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].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Bob Andersen, president of The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill, a 30-unit fine fast casual concept that is looking to carve a niche out of the space between traditional fast casual and full-service dining, leveraging scratch-made, high-quality food. Bob joined the podcast to talk about the opportunities and challenges in fine fast casual and how this brand is planning to go from $50 million in sales today to over $100 million a year from now.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Improving the quality of your food has a direct impact on the guest experience
• Longer ticket times aren’t impossible in fast causal, but you should communicate them to your guests
• A great training program is key to franchising an upscale concept
• Water drinkers are an upsell opportunity 
• The build-your-own fast-casual model has its limitations
• A flexible footprint will help you win the competition for real estate

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam is joined by Caroline Skinner, the COO of Tupelo Honey, a casual concept based in Asheville, N.C., that’s highlighting the rich tradition of Southern cuisine at soon-to-be 23 units around the country. Caroline has spent the past several years building Tupelo Honey’s culture, developing its employee benefits, and enhancing recruitment and retention. She joined the podcast to talk about how to be an employer of choice and how Tupelo Honey is delivering Southern hospitality to other corners of the country through its unique culture.  

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Better benefits equal better retention 
• Your recruitment message should be simple
• If you want employees to stick around, provide them with balance in their lives
• You should promote your general managers from within, because they are the key to retention
• Your most loyal guests deserve something special and unexpected
• You can’t fake relationships or build them from the corporate office
• You should keep your promises with your employees and don’t compromise

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam is joined by Nathaniel Ru, cofounder and chief brand officer of Sweetgreen. The fast-casual innovator just launched its new loyalty program, Sweetpass — available both in a free version and a subscription-based premium version — and Nathaniel joined the podcast to talk about Sweetgreen’s efforts to retool its loyalty offering and how the brand is continuing to work ahead of the curve when it comes to tech innovation. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You should look beyond traditional marketing to tell your story
• Your most loyal customers should be your focus group for brand evolution
• Some of your guests want deeper access to your brand — and a loyalty program can give it to them
• Great brands turn a simple transaction into an opportunity to build community
• There is no tech solution for bringing your food forward 
• Leveraging data to make brand decisions is both an art and a science
• Points-based loyalty programs are out; subscription-based programs are in

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