In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks Randy Sharpe, CEO of Wahlburgers, the upscale burger chain founded by renowned actor Mark Wahlberg and his family. Wahlburgers has roughly 30 units around the U.S. alongside a handful of international locations, with plans to continue growing globally with a flexible format that includes both limited-service and full-service models. Randy joined the podcast to explain why Wahlburgers is all about finding the right partner in the right place at the right time, and to set the record straight on the recent news that Wahlburgers and the supermarket chain Hy-Vee, which had previously been an operator for the chain, were parting ways.  

Want to see Mark Wahlberg live at Restaurant Leadership Conference? Click here to register.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Restaurant brands don’t need to adhere to one service experience
• One key to restaurant success is learning from your mistakes
• The best high-profile or celebrity business partner is one who is very involved 
• Growth is only good when it’s the right growth 
• Some business deals aren’t built to last — and it’s OK to move on

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Sharon Arthofer, founder and CEO of Sip Fresh, an emerging beverage franchise out of Southern California that is serving high-quality, fresh fruit juices in small-footprint locations. Sharon has been in the foodservice business for 30 years, having been one of the first hires by Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps when they launched Wetzel’s Pretzels in the mid-90s. She later became Wetzel’s first franchisee, and before launching Sip Fresh in 2017, Sharon had built a successful franchise portfolio with multiple brands. Sharon joined the podcast to talk about why she’s homed in on malls as the perfect growth vehicle for Sip Fresh, how her past as a franchisee is informing her present and future as a franchisor, and why coffee chains aren’t the only exciting development in beverage innovation today.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Beverages are the quintessential impulse buy — and malls the quintessential impulse destination
• When marketing in malls, you have only a few moments to make an impression 
• Your frontline staff are revenue generators 
• The beverage category is the perfect intersection of simplicity and innovation
• Strong core values as a franchisor help you manage the expectations of a diversity of franchisees

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kevin King, president and CEO of Donatos Pizza. Kevin recently took over the chief executive position after former CEO Tom Krouse retired, and he’s now overseeing a new franchise expansion effort. Leading the way in this growth is Donatos’ commitment to innovation and consistency — and particularly where those two traits intersect, as they have with new automated kitchen equipment that Donatos is rolling out across its system. Kevin joined the podcast to talk about why consistency and innovation are so important to Donatos as it fights for share in the pizza category, and how these characteristics trace back to founder Jim Grote.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You can go home again — and bring some new lessons with you
• If you can’t find the right tool for your operations, build it yourself
• Automated technology can allow your team to focus on guest interaction
• You don’t have to take an all-or-nothing approach to innovation 
• Consistency is key to growth and relevance

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse chain that has grown to more than 100 locations globally, including 80 in the U.S. The brand specializes in churrasco, or high-quality, fire-roasted meats, and it’s using its quality positioning in the full-service space to build incredible momentum — including being named one of America’s Favorite Chains from NRN and Technomic. Barry is a 40-year veteran of the restaurant industry and has spent the past 12 years at Fogo building systems that have helped it become a favorite among younger consumers in particular. He joined the podcast to talk about why Fogo resonates so much today among American consumers and why it’s perfectly tailored for the restaurant industry of the future.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The full-service category is ripe for more customization 
• Quality does not always require complexity 
• Younger consumers want authenticity, discovery, and value
• The systems that support a long-lasting brand can take a while to build 
• Culture is the first building block toward brand longevity 
• The restaurant revolution is as much powered by brick and mortar as by technology

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily, cofounders of The Granola Bar, a breakfast-and-lunch, modern diner concept with eight locations across Connecticut and New York. These long-time friends initially started a granola business out of one of their kitchens in 2010, and in 2013 opened their first restaurant essentially just to give them a commercial kitchen to manufacture granola. But customers in their Westport, Conn., hometown had different plans, making that restaurant so popular that Julie and Dana abandoned the granola business and became full-time restaurateurs. They joined the podcast to share the lessons they’ve learned on their entrepreneurial journey and how they’ve fallen forward into a business that has financial partners and a new CEO who are helping to steer its slow-but-steady growth. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The business you start is not always the business you will grow 
• Meet the hole in the market you’re serving, not what’s trending nationally
• If you don’t lean on social media early on, then it’s just icing on the cake as you grow
• With strategic hires, you can know what you don’t know
• Sometimes real estate can dictate your entrepreneurial drive 
• It’s OK if your end goal is to stay small and keep it all

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Joe Hummel, the CEO of Twin Peaks, a sports-bar franchise with more than 100 locations across the U.S. The company is maniacal about food and beverage quality, and its corporate team is intent on rolling up their sleeves and getting into the stores so they can be experts at every facet of what they do. Joe joined the podcast to talk about why Twin Peaks takes its guests and its restaurants so seriously and how his experience as a franchisee of the brand helped him better appreciate what makes the brand tick.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Franchisees make great brand executives because they know the business inside and out
• Your corporate office doesn’t make money; your stores do
• You should take both sides of the barbell very seriously 
• If sports bars lead with quality, the TVs are just icing on the cake
• Sports provide a whole new layer to your marketing strategy
• There’s big benefit to adapting your brand to any real estate 
• Every dollar you spend on your restaurant should be taken seriously
• The last thing your employees want to hear is “this came down from corporate”

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

On this week’s Extra Serving, NRN editor in chief Sam Oches and executive editor Alicia Kelso discuss McDonald's announcement that it would walk back its official DEI policy, and why restaurants still must aim to diversify their talent pipelines. Plus they talk about KFC and its transformation plan; will this finally bring momentum the brand so desperately needs? Finally, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister joins for this week’s extra serving to discuss how merger and acquisition activity is already building in 2025, and what that means for smaller regional brands in particular.

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jennifer Schuler and Hillary Frei, the CEO and CMO, respectively, of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, a treat franchise that has around 150 locations across the country and is celebrating 80 years in business this year. Jennifer and Hillary are both fairly new to Handel’s, but they’ve already brought an exciting energy to the company as they seek to find a balance between its rich heritage and its potential for fast growth. They joined the podcast to talk about how they see themselves as stewards of the Handel’s legacy and how this brand excels by being a member of its local communities.   

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Brand development isn’t a sprint, it’s a marathon
• Restaurant executives should respect the arcs of their respective brands
• Generosity is an underappreciated characteristic of successful brands
• Your franchisees should reflect your brand values
• Your guests may treat you as an independent restaurant, and you should lean into it

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

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].