In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brooks Schaden, cofounder and co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, a sports-bar concept with 13 locations that is capitalizing on the rising demand for more experience entertainment. This brand is out to reinvent the sports-bar category by elevating its food and beverage offering and focusing growth on what Brooks called “gravities of traffic,” notably urban districts with event-oriented foot traffic like arenas, convention centers, and casinos. He joined the podcast to talk about why the old standard for sports bars just doesn’t cut it anymore and how Tom’s Watch Bar is building its own fan club through a fun and distinct experience.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You don’t need to reinvent the wheel to launch a successful concept
• Customers want way more than the local sports team on your TVs
• The sports bar customer isn’t who you think it is
• There is big traffic potential in “gravities of traffic”…
• …but those gravities require a totally different playbook on service, marketing, and ops

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tara Gilad, cofounder and president of Vitality Bowls, a superfood franchise with more than 70 locations across 18 states. Vitality Bowls got its start in 2011 when Tara and her husband Roy launched the brand as a response to the fact that their young daughter had food allergies and there were no restaurants that could accommodate them. She joined the podcast to talk about the opportunities and challenges in developing a concept around ingredients that are more difficult to source and how they find the right franchisees to activate such a passion-driven business.    

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Your franchisees’ passions should align with your own
• In the healthy food segment, you need a crystal ball 
• Employees are as much order educators as they are order takers
• Virtual brands offer brick-and-mortars some flexibility and creativity
• Brand founders must prioritize their own wellbeing ahead of their business

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jerry Morgan, CEO of Texas Roadhouse, which was part of NRN’s recent Brand Icon feature. The brand closed 2023 with nearly $5 billion in system-wide sales across 638 U.S. stores, good for a $7.6 million average unit volume and helping it leapfrog Applebee’s to become the No. 2 full-service chain in America. So how is this company pulling off such impressive performance in a season when so many other brands are struggling? Sam sat down with Jerry in his Louisville office to share more about Texas Roadhouse’s core values, its commitment to consistency and quality, and why having a little bit of fun along the way have fueled this casual brand’s rocket-ship trajectory. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Owner-operators are the keys to unlocking success in your stores and communities
• Celebrating strong performances gets more out of your employees
• Founders are the beating hearts and north stars of restaurant companies
• Great food and great service are the bedrock to great brands
• Innovation doesn’t have to be all about bells and whistles
• You should try to have some fun, because customers can pick up on it

Want to check out the rest of the Brand Icon package? Click 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 Peter Newlin, cofounder and partner at Gastamo Group, a multi-concept group out of Denver that owns brands like Park Burger and Homegrown Tap & Dough, among others. Gastamo Group is specifically developing casual-dining restaurant brands throughout Colorado and sees a lot of opportunity in operating its brands in the suburbs next door to the biggest national chains. Peter has a lot to say about developing great concepts and restaurant experiences and joined the podcast to share why Gastamo Group is so committed to growing unique full-service brands within a relatively small geographic area.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You shouldn’t assume to know what your community wants and needs in a restaurant
• Restaurants are living, breathing organisms; evolve them accordingly
• If you build a great brand, the opportunities for growth will follow
• Suburban casual dining is ripe for growth, especially among more localized concepts
• Your restaurant experience should tell a story
• A great restaurant experience is all in the details
• To level up loyalty, restaurants should take a page out of hotels’ playbook
• A “regional fortress” growth strategy could be a boon to smaller concepts

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 Axiotis, CEO of Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands, a Pennsylvania-based franchise group operating Red Robin and Wingstop. Mike has an incredible story of how he worked his way up from being a dishwasher in his uncle’s diner to being the CEO of a 30-unit franchise portfolio, and today he’s leaning into that lifelong expertise both to grow his restaurant company and to serve as a voice on the board of the National Restaurant Association. Mike joined the podcast to talk about how Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands is thoughtfully expanding its portfolio, why he’s optimistic for 2025, and which issues the National Restaurant Association is particularly focused on for the coming year.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• In franchising, you’re betting on both the horse and the jockey
• Your franchise decisions should account for where the puck is going 
• Consolidation should help the restaurant industry in the coming year
• Restaurant associations offer a great resource for growing operations 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Pat Conlin, president of Wayback Burgers, a better-burger franchise with roughly 150 locations here in the U.S. Like everyone else in this industry, Wayback Burgers is leaning into its marketing efforts to generate traffic, and it’s found some fun and creative solutions that have engaged its local communities and driven some of its best sales days. Pat joined the podcast to talk about why marketing around things like food holidays has become such a boon for Wayback Burgers and how the company taps into its franchise community to drum up some of its best marketing ideas. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• If quality can’t be a differentiator, then service must be
• Bogus holidays are low-hanging fruit for your marketing efforts
• Engaging kids in your marketing — and even your R&D — is a win-win
• Guest acquisition is a churn you have to constantly work on 
• The smallest marketing touches can make a big difference

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza Co., a 30-unit pizza franchise based outside of Houston. Carl has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager and was part of the team who cofounded Main Squeeze Juice Co. back in 2017. Now as CEO of Crust, Carl is tasked with scaling this pizza brand that serves Chicago-style thin-crust pizza with a hybrid service model that thrives both with dine-in and to-go business. He joined the podcast to talk about how his knack for entrepreneurialism has given him a unique viewpoint as CEO of the business and how the partners are creatively positioning Crust as they prepare to scale it across the Southeast. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Scalable requires simple 
• Pizza doesn’t have to be dine-in or off-premises exclusive
• The Pizza Hut of yesteryear made an impression on younger consumers
• Developing your own proprietary tech is a value add for your whole system
• The more you give, the more you receive

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams CEO Stacy Peterson and director of innovation Beth Stallings. Jeni’s has made a name for itself with incredibly creative and indulgent ice cream flavors, including a seasonal rotation that gives the company a chance to take some big swings with flavor profiles. Sam joined Stacy and Beth in person at a scoop shop in Columbus, Ohio, to sample the new holiday collection and discuss Jeni’s approach to R&D. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Seasonal menu innovation is a baked-in marketing strategy
• Timing is everything in menu R&D
• Food is closely linked to memory and has the ability to transport guests
• You should think both big and small with new product development 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Nicolas Jammet, cofounderand chief concept officer for Sweetgreen, the fast casual that has been changing customer perception of healthy and locally sourced ingredients since 2007. Sweetgreen has been a touchpoint for fast-casual innovation since its early days and has especially been seen as a tech innovator. But it’s spent the past few years refocusing the narrative on its menu innovation and the quality of its sourcing. Nicolas joined the podcast to talk about how Sweetgreen has leaned more into the story of its food as it approaches 250 locations in 22 states. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The evolving nature of convenience is affecting menu innovation
• With proper planning, restaurants can scale farmer relationships and their potential
• There is opportunity in the story of your food 
• Your ingredients and your suppliers are worth celebrating 
• Technology may enable innovation, but it’s food that your customers are coming for
• Automated kitchen equipment should complement the food quality 
• The great American food brands find the right balance of accessibility and craveability

This conversation is brought to you by 86 Repairs, a restaurant equipment repair and maintenance solution built for operators. Be sure to stick around for the bonus conversation with 86 Repairs CEO Daniel Estrada, who joined Sam to talk about why the old way of managing repairs and maintenance is broken, and how there is a huge opportunity to improve margins by optimizing R&M. 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Paul Macaluso, CEO of Another Broken Egg Café, a breakfast, brunch, and lunch franchise with 100-plus locations. Another Broken Egg aims to stand out from a crowded family dining segment with a creative, New Orleans-inspired menu, and Paul joined the podcast to talk about its new lunch menu and how Another Broken Egg’s innovation is both maximizing its existing business and widening its opportunity to draw customers new and old.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Daypart expansion is a potential traffic driver 
• Squeezing more out of your busiest periods is an efficient way to grow
• Weekends and weekdays provide different but equally valuable customer bases
• Seasonal menus are a fast way to stand out from competitors

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