The Main Course

Many things shifted in the restaurant industry during the pandemic. A lot of restaurants were forced to change and change quickly to keep up with ever-evolving regulations. Many restaurants transitioned to online, pick-up, and delivery models, which will most likely stick around. On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Alex Canter, CEO of Ordermark, which helps resta...

Restaurants have had a tough time due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Having to adjust constantly was challenging. But, having crucial data at their fingertips gave owners, managers, and restaurateurs essential insights into improving their operation. Giving insights to The Main Course Host, Barbara Castiglia is Christina and Chris Norton of Revenue Management Solutions, which helps the restaurant and r...

In restaurants, chefs, managers, and owners pay attention to the food, the dining room, and the service. These are important, but one often overlooked aspect that does not get examined is restaurant data. Covering everything from revenue to insights on the waitlist, data can give important information about how a restaurant is performing and how they are improving the guest experience. Giving insi...

Food markets are centuries old, but the modern equivalent is a customer-driven experience, blending cuisines from around the world. One incarnation of this is Manifesto Market, which has two locations in Prague with multiple vendors. Its founder and CEO, Martin Barry, joined host Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course. “I wanted to make a good place to bring people together, using food and...

On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with John Ramsay, the Vice President of Franchise Sales for Noodles & Company, an American fast-casual restaurant that offers international and American noodle dishes and pasta in addition to soups and salads. Ramsay and Castiglia talked about his career, Noodles & Company’s plans for growth, and the restaurant industry in 2...

On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Alan Rosen, Owner, Junior’s Cheesecake, the New York heritage brand since its opening on election day in 1950. Junior’s Cheesecake is a third-generation, small-business, and Brooklyn landmark. While best known for its light and super-creamy cheesecake, Junior’s also offers a full “diner-style” menu inclusive of sandwiches, soup...

There’s never been more demand for on-the-go and delivery options for restaurant customers – and that’s led to a race for optimal solutions among establishments looking to keep pace. One of the premier solutions for meeting these growing expectations is the ghost kitchen, which empowers establishments to cook orders specifically for to-go and delivery guests. These kitchens don’t serve a tradition...

On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Ross Franklin, the Founder and CEO of Pure Green, an omnichannel business that is one of the fastest-growing, cold-pressed juice companies and juice bar franchises in the United States. They talked about Pure Green, making a franchise health brand scalable, and how the pandemic made people focus more on health. While Pure Green...

Established in 1998, Cheba Hut is the first marijuana-themed sandwich “joint” that provides customers with made-to-order food in an eclectic fast-casual environment. Seth Larsen, Chief Relationship Officer of Cheba Hut joined host Barbara Castiglia for an in-depth conversation about the Cheba Hut experience, their franchise operations, the impact of the pandemic, and how marijuana legalization is...

The restaurant industry took a significant hit over the past year, perhaps more than any other industry. Despite record takeout numbers, 1 in 6 restaurants closed permanently or long-term during 2020, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association, which equals about 100,000 restaurants. But, this year aside, restaurants have always faced challenges. So, what can a restaurant do to...

The Melting Pot fondue restaurants are an experiential concept that’s “as much about what’s going on around that fondue pot as it is what’s going on inside the fondue pot,” according to Bob Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Front Burner. Johnston joined host Barbara Castiglia to discuss the story of The Melting Pot, where Front Burner is headed in the future, and what larger industr...

Food lockers for modular marketplaces were already becoming popular before the pandemic accelerated adoption of the concept and technology. To discuss this emerging sector of the food and beverage industry, Barbara Castiglia welcomed Christine Marcus, founder, and CEO of Alchemista. As a premium curator of food, beverage, and lifestyle brands, Alchemista offers on-demand modular marketplaces for e...

On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants for Nathan’s Famous. The duo dug into one of the most well-known brands, worldwide expansion, and innovation, especially during COVID. Walker is a top restaurant industry expert specializing in rebranding and repositioning iconic American comfort food brands. He is an industry-le...

The pandemic has turned many industries upside down, including the restaurant sector. While farsighted restaurants had digital plans on their future roadmaps before COVID-19 struck, lockdown was a gamechanger. Square, which builds business tools to help sellers of all sizes start, grow, and run their operations, has been instrumental in helping restaurants make the necessary pivot to eCommerce sol...

Food quality and customer experience are fundamental to the restaurant business and are often the result of a dedicated team that puts customers first and invests in technologies and procedures that are focused on the whole customer journey. On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia talked with Tony Darden, President of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes. MOOYAH is a fast-casual r...

While the food and beverage portion of a meal is the main focus, restaurateurs also develop other aspects of the business to create a unique experience. Service is one. The design and layout of a restaurant also matter. Everything from ambiance to color, to sound, and to lighting. On this episode of The‌ ‌Main‌ ‌Course‌‌ ‌Host,‌ ‌Barbara‌ ‌Castiglia‌ ‌talked ‌with‌ ‌Steve Starr,‌ ‌the‌ ‌Founder an...

Technology is an ever-increasing presence in restaurants. Over the past year, restaurants have scrambled to move to contactless services to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But, Tim McLaughlin did contactless before contactless was cool. On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia talked with Tim McLaughlin, the CEO of GoTab. GoTab is a Restaurant Commerce Platform (RCP) used by...

Experiential dining has always been a special segment combining outstanding service, unique moments, and delicious food. But it came to a halt during the pandemic. On The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse. He shared how the brand pivoted and how they’re now expanding to deliver joy to customers. McGowan is in love wi...

Restaurants have always placed importance on hygiene. With local, state, and federal guidelines, it was top of mind. However, the pandemic shifted it into a new spotlight, one that diners care more about. Talking about restaurant hygiene, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Di Neal, Regional Marketing Manager for Tork. Tork is a global provider of hygiene products and service...

Ghost kitchens are now part of the vernacular, as delivery became the go-to for restaurants during the pandemic. Those trends, coupled with the lack of commercial kitchen spaces for food startups, led Camilla Opperman and Samantha Slager to launch Nimbus, a hybrid between a traditional commissary kitchen and a ghost kitchen. The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia spoke to them about...

Meatless Monday, first introduced in 2003, is a movement that’s still going strong. This global campaign seeks to encourage consumers to cut out one day of meat a week. So, what’s new with Meatless Monday, and how can restaurants tap into its power? Campaign director Dana Smith joined Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course to talk about it. Smith, who has a background in culinary marketing...

The pandemic briefly took away one of the world’s beloved institutions - the coffee shop. As the world opens up, the opportunity to sit down in a noisy cafe will soon rear its head. But, coffee shops had to figure a way to survive during the pandemic. Many pivoted to a pickup model, while some also added e-commerce as a way to sell their beans online. The Main Course Host Barbara Castiglia talks w...

Paul Shapiro is not your average entrepreneur. He is the author of Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and The World and the CEO of The Better Meat Co. These projects stem from his passion for food sustainability. He talked with host Barbara Castiglia on this episode of The Main Course. “I grew up with a love of animals,” Shapiro said. “I’ve always felt, We, huma...

Data and technology are used in restaurants but not used to build relationships. It’s mainly used to track customer purchases, track inventory, scheduling and reservations. Joel Montaniel, the CEO of SevenRooms, wanted to change that. He talked with Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course about data and how operators can build better relationships with customers. Montaniel always wanted to build busi...

Franchising is critical to the restaurant world, but not every franchisee is successful. So, what’s the secret recipe? Franchise expert, speaker, and author of The Wealthy Franchisee Scott Greenberg joined The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia to shed light on the subject. Greenberg started his career as a professional speaker and leadership coach. Looking for a second stream of income...