Take-Away with Sam Oches

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].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mahesh Sadarangani, the CEO of Philz Coffee, an artisanal coffee brand that, for more than 20 years, has committed itself to serving hand-crafted coffee using sustainably sourced beans from around the world. Mahesh arrived at Philz from Wingstop in 2021, and he set out to modernize and optimize the chain while protecting its quality commitment. He joined the podcast to talk about how Philz manages to obsess over its high-quality coffee even as it adds tools like drive thrus and loyalty programs. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• The coffee category is highly fragmented — which is good news for all of us
• Your brand’s original values are probably still relevant for your path forward
• Restaurant brands need multiple formats to fulfill their potential 
• Even saturated categories are ripe for something outside the box
• Your experience defines your relationship with your guest; don’t mess with it too much
• Human connection is alive and well in the restaurant industry 

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 Burns, CEO of &pizza, a fast-casual pizza joint based in Washington D.C. that has grown to 45 locations. &pizza made headlines earlier this year when it announced it would buck the trend and cut its menu prices, offering unlimited free toppings with its $12 personal-sized pizzas rather than charging for toppings. Mike joined the podcast to share how &pizza is staying profitable with this change and why it’s an especially important strategy as the brand franchises for the first time.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• With operations and marketing tweaks, sleepy brands can come alive
• Even in this economy, you have to strategize in years, not months 
• Cutting price today isn’t a gimmick, it’s a volume play 
• Your most important customer is the returning customer
• Buy the dip on today’s economy 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brett Schulman, cofounder and CEO at CAVA, the Mediterranean fast casual concept that has grown to more than 400 locations across the U.S. Brett sat down with Sam during the Investment Summit portion of the recent CREATE Event for Emerging Restaurateurs, where he shared the blueprint for CAVA’s remarkable growth, which started back in 2010 as a fast-casual offshoot of a full-service Mediterranean restaurant. In this conversation, you’ll learn more about why you should be patient to find the right investor, why setting expectations early is critical to building a business, and why the things you say no to are more important than things that get a yes.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• If you have a good product, brand, and team, money will find you 
• You should be patient to find an investor who is aligned with your interests
• Set your expectations early for the kind of business you hope to build 
• Consider how you can achieve escape velocity within your market 
• Restaurant leadership is a matter of solving the next problem in front of you 
• What you say no to is usually more important than what you say yes to

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