By Networld Media Group
This podcast series from the publishers of FastCasual.com, PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com provides restaurant owners and executives with the insights and inspiration they need to grow their br
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The podcast currently has 99 episodes available.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, talks to Rush Bowls founder Andrew Pudalov, who started out in finance before trading dollar signs for menu items.
Pudalov said 9/11 was a trigger for leaving the financial world. His wife worked in the Twin Towers and her first day back from maternity leave was the day the towers came down. He moved his family to Boulder, Colorado, and looked for something "dynamically different," he said.
"I loved entrepreneurship and I was pretty darn good at what I did," he said, "so it afforded me the opportunity, quite frankly, to try something very different and kind of fine tune my skillsets."
He said living in Manhattan 20 years ago, there was little thought to health and wellness in the restaurant industry. He launched Rush Bowls in Boulder.
"When I started this idea of a meal concept, I wanted to go somewhere near a college where students would be more adept at testing and trying new things than a more mature clientele," Pudalov added.
To listen to Pudalov's journey as he launched Rush Bowls, click the link above.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of PizzaMarketplace.com and QSRweb.com talks to Geoff Henry, president of bubble tea brand Gong Cha.
"The bubble tea category has been around for quite some time," Henry said in the podcast. "It kind of started back in Asia, typically in Taiwan in the early 1990s. Taiwan is known for its night markets where people can walk around and try different food cuisines that are up and coming."
Gong Cha is in 27 countries around the world. To learn more about Gong Cha's focus on quality, its employees and customers, click the link above.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace and QSRweb, talks to Tom Gordon, CEO of Slim Chickens. The brand launched in 2003, has more than 280 units and is based in Fayetteville, Arkansas.
"We open about a store a week," Gordon said. "We do 50 to 60 domestic stores every year, and we do international stores every year, too. We do business in the U.K., and 54 of those stores are in the U.K."
The brand recently opened its first store in Berlin as well.
Gordon said the food is the hero at Slim Chickens, and is paramount to the brand's success as it grows.
"The food has to be the thing that draws people in," he said.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler interviews Rob McColgan, brand president and co-founder of Modern Market Eatery, at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit about how the brand has evolved since its launched in 2009 in Boulder, Colorado. The brand now has just over 30 units in six states.
McColgan admits launching a brand was more difficult than he and his partner thought, "but we were passionate about eating well, and we felt like there wasn't a brand out there — certainly not at scale — where we felt like we could eat at every day," he said.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler talks to Amanda Millikan, vice president of chicken chain Bonchon. Millikan oversees the growth strategy for the United States and has been with the company for a year and a half.
The Korean fried chicken brand has been in the U.S. since 2006. The chicken is double fried and hand brushed, making it a standout in the competitive chicken market. "It's amazing and addictive, but then we also have Korean comfort food dishes to complement our fried chicken. It's very approachable to the American palate," Millikan said.
The brand has 137 locations in the United States and 445 globally.
The food truck industry isn't an easy one. Food truck operators need capital to get a truck, get it set up for food production, get branding set up and more. That's not to mention meeting all regulatory rules and finding the best place to park. And lastly, they need to be able to generate a customer base willing to follow their trucks and purchase their food. How can food trucks generate profits in light of all of this?
Bradley Cooper, editor of Food Truck Operator, spoke with Chris Ruff, CEO and president of Glympse Inc. to discuss more about how food trucks can generate profits, with a particular focus on location tracking in today's episode of the Restaurant Operator podcast.
In order to create a loyal customer base, food trucks need to communicate their location clearly with guests, especially when they are constantly moving around to different events and locations. During the podcast, Ruff shared insights including:
It's not easy operating a food truck. You have to get your trailer in order, get the right equipment to prepare food and make sure your truck is up to code. That's before you begin to figure out where you're allowed to park your vehicle. In today's episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Patrick Bolanos, co-founder of Trail King Builders shared insights into how to get started in the food truck business and how to be successful.
Bradley Cooper, editor of Food Truck Operator discussed with Bolanos a number of key points surrounding the food truck industry, such as navigating regulatory issues and how to properly handle marketing. Some of the topics covered include:
You can listen to the podcast in its entirety above.
Conversational AI is a type of artificial intelligence that can chat with guests. It uses natural language processing to understand what you say and respond in a way that mimics human conversation. This technology is used in chatbots and virtual assistants like GivexAI's ordering kiosk used in coffee shops, QSRs and more.
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of QSRweb and Pizza Marketplace, talks to Dan Hawkes VP of product design for Givex, to learn how Givex's conversational AI programs is helping restaurants reduce labor and increase order efficiency.
Recently, Erle Dardick, the catering guru, and fastcasual.com have partnered to create the Restaurant Catering Workshop, happening October 15-16, 2024 in Denver CO. Erle joins us for a candid conversation on hits and misses in the catering business. #catering #restaurant #podcast
In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Wolf Detwiler, managing editor of Networld Media Goup, talks to Lauren Coulter, integrator and chief biscuit eater at Biscuit Belly, a Louisville, Kentucky-based biscuit fast casual chain about the brand's catering program.
Many restaurants are expanding their reach with dedicated catering programs. These programs offer restaurant-quality food for events, from corporate lunches to social gatherings. Diners can expect menus tailored to their needs, with options ranging from boxed lunches to full buffets. This trend benefits both restaurants and customers. Restaurants gain a new revenue stream, while customers enjoy delicious food for their events without the hassle of cooking. Catering programs are also becoming increasingly user friendly, with online ordering and customizable menus. This convenience is fueling the popularity of restaurant catering, making it a delicious option for busy lifestyles.
At Biscuit Belly, the brand started catering as an added convenience for their customers and because there aren't many breakfast catering choices in the area.
Coulter said they were initially hesitant to add catering because the brand is built around a large biscuit sandwich.
"It's fine to order a couple here and there, but it's hard to replicate that in mass," she said, "and so we knew that we wanted to go down this path (and) that it was going to take us to entirely clearing out heads" about catering.
To listen to Coulter's catering journey, click the link above.
The podcast currently has 99 episodes available.