Take-Away with Sam Oches

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Sharon Arthofer, founder and CEO of Sip Fresh, an emerging beverage franchise out of Southern California that is serving high-quality, fresh fruit juices in small-footprint locations. Sharon has been in the foodservice business for 30 years, having been one of the first hires by Rick Wetzel and Bill Phelps when they launched Wetzel’s...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Kevin King, president and CEO of Donatos Pizza. Kevin recently took over the chief executive position after former CEO Tom Krouse retired, and he’s now overseeing a new franchise expansion effort. Leading the way in this growth is Donatos’ commitment to innovation and consistency — and particularly where those two traits interse...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse chain that has grown to more than 100 locations globally, including 80 in the U.S. The brand specializes in churrasco, or high-quality, fire-roasted meats, and it’s using its quality positioning in the full-service space to build incredible momentum — including bein...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Julie Mountain and Dana Noorily, cofounders of The Granola Bar, a breakfast-and-lunch, modern diner concept with eight locations across Connecticut and New York. These long-time friends initially started a granola business out of one of their kitchens in 2010, and in 2013 opened their first restaurant essentially just to give th...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Joe Hummel, the CEO of Twin Peaks, a sports-bar franchise with more than 100 locations across the U.S. The company is maniacal about food and beverage quality, and its corporate team is intent on rolling up their sleeves and getting into the stores so they can be experts at every facet of what they do. Joe joined the podcast to talk...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jennifer Schuler and Hillary Frei, the CEO and CMO, respectively, of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream, a treat franchise that has around 150 locations across the country and is celebrating 80 years in business this year. Jennifer and Hillary are both fairly new to Handel’s, but they’ve already brought an exciting energy to the c...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brooks Schaden, cofounder and co-CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, a sports-bar concept with 13 locations that is capitalizing on the rising demand for more experience entertainment. This brand is out to reinvent the sports-bar category by elevating its food and beverage offering and focusing growth on what Brooks called “gravities of traffic,...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tara Gilad, cofounder and president of Vitality Bowls, a superfood franchise with more than 70 locations across 18 states. Vitality Bowls got its start in 2011 when Tara and her husband Roy launched the brand as a response to the fact that their young daughter had food allergies and there were no restaurants that could accommodate th...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jerry Morgan, CEO of Texas Roadhouse, which was part of NRN’s recent Brand Icon feature. The brand closed 2023 with nearly $5 billion in system-wide sales across 638 U.S. stores, good for a $7.6 million average unit volume and helping it leapfrog Applebee’s to become the No. 2 full-service chain in America. So how is this company pulling...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Peter Newlin, cofounder and partner at Gastamo Group, a multi-concept group out of Denver that owns brands like Park Burger and Homegrown Tap & Dough, among others. Gastamo Group is specifically developing casual-dining restaurant brands throughout Colorado and sees a lot of opportunity in operating its brands in the suburbs next door...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mike Axiotis, CEO of Lehigh Valley Restaurant Brands, a Pennsylvania-based franchise group operating Red Robin and Wingstop. Mike has an incredible story of how he worked his way up from being a dishwasher in his uncle’s diner to being the CEO of a 30-unit franchise portfolio, and today he’s leaning into that lifelong expertise both to gr...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Pat Conlin, president of Wayback Burgers, a better-burger franchise with roughly 150 locations here in the U.S. Like everyone else in this industry, Wayback Burgers is leaning into its marketing efforts to generate traffic, and it’s found some fun and creative solutions that have engaged its local communities and drive...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza Co., a 30-unit pizza franchise based outside of Houston. Carl has been an entrepreneur since he was a teenager and was part of the team who cofounded Main Squeeze Juice Co. back in 2017. Now as CEO of Crust, Carl is tasked with scaling this pizza brand that serves Chicago-style thin-crust pizza with a hybr...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams CEO Stacy Peterson and director of innovation Beth Stallings. Jeni’s has made a name for itself with incredibly creative and indulgent ice cream flavors, including a seasonal rotation that gives the company a chance to take some big swings with flavor profiles. Sam joined Stacy and Beth in person at a scoop shop...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Nicolas Jammet, cofounderand chief concept officer for Sweetgreen, the fast casual that has been changing customer perception of healthy and locally sourced ingredients since 2007. Sweetgreen has been a touchpoint for fast-casual innovation since its early days and has especially been seen as a tech innovator. But it’s...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Paul Macaluso, CEO of Another Broken Egg Café, a breakfast, brunch, and lunch franchise with 100-plus locations. Another Broken Egg aims to stand out from a crowded family dining segment with a creative, New Orleans-inspired menu, and Paul joined the podcast to talk about its new lunch menu and how Another Broken Egg’s innovation is both...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Brandon Knudsen, cofounder and CEO of Ziggi’s Coffee, a Colorado-based franchise that is closing in on 100 locations. Brandon started Ziggi’s with his wife Camrin in 2004 after convincing her to drop out of college and move to Colorado with him to start a business. They spent 12 years experiencing all of the...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Amir Mostafavi, founder and CEO of South Block, a Washington, D.C.-based juice, smoothie, and bowl concept with 17 locations. Amir has been grinding as an entrepreneur for 20 years, and earlier this year his hustle paid off, as South Block secured an investment with Savory Fund to expand initially on the East Coast. He joined the pod...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Erin Wade, founder of Homeroom, an Oakland-based mac ’n’ cheese concept with three locations. Erin released a book called “The Mac & Cheese Millionaire: Building a Better Business by Thinking Outside the Box,” which details her journey going from lawyer to restaurant entrepreneur and how she and her team achieved a more collaborative...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Andrew Smith, cofounder and managing partner of Savory Fund, a Utah-based private equity firm that counts 10 emerging restaurant brands in its portfolio. Andrew joined the podcast to discuss the state of restaurant investing and the upcoming Investment Summit in Nashville, plus whether now is a good time to raise money and what founders m...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Denise Tran, founder and CEO of Bun Mee, a Vietnamese fast casual with four locations in the San Francisco Bay Area. Bun Mee has been around since 2011, and now after 13 years — and many important lessons — it’s ready to grow through franchising. Denise joined the podcast to talk about what it’s like to launch a business selling food...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tony Pham and Rich Reyes, the cofounders of Mecha Noodle Bar, a full-service Asian concept based in Connecticut that has grown to 10 locations around the country. The childhood friends have scaled this brand with an Asian soul food menu of ramen, pho, and bao served in a relaxed, modern setting, and they joined the podcast to share how th...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Candace Nelson, an entrepreneur, investor, author, and media personality best known for founding Sprinkles Cupcakes. Candace is keynoting NRN’s  CREATE Event for Emerging Restaurateurs  this October 9, where Sam will interview her on the CREATE stage about her life as an entrepreneur and restaurateur. In this podcast, you’ll get...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Dave Colebrook, president of LSR and Emerging Brands with the Canadian restaurant company Recipe. Dave oversees the franchise New York Fries, a brand that was born in New York in 1983 but primarily grew across Canada before reentering the U.S. earlier this year. Dave joined the podcast to talk about how this brand plans to reconquer its o...

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Andy Diamond, president of Angry Crab Shack. This full-service franchise based in Arizona has 24 locations open and is growing across the U.S. and the U.K. It’s a seafood boil concept where experience is everything, and Andy joined the podcast to talk about how they keep that experience fresh and exciting, plus how the efficiencies o...