The Restaurant Report

In this episode of The Barron Report—as part of a special series examining the economic impact of coronavirus on the restaurant industry—host Paul Barron sits down with Fred LeFranc, the chaos strategist and change agent for consulting company Results Thru Strategy. LeFranc specializes in working with restaurants, investment firms, and other businesses to create brand-revitalizing strategies that...

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Louis Basile, the president and co-founder of the Arizona-based restaurant and bakery Wildflower Bread Company. Basile has previously served in senior management positions for a number of companies, including Au Bon Pain and Coffee Plantation. Basile co-founded Wildflower Bread Company with his wife, Tracy, in 1995. The chain ha...

In this special episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron investigates the impact—both visible and behind-the-scenes—of coronavirus on the restaurant and hospitality business. Operators across the globe are already facing a number of challenges within our current social, political, and economic climate. Barron explores some of the key steps Foodable is taking to help businesses during this co...

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Andrew Horowitz, the president and founder of Horowitz & Company. Horowitz is a registered investment advisor and has provided money management services for individual and corporate clients since the 1980s. Horowitz & Company specializes in crafting results-oriented investment strategies that combine advanced technology with han...

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron chats with Erin Moran, the chief culture officer for Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). Moran previously served as the executive vice president of U.S. business for Great Place to Work. As chief culture officer, Moran manages culture development—namely promoting a key value for USHG, enlightened hospitality—as well as all facets of the emp...

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Chris Kerr, the co-founder and chief executive officer of Gathered Foods and its plant-based seafood brand, Good Catch. Kerr has been investing in the plant-based food segment for the past decade, and has been involved in the development of numerous plant-based companies including Beyond Meat, Daiya, and Alpha Foods.

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Chris Baggott, the co-founder and chief executive officer of ClusterTruck. ClusterTruck is a delivery-only restaurant and software platform exclusively accepting orders in a six-minute driving radius. The restaurant serves dishes entirely made from scratch. Baggott has over twenty years of experience in data innovation, and prev...

The next ten years will be without a doubt the defining point for hundreds of brands and more than 400K independent restaurants. That defining point is the shift to digital revenue. My research shows more than 95% of restaurants today are not prepared for what is about to hit them in the mouth in the area of digital revenue. Guest: Donald Burns - The Restaurant Coach

In this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron chats with Keith Ryu, the chief executive officer of hiring platform Fountain. Based in San Francisco, Fountain specializes in hourly workers, annually processing nearly one million applicants and 130,000 monthly hires. Recently featured on Forbes 30 under 30, Ryu co-founded the Series A-backed Fountain in 2014. With shifting workforce demogra...

Paul Barron sits down with Chris Bomgaars, the founder of pig health and management tool EveryPig. Barron and Bomgaars discuss the agtech industry at large, the unique struggles that swine producers, veterinarians, and caregivers currently face, and how EveryPig is using complex artificial intelligence algorithms to revolutionize the swine industry.

Today we take a look at the latest generation to take over the populous in the buying power for restaurant and retail - Gen Z (Generation Z). Understanding their very different traits and habits will make or break your business in the next five years with Shelley Balanko, Ph. D. - Senior VP, The Hartman Group

Paul Barron sits down with Jon Sewell, the chief executive officer of Motus and owner of restaurant chain D.P. Dough. Sewell helped form the cooperative delivery service CHOMP in Iowa City with fellow restaurant owners and industry leaders, and has since expanded the service to other cities through his company Motus.

Host Paul Barron sits down with Anmol Oberoi, the chief executive officer of Emitrr. The platform offers businesses the opportunity to create and publish storefront apps on Alexa and Google Home. Barron and Oberoi explore voice adoption concerns and the possibilities for voice command interfaces in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Leah Cotterman and Rose Phillips share their backgrounds in the industry and the vision behind the WD Partners strategy team.

Hear Wood’s advice for handling the predicted downturn coming to the industry, how Suzy’s Swirl won this year’s WBENCPitch, and Wood’s plans for the company’s expansion in the next few years.

On this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Lisa Merkle, the co-founder and executive director of Box Greens. A former yoga teacher and holistic health coach, Merkle co-founded Box Greens in 2018 with business partner Cheryl Arnold. Box Greens offers urban South Florida access to hydroponic box farms filled with fresh leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens. Barron and Merkl...

For Calvo, real estate is always “second on the list to your product.” Having made her first restaurant—located in a strip mall—a success, and started Cracked as an artisan-driven chef sandwich food truck, she argues that location is not everything. Having a compelling brand and consistent flavor is key. “People will drive as long as it’s a good product.” Calvo notes that her experience is uncommo...

Leaving or closing a business is challenging, and many operators wait long after their restaurant has stopped generating revenue to make a clear, though painful decision. On this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with author Kevin Alexander. Alexander is the recipient of the James Beard Award and the Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Just...

In the United States alone, catering has grown into a $60 billion market—making demand generation essential to every restaurant and industry operator’s marketing strategy. Of that $60 billion, $24 billion is concentrated in business catering. And some brands are feeling the pressure to broaden their digital and marketing efforts to keep consumers coming to their door. On this episode of The Barron...

This podcast brought to you by Bench.co. Get 20% Off Small Business Accounting For Your Restaurant For Six Months! http://refer.bench.co/wZcnt Consumers today want more from their coffee: they want a meaningful experience. Specialty foods are up by 310 percent in terms of menu inclusion. For restaurants and hospitality operators, coffee offers a unique way for operators to differentiate themselves...

This podcast brought to you by Bench.co. Get 20% Off Small Business Accounting For Your Restaurant For Six Months! http://refer.bench.co/wZcnt Modern consumers expect restaurant operators to use and fully integrate cutting-edge technology into their business model. However, most restaurant operators in the industry find themselves unable to keep up with today’s constantly evolving tech trends. On...

This podcast brought to you by Bench.co. Get 20% Off Small Business Accounting For Your Restaurant For Six Months! http://refer.bench.co/wZcnt Consumers are rapidly changing the focus of the foodservice industry. With the global population expected to reach 9.8 billion over the next 30 years, Gen Y and Gen Z are investing their time, money, and energy into finding foods that are good for them and...

The emerging generations have a new expectation for the foodservice industry and the future in which food service companies have a bigger role to play.

The future of on-demand ordering could be summed up to one simple thought. It’s just beginning. According to Foodable Labs, over 30% of the U.S. Restaurant industry is offering some kind of on-demand third party ordering solution. Couple this with over 80% of consumers under the age of 35 using on-demand food ordering apps about 2 times a week the landscape has exploded for this new age dining hab...

More and more brands are seeking solutions that are starting to shift the supply chain integration on how they go to market with new menu items and new approaches when it comes to handling the demand of the new age consumer.   Shake Shack is taking this queue from consumers seriously with their partnership with the Craft Beef curator Crowd Cow, a company focused on bringing local farmers and their...