In the second part of QSR Uncut's two-part series with Velvet Taco, QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley chat with the fast casual's director of supply chain, Colby Wilson. Few topics today loom larger on the minds of operators, whether its supply itself or the roller coaster of costs over the past few months. Will inflation continue to surge? How can you navigate the adversity and still manage to expand your brand? We get into that and much more.

Venecia Willis, director of culinary innovation at growing fast casual Velvet Taco, chats with QSR editor Danny Klein about the brand's legendary menu; what goes into launching a different LTO every single week across 34 locations (like cricket tacos), and how is the brand navigating today's restaurant climate, from a Sriracha shortage to other supply hurdles. Also, would anybody eat a gummy worm taco? 

Adam Blacker, the VP of insights at Apptopia, joins QSR editor Danny Klein to discuss one of the biggest topics in the restaurant industry today. Which fast-food brands are winning the app wars? How do you keep loyal guests coming back with rewards? What can restaurants learn from competitors' marketing mistakes and successes? All that and much more as we dive into the growing battleground that is mobile and digital technology.

Founder and CEO Andrew Pudalov left a New York financing career to open a restaurant that offered filling, yet healthy meal replacements for people on the go. That dream became Rush Bowls, which opened in Boulder, Colorado, in 2004, at the onset of the healthy-eating craze, and is now on the cusp of major growth. Pudalov joins QSR editor Danny Klein to look back at the journey, as well as what’s ahead in 2022 and beyond.

Michel Falcon is a serial entrepreneur and best-selling author who went from earning $15/hour in a call center to advising billion-dollar brands and building a $15 million hospitality company in Toronto in two years. Falcon, who is now scaling fast casual Brasa Peruvian Kitchen, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to talk about how restaurants can create a company culture that defies the labor odds—what steps most leaders miss, costly mistakes to avoid, and how to ensure your company culture builds more in the long-term, not just for now.

Sam Zietz, CEO of GRUBBRR, an industry-leading provider of self-ordering technologies, and Karl Goodhew, chief technology officer of BurgerFi, join the QSR team to talk about the systems and trends disrupting the restaurant landscape. Are we headed toward a world without cashiers? Why are kiosks resonating with today’s consumer? That and much more as we prepare for the next era of hospitality. Note: This podcast was sponsored by GRUBBRR. 

Mary Jane Riva has been an entrepreneur for 20-plus years, starting out as a Pizza Factory restaurant owner and then transitioning into the head of the organization. Under her guidance and expertise, she’s helped the brand grow to 100-plus locations. And now, the chain is on the verge of record-setting expansion.

El Pollo Loco CMO Andy Rebhun has led the charge of the chicken chain's lean into digital in recent years. He joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to chat about his unique marketing strategy and vision, one of the hottest LTOs in recent memory, and El Pollo Loco's interest in continued innovation, from drone delivery on.

Kevin Rice, the EVP of Bounteous, a company that works with brands like Domino’s, Panda Express, and Wingstop, joins QSR editor Danny Klein to talk about the state of restaurant technology, what’s to come, and what COVID reactions are here to stay in the wake of the pandemic. How will loyalty change? Digital ordering? That and much more in this wide-ranging chat.

A dream of opening an authentic Lebanese restaurant brought Nour Rabai to Atlanta, and he’s been a trailblazer opening new restaurants and sharing his family’s recipes ever since. Rabai joins QSR editor Danny Klein to talk about the rapid growth of fast casual Pita Mediterranean Street Food, what he’s learned along the way, and what it’s going to take to scale and thrive in one of the most complex markets in restaurant history.