Restaurant Influencers

Jim Bitticks leads Dave’s Hot Chicken as both CEO and a franchise owner. He shares how his predecessor, Bill Phelps, shaped his approach to leadership through generosity, investing in employees and giving people opportunities to grow with the company. Watch now to learn how Jim Bitticks leads Dave’s Hot Chicken, why generosity matters and how he became a franchise owner. Restaurant Influencers is...

Danny Meyer built Union Square Hospitality Group by putting people first. Through his approach to hospitality, he builds trust with guests and empowers employees while sharing lessons on leadership, entrepreneurship and creating experiences people remember. Watch now to learn how Danny Meyer builds trust through hospitality, empowers employees to care for guests, and turns small details into lasti...

Matt Ebert grew Crash Champions from one collision repair shop to 650 locations. Through his podcast, PodCrash, he builds trust with customers and connects with potential employees while sharing lessons on leadership, entrepreneurship and careers in the trades. Watch now to learn how Matt Ebert uses podcasting to build trust, why profitability must come before expansion and how trusting his team h...

Matt Kears and Josh Alcock left their trades to build Black Cactus Barbecue in East London. They combine Texas barbecue techniques with global flavors, creating food they want to eat while introducing customers to barbecue beyond brisket. Watch now to learn how Matt Kears and Josh Alcock turned a barbecue side project into Black Cactus and built a menu combining Texas techniques with global flavor...

Ed Bogan and his brother own Pizza King, a 70-year-old chain with 66 locations. Bogan wants customers to know what to expect at every restaurant, while staying open to new ideas that can help the business. Watch now to learn how Ed Bogan approaches consistency across 66 Pizza King restaurants and decides which new ideas are worth bringing back to his teams. Restaurant Influencers is sponsored by:...

Alan Clancy, the Hospitality Entrepreneur behind DÍON, has developed and operated bars, restaurants and late-night venues in Ireland. His approach combines ambitious design with close attention to the customer journey, from transforming a rooftop above Dublin’s former Central Bank building to reconsidering the weight of the front door. Watch now to learn how Clancy transformed a rooftop above Dubl...

Alistair Darby, CEO of Sir Richard Sutton Limited, has over 25 years leading public and private companies through growth and change. His approach to hospitality looks beyond the next quarter, with investments built to last for generations and a willingness to take difficult assignments. Watch now to learn why Darby rejects quarterly thinking, why leaders should take the difficult assignment and ho...

Maria Zhang, co-founder and CEO of Palona AI, shares how her experience at Tinder, Meta and Google shaped her approach to artificial intelligence. Zhang is applying what she learned building technology at scale to help restaurants use AI to improve operations and hospitality. Watch now to learn why Maria Zhang left Big Tech, why she chose restaurants and how AI can help operators save time and cap...

Jon Spiteri, veteran London restaurateur, shares how more than 100 years of family hospitality shaped his approach at The Latimer. For Spiteri, taking care of people and telling your story are at the heart of hospitality. Watch now to learn why taking care of people matters, how storytelling builds relationships and what 100 years of family hospitality can teach us. Restaurant Influencers is spons...

Melissa Fahs, Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships at Coco Robotics, shares how autonomous delivery is changing the way restaurants get food to their customers. With Coco already completing thousands of deliveries, Fahs believes robot delivery can lower costs, protect food quality and fit seamlessly into restaurant operations. Watch now to learn how autonomous delivery can lower costs, protec...

Jeff Perera, co-founder of Jeff's Bagel Run, shares how a layoff and a homemade bagel turned into one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing brands. He explains why building in public, sharing the journey and never sacrificing quality have fueled the company's growth. Watch now to learn how storytelling, consistency and transparency helped turn a homemade bagel into one of the restaurant ind...

Kevin Walker, operator of El Famous Burrito and Extract Juicery, shares how technology is helping him grow his businesses, reach new customers and stay competitive. He explains why working closely with partners like Popmenu has become an important part of building for the future. Watch now to learn how restaurant technology can drive growth, improve online visibility and help operators build stron...

Deborah Matteliano, Global Restaurant Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services, believes technology should make hospitality more personal. After helping restaurants navigate online ordering at Uber Eats, she now helps brands create better guest experiences through technology at AWS. Watch now to learn what digital hospitality means, why first-party data matters and how technology can strengthen the gu...

Ben Leventhal, founder and CEO of Blackbird, believes restaurants are entering a new golden age. After helping reshape hospitality with Eater and Resy, he's now focused on helping restaurants build stronger guest relationships and long-term loyalty. Watch now to learn why Ben Leventhal believes restaurants are entering a new golden age, how loyalty is evolving and why guest relationships matter. R...

Will Murray, co-founder of Fallow, didn't set out to become a content creator. He wanted more people to discover the restaurant. Four years later, Fallow's social media has grown 333%, helping transform the London restaurant into one of YouTube's biggest hospitality success stories. Watch now to learn how Will Murray used storytelling to grow Fallow, why "scrappy, not Spielberg" became the team's...

Neen Williams, professional skateboarder and co-founder of NADC Burger, never planned to build a restaurant company. An Instagram post asking where to eat in Austin led to a partnership with chef Phillip Frankland Lee and a burger brand that has grown to 13 locations. Watch now to learn why authenticity beats algorithms, how community creates opportunity and what it takes to build a restaurant bra...

Bo Davis, CEO and co-founder of MarginEdge, turned years of operating restaurants into a technology platform built for restaurant owners. After struggling to understand whether his own restaurants were truly profitable, he created MarginEdge to give operators better visibility into their business every day. Watch now to learn about restaurant profitability, automating invoices, and why Bo Davis be...

Keller Cliffton, co-founder and CEO of Zipline, is helping transform delivery through autonomous drone technology. What started with delivering life-saving medical supplies in Rwanda has expanded into restaurant delivery, helping operators reach more customers faster. Watch now to learn about autonomous delivery, reaching customers farther away, and the future of restaurant logistics. Restaurant I...

Kristen Corral, co-founder of Tacotarian, has helped grow the plant-based Mexican restaurant brand into a six-location company through creator-driven marketing, founder-led storytelling, and community-focused content designed to reach far beyond the traditional vegan audience. Watch now to learn how Tacotarian built a vegan brand for the other 97%, why “cringe” content works, and how Kristen Corra...

Alex Smith, founder and CEO of Atlas Restaurant Group, helped transform Baltimore’s Harbor East into a dining destination while building a rapidly expanding hospitality company known for luxury restaurants, disciplined operations, and team-first culture. Watch now to learn how Alex Smith built Atlas Restaurant Group, transformed Harbor East, and used lacrosse principles to scale team culture. Rest...

Emily Brown, owner of Eebee’s Corner Bar in Washington, DC, built one of the city’s most talked about neighborhood bars around old-school hospitality and community. Before opening Eebee’s, Brown spent years bartending, running beverage programs, and hustling through side jobs while developing her vision for a corner bar. Watch now to learn about the leap of faith behind Eebee’s Corner Bar, the sev...

Tobin Ellis, founder and principal of Studio Barmagic, has spent nearly 30 years designing and operating bars around the world. Through his new book Bar Design Essentials, Ellis shares why workflow, hospitality, and beverage strategy matter more than ever in the modern restaurant business. Watch now to learn why most bars are designed backward, how hospitality is changing as people drink less, and...

Seth Gerber is the co-owner of MIDA Restaurant Group in Boston and a hospitality professor at Boston University. As a restaurateur, operator, and educator, he’s built a career focused on neighborhood restaurants, mentorship, and challenging the way the hospitality industry views itself. Watch now to learn how Seth Gerber saved a struggling restaurant, scaled MIDA, and is reframing hospitality care...

Mike Bausch, founder of Andolini’s Pizza and Andolini’s Worldwide, uses storytelling and social media to help restaurants build stronger brands and customer loyalty. As a restaurateur, speaker, and content creator, he blends hospitality with media and restaurant education. Watch now to learn how Mike Bausch built his personal brand, why he believes storytelling beats discounts, and the operator mi...

Steven Droulis, co-owner of Vivaldi Restaurant in Montreal, has grown a YouTube audience of 1 million subscribers by documenting life in his kitchen. As a chef, operator, and content creator, he’s turned a neighborhood restaurant into a destination. Watch now to learn how a restaurant owner built 1 million YouTube subscribers, turned content into real customers, and transformed a local spot into a...