Restaurant Masterminds Podcast

Restaurant Masterminds Podcast

Are you a restaurant owner or operator looking to navigate the chaos of the ever-changing hospitality industry? Look no further than the Restaurant Masterminds Podcast - "Journey Of Success" Hosted by industry experts with decades of combined experience in leadership, marketing, technology, and operations, this podcast is your ultimate guide to overcoming challenges and achieving success in the restaurant business. Hosts Rudy Miick - Culture Guru Paul Barron - Futurist and Tech Fortune Teller Anna Tauzin - Branding Brainstormer Paul Molinari - Go To Market Ring Master Stacey Kane - The Brand Maker Each episode dives deep into a critical aspect of running a hospitality business, from adapting to changing consumer behaviors and leveraging technology for growth to building a resilient brand and cultivating a winning culture. The hosts provide the insights and strategies you need to thrive in the face of adversity through engaging discussions, real-world examples, and practical tips.

Episodes

Technology Disruption With Catering

June 26, 2025 • 58 mins
Restaurant industry legend Earl Dardick joins Paul Barron and Anna Tauzin on Restaurant Masterminds to reveal how catering can transform your restaurant's profitability. From his experience with Off Premises Growth Academy, Earl shares why CEO buy-in is non-negotiable, how catering can represent 20% of business while delivering 50% of profits, and why successful operators treat catering as a separate business rather than a menu add...
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How Houston Hot Chicken Conquered the Fast-Casual Space

June 5, 2025 • 39 mins
Serial entrepreneur Edmond Barseghian shares how he built Houston Hot Chicken from a pandemic recipe with his sister into one of America's fastest-growing restaurant brands, selling 100 franchises in just 5 months and becoming Las Vegas's #1 restaurant. Learn his unconventional strategies including monthly car shows, premium customer experiences, and how he applied lessons from 12 previous businesses to revolutionize the hot chicke...
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Dave's Hot Chicken Takes Home Fast Casual Top 100 Crown for Second Time

May 27, 2025 • 20 mins
Dave's Hot Chicken takes home their second Fast Casual Top 100 award in three years! Join hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they sit down with Jim Bitticks, President & COO of Dave's Hot Chicken, to discuss the brand's explosive growth from 4 to 312+ locations in just five years. Discover how they built 3.6 million TikTok followers through authentic user-generated content, innovated with viral products like top-loaded sh...
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How AI Voice Orders Will Make or Break Your Restaurant (Oracle Warning)

May 22, 2025 • 38 mins
The restaurant industry is about to experience a massive technological transformation, and Oracle's Senior Director of Strategy, Amber Trendell, reveals it's happening faster than anyone expected. In this deep dive, we explore how voice AI is revolutionizing drive-thru operations, why 70% of Gen Z customers actually want to be upsold, and how agentic AI systems will soon run restaurants autonomously without human intervention. From...
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Brand Series: How Lime Fresh Mexican Grill is Redefining the Experience

May 16, 2025 • 40 mins
Join Restaurant Masterminds hosts Paul Barron and Rudy Miick as they sit down with Patrick Fore, CEO of Lime Fresh Mexican Grill, to explore how this 21-year-old brand is revolutionizing the fresh-mex space. Discover how Lime Fresh 2.0 is blending fast casual convenience with full-service hospitality through their innovative "flex casual" model featuring a full bar program contributing over 20% to revenue. Fore shares insights on c...
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BRAND SERIES: Casual Dining's Fight for Survival | Who's Winning, Who's Failing

May 8, 2025 • 42 mins
In this eye-opening episode of our Brand Series, restaurant industry experts Paul Barron and Paul Molinari dissect the current crisis in casual dining and reveal why some chains are thriving while others file for bankruptcy. Discover how Chili's achieved a remarkable 31% sales increase through strategic social media targeting and menu innovation, while TGI Fridays and Hooters struggle to connect with millennial consumers. The hosts...
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Gen Z Corner: Kids Weigh In on the Best Brands

May 1, 2025 • 51 secs
In this eye-opening Gen Z Corner segment of Restaurant Masterminds, host Paul Barron sits down with 8-year-old Colette and 9-year-old Graham to uncover what truly attracts the youngest consumers to restaurant brands. Colette reveals why texture, temperature, and customization at Chick-fil-A, Shake Shack, and Chipotle win her loyalty, while Graham offers groundbreaking insights on how gaming integration and themed environments could...
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Balancing Price vs. Value: Insights from Dickey's Barbecue

April 24, 2025 • 34 mins
In this insightful episode of Restaurant Masterminds, host Paul Barron and co-hosts Robin Blanchette and Rudy Miick welcome Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue, to discuss the critical balance between price and value in today's challenging restaurant economy. Dickey shares how her 866-location barbecue chain is navigating shifting consumer behavior by expanding value options while maintaining profitability without significan...
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Loyalty Programs Connecting With Gen-Z

April 17, 2025 • 48 mins
In this thought-provoking episode of Restaurant Masterminds, host Paul Barron and fractional CMO Stacy Kane challenge traditional loyalty programs, revealing why Gen Z's $12 trillion spending power demands a fresh approach. The duo dissects Starbucks' controversial rewards devaluation, explores gamification alternatives, and introduces blockchain solutions like Blackbird that could eliminate costly third-party intermediaries. Their...
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Culture Do's and Don'ts: 3 Steps to Building A Great Company Culture

April 3, 2025 • 48 mins
In this episode of the Restaurant Masterminds podcast, host Paul Baron and culture expert Rudy Miick explore how to build a "badass brand" through strong company culture. They discuss the difference between "win-lose" versus inspirational leadership approaches, highlighting that while aggressive culture models can work, their sustainability is questionable. The conversation examines how explicit cultural values drive brand performa...
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Mastering Social Media for Restaurants (PT 2) Content Marketing for Your Restaurant

March 27, 2025 • 34 mins
Paul Barron and Paul Molinari discuss the transformative power of content marketing for restaurants. They explore key strategies to enhance both local and national branding, including:
Local Marketing: Building community ties through partnerships with local influencers and highlighting locally sourced products.
  • Visual Content: Leveraging high-quality images and videos to showcase brand identity and engage customers.
  • Social Media S...
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Mastering Social Media for Restaurants (PT 1)

March 20, 2025 • 50 mins
In this episode of Restaurant Masterminds, host Paul Barron and co-hosts Paul Molinari and Anna Tauzin explore effective social media strategies for restaurant brands. Anna Tauzin, CMO of MAC Corporation, shares insights from managing nine diverse brands across Texas, covering platform selection, content creation, measurement tactics, and tech tools. The discussion includes practical tips on Instagram vs. TikTok usage, visual conte...
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How Clutch Coffee Bar Is Capturing the Gen Z Market Through Authentic Energy

February 27, 2025 • 44 mins
In a recent Restaurant Masterminds podcast, hosts Paul Barron and Rudy Miick interviewed Darren Spicer of Clutch Coffee Bar about effectively connecting with Gen Z consumers. Spicer, with prior experience at Dutch Bros, shared that hiring Gen Z staff is crucial for attracting Gen Z customers, as authenticity resonates with this demographic. Clutch's success stems from its vibrant color palette matching "Gen Z palette 2025," purpose...
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Cherryh Cansler Discusses Fast Casual Trends for 2025

February 20, 2025 • 57 mins
Fast Casual expert Cherryh Cansler joins Restaurant Masterminds to reveal how Gen Z is revolutionizing the restaurant industry in 2025. From the rise of GLP-1 medications affecting menu development to the death of traditional loyalty programs, this episode dives deep into the forces reshaping fast casual dining. Discover why technology integration is becoming make-or-break for brands, how TikTok is driving food trends, and why the ...
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Your Restaurant Irresistibly Instagrammable ✨📷

February 13, 2025 • 47 mins
Join restaurant marketing experts as they dive deep into the power of short-form content for modern restaurant brands. From understanding the ideal video length of 20 seconds or less to crafting authentic content that maintains brand standards, discover how successful restaurants are drawing inspiration from unexpected sources to create engaging social media content. Learn why focusing solely on vanity metrics might be hurting your...
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Is AI Better For Restaurants?

February 7, 2025 • 40 mins
Explore how AI is revolutionizing the restaurant industry, from personalized ordering systems and voice AI to operational automation, with technologies like DeepSeek making advanced solutions more affordable and accessible for businesses of all sizes.

RestaurantTech #AIInnovation #FutureOfFood
Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further ...
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This Restaurant Chain Lets Every Chef Create Their Own Menu | Barcelona Wine Bar

January 30, 2025 • 50 mins
Barcelona Wine Bar is revolutionizing the chain restaurant model by giving each location's executive chef control over most of their menu. Chief Creative Officer Gretchen Thomas reveals how this unique approach, combined with their focus on social dining and community connection, has led to successful growth across multiple markets. While most chains standardize everything, Barcelona Wine Bar embraces local flavors and community ne...
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The Technology Tipping Point for Restaurants

January 23, 2025 • 63 mins
AI is revolutionizing the restaurant industry by offering advanced technological solutions that enhance operational efficiency, democratize access to sophisticated tools, and create more personalized experiences, with a focus on back-of-house operations, voice-driven interfaces, and leveraging technology to augment human hospitality.

RestaurantTech #AIinHospitality #FutureOfDining
🫶 Subscribe NOW - Unlock a world of knowledge, innov...
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Restaurant Industry Trends 2025: Technology, Marketing, and Beyond

January 16, 2025 • 57 mins
Join the Restaurant Masterminds Podcast for their explosive 2025 kickoff episode featuring an all-star lineup of industry experts! Marketing whiz Stacy K, go-to-market guru Paul Mulinari, and culture specialist Rudy Mick come together for a power-packed discussion on the future of restaurants. From cutting-edge technology trends to market insights, this roundtable covers it all. Don't miss their takes on branding, marketing strateg...
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2025 Tech Trends

January 9, 2025 • 56 mins
Restaurant technology is evolving beyond the AI hype of 2024, with operators seeking practical solutions that directly impact their bottom line in 2025. From contactless payments and handheld POS systems to customer data platforms that enhance personalization, the industry is embracing tools that improve both operations and guest experience. Sustainable practices are getting a tech upgrade through smart inventory management and sou...
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