ON TAP: Presented by FCSI, The Americas

We kickoff our fourth season of On Tap Presented by FCSI the Americas with Andrey Teleguz, Principal at Scopos Hospitality Group. Wade catches up with Andre on everything from segment specialization, to the emergence of augmented reality in foodservice design, and fundraising for Ukrainian refugees. It's a fascinating conversation that you won't want to miss! To find out more about  Andr...

On this episode of On Tap, we talk with Sojo Alex, senior associate at Envision Strategies. Sojo’s background spans over 15 years in the higher education hospitality industry. She is highly experienced in master planning, dining assessments, facility planning, marketing, and strategic planning for complex food service programs. Sojo has worked on nearly every type of project from market research a...

On this episode of On Tap, we talk with a unique personality and longtime friend of FCSI, The Americas, AJ Barker, founder and managing partner of Concept Kitchen + Bar. In addition to serving as past conference chair in multiple committees, he’s an active chef and recipe development guru. He’s trained under certified master chef Gustav Mauler and James Beard award winners Eric Tanaka and Tom Doug...

On this episode of On Tap, we talk with Alec Bauer, owner of Kitchen, Restaurant + Bar Specialists. Alec brings a unique perspective to foodservice consulting, as he was a working chef and then foodservice salesperson before making the jump to consulting. To find out more about Alec Bauer, visit http://www.krbspecialists.com/

On this episode of On Tap, we speak with Melissa Counihan, Chief Operating Office at Counihan & Associates. With over 25 years in the foodservice industry, Melissa helps clients in the K-12 Education and Hospitality markets with developing, implementing, and executing innovative business plans, sales, and marketing campaigns. She is responsible for all day-to-day operations for Counihan and As...

On this episode of On Tap, we speak with Jim Petersen, FCSI, President at C.i.i. Food Service Design. A graduate of the Cornell School of Hotel Administration, Jim’s professional consulting experience spans a period of over 45 years.  Jim served on the FCSI Board of Directors in the 1980s and, during a second elected term extending through 2015, served as Chair of FCSI of The Americas Division as...

On this episode of On Tap, we talk with Penny Price. Penny has worked with FCSI, the Americas for over 8 years and currently serves as Director of Membership.  She is responsible for FCSI’s Membership Application Process, Event Planning and Financials. Penny’s past employment includes serving as an Office Manager for a local childcare facility, on-air DJ for WBNQ in Bloomington, IL and Personal As...

On this episode of On Tap, we sit down with the guy currently writing this video’s description: Matt Martinez. Matt is the Marketing Strategist and Copywriter for FUZE, a branding, web and marketing agency based out of Charlotte, NC. Matt has performed various thankless roles in the foodservice industry since 2010, but despite the odds being against him is now well-positioned to write quirky copy...

On this episode of On Tap, we speak with Amy Stark. Amy is a nonprofit association executive at Forte AMC and serves as the Director of Administration for FCSI the Americas. Her expertise includes nonprofit strategic management, financial management of complex systems, professional knowledge management, planning and presenting large professional conventions, and building and supporting engaged exe...

Description: On this episode of On Tap, we talk with long time member Bill Main, FCSI, founder of Bill Main and Associates. A former NFL draft pick and current franchise guru and author, Bill works with brands such as Firehouse Subs, Hooters, Melting Pot and many others.    Join us as we talk about the state of the restaurant industry, as well as how COVID continues to affect foodservice.

On this episode of On Tap, we're pleased to speak with Jennifer Murphy, FCSI. Jennifer is the Charlotte Office Director and Project Manager for Camacho Associates, a professional food service and laundry facilities design and consulting firm with offices in Atlanta, Charlotte, and Birmingham.   Join us as we explore her design background, her influences in the industry, being a supermom, and...

On this episode of On Tap, we speak with Peg Galie, FCSI, Project Coordinator at S2O Consultants, Inc. Peg has been a part of the foodservice consulting world since 2014, and is responsible for directing, organizing and controlling S2O’s project activities.   Join us as we talk about her history in the industry, her close friendships with other industry influencers and even her strategies to find...

On this episode of On Tap, we sit down with Ed Norman, FFCSI. The Director of Management Advisory and Senior Designer at Clevenger Associates, Ed has been an active part of the foodservice industry since 1972. In 1998, Ed began his full-time consulting career when he founded MVP Services Group, where he would remain until merging with Clevenger Associates in March of 2017.    Ed is a past presiden...

In our premiere episode of Season Three, Wade sits down with Juan Matamoros, FCSI - CEO of Food Gurus Central America. Juan has been a marketing professional and management advisor for 11 years, with an emphasis on strategic planning, commercial consulting, franchising, and brand development. But despite all of that expertise, his true love is still tennis. Find out more about Juan Matamoros here:...

In our final episode of Season Two of On Tap, Wade talks with Brent Hall from Clevenger Associates in Puyallup, Washington. Brent has over 28 years of foodservice experience, including custom equipment design and manufacturing, installation, specifications, schematic design, design development, construction documents, and project management. He's had the pleasure of being involved with a vast...

In this week's episode, we feature Phillip Landgraf, located in Denver, Colorado. Phillip joined Ricca design studios in 2014 with 10 years of experience managing foodservice design for education, public assembly, business and industry, and healthcare projects. He has extensive experience in management advisory services, including facility analysis, benchmarking, menu development, and staff t...

This week's episode features John Egnor, located in Columbus, Ohio. John shares a vision of aligning hospitality design and operations to help foodservice facility owners, operators, and development professionals maximize profitability and customer experience. John has acquired a wealth of knowledge about successful design in his 45+ years in the industry. One of the key factors is being rele...

On Tap this week, we feature Pam Eaton, FCSI, Leed AP from Annapolis Maryland. Pam has over 20 years of experience in foodservice consulting and design and an additional seven years of experience in hotel and restaurant food and beverage operations. As a project manager, she oversees all aspects of the foodservice facility design, from programming to schematic design and construction documents thr...

In this week's episode, we feature James Davella, located in New York City. Trained in the culinary arts, James Davella brings a distinctive, hands-on approach to the consulting and design process. He possesses a keen understanding of chefs' needs and knows firsthand what it takes to create a successful operation—from conception through the opening. After more than 25 years in the hospit...

This week On Tap, Wade talks with Marcin Zmiejko, FCSI, from YoungCaruso in Denver, Colorado. Marcin brings to assignments a strong background in foodservice equipment and operations. With formal educational and practical work training in operational food service, Marcin has worked with major foodservice chains as a manager dealing with equipment, contract negotiation, and franchises both domestic...

Kristin began her career in foodservice management after gaining hands-on experience in the industry. She joined Cini-Little International and quickly became known for her personal drive, ability to learn quickly, and strong personal skills.  She, along with fellow S2O partner Harry Schildkraut, left Cini-Little to form Schildkraut, Schroeder, Sedej & Associates in 2003. After that firm was di...

On Tap this week, we feature Brett Daniel, located in Atlanta, GA. Brett got into the business through his father, which is a path you see more and more in Foodservice. He loves to cook and eat. He followed his father's foot­steps years ago and never looked back. Brett never thought about what his dad, Reggie Dan­iel, did much until he was between jobs in his early 20s and asked if he needed...

This week's episode features William Taunton FCSI (PP), located in Santiago, Chile. Bill has been in the foodservice business for over 35 years, first as an equipment distributor and in 1998 founded Gastrotec S.A., a foodservice consultancy firm. He studied Electro-Mechanical Engineering at the Monterrey Institute of Technology in Mexico City, Mexico. He became an FCSI foodservice consultant...

In this week's episode, we feature Eric Goodrich, located in Minneapolis, Minnesota. Eric spent the first 17 years of his foodservice career in operations, managing bars, full-service restaurants, quick-serve concepts, corporate cafeterias, large catering operations, and a decade in University dining. This wide variety of work experience gives him a unique perspective when designing productio...

In this week's episode, we feature Harry Schildkraut, FCSI, located in Chicago, Illinois. Harry is one of the most highly skilled and well-respected consultants in the foodservice design industry with over 40 years of experience. Harry has received numerous awards throughout his career, including the Outstanding Consultant of the Year from MAFASI Region 17 in 2003, President’s Citation for Di...