Burgers, Brands & the Business of Bold Moves

What happens when two middle school friends go from slinging burgers in a knock-off Greek restaurant to running one of Arizona’s most dynamic food empires? You get the wild, flavor-packed story of Kyle Hollenbeck, co-founder of AZ Lemonade Stand, Aioli Burger, BLT Kitchens, and a whole fleet of fast-growing brands. In this episode, Kyle sits down with Tyler Jorgenson to unpack how a food truck side hustle exploded into a multi-brand, multi-location culinary business—with a few chaotic pivots and pandemic plot twists along the way.

Kyle shares the scrappy beginnings of door-to-door flyer businesses, outsmarting corporate non-competes, and tricking his Food Network-winning chef friend into launching a burger truck. From ghost kitchens and prepaid catering to moving top tenants into horse tracks (yes, seriously), Kyle has turned adaptability into a superpower—and shares what every founder needs to survive in the food game.

We also get the inside scoop on Kyle’s proudest brand success, AZ Lemonade Stand, now stocked in over 1,000 locations and prepping for national takeover. He breaks down why short meetings beat long ones, how to scale smarter with the right team, and the personal dream he’s chasing next (hint: it involves giant balloons and a cold New York hotel room). This episode is packed with hustle, heart, and plenty of inspiration.

Key Takeaways:

• Think Beyond the Truck: Starting as a burger truck, Kyle’s team expanded by listening to customer needs and launching new food brands to meet them.
• Pandemic Pivot Power: BLT Kitchens was born during lockdown and turned into an incubator helping nearly 400 foodpreneurs scale.
• Partnerships Need Boundaries: Clear roles, regular check-ins, and honest conversations are essential when co-founding with friends.
• Prepaid Catering = Low Risk, High Reward: Avoiding festivals and betting on guaranteed catering gigs helped reduce risk and scale fast.
• Big Dreams, Smart Moves: From Walmart ambitions to family traditions at the Thanksgiving Day Parade, Kyle blends hustle with heart.