On Foodable Weekly

Between an industry gap in the shortage of cooks and unequal pay in the back of house, the topic of labor has been one of concern in the restaurant industry. In this episode of “On Foodable Weekly,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron is joined by Hudson Riehle, VP of NRA Research & Knowledge Group, to talk about labor topics.

Watch the full episode to learn how sentiment around workforce in the restaurant industry has changed in the past quarter, upcoming labor challenges for multi-unit operators, and outliers that could impact the industry in the future.

On-demand delivery has become a major focus point in today’s restaurant industry. Consumers don’t just want something — they want it now. While there are a few major players in this market specifically catering to food delivery, other companies, like Uber, are hopping on board to help drive the movement forward.

In this episode of “On Foodable Weekly,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we bring you in-the-field coverage from New York City as we test out UberEats firsthand. We also flip sides and dig into how restaurants are using UberEats. The UberEats model boasts a limited menu that changes daily and is only offered to users within the location range of the geocode in cities that offer this feature (Atlanta, Austin, Barcelona, Chicago, Los Angeles, NYC, San Francisco, Seattle, Toronto & Washington, D.C.). In standard Uber fashion, there is a flat delivery fee and no tipping.

Watch the full episode as host Paul Barron puts the UberEats model to the test in terms of speed, quality (how well does the product travel or hold in transit?), presentation (how well the food arrives), and app operability (user-friendliness and app usability). We also bring viewers into Alidoro, an UberEats early adopter restaurant, to find out how restaurants are preparing for this added route, why Alidoro decided to move forward with the opportunity, and whether UberEats is a profitable channel.

Franchising is a scalable route that many chains take to grow a brand. Firehouse Subs, a fast-casual, made-to-order sandwich concept that Foodable has worked with extensively, is one of them. Recently, Firehouse Subs made an international move to Canada, with the first unit launching last week. So naturally, we sent a film team to get a close-up of the inner-workings of their unique route to expansion.

In this “On Foodable Weekly” episode, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we introduce you to Greg Delks, VP of franchise development for Firehouse Subs. Why did the brand decide to build presence in Canada? How does an American brand merge into a foreign market? What local resources has Firehouse Subs tapped into to scale and run these new units? As you’ll see in the full episode above, their path to international expansion is a unique one based on community and connections, an ethos that aligns well with the brand’s mission.

Big beer is big business. But that statement has been threatened by smaller craft beer companies as consumer demand and education has evolved and increased. With the recent merger buzz of AB InBev and SAB Miller, what does this mean for the future of brew and perhaps more importantly, for micro-brewers? In this “On Foodable Weekly” episode, we’re joined by Bill Sysak, also known as Dr. Bill, craft beer ambassador and Certified Cicerone® at Stone Brewing Co., the eighth largest craft brewer in the United States.

Watch the full episode to get expert insight on why AB InBev is taking this strategy (it’s probably not what you’d think), how it will affect international beer markets, and what this means for the craft beer community.

The James Beard House in New York City is a monumental institution rooted in history that beams culinary charm, talent, and greatness. Given the opportunity to cook here is often a mark of success and honor, and is not soon to be forgotten. In this episode of “On Foodable Weekly,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network and the American Lamb Board, we welcome viewers into The James Beard House for this year’s annual American Lamb Jam. The competitive event challenges chefs to create new dishes with this alternative protein, and with a rule nixing the use of rack or loin, innovation increases. Joining us during the “calm before the storm” is Megan Wortman, the executive director of the American Lamb Board, along with five competing chefs.

Watch the full episode for the best seat in the house as we bring you into the kitchen and the front-of-house to explore how five chefs from all over the country are bringing their own flavor to lamb. Then, pull up a seat in the dining room as host Paul Barron delivers his feedback on each dish. Who is “bringing it” this year? Which chef will bring the trophy home? And how are these chefs adding a new spin, inspired by their various backgrounds, to American lamb?

On this week’s “On Foodable Weekly,” brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, host Paul Barron talks mobile masters and Google trends with guest Brandon Hull, founder and editor at NextRestaurants.com and vice president at Main Path Marketing. In this episode, we break down the Top 5 mobile brands of last quarter and ask the tough questions about the future of mobile and technology as it relates to dining.

What about the No. 1 mobile brand makes it so successful? Will consumers continue to embrace brands that engage them from a mobile-first perspective, like Instagram contests and gamification? And how can smaller brands compete with bigger brands using mobile?

On Foodable Weekly: Chipotle’s Lawsuit & What Technomic’s Acquisition Means for Big Data in Foodservice Chipotle gets hit with a class-action lawsuit for GMO marketing and Technomic gets acquired by Winsight Media. We cover these topics in this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network. How might this lawsuit affect Chipotle, its brand message, and restaurant visits? Bill Bender, industry consultant and co-host of “Rock My Restaurant,” joins host Paul Barron to discuss.

Also making a guest appearance in this episode is Jessica Bryant, the managing editor at Foodable, to discuss the Technomic acquisition, how data will continue to affect the restaurant space in different ways, and what the difference is between structured data and unstructured data.

In this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, Host Paul Barron is in Washington, D.C. at the National Restaurant Association (NRA) headquarters’ test kitchen with Phil Kafarakis, Chief Innovation & Member Advancement Officer at the NRA. What does Kafarakis’ role entail? What three pillars guide the work of the NRA? How does the long-standing association integrate and prop up innovation? What can operators look forward to in the industry in terms of advocacy and change? Find out all this and more in the full episode above.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, H. Joseph Ehrmann, proprietor of Cocktail Ambassadors and Elixir Saloon, joins host Paul Barron at the Nightclub & Bar Show.

With nearly 30 years of experience in the industry, H. dives into the ebb and flow of cocktail and bar trends throughout the past few decades, as well as current trends moving the industry forward, and tells us why most great bars fail.

On this episode of On Foodable Weekly, brought to you by the Foodable WebTV Network, we are at the Nightclub & Bar Show with some of the experts behind “Bar Rescue.” Cocktail Engineer Mia Mastroianni, Chef Nick Liberato and Mixology Master Phil Wills join us to discuss how they grew to become notable experts in the field; the first thing they each look for when faced with a challenging (struggling) bar or restaurant operation; and what chefs, mixologists and operators should be doing now to stay on trend.