Pizza and chicken wings may be crushing right now, but what about the ice cream category? For something so dependent upon a social experience—not to mention a product with such a short shelf life—how do ice cream brands translate to an off-premises environment?
That's been top of mind for David Leonardo for nine months. Leonardo is a former exec with Burger King, Arby's, and Wendy's who now serves as the CEO of Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream, a South Florida–based franchise that just opened its eighth location. He joins the podcast to talk about how the product works for delivery, how he's re-evaluated the menu mix to accommodate the new guest experience, and why the brand is well positioned to grow out of the pandemic. 

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It’s the fifth and final installment of the Restaurantology series, and we’re talking with Savory Fund’s managing partners, Andrew Smith and Greg Warnock.

Chock-full of valuable and practical insights for leaders of emerging restaurant brands, this session offers a very detailed glimpse at how investors search for smart investments, what kind of opportunity they see in the restaurant industry today, and the things they think restaurant leaders should be doing today to set their brands up for an investment deal.

For more info on Savory or to watch videos of these conversations, visit SavoryFund.com/Restaurantology

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It’s part four of our Restaurantology series, and we’re getting into the nitty gritty of how a management team like Savory supports the restaurants within its portfolio and leverages its resources to turn emerging brands with tons of potential into more profitable entities.

Savory Management president Shauna Smith and vice president of brand development and strategy Alonso Castaneda also talk with us about the goals of the $100 million Savory Fund, the types of restaurant concepts they’re excited about, and how they think restaurant operators can differentiate themselves into today’s marketplace.

For more info on Savory or to watch videos of these conversations, visit SavoryFund.com/Restaurantology

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It’s part three of our Restaurantology series, and today we’re talking about the state of the mergers and acquisitions market during the COVID-19 crisis. Prior to the pandemic, Savory Fund’s portfolio included the fast casuals Mo’Bettahs, Swig, and R&R BBQ. But just this fall, Savory closed on controlling investments in The Crack Shack, based in Southern California, and Austin-based full-service brand Via 313 Pizzeria.

In this session, Michael Rosen, founder of The Crack Shack; Brandon and Zane Hunt, the brothers and cofounders behind Via 313; and Savory Fund managing director Andrew Smith discuss how these emerging brands have managed to succeed during the COVID crisis, how they landed a deal in the middle of the pandemic, and what they were looking for in the ideal investment partner.

For more info on Savory or to watch videos of these conversations, visit SavoryFund.com/Restaurantology

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It’s part two of our Restaurantology series, and we’re talking with emerging restaurant leaders about their unique expansion plans. The coronavirus pandemic clearly slammed the brakes on restaurant momentum in the spring, but nimble operators have found ways to navigate the crisis and return to growth—albeit growth that considers the “new normal” of restaurant operations.

Kimo Mack, cofounder of Hawaiian fast casual Mo’Bettahs, and Chase Wardrop, president of beverage and sweets chain Swig, are two such operators. They’re joined by Savory Management vice president of learning and development Jessica Moyer in this session to talk about their niche concepts, how they view real estate in an increasingly digital and off-premises world, and the future growth that they’re charting for a post-pandemic environment.

For more info on Savory or to watch videos of these conversations, visit SavoryFund.com/Restaurantology

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Today is our first episode in the Restaurantology series! Restaurantology is a partnership with Savory Fund, which was launched earlier this year by investment firm Mercato Partners, and was established to make investments in exciting up-and-coming restaurant concepts and then equip them with the resources they need to scale up and become more profitable.

First up in the Restaurantology series, we’re talking with R&R BBQ president Neil Harfert and Savory Management President Shauna Smith. R&R is an eight-unit, Utah-based fast casual with plans to become the premier barbecue player in the Western U.S. In this session, Harfert and Smith talk about how R&R is banking on hospitality and its culture to get through the pandemic and to fuel its exciting growth plans.

For more info on Savory or to watch videos of these conversations, visit SavoryFund.com/Restaurantology

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Everyone got hit hard by the COVID-19 pandemic, but full-service chains were especially rocked by losing dining rooms. And with a huge shift in daypart activity due to millions of Americans working from home, breakfast concepts also felt the effects of the pandemic more acutely. 
Suffice to say this year hasn't been particularly kind for full-service breakfast chains. But Famous Toastery, a Charlotte, NC–based breakfast, brunch, and lunch franchise, hasn't given up. The brand successfully adjusted to off-premises business while doubling down on its core brand principles. Founder and CEO Robert Maynard joins the podcast to talk about Famous Toastery's pivot, how it's changed the brand for the long term, and why he's not giving up on dine-in business just yet.

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Before the pandemic, fast-casual taco joint Velvet Taco was cruising. It had grown to 15 locations doing $4 million in average unit volume, and it planned aggressive growth across the U.S. Menu innovation was at the core of this incredible success, as Velvet Taco was committed to outside-the-box taco flavors and a Weekly Taco Feature that tried everything from crickets on a taco to a Turducken holiday taco.
While the pandemic slammed the brakes on that momentum, president and CEO Clay Dover says Velvet Taco has used this crisis to retool its restaurant operation, and now the brand's sales are back in the black and aggressive growth is once again in the cards. Dover joins the podcast to talk about how drive thru will play a role in Velvet Taco's growth, how business during the dayparts has been reshuffled, and why menu innovation will continue to be critical to the brand's success.

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We’ve been publishing the QSR® Drive-Thru Study now for over 20 years, holding quick-service chains accountable by reporting on their performance in speed of service, order accuracy, and other important metrics critical to drive-thru success. But with much of the industry maximizing their drive-thru performance—and with the pandemic skewing what is normal—it was clear that the study needed a refresh.
That's why we’ve partnered this year with Darren Tristano and his firm FoodserviceResults to explore consumer sentiment toward the drive thru and other off-premises experiences. Tristano joins the podcast to discuss this year's study results, including which technologies customers are comfortable with using in the drive thru, why drive thru could be critical to fast-casual success, and how much consumers plan to keep using delivery, curbside, and carryout.

Read the full Drive Thru Study at QSRmagazine.com/drivethru
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Mendocino Farms is the perfect example of fast casual 2.0. Committed to big footprints with beautiful designs and activities like foosball and corn hole, the Los Angeles–based brand elevated the entire fast-casual experience and built significant buzz as a result, growing to 35 locations between California and Texas, with plans to scale nationally.
Then came the COVID-19 pandemic. Mendocino Farms, which was so invested in a dine-in experience, had to quickly translate that in-store identity into something that would work just as well in its off-premises channels. CEO Kevin Miles joins the podcast to talk about what that translation looked like, how it will inform Mendo's future growth plans, and why the brick-and-mortar footprint is still critical to developing a brand. 

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