Fast Casual Nation Restaurant Podcast

What if the secret to taking a fast casual brand from $700K to $3.5 million in average unit volume wasn't a new menu or a tech stack, but three words? This week on Fast Casual Nation, Cherryh Cansler and I sit down with Ralph Bower, CEO of The Melt, and Greg Vojnovic, VP & Head of Franchising. We get into how a single mission, "deliver an I Love It Here experience to every guest," rebuilt this...

In this episode, Susan Taylor (Sue), President & CEO, and Chris Britt, Co-Owner of Juice It Up!, dive into the realities of modern beverage trends. Moving past marketing gimmicks, they explore how functional ingredients, real nutrition, and consumer demand are reshaping the smoothie and juice industry. Tune in for an insider perspective on delivering quality protein without the hype. Become a...

Fast Casual Nation goes live for the first time, recorded in front of a studio audience of restaurant operators and suppliers. Hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler start with Britney from Hire Me on hiring Gen Z, flexible scheduling, and why referrals still matter. Then they sit down with Justin Mennen, Chief Information and Technology Officer at Shake Shack, to talk about Project Catalyst, the c...

How does a 100% gluten-free Brazilian café scale beyond its core demographic into a high-growth fast-casual powerhouse? In this episode of the Fast Casual Nation Front Runners series, host Paul sits down with Pedro and Cleo Uchôa, the visionaries behind TAP. Fresh off winning The Perfect Pitch at the Fast Casual Executive Summit, the Uchôa brothers share their blueprint for expanding TAP across Ne...

Join the hosts fresh off the Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Catering Workshop as they analyze the latest trends, wild industry rumors, and growth strategies shaping the restaurant world. In this episode, they break down why the rumored Starbucks and Chipotle deal was a false start, discuss how top brands are navigating traffic slumps without gutting margins, and explore bold marketing...

How Biscuit Belly's CEO Turned a Cracker Barrel Exit Into a Growth Engine What does it take for an emerging restaurant brand to scale without losing its identity? On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Chad Coulter, founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, for a practical survival kit for founders. Coulter shares his unlikely path from pharmacist to pai...

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler talk with Claudia Lezcano, CEO of Fuku, about how the David Chang chicken brand is growing through stadiums, airports and college campuses before it franchises. Lezcano covers the economics of "quick culinary," the lessons from Fuku's corporate restaurants in West Palm Beach and Coral Gables, and how she negotiates with landlor...

Bartender and James Beard nominee Ivy Leyenda joins Fast Casual Nation to break down whether cocktails belong on the fast casual menu. She talks batching for consistency, realistic price points ($12–$15), why she's skeptical of automated pour systems and pricey mocktails, and which accessible spirit brands can add a "craft" signal without wrecking your pour cost. Plus: a first look at this year's...

Nékter Juice Bar CTO Jon Asher joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how AI is reshaping guest personalization, loyalty, and data strategy at the 200+ unit juice bar chain — plus why clean first-party data matters more than any single AI tool. #FastCasual #RestaurantTech #AIinRestaurants #NekterJuiceBar #LoyaltyMarketing #RestaurantIndustry #GuestExperience B...

Penn Station President Lance Vaught and Curion's Thomas Gilbert join Fast Casual Nation to break down how the 40-year-old sandwich brand is winning over Gen Z customers and employees through local authenticity, digital training, AI-driven personalization, and a rejection of old-school discount marketing. SPONSOR: Curion - We connect brands to people. Visit https://curioninsights.com #FastCasualNat...

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO of Connect Media, to unpack how commercial real estate is reshaping the restaurant industry. Daniel breaks down why "treasure hunting" retailers like Ross and TJ Maxx are becoming smart anchor tenants, how secondary markets are opening new opportunities for fast casual gro...

Dave's Hot Chicken CMO Brandon Rhoten joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-growing chicken chain uses AI on the back end for customer data and financial analysis while deliberately keeping it out of creative and content production. Rhoten, who previously helped shape Wendy's irreverent social media era, discusses why Gen Z brand loyalty is disappearing, how Dave's uses its seven spi...

Bonchon CEO Suzie Tsai joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to talk candidly about the Korean fried chicken brand's AI journey, from admitting its tech stack needed work to building smarter supply chain forecasting, localized marketing, kiosk ordering, and data-privacy safeguards. Tsai shares her wishlist for AI's next frontier in guest connection and third-party delivery...

What does it take to scale a beloved regional icon into a fast-casual powerhouse with over 240 locations? In this episode, hosts Paul and Cherryh sit down with Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, to unpack the strategy, culture, and operational savvy behind one of fast casual's biggest success stories. Elisia shares how the rich, multicultural history of Hawaii’s iconic "plate lunch"...

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, host Cherryh Cansler sits down with Kelly O'Rourke, Director of Marketing at FiiZ Drinks, to talk about the explosive growth of the dirty soda category, Gen Z's shift toward non-alcoholic beverages, and what's next for the brand's national expansion, energy drink launch, and Hi-Chew partnership. Then, Tal Clark, CEO of Instant, joins to break down alarming ne...

Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share her journey from television producer to restaurant entrepreneur, detailing how she navigated $20 million in debt, bought her company back through an assignment for the benefit of creditors, and rebuilt the brand as a lean, franchise-first operation. She discusses her selective appr...

Mendocino Farms CMO Alicia Mowder joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-casual chain hit its 100th location while staying true to chef-driven quality, elevated hospitality, and a private-equity partnership that hasn't compromised its brand. Hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler dig into the brand's sandwich-versus-salad menu strategy, its guest-survey feedback loop, catering trends,...

GoTo Foods CBOs Mike Smith (Moe's Southwest Grill) and Donna Varner (Schlotzsky's) join Fast Casual Nation to discuss how a shared brand platform drives menu innovation, prototype design, loyalty data, and cautious AI adoption without eroding individual brand identity. #FastCasualNation #GoToFoods #RestaurantIndustry Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking...

Chipotle COO Jason Kidd joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how the 4,100-unit brand is winning and retaining the next-generation diner. From the full value equation and menu innovation to AI-powered hiring, digital order accuracy, gamification and a major back-of-house equipment overhaul rolling out to nearly half the chain, Kidd pulls back the curtain on...

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Jodi Boyce, CMO of Teriyaki Madness, and John Smolen, SVP of Sales at Atmosphere TV, to explore how fast casual brands are evolving beyond burgers and into experience-driven dining. From Teriyaki Madness's explosive franchise growth and craveable bowl-forward menu to Atmosphere TV's ambient content platform...

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, host Paul Barron sits down with Chris Treloar, CEO of PLNT Burger, and Trace Miller, founder of Konala Protein Bowls, to break down what health-forward fast casual actually looks like in 2025 and beyond. From PLNT Burger's high-volume Whole Foods footprint to Konala's drive-thru protein bowl model built for busy families, the conversation covers menu strategy...

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Peter Yang, co-founder and Head of Development at Pokeworks, to explore how the 85-location poke brand turned a viral social media moment into a disciplined, founder-led growth story — covering everything from psychographic-driven site selection and hoodless real estate advantages to suburban expansion, unit...

Is fast casual Italian finally having its breakthrough moment? In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Matt Harding, Chief Culinary Officer of The Piada Group, to discuss how the brand has defied the odds in a category that has swallowed competitors whole — covering national expansion plans, value-driven operations, chef-forward food culture, and...

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, host Paul Barron and co-host Cherryh Cansler are joined by Stacey Kane, Fractional CMO for Emerging Brands, to break down the trends reshaping the restaurant industry. The trio explores how major QSR brands like Starbucks, Dairy Queen, Taco Bell, and White Castle are deploying AI — from personalized beverage recommendations to drive-thru order-taking bots boa...

In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Tinku Saini, CEO and co-founder of Tarka Indian Kitchen, to explore how the Austin-based brand has spent nearly two decades cracking the code on fast casual Indian food — from its full-service origins at Clay Pit to nine locations across Texas, covering everything from fresh-to-order curry operations and sup...