In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Maria Rivera, CEO of Smalls Sliders, an Atlanta-based chain with eight locations that was founded by Brandon Landry, who also started Walk-On’s Sports Bistreaux. Maria, who was formerly the president of Krispy Kreme, was brought in to accelerate Smalls’ growth, which is helped along by a unique expansion strategy in which Smalls is having modular shipping-container units built off-site and delivered to their plots. Maria was a panelist at NRN’s recent CREATE Road Show in Atlanta, and Sam met her at the Smalls headquarters to talk about the brand’s unique restaurants — which the company calls “cans” — as well as how Smalls Sliders is taking a page out of Walk-On’s book while maintaining its own brand identity.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• There is power in one-product brands
• A great founder plus great financial partner plus great product equals great opportunity
• Modular store construction is the efficient expansion strategy of the future 
• Efficiency is simplification and simplification is hard
• If you’re planning fast expansion, make sure your vendors are willing to come on the journey with you
• A sister brand to a successful concept can ride its coattails — to a point
• A vulnerable, accessible CEO has a sense of how quickly a brand can grow
• Emerging brand leadership teams must stay humble to build a healthy company

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Lauren Fernandez, founder and CEO of the investment firm Full Course. Lauren was general counsel for Focus Brands and then became an operator as a Chicken Salad Chick franchisee. After she sold her units back to Chicken Salad Chick, she launched Full Course in a mission to give back to small business restaurateurs. Lauren was a panelist at NRN’s recent CREATE Road Show in Atlanta, and the next day sat down in person with Sam for this conversation covering her career, her tips for emerging brands looking to secure capital, and her thoughts on how to get more women and minorities involved in foodservice leadership.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Training in your restaurants gives you a foundation to know what the brand needs
• Servant leaders don’t talk about doing the work — they just do the work 
• Leaders should seize the moment to invest in themselves
• Most American restaurants are independents who just need resources to get to the next level
• Global fast casuals are the category to bet on 
• You never know where the next best idea for your brand is going to come from
• If you’re looking for capital, prepare by having clean books and a clear purpose

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tim Timbs, senior vice president of operations for fast casual brands at FB Society, the Dallas based group that’s currently parent to concepts like Whiskey Cake, Sixty Vines, and Haywire, and previously to major success stories like Twin Peaks and Velvet Taco. As lead for their fast-casual concepts, Tim is particularly responsible for the growth of Son of a Butcher, a slider concept that originated in FB Society’s hugely successful Legacy Hall. Tim joined the podcast to talk about how a portfolio group like FB Society tackles fast casual brand development and why a food hall like Legacy Hall was the perfect place to incubate a concept like Son of a Butcher.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Ingredient quality narrows the gap between casual and fast casual 
• You can improve your scalability if you don’t commit to one kind of build
• Sliders are the hot new category because of the variety they provide
• One of the most important things to avoid when expanding is putting your restaurants on an island
• Strong supply chain relationships are critical to your expansion journey

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, managing editor Leigh Anne Zinsmeister fills in while Sam is on the road. She talks to Sam Ballas, CEO of East Coast Wings & Grill, a North Carolina-based casual-dining chain primarily located, of course, along the East Coast. Sam and Leigh Anne sat down at the NRA Show to talk about everything the company is up to lately, including its growing fast-casual brand, MyFrii.

In this conversation, you’ll learn:

·      The importance of keeping an open mind

·      The story behind MyFrii’s total rebranding

·      Why operators should always strive to learn new things

·      The importance of focusing on the unit level

·      How to gain the trust of your franchisees

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Alex Smith, founder and president of Atlas Restaurant Group, a Baltimore-based outfit that has more than 30 concepts in its portfolio employing 2,000 people in five markets. Alex is a Baltimore native and is deeply committed to the economic revitalization of the city, and he joined the podcast to talk about the power that restaurants have in transforming cities and why new concept development is important to broadening the impact you have in each market. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Restaurants have the power to transform cities 
• Diversifying your concepts deepens the potential in each market where you operate 
• You build restaurants to last 20-plus years, not two or three years
• The higher-quality experience you provide, the easier it is to find high-quality managers
• Live entertainment offers both a unique experience and economic opportunity
• Connection to the community is an excellent retention strategy 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam is talking with Daniel Lee, chief marketing and technology officer, and Christian Lee, chief operating officer, of Flame Broiler, a Los Angeles based Korean bowl brand with nearly 140 locations across the U.S. These brothers have grown up in the family business, as their father Young Lee founded it in 1995 and integrated his sons into the business from a young age. They joined the podcast to talk about the ups and downs of growing up in a family restaurant business, plus how they’re working to modernize the brand and incorporate more Korean culture as it becomes more and more popular with American audiences.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You should be a fan of your own product
• Globally inspired concepts have a dial to turn when it comes to authenticity 
• Second-generation restaurateurs should be integrated into the business naturally, not forced
• Younger generations are drawn to the potential for impact at scale
• You should tap into your younger employees to adapt to branding and technology trends
• Especially in a family business, you need to lean into each member’s unique strengths
• Much like a family, a leadership team should be honest and empathetic with each other

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam is sharing one more interview from the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. This week, it’s with Del Taco chief marketing officer Tim Hackbardt. Tim is a restaurant industry veteran who joined Del Taco as CMO in 2020, and he’s overseen an initiative from the Southern California based brand to emphasize Del Taco’s differentiating factors as it seeks to capture guest attention in a crowded QSR Mexican category. He goes inside Del Taco’s efforts to communicate in a rapidly fracturing media landscape, plus how the brand is setting itself apart with its value strategy. 

In these conversations, you’ll find out why:

• Your brand is full of great stories — you should talk about them
• Guest feedback is easier to obtain than ever 
• You need a content strategy for every type of guest 
• A barbell strategy could be a good entry into a value menu 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam shares two interviews that he conducted recently at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. First up is Paul Altero, cofounder and CEO of Bubbakoo’s Burritos, a New Jersey based fast casual that’s leveraging a unique, Mexican fusion menu to accomplish explosive franchise growth across the U.S. After that you’ll hear a conversation with Chris Smith, owner and CEO of Zunzi’s and Zunzibar, a dual-brand business bringing South African inspired sandwiches and beach-vibe experiences to customers across the South. 

In these conversations, you’ll find out why:

• There’s opportunity to mix and match menu platforms
• Having a great broker and moving quickly are key to getting real estate you want
• There’s always white space available to you, no matter your competition
• Fast casual may no longer be about experience
• A brand can be a vessel for helping people be the best versions of themselves 

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 Willman, CEO of Naf Naf Grill. This Middle Eastern fast casual was founded in the Chicago area, and Greg was the first franchisee, opening his first location in 2020. After the entire system shut its doors in March 2020 and seemed unsure how to proceed, Greg was part of a group that acquired Naf Naf, and he’s now spearheading its rejuvenation, with nearly 40 locations open today and dozens more in the pipeline. Sam met up with Greg at the National Restaurant Association Show held recently in Chicago and he shared how his experience as a franchisee is guiding his time as CEO and why he thinks the fast-casual Middle Eastern and Mediterranean category of today looks a lot like the fast-casual Mexican category of 1998. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Understanding both sides of the franchisee-franchisor relationship is a major asset for a brand leader
• Fast-casual Mediterranean and Middle Eastern still have incredible growth potential
• Brands with more unfamiliar cuisines should lead with whatever generates trial
• When it comes to growth, fish where you’ve caught fish before
• Delivery/carryout locations may be better suited for brands that are embedded in a market 
• Getting from store 1 to 100 is hard — don’t try to speed through 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 Rob Ertmann, CEO of the fast-casual chain Mo’Bettahs. Founded by brothers Kimo and Kalani Mack in Bountiful, Utah, in 2008, this 40-unit chain serves up the comfort foods of the Hawaiian islands, and last week it announced a partnership with the professional golf player Tony Finau, who will own a minority stake in the chain and serve as a brand ambassador. Rob joined the podcast to talk about that partnership and how brands can successfully leverage high-profile spokespeople on their expansion journeys. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• It’s easier to introduce consumers to a new cuisine when it has familiar touch points  
• High schoolers might be your best marketing team
• Food in mouths might be your smartest marketing strategy
• Your best brand ambassador is someone who already loves your concept
• A high-profile name attached to your brand will encourage guests in new markets to give you a look
• There is no ceiling for a value-oriented chain

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