A Deeper Dive
Restaurant Business is the leading media brand in the commercial foodservice industry, with a focus on entrepreneurship, innovation and growth.
Episodes
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 co...
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 rest...
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 mean...
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 f...
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 l...
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 detai...
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...
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 ...
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 fo...
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, mak...
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...
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 partic...
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...
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 Tec...
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 im...
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-...
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 ...
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 b...
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 coul...
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 ...
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