In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Cameron Mitchell, founder and CEO of Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, a Columbus, Ohio based group that has 68 restaurants across 20-plus concepts from coast to coast. When Cameron set out to be a restaurateur over three decades ago, before he ever opened a restaurant, he wrote that he wanted to build a company with “great people delivering genuine hospitality,” and that continues to be the mantra driving the renowned hospitality in his group. His flagship brand is Ocean Prime, which is celebrating its 20th anniversary this year and expects to close the year with around $285 million in sales at just 21 locations. Sam sat down with Cameron in Columbus at Mitchell’s Ocean Club — the original Ocean Prime location — to learn more about his philosophy around hospitality and how that has a direct impact on sales.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. Sometimes when a restaurant isn’t working, you just need to start over
2. You should hone your site selection process over time to nail your perfect location
3. When you accept status quo, things start to go downhill
4. If you take care of your team, they’ll take care of your guests, who will take care of your company
5. The P&L maybe changed, but the demand for fine dining experiences has not

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Chris Tomasso, CEO of First Watch, a daytime café concept with more than 600 locations doing over a billion dollars in sales annually. Chris is coming up on his 20-year anniversary with the brand, having started as CMO back in 2006 and helping late cofounder Ken Pendery build First Watch into a powerhouse over the course of two decades. Chris has become known for his accessibility as a leader; he hand-writes notes to all employees celebrating milestones and eats his lunch in the company break room just like everyone else. But Chris doesn’t think these qualities should be so rare for a CEO; he understands that the actions of a leader resonate throughout a system and ultimately help it succeed as a business. Sam sat down with Chris in a Tampa First Watch location for the latest episode of the Signature Series — powered by the Coca-Cola Company — to learn more about how this shy kid with a journalism degree ultimately became one of the restaurant industry’s most inspiring leaders

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. Good leadership resonates further than you think
2. You either grow with your company or you don’t
3. People perform better when they’re not intimidated
4. To develop culture, leaders must be aware of everything they say and do
5. Restaurants must avoid “short-termism,” even when it feels like the only option
6. Careers are like pinballs and you can’t predict where you’ll end up

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Dolf Berle, CEO of Nothing Bundt Cakes, the Dallas-based chain of nearly 800 bakeries that was just named America’s Favorite Chain by Technomic. It wasn’t just the overall winner; it was also best among the top 10 chains in service and hospitality, unit appearance and ambiance, food and beverage, and convenience and takeout, and the No. 1 favorite limited-service brand among millennial consumers. So how do they do it? Dolf, who became CEO in 2023, joined the podcast to share how Nothing Bundt Cakes has built significant momentum over the past couple of years and how it’s capitalizing on moments of positivity and celebration among its guests.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. With unit growth, you should build the airplane before it leaves the runway
2. Consumers love opportunities to celebrate
3. The simpler the operation, the more time operators have to engage with the community
4. Your brand can thrive on the virtuous cycle of positivity

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 Stasko Jr., president of Sunny Street Café, a 22-unit franchise based in Columbus, Ohio, that has experienced positive traffic and sales comps even while many of its competitors are struggling. It’s not crazy menu innovation or tech bells and whistles that are driving this success; instead, Sunny Street has simply doubled down on great service and great execution of its core menu items. Sam sat down with Mike in a Columbus Sunny Street location to talk about the state of daytime dining and why breakfast and brunch consumers in particular just want to go somewhere where everybody knows their name.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. Executing on your core menu items is the most important thing you can do with your menu
2. Trying some new things with your core menu is a great way to innovate
3. Meal occasions dictate how people eat — and your menu should accommodate
4. The ‘Cheers’ experience really makes a difference

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

In this special bonus episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kate Finley, founder and CEO of Belle Communication, a foodservice PR agency with expertise in earned media, influencer relations, creative strategy, and consumer insights. NRN has partnered all year with Belle on their Brilli platform, which offers unique insights into food influencers and how to leverage them for your business.

Kate joined the podcast to talk specifically about how marketing evolved in 2025 and what kinds of trends we should expect to see in 2026. Listen in for marketing advice, including more about:

1. The importance of leveraging social media and now artificial intelligence in your marketing efforts
2. How chef partnerships have become opportunities for brands to build trust with guests
3. Why authenticity and relatability are still key to any marketing campaign
4. How social media influencers have evolved their tactics, and how restaurants can plan to leverage influencers in the year ahead

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Scott Boatwright, the CEO of Chipotle Mexican Grill. Chipotle, of course, needs no introduction, but to some degree Scott did last year when he was suddenly thrust into the CEO role after his former boss Brian Niccol left for the chief executive job at Starbucks. Scott has spent his whole career in restaurants, spending the bulk of his early years helping turn around Arby’s before joining Chipotle as COO in 2017. The year since Scott was named CEO has been arguably one of the toughest in the company’s history, as it has dealt with flat sales and traffic and an overly saturated fast-casual competitive field. Sam recently sat down with Scott in a Midtown Manhattan Chipotle as part of NRN's Signature Series, powered by The Coca-Cola Company, to learn more about his career, his leadership style, and what he thinks will help Chipotle become a global iconic brand.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

1. Uncomfortable moments create positive career growth
2. Study the role you aspire to have
3. Your best shot at winning is to double down on what made you special in the first place
4. Your whole organization has to row in the same direction to get to your destination
5. Accurately identify your problem before you start chasing solutions
6. CEOs are storytellers as much as they are business leaders

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Henry Borgeson, CEO of Roots Natural Kitchen, an 18-unit salad and grain bowl concept that was started by some University of Virginia graduates in Charlottesville a decade ago. The premise was straightforward: make natural food radically accessible to everyday consumers. But history is riddled with examples of restaurateurs who thought they could improve the quality of fast food ingredients but still ended up failing. Henry joined the podcast to talk about how Roots’ approach is different — from its chef-curated bowls to its fast-moving drive thru to its kids-eat free program — and how the brand is defying the narrative around the so-called slop bowl. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• No matter the quality of your menu, you must keep things simple 
• You should treat your customers like you’ve invited them to your party 
• Younger consumers are natural growth catalysts 
• Digital ordering and customization may have given us so-called slop bowls 
• Better-for-you fast food is possible if volume capacity is high 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Greg Flynn, founder and CEO of Flynn Group, which is the largest franchise operator in the world with eight brands in its portfolio doing about $5 billion in annual sales. Flynn Group has spent the past 25 years partnering with some of the biggest chains in the world, including Applebee’s, Wendy’s, Panera Bread, Arby’s, Taco Bell, and Pizza Hut, but last month it announced that it had entered into a franchise agreement with 7 Brew, marking the first time the organization has partnered with an emerging chain. Greg joined the podcast to discuss why 7 Brew is a good fit for the Flynn Group portfolio and where the volatile marketplace could go from here.    

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The most impactful determinant of success is day-to-day operations
• To be a premier franchise operator, you must be people-first
• American brands in international markets are like startups with less risk 
• The right promotion at the right time can change an entire brand’s trajectory
• The value offered by full-service brands is resonating with consumers 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Derrick Hayes, the founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, a nine-unit franchise that has plans to become the next big thing in cheesesteaks. A native of West Philadelphia, Derrick opened the first location 11 years ago inside a Dunwoody, Georgia, gas station, turning it into a cult favorite with hours-long lines. His big break came when rapper and actress Eve visited Big Dave’s and shared about it on her social channels, catapulting the brand to national renown and the opportunity to franchise. He joined the podcast to talk about the determination and patience that were key to setting Big Dave’s up for success, and about how his marriage to fellow restaurateur Pinky Cole has given him a fresh perspective in scaling a restaurant business.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Your best chance at success is when you have an underlying purpose 
• Humble beginnings create strong foundations upon which you can build your business
• Your big break could come at any moment — and you have to be ready for it
• Patience is paramount to growing your business the way it deserves 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Shannon Hennessy, the CEO of Habit Burger & Grill. The California-based better-burger chain has grown to nearly 400 locations over its 56 years and now, with help from parent company Yum Brands, is plotting coast to coast growth. Shannon joined Habit Burger from sister chain KFC back in 2022 and took over as CEO in 2023, and she’s overseeing the strategy to “double charge growth.” On the heels of Habit’s Q3 earnings, which showed system sales up 3% and positive same-store sales and traffic, Shannon joined the podcast to talk about creating a fresh experience at Habit Burger as part of that growth, and about how making changes today as a restaurant leader is different even than it was just three to five years ago.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Your customers have their own unique definition of value
• Scaling your business requires strength in new areas
• The labor line on your P&L should be seen as an investment, not an expense
• You don’t have the luxury of time with brand changes — but you need to be patient with results 
• Restaurant leaders of today must be better gamblers 
• Your corporate and restaurant employees must be aligned as one team

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