Restaurant Influencers

By Entrepreneur MediaBusiness Entrepreneurship

Restaurant Influencers episodes

March 10 They Prayed Someone Would Buy a Cup of Coffee — Now They Run One of the Most Iconic Bakeries in America
Pamela Weekes and Connie McDonald, co-founders of Levain Bakery, built one of America’s most iconic bakeries by choosing community over scale. As longtime partners and operators, they’ve spent three decades proving that patience and care can turn a neighborhood shop into a national brand.
Watch now to learn how a batch of cookies became a national brand, how community fueled their growth, and why slow expansion built something that lasts.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
47 min
March 03 A Lie at a Family Reunion Turned Into a National Frozen Food Brand: Feel Good Foods
Vanessa Phillips, co-founder and CEO of Feel Good Foods, grew up in the restaurant industry before turning a personal health challenge into a national frozen food brand. After being diagnosed with celiac disease, she set out to recreate the foods she loved, building a career that blends hospitality roots with consumer packaged goods innovation.
Watch now to learn how a lie at a family reunion became a national brand, the Whole Foods moment that changed everything, and why belief beats credentials.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 min
February 24 Inside Google’s Offices, Food Does More Than Feed People — And It’s Completely Intentional
Helen Wechsler, Senior Director, Food Program CoE at Google, leads one of the world’s largest food at work programs. With a career rooted in hospitality, she oversees how food supports culture, wellbeing, and belonging across Google offices, blending intentional experiences with technology to feed people thoughtfully at global scale.
Watch now to learn how food, culture, and technology come together inside Google’s offices.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 min
February 17 His Restaurant Earned Michelin Recognition — But Survival Came Long Before the Awards
James Petrakis, co-founder of The Ravenous Pig and a James Beard Award semifinalist, helped shape Orlando’s modern food scene by building restaurants rooted in craft, community, and endurance. As a chef, operator, and mentor, he’s built a career defined less by hype and more by staying power.

Watch now to learn how survival shaped his growth, how one airport deal changed everything, and why community and craft still come first.

Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37 min
February 10 This CEO Took Over a Beloved Ice Cream Brand — and Built Growth Without Cutting Corners
Michael Palmer, CEO of McConnell’s Fine Ice Creams, oversees the evolution of a historic California brand. As a brand builder and operator, he’s focused on alignment, patience, and protecting what made the product special.
Watch now to learn about taking over a legacy ice cream brand, building partnerships rooted in shared values, and growing nationally without sacrificing quality.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
24 min
February 03 He Rethought the Sports Bar Experience — Now Fans, Teams, and Celebrities Want In
Brooks Schaden, co-CEO and co-founder of Tom’s Watch Bar, is building a new kind of sports bar designed around how fans actually watch games today. Through thoughtful design, operations, and partnerships, he’s turning live sports into a scalable hospitality experience.

Watch now to learn how a sports bar built around fandom grew fast, formed strategic partnerships, and turned games into shared moments.

Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
37 min
January 27 This NFL Star Spent Two Weeks in the Offseason Working at Smoothie King. Here’s Why
Xavier Woods, an NFL safety and Smoothie King franchise owner, is building a second career rooted in ownership. As a professional athlete turned entrepreneur, he’s investing in systems designed for durability beyond football.
Watch now to learn how an NFL veteran is applying discipline from the field to franchise ownership, long-term investing, and building businesses beyond football.
(This episode was recorded on October 17th 2025)
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
40 min
January 20 This Founder Didn’t Set Out to Open a BBQ Restaurant – He Recognized an Opening And Went For It
Will Newman, founder of Edley’s Bar-B-Que, turned years of regional BBQ exposure into a growing restaurant brand. As a former law student and restaurant operator, he focuses on thoughtful growth while honoring the legacy behind the name
Watch now to learn how a law student recognized an opening, named a restaurant with purpose, and navigated the realities of growing a BBQ brand.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
45 min
January 13 Here’s How Her 24-Hour Pizza Pivot Turned Into a $20 Million Deal
Katie Lee, founder of Katie’s Pizza & Pasta, built her career in restaurant kitchens before turning a pandemic pivot into a national frozen pizza brand. Her handmade pizzas are now sold in every Target store nationwide as part of a $20 million retail deal.
Watch now to learn about a $20 million Target deal, and the discipline required to scale without losing the craft.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
36 min
January 06 He Started Making Wings at Home. Nine Buffalo Wing Festival Trophies Later, He’s Scaling Nationwide
Matt Ensero and Justin Egan, founders of Wing It On and members of the Craveworthy Brands portfolio, built the concept from a single store into an award-winning wing brand with nine National Buffalo Wing Festival trophies.
Watch now to learn how Wing It On grew from a homegrown idea, earned national recognition, and found the right partner to scale.
Sponsored by:
• TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
31 min

About Restaurant Influencers

From the publisher's feed

Are you SICK and TIRED of scrolling through your social media feeds and not seeing your business anywhere? On the new Restaurant Influencers podcast, top leaders in the restaurant and hospitality…