The Restaurant Innovator

Elohi Strategic Advisors’ Stephanie Lind joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to give listeners a peek into consumers’ decision-making. She breaks down ESA’s proprietary Diet Drivers research and shares her predictions for the year’s top food and beverage trends.

Chef Gregoire Jacquet joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley on The Restaurant Innovator to share how his eponymous “fine-fast-casual” restaurant is tackling franchising.

Jerome Serot, co-founder of Southerleigh Hospitality Group, joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley on The Restaurant Innovator to share how SHG’s restaurants have anchored San Antonio’s recent explosion of elevated, experimental dining and helped redefine the city from a Tex-Mex mecca to a dynamic, diverse food city.

Former “Chopped” contestant Emshika Alberini grew up in Bangkok before moving and making her mark on New Hampshire’s dining scene by opening Chang Thai Cafe with a credit card and a dream. Emshika shares how she went from serving 10 guests on opening night to running one of the state’s most celebrated restaurants.

Andrew Glantz sounds off on the power of hospitality through tech, infusing core values into the customer experience, winning over younger consumers in the restaurant realm, and more.

Chef Michael Schlow is a James Beard award-winning chef and has been featured on TODAY, Good Morning America and The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon. As a prolific restaurateur with concepts across DC and New England, Chef Michael continues to expand his brand presence and ethos of “feeding the soul” through his concepts at Schlow Restaurant Group.

Chef Troy Guard sounds off on the ups and downs of expanding and refining TAG Restaurant Group, how his Hawaiian upbringing and travels influence his culinary style, modernizing fine dining and the steakhouse experience, and more.

James Passafaro shares how two decades in the hospitality industry led him to create Opsi, a workflow app for culinary professionals to boost operations and optimize consistency. He talks about the new age of technology in restaurants, why communication is the most important tool in a kitchen, guiding Gen Z into the workforce, and more.

Graham Humphreys, CEO of The Culinary Edge, shares how innovation and strategy go beyond the PowerPoint deck with FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley. We chat about plant-based menu trends, redefining the value menu, why now is the best time to be in the F&B industry, and more.

Michele DiMeo, co-founder of MONTE Restaurant Development Group and Squisito Franchise enterprises, shares her journey to success with FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley. We chat about the ups and downs of scaling a restaurant empire, turning her “Restaurant Diva" nickname into a bona-fide brand, achieving viral fame on TikTok, and more.

Founder, managing partner, and chief vision officer of Indigo Road Hospitality Group Steven Palmer joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to talk about developing a strong company culture. We chat about vulnerability and transparency in leadership and dive into Ben’s Friends, a support group for hospitality professionals who struggle with addiction. Content warning: This episode mention...

Discover the future of restaurant management with Luke Fryer, founder and CEO of Harri, a human capital management platform. He joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to talk about the industry’s tech struggles and data-driven workforce solutions.

Alex Smith, CEO of Atlas Restaurant Group, is one of the youngest restaurant group owners in the U.S. He shares how he built his company to now over 30 concepts nationwide with second-generation properties, approaching $200 million in sales, and growing organically, with FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley.

Former General Counsel of FOCUS Brands turned restaurant operator, Lauren Fernandez brings nearly 20 years experience in brand licensing; franchising; and consumer product development to her role as founder and CEO of Full Course, an incubator, accelerator, and investor in early-stage food and restaurant brands.

James Beard "Outstanding Chef" Award winner Rob Rubba joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to talk about Oyster Oyster, his Washington, DC-based restaurant championing local produce. We chat about bringing a hyper-seasonal and sustainable approach to the fine dining world, building a restaurant for the future from the ground up, and taking home this year’s James Beard Award.

Frankie Olivieri, the fourth-generation owner of Pat’s King of Steaks, joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to talk about the origins of the Philly cheesesteak, his family history, keeping a legacy brand like Pat's King of Steaks relevant, and his journey to becoming a trained chef and serial entrepreneur.

Food justice veteran Bryce Fluellen joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to reveal his journey to becoming the executive consultant of social equity franchise and philanthropy for Everytable, a southern California-based restaurant and freshly-prepared food business. We also chat about Everytable’s unique model for empowering individuals from underserved communities to become franchise...

True Food Kitchen Director of Marketing Christine Ferris joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to discuss the brand’s recent total menu overhaul, the launch of its first quick-service location, and how the wellness-forward concept plans to grow. We’ll also chat about how TFK prioritizes giving back to the local communities its stores are located in, plus more.

Heirloom Kitchen executive chef and Top Chef alum David Viana joins FSR editors Callie Evergreen and Sam Danley to introduce a new revolutionary team structure designed to burn down the boundary between front-of-house and back-of-house employees, plus mitigate the ever-common burnout of restaurant workers. Also, we'll talk about his new NextGen Casual restaurant, Lita—an Iberian restaurant op...