Our Podcast - quench

Forktales is a podcast that feeds the food, beverage, restaurant, and hospitality industries with insights, innovations, and incredibly entertaining stories. Each episode features an in-depth interview with an industry leader, including best-selling authors, chefs, CEO’s, creative masterminds and tech entrepreneurs. All of them have a story to tell and we’re here to help them tell it.

Hosted by Michael Pavone

Michael loves a good story. Stories about growth, innovation, beating the odds and entrepreneurship in the food and beverage world. Finding those stories and sharing them is why Michael is on top of his game as the host of Forktales. When he’s not serving as the host of an industry-leading podcast, Michael is the CEO of Pavone Group, a fiercely independent collection of nine equally fierce and focused marketing agencies.

Episodes

September 4, 2024

Ep 87: Doug Renfro / President of Renfro Foods and Salsa Creator Extraordinaire

This episode of Forktales is a spicy one thanks to Doug Renfro of Renfro Foods. Doug and his cousins oversee Mrs. Renfro’s salsas, a brand that has grown into one…

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August 21, 2024

Ep 86: Burney Jennings / Executive Chairman of Biscuitville

More than 60 years ago Burney Jennings’ father, Maurice, had a choice: He could have the family farm or his mother’s closely-guarded biscuit recipe. Maurice chose the biscuit recipe and…

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August 1, 2024

Ep 85: Ben Jacobs / Chef, founder of Tocabe and Native local pioneer

Ben Jacobs is a chef and a tribal member of the Osage Nation. He’s also a leader in bringing Native American food to the forefront of the American culinary conversation….

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July 18, 2024

Ep 84: Audley Wilson / Shark Tank survivor & Founder of RoboBurger

Earlier this year, Audley Wilson and his partners took their dream – a revolutionary vending machine that makes fresh, made-to-order burgers – and pitched it to the investors (and to…

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June 28, 2024

Ep 83: Craig Bernstein / Founder of Doc B’s Restaurant & Bar

If you’re a fan of great stories, you’re going to love this episode of Forktales featuring Doc B’s Restaurant & Bar founder Craig Bernstein. Craig shares tales about how a…

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June 10, 2024

Ep 82: Martino Brambilla / President of Embassy Ingredients

If you’ve had a donut, brownie, cupcake or cookie in the past year, you’ve probably had a baked good made with ingredients from Embassy Ingredients. Martino Brambilla was just 17…

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May 23, 2024

Ep 81: Benjamin Calleja / CXO of Livit Design

Every eight hours, a new Livit designed restaurant opens somewhere in the world and Benjamin Calleja is leading that charge. As the founder and chief experience officer of Livit Design,…

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May 9, 2024

Ep 80: Dan Rowe / CEO of Fransmart

Dan Rowe is known in the restaurant industry as The Chainmaker. He takes emerging restaurant brands and, along with the team at Fransmart, turns those brands into successful national restaurant…

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April 18, 2024

Ep 79: Jason E. Brooks / Founder of HospiVation

Jason E. Brooks is a coach, a motivational speaker and an author with a lifetime of restaurant experience. That’s one of the reasons he created HospiVation, a leadership coaching clinic…

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April 4, 2024

Ep 78: Emily Rugaber / VP of Marketing for Thanx

Why do so many restaurants fail to properly use data? What are the biggest mistakes restaurants make when designing loyalty programs? Two huge questions and Emily Rugaber answers them both….

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March 21, 2024

Ep 77: Betsy Hamm / CEO of Duck Donuts

Duck Donuts is one of the fastest growing donut shops in the nation, with 32 new locations last year and another 45 planned this year. The brand’s fresh, made-to-order donuts…

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March 7, 2024

Ep 76: Jay Cipra / CEO of Broaster Company

If you live in Wisconsin and the surrounding region, you know broasted chicken and how good it is. And the only way to make broasted chicken is with pressure-frying equipment…

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February 22, 2024

Ep 75: Mark Schostak / Executive Chairman of TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants

Mark Schostak is the third generation of a four-generation family business that oversees 150 restaurants throughout Michigan. It’s a portfolio of culinary options that includes Applebee’s, MOD Pizza, Wendy’s and…

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January 11, 2024

Ep 74: Rob Grimes / Founder & CEO of IFBTA

As the founder and CEO of the International Food & Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA), Rob Grimes spends his time forecasting tech trends and helping brands apply those trends to stay…

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December 14, 2023

Ep 73: Andrew Glantz / Founder of GiftAMeal

Studies have shown that 84% of Gen Z shoppers are more likely to purchase from a brand if the brand gives back and 71% of Millennials would pay more for…

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September 28, 2023

Ep 72: James Passafaro / Co-Founder of opsi

James has 20 years of experience in the restaurant industry and a strong vision for technology’s role in it. One day, while working as a chef de cuisine in an…

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September 13, 2023

Ep 71: Dan Costello / CEO of Home Run Inn Pizza

Dan Costello oversees nine Chicago area pizza shops and a thriving frozen pizza brand as the CEO of Home Run Inn Pizza. That position gives him a front row seat…

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August 29, 2023

Ep 70: Joseph Szala / Digital Guru & Bullhearted Author

Joseph is a vice president of digital experience, an author of multiple books about modern marketing and brand-building and a board advisor to restaurant tech companies and startups. He’s also…

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August 10, 2023

Ep 69: Caroline Skinner / COO of Tupelo Honey

It’s no secret that attracting and retaining high-quality employees is one of the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges. Caroline Skinner knows that. She’s also leading the way at Tupelo Honey when…

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July 27, 2023

Ep 68: Carl Orsbourn / COO and Co-Founder of JUICER

Ready or not, dynamic pricing is coming to the restaurant industry. Carl Orsbourn and JUICER helps restaurants embrace the new pricing model, boost its bottom line and do it in…

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July 19, 2023

Ep 67: Justin Bartek / VP of Marketing at Dog Haus

As the VP of Marketing at Dog Haus, Justin Bartek knows hot dogs. And not just hot dogs, but REALLY GOOD hot dogs. He also knows how to grow brands,…

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May 22, 2023

Ep 66: Troy Guard / Chef & Founder of TAG Restaurant Group

Troy Guard was born and raised in Hawaii. He eventually traded that surf and sun for the mile-high atmosphere of Denver when he opened his first restaurant. Today, he oversees…

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April 24, 2023

Ep 65: Sterling Douglass / Co-founder and CEO of Chowly

Chowly’s mission is simple: To simplify technology for restaurants – particularly smaller chains that don’t have big chain IT support – and help restaurants evolve. That’s why Sterling Douglass created…

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April 17, 2023

Ep 64: David Jones / President of The Excellence Advisory & Coach of Winning Restaurants

David Jones is a performance excellence coach. In short, he helps brands – including many restaurants – get better at what they do and win new customers. In this episode…

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March 6, 2023

Ep 63: Meredith Sandland / CEO of Empower Delivery & Digital Restaurant Dynamo

The 2008 recession sped the disruption of the retail industry and the COVID-19 pandemic ushered in the digital disruption of restaurants. Meredith Sandland understands that disruption – and why it’s…

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February 20, 2023

Ep 62: Zach Anderson / Brand Partner at Seasoned & Restaurant Talent Rainmaker

Attracting and retaining high-quality talent is the single biggest challenge facing restaurants today. Zach Anderson and Seasoned – a social community often described as “Linkedin for restaurant workers” – makes…

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February 6, 2023

Ep 61: Zach Goldstein / CEO of Thanx, loyalty leader and restaurant money-maker

Zach Goldstein’s goal? To help restaurants make more money. That’s why he founded Thanx, a leading loyalty and guest engagement platform for restaurants, and why he’s so passionate about helping…

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January 23, 2023

Ep 60: Carin Stutz / President & CEO of Native Foods and vegan trailblazer

Carin Stutz has built a career at some of the biggest steak and burger restaurants in America, including Applebee’s, Chili’s and Red Robin. That carnivorous past is what makes her…

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January 5, 2023

Ep 59: Adenah Bayoh, CEO and Founder & One-Woman Economic Engine

Adenah is the living definition of the American dream. She came to the United States at the age of 13 after escaping a war torn Liberia. Today, she’s the owner…

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September 22, 2022

Ep 58: Olga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Email & Loyalty Marketing Maven

After 15 years in restaurant marketing at Pizza Hut, KFC and TGI Fridays, Olga decided to focus her marketing expertise on loyalty and CRM. With that, OLLO Restaurant Loyalty was…

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September 15, 2022

Ep 57: Andy Pearson / VP of Creative for Liquid Death

As the lead creative at Liquid Death – a canned water company hellbent on changing the way that water is packaged and marketed – Andy’s job is to give everyone…

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August 25, 2022

Ep 56: Andrew O’Shea / Founder of Wellspring, Wellness Expert & Builder of Culture

Just a few years ago, Andrew worked in HR for an accounting firm. He was 60 pounds overweight (but hungry for change) and then he discovered a yoga program sponsored…

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August 18, 2022

Ep 55: Jason Gabler / VP of Sales at Adentro, Data & Digital Hospitality Guru

If you’re a restaurant owner or marketer and you’re not laser focused on digital hospitality, Jason Gabler can help you make it happen. He’s VP of Sales at Adentro, a…

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August 11, 2022

Ep 54: Lauren Fernandez / Founder of Full Course, Legal Scholar & Restaurant Franchise Expert

Almost overnight, Lauren rolled up her legal degree, bought a pair of non-slip clogs and went to work in the restaurant industry. After getting a first-hand look at the challenges…

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August 4, 2022

Ep 53: Jonathan Weathington / CEO of Shuckin’ Shack & Lobster Roll Lover

Jonathan Weathington knows oysters. He also knows how to grow and build a restaurant brand, which is why he’s the CEO of Shuckin’ Shack Oyster Bar. From his days of…

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July 28, 2022

Ep 52: Kevin Bentley / VP of Technology & Automation for Papa Gino’s Pizzeria

After a 10-year career as an NFL linebacker, Kevin shifted his focus to technology. He’s a self-described “glutton for pain” when it comes to education with an MBA from Rice,…

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July 21, 2022

Ep 51: Daniel Gonzalez / Co-owner of Simply Salad & Chicken Sandwich War Veteran

Daniel knows how to make a killer chicken sandwich. He was part of the team at Popeyes that went toe-to-toe (or bun-to-bun) with Chick-fil-A in the chicken sandwich wars. Daniel…

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July 14, 2022

Ep 50: Ellis Winstanley of Axial Shift, El Arroyo & More

When Ellis Winstanley and his wife, Paige, bought El Arroyo in 2012, they were buying more than just a popular local Tex-Mex restaurant. They were buying a brand that would…

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July 7, 2022

Ep 49: Alan Hickey / Founder of Vromo, Delivery Gamechanger

Third-party delivery is here to stay, but tools like VROMO allow restaurants to manage their own delivery fleets and take back ownership of the customer experience. That’s the dream that…

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June 30, 2022

Ep 48 / Brian Hassan / Cofounder of Kickfin & Gratuity Guru

When Brian and his entrepreneurial partner Justin saw an armored car pull up to a restaurant in San Francisco to drop off cash to pay employee tips at the end…

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May 12, 2022

Ep 47 / David Abes / Founder of DASH Hospitality & Atlanta Industry Veteran

David Abes started in the hospitality industry as a dishwasher. Thirty-two years later, he’s the owner of DASH Hospitality Group, a management and consulting company for start-up and existing restaurants,…

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May 5, 2022

Ep 46 / Brett Spiegel / Cofounder & COO of Koala, Digital Ordering Mastermind

Brett Spiegel is a man who’s dedicated to creating a seamless, streamlined online ordering experience for restaurants. That’s why he co-founded Koala, a company that provides a premium digital ordering…

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April 28, 2022

Ep 45 / Richard Pennock / Brand Strategy & Fractional CMO

Richard came to America from the U.K. in 2006 and has been leading brand strategy revolutions ever since. Now based in Austin, Texas, his recent experience includes turns as the…

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April 21, 2022

Ep 44 / Gonca Esendemir / Co-founder of Flatbread Grill & Thumb Bread®, Social Media Maven

Gonca is the co-founder and CMO of Flatbread Grill, a fresh casual Turkish Mediterranean concept conceived and developed by Gonca and her two sisters in 2007. The sisters built Flatbread…

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April 14, 2022

Ep 43 / Tommy Yionoulis / Cofounder of OpsAnalitica & Data Lovin’ Operations Expert

In the restaurant industry, data is king. And if data is king, Tom Yionoulis and Opsanalitica are the king-maker. Opsanalitica is an operations data platform that helps restaurants manage and…

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April 7, 2022

EP 42 / Christopher Glenn / Founder & Executive Director of Bottleshare and a True Thriver

On January 6, 2018, Christopher Glenn closed up the taproom at Dry County Brewing in Kennesaw, Georgia and hopped in his Jeep for the drive home. While he was parked…

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March 31, 2022

EP 41 / Myles Gift / VP of Operations at Wing Zone and Honey Q sauce fanatic

Myles knows wings. More importantly, as the VP of operations at Wing Zone – a restaurant with nearly 80 locations in 25 states – Myles knows how to make great…

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March 24, 2022

EP 40 / Alistair Levine / Business Development for KitchenSync and Optimizer of Restaurants

Alistair is a partner at KitchenSync, finance, HR, marketing, and advisory team behind some of the fastest-growing independent restaurant groups. He also owns seven restaurants in the San Francisco bay…

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March 10, 2022

EP 39 / Chad Horn / Co-founder of Devour & Restaurant Crypto Pioneer

Chad is an absolute pioneer when it comes to cryptocurrency and NFTs in the restaurant space. In this episode, he takes the time to break down the basics of the…

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March 3, 2022

EP 38 / Samuel Stanovich / A big conversation with the SVP of Big Chicken

From Firehouse Subs to the National Restaurant Association, media personality and more, Sam Stanovich is an icon of the restaurant industry. He has recently taken up post as Senior Vice…

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February 24, 2022

EP 37 / Melvin Delacerda / President of Johnny’s Pizza House & Empowerer of People

The Johnny’s Pizza House is one of the American Dream playing out from Johnny Huntsman’s first location in 1974 where he introduced the people of North Louisiana to pizza, the…

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February 17, 2022

EP 36 / Alex Canter / Founder of Nextbite, Virtual Restaurant Afficionado

Alex was born into a restaurant world. From his family’s deli to launching his own virtual restaurant concepts from its kitchen, Alex has been spearheading the virtual restaurant revolution. More…

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February 10, 2022

EP 35 / Michael Attias / Founder of CaterZen & Mastermind of Catering Sales

Catering has long been a fantastic way to grow sales for restaurants. However, for many, selling catering is a chore at best and an impossible enigma at worst. Michael Attias…

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February 3, 2022

EP 34 / Chef Kenny Gilbert / Founder of Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne, Beater of Bobby Flay

Chef Kenny Gilbert is the founder of Silkie’s Chicken & Champagne Bar and Chef Kenny Brands. In his career he’s cooked for Oprah, still does in fact, and beat Bobby…

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January 27, 2022

EP 33 / Gregory Don Nasser / CEO & Founder of Borne, Data Fanatic & Restaurant Hero

Gregory is an industry veteran with a trail of accolades in his wake. From building and selling successful restaurants to starting up a new software platform dead set on preventing…

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January 20, 2022

EP 32 / Adam Golomb / President & CMO of Primanti Bros & Restaurant Technology Guru

Adam is a wealth of knowledge on restaurant marketing technologies and the convergence of multiple systems into a coherent vision. He’s built the Primanti Bros. brand from a regional niche…

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January 13, 2022

EP 31 / Patrick Magill / Chief Growth Officer for Green Room Collective & Liberator of Imagination

Patrick is a former Coca-Cola executive and McDonald’s dishwasher as well as many other well-known brands. In his tenure, he’s amassing profound insights and valuable skills in locking imagination and…

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January 6, 2022

EP 30 / Tejal Patel / President of Neem Tree Hospitality, Hotel Brand Niche, Positive Culture, and the Future of Hospitality

Tejal is a high-energy, positive vibes hospitality genius with a lot of insights into what’s happening today and what will happen tomorrow in the industry. From culture woes to niche…

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December 15, 2021

EP 29 / Karl Travis / Senior Interior Designer & Partner at Hager Design Intl

Interior design and architecture have constant challenges with restaurants. From nuanced local codes to behavioral shifts in consumers, they must be on their feet at all times. My friend Karl…

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December 9, 2021

EP 28 / Alonso Castañeda / VP of Brand Development & Strategy of Savory Management

Alonso is a prime case of professional development and career trajectory that can be experienced in the restaurant industry. His story outlines the journey and how one can easily find…

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December 2, 2021

EP 27 / Bill Gardner / 2021’s most notable restaurant rebrands

I always love my conversations with Bill. He’s extremely insightful and profound in his design thinking. On this week’s episode, we dive into the rebrands for Burger King, Papa John’s,…

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November 11, 2021

EP 26 / Justin Bartek / Director of Marketing at Jinya Ramen Bar

Justin and I have always had fantastic conversations and this episode is no different. We talk about the rise of ramen in the United States and how it’s begun to…

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November 4, 2021

EP 25 / CJ Moyer / Founder of Presley’s Mobile Bar

Designer turned barkeep steps onto the show to chat about this new format of bar experiences: the mobile cocktail bar. From weddings to corporate events, Presley’s has been gaining momentum….

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October 28, 2021

EP 24 / Eli Altman / Naming Expert on Ghost/Virtual Kitchens

Eli is a naming maverick and has manned the helm at A Hundred Monkeys, a Berkeley California based naming studio, for quite some time. I tapped his brain in this…

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October 21, 2021

EP 23 / Heather Stennis & LeAnne Cavallero / Cinnaholic

My chat with LeAnne and Heather is as sweet as the food at Cinnaholics. We chat about their rise to leadership within the organization and how the brand has realized…

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October 14, 2021

EP 22 / Michael Pavone / Founder of Pavone Marketing Group

The news is out! Vigor has been acquired by Pavone Marketing Group. This marks a huge step forward for the organization. In this episode, Michael Pavone, founder of Pavone Marketing…

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October 7, 2021

EP 21 / QSR Uncut

In this episode of Forktales, we replay QSR Uncut’s second episode. QSR Uncut is the newest podcast from the folks at QSR Magazine. Hosts Danny Klein and Ben Colley cover…

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September 30, 2021

EP 20 / Zack Oates / Founder of Ovation, Lover of Feedback

My chat with Zack is as high energy and engaging as he is in person. He’s genuinely passionate about the human condition and customer feedback and in this episode we…

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September 23, 2021

EP 19 / Bobby Shaw / COO of Sheridan’s Unforked, Host of Cutting Onions Podcast

Bobby Shaw is a man with a remarkable resume. Working for brands such as Chipotle, McDonald’s, Freebirds World Burrito and more, Bobby has amassed a fantastic treasure trove of knowledge….

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September 16, 2021

EP 18 / Scott Conant / Cook, Chef, Author of Peace, Love, and Pasta

In my chat with Scott, we dive into the passion behind Italian food and home cooking. We discuss the trajectory and path from cook to James Beard Award-winning chef, developing…

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September 9, 2021

EP 17 / Adam Knight / Founder of Knowing Hospitality & Host of Proven Principles Podcast

Hotel food and beverage brands were a big focus prior to the pandemic but they notoriously lost money for many reasons. The pandemic shifted things but not in the way…

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September 2, 2021

EP 16 / Jen Kern / CMO of Qu, Host of Restaurants Reinvented

Jen is an absolute awesome energy in person and on the episode. We talk about why building restaurant technologies API-forward isn’t just a good a decision, but the ONLY one….

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August 26, 2021

EP 15 / Ricky Raman / COO of Peachstate Hospitality Group

Ricky is a fantastic wealth of knowledge when it comes to the hotel and hospitality industry. Serving as COO for one of Marriott International’s top hotel management companies, Ricky has…

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August 19, 2021

EP 14 / Stratis Morfogen / Founder of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop & No-BS-Taker from Cyber Bullies

My conversation with Stratis was absolutely amazing from beginning to end. Not only do we uncover his vision for rejuvenating the Automat, we also broach the topic of how he…

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August 12, 2021

EP 13 / Tom Dufore / Big Sky Franchise Guru

Tom brings a wealth of knowledge around the franchise industry and how restaurant franchises can win the post pandemic world. In his career, he’s helped many brands scale. He’s also…

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August 5, 2021

EP 12 / Di Dang & Tuyet Nhi Le of Happy Endings Hospitality

I’ve been enamored with the Happy Endings Hospitality company for over a year now. Not only because their restaurant brand names are fun and risqué, but because they have a…

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July 29, 2021

EP 11 / Andrew Gruel / Founder of Slapfish, and lover of seafood and honesty

Started as a chef, and is now a restaurant industry leader, Andrew Gruel has a fantastic story of his journey. He spent years at the helm of Seafood for the…

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July 22, 2021

EP 10 / Danny Klein / Editorial Director at Food News Media

Danny serves as the editorial director at Food News Media who’s properties include QSR Magazine and FSR Magazine. A byproduct of his post is an acute understanding of what’s happening…

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July 15, 2021

EP 09 / Azzi Kashani / Hospitality Nerd, Major Problem Solver, Melomaniac

Azzi is an absolute hospitality nerd who has traveled and worked around the globe for notable hotel brands. Her love of people and the industry shines in this episode where…

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July 8, 2021

EP 08 / Paul Macaluso / CEO of Another Broken Egg Café

My chat with Paul unpacks his unique approach to building a culture of resilience within Another Broken Egg Café’s system. Nearly immediately after manning the helm at ABE, the pandemic…

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July 1, 2021

EP 07 / Chip Klose / Marketing Strategist, Podcast Host

Chip Klose and I discuss the nuances of restaurant marketing in today’s reality and how Field of Dreams isn’t a good methodology for opening a new restaurant concept. From tidbits…

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June 24, 2021

EP 06 / Ayman Kamel / Owner of 5Church

After founding 5Church, Mr. Kamel has steadfastly grown a strong culture while pushing ahead through the pandemic. His love of Sun Tsu’s The Art of War has served as a…

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June 10, 2021

EP 05 / Greg Golkin / Partner @ Kitchen Fund

Greg has invested in numerous well-known restaurants. His keen eye for that magic spark and his love for restaurants and the future the industry drive his success. In this episode,…

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May 27, 2021

EP 04 / Dr. James Pogue / Diversity & Inclusion Expert

James Pogue makes things uncomfortable, but the right kind of uncomfortable. We discuss the details and nuances of diversity and inclusion and how to build cultures within restaurant brands.

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May 13, 2021

EP 03 / Betsy Hamm / CEO of Duck Donuts

Betsy Hamm is a two-horned unicorn charging ahead at a growing brand. At the time of this recording she had been promoted from Marketing Director to COO and since that…

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April 29, 2021

EP 02 / Kelli Valade / President of Black Box Intelligence

In this episode, I chat with Kelli Valade of Black Box Intelligence. Black Box Intelligence is a suite of data and insights products created to simplify the lives of restaurant…

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April 15, 2021

EP 01 / Sam Slaughter / Author, Copywriter, Lover of Cheeseballs

In our inaugural episode, I speak with Sam Slaughter. Sam is an author of a fantastic drinks recipe book, a copywriter at Vigor, and a lover of cheeseballs. We have…

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