In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mahesh Sadarangani, the CEO of Philz Coffee, an artisanal coffee brand that, for more than 20 years, has committed itself to serving hand-crafted coffee using sustainably sourced beans from around the world. Mahesh arrived at Philz from Wingstop in 2021, and he set out to modernize and optimize the chain while protecting its quality commitment. He joined the podcast to talk about how Philz manages to obsess over its high-quality coffee even as it adds tools like drive thrus and loyalty programs. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The coffee category is highly fragmented — which is good news for all of us
• Your brand’s original values are probably still relevant for your path forward
• Restaurant brands need multiple formats to fulfill their potential 
• Even saturated categories are ripe for something outside the box
• Your experience defines your relationship with your guest; don’t mess with it too much
• Human connection is alive and well in the restaurant industry 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mike Burns, CEO of &pizza, a fast-casual pizza joint based in Washington D.C. that has grown to 45 locations. &pizza made headlines earlier this year when it announced it would buck the trend and cut its menu prices, offering unlimited free toppings with its $12 personal-sized pizzas rather than charging for toppings. Mike joined the podcast to share how &pizza is staying profitable with this change and why it’s an especially important strategy as the brand franchises for the first time.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• With operations and marketing tweaks, sleepy brands can come alive
• Even in this economy, you have to strategize in years, not months 
• Cutting price today isn’t a gimmick, it’s a volume play 
• Your most important customer is the returning customer
• Buy the dip on today’s economy 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brett Schulman, cofounder and CEO at CAVA, the Mediterranean fast casual concept that has grown to more than 400 locations across the U.S. Brett sat down with Sam during the Investment Summit portion of the recent CREATE Event for Emerging Restaurateurs, where he shared the blueprint for CAVA’s remarkable growth, which started back in 2010 as a fast-casual offshoot of a full-service Mediterranean restaurant. In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why you should be patient to find the right investor, why setting expectations early is critical to building a business, and why the things you say no to are more important than things that get a yes.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• If you have a good product, brand, and team, money will find you 
• You should be patient to find an investor who is aligned with your interests
• Set your expectations early for the kind of business you hope to build 
• Consider how you can achieve escape velocity within your market 
• Restaurant leadership is a matter of solving the next problem in front of you 
• What you say no to is usually more important than what you say yes to

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Russell Weiner, the chief executive officer at Domino’s Pizza, at the company’s headquarters in Ann Arbor, Mich. Russell shares the strategies that have driven Domino’s to become a dominant global leader in pizza, and he reflects on his 17 years with the company, which included what could be the most remarkable brand transformation in retail history. Sam also talks with Russell about how brand perception can affect product quality, why you have to rethink the KPIs you’re using to measure success, and how a disciplined decision making process can ensure consistent innovation. 

This is part of NRN’s 2025 Brand Icon package featuring Domino’s and powered by The Coca-Cola Company; for more, click here.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A singular focus will help you accomplish bigger success
• Your brand perception is probably affecting your product quality 
• The success of your innovation might not be what you think it is 
• By promoting a fun working atmosphere, you’ll have harder working teams 
• With a disciplined decision-making process, you’ll stay ahead of the game

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kate Trumbull, EVP and global chief marketing officer at Domino’s Pizza, in person at the chain’s Ann Arbor, Mich., headquarters. She joined the podcast to talk about why Domino’s takes big swings in its marketing, how it crafts its voice in the social media age, and what went into that major brand refresh the company announced earlier this month. 

This is part of NRN’s 2025 Brand Icon package featuring Domino’s and powered by The Coca-Cola Company; for more, click here. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• If your marketing doesn’t feel a little risky, then you’re not pushing hard enough 
• Social media audiences need content that is surprising or unexpected 
• Consumers must be a part of the conversation when you make big changes
• Consumers notice and appreciate even subtle changes to your brand
• Work on your brand is never finished 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Lars Smith, chef and owner of State of Mind Pub in Palo Alto, Calif., and Abby Hughes, head of growth strategy for Belle Communication. They’ve been tracking the rise of chef content on Instagram and TikTok, and joined the podcast to share their tips both for chefs and foodservice businesses on how to leverage chefs for exposure in the age of social media, and why authenticity is key to any partnership between a brand and a chef. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The industry continues to turn to social media for menu inspiration
• There’s nobody better suited to inspire menu innovation on social media than chefs 
• If you have a particular SKU you’re trying to push, a chef can help
• The best chef partnerships are those that are authentic 
• Most restaurateurs don’t have time for the formal foodservice channels

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mark Cote, CEO of both Wild Wing Café and Back Yard Burgers since 2022. The brands each recently emerged from chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Mark joined the podcast to talk about the filing process, how to prepare for it, what it looks like, and why there’s reason for optimism even when it seems like the sky is falling.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• If you hire people with your same skill set, you’ll fail miserably
• Bankruptcy is about the future more than failure 
• Nobody in the bankruptcy process wants you to fail 
• You still have to run a smart business during a bankruptcy filing 
• If you think bankruptcy is in your future, start preparing now 
• Through thick and thin, never lose sight of who you are as a brand

Register for CREATE, our event for emerging restaurateurs, by clicking here. 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mark Greenblatt, president of Barry Bagel, a Toledo, Ohio-based franchise founded by Mark’s dad Barry Greenblatt back in 1972. He joined the podcast to talk about the lessons he picked up working alongside his dad, how he’s learned big lessons from dumb mistakes, and how he’s finding efficiencies in the business without messing with the good thing his dad started. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You should consider the personification of your brand — and lean into it for marketing 
• Brand leaders must lead by example if they expect hard work
• Your dumbest mistakes are a chance to learn your biggest lessons
• A hub-and-spoke growth model gives you great real estate flexibility 
• Catering is a bigger opportunity than you probably realize

Register for CREATE, our event for emerging restaurateurs, by clicking here. 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Koji Kanematsu, founder of Onigilly Japanese Kitchen, a San Francisco based franchise introducing Americans to the rice ball snack onigiri. He joined the podcast to talk about the brand’s humble beginnings as a food cart, how he had to completely rethink his product to adapt to American palates, and how COVID forced him to focus on a new growth strategy — much to the brand’s benefit.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Great brands can start in the smallest of footprints
• Manually operating your brand from the start is the best way to know its true potential
• It’s better to adapt your product to the market rather than wait for the other way around
• You should embrace the opportunity for a brand reset 
• If you believe in your brand, you can’t afford to quit

Register for CREATE, our event for emerging restaurateurs, by clicking here. 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kaleb Harrell, cofounder and CEO at Hawkers Asian Street Food, a 15-unit casual chain based in Orlando. Hawkers filed for bankruptcy in September 2024, even though it had been enjoying double-digit year-over-year sales growth. The bankruptcy filing was to protect the brand from an overreaching lender, and after settling that dispute earlier this year, Hawkers entered into an equity deal with Utah-based Savory Fund. Harrell joined the podcast to explain the bankruptcy decision and share his tips for selecting the right financial partner. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You should give your guests credit for the details they notice
• There’s no finish line when you’re growing a restaurant brand
• Great execution is way more important than fast growth
• Your financial partner’s values must align with your own
• Tenacity and perseverance breed success
• Think through short and long term when choosing a capital partner
• In every great story, the protagonist faces challenges

Register for CREATE, our event for emerging restaurateurs, by clicking here. 

Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].