QSR Uncut

Easily served contact-free and beloved by families, pizza has proved to be uniquely resilient during the COVID-19 crisis. But what about the fast-casual pizza space, which relies so heavily on the in-store experience? Brands like Oath Pizza, which launched in Nantucket in 2015, have been forced to pivot more than traditional pizza chains, and for Oath that's included investments in things lik...

When cousins Jim Tselikis and Sabin Lomac launched their food truck Cousins Maine Lobster in Los Angeles in 2012, food trucks were red-hot. But while many trucks fizzled out after a few years and the broader trend settled into a sort of community-by-community niche, Cousins has expanded through franchising and established itself as an international seafood sensation with both truck and brick-and-m...

Even before the pandemic, the very definition of a restaurant was starting to change thanks to ghost kitchens, virtual brands, and the broader digitization of the restaurant experience. But COVID-19 has supercharged that process; now more than ever, operators are discovering that all they need to open for business in any community in America is a commercial kitchen. Enter REEF. What originated as...

COVID-19 has completely upended the restaurant industry and will likely permanently alter the restaurant experience as we know it, both through technology upgrades that take much of the experience online and through in-store changes that affect how a customer moves through a physical space. Bruce Reinstein, partner at foodservice consultancy Kinetic12, is keeping on top of how restaurants will lik...

It’s already one of the hardest jobs in the restaurant industry: As CEO at Yum! Brands, David Gibbs oversees more than 50,000 restaurants across four brands, with 2,000 franchisees and 1.5 million employees globally. But considering the fact that he’d only had the job for a few months before the coronavirus outbreak slammed the breaks on the economy in March, Gibbs has had one of the more bizarre...

Garrett Mills was a record-setting tight end for the University of Tulsa's football team before playing in the NFL for the New England Patriots, Minnesota Vikings, and Philadelphia Eagles. He exited the league in 2012 to get his MBA at Northwestern University, and eventually landed at Chandler Hospitality Group, parent of 60-unit full-service barbecue chain RibCrib. Mills joins the podcast to...

Pizza has been all but bulletproof during the COVID-19 pandemic, as it's easily served contactless and it's such a popular option for in-home family meals. But the industry isn't without its challenges during this crisis. Case in point: Labor. Steve Jackson, CEO of Hungry Howie's, joins the podcast to talk about the staffing issues that the nearly 50-year-old regional pizza cha...

The coronavirus pandemic has slammed the brakes on many brands' marketing calendars, product roll outs, and expansion plans. But at least one brand is going full-steam ahead on its plans to franchise. Mici Handcrafted Italian is a six-unit fast casual based in Denver that has built a loyal following with premium Italian dishes. The company brought on Smashburger and Lettuce Entertain You vete...

Drive thru is on the lips of many restaurant operators today, as the model has proved to be mostly immune to the coronavirus pandemic. And drive thru certainly stands to factor into future restaurant growth, possibly even as a part of the full-service restaurant industry. Scooter's Coffee has been growing primarily through a drive-thru-only kiosk model since 1998—a model that CEO Todd Graeve...

Health and wellness were cruising as foodservice trends before the coronavirus pandemic. From organic foods to plant-based meat alternatives, and from gluten-free to clean-label, nutritious buzzwords drove sales to quick serves and fast casuals alike and commanded the lion's share of attention when it came to conversations surrounding menu innovation. But is that still the case? With the nati...

Solid financials have always been a priority for franchisees looking for the next brand to add to their portfolios. And a wide range of incentives has become a nice way for foodservice brands to appeal to new franchise partners. But now more than ever, in the midst of a global pandemic, a great partnership between franchisee and franchisor has become a critical selling point for any limited-servic...

Grindhouse Killer Burgers may not have much acclaim outside its home markets of Atlanta and Athens, Georgia, but locals have fallen in love with its funky vibe and premium burgers. The concept—which has three brick-and-mortars in Atlanta and one in Athens, along with a spot in Atlanta's airport—boasts welcoming patios, full bars, and decor that spotlights low-budget grindhouse flicks of yeste...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Toby Espinosa is vice president of business development at DoorDash, the third-...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: James Walker is SVP of restaurants for Nathan's Famous, an iconic American...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Pinky Cole is founder of Slutty Vegan, a plant-based concept based in Atlanta....

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Scott Davis is president of CoreLife Eatery, a lifestyle fast-casual franchise...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Mike McFall is co-CEO of Biggby Coffee, a Michigan-based coffee brand with near...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Michelle Bythewood is president of Salata, a Houston-based salad fast casual wi...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Aaron Noveshen is founder and CEO of innovation agency The Culinary Edge, as we...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Otto Othman is cofounder and CEO of Miami-based fast casual PINCHO, an emerging...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Michael Osanloo is president and CEO of Portillo's, a beloved Chicago inst...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Tony Libardi is president and COO of Marco's Pizza, a national pizza chain...

Peter Cancro's success story is unlike any other in the restaurant industry. When he was just 17 years old, Cancro purchased the sub shop where he worked on the Jersey Shore, and he transformed it into a thriving sandwich franchise that now has more than 1,700 U.S. locations that do over $1 billion annually in sales. But the numbers don't paint the whole story; Jersey Mike's has als...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Adrienne Ingoldt is chief brand and experience officer at Jack in the Box, a na...

We're continuing with our series of mini episodes helping restaurants through the coronavirus pandemic. With input from operators, vendors, consultants, data analysts, and more, these mini episodes will facilitate incredibly important conversation on how we can collectively survive the coronavirus crisis. Next up: Kyle Welch is the president of Epic Burger, a Chicago-based fast casual his gro...