entirely to prices and some unit growth, rather than traffic.

We talk about some chains on that Top 500, including the chicken business, specifically Popeyes and KFC, and why one of those chains has been able to thrive in a changing market for chicken.

We also talk about how top heavy the Top 500 is getting, given performance of chains high up on the list. We talk about which sectors are doing the best and get into a discussion on the beverage business.

And we talk about what chains have the most potential to hit the Top 10.

How is Pinstripes upgrading the bowling experience?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Dale Schwartz, the CEO of the growing eatertainment concept Pinstripes.

Dale joined us at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in April.

We talk about, well, Pinstripes, a concept that combines bowling and bocce with a restaurant. It is part of the fast-growing eatertainment sector led by such concepts as Top Golf.

Schwartz talks about the chain’s history and what makes his concept different than others. He also explains its heavy reliance on events for much of the chain’s sales, and how those events help the brand. We also talk about what makes the brand different than other bowling alleys.

We also talk about the need to have a great experience and great food, given the growing competition in the eatertainment space these days.

And we talk about the chain’s decision to go public via special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC.

We’re talking bowling and bocce on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Who is winning the chicken wars?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on recent earnings with RB Executive Editor Lisa Jennings.

A huge number of earnings have come in and many of them are head-scratchers. While a lot of chains have done really well, like Wingstop and its 22% same-store sales number, others have not, such as KFC and its sales decline.

We discuss that issue, and what the first quarter means for the chicken market in general, including Popeyes and Chick-fil-A.

We also contrast the performance of Chipotle and Starbucks, and why one chain can do well despite concerns about prices, while another cannot.

We’re talking earnings on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What’s coming to this year’s National Restaurant Association Show? More seats, for one thing.

This special episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Cindric, the president of exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice, which operates the show and is also a sister company of Restaurant Business.

We will be attending the Show this year, and will do a few podcasts from the event, which runs from May 18 through May 21. But we wanted to talk with Cindric to get a better idea of what to look for.

Cindric expects a big event this year, which may or may not be indicative of the state of the industry right now: People are looking for solutions to the operating issues they’re dealing with.

We talk about technology, which is a huge focus of the show, as is equipment. We talk about menu issues and changes at this year’s event, including more benches for people tired of walking.

We’re talking about the National Restaurant Association Show on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

Convenience stores are upping their food game and one concept is taking advantage of it.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Norberg, the CEO of the convenience-store chicken concept Krispy Krunchy Chicken.

We had Jim on largely because convenience stores are getting a lot of foodservice business right now. Traffic at convenience stores is up 17% since before the pandemic, compared with 5% at quick-service restaurants—meaning that some of the lost traffic at restaurants is heading to the local gas station.

One reason is the higher quality food c-stores are putting out now. Krispy Krunchy is taking advantage of that.

Norberg is a former executive with McDonald’s, and he is bringing a restaurant mentality to the concept. The brand is getting into third-party delivery and recently hired its first chief marketing officer in Alice Crowder.

We talk with Jim about the company’s rapid growth and how many locations it expects to go into this year alone. We talk about how that program works and what’s driving interest in c-stores.

We also talk about Krispy Krunchy’s new marketing program and how it can market a concept located in other businesses.

We’re talking convenience-store chicken on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How do you tailor your real estate strategies to an uncertain market?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Stephen Cohen, an attorney who specializes in real estate for restaurants and retailers.

A lot of restaurants want to expand right now and are doing everything they can to do so. But the cost of expansion is higher than ever. Construction costs are up. Interest rates are high. And lease rates are also high because of intense competition.

Cohen discusses these issues and talks about how companies can balance the need to grow with the need to ensure that they don’t wreck their unit economics.

We talk about what companies can do to remain competitive for good sites. Cohen also talks about the biggest mistakes restaurants make with their real estate strategies.

It’s a real estate podcast this week so please check it out.

What is the future of virtual restaurants?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robbie Earl, the co-founder of Virtual Dining Concepts.

The company is now the largest operator of digital-only brands, which operate inside other restaurants, ghost kitchens and other facilities. They typically do not have a traditional storefront.

Virtual brands were all the rage during the pandemic but for various reasons they have slowed coming out of it. Some of them have been quite successful and others not so much.

We talk about how virtual brands can ensure the restaurants they work with produce quality food. We discuss whether they should open more brick-and-mortar locations. We ask about Virtual Dining Concepts’ relationship with MrBeast Burger, currently embroiled in litigation.

And we talk about what makes a good virtual brand partnership and whether anything has changed more recently.

This is a fascinating discussion about a fascinating topic so please check it out.

What happens when you combine high-tech miniature golf and food?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Vrankin, the CEO of the fast-growing eatertainment concept Puttshack.

Puttshack is an 18-unit chain that combines a full-service restaurant with an indoor game of minigolf—neither of which is all that standard. The minigolf features innovative games featuring a high-tech ball and the food is much better than traditional eatertainment fare.

We talk with Vrankin about the concept, the games and the food. We chat about consumers’ higher expectations for food and why a company like Puttshack cannot overlook the menu. We talk about real estate, and an awful lot about minigolf, and where the chain is going from here.

It’s a fascinating conversation about food and minigolf, so please check it out.

What is happening at the Restaurant Leadership Conference this year?

We decided to demand that Chris Keating, the EVP of Conferences for Informa Connect, RB’s parent company, talk about the conference, which runs April 14-17. And he was happy to oblige.

We ask about what’s happening at the event and the strategy behind it. We also chat about Martha Stewart, and Chris tells us some of his sports interview stories. And we also talk about whether the conference itself reflects the state of the restaurant business.

We’re talking RLC on a special edition of A Deeper Dive.

How did Wingstop fix its cost problem?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michael Skipworth, the chicken chain's CEO.

Wingstop is hitting on all cylinders right now, thanks to the popularity of chicken wings and takeout but also because of its new line of chicken sandwiches, which have helped lure new customers in during different times of day.

But it has also helped the chain with food costs. Chicken wings are the most volatile commodity, certainly among proteins. One year they could hit record prices and the next year they come down considerably. It has given plenty of executives massive headaches trying to deal with them.

But Wingstop’s move into boneless options, like the chicken sandwich, has helped change things. Skipworth talks all about it.

He also discusses technology, delivery and Wingstop’s plan to build its own tech stack and reach its goal of 100% digital transactions.

We’re talking chicken on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How is Happy Joe’s modernizing its brand?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Sacco, the CEO of Happy Joe’s.

The 52-unit, Iowa-based chain has been around for 50 years. It was sold just before the pandemic. Sacco was brought in as CEO after a career with BJ’s, Ponderosa, Red Robin and Ghiradelli.

The pandemic forced the brand to rethink how it does business, and so Sacco talks about how Happy Joe’s modernized its operations coming out of that period. For instance, it didn’t count transactions.

We discuss the 2022 bankruptcy involving the chain’s corporate units and what led to that. And we talk about the brand’s surprising recent growth. We also discuss the chain’s penchant for small towns as well as taco pizzas and pickle pizzas and how Happy Joe’s was an early developer of both.

How are restaurants making their C-suites more diverse?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Therese Gearhart, the president and CEO of the Women’s Foodservice Forum.

WFF’s leadership conference is coming up next week, and we figured it’d be a great time to check in on the industry’s track record of hiring women into leadership roles.

The answer is that it’s doing better. Several restaurant chains, including Denny’s and Dutch Bros, have recently hired women to be their CEOs. Three restaurant chains in just the last day hired women to be CEOs: Taco John’s (Heather Neary), Smashburger (Denise Nelsen) and Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream (Jennifer Schuler).

Therese discusses these issues and talks about how restaurants are doing getting people into management roles.

We talk about why it’s financially beneficial for restaurants to do these things. We talk about the upcoming conference, and Therese gives tips for up-and-coming employees to move up in the business and how companies can create more inclusive working environments.

We’re talking women in restaurants on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

What is Corner Bakery doing to right its ship?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Chris Dharod, the CEO of Corner Bakery.

Dharod is with SSCP Management, a franchisee of Applebee’s and Sonic and owner of Cici’s Pizza and Roy’s. The company bought Corner Bakery out of bankruptcy last year.

We had him on the podcast to talk about Corner Bakery and chat about the way in which the acquisition was made.

SSCP acquired the brand by buying the debt on the secondary market and then using that to take over the company out of bankruptcy, a process some folks call loan to own. Dharod talks about that process, its risks and what SSCP looks for in its investments, as well as how it turns them around, which it has done with Cici’s.

Corner Bakery is a particularly difficult process. The brand was owned by the same owner as Boston Market and was having many of the same problems. It didn’t pay many of its bills and was burdened by lawsuits and serious issues.

We talk about what the brand is doing to fix all that, what kind of people it brought in and what kind of sales the brand is generating now.

We’re talking Corner Bakery on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Never compromise on your unit economics.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Justin Rosenberg, the founder of the fast-casual chain Honeygrow.

Rosenberg founded the bowl chain in 2012 and it was going quite well until 2018. He talks about why the company stopped growing that year and what the it did to get back on the growth track.

Hint: Honeygrow stopped making compromises on its unit economics.

We also talk about where the chain is growing and why smaller towns are apparently a recipe for success. Indeed, sometimes they’re too successful. And we also discuss how he started the chain.

This is an interesting conversation on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

How important is value right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robert Byrne, the director of consumer and industry insights at RB sister company Technomic.

We talk extensively about value. There’s a lot of concern about traffic in the fast-food world, with McDonald’s and Wendy’s saying that lower-income consumers are cutting back. McDonald’s specifically said that people are more likely to stay at home.

Byrne discusses whether this is a broad problem or more likely to hurt McDonald’s. We also talk about what consumers mean when they think value and why they keep spending on restaurants despite soaring prices.

We also talk about loyalty programs. Many restaurant chains are focused on loyalty, but last quarter Starbucks did really well with its loyalty customers but lost business from anyone else.

We’re talking about the state of the consumer on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

What will the restaurant industry do in 2024?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Hudson Riehle, the senior vice president of the research and knowledge group with the National Restaurant Association.

Riehle joined the podcast to talk about the association’s annual State of the Industry Report and what it says about restaurants in the coming year.

Restaurants and bars are expected to generate $1.1 trillion in sales this year, crossing the trillion mark for the first time. We chat about how big the industry really is and how many people it employs.

And we talk extensively about labor, labor costs, labor availability and efficiency. We talk about demands for technology among operators and why it’s important to target younger generations these days.

It’s a packed podcast on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How does an emerging brand break into a new market?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Otto Othman, the cofounder of Pincho, who discusses a wide range of topics.

Pincho is based in Miami and specializes in two things: kebabs, or pinchos, and burgers. The company received an investment from the Salt Lake City-based private-equity group Savory Fund.

Savory has injected some operations expertise, not to mention investment, into the fast-casual brand, and we talk about a lot of that.

Some of that expertise came in play when the chain opened restaurants in Houston recently. We chat extensively about all that the company did to expand in the city and what kind of technology it used.

We also talk about the chain's recent kitchen upgrades and how that cut the company’s service times in half.

It’s a fascinating conversation on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How do you get an 87-year-old brand ready for expansion?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Flynn Dekker, the CEO of the 352-unit donut and kolache chain Shipley Do-Nuts.

Shipley is an institution in its hometown of Houston, something Dekker discovered after he took over as CEO last year.

But it is also an old brand. It’s been around for nearly 90 years. The longtime family-owned chain was sold to Peak Rock Capital in 2021 and since then has taken numerous steps to change operations and processes to bring it into a more modern age.

We talk about all of that on the podcast, including the company’s efforts on marketing and what that's doing to the brand, along with processes, franchising and technology. We also talk about kolaches and what that does for the brand’s business.

It’s a fascinating conversation with an interesting brand, so check it out.

How is Cici’s becoming more like Chuck E. Cheese?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Jeff Hetsel, the president and COO of Cici’s Pizza.

Hetsel discusses the chain’s rapid shift into something of an eatertainment concept. Many of the brand’s locations have been adding larger and larger game rooms, complete with tickets and prizes, much like the aforementioned classic pizza-and-games concept.

We talk about what games is doing for its business and why franchisees are the ones who led the charge.

We also talk about a variety of other topics, including the labor situation in the restaurant industry and what Cici’s and its operators are doing about it. We also talk about the brand’s new loyalty program.

You can also find out what the most expensive pizza to make is—it’s not what you think.

It’s a fascinating discussion of pizza so please check it out.

How is private equity impacting food costs?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Davie, the CEO of Buyer’s Edge Platform.

Buyer’s Edge is a digital procurement platform that helps restaurants use data and other tools to source food and other supplies. It operates numerous technology brands, including Consolidated Concepts.

As much as the restaurant industry focuses on front-of-house technology like mobile ordering and kiosks, back-of-house tech is also important—particularly with food cost inflation.

We talk about that inflation and why Davie believes that pre-pandemic food cost levels are not returning anytime soon. Hint: It has something to do with ownership of the vendors that produce that food.

We talk about how long that rate of inflation could last, and what operators can do to offset it after three years of looking for profits where there weren’t any before.

We’re talking food costs on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

Subway could avoid some problems if it consulted more with its franchisees. Or so says the head of its biggest association.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Bill Mathis, a Subway operator out of Minnesota and chairman of the North American Association of Subway Franchisees, or NAASF.

Subway remains the largest restaurant chain in the U.S. by unit count, with some 20,000 stores domestically. But thousands of those locations have closed over the past decade.

NAASF represents much of that franchisee base. The association rarely speaks publicly, but Mathis is breaking that silence on this podcast, specifically to talk about some of the group’s concerns with current strategies.

We talk about communication between management and the association and what impact that could have on some of the chain’s strategies.

But we also talk about several other issues, including slicers and the impact they have had on food and labor costs. We also talk about Subway’s recent requirement that franchisees accept digital coupons—and what that is doing to franchisees. Mathis also discusses the purchase of Subway by Roark Capital and the association’s view on that. And we talk about the general financial condition of franchisees and the state of food and labor costs right now.

It's an in-depth discussion with one of the most-prominent franchisees in the country’s biggest sandwich chain, so please check it out.

Starbucks is the most complicated simple business on the planet.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast is all about Starbucks. I’m joined this week by RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo.

Peter and I toured headquarters and have a series coming up on restaurantbusinessonline.com.

We talk about how Starbucks has evolved over the years, from a simple coffee shop chain into a global behemoth selling customizable beverages through numerous ordering channels.

And we talk about the impact that has had on the workforce and how it has fed into an unprecedented union drive.

We also talk about new CEO Laxman Narasimhan, and how his six-month immersion into Starbucks culture is playing a role in all of this.

And we talk about our apparently higher-than-expected caffeine tolerance.

We’re talking Starbucks on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Can a slider concept use modular buildings to get big?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Maria Rivera, the CEO of the rapidly growing slider chain, to talk about its unique method of growth.

Smalls is a rapidly growing quick-service slider chain. The company has been quickly adding locations throughout the South over the past year, using its “cans,” or 750-square-foot facilities that are manufactured off site and placed onto the restaurant site.

Maria calls them “cans.” And she talks extensively about the potential benefits these units can have on franchisees’ ability to open locations more quickly and more strategically, along with potential financial benefits.

We talk about the chain’s history and the simplicity of its menu—customers order sliders, fries, drinks and shakes. We talk about the company’s franchising strategy and its plans for growth.

It’s an interesting conversation with the CEO of a fast-growing slider chain so please have a listen.

The last episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” is, perhaps unsurprisingly, a look back at some of the year’s best episodes.

The episode features clips from some key guests, including marketing expert and author Chip Klose, speaking about, well, marketing.

We speak with executives from Dave’s Hot Chicken on its fascinating start. CapitalSpring’s Jim Balis gives us some news on delivery demand.

Technomic’s Lori Rakoczy talks about inflation. And our own Peter Romeo and I rant about the U.S. tipping culture.

So, take a look back at the year that was with us on this very special episode of A Deeper Dive.

How did Potbelly turn its business around?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Bob Wright, the CEO of the Chicago-based sandwich chain.

Potbelly struggled going into the pandemic, which hammered its core business in urban markets. Wright took over as CEO three years ago. On the podcast, he talks about what it’s like to take on a struggling concept during that time.

Wright discusses the changes Potbelly has made during those three years. The company closed around 30 locations its first year, but the brand has seen strong same-store sales the past couple of years. It expects to grow unit count about 10% this year.

Wright talks about getting the chain’s price-value equation right—without resorting to discounts or hammering profit margins. He also talks about the company’s efforts to improve operations, its development strategy and why Potbelly plans to franchise going forward.

We’re talking Potbelly on a Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Are restaurants becoming like Taylor Swift?

Well, sort of. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Matt Tucker. He is the senior vice president with Squarespace and is head of the reservation platform Tock.

Tock was cofounded by restaurateur Nick Kokonas and was sold in 2021 to Squarespace. The company sells prepaid restaurant reservations to customers.

Those reservations act like tickets, which customers can resell. And that could create a market that operates like online ticket sales, where brokers gobble up the best tickets—like Taylor Swift concerts—to resell them at substantial markups.

We talk with Tucker about this, and why restaurants do not want their reservations resold. Tucker talks about what his company does to prevent this. But he also talks about the benefits to restaurants of a model in which diners prepay for their reservations, such as the ability to do more dynamic pricing.

We talk about general trends in restaurant reservations. For instance, is 6 p.m. really the new 8 p.m. and why is that? What are consumers looking for in reservations these days and what is demand for those restaurants right now.

It’s a fascinating conversation about reservations, so check it out.

Why is the FTC looking into Subway?

This episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Gordon, a restaurant consultant out of San Diego, who discusses the apparent investigation of the sale of Subway to Roark Capital.

The investigation is apparently examining whether the acquisition of the sandwich giant would give the private equity firm Roark too much power.

We discuss that issue, and how much of the restaurant market Roark really would have if the sale were to go through and whether that is all that unusual. (Hint: It’s not.)

We also talk about some of the chain’s efforts to push discounting through its app, including its upcoming requirement that franchisees accept digital coupons. As we reported in September, Subway wants franchisees to accept the offers by the end of this month.

But we also discuss what this review could mean for the restaurant business as a whole.

We’re talking Subway and the FTC so please check it out.

Customers are increasingly questioning the value of their restaurant visits.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Lisa Miller, a consumer strategist and author of the book “The Business of Joy.” And we talk about consumer attitudes on the value of restaurants right now.

Miller surveys consumers every month and she has had some interesting insights on how diners view the restaurant industry, in particular their views on the price-value equation.

We talk extensively about tipping, and what consumers think about the practice. A growing number of consumers are frustrated with tipping and we talk about why that is.

And we talk about consumers’ views on whether their restaurant visits are worth it. An increasing number of consumers think their visits aren’t worth it and more than half of fast-food customers say they get sticker shock when they visit a restaurant. Fast-food restaurants have raised their prices 30% since the pandemic, which has frustrated diners.

We also talk about what restaurants can do to make their offering more worth it to consumers. Hint: Do not skimp on the training budget.

It’s a fascinating conversation on consumer attitudes so please have a listen.

How do you dust off a brand that has been dead for 15 years?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Paul Mangiamele, the CEO and chairman of Legendary Restaurant Brands, the owner of Bennigan’s.

Mangiamele discusses his decision to open Steak & Ale, which is scheduled for next spring.

Bennigan’s and Steak & Ale were in the same group that filed for Chapter 7 bankruptcy in 2008, which shed a light on problems with the casual dining sector. Bennigan’s franchise system was saved from liquidation by its secured lender. But Steak & Ale was shuttered, seemingly for good.

Mangiamele bought Bennigan’s and has operated it since. But he also owned the rights to Steak & Ale. Now he plans to bring it back, a potentially rare comeback from Chapter 7 by a restaurant brand.

We talk with him about why he’s making that decision and why now. Paul also talks about what he’s doing to adapt the chain to a new market.

What do you do with Pollo Tropical?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Alex Macedo, the chairman of Authentic Restaurant Brands, to talk about that company’s recent acquisition of Pollo Tropical.

Authentic Restaurant Brands, or ARB, is owned by the private equity firm Garnett Station Partners. Macedo is a former executive with Burger King and Tim Hortons and is overseeing the multi-concept operator, which also owns Primanti Brothers, PJ Whelihan's and Mambo Seafood.

Pollo Tropical has long been one of the industry’s most intriguing concept. The fast-casual chicken chain operates 169 locations and generates some industry-leading restaurant-level profits. But it has long struggled to expand outside of Florida—so much so that many buyers were reticent to acquire the company when it was put on the market two years ago.

Macedo talks about that, and he discusses why he believes there is plenty of growth in Florida and nearby communities. He also talks about ARB’s acquisition plans, how many companies it is talking with, and what the company does once it acquires a restaurant chain.

It is an interesting conversation with the chairman of a new multi-concept operator so please have a listen.

What is the state of the labor market right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Brian Miller, the CEO of management recruiting firm Patrice & Associates.

Miller works with hospitality companies to recruit executives and managers. We talk a lot about the labor market, which has been resilient—surprisingly so, at least if you ask economists.

We talk about why that market has been so resilient, and what impact that could have on restaurants’ ability to hire and retain workers going forward.

Restaurants have seen improvement in the labor market this year, though it remains tight. We discuss those issues on the podcast.

We also talk about the best strategies for retaining employees. More companies have been working harder to retain their top managers and we explain why. But we also talk about the best strategies for retention. Hint: It’s not that hard.

We’re talking labor on this week’s A Deeper Dive so check it out.

Loyalty programs are all over the place. But are they really necessary?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Stephanie Meltzer-Paul, the EVP of global loyalty for MasterCard, to talk about loyalty programs.

We asked Meltzer-Paul to join the podcast given how popular these programs have become. Just about every major fast-food chain, and many casual-dining concepts, have one of these programs, many of which were added only recently.

But there have been some high-profile upgrades of these programs that haven’t always gone over well with loyal customers, often creating bad press in the process.

We ask Meltzer-Paul about these issues, and why so many companies are spending so much effort on these programs. We talk about whether these programs are truly necessary—she has an interesting answer for this—and why it may sometimes be necessary for popular programs to accept some angry customers as their programs mature.

And we ask her about the future of loyalty programs and what kinds of trends can be expected out of them in the coming years.

It’s all about loyalty on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

Will restaurants need to serve more healthy food in the future?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features RB Executive Editor Lisa Jennings and we spend the entire time talking about the concept of a healthy fast-food restaurant.

Lisa and I have had numerous debates over the years about this topic and we thought we’d let you in on some of them. We chat about Ozempic and drugs like it, and whether these medications could ultimately change the restaurant industry by curbing the appetite of a potentially large number of Americans who could end up taking those drugs.

We talk about why there hasn’t yet been a truly healthy fast-food restaurant, and about the types of chains that are doing something about it, such as Everbowl, Salad & Go and others. And we talk about the success of chains like Cava and Chipotle.

We also debate about the restaurant industry’s role in the obesity crisis, and whether it has a responsibility to change that.

It’s a healthy debate on A Deeper Dive this week, so check it out.

Is the tip credit dead?

It sure seems that way, given the way big cities and states are doing away with the credit. So, for this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” I’m joined by RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo to talk about these things.

Peter has been reporting on a rapid and increasingly successful movement around the country to do away with the tip credit, the sub-minimum wage restaurants pay to servers who get tips.

This led into an extensive conversation about the rapid rise of service fees in the industry, an effort by the government to regulate such fees, and the impact on restaurants and their consumers.

With the fees, the regulation and the decline of the tip credit, we wonder whether the industry is going to need another model for paying its employees altogether.

It’s a fascinating discussion on tipping, service fees and the tip credit, so check it out.

Why are the public markets good for Cava and not Panera Bread?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Ron Shaich, the chairman of Cava and former CEO of Panera Bread.

Shaich has turned his attention to investing in and building brands since Panera was sold to JAB Holdings in 2017. He recently wrote a book, “Know What Matters, Lessons from a Lifetime of Transformation.”

We took the opportunity to talk with Shaich about a wide range of issues, including why Panera Bread thrived while many other players in the bakery-café segment could not. We also talk about the decision in the 1990s to sell Au Bon Pain and focus on Panera.

We also talk about some of the other chains Shaich’s Act III Holdings has invested in, including an upscale bakery-café concept, a plant-forward concept and an eatertainment brand.

But we also talk about public companies and activist investing. After the sale of Panera, Shaich has been highly critical of the public markets and their focus on short-termism, particularly that of activist investors. We asked why he would then take Cava public in the face of that criticism.

It’s a fascinating conversation with one of the industry’s more innovative figures, so check it out.

Let’s meet 7 Brew, one of the fastest-growing chains in the country.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Davidson, CEO of the rapidly growing drive-thru coffee chain.

If you haven’t been to a 7 Brew, just wait: One will probably show up near your house sometime soon. The company’s unit count nearly tripled last year—enough to make the brand No. 3 on the Restaurant Business Future 50 ranking. It has grown even faster this year.

But anybody who listens to this podcast probably knows that such fast growth comes with serious risks, and we talk with Davidson about how the brand set itself up for growth and how it’s been able to grow that quickly. And it will only continue to grow quickly in the coming years.

We also talk about why drive-thru coffee is so popular—several fast-growing chains in the U.S. serve drive-thru coffee in fact. And we talk about the chain’s expansion into smaller markets. We also talk extensively about training and operations. And why Davidson wants 7 Brew to be “the Dollar General of coffee,” and what that means.

We’re talking 7 Brew on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

How do you build a restaurant brand platform?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Gregg Majewski, the longtime industry executive and founder of Craveworthy Brands.

We spoke with Gregg at the FSTEC Conference in Texas earlier this month. Majewski had worked for years in the industry as an investor and executive, most recently as CEO of Mongolian concepts BD’s Mongolian Grill, Genghis Grill and Flat Top Grill.

Earlier this year he created Craveworthy Brands, which hopes to strike gold by finding the next big concept. It has several brands under its umbrella, including the Mongolian concept and emerging chains like Lucky Cat, Krafted burger bar, Budlong Hot Chicken and Wing it On.

The company is on the verge of a trio of acquisitions, one of which Majewski reveals on the podcast.

We talk about the strategy behind the acquisitions and why it makes sense to operate many brands under one umbrella. We talk about the market for mergers and acquisitions and where that’s headed in the future.

And we talk about other issues, such as third-party delivery and why Majewski thinks more brands should hold off on excessive charges on third-party delivery orders.

It’s a fascinating conversation with the latest restaurant brand collector so please have a listen.

How can a small restaurant operator think about marketing?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Chip Klose, the host of the Restaurant Strategy podcast and author of the book The Restaurant Marketing Mindset.

We wanted to talk with Chip about marketing, and why it’s so important for restaurant companies. We initially thought we’d discuss some recent industry marketing trends but we ended up talking entirely about how small brands and operators should think about it.

Klose coaches operators on the topic. And he believes that marketing is vital for operators and that they should get into that mindset even before they open their doors. He discusses the best way for operators to get into that mindset.

We also talk about social media and the best way to leverage that medium to keep pace with large brands. It’s not as simple as just having someone “do social media.” And we talk about where the best marketing takes place. Hint: It’s not far from the restaurant.

It was a fascinating conversation about marketing so check it out.

Why are consumers and franchisees so interested in chicken tenders?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Andy Howard, the CEO of the chicken chain Huey Magoo’s.

Howard has had a long history in the chicken business, a history that mirrors the evolution of the chicken business. He talks about Huey Magoo’s, the Florida-based concept he acquired a few years ago, and which has become one of the fastest-growing chains in the U.S.

He talks about the company’s growth in recent years and the factors behind that growth. We also talk extensively about consumer demand for chicken and how that demand has evolved. An abnormally large number of the fastest-growing chains in the U.S. sell chicken.

We also talk about demand from franchisees, and why Howard is the one who leads franchise sales for his brand. And we discuss what he looks for in a franchisee, and what kind of real estate the brand looks for.

It’s a fascinating conversation with the owner of one of the fastest-growing chains in the U.S., so check it out.

o you get a popular local concept ready for prime time?

This week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Greg Vojnovic, the longtime development executive, who joins the podcast to talk about his small chain, called the Hot Dog Shoppe.

Greg has had a long career in the restaurant industry and used to head development for Popeyes and then Arby’s as it formed Inspire Brands.

He has since taken on an 80-year-old hot dog and fries concept out of Youngstown, Ohio. He believes the concept has all the right ingredients for expansion. And we ask him all about what it’s like to prepare a brand like that for expansion outside of its home market.

Greg has spent the past two years getting it ready to franchise. We talk about what he’s done to do that, how the brand can translate its Ohio success to places like Florida, and what kind of locations the chain can go into. I also ask him if the world is ready for more hot dogs.

It’s a fascinating conversation about taking a local concept national so please have a listen.

How will Subway’s sale change the sandwich business?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Michael Goldberg, the CEO of the 100-unit California chain Ike’s Love and Sandwiches.

Goldberg, who has been with the chain for more than four years, discusses a wide variety of topics. He discusses Ike’s history and its plans for growth. He also talks about the surge in sales for the chain’s catering program, and some of the steps the company is taking to meet that demand.

He also talks about the restaurants’ return on investment and why Ike’s loves corporate locations. The chain prefers opening in second-generation locations, including closed Subway restaurants.

That leads into a discussion on the overall sandwich market and the recently announced sale of Subway to Roark Capital. Goldberg has some interesting things to say about that sale and Subway’s impact on his chain and the market.

We’re talking sandwiches on the podcast this week, so check it out.

The restaurant industry has had plenty of its share of fraud, accounting scandals and outright theft.

This episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on some of the more interesting such events in the past and features Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo, host of the Restaurant Rewind podcast.

Romeo is the unofficial historian of the restaurant business. We look back at some of the most famous events in the industry, such as the accounting issues at Buca di Beppo and Krispy Kreme 20 years ago, and the impact those events have had on financial reporting.

We also talk about some smaller frauds, like the guy in Michigan who used his company’s loyalty program to take from the till. And my personal favorite, the restaurant in California that used a fake priest to elicit confessions of wrongdoing from its employees.

What is going on with Big Boy?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tamer Afr, the CEO of the family-dining chain, to talk about the state of the brand.

Afr has an interesting story. He had never been in the restaurant business until just less than five years ago, when he bought Big Boy as a potential growth opportunity.

He then had to learn the industry while fixing a chain with an 87-year history. Afr talks about what kind of changes he’s been making, such as its reach into delivery and its foray into international markets.

And we talk about what kinds of things Big Boy is doing now, why the brand has so many different alternative names such as Frisch’s Big Boy and Bob’s Big Boy and how they’re all related. And we talk about the chain’s new drive-thru concept it just opened in Michigan.

It’s an interesting conversation about buying and fixing a legacy brand, so please have a listen.

Where are commodities headed in the coming months?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Maloni, the principal with the consulting firm Datum FS, to talk about where food prices are headed.

Maloni is a recognized expert in commodities forecasting and supply chain issues. We talk about the state of food prices in the U.S. and his projections for costs going forward. In short: Maybe don’t consider marketing a bacon double cheeseburger.

Beef costs are going up and will likely stay there for a while. Maloni discusses why and how long it could take for those prices to ease. We talk extensively about chicken, and why those costs are so cheap. And we talk about other commodities such as pork belly, grain prices and cheese.

We’re talking food costs on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

What do Subway, Chipotle and Texas Roadhouse have in common? They’re all subjects of this week’s episode of A Deeper Dive.

I asked a pair of, uh, veteran editors to join me on the podcast to talk about a single event they covered over the past decade that was particularly memorable. Restaurant Business Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo and Executive Editor Lisa Jennings were happy to oblige.

The rule: We could not talk about the pandemic, because that was too obvious. But the result was an interesting discussion on a trio of seismic events that had a major impact on the industry and particularly the aforementioned restaurant chains.

We talked about Subway and the infamous Jared Fogle incident, about Chipotle’s foodborne illness outbreak and the death of Texas Roadhouse founder Kent Taylor.

Check it out.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Scott Lawton, the CEO and cofounder of bartaco.

Bartaco operates 27 locations, specializing specifically in tacos. Lawton talks about how the chain was founded and discusses its current growth plans.

We also talk about the lure of tacos and why they’re so popular these days. And I ask him about loyalty, and how the chain has been able to build it among its customer base.

But we also talk extensively about service charges, which have grown in popularity in restaurants—and many other industries, for that matter. Lawton discusses his reluctance to add them to one of his restaurants, and why the chain ultimately gave in and may add them elsewhere.

We’re talking tacos and service charges on A Deeper Dive, so check it out.

What’s the state of the restaurant business and M&A right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Balis, the managing director with the investment firm CapitalSpring.

We talk about the state of the industry at the moment. With 2023 halfway over, we wanted Balis to talk about where the industry is going, both on a revenue and costs front but on mergers and acquisitions.

He discusses industry sales and why they’ve kept pace despite soaring prices, and we speculate about why that is. We talk about the state of labor and food costs as well as the impact of technology.

But we also talk about mergers and acquisitions and how those are going. The M&A markets have been frozen for the past year and a half amid high interest rates and a lack of agreement on prices between buyers and sellers.

But there are signs that it’s improving of late. Jim talks about why that is and where the market is headed.

It’s an interesting discussion on a deeper dive this week so please have a listen.

What is the story behind Burger King’s comeback effort?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Curtis, president of Burger King in the U.S. and Canada.

Curtis has overseen Burger King over the past two years after coming over from Domino’s. And he has come at a time when the chain has been in trouble. The brand struggled during the pandemic, particularly after its upgraded chicken sandwich, the Ch’King, didn’t perform well.

Struggling sales and high inflation last year proved to be an ugly combination. Two major franchisees of the brand filed for bankruptcy and a Michigan operator closed all its locations.

But the company has shown some real progress of late, thanks to marketing and improved operations and the company’s $400 million “Reclaim the Flame” investment announced last year.

We talk with Curtis about all of this, how that investment has paid off, what changes in operations the company has made and how it can keep customers after marketing gets their attention. We also asked why the Ch’King didn’t work.

We’re talking Burger King on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

Grocery stores are preparing to come after your business.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Heather Lalley, the editor-in-chief of RB sister publication Winsight Grocery Business. We chat about, shockingly enough, the grocery business.

Specifically, Heather and I discuss the competition between grocers and restaurants. We talk about the move grocers are making into restaurants’ territory, and how these companies plan to generate more of their business with prepared foods.

Grocers, she said, are starting to “think like restaurants.”

We also talk about a potential shift by supermarkets into lower prices, and why that might sap some business from restaurants in the coming months.

We’re chatting grocery on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

What’s going on with MrBeast Burger?

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski joins me to discuss virtual brands and, in particular, MrBeast Burger.

If you haven’t heard, the YouTube star MrBeast has said publicly that he has pulled his support from his virtual brand, MrBeast Burger. He has since pulled the tweets in which he has said this, but the comments generated a LOT of attention.

MrBeast Burger is the most successful of a generation of virtual brands. I talk with Joe about what MrBeast’s complaints are, what that might do to the virtual brand itself and what it means for the whole trend if he is indeed stepping away.

We also talk about NextBite, another virtual brand company that was recently sold to the owner of rival C3.

But most of our discussion is on Mr.Beast Burger and that whole mess.

We’re talking virtual brands on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

No one outpizzaed the Hut in the first quarter. Can Pizza Hut keep it up?

David Graves, president of Pizza Hut U.S., joined me on the “A Deeper Dive” podcast this week to discuss the state of the brand and how its efforts have won over customers.

Pizza Hut struggled for years but appears to have turned a corner more recently. Its 8% same-store sales growth in the first quarter outpaced its pizza delivery competitors.

Much of that is due to the brand’s innovation, including its Melts sandwiches. We talk about that product and its ability to generate a different type of sales for the brand.

We also talk about the impact third-party delivery has had on Pizza Hut, and about consumers’ nostalgia for the brand. Graves discusses many other things, including technology and artificial intelligence.

We’re talking Pizza Hut on this week’s A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

How have urban markets changed since the pandemic?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Chip Wade, the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group.

Wade has a long and distinguished career in the restaurant industry. He was named CEO of Union Square last year after working with the company since 2019. Before that he worked for 17 years with Darden Restaurants and had previously worked with Legal Sea Foods and Carlson Restaurants.

We talk about a wide range of issues. He provides some interesting insight on how the New York market is different now than it was in 2019 before the pandemic and how the company has adjusted. He discusses adjusting to that business while also talking about adjusting to what he calls a "new workforce dynamic" these days.

We also talk about all kinds of other topics, including an update on the Union Square business, building and maintaining a strong culture inside of restaurants and how the transition has gone since he took over as CEO from Danny Meyer.

It’s a great conversation with the CEO of Union Square Hospitality Group so please check it out.

Can Peter Piper go fast casual?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David McKillips, CEO of CEC Entertainment, the parent company of Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza.

CEC has had an almost literal roller coaster ride in the three years since David became CEO. The pandemic pushed it into bankruptcy and then the reopening helped it come back remarkably strong as fun-and-games chains proved popular among consumers who wanted to get out of the house.

We talk about those issues and we also talk about Peter Piper, the regional pizza chain CEC operates. David talks about the company’s efforts to break out of its core market.

Specifically, he talks about a new type of fast-casual concept based on the Peter Piper name that CEC has started to test. That could give the company a third brand it can grow with.

It’s a newsy discussion on pizza and games on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

Where are sales and traffic going in 2023 and who will win?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features R.J. Hottovy, head of analytical research with the data firm Placer.ai.

R.J. has covered the industry for more than two decades and knows a thing or two about the restaurant and retail sectors and we like having him on every so often to talk about the state of industry traffic. R.J. joined us at the recently concluded National Restaurant Association Show.

We discuss the potential impact of a recession on industry sales and traffic. Consumers have been increasingly reliant on credit card debt to pay various expenses, leading many to believe that cutbacks in spending are coming.

Who will win in that scenario? And who will lose? R.J. and I talk about those issues on this week’s episode of A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

What happens when a giant brand suddenly gives you a marketing gift?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Barry Westrum, chief marketing officer for Taco John's.

Westrum joined me on the podcast at the National Restaurant Association Show less than a week after taco bell asked the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel Taco John’s registration for “Taco Tuesday.” Taco Bell has since then brought in NBA star LeBron James to assist in the effort.

Taco Bell is many times the size of Taco John’s. Taco Bell’s campaign almost instantly gave the less-than-400-unit Taco John's a ton of attention.

We talked with Westrum about how the company responds to an opportunity like that and what the company thinks about the whole thing. We also discuss how things are going at the chain and what kind of interesting things they may have coming down the pipe.

We’re talking Taco Tuesday on A Deeper Dive, so please have a listen.

How long will people keep paying high delivery prices?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Restaurant Business Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski, who joins me on the podcast to talk about DoorDash’s push to get operators to keep delivery prices the same as regular menu prices.

Joe and I discuss his recent report on the menu price markups on delivery compared with buying in the restaurant, and why operators do this. We also discuss why DoorDash’s algorithm punishes those restaurants that charge higher menu prices, and what the provider’s push on the topic means for broader delivery demand.

Consumers have been shifting away from pizza delivery, perhaps in part over inflation. Is DoorDash’s move a sign they’re worried about the same thing? We talk about that on the podcast.

It’s an interesting discussion on the future of delivery so check it out.

Will menu price inflation ultimately hurt restaurants?

Michael Swanson, an agricultural economist and consultant with Wells Fargo, joins the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the economy and the outlook for inflation.

How good of a year did chain restaurants have in 2022, really?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Pawlak, managing principal with RB sister company Technomic, to talk about the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.

Specifically, we discuss the performance of chain restaurants, whose sales rose just over 8% last year. But that barely kept pace with menu price inflation.

We also discuss restaurants’ surprising unit growth last year, the remarkable unit volumes of certain chicken concepts, that sectors that stood out the most and why Raising Cane’s very well may be a Top 10 restaurant brand by 2030.

Joe and I also talk Subway, the pizza business and delivery.

It’s a loaded episode so check it out.

How is Duck Donuts evolving its prototype?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Betsy Hamm, CEO of the 115-unit chain, who joined me at the Restaurant Leadership Conference recently to discuss a wide range of issues.

Duck Donuts is based in Mechanicsburg, Pa., and is known for selling made-to-order doughnuts in tourist spots. The company generated $60.6 million in system sales last year, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company Technomic.

The company just released a new prototype designed to give operators more flexibility as they expand. It features kiosks, for instance, but it also designed to go into smaller spots.

We talk about a wide variety of other topics on the podcast, including where the chain got its name.

It’s an interesting conversation with a doughnut CEO, so please have a listen

Why is Smashburger ditching traditional drive-thrus?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Carl Bachmann, president of the fast-casual burger chain that is looking to get back on the growth path after some difficult years.

The chain is operated by the Philippines-based Jollibee Corp. It operates fewer than 250 locations, down by about a third over the past five years. But Bachmann talks on the podcast about why the brand is ready for growth again and what Smashburger has been doing to prepare for that growth.

And he talks a lot about the company’s new “virtual” drive-thrus, or mobile-order drive-thrus and why that will be the company’s option going forward. That goes in a different direction from many other fast-casual chains that have focused on increasing the number of traditional drive-thru lanes.

It’s an interesting discussion about fast-casual drive-thrus so check it out.

What are we to make of the situations at major burger chains these days?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michael Halen, senior restaurant and foodservice analyst with Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss what’s going on with McDonald’s and Burger King, in particular.

McDonald’s recently laid off hundreds of employees around the world, closing its U.S. field offices and eliminating its two-zone field office structure. This, despite the company’s generally strong results. We discuss those layoffs and what they mean to the company.

We also talk about Burger King, which has struggled with bankruptcy filings and restaurant closures of late. And we talk about the potential impact that former Domino’s CEO Patrick Doyle could have on the chain and its parent company Restaurant Brands International.

Who is Mike Hancock?

We find out in this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive. Hancock recently took over as president of Firehouse Subs for longtime CEO Don Fox.

Hancock has worked for Firehouse Subs parent company Restaurant Brands International. He started with the chain as chief operating officer last year after serving in a similar role at the Canadian chain Tim Hortons.

Hancock discusses his views of Firehouse after a year with the chain, including its strengths and opportunities. He discusses technology in particular and the brand’s foundation. We also get into a discussion on the future of the brand. And I can’t help but ask him about Tim Hortons.

What happens when you mix ice cream and cinnamon rolls? We’re about to find out.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast Deeper Dive features Jim Holthouser, CEO of the Atlanta-based brand operator Focus Brands, which operates Cinnabon, Auntie Anne’s, Carvel, McAlister’s Deli, Schlotzski’s, Jamba and Moe’s.

He discusses the status of these brands and the company’s plans for them. He talks about the future of development in and out of the mall. And he talks about the potential for McAlister’s to become a $1 billion brand.

But Holthouser also talks about Swirl, a concept Focus is developing that combines Cinnabon and Carvel in a new type of co-branding arrangement.

In addition, I talk about the future of restaurant IPOs, franchisee optimism, and why tipping culture will never change.

How important is tipping to a restaurant employee?

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive, Associate Editor Reyna Estrada joins me to discuss tipping.

Estrada is a former restaurant worker herself, having spent years as a server at Steak n Shake (before it went limited service) and then as a Panera Bread employee. She relied on tips the entire time.

We discuss the practice and she discusses how much it meant to get those tips, both at the full-service restaurant and at the fast-food concept. She talks about where she made the most money and whether the tips influenced her service.

In addition, I talk about the Starbucks CEO, restaurants that sold for high multiples and joint employer.

What is the future of third-party delivery? How about virtual brands or ghost kitchens?

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive, Senior Editor Joe Guszkowski joins me to talk about the state of some of the biggest trends during the pandemic.

We talk about delivery. Some data is suggesting that third-party delivery demand is growing. But other data suggests the opposite. We try to get at the real story. We also talk about virtual brands and what the future of those concepts. And we get into a discussion on ghost kitchens in light of Wendy’s pulling back on its deal to open in some 700 Reef Kitchens locations.

Meanwhile, three things I’m thinking about right now.

Who is going to buy Subway?

In case you haven’t heard, the fast-food sandwich chain is on the market. In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive, I speak with John Gordon, a restaurant consultant out of San Diego, to discuss the chain.

Subway has hired JP Morgan to help find a buyer. Reports suggest a host of large private equity firms, including Goldman Sachs and Bain Capital, are looking at it, with a price tag of $8 billion or more. John and I discuss that sale and the price tag. We also talk about the numerous changes Subway has made over the past two-plus years and how they are influencing the company and the sale process.

I also give my thoughts on Bojangles, Wendy’s and Sardar Biglari.

What is the future of Bojangles?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jose Armario, the CEO of the 800-unit chicken chain.

Armario took over the chain after it was sold in 2018 to Durational Capital Management, and he takes time to discuss how the chain did last year. He also discusses the brand’s future, including plans to expand well beyond its Southeastern roots.

And he reveals some interesting information about the company’s menu as it looks to expand into new markets.

In addition, some thoughts on pizza fatigue, the Corner Bakery bankruptcy and M&A markets.

What is the future of restaurant automation?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Matt Newberg, the founder of the media platform Hngry.

Hngry is a subscription media platform that examines how technology is reshaping our food system through trends like ghost kitchens, microfulfillment, fungi-based proteins, personalized nutrition and other things.

We talk about the state of technology and automation and how all this technology will influence customer service inside the restaurant.

In addition, I give some thoughts on franchisee profitability, electric vehicle chargers and the weather.

Why are chocolate milkshakes so important to Cameron Mitchell?

This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mitchell, founder of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants and one of the country's most successful restaurant creators.

Mitchell's company operates 64 restaurants in 20 brands, including the fine dining brand Ocean Prime. He talks about his reasons for starting a restaurant company and why culture was so important to him from day one. We talk about a range of other topics, including the state of fine dining and how his company was able to emerge from the pandemic.

He also talks about hospitality and chocolate milkshakes but we will let him tell that story.

It’s a great conversation with one of the industry’s more accomplished restaurateurs. And this week, I give you thoughts on three big stories this week, including Subway, Chipotle and Patrick Doyle.

The plant-based meat trend is dead. Or maybe it isn’t.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” is about plant-based meat, and specifically, why fake meat hasn’t quite taken off at fast-food restaurants the way many predicted three years ago.

Nancy Kruse, RB’s menu trends columnist, joins me on the podcast to discuss the topic.

While products like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat burgers were all the rage in 2019, sales of both appear to have slowed considerably—both companies have laid workers off, for instance, and brands like McDonald’s have not followed through on hoped-for plans for plant-based offerings in the U.S.

We discuss why that trend hasn’t quite matched some of the early promise and whether that early promise was a bit overblown. We also talk about the reasons why average consumers have not been as accepting of such products as many hoped.

What happens when you combine chicken wings and sandwiches?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Bloom, chief operating and development officer for Capriotti’s, a Las Vegas chain of sandwich shops.

Capriotti’s acquired Wing Zone in 2021. Capriotti’s operates 175 locations. Wing Zone now operates 61.

Bloom talks about that combination and what the company saw in Wing Zone and how it has integrated that chain into its system. He also discusses both chains’ growth plans, as well as its overall franchising strategy. Both brands have strategies in place to ramp up unit growth in the coming years.

We talk about plenty of other things, including commodities and why Capriotti’s sometimes has to hoard stuffing.

We’re talking sandwiches, wings and stuffing on A Deeper Dive, so please have a listen.

How are younger consumers reacting to inflation?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Lori Rakoczy, associate principal with Restaurant Business sister company Technomic and one of the co-authors of the blog Technomic’s Take. And we’re talking about inflation.

Specifically, we’re talking about how younger consumers are dealing with high prices. Menu prices have taken off over the past year-plus—they were up 8.5% year over year in December.

Rakoczy wrote recently that younger Gen Z consumers are not necessarily cutting restaurant dining out altogether as a result of the higher prices. But they are changing their behaviors. They’re more likely than other consumers to price shop and keep eating out.

Rakoczy discusses how operators should adapt and what this could mean for restaurants. She also talks about convenience and why that is so important in the restaurant business.

We’re talking about Gen Z consumers on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

What is Killer Burger and where is it going?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features John Dikos, CEO of the 20-unit Killer Burger, along with VP of Financial Planning Adam Sanders.

The episode was recorded at the ICR Conference, where we spoke with the two about the burger chain and its overall growth strategy.

Killer Burger operates 20 company and franchised locations in the Pacific Northwest and says it is “redefining” the American diner burger for the “modern world.” The company is part of a generation of fast-casual concepts that promise a higher level of service along with alcohol.

Dikos and Sanders talk about how they plan to grow, what they’re doing to get the company ready for that growth and the overall state of the industry.

How is Cava Group’s integration of Zoe’s Kitchen restaurants going?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Brett Schulman, the CEO of Cava Group, who talks about a wide variety of topics, but particularly his company's integration of Zoe’s Kitchen.

Cava acquired Zoe’s in 2018 in one of the more interesting deals of recent vintage. Both were fast-casual Mediterranean chains but Zoe’s was publicly traded at the time. Since then, Cava has been converting Zoe’s restaurants into Cava locations.

Such conversions used to be relatively popular in the industry in the 1990s but have been relatively rare since, though First Watch used conversions to grow quickly several years ago. Schulman Talks about why that strategy makes sense and what it’s doing for Cava.

He also talks about digital sales, the current state of delivery and Cava’s potential plans for catering. And Schulman talks about his company’s strategy to balance demand from all these channels.

We’re talking with one of the premier fast-casual executives in the industry on A Deeper Dive so please have a listen.

What is the story behind Dave’s Hot Chicken?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features two people behind one of the hottest chains in the country: Bill Phelps, Dave’s CEO, and Arman Oganesyan, one of the company’s cofounders.

Dave’s is the fastest-growing restaurant chain in the U.S. right now. The chain, which sells a menu of spicy chicken tenders or sandwiches, was started out of a California parking lot in 2017. It went from seven locations in 2020 to more than 100 now, with deals for another 750 and locations coast to coast.

Bill and Arman tell the story of the chain and its growth. They also talk about the strategies to avoid the pitfalls of overly fast growth, something that has caused problems at many concepts over the years. But they also talk about the secret behind the brand’s seemingly overnight success.

It is a fun look at one of the most interesting restaurant chains in the country today so please have a listen.

Restaurants are in a stronger financial position now than they were before the pandemic.

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Michael Swanson, an agricultural economist and consultant for Wells Fargo.

Swanson has been on the podcast before and talks about the current and future state of food costs. Commodity price inflation hammered the industry last year. Those costs have started to ease already and Swanson talks about what to expect come 2023.

We also talk about the state of the industry after the pandemic. Restaurants that survived the pandemic are in better shape. Profits actually soared in 2021, thanks to the combination of government assistance and improving sales. And though margins were squeezed in 2022 because of inflation, it still puts the industry in a better position heading into a potential recession.

In addition, Swanson talks about why consumers remain reluctant to cut much from their food spending in a downturn.

Is tipping out of hand at fast-food restaurants?

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive I speak features Robert Byrne, director of consumer and industry insights with our sister company Technomic, who talks about convenience, value and tipping.

Byrne oversees consumer surveys with Technomic talks extensively about consumers’ views on a host of issues related to restaurants.

He discusses why consumers use restaurants, including why convenience is so important to consumers and what they think about when it comes to value right now.

He also talks a lot about tipping. More counter service restaurants have been adding tipping as an option but have also run into at least some consumer resistance when they do. Are QSRs asking for too much when they suggest a tip? Is that a risk to their relationship with consumers.

Byrne discusses these and all other issues.

Why do companies franchise their business?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Gary Occhiogrosso the founder of Franchise Growth Solutions, who talks about the opportunities and challenges involved in franchising.

Occhiogrosso has been involved in the business for a long time and we talk about his history, first as a franchisee and later as the founder of a franchise development and sales firm.

Franchising remains a popular method for restaurants to expand, but not everyone can expand successfully and there are a number of potential pitfalls when chains start selling the right to operate their brand to individual investors.

Occhiogrosso discusses this and what goes into taking a successful restaurant and making it a franchise. We talk about the factors that go into franchising a business. He also provides some recommendations for companies considering the option.

Did Starbucks win its labor battle?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a debate between myself and Peter Romeo, the editor at large of RB, on the success of Starbucks’ pushback against unions.

For some time, it seemed that another Starbucks store formed a union every few hours. The push, the most successful effort to unionize a restaurant chain, contributed to massive changes at the Seattle-based coffee giant, particularly in the executive team. That push has slowed in recent months. Romeo and I debate whether that’s a sign that Starbucks has won.

We also talk about a potential rail strike, which could inject yet another black swan event onto a restaurant industry that has dealt with several of them over the past three years. And we talk about the U.S. Small Business Administration’s recent decision to send out more Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants to operators.

Restaurant automation is coming rapidly. But how much of an impact will it have?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Juan Martinez, principal with the consulting firm Profitality, who talks about the growing use of automation.

Martinez is a periodic guest on the podcast and he works with restaurants to improve their overall profitability.

Automation has been one area that restaurants have been targeting over the past couple of years as they faced numerous challenges, including the pandemic, resulting labor shortage and now wage inflation.

But there have been doubts about the true impact of automation on labor costs. Martinez talks about this, and he provides some recommendations for operators that are looking into using machines to take over some of employees tasks.

Can dine-in pizza still work?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a trio of executives from Mountain Mike’s Pizza: co-CEO and brand owners Chris Britt and Ed St. Geme and COO Jim Metevier.

Mountain Mike’s is a California-based chain that operates about 270 locations. Britt and St. Geme bought the chain about six years ago.

The trio talk about the history of the brand and its growth since Britt and St. Geme acquired the company. They talk about the impact the pandemic has had on its takeout and delivery business, which has grown strongly over the past three years. But they also talk about the pull of the chain’s dine-in business.

Dine-in pizza has struggled over the years but there is some evidence that people are coming back to it, either for nostalgia reasons or to get out of the house. Brands with an entertainment element have done well and Mountain Mike’s may help prove that.

We also have some interesting discussions the owners’ time as Burger King operators.

What is the future of casual dining?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features John Cywinski, the president of the casual-dining brand Applebee’s, to discuss that very topic.

Bar and grill chains like Applebee’s had generally struggled since the Great Recession. And then the pandemic forced them to figure out takeout and delivery, and many of them did.

But the pandemic culled supply of dine-in restaurants and those concepts that made it through that era have seen a strong recovery in dine-in traffic as consumers unleashed pent-up demand. Applebee’s is coming off a particularly strong quarter, featuring the best three-year same-store sales in its history.

Cywinski talks about all of that. He discusses the future of takeout in the full-service space and where takeout and delivery stand with the company. He also talks about the company’s franchising strategy and how it affects the management of the chain. And Cywinski talks about the status of Applebee’s virtual brands.

Does the fast-casual sector exist?

In this week’s episode of a Deeper Dive I’m joined by my colleague Lisa Jennings to talk about the blurring of the lines in the restaurant industry—particularly between fast-casual and quick-service restaurants.

The fast-casual sector represented a group of higher-end limited-service concepts and until the pandemic largely dominated industry growth over the past two decades.

But since the pandemic, a lot more of these chains have added drive-thrus, such as Shake Shack, Sweetgreen and Chipotle. And a lot more quick-service chains like Chick-fil-A have raised their prices to match what is often seen at traditional fast-casuals. Add it all up and the two sectors look so much alike it makes sense to wonder whether we should do away with that differentiation altogether.

Meanwhile, Lisa and I also talk about recent earnings results from McDonald’s and Chipotle. McDonald’s is gaining low-income diners. Chipotle is losing them. We wonder whether the two industry giants are trading them with one another.

Amusements have been, quite literally, a game-changer for Cicis.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jeff Hetsel, the president of the 300-unit pizza buffet chain.

Cicis has had a strong performance coming out of the pandemic, with sales up 14.5% last year, according to Technomic.

One of the big reasons is video games. The company has been convincing operators to expand their game rooms from the eight games they used to have to much larger rooms with prizes and token cards.

That has been a major sales boost for the company. Hetsel talks about just how much of a sales lift video games can have for an individual operator. What’s more, that sales lift is far more profitable than the sale of pizzas.

Hetsel touches on other topics, including other drivers behind the company’s sales increase.

How can restaurants avoid becoming a political football?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Kefauver, the managing partner with public affairs firm Align Public Strategies and cohost of the RB-hosted Working Lunch podcast.

Kefauver discusses a variety of topics, including a backlash against corporate ESG strategies. ESG stands for environmental, social and governance. Many corporations believe that having a strong ESG framework can create shareholder value over time because it can improve their reputation.

But there’s been something of a backlash by conservative groups over these policies. He talks about this trend and how companies can avoid it, if they even can.

He also talks about the Fast Act in California and efforts by restaurant chains to get that act in front of voters in the state, and why this topic is so important. And he discusses unions and why there hasn’t been many efforts to unionize companies outside of the coffee giant Starbucks.

How can operators avoid price increases as their own costs increase?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rich Shank, senior principal with RB sister company Technomic. He discusses the challenging operating environment when it comes to menu pricing.

Restaurants have been raising prices aggressively this year as higher prices for food and labor eat into margins. Menu prices are up 8% over the past year.

But there are signs that consumers are starting to reject these price increases, enough that Shank wrote in RB that operators may need to rethink their price increases. He explains the consumer environment and how operators can offset their own higher costs without hurting consumers.

We also talk about another piece of data: the decline in restaurant use by the older and bigger Baby Boom generation, and what that means to certain types of concepts.

The beverage business is rapidly changing and drive-thru coffee concepts like Scooters Coffee are right in the middle of it.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Thornton, the president of Scooter’s.

Scooter’s has quietly been one of the fastest growing restaurant chains in the U.S. System sales and unit count have nearly tripled over the past five years, according to RB sister company Technomic.

Thornton talks about that growth and what has been key to the business. He talks about the brand’s franchising model and its focus on its drive-thru coffee kiosks, which sell a selection of beverages and food from 600-square-feet shops.

He talks about the brand’s real estate strategy and where the company fits in a rapidly changing and shifting beverage business.

If you haven’t come across a bubble tea concept yet, you will quite soon.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Paul Reynish, who was named global CEO of the bubble tea concept Gong Cha earlier this year.

Gong Cha was founded in Taiwan in 1996 and is now based in London. It has quietly been one of the fastest-growing chains in the country. It operates more than 1,600 locations globally. It finished 2021 with nearly 170 locations in the U.S., up 700% over the past five years.

Reynish was hired after stints at Dunkin’ and Five Guys. He talks about the brand’s plans for growth, including how many units it expects at the end of this year. He talks about the bubble tea trend generally, about the rapidly changing U.S. beverage market and where Gong Cha fits in that market.

He also discusses the chain’s plans for food.

How big of a deal is the unionization effort at Starbucks?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features my colleague Peter Romeo, who talks about the ongoing unionization campaign at the coffee giant.

More than 200 Starbucks locations have voted to form a union. The company has undertaken a massive effort to stop it. Peter and I discuss that unionization campaign, Starbucks’ response, whether it’s working or not, and whether other restaurant chains should worry at this point.

We also talk about the California Fast Act, and the potential impact that newly passed law could have on fast-food chains and other restaurant employers in the state. We also talk about whether that law could spread to other states.

The nation’s opioid crisis grew much worse during the pandemic. And it has hit restaurants particularly hard.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rick Van Warner, a former longtime industry executive and ex-CEO of the Tex-Mex chain Tijuana Flats.

He is also on the board at Project Opioid, a Florida-based agency that works with employers on the opioid crisis. Van Warner is also the author of the book On Pills and Needles, where he tells the story of his son’s addiction to opioids and the family’s long struggle to help him recover.

Van Warner tells his story and we talk about the risk restaurant workers face from opioids and in particular, synthetic opioids like fentanyl. He also has recommendations for employers on how they can deal with the issue.

On Pills and Needles: The Relentless Fight to Save My Son from Opioid Addiction

Can fries fix Quiznos?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mark Lohmann, the president of Rego Restaurant Group, which owns Quiznos as well as its sister chain Taco Del Mar.

Quiznos has gone from nearly 4,700 U.S. restaurants in 2006 to just 200 now, plus fewer than 300 internationally, a 90% reduction in total unit count that is unprecedented in restaurant industry history.

These days the brand is trying just about everything to stop that decline. That has included a new prototype featuring a new menu that includes grilled steak, subs featuring eggs and even French fries. Those are all made by new fryers and grills that Quiznos previously didn’t have. Lohmann talks about that plan and what it means for the chain’s future.

He also talks about some of the chain’s other strategies, such as its new prefabricated prototype it is testing elsewhere as well as other changes.

He talks about Quiznos’ unique advantages and why he believes the chain is at an Inflection point.

How did Smoothie King convince franchisees to go along with a complete menu overhaul? And how did customers react?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Wan Kim, the CEO and owner of the Texas-based Smoothie King brand.

Kim was a franchisee of the brand in South Korea before he bought the company and moved to the U.S. Smoothie King has been one of the country’s fastest-growing chains and smoothies are increasingly popular among consumers. The brand’s sales grew 25% last year alone.

Kim discusses a wide range of topics, including the smoothie business, the impact of McDonald’s smoothies and where the brand is headed.

Yet he also reveals the risk the chain made when it decided a few years ago to cut back on sugar, even at the expense of some customers and even some operators.

Getting attention is the name of the game in the ultra-competitive restaurant industry, and Krispy Kreme has been doing quite a bit of that lately.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Dave Skena, the global chief brand officer for the doughnut chain.

Skena’s job is to get attention for a well-known brand and the company has been doing some interesting things lately to accomplish that, sometimes taking a few risks in the process. That includes last year’s notable vaccine promotion, offering a free doughnut to customers who could offer proof of vaccination.

He discusses the company’s numerous other marketing promotions, such as one offering customers a dozen doughnuts for the price of a gallon of gas. He talks about the chain’s overall strategy and the challenges of marketing a brand that is evolving into an omnichannel concept that sells doughnuts in a lot more places than just a shop.

Pumpkin spice season comes earlier every year. Why?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features RB Senior Editor Pat Cobe, who joins me to talk about what’s on the menu at fast-food chains.

We speak first about the recent news that Taco Bell has a partnership with the dessert concept Milk Bar. The two are launching the Strawberry Bell Truffle at a limited number of locations, two Milk Bar units and one Taco Bell. We discuss such ultra-limited time offers.

We also talk about the plant-based trend and what it means that McDonald’s McPlant test apparently didn’t quite fly.

And of course we chat about pumpkin spice, and why such products keep arriving earlier every year.

How is the restaurant industry dealing with the difficult operating environment?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features an interview with Michelle Korsmo, who took over as CEO of the National Restaurant Association in May.

Korsmo discusses her career to date. She has worked in public policy at the state and federal levels and most recently was chief executive of the Wine and Spirits Wholesalers of America before taking over the top post at the association.

Korsmo discusses the state of the industry at the moment. And she talks about the Restaurant Revitalization Fund, and why the U.S. Small Business Administration is sitting on $180 million in leftover funding. The SBA may release those funds. She also talks about balancing the needs of those small restaurants with those of large chains. There is also a discussion on so-called “shrinkflation.”

Why would you leave a 1,800-unit chicken wing chain for a salad upstart?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive seeks to answer that question. It features Charlie Morrison, now the CEO of the nearly-60-unit Salad and Go.

Morrison is the now-former CEO of Wingstop, which he led for nearly a decade, growing it from 500 locations to about 1,800 units and helping to turn it into a powerhouse, one that would spawn dozens of competitors during the pandemic.

We asked him about that decision to leave that position to head up a chain of drive-thru salad restaurants that was relatively little known for the most part outside of its core market. He explains the move. And then we spend a lot of time talking about Salad and Go.

Morrison talks about the concept and why it’s able to sell its salads for just $6. He explains the growth strategy and why now is the time for a drive-thru-only salad chain.

How was Taco Bell able to get its latest prototype from idea to operating in less than two years?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mike Grams, the chief operating officer for the Mexican fast-food chain, to talk about a variety of topics, from franchising to the reaction to its Mexican Pizza.

That includes its fancy new Defy prototype, the one that features four drive-thru lanes, three of them for mobile orders. The prototype was opened this summer less than two years after the local franchisee brought the idea to Taco Bell.

Grams talks about that story, which is interesting and helps explain the chain’s success. Taco Bell franchisees have generally been with the brand for a long time and the value of their restaurants is at record levels, in part because of the company’s willingness to let them lead the way on some of its new store ideas.

Mike also talks about labor issues and how these new stores fit into that. He also talks about the Mexican Pizza, why that was taken off the menu and why the company had to pull it back. He discusses supply chain issues, food costs and other topics.

Shahpour Nejad came to the U.S. to get his college degree. Instead he became a pizza guy.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Nejad, the CEO and cofounder of the Sacramento-based Pizza Guys, who discusses his personal history, the formation of his chain and its growth strategies.

Nejad’s parents sent him to the U.S. in the late 1970s when he was just 16, so he could go to school. The Iranian Revolution kept him here, and he ended up working with a pizza concept. We’ll let him tell you the rest of the story on the podcast, but it ultimately led him to create Pizza Guys out of Sacramento.

Today, the west coast chain has more than 70 locations and after years of slow and deliberate growth it is planning to get much bigger.

Nejad talks about the company’s story and his reasons for that slow and deliberate growth, and what his plans are going forward. But his personal story is fascinating.

Subway has made yet another massive change to its menu. Will it work?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Pat Cobe, the senior menu editor for RB, in a discussion about Subway’s latest menu chane.

Subway last year overhauled its menu with an “eat fresh refresh,” an upgrade of numerous ingredients, including its bread. Some longtime operators who recall the chain’s decision in the late 1990s to go with a more traditional split bread approach—rather the trench it used to dig into the bread—as a bigger deal.

This month, the company introduced a set of 12 new sandwiches that are designed to operate as its core menu. The company will work to focus customers’ attention on those sandwiches, rather than its countertop with all its ingredients. The goal is to shift away from the customized menu that had been its trademark.

Will it work? It may be vital for Subway’s future. Subway has closed about 6,000 units in the past eight years. Its unit volumes even after improving strongly in 2021 remain low and a number of locations are still underperforming pre-pandemic levels. Getting more people into Subway more often is vital.

In this case, that could mean going away from customization, which Pat and I talk about at length. The two of us attended a tasting of its new menu and we talk about what it could mean for Subway’s future, and why a fully customized Subway menu may not be quite as beneficial as people think.

How do you turn a well-loved local restaurant into a hot national concept?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Garrett Reed, CEO of Layne’s Chicken Fingers, to talk about his efforts to take that step.

Layne’s was founded near Texas A&M in College Station, Texas, in 1994. Reed and a partner later purchased the brand, intending on turning it into a franchise. The company currently has nine locations but has deals for many, many more.

Reed discusses that transition and about how the company has sold so many franchises this quickly. He also talks about the brand’s unique franchising strategy and how that should, hopefully, maintain culture even as the concept grows. He also discusses why that culture is important to a brand like Layne’s.

Everybody talks about having a good corporate culture. But what does that mean?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features James Pogue, the CEO of the leadership consulting firm JP Enterprises, to talk about culture and inclusivity.

Pogue is a former researcher and administrator who now works with companies—including many restaurants—to help them attract and retain younger employees.

We speak with him because we’re curious about what it means to have a good corporate culture, one that promotes inclusivity and diversity. Pogue is as good as anybody to talk about that topic.

He quickly notes in the podcast that a company has a culture whether it tries to have one or not. And he talks about how to promote that culture—particularly in a time when so many things are so divisive. He talks extensively about promoting an open and honest culture at a time when political divisions are raging.

How does a mall concept do well in stand-alone locations? With chicken wings.

This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Charley’s Philly Steaks President Candra Alisiswanto, who talks about Charley’s growth strategy.

Charley’s operates 670 locations. Most of those have traditionally been in mall settings. But more recently, the company began expanding outside of those shopping centers and into stand-alone locations, many of which have drive-thrus. It has done so in part with an expanded menu that features chicken wings in addition to its traditional menu of steak and chicken Philly sandwiches.

We spoke with Alisiswanto about this strategy, and why chicken wings have helped the company intensify its growth.

He talks about the difference between operating in malls and operating standalone locations and what it takes to make that transition. He also talks about technology and bringing kiosks and mobile apps to the malls. He talks about franchisee demand and how drive-thrus fit in Charley’s future.

How many restaurants does Subway need to close?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Trevor Haynes, president of North America for the Milford, Conn.-based sandwich giant, to talk about the chain’s future.

Subway remains the largest chain in the U.S. by unit count. But it has been shrinking for years. Franchisees have closed about 6,000 locations since the brand peaked at 27,000 restaurants in 2014. Restaurants have low unit volumes and franchisees on average own just two locations.

Haynes was acting CEO in 2018 and 2019 before giving way to John Chidsey. He talks about the likelihood of more closures ahead. But he also says the closures open opportunities for new locations, though the restaurants may be different and could feature things like kiosks and vending machines.

Haynes talks about the company’s plan to recruit larger franchisees and the future of business developers, the sometimes controversial operators who act as master franchisees and take on some of the roles of the franchisor. And he talks about the company’s efforts to build unit volumes.

How do you create a restaurant concept when so much about the business is uncertain?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jack Gibbons, the CEO of concept incubator FB Society, to talk about concept development and the industry’s future.

FB Society, formerly known as Front Burner Brands, is known most for creating Velvet Taco, which has since been sold—though FB still has an interest in the chain and is a licensee. The company has created several other full-service and fast casual brands including Sixty Vines, Mexican Sugar, Whiskey Cake and Son of a Butcher, among others.

Gibbons talks about how FB Society thinks when it creates a concept right now and what things they consider when developing full-service and fast-casual brands.

He also discusses consumers’ continued desire for service and the demand for high-quality restaurants and what kind of takeout consideration full-service restaurants should have. And he talks about whether fast-casual restaurants should focus on the dine-in business at all.

Gibbons also takes some time to talk about how best to win the labor shortage and about rethinking unit economics when everything costs so much.

How do operators overcome rapidly shrinking profit margins?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Balis, managing director with the investment firm CapitalSpring, to talk about the rising cost environment and how operators can overcome these problems.

Labor costs are soaring right now, with wage rates up more than 13% over the past year. But food costs are up even more, rising more than 16% according to federal data. Add in the higher prices for construction, equipment, real estate and interest rates and it’s difficult to improve profits. Menu prices are up 7.2%, not nearly enough to offset the higher costs.

In addition, a potential recession could push more consumers to shop on price, which may hurt operators’ ability to keep raising costs.

Balis is an operational expert and discusses strategies restaurants can use to offset the higher costs without simply raising prices. But he also talks about price strategy. And he talks about the technologies that could do the most to improve operations down the road.

What is the state of the restaurant industry this year?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Lance Trenary, the CEO of Golden Corral and chairman of the National Restaurant Association, to discuss the general state of restaurants.

Trenary joined the podcast from the association’s recently completed show, the first one in three years. The show was held just days after Congress could not muster enough votes to approve a package that would have provided $40 billion in funding for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund.

Trenary talks about what that means for restaurants that had been counting on receiving their grants. He also talks about the numerous challenges facing the industry, notably soaring labor and supply chain costs, and what impact this is having on operators. Trenary also talks about how his own chain, Golden Corral, has been able to deal with these issues.

Why are grocery prices going up so much?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Christine LaFave Grace, the executive editor of RB sister publication Winsight Grocery Business, to talk about last week’s consumer price index data.

The CPI rose 8.3% in April. Food prices have soared, rising 9.4%. That includes 7.2% at restaurants. But at grocers, prices are up 10.8%.

This affects restaurants in two ways. First, it increases overall costs for the base consumer, which may cause them to cut back on spending. Yet they also see the prices and start dining out instead, especially given the 3.5% gap in pricing between the two industries.

And indeed, restaurant and bar sales have continued to thrive this year.

We talk about this issue from the retailers’ perspective. Why are grocery prices increasing so much? How are consumers reacting when they do shop for their groceries? And how long is this all expected to last? We also provide some context on what this means for restaurants.

Restaurants aren’t the only businesses with labor problems. Distributors have their own challenges that are also driving up costs for operators.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Terry Walsh, the president of small California distribution company Southwest Traders, to discuss the impact of the labor shortage on distributors and how that affects restaurants.

A lack of truck drivers has been an increasing problem for distributors for years but was worsened during the pandemic, which has played a major role in an increase in supply chain costs while causing problems with delayed or even cancelled deliveries.

But a warehousing worker shortage has also caused problems. Terry talks about these roles, why companies have had problems getting these workers, and what distributors are doing about it. He talks about their impact on operators and overall costs and what steps operators can do to make life easier on drivers.

Walsh has more than 30 years in the distribution business and has president of Southwest Traders since 2016. He has spent 14 of those years on the board of the International Foodservice Distributors Association.

How did Crumbl Cookies go from an off-the-wall idea between two cousins into one of the country’s fastest-growing restaurant chains in just five years?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jason McGowan, the CEO and cofounder of the fast-growing cookie chain, to talk about its history and its growth.

McGowan founded the brand with his cousin, Sawyer Hemsley, in 2017. The brand has since grown to more than 400 locations that largely sell just cookies (as well as some ice cream). It was the fourth fastest-growing restaurant chain in the country last year, according to the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report. Sales are up nearly 500% since 2019.

But there is a real foundation here. Crumbl’s locations average $1.7 million and generate more than $350,000 in net profit by largely selling just cookies. It also has a massive social media following.

McGowan talks about the company’s unique formation, its quick rise and the strategy behind its success. He talks about the company’s franchising strategy, which has thus far completely avoided any sort of advertising.

What can operators do to avoid raising prices too aggressively? Or should they?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features John Gordon, a restaurant consultant out of San Diego, to talk about the industry’s historic level of menu price inflation and whether consumers will ultimately respond.

Restaurants are raising prices at historically high rates, including 6.9% year over year in March, continuing a high run of price inflation. Restaurants are doing this because their own costs are soaring. Consumers at least thus far have yet to reject these higher prices.

Gordon discusses why consumers haven’t yet rejected higher prices. He also discusses how long this will last. There are growing fears that consumers will shift their spending habits in response to inflation.

Yet operators’ own prices continue to increase. Gordon discusses what they can do to avoid further price increases, and a potential consumer blowback, without having their margins hurt even more.

How did a small hot dog chain handle a sudden rush of customers after the pandemic?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features J.R. Galardi, the CEO of the Galardi Group, parent company of Wienerschnitzel, Tastee Freeze and Hamburger Stand.

Galardi was named CEO earlier this year but had been president and chief operating officer before that and has grown up with the concept, which was founded by his father and later run by his mother after he passed away.

He talks about taking over a family business, including some of the pressures, challenges and opportunities that presents. J.R. talks about what he plans to do with the brand.

He also talks a lot about the state of the business, including labor issues, supply chain concerns, franchising and expansion strategies.

Galardi discusses how much demand there was for the drive-thru after the pandemic, the challenges that presented, and what the company did about it.

What chains recovered the most from the pandemic?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Joe Pawlak, managing principal with RB sister company Technomic, to talk about the latest Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report.

The 500 largest restaurants grew sales by 18% in 2021—and more than 8% over 2019, effectively recovering from the pandemic. They generated $361.2 billion in total sales.

Pawlak talks about why they’ve been able to grow more quickly than anybody anticipated.

He talks extensively about what sectors did best, notably fine dining along with some of the biggest chains in the U.S.

Among the companies featured in this podcast are McDonald’s, Burger King and, of course, Chick-fil-A.

What are consumers getting when they order from a virtual kitchen?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features our editors speaking of their recent taste test of a handful of virtual brands.

The project was spearheaded by Senior Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski, who wrote about the experiences in a piece last week. We are joined by Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo and Senior Independents Editor Heather Lalley.

The brands we tried were MrBeast Burger, Man Vs. Fries, Grilled Cheese Society and Another Wing by DJ Khaled.

We rated them on delivery quality, food quality and appearance and overall value. You should check out the piece, which ran last week.

The editors discuss the results of their orders, including which brands they prefer, which brands they disliked, and their overall value. We discuss how much this says about delivery charges, and whether we would order this in the future.

Wendy’s has some big plans to add a lot of restaurants.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Abigail Pringle, the president of international and chief development officer for the burger chain Wendy’s. She talks about the chain’s numerous expansion strategies.

Wendy’s has a lot going on. The company has a deal with Reef Kitchens to expand into 700 ghost kitchen locations around the world. Pringle talks about the potential impact that deal will have on the company’s expansion strategy.

She also talks about the company’s move into international markets. Wendy’s recently opened units in the United Kingdom and is now targeting Mexico for expansion, among other locations. Pringle also talks about why Wendy’s has been behind its top competitors in international expansion.

She discusses the chain’s recently announced Own Your Opportunity recruitment effort, which is designed to increase the diversity of the Wendy’s franchise system. That effort includes considerable work on financing. Pringle talks about how that recruitment effort fits in with the chain’s development strategy.

Restaurants’ supply chain headache has evolved into a migraine.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Keith Anderkin, the chief supply chain officer for the fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby’s.

Chains have been increasingly giving c-level status to their top supply chain officers. Anderkin took his position last year, and we wanted his insights into the challenges with the supply chain—why costs are going up so much, and what the company is doing about it.

The pandemic has changed restaurants’ deals with beverage companies, maybe forever.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tim Harms, CEO of the consulting firm Enliven, to talk about the market for beverages at restaurants.

Enliven works with restaurants and other clients to negotiate their beverage contracts. Harms was recently named the firm’s CEO.

He discussed the state of beverage deals on the podcast, and how much the pandemic changed demand for restaurant beverages. Growth in takeout and delivery has led to decreased beverage attachment, which has changed the way restaurants have to think about their beverage contracts.

Despite a number of challenges, there remains plenty of demand for restaurants on the open market.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast, A Deeper Dive, features Robin Gagnon, CEO and cofounder of We Sell Restaurants, to discuss the secondary market for restaurants.

That market remains strong. There are more buyers than there are sellers, driving up the price. This is especially true for quick-service restaurants. But there is plenty of demand for all kinds of concepts. The demand is strong despite high labor and food costs and the prospect of rising interest rates.

How does a small growth chain expand when the operating environment is so difficult?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Jason Morgan, CEO of the 17-unit Original ChopShop, to talk about it.

Original Chop Shop is a better-for-you fast casual chain. The company has done quite well during the pandemic and has some significant growth plans, but it has faced some challenges on that front.

How has life changed for Portillo’s since the brand went public?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Michael Osanloo, CEO of the hot dog and Italian beef chain, to talk about life as a public company.

Portillo’s has been a fast-growing chain of massive quick-service restaurants. It went public last year in what now looks like some bad timing. Stocks have struggled due to inflation concerns and the promise of higher interest rates. And investors have been particularly hard on some of the newly public restaurant companies.

What happens with third-party delivery from here?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” attempts to answer that question. Joe Guszkowski, RB’s senior technology editor, joins the podcast to discuss the service and some interesting data and trends.

Third-party delivery took off during the pandemic. It provided a lifeline for many restaurants. Yet it remains in flux.

Everybody wants a drive-thru these days. And that has an impact on the prices for real estate that can accommodate that wish.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Barry Wolfe, senior managing director of investments for the real estate investment firm Marcus and Millichap, to talk about the demand for drive-thru sites.

What is 2022 going to be like for restaurants?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Hudson Riehle, SVP of the research and knowledge group with the National Restaurant Association, to talk about the group’s recent State of the Restaurant Industry report.

The report is an annual compilation of data and surveys on the industry and provides a snapshot of where the business stands and where it’s headed during the coming year.

How has the omicron variant affected restaurant traffic?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features RJ Hottovy, head of analytical research with the data firm Placer.ai.

Hottovy is a longtime industry analyst who went to work with Placer last year. Placer tracks consumer traffic, and he talks about how that traffic has been changing of late.

Tracy Johnstone wanted to go into academics. Instead she found plenty of teaching opportunities with McDonald’s.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features the now-former, longtime McDonald’s franchisee, who discusses her more than 30 years in the business.

How does a small, Midwestern coffee chain compete with the big giants?

Bob Fish, the co-CEO and cofounder of Biggby Coffee, joins the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” this week to discuss the chain’s growth strategy.

Biggby is a 260-unit chain based in Lansing, Mich. The company has plans for some enormous growth in the near future after largely making it through the pandemic unscathed. It is doing this largely through a franchising model.

Fish talks about that growth. He also talks about the need to constantly change in a market where new trends come and go quickly. And he talks about the need for convenience—and why coffee chains could not survive on customers hanging out in cafes alone.

Virtual brands and ghost kitchens have been hugely popular since the outset of the pandemic. But just how big will they be?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Denny Marie Post, the former Red Robin CEO who is now an advisor to the virtual brand operator Nextbite, among other roles.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features staff editors, all discussing their takes on the year’s biggest stories.

Editor At Large Peter Romeo, Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski, Independents Editor Heather Lalley and Menu Editor Pat Cobe join me in discussing issues related to labor, technology, the plight of independents, finance and menu trends.

Will high labor costs derail restaurant industry mergers and acquisitions?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Nick Cole, head of restaurant finance for the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, or MUFG.

The omicron variant is spreading. Will it cause problems for restaurants?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Roslyn Stone, chief operating officer of Zero Hour Health, who talks about this new variant and what it means for restaurants.

Will people eat enough salads to fuel Sweetgreen’s potential growth?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Nancy Kruse, RB’s new menu trends columnist.

A Deeper Dive: Jim Balis, managing director with CapitalSpring, joins this week’s episode to talk about overcoming labor and commodity inflation.

How is Andy Wiederhorn doing it?

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” the CEO of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets owner Fat Brands discusses his company’s latest deal, a $130 million acquisition of Fazoli’s.

It is the fourth major deal in 14 months, starting with Johnny Rockets, then Global Franchise Group and then Twin Peaks. All told, Wiederhorn’s company has made or announced more than $900 million worth of deals in that period.

Just how bad is the labor shortage?

In this episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive,” I debate with Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo about that very topic.

Restaurants have been dealing with one of the worst shortages of labor in history, with many locations shortening hours or reducing services because they do not have enough workers. Operators are paying much higher wage rates and they’re paying more for benefits than they ever had.

Romeo in a recent column argued that these challenges will ultimately prove worse than the pandemic on the industry, citing the closures and a potential long-term loss of workers.

Yet I argue that the issue will ultimately prove better for the industry by forcing it to improve efficiency and employee retention, which will improve operations in the long-term.

Who is right? Check out this week’s episode and find out.

Want to grow your brand? Make sure you get your franchise relations right.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Darin Harris, the CEO of the San Diego-based burger chain Jack in the Box, to talk about the company’s growth plans.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Frances Allen, CEO of Checkers and Rally’s, who talks about the chain’s growth, the industry’s current challenges and her outlook going forward.

Checkers, traditionally a drive-thru-only chain, has thrived since the pandemic as consumers shifted more of their dining toward such service models. That has also given the chain the upper hand as more restaurant chains have started toying with drive-thru-only models.

Is there any positive outlook on the labor front?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Kevin Bazner, the CEO of A&W Restaurants, talking about the impact of the labor shortage on his company’s restaurants.

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission appears ready to take a harder look at franchising.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features two people who are asking the agency to do just that. Eric Karp, an attorney with the law firm of Witmer Karp Warner and Ryan, and Subway operator and franchisee advocate Keith Miller, explain their recent request of the commission to investigate nine franchises.

Those franchises include Subway, Dickey’s and 7-Eleven, along with IHG Hotels, Choice Hotels, the UPS Store, Experimax, Supercuts and Massage Envy.

When will independent restaurants catch a break?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features a discussion on the state of independent restaurants with Senior Editor Heather Lalley.

Restaurants are currently facing a major shortage of alcohol, which has made it difficult to get some specific brands—the latest in a string of shortages that have affected all kinds of businesses. Yet independents, unsurprisingly, are feeling the brunt of this.

Independents are also facing a host of other challenges and have not recovered quite as well as have chain restaurants. They are at a major disadvantage on labor issues, technology adoption and food costs, among other things.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Mark Rossi, the CEO of Avanti Restaurant Solutions, who talks about current challenges with the supply chain.

Challenges getting equipment in the door have caused all sorts of problems with restaurants.

Avanti works with restaurants to design their foodservice options and has been paying close attention to the problem. While he speaks specifically about equipment challenges, many of the issues—particularly a driver shortage—are affecting all kinds of industries that supply products to restaurants.

Fast growth isn’t necessarily the best growth.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Pete Pascuzzi, the CEO of MRI Heritage Brands, to discuss the best strategies for unit and franchise growth in a post-pandemic era.

MRI is a Texas company that operates several chains, including Uberrito, Casa Ole, Monterey’s Little Mexico, Tortuga and Crazy Joe’s.

Pascuzzi talks about why the company is more deliberative with its franchisee and site selection. A lot of mistakes are made when chains quickly get franchisees into the system and push them into bad sites. He talks generally about site availability and the cost of getting into locations these days.

What did Sam Fox learn from his early struggles in the restaurant business?

Fox, the founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to talk about his career in the restaurant industry.

Fox is one of the industry’s most influential concept creators. He has created 20 unique restaurants, including North Italia, Flower Child, True Food Kitchen. In 2019 his company was sold to Cheesecake Factory in one of the industry’s most unique deals in recent years.

Restaurants have a love-hate relationship with third-party delivery services.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” covers that relationship. Senior Editor Joe Guszkowski joins the podcast to talk about the issue, including several recent developments in an ongoing battle about charges and other delivery companies' practices.

Why have restaurant industry sales recovered so quickly?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features David Henkes, senior principal with RB sister company Technomic, and Kevin Schimpf, senior research manager, to talk about where sales are and where they are headed.

Technomic compiles industry sales data, including tracking the largest chains in the U.S., and also publishes regular forecasts for sales.

How long will the boom in restaurant sales last?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Michael Swanson, an agricultural economist and consultant with Wells Fargo.

Wells is a huge lender in the restaurant industry and Swanson’s focus is on consumer demand. He discusses the surge in industry spending this year and why sales are increasing—and how much price is affecting that increase. He also talks about how long operators can expect these sales to continue.

What are the best strategies for companies to improve diversity and inclusion in their organizations?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features James Pogue, CEO of JP Enterprises, a Dallas-based leadership consulting firm.

Pogue discusses issues related to diversity in management teams. He says that organizations need to be focused on recruiting and developing talent that can address their specific organizational challenges, picking the right people based on their ideas and not necessarily their background.

Can a franchisee succeed as a franchisor?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tabbassum Mumtaz, CEO of Ampex Brands, and Ericka Garza, brand president for its latest acquisition, Au Bon Pain.

The two talk about what it takes for an operator to take over operations for an entire brand. A lot of franchisees have been buying up brands lately, taking advantage of favorable market conditions to add entire concepts to their collections.

Ampex operates hundreds of Yum Brands and 7-11 locations and recently acquired Au Bon Pain from Panera Bread. Mumtaz talks about the experience of owning a brand after years operating restaurants for other brands.

Garza, meanwhile, talks about the priorities for the brand itself and what it will take for the concept to succeed. Garza is a former franchising executive with Pizza Hut.

What makes a good fast-food burger? Or a chicken sandwich?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Bill Oakley, a writer and producer best known for The Simpsons, as well as shows like Portlandia and The Cleveland Show. He is also a prolific food reviewer on Instagram.

Oakley’s reviews, which are frequently done from his car and often feature major restaurant chains, have generated a strong following and are sprinkled with humor.

He speaks about those reviews and what he looks for when trying a fast-food burger. He also talks about chicken sandwiches, and which one of the many upgraded versions he likes the best.

So much for the idea of real estate availability.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Barry Wolfe, senior managing director of investments with Marcus & Millichap, who talks about the real estate market in the aftermath of the pandemic.

That market is hot. Wolfe works with investors, franchisees and retailers on real estate issues and he’s been busy. Very busy. Companies are looking to expand coming out of the pandemic, especially as their sales have been strong and financing, apparently, is readily available.

Wolfe discusses why it’s hot so quickly, what kind of sites are in the most demand, and what companies can do to find good locations. He also talks about what kinds of locations can be had for lower prices.

In this week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive,” senior editors Pat Cobe and Heather Lalley join me to discuss the state of plant-based meat at restaurants.

A lot is happening in that segment. Chains continue to experiment with plant-based meats, hoping to catch onto a segment of consumers who say they would like to order such items. Much of the focus is on pioneering companies like Impossible Foods and Beyond Meat. But more companies have been jumping into the market with their own versions, and fast-food chains like Wendy’s and Taco Bell have experimented with proprietary recipes.

The three of us talk about all of this on this week’s episode and talk about the future of plant-based meats at restaurants.

What happens with the Restaurant Revitalization Fund now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Sean Kennedy, executive vice president of public affairs for the National Restaurant Association, to talk about the status of that fund and some other issues.

Congress allocated $28.6 billion in funds for grants to restaurants. They were quickly snapped up, but more than 3,000 operators whose grants were approved were later told that their funds were rescinded due to court rulings in lawsuits filed by those who claimed that the process was discriminatory—the funds were first targeted at women and people of color. The fund has since been closed, with little indication that those 3,000 will get their funds.

Donatos is expanding using any method it can.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tom Krouse, the chain’s CEO, in a conversation about its various growth strategies.

Donatos was one of the country’s fastest growing chains last year, with system sales up more than 14%. Krouse talks about the chain’s interesting history, including the impact of its years under McDonald’s ownership and the recession.

But he also talks about its unique cobranding arrangement with the casual dining chain Red Robin and why that works for Donatos—and why it won’t keep the chain from growing in other ways. He talks about such other expansion strategies as using ghost kitchens.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Helen Lao, the founder and CEO of executive recruitment firm ClearPath Solutions.

Lao discusses the company’s recent move into franchise matchmaking with ClearPath Franchise. She also talks about the market for industry executives.

The track record of international concepts expanding in the U.S. is not great. Jollibee Foods plans to change that.

Maribeth Cruz, president of Jollibee Foods North America, joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to talk about the chain’s plans to change that.

Dela Cruz talks about the company’s aggressive plans to expand that number, and how the pandemic introduced U.S. consumers to the chain’s bone-in chicken and the rest of its distinct menu. She also discusses challenges finding real estate and the ever-present labor issue.

Jimmy John’s has shifted its marketing under Inspire Brands.

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” the chain’s chief marketing officer Darin Dugan discusses those changes, the chain’s thinking behind the changes and some of the impact.

Jimmy John’s has made a number of changes in recent months. That includes the menu, something that had rarely changed at the sandwich chain over the years. The company also introduced a new ad campaign starting with its first Super Bowl ad.

How are restaurant companies finding and keeping workers right now?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo, who joins Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze to discuss the labor shortage and how restaurants are combating the problem.

Restaurants of all kinds have reported difficulties hiring employees, to the point that many locations are closing early or for entire days because of worker shortages. Entire locations have been slow to reopen after the pandemic in part because of labor.

It’s not just inside the restaurants. The labor shortage is making it difficult for restaurants to get supplies because of a lack of drivers and there are some concerns that it’s causing issues throughout the supply chain.

The three biggest franchise brands in the world are all embroiled in disputes with their U.S. franchisees.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Gordon, a restaurant consultant out of San Diego, who talks about these disputes and why they’re happening.

The three brands are McDonald’s, Subway and 7-Eleven. At McDonald’s, franchisees have been pushing back against a $70 million technology fee and could take legal action to stop it.

Virtual brands are all the rage right now. But how do they work? And how can they succeed with so many of them out there?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” focuses on this topic and features Alex Canter, the founder of Ordermark, who provides advice and insight into the creation of these concepts.

Canter’s company includes Nextbite, a creator and operator of virtual concepts—which operate for a primarily delivery customer out of leased kitchens at places like restaurants or hotels or ghost kitchens. Nextbite’s brands include Grilled Cheese Society and Hotbox by Wiz Khalifa.

Canter talks about what differentiates successful virtual brands and how to best succeed at creating them. He also talks about his own history in the restaurant business.

How did Domino’s become a tech company?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Dennis Maloney, the Ann Arbor, Mich.-based pizza chain’s chief innovation officer who discusses the company’s effective use of technology.

Maloney talks about what it takes for a pizza chain to become a tech company. He also talks about robots, including Domino’s partnership with Nuro to use its robot to deliver pizzas in Houston. He also talks about what it will take for that robot to go into more widespread use.

The restaurant industry has enjoyed some remarkably strong sales so far this year.

The Restaurant Business team of editors want to know how long this will last. Senior Editor Heather Lalley, along with Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo, discuss the recent spate of strong sales numbers.

How was Jersey Mike’s able to outperform all of its competitors, and most of the restaurant industry, in 2020?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Peter Cancro, owner and CEO of the sandwich chain, to talk about the company’s performance.

Jersey Mike’s last year was the 10th fastest growing chain among the Technomic top 500 even as most of its competitors struggled, notably the giant Subway.

Consumers are changing again coming out of the pandemic, and that is expected to change the market for restaurant chains.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Dave Bagley, the managing director of Carl Marks Advisors, to provide an outlook for acquisitions coming out of the pandemic.

Bagley leads the restaurant group at the New York-based investment bank and has more than 20 years of experience in corporate finance, operations management, profit improvement and interim management roles.

The Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, released earlier this month, has provided a clear picture of just how much the pandemic has influenced the restaurant industry.

Joe Pawlak, managing principal with Restaurant Business sister company Technomic, joins this week’s episode of the podcast “A Deeper Dive” to talk about the ranking, including what chains won and what chains lost.

Why are there so few Black and women CEOs? Activist investors.

Or so says James White, the former CEO of Jamba, and Thomas Lynch, senior managing director of the private equity firm Mill Road Capital.

White recently joined Lynch’s firm to be part of its newly created Progressive Governance Fund, which seeks to improve diversity at smaller companies through targeted investments.

White and Lynch argue that activist investors ultimately hurt the long-term value of the restaurant companies they target. But they also argue that activists hurt diversity, frequently by pushing out Black or women CEOs or board members and then nominating mostly white men.

The latest acquisition in Flynn Restaurant Group’s history was its biggest.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Greg Flynn, the giant franchisee’s founder and CEO, who discusses the company’s recent acquisition of most of NPC International’s restaurants.

Flynn Restaurant Group has grown over the past couple of decades largely through a series of increasingly large acquisitions. But the purchase of NPC was likely the biggest in U.S. franchise history, essentially merging the two largest franchise operators in the U.S.

Fast-food chains are gung-ho for chicken sandwiches these days.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” explores why. Patricia Cobe, RB’s menu editor, discusses the industry’s sudden fascination with upgraded chicken sandwiches and why.

How will an upscale casual chain prepare for a potential flood of post-pandemic customers?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tim McEnery, CEO and founder of Cooper’s Hawk Winery & Restaurants, to talk about the chain’s strategies coming out of quarantine.

Why have SPACs suddenly become so popular among investors?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Andy Pforzheimer, the longtime industry executive who helped create the Tastemaker SPAC with former Jamba CEO Dave Pace.

Del Taco has big plans for its new prototype.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Cappasola, CEO of the 600-unit Mexican chain, to talk about the chain’s “Fresh Flex” prototype and why the new design can help the company expand in the post-pandemic era.

How did Golden Corral, the country’s biggest buffet chain, survive a pandemic in which it couldn’t operate much if not all of its buffets?

Lance Trenary, the chain’s CEO, answers that question on this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive.”

Virtual brands are big and getting bigger. And they could change the restaurant industry.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features myself along with RB’s technology editor, Joe Guszkowski, to talk about what might be the biggest single trend in the industry: The proliferation of delivery-only restaurants, or virtual brands.

How does Hungry Howie’s compete in the pizza sector with so many giant competitors?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Steve Jackson, CEO of the 500-unit chain, who discusses the company’s response to the pandemic and its ability to grow in a market with so many bigger competitors.

Dutch Bros Coffee has quietly been one of the strongest growth chains in the U.S.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Joth Ricci, president of the 400-unit chain, to discuss its growth strategies, response to the pandemic, and its future.

Fast-food restaurant companies are busy developing new prototypes to take advantage of the growth in takeout. But they need more than that to succeed.

Or so says Juan Martinez, principal and founder with the consulting firm Profitality, who joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss the proliferation of restaurant redesigns.

Martinez discusses the redesigns on this episode. Fast-food chains, including McDonald’s, Burger King, KFC and Taco Bell, have introduced innovative designs that feature multiple drive-thru lanes and additional points of service for takeout.

Bartaco has had a busy three years.

Scott Lawton, CEO and cofounder of the 20-unit taco chain, joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss those years and how the company has had to overcome the challenge of the coronavirus.

Ghost kitchens are a big trend, and Nathan’s Famous is taking full advantage.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features James Walker, senior vice president of restaurants, with Nathan’s Famous to talk about the trend and why ghost kitchens work for the concept.

Papa John’s turned itself around last year. Its challenge in 2021 is to keep that momentum going.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Rob Lynch, the CEO of the Louisville, Ky.-based pizza chain.

There is no question what the biggest story of the year was.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” includes a discussion between Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze and Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo on the pandemic and its impact on the restaurant industry.

They also discuss the stimulus package and its potential to help the industry this time around. They discuss the vaccination program and how restaurant workers will be toward the front of the line when they get inoculated.

Ghost kitchens are popular right now. But how long will the trend last?

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Dan Rowe, the CEO of Fransmart and co-managing partner at The Kitchen Fund, to talk about a number of topics.

Restaurants facing a long pandemic winter have a number of strategies they can use to survive and thrive.

That, at least, is according to Navin Nagrani, who joins the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss what he calls the “gain train,” a number of strategies on finance, real estate, operations and acquisitions that operators can use to grow their business.

Restaurants seem to be more resistant to state shutdowns this time around.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo, who sits down with host Jonathan Maze to discuss the current state of the pandemic.

Earlier this month, the fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby’s took a major investment from Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division.

Cofounder and CEO Zach McLeroy details the investment in this week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive.”

The restaurant industry is going to look a lot different once the pandemic is over.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features the consultant John Gordon, discussing this and a host of other issues.

A vaccine may be on its way, but so are additional restaurant closures. And that could make for a difficult winter.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Adam Werner, global co-leader of the restaurants, hospitality and leisure practice at the consulting firm AlixPartners.

Inspire Brands’ proposed purchase of Dunkin’ Brands was the culmination of three years of acquisitions that have taken the brand operator into the stratosphere.

In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” Editor-in-Chief Jonathan Maze and Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo discuss this deal and what Inspire CEO Paul Brown is building in Atlanta.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Lorn Davis, who leads corporate and product strategy at the financial data firm Facteus.

Davis discusses some of the sectors performing particularly well, such as chicken wings, and those that have a longer runway for improvement, like coffee.

Private equity groups may be hurting U.S. restaurants.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Joel Silverstein, the founder and CEO of East West Hospitality Group, who speaks on private equity in the restaurant business as well as international development.

Franchising can be a bigger risk than many expect.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast "A Deeper Dive" delves into that risk with one of the country’s foremost experts on the topic of franchising: Bob Purvin, the CEO of the American Association of Franchisees and Dealers.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Stephen Cohen, a solo practice attorney who works with a wide range of restaurants on real estate issues, including Dunkin’, Famous Dave’s, Caribou Coffee and many others.

Cohen discusses the pandemic’s impact on leases, and why relations between operators and landlords have been relatively good thus far. But he worries that a second wave of the virus and corresponding sales challenges could cause problems, potentially leading more severe real estate problems for operators.

Restaurant design is adapting quickly to meet changing consumer needs.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Rapha Abreu, global head of design for Restaurant Brands International, to discuss the intersection of restaurant design and new technology and how it’s all being adapted in a post-COVID era.

Reef Kitchens has a unique business. But its model is more traditional than you think.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Alan Philips, the chief creative officer for Reef Kitchens.

Ghost kitchens are expanding quickly around the country, and investors have poured a ton of money into these companies, banking on a new business model that takes advantage of the growth in delivery demand. Yet there are a lot of these providers, and delivery itself still has long-term questions.

Reef takes a unique approach to ghost kitchens. The company builds its “neighborhood kitchens” using modular units on parking lots in urban areas, enabling it to build them quickly. But it is the operator of the kitchens, so the chains and independents that locate in the kitchens license their brands to Reef.

The recovery in full-service dining likely hit a big speed bump last week, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control cited in-restaurant dining as factor in the spread of the coronavirus.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” focuses on that topic, and features former Red Robin CEO Denny Marie Post.

Mark Wasilefsky, head of franchise finance for TD Bank, joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss COVID-19’s impact on financing.

It’s almost as if there are two restaurant industries, with one struggling to survive the pandemic, and the other flourishing.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” discusses that dichotomy. Dennis Monroe, chairman of the Minneapolis law firm of Monroe Moxness and Berg, joins the podcast to talk about these issues.

Virtual brands are all over the place. But the trend is riskier than it appears.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Robert Byrne, the director of consumer and industry insights with RB sister company Technomic, to talk about what has suddenly become one of the biggest trends in the restaurant space.

Andy Wiederhorn has a penchant for burger chains. The CEO of brand-collecting company Fat Brands joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss its planned $25 million purchase of Johnny Rockets, announced last week.

Firehouse Subs’ sales are on fire.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Don Fox, CEO of the Jacksonville, Fla.-based sandwich chain, talking about the company’s strong sales coming out of the pandemic.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Keith Guilbault, CEO of Qdoba Mexican Eats, the 730-unit fast-casual Mexican chain.

Guilbault talks about Qdoba’s response to the coronavirus and how the company got creative to serve customers during that time.

The economy will not recover until the pandemic is under control.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features economist Joel Naroff discussing the prospects for an economic recovery in the aftermath of the coronavirus pandemic.

The Mexican fast-food chain’s CEO joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss how his chain has responded to COVID-19, and also Taco Tuesday.

BurgerFi president Charlie Guzzetta joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to talk about the coronavirus and its merger with Opes Acquisition.

This week’s edition of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features editors Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo discussing the coronavirus resurgence and its impact on the industry.

This week’s edition of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Juan Martinez, principal and cofounder of the industrial engineering firm Profitality, talking about unit economics and the coronavirus.

Navin Nagrani, executive vice president and operating partner with Hilco Real Estate, joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss pain points the industry faces in the coming months.

Three months ago, Punch Bowl Social was seemingly left for dead when its sponsor, Cracker Barrel, opted to pull its support less than one year after investing in the chain.

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robert Thompson, Punch Bowl’s CEO and founder, who discusses that event, and what the company has done in the succeeding weeks to survive.

Gerry Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance, joins this week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive.”

This week’s edition of the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" features Jeff Lefler, CEO of FranchiseGrade.com, to talk about the risks of buying a bad franchise.

Cofounder and CEO Zach McLeroy joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the chain’s response to the pandemic, as well as its future.

This week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" features Neal Sherman, founder of restaurant equipment reseller TagEx Brands.

David Maloni of ArrowStream joins “A Deeper Dive” this week to discuss the pandemic’s impact on the food supply and prices.

This week’s edition of “A Deeper Dive” features Jeff Brand, founder of real estate developer and broker Brand Partners.

Scott Svenson, cofounder of the fast-casual pizza chain, joins this week’s episode of the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the company’s strategy for dealing with the COVID-19 shutdown.

Technomic Managing Principal Joe Pawlak joins this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive” to talk about Technomic’s Top 500 and how the pandemic is influencing sales.

On this week’s edition of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” Melissa Wilson, principal with Technomic, talks about that subject.

Randy Dewitt, CEO of Front Burner Restaurants, joins this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive” to talk about his company’s response to the coronavirus.

Jim Balis of CapitalSpring joins “A Deeper Dive” to talk about strategies operators can use to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown.

Applebee’s and Panera Bread franchisee Ed Doherty joins this week’s RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the impact of the shutdown on his business.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," RB editors discuss how the virus and steps to prevent its spread are impacting the industry.

Founder and Co-CEO Todd Graves and Co-CEO AJ Kumaran join "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the program as well as the chicken trend, growth and technology.

Claudia San Pedro, the chain’s president, joins this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" to discuss its new marketing, technology and other issues.

Dan Fleischmann, vice president with the investment firm Kitchen Fund, joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the sudden surge in interest in shared kitchens.

CEO Adam Halberg joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the chain and its approach to delivery and service.

Nick Kenner, founder of the 50-unit salad chain, joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the chain’s growth challenges.

CEO Nishant Machado joins the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to talk about the chain’s comeback and its multi-brand operation.

This week’s edition of A Deeper Dive focuses on our recent Burgerim series and what it means for restaurants and franchises.

The longtime industry CEO joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about Torchy’s managing partner system and the chain’s strong growth.

CEO Clay Dover joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss growth, labor and his own unique approach to learning about delivery.

CEO Wan Kim joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the chain’s approach to technology and how it innovates with a limited menu.

Jim Lewis, who recently sold his New York City-area restaurants, joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the brand, his focus on speed and overcoming operations challenges.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Barry Wolfe of Marcus & Millichap discusses real estate trends.

This week’s episode of the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" features a discussion between Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo about companies’ latest sales-building strategies.

Melissa Wilson of Technomic discusses the opportunities and challenges on this week's episode of "A Deeper Dive."

Bruce Dean, CEO of the family-dining chain, joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the challenges of finding workers for a growing company.

In the latest edition of "A Deeper Dive," Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo discuss the spate of big-time chains changing chief executives.

The CEO of the burger chain joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the chain’s breakfast and international expansions.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive, " Mark Wasilefsky, head of the restaurant finance group for TD Bank, talks about financing.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Joe Pawlak of Technomic discusses a recent downturn in industry growth.

Steve Heeley, CEO of the veggie-friendly fast-casual chain Veggie Grill, joins this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the plant-based trend.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," franchising experts Matthew Haller and Keith Miller debate the riskiness of operating a franchise business.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Michael Osanloo, CEO of Portillo’s, discusses how the chain finds its way outside of its home territory.

Heather Neary, president of the pretzel chain, joins the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss how the chain is adapting to meet consumer needs.

How fast-growing Tropical Smoothie keeps chugging by Restaurant Business

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Ashish Seth of BMO Capital Markets talks about Kura Sushi's IPO and a crazy summer for M&A.

This week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" features former Red Robin CEO Denny Marie Post, speaking about the challenges faced by dine-in concepts.

Larry Ryback, CEO of Cotton Patch Cafe, joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss how a small, regional chain can take advantage of the latest trend, even in small locations.

Rick Wetzel joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about raising funds for expansion, LeBron James and taking on Domino’s.

How HMS Host works to get it right inside airports by Restaurant Business

On this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive,” TDn2K Chairwoman Joni Thomas Doolin talks about the industry’s biggest challenge.

On this episode of "A Deeper Dive," RB’s Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo discuss what has been a busy summer season for restaurant M&A.

CEO Scott Deviney joins the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss why Chicken Salad Chick works so well. He discusses the salad’s surprising flexibility. He also talks about the challenges associated with growth, including real estate and labor.

Cofounder Craig Culver and CEO Joe Koss join the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to talk about the chain’s history and its future.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Technomic’s David Henkes talks about the business of alcohol in restaurants.

This week’s edition of the RB podcast A Deeper Dive features Technomic’s Joe Pawlak, talking about the future of the Top 500.

Robert Thompson, the founder of the “eatertainment” destination, joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to talk about his company overcomes growth challenges.

This week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" features Cousins Subs CEO Christine Specht and franchising attorney Caroline Fichter.

Winsight Grocery Business Executive Editor Jon Springer joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk share of stomach.

Consultant Mark Kelnhofer joins "A Deeper Dive" to talk about how restaurants can make their margins without pricing themselves out of traffic.

Jeff Brock, managing partner with Hargett Hunter Capital Management, joins the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the state of mergers and acquisitions.

Kurt Schnaubelt of AlixPartners joins "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the how workforce challenges are affecting industry profits and sales.

Technomic’s Melissa Wilson and Fazoli’s CEO Carl Howard join the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to talk about the off-premise trend.

On this week’s edition of “A Deeper Dive,” Habit CEO Russ Bendel talks about delivery, expansion and the burger business.

CEO Ahmed Abouelenein joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to talk about how the chain went from a nameless NYC cart to an international growth chain.

This week’s edition of the RB podcast 'A Deeper Dive' features White Castle CEO Lisa Ingram, talking about the chain’s introduction of The Impossible Slider.

The National Restaurant Association’s Hudson Riehle joins this episode of "A Deeper Dive" and says there is still plenty of room for industry growth.

Why are restaurants now buying tech companies? by Restaurant Business

Modern Market cofounder Anthony Pigliacampo talks about his chain’s merger with Lemonade in this week’s episode of the podcast "A Deeper Dive."

On this episode of "A Deeper Dive,” Aimee Harvey and Robert Byrne of Technomic explore today's trends in kids’ menus and the influence of millennial parents.

RB’s A Deeper Dive features KFC U.S. President Kevin Hochman, on the ingredients behind the chain’s comeback.

The CEO of Rego Restaurant Group joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to explain why being part of a bigger group could help the sub chain.

How Buffalo Wild Wings is plotting its turnaround by Restaurant Business

Christine Barone, CEO of the Oprah-backed upscale casual chain, talks about the market’s challenges and opportunities in this week’s RB podcast A Deeper Dive.

In this episode of "A Deeper Dive," Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chao, talks about his chain’s future and why it opted to sell to Rhone Capital last year.

In this episode of "A Deeper Dive," a trio of experts from investment banking firm PJ Solomon discuss why restaurants are consolidating so much.

This week’s RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" features Kitchen United’s Atul Sood, discussing how his company takes off-premise sales off premise.

Noah Glass of Olo joins RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive," to talk takeout and debate the future of restaurant ordering.

The CEO of the chicken wing chain discusses strategies to increase sales through mobile and online ordering on RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive."

In this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Technomic’s Joe Pawlak talks about restaurant sales in the coming year.

This week’s RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" looks back at the year in marketing, technology, food and everything else.

In this week’s RB podcast A Deeper Dive, the big franchisee also discusses his recent purchase of 368 Arby’s restaurants.

This week’s edition of RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive," explores the growing tension between franchisors and their franchisees.

The RB podcast, "A Deeper Dive," explores the influx of technology in restaurants, with Results Thru Strategy’s Fred LeFranc.

This week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" features R.J. Melman, president of Lettuce Entertain You Enterprises.

RB’s podcast, "A Deeper Dive," discusses how more chains face problems with falling sales and too much leverage.

This week’s RB podcast, "A Deeper Dive" explores whether chains like Applebee’s and BJ’s can sustain their momentum.

This week’s "A Deeper Dive" podcast features Domino’s CEO Ritch Allison, talking international growth, technology, and following Patrick Doyle.

In this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Snooze CEO David Birzon discusses how a full bar spiced up the breakfast daypart.

In this week’s podcast, restructuring expert Jonathan Tibus talks about what’s causing problems at so many chains.

This edition of the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" focuses on technology, and how innovation can help a restaurant improve its experience.

This week’s edition of the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" examines disputes at Tim Hortons, Subway, Applebee’s and others.

Also on this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," a discussion of the challenges at some fast-casual chains.

In this week’s episode, Pincho Factory CEO Jayson Tipp and RB Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo talk about labor challenges.

RB’s podcast "A Deeper Dive" discusses how restaurant companies can adapt as consumers demand food be taken to them.

Technomic’s Robert Byrne talks about customer perception at chains like Chipotle, Chick-fil-A and Starbucks.

In this episode of RB's podcast, “A Deeper Dive,” the new CEO of the fast-growing chain talks about its keys to success.

Also: Should Dunkin’ Donuts get rid of the donuts?

In this week’s podcast, Howard Penney talks industry sales challenges, and a look at some concepts that could be the next big thing.

Also in this edition of RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive": upcoming menu trends.

Restaurant Business' Peter Romeo and Jonathan Maze weigh in on the dispute and where the chain goes from here in this special edition of “A Deeper Dive.”

In the latest edition of RB's podcast, "A Deeper Dive," we also talk about Chipotle’s recovery from food safety-related sales challenges.

Firehouse Subs CEO, Don Fox, talks about how much the shift toward takeout has impacted his company.

Also on this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive,” RB revisits some times when executives got their brands into trouble.

On this week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive," Subway’s VP of North America talks real estate, and we talk about the future of takeout.

In a special episode of "A Deeper Dive," Technomic's Robert Byrne talks about Papa John’s reputation challenges.

Chad Schafer, McDonald’s senior director of menu innovation, discusses the chain’s improvement efforts in "A Deeper Dive."

In its latest episode, “A Deeper Dive” provides highlights from the growth-oriented Restaurant Directions conference.

In the latest episode of RB's "A Deeper Dive," IHOP President Darren Rebelez talks about the company’s buzzy burger-centric move.

In the second episode of Restaurant Business' "A Deeper Dive" podcast, Technomic Managing Principal Joe Pawlak talks about the companies that are doing well, and those that aren't, among the Top 500 restaurant chains.

In the first episode of RB’s podcast, "A Deeper Dive," Chipotle's chief restaurant officer details efforts to improve the chain’s operations.