Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

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Mike Bausch is Owner at Andolini's Worldwide Restaurant Group, a Guinness World record holder, and Author of Unsliced. Mike Bausch strives to keep giving back within the restaurant industry and has accomplished just that through his experience as a restauranteur, thought leadership, and more! Tune in to this week's episode to discover how to apply his experience as a restauranteur and eye for growth. 

On this episode, you'll learn from Mike about:

• The worst response you may receive from a guest/why
• Knowing your ideal customer
• Managing SEO and the initial search
• More!

Thanks, Mike!

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Blaine Hurst, former CEO of Panera Bread, has an extensive 40 year long career working with the likes of Boston Market and Papa John's. Now as an advisor, Blaine believes that a strategic mindset is developed rather than inherent. Blaine helps restaurateurs to develop the ability to see what needs improvement and how to execute such improvement. 

On this episode, you'll learn from Blaine about:

• A culture of dissatisfaction
• Preparing for external factors (recession, pandemic, etc.)
• Getting direct feedback with consumers at scale
• More!

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Jeremy Julian is the COO of CBS Northstar, an industry leader in hospitality POS technology, helping restaurants maximize efficiency and profitability. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, CBS offers thousands of restaurants the peace of mind that comes with a smooth POS experience.  Jeremy is  in touch with the challenges and issues facing restaurant operators in the area of technology systems all while keeping the human touch at the forefront. 

On this episode, you'll learn from Jeremy about: 

• Interacting with guests keeping retention in mind
• Ensuring efficient and effective operations
• The importance of connection
• More!

Thanks, Jeremy!

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Ryan Thorman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bango Bowls, a growing health food and quick services chain. Ryan knows how to develop the fundamentals of your business, bur more importantly, maintaining a "bigger picture" perspective. Ryan's expertise on transitioning from a business to an organization is something you won't want to miss on this week's episode.

On this episode, you'll learn from Ryan about: 

• Understanding your business structure
• Fixing common restaurant missteps
• The benefits of being "instant"
• More!

Thanks, Ryan!

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Carolyn Walker has curated an esteemed and well rounded career having worked for the likes of Fritos Lays and Saatchi & Saatchi advertising.  Now at Response Marketing, Carolyn started as a freelance consultant but quickly advanced to her current position as CEO and Managing Partner. Carolyn has an eye for internal and external development and has proven her ability to help small brands punch above their weight.

On this episode, you'll learn from Carolyn about:

• Remembering the "forgotten" members of the industry 
• Empowering your staff
• The importance of branding
• Simplifying operations
• More!

Thanks, Carolyn!

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• Aligning social impact and business values
• Growing your business is a sustainable/profitable way
• The impact of giving/service on your business
• More!

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Audrey Hogan in the COO of TimeForge, a single dashboard service capable of mainstreaming and optimizing HR and Operations. Audrey is a Swiss army knife of talent that can teach you how to optimize labor management and boost your team. With an eye for and education in technical communication, Audrey is an expert on the crossroads of software and insights.

On this episode you'll learn from Audrey about:

• Knowing what tasks to prioritize
• Turning goals into action
• The positive shifts in guest review sentiment
• The ingredients of a good culture
• More!

Thanks, Audrey!

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With over 15+ years experience as a CPA, Anne Gannon is now the Principal and Founder of the Largo Group. The Largo Group provides clients with a clear understanding of the dynamics of their business to achieve lasting growth and success based on an innovative accounting model. Anne strives to look beyond balancing books and deliver actionable insight s to restaurant owners.

On this episode you'll learn from Anne about:

• Owning your numbers
• The importance of understanding the basic of accounting
• Uncovering your internal entrepreneur
• Improving your bottom line
• More!

Thanks, Anne!

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Yazan El-Shalabi and Yasser Ali are the Founders of Shelby's, home to legendary shawarma, poutines, falafels, and more! Their journey began as two young college students and now they run a multi franchise brand. Tune in to hear Yazan and Yasser's rise to the top and how they've mastered growth pertaining to social media advertising, franchises, and more!

On this episode you'll learn from Yazan and Yasser about:

• Organic advertising
• Bring customers in via social media
• Utilizing customer data to improve the guest experience
• More!

Thanks, Yazan and Yasser!

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With over 24 years of experience in the food and beverage industry, Gregg Majewski has developed an expert eye for growth. To highlight his incredible experience within the space, Gregg has invested in restaurants and worked as former CFO, COO, and CEO of Jimmy John's (where he grew stores from 33 to 300). Now, Gregg is the CEO of Mongolian concepts AND Craveworthy Brands. Tune in to hear how Gregg has grown brands internally and externally. 

On this episode you'll learn from Gregg about: 

• Franchising
• Fortifying your company culture
• Maintaining connection while mainstreaming operations
• More!

Thanks, Gregg!