QSR Uncut
QSR Uncut is a podcast from the editors of QSR magazine—the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators—that discusses the current state and future of the fast-food restaurant industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders, each episode candidly shares expert advice from some of the industry's most insightful leaders.
Episodes
Jason Valentine, CSO at Botrista, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to break down what’s perhaps the hottest battleground in quick service right now. What trends are driving the beverage movement? What do Gen Z want? How can restaurants innovate without breaking the brand? We get into all of that and a lot more.
Nancy Combs, VP of Culinary & Calendar Innovation at Shake Shack, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to break down the iconic burger chain’s recent menu moves, from barbecue to fried pickles to the social media frenzied Dubai Shake. We get into how Shake Shack plots innovation, what it takes to win with premium and accessible options, and how one of the category’s leading brands stays true to its roots while always thinki...
Sherri Kimes, Emeritus Professor at Hotel School at Cornell, makes her return to QSR Uncut after our most-listened to episode ever on dynamic pricing. We talk about where that controversial subject is today for restaurants, as well as get into how operators can navigate the choppy cost climate and drive sales despite soft traffic industry-wide.
Anthony Bambino founded 3Natives in 2013 in Tequesta, Florida. It’s since growth to 46 locations across Florida, Georgia, Oklahoma, New York, and Arizona, with plans to ramp up franchising further. What does it take to stand out in one of the most-crowded segments in QSR? We get into how to win the lifestyle, healthy segment and how to generate sales momentum throughout the system.
Lola Beans founder Donny Bradley joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein as we break down the story and potential of the Tennessee-based emerging brand. How is it standing out in a drive-thru coffee and beverage category as competitive as any in foodservice? What’s ahead for its new franchise program? We get into all that and more as we explore one of the segment’s rising stars.
White Castle VP Jamie Richardson and Marigold Head of Loyalty CoE Roger Williams join QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat about how one of the country’s most-iconic restaurant chains is connecting and speaking to customers in ways it never has before. The brand’s Craver Nation Rewards program adopts a “Quests” approach to redemption and has ignited engagement across the system. We’ll also explore the overall ...
Tim Koch, COO of Franchise FastLane, began his restaurant career in supply chain at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. owner CKE Restaurants. Now, he’s leading a top franchise development firm. Tim joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to talk about the state of franchising, growth, and offers his firsthand look at how different sides of the industry impact success, and what that means for the future.
Nathan Louer, chief brand officer of GoTo Foods’ concept Jamba, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the iconic chain’s groundbreaking new “Hello Sunshine” prototype, how Jamba is balancing customer-centric design with operational efficiencies, and why the new look and approach reflects a larger effort to modernize the brand while staying true to what’s fueled it over the years. We get into strategy and vision, franc...
Former Dutch Bros executive May Han joined Pacific Northwest icon Burgerville as Chief Development Officer in September. She came onboard as Burgerville prepares to more than double the number of existing locations in the coming years. Han joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein on this episode to discuss her 25-plus year track record in scaling brands and how that experience is going to take Burgerville to the next level.
This past summer, Dan Smith took the helm at Rusty Taco with more than two decades of executive experience. He's now leading a fast casual celebrating its 15th anniversary and plotting major plans, from growth to a refreshed menu to a loyalty program and more. Today, the brand operates 35 locations across 12 states and continues to find its niche in one of the most competitive segments in all of foodservice.
Costa Vida president Wade Allen, promoted to the role last June, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss his career journey, the brand’s potential, and his evolving role atop a fast casual with growth designs. Allen explores past lessons learned directing tech at Brinker to how he’s now shifted focus to guiding teams and empowering those around him to morph an emerging brand into a powerhouse.
Nate Hedtke, VP of innovation & customer engagement at the American Egg Board, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to explain the state of avian influenza and what restaurants need to understand to navigate the situation. From how it's affecting prices to ways you can get creative on menus with eggs, we'll lay out the roadmap and where to go from here. This episode was sponsored by our partners at AEB. To learn m...
Brandon Knudsen, CEO and cofounder of Ziggi’s Coffee, convinced his wife to drop out of college to give this idea a shot. From working multiple jobs to raising a baby in the restaurant, it was hardly easy out of the gates. But once Ziggi’s hit its stride, it fast-tracked toward triple-digit locations—store No. 100 opened in 2024, 20 years after the brand’s founding. Knudsen joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the jo...
Somia Farid Silber in October stepped into the top spot at Edible. At just 31 years old, she’s now leading the parent company of Edible Arrangements, a business her father, Tariq Farid, began when she was 6 years old. After serving as president for the past two years, she’s now on a mission to continue redefining Edible as a top-tier hybrid retail experience. She has big plans to target a coming generation of consumers and grow Edi...
In this episode of QSR’s CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter series, we step into the burgeoning world of drive-thru beverages. Few segments, if any, are as hot as this one—brands like Dutch Bros have climbed above 1,000 units, and even McDonald’s and Taco Bell (CosMc’s and Live Mas Café, respectively), launched offshoots to capture demand.
We brought together Darren Spicer and Donny Bradley, leaders of the emerging brands Clutch Coffee ...
Last year, in what’s become an annual tradition, restaurant operators shared their key priorities and initiatives in Qu’s fifth-annual State of Digital report. Now, CMO Jen Kern joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein once again to discuss the findings of the sixth edition, which explored everything from the race to holistic, integrated tech to the state of investments to continued kiosk growth to why loyalty doesn’t always work (...
Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original Layne’s Chicken Fingers became a Texas A&M cult-favorite known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers, and secret sauce. The brand has since grown past 20 stores, seen same-store sales jump 9 percent, and guest counts 7 percent. With corporate development continuing, franchising is entering the picture, too. Reed joins QSR editorial director Danny Klei...
Can drones solve some of the age-old issues with delivery? Naturally, there isn’t one answer and it’s a wide world of possibilities to explore. Tim Ridgely, VP of online ordering at Paytronix, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to paint a potential vision of the future and why some of these solutions might be closer to reality than operators realize.
Brian Lowe, CEO of BML, works with the some of the biggest brands in quick service and fast casual but also smaller brands. A common dominator across all, whether it’s multi-unit franchisees or even a restauranteur/entrepreneur opening one location? They want to slay their grand openings. Brian joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how brands, of all sizes, should approach this with their franchisees and the lasting i...
Clutch Coffee cofounder and CEO Darren Spicer joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to chart the journey of one of the drive-thru coffee segment’s hottest brands—how it got started, what it took to become successful, and where growth is now taking the fast casual. We also get into the overall state of coffee and technology in this corner of the industry and what lessons can be learned from consumers, competitors, and everything ...
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