The Resilient Restaurant

Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, authors of the new book Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food, take us through some of the topics they explore in their new book from consumer behaviors and the on-demand economy to emerging marketplaces, building loyalty, and more. Together, we discuss the benefits of going digital, transformational industry shifts, and what it truly takes to be successful in the world of digital hospitality.

Michael Liu, Executive VP at leading ghost kitchen operator JustKitchen, discusses tips for operators looking to build delivery businesses with third-party delivery platforms, understanding customer behaviors, and the biggest technology trends for operators on the horizon.

From wrecking his car during his first pizza delivery at 17 to founding and growing his own multi-location bar-restaurant, Nick Bogacz, Owner and Founder of Caliente Pizza and Draft House, takes us through everything he's learned. He discusses the secret formula to opening restaurants quickly, the cause of labor shortage, and recommendations operators should lean into.

In this episode, we’re joined by Shahpour Nejad, CEO and Co-founder of Pizza Guys, a popular West Coast pizza chain. We discuss some of the pandemic challenges he's faced, leadership skills he's honing in on, and the power of decision-making.

Matt Rolfe, Coach, Speaker, bestselling Author, and Entrepreneur discusses how he got into the hospitality industry, how his new book You Can't Do It Alone offers solutions focused on the people behind your company, the secret to successful operators, and post-pandemic predictions.

Chef Joshua Karther of Water's Edge at Hyatt Lodge talks about his passion for the restaurant industry and the lessons he's learned about leadership. He shares the changes he's noticing in the kitchen environment and how management should adjust, and the importance of portion control and food waste.

In this episode, we discuss how Shawn Lalehzarian’s years of experience working in the restaurant industry prepared him to open his own successful restaurant. We explore how to differentiate yourself from other existing concepts and build awareness of your business early on, the challenges that Shawn faced opening The Red Chickz, and what's helped him and the business stay strong throughout difficult times.

Mark Canlis is the co-owner of Canlis, a 70-year-old fine dining restaurant located in Seattle. We discuss the true essence of hospitality and how it is translated into the restaurant industry today, important questions restaurateurs should ask themselves throughout their careers, how Canlis pivoted business models throughout the pandemic, and what it takes to become a business that withstands the test of time.

We sat down with Andrew Pudalov, Founder and CEO of Rush Bowls, a fast-casual concept known for its wide variety of fresh and healthy smoothie bowls. We discuss tough decisions he's made over the years, how he perfected his brand message over time, what he looks for in successful hires, lessons from his early years in the finance industry, and other lessons he’s learned throughout 17 years of leadership.

Cliff Kennedy, CEO of Frios Gourmet Pops, the nation's largest ice pops franchise, discusses how he and his team transitioned the company's brick and mortar locations to vans during the pandemic. He shares the biggest challenges he's had to face from transitioning from a franchisee to a franchisor, the secrets to building a successful team, how to cultivate a company's culture, and what it means to him to spread happiness with every Frios pop.