In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tony Pham and Rich Reyes, the cofounders of Mecha Noodle Bar, a full-service Asian concept based in Connecticut that has grown to 10 locations around the country. The childhood friends have scaled this brand with an Asian soul food menu of ramen, pho, and bao served in a relaxed, modern setting, and they joined the podcast to share how their friendship has been key to their success and why giving back to their communities has boosted their recruitment and retention.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A successful business needs a little intellect and a little instinct
• No matter your product or concept, consumers appreciate a great experience 
• Some restaurants come together like magic
• You should make sure you have a restaurant before you have a business
• It pays to invest in people who invest in themselves
• The best way to give back is if you build it into your business model

Register for CREATE — for free! — at https://informaconnect.com/create/

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Candace Nelson, an entrepreneur, investor, author, and media personality best known for founding Sprinkles Cupcakes. Candace is keynoting NRN’s CREATE Event for Emerging Restaurateurs this October 9, where Sam will interview her on the CREATE stage about her life as an entrepreneur and restaurateur. In this podcast, you’ll get just a small taste of that interview as they explore her journey from the finance world to cupcakes to pizza.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You capture guests’ attention by flying in the face of expectation 
• The life of an entrepreneur shows leaders what they’re made of
• You don’t have to fly a rocket to the moon to be a successful entrepreneur
• You should secure proof of concept before you raise capital to grow
• There’s plenty more to learn from Candace at CREATE this October!

Register for CREATE — for free! — at https://informaconnect.com/create/

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Dave Colebrook, president of LSR and Emerging Brands with the Canadian restaurant company Recipe. Dave oversees the franchise New York Fries, a brand that was born in New York in 1983 but primarily grew across Canada before reentering the U.S. earlier this year. Dave joined the podcast to talk about how this brand plans to reconquer its original homeland and why malls are its real estate sweet spot.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Malls are not dead
• Sampling is the perfect marketing for high foot traffic destinations
• Speed of service is everything in busy destinations
• A strong product plus good economics helps a brand transcend borders 

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Andy Diamond, president of Angry Crab Shack. This full-service franchise based in Arizona has 24 locations open and is growing across the U.S. and the U.K. It’s a seafood boil concept where experience is everything, and Andy joined the podcast to talk about how they keep that experience fresh and exciting, plus how the efficiencies of their kitchen and menu help them with labor and growth.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Your restaurant should be like a punch in the face
• The younger generations should be a critical consideration in your innovation
• A great restaurant experience is the perfect franchise advertisement 
• International growth is heating up 

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 Frey, chief brand officer at Sonny’s BBQ, a Florida-based concept that has grown to nearly 100 locations after more than 50 years in business. Sonny’s recently announced a new brand campaign called “It’s Always Sonny’s Here,” which is meant to reflect the easy-living vibe the brand tries to create. Peter joined the podcast to discuss the new campaign and how it’s setting the brand up for not just traffic growth, but also franchise growth. 

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Sometimes craftsmanship should trump innovation
• Fast-casual service has major benefits, but risks being too transactional in nature
• General manager development puts you in the ideal position to succeed
• Restaurants are as much about unplugging as they are about nourishment
• Legacy brands have permission to innovate with technology and ordering

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jodi Boyce, chief marketing officer for Teriyaki Madness. This 155-unit fast casual serving made to order bowls recently launched a new curbside pickup platform called Mad Dash that is designed to boost guest frequency. Jodi joined the podcast to talk about the newfound potential in curbside pickup and how it’s helping Teriyaki Madness avoid discounting as it looks to drive more traffic to stores.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Curbside is a perfectly suitable alternative to drive-thru
• Technology makes curbside far faster and more efficient than drive thru
• If you can’t beat third-party delivery players, at least take share from them
• Catering is another underappreciated off-premises channel 
• You shouldn’t pull a Bed Bath & Beyond with your discounting  
• Frequency, not discounting, is the right tool to help you weather economic woes

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 Ungaro, the CEO and co-owner of San Pedro Fish Market, an iconic restaurant on the San Pedro waterfront south of Los Angeles. Mike is part of the third generation to lead San Pedro Fish Market, and he helped the restaurant launch a hit online TV series, “Kings of Fi$h.” He joined the podcast to share how San Pedro Fish Market has capitalized on its status as a Southern California icon and how it’s seized control of its narrative to the betterment of the business.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• You should pay attention to how your guests are engaging with you
• It’s never been easier to turn your brand into a show
• Content is king, so make it a priority 
• Any part of your story you leave blank, customers will fill in

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Andy Howard, president and CEO of Huey Magoo’s. This chicken-tender fast casual based in Florida recently opened its 66th location and is quickly franchising around the country. Andy was a part of the team that took Wingstop from about 80 stores to 600 before he discovered and bought Huey Magoo’s, and he joined the podcast to share the story of Huey Magoo’s incredible success and what it takes to stand out in the very busy and very popular chicken category.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A killer tagline can help you stand tall among competitors
• New store prototypes can unlock access to new potential franchisees
• To excel in this industry, you need to be good student of it
• Just like Goldilocks, your menu shouldn’t be too simple or too difficult, but just right

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Chris Doody and Matt Harding, the CEO and chief creative officer, respectively, for Piada Italian Street Food, a fast-casual Italian brand that is approaching 60 locations across six states. Having launched in 2010, Piada was a part of fast casual’s first big wave, and Chris and Matt joined the podcast to explain why the brand has finally earned the right to grow through outside capital.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• A strong dinner daypart is critical to fast casual success
• You don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for high-quality fast-casual food
• Achieving a 2.5:1 sales-to-investment ratio is when you deserve to grow
• You shouldn’t emphasize growth until you’ve earned brand awareness in your existing markets
• Italian food is harder than it looks
• Customers should know who is in charge of your restaurants

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

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with John Meyers, the COO at Marco’s Pizza. The fifth-largest pizza chains in America had one of the best years among the pizza chains last year, according to the Technomic Top 500, enjoying 7.6% sales growth and 7.2% unit growth. John has been with the brand for about 4 years, but only recently stepped into the role as COO. He joined the podcast to share how his past experience working at Disney taught him how to manage the operational complexities of a national system such as Marco’s.

In this conversation, you’ll find out why:

• Your employees should be empowered to enhance the guest experience
• Operational empathy will improve your path as a leader
• The better the experience you create, the better your sales become
• You can’t afford to not have a deep bench of leaders

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