Episode 30 of Restaurant and Retail Revel(ations) features insights from Bubbakoo’s Burritos Chief Financial Officer Chris Ives. With ties to the Jersey Shore, boardwalk themes and fresh ingredients are staples of this popular burrito spot. Today Bubbakoo's has locations scattered across the U.S., and this successful franchise credits much of its continued growth to the integrated technology that sits at the heart of its operations.

This year marks the 30th anniversary of Pancheros Mexican Grill, and Director of Franchise Development Joe Gale joins us in the guest seat to share more about the milestone. Fresh-pressed tortillas and scratch-cooked ingredients have always been hallmarks of this midwest-based burrito brand. But it's the more recent additions of their native app and robust loyalty program, to name a few, that continue to drive steady traffic of burrito loyalists. Tune in to learn more about why this growing franchise operation is one to watch.

Pizza Factory President and CEO Mary Jane (MJ) Riva joins us in the guest seat of episode 28. MJ began her journey with Pizza Factory as a franchisee and eventually bought the company in 2012. Since then, the team has scaled the beloved pizza concept from coast to coast, focusing on fresh ingredients, technology, and a community-centric approach to business. Tune in to hear more from MJ on how Pizza Factory continues to make a name for itself amongst pizza lovers.

Prakash Karamchandani, CEO & co-founder of Balance Pan-Asian Grille, joins us in the guest seat for Episode 27 of Restaurant and Retail Revel(ations). Since launching the concept in Toledo, Ohio, Prakash and co-founder HoChan Jang have already scaled the hip spot for clean, Asian-inspired dishes to five locations and counting. Each day the whole team applies the concept of “kaizen,” the Japanese word for continuous improvement, to their work. Prakash shares more on how the brand’s technology-first mindset, a focus on wholesome ingredients and equitable pay for their employees have helped Balance Grille regularly make headlines in the fast casual space.

Mike Spence, chief technology officer & executive director of store operations at Gravity Coffee, joins us in the guest seat to discuss how Gravity Coffee's drive thru model has helped them stand out in the competitive coffee vertical. Based in Pacific Washington, this tech-savvy coffee chain is growing rapidly, crediting their thoughtfully crafted coffee and customer-centric business approach as just two of the factors contributing to their fandom

Episode 25 of Restaurant and Retail Revel(ations) features Coolgreens Vice President of Operations Amanda Powell. Coolgreens’ mission to serve “food that makes you feel better” is brought to life by its nine franchised locations across the U.S., with continued growth on the horizon. Between delicious, healthy menu items and seamless technology implementation—their native application lets you order ahead and take advantage of promotions—Coolgreens offers a fresh take on healthy food on the go.

Episode 24 welcomes Ziggi's Coffee Director of Marketing Kathryn Bleeker to the guest seat. Since joining the Ziggi's Coffee team nearly six and a half years ago, Kathryn has had the pleasure of watching Ziggi's skyrocket in growth, recently signing their 150th franchise deal. Tune in to learn more about how an entrepreneurial husband and wife duo took their passion for coffee and made a name for themselves in the coffee vertical, focusing on providing service and support for their local communities.

As the Managing Director of International Sales at Revel, David Norris pulls from his diverse business background to creatively and successfully manage Revel's growth internationally. Since taking the helm in October of 2020, David has hit the ground running to support Revel account executives based in the United Kingdom, Singapore, and Australia. Tune in to learn more about David's philosophy when it comes to management and leadership, along with Revel's current and future initiatives he thinks clients will love.

Rapidly-growing fast-casual franchise Sauce on the Side knows a thing or two about what makes a great calzone. Brad Eaton, President of Franchise Operations & Development, joins us to discuss Sauce on the Side's evolution, their differentiators, and how their tech stack helps them succeed. We also ask Brad about their recent accolades, including being named to QSR Magazine's 40/40 List for 2022.

David Joseph, co-founder of DAVO by Avalara, joins us in the guest seat to discuss the importance and implications of sales tax. Self-described as a "Simplified Sales Tax Evangelist," David hails from the restaurant industry and understands firsthand the challenges many restaurateurs face when accounting for sales tax. That's why he co-founded sales tax automation platform DAVO by Avalara.