The Main Course

Technology is a crucial component of restaurant recovery. Augmented reality (AR) has many applications to drive value, especially in personalizing and modernizing the gift card experience. To chat about this topic, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Jack Serfass, CEO, Uptown Network, and Patrick Johnson, CEO, Rock Paper Reality. The two companies are partners in this new ven...

Iconic brands create experiences for their customers. That’s the feeling many Californians have about Fosters Freeze, which dates back to the 1940s. Their soft-serve ice cream and classic Americana menu were well-loved, but the brand was stalling. Experienced franchisees and brothers Neal and Nimesh Dahya purchased the brand. They shared how they are bringing it into the future while retainin...

Is business dining making a comeback after being hit hard by the pandemic? Industry expert and Dinova CEO Alison Galik joined The Main Course to discuss the topic. Dinova is a preferred dining program provider that connects restaurants and companies. Galik joined the company three years ago after a career in corporate travel procurement and technology. Pre-pandemic business dining was bo...

The Main Course is talking barbecue and big data today. Host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Joe Tenczar, Chief Strategy Officer at Sonny’s BBQ. Tenczar is a tech and visionary expert helping the brand to evolve with technology. Sonny’s BBQ, founded in 1968, is a slow-smoked barbecue fast-casual chain with over 100 stores, mainly in the southeast. Tenczar started with the company in 2014 as th...

How did some restaurant chains grow during the pandemic? They had to pivot and meet new customer demands to answer the consumer question of “What’s for Dinner?” The Main Course welcomed Carl Howard, President and CEO of Fazoli’s, to talk about how he and his team turned the brand around and continued to evolve it during the pandemic.  Howard has a long career in restaurants. He went from...

The Main Course brings a new perspective to the world of restaurants by looking at the legalities involved in operating during a pandemic. Host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Michele Stumpe, Partner at Taylor English Duma LLP. Stumpe specializes in hospitality litigation and liability.  Stumpe found her way into this niche following a call from a convenience store client that needed represen...

Many restaurants suffered big blows during the pandemic, but not Teriyaki Madness. It experienced growth and expansion. So, what’s their secret recipe for success? Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with CEO Michael Haith to learn how they’re doing it. Haith has been franchising his entire career, and buying Teriyaki Madness checked all the boxes. “It’s good, fresh food that’s healthy. We consider...

The food and beverage industry is on the cusp of a revolution. The convergence of technology, a pandemic, and shifting consumer demands could mean the future is virtual. A visionary in the space of virtual concepts and food and beverage innovation, Aaron Noveshen, shared his journey and thoughts on what’s next. Noveshen is the founder of F&B agency The Culinary Edge and CEO and found...

The Main Course always has a pulse on what’s next for the restaurant industry. For a look at the restaurant industry outlook for 2021, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Cristin O’Hara, Managing Director, Restaurant Group, at Bank of America. O’Hara started with some good news. “There is enthusiasm and positivity that the industry is turning the corner. The second half of the year could see strong...

The Main Course returns to the topic of restaurant technology, which has been a lifeline for most businesses during the pandemic. But how did it allow them to pivot, and what role will it play in the future? Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Chris Adams, VP of Strategy Food & Beverage at Oracle, on some success stories and trends. In his role, Chris works with independents, global chains, and...

Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with litigator and cybersecurity expert Jacey Kaps about what restaurants need to know about data security. Kaps is a partner with Rumberger Kirk and has been practicing law for 25 years. He became intrigued by the world of cybersecurity and now focuses on providing legal guidance around it.  They first discussed the landscape for restaurants. “There has...

The Main Course seeks to bring listeners insights from every corner of the industry. The topic of this conversation is restaurant staffing. Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with an expert in the field, Mary Hamill, VP, Pre-Sales, at HotSchedules, a Fourth company. The organization offers end-to-end technology solutions for restaurants and hospitality. Hamill has a long career in the restaurant wo...

Host Barbara Castiglia welcomed TJ Schier, a veteran restaurant operator, and consultant, to discuss the change. Shier is the author of four books, has been an in-demand trainer for restaurants, and is a Which Wich franchisee. At the start of 2020, Schier wasn’t focused on off-premise. He was working on a book about generating more catering dollars, something he’s had success with at his restauran...

The Main Course offers listeners lots of sensory experiences, though, most of the time, it’s all about taste and smell. Sars has a fascinating background in the music streaming industry. He was a co-founder of Beats Music and Spotify Business. He started the conversation with this candid take. “Music is an amazing art form. It’s an enabler of brands [looking] to augment experiences, connect to cus...

For a pulse on what’s happening in the world of cocktails, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Nicole Quist, Beverage Director for bartaco, known for its fresh take on tacos and spirits. Quist fell in love with the restaurant industry while in college and has been charting a course in beverage management ever since. Explaining the vision of bartaco’s cocktails, Quist said, “We want to speak to what...

TV advertising has evolved to meet the 21st-century consumer, but how do brands really know if they’re effective? Breaking down this question and giving a replay on how food ads did during the Super Bowl, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Bob Kraut and Kevin Krim of EDO. EDO works with advertisers, agencies, and TV networks to drive better value for media investments. On the company’s or...

Off-premise dining was a small segment of table service restaurant. Then it became a lifeline during the pandemic. The Main Course is diving into the rise in takeout and curbside and how data plays a role. Host Barbara Castiglia discussed the topic with Brian Wayne, VP of Customer Success at QSR Automations. QSR Automations offers an integrated software platform that delivers data-driven auto...

Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry. While The Main Course loves to talk about food, there’s another part of the menu that restaurants and consumers are seeing evolve too—beverages. Wh...

Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry. The restaurant industry leaned on technology solutions in 2020, adopting them at a record pace. The Main Course is always keen to talk about some of these re...

Covering all aspects of the restaurant world is what The Main Course is all about. The series has looked at almost every angle regarding the COVID-19 impact. Today, host Barbara Castiglia opens the door on one more—crisis communications. Experts in the area, Dave Poston and Megan Paquin, CEO and VP of Poston Communications, respectively, shared their perspectives on the topic. “Crisis communi...

The dining experience has endured a seismic shift during the pandemic. What have experts learned in the last year, and what does the future hold? Taking on the topic, host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Buck Sleeper, Director of Retail and Restaurants at EPAM Continuum. Sleeper, an architect by trade, now focuses on experiment design at EPAM, specializing in restaurants and other verticals. The c...

The adoption of robotics and automation has grown across many industries, and food service is starting to embrace it. The interest and evolution began with challenges regarding labor costs and high turnover. Every investment starts with a strong problem—that’s the thought of Buck Jordan, CEO of Miso Robotics, a long-time technology innovator and investor. In developing robotics to work in a quick-...

Digital channels were already gaining traction before the pandemic for the dining industry. COVID-19 forced many restaurants to adopt and retool technology to meet new consumer demands, ensure safety, and drive revenue. Hope Neiman, CMO at Tillster, which helps restaurants with digital technology, shared thoughts on the evolving dining consumer. “The pivot this year has been new customers adopting...

Restaurants have always had one primary goal: providing the optimal dining experience that will keep tables filled from open to close. But, as the coronavirus forced restrictions on these establishments, many were compelled to shift their services to drive-thru, delivery and/or curbside operations, meaning an online presence was necessary if they wanted to keep on cooking. However, according to a...