QSR Uncut

Brad Laport, the CEO of WinCup, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the topic of greenwashing and the challenges it creates for restaurant operators. With so many options, from those hotly debated paper straws to more, how can restaurants know they’re making product decisions that are not only good for the planet, but decisions customers will appreciate.

Sherri Kimes, Emeritus Professor at Hotel School at Cornell, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to break down one of the hottest and most-debated topics in the restaurant industry today. Should we even call it dynamic pricing? How do you master pricing and revenue management for your restaurant? We get into all those topics, and a lot more thanks to one of the category's leading minds.

Austin Capoferi, the president of Next Brands, the family-owned strategic manager and growth accelerator of Beef-a-Roo and Blenderz, is charging forward with an innovative modular container location concept. The approach is designed to spearhead rapid franchise expansion by using low-cost shipping containers to help quickly open complete, fully operating restaurant locations, and cut development t...

Darden Coors, heiress of the Miller Coors company, also known as the CEO of Salad Collective, has decided to enter the world of franchising. Recently, she started Salad Collective where she acquired multiple brands, one being MAD Greens. And now, expansion is on the table in a wellness food market projected to reach $1 trillion by 2026.

One of the plant-based category's true pioneers recently had to shut down 12 locations. Cofounder and CEO, T.K. Pillan, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the difficult decision, why it was necessary, and how it allows Veggie Grill to be laser-focused on its founding mission. Also, where the category is headed, and what Veggie Grill's menu-driven plan to separate from th...

GroundTruth CMO Brandon Rhoten joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat on how the job of today’s restaurant marketer has changed. What data matters? Can you turn engagement into visits? And where does it all go from here? Rhoten is a digital marketing veteran who’s led campaigns for some of the industry’s most recognizable brands including CMO positions at Papa Johns and P...

Sisters and mompreneurs, Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, are the authors of two cookbooks (Zooey Deschanel is a fan), and chefs and owners of Spork Foods, a renowned Los Angeles-based vegan food company and cooking school, where they taught vegan cooking classes for more than 15 years. Now, they’re running a fast casual, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, which just opened in Culver City, California, and...

NFL legend Drew Brees, along with founder Brandon Landry, join QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss the sizzling growth of Smalls Sliders, a rising fast casual that’s building an all-star team ready to scale. We’ll also get into Brees’ history in restaurant franchising, where it all started and where it goes from here, and why Smalls has the potential to hit it big.

Ryan Thorman, founder and CEO of Bango Bowls, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to talk about how the brand is satisfying demand for healthy food options and building a growth-ready franchise primed for sustained expansion. Founded in 2017 in Long Island, New York, Bango Bowls offers a diverse menu that includes salads, warm grain bowls, poke bowl, acai bowls, flaninis, and avocado toast...

How do you build cultural relevance for your brand in the current restaurant landscape? Authentically honor heritage while fostering a genuine connection with today and tomorrow’s target audience? Gabe Alonso, the VP of Digital Marketing at El Pollo Loco, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to dive into the evolving world of restaurant marketing, from revamping a rewards program to reachin...

CapitalSpring's Managing Director of Strategic Operations, Jim Balis, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to take stock of the restaurant industry as the second half of the year winds down. Where are the opportunities for growth? How do you position yourself for an investment? CapitalSpring is a private equity firm that has invested more than $2.7 billion in 70-plus foodservice and resta...

Micha Magid, co-CEO of rising barbecue fast casual Mighty Quinn’s, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss the brand’s growth plans, how to scale in one of the category’s most challenging arenas, and why barbecue is a cuisine with endless potential.

In 2012, Scott Henderson founded Salad Station , a Louisiana-based, family-focused restaurant concept, providing its guests with fresh produce—straight from the farm to the salad bar. Now, the brand is a thriving franchise with big growth plans. Henderson joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the (literal) roots of a growing fast casual and how to separate from the field in one of th...

One of the pandemic’s hardest-hit fields is back in force, and we’ve got the data to prove it. Mike O’Hanlon, ezCater’s chief partnership officer, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss a recent report that uncovers how restaurants can win in the new business catering landscape and why there might just be more opportunity than ever.

Cofounder Austin Samuelson joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the background and ambitions of Tacos 4 Life, a brand ranked among the hottest fast casuals in America this year. The chain isn’t just a growth vehicle—it’s helped raise over 28 million meals for children in need worldwide. Samuelson shares how Tacos 4 Life operates its mission-based business model, what changes it has...

This has been a wild time for restaurants, from continued pandemic recovery to cyber-attacks to a changing labor force. How do you prepare and protect your business from all of it? John Cassetta, head of restaurant insurance solutions at CoverWallet, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how digital growth has changed the industry, what you should do to prepare, and how to figure out...

Steele Smiley returns to QSR Uncut to update what’s becoming one of the most compelling growth stories in the business. Crisp & Green is on track to open 50 locations this year and just signed its largest multi-unit deal in company history. Smiley joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the milestone and how the brand plans to further disrupt its category.

The outspoken star of “Bar Rescue” is teaming with Shift4 on a $20,000 business grant program open to restaurant owners. We’ll talk about how to apply, what it entails (a one-on-one personalized consulting video call with Taffer, among many other things), and get into a whole bunch of other topics, from the state of the industry to sports betting to what Taffer’s go-to karaoke song is. Like always...

In 2020, one of the world’s most iconic restaurant brands began a journey to find its brand DNA. The result: Become the “Pizza Lover’s Pizza.” From creating distinctive, modern brand communications to becoming the unofficial pizza of pop culture to leading on tech, Pizza Hut president David Graves joins QSR editor Danny Klein to discuss the game-changing evolution, and why the best is still to com...

Once named the best ice cream on the planet by National Geographic, Handel's has been in the business of making and selling fresh ice cream since 1945. Now, it's on the doorstep of 100 locations, with plans for a whole lot more. CEO Rich Matherne joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss the path forward, how to win in an increasingly crowded sector, and why ice cream won&ap...

Tom Krouse, CEO of Donatos, the fast-casual pizza franchise famous for its “Edge to Edge” toppings, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss 60 years of history, the brand’s game-changing partnership with Red Robin, growth prospects, and a whole lot more. He’ll even get into his musical talent, advice for aspiring entrepreneurs, and where the pizza industry goes from here.

The 1,400-unit brand is diving into a whole-new category. Spearheading the charge is marketing chief Marianne Radley, who arrived in September and hit the ground running. Formerly chief brand officer of Yum! Brands and a Monster Beverage Company and Anheuser-Busch InBev exec, Radley plans to take the Smoothie King brand to the next level by developing an impactful look-and-feel and brand message t...

Noah Glass, chief executive and founder of Olo, an open SaaS platform that empowers a network of over 600 brands across 87,000 locations, shares his vision for the restaurant of the future. From personalized service when you sit down to QR codes to drive-thrus that can read license plates, it’s a bold and inventive universe, and one that might just already be here. YouTube video mentioned in podca...

Self-described Jersey Shore girl Abby Taylor was surfing her way around the globe when the idea to open an acai shop struck. Now, Playa Bowls has 170-plus locations and kicked off 2023 stronger than ever, announcing a 40 percent increase in AUV well as an aggressive plan to open 250 stores in the next five years. What began as a blender and a cart on the Jersey Shore in 2014 has turned into a rapi...

Rachel Buss, director of client services at Curion, takes us inside the mind of today’s restaurant guest. What are the trends to watch? How can you tell if a product launch will hit it big? Buss, an experienced end-to-end qualitative and quantitative consumer researcher, covers all of it, and shares best practices to truly gauge the pulse of the foodservice consumer.