Titans of Foodservice

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice Podcast, Nick speaks with Steve Sweeney, former CEO and President of Chartwells. Steve shares his journey in the food service industry, from his early days in his family's restaurant and hotel business to becoming a chef, and eventually transitioning to the managerial side of the industry. Steve and Nick discuss the importance of taking risks, the daily...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice Podcast, Nick speaks with Guy Rigby, VP of Food & Beverage for Four Seasons in the Americas. Guy shares his journey in the luxury hotel industry, from starting as a receptionist at the Ritz Hotel in London to working in Houston, Tokyo, Bangkok, and New York. He also shares his insights on the importance of customer service, the challenges of managin...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice Podcast, Nick speaks with Dimitra Rizzi, CEO of Elohi Strategic Advisors. Demetria discusses her background in the food service industry, including her experience working at Wendy's and running a Bruegger's Bagels franchise. She provides insights for emerging and established brands on how to succeed in food service sales. Additionally, she discusses the...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice Podcast, Nick speaks with Mark Setterington, Co-founder and CEO of Island Fin Poke Company, a franchise with 26 open locations, and 65 more on the way. Mark shares his journey of finding a job after college, which wasn't easy due to a lack of experience, and the valuable lessons he learned in managing costs and maintaining curb appeal. He talks about hi...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice Podcast, Nick speaks with Jordan Tetrick, Co-Founder and CEO of Everydoor. An easy-to-manage platform built for the new era of CPG, Everydoor is challenging the status quo of the CPG industry by providing a technology-driven solution that is more efficient and optimized for today's business landscape. Jordan talks about how the platform is revolutionizi...

This week we are taking you behind the scenes of the food service industry with Joel Robbins, President of Taste Specific. Join Nick and Joel as they dive deep into the world of food service, exploring the agency model, marketing strategies, and the art of effective sampling. Joel shares how he helps brands navigate the intricate foodservice landscape, providing valuable insights and innovative so...

This week Nick Portillo speaks with Jaclyn Glatzer. Managing Partner of JKG Food Services, President and CEO of World Select Cuts, Founder of the Mise Conference, and VP of Client Services for the Summit Group, Jaclyn brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the table. Nick and Jaclyn dive deep into the world of entrepreneurship, marketing, and food service. Jaclyn and Nick explore the ins a...

This week Nick Portillo welcomes Javier Vasquez, CEO of Miguel’s Jr. Restaurants. Born into the restaurant industry, Javier shares his experiences of working in a family-owned business for over 50 years. Javier talks about the importance of finding a company that aligns with your values and the value of communication Nick and Javier discuss the value of having an advisory board to guide entreprene...

This week Nick Portillo welcomes Danny Klein, Editorial Director at FSR and QSR Magazine to the podcast. Danny shares how he got into the business, the challenges he has faced and overcome, and how he has successfully leveraged an existing brand and made it his own by being himself. He also discusses how the pandemic had both positive and negative effects on the foodservice industry.  QUOTES...

Nick Portillo welcomes Maeve Webster, President and Founder of Menu Matters, on this episode of the Titans of Food Service Podcast. Maeve and Nick discuss the impact of the pandemic on the food service industry and how it has forced people to become more entrepreneurial. Maeve talks about her background in the food service industry and shares her passion for innovation and efficiency. She also dis...

This week Nick Portillo talks with Scott Empringham. Scott is the CEO and owner of Embringham Media Group, a company that specializes in leveraging artificial intelligence to help food service businesses. He joins Nick to discuss how AI can be used to improve the success of a food service business. Scott shares his story of how he had a successful agency in 2018, bringing in 10 million in sales fr...

This week Nick Portillo talks with Andrea Todd, Culinary Business Development Director of Foodservice for Dessert Holdings. Andrea explains how she fell into the food industry and developed her skills in baking and running a business. She talks about the importance of organization and efficiency in mass production and shares valuable insights from her nine years as a culinary salesperson.  QU...

This week Nick Portillo has a fascinating conversation with Suzy Badaracco, Founder of Culinary Tides, a private forecasting think tank which engages with all facets of the food industry including food service, retail, ingredient manufacturers, and suppliers. Suzy shares how her unique skill set of pattern recognition, which she initially developed while training with the FBI and Scotland Yard in...

Ever wondered what it takes to run a thriving restaurant? Greg Graber, CEO of Heritage Food Brands, discusses the three pillars of a successful restaurant this week on the Titans of Foodservice podcast. He shares why restaurant guests need to be able to connect with the people serving them and the challenges of maintaining that standard consistently. Listen as Nick and Greg have an insightful conv...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Alicia Paliuca, National Director of Foodservice Sales for Just Egg. Alicia shares stories from her global professional journey and talks about why she loves the technology, the people and the products in the foodservice industry. She discusses the importance of learning from your peers and finding leaders that will help you grow and teach you...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Barbara Powell, Vice President of Food Service Sales for Mount Franklin Foods. Barbara talks about the importance of taking risks and shares why taking risks can lead to amazing success. Nick and Barbara have a valuable discussion about the accomplishments and contributions of women in the food service industry over the past decade and talk abo...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Paul Bresenden, President and Creative Director at 454 Creative, a sales and marketing agency located in Irvine, California. Paul discusses the importance of understanding what your company controls in the growth process, and how to diversify it, achieve growth, and preserve its profits. He also talks about the need to focus on brand positionin...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Kristine Bowen, Regional President at Sysco Corporation in the Pacific Northwest. Kristine shares valuable insights from her time in foodservice and discusses the importance of trying different positions in your career to grow and open yourself up to opportunities. She also discusses why she believes leadership begins with listening and how lev...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Laura Meyer, a multiyear world pizza champion, rising star chef, and named a Forbes 30 Under 30. With over 20 years of experience in the foodservice industry, Laura shares her journey in the pizza industry, what it takes to start a restaurant, and why you have to play the game before you can change the rules. QUOTES “There is always failure tha...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo talks with Craig Gentry, VP and General Manager of Idahoan Foods. Craig shares insights from decades in the foodservice industry, including years spent abroad as an expat, and how different mentors helped refine his focus and influenced his leadership style today. He also discusses the art of negotiation and why it is an important skill to develop, regard...

In this week’s episode, host Nick Portillo reflects on the first season of the Titans of Foodservice podcast and the wealth of knowledge that each guest has brought to the show. He shares the journey Portillo Sales and Marketing has taken from its start, up until today, and discusses the importance of long-term investments. He also shares how delaying gratification can pay off big in the long run,...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice podcast, host Nick Portillo speaks with his dad, John Portillo. John has had a successful career in the foodservice industry, starting as a butcher and progressing to broadline distribution and foodservice brokerage. John shares wisdom gleaned from his professional journey in foodservice and on balancing fatherhood with his career. Nick and John also di...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice podcast, host Nick Portillo speaks with Herb Ring, National Food Service Director for Hershey Company. Nick and Herb discuss the importance of empowering team members and others to make decisions so they can grow their careers and become successful. Herb also shares the wisdom he has gleaned from decades of invaluable experiences in the foodservice indu...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice podcast, host Nick Portillo speaks with Bobby Cimrhanzel, President of Lakeland Marketing, one of the largest foodservice brokers in the U.S. Bobby casts a vibrant and fresh perspective on the need to treat people, run companies with integrity and establish a healthy culture in organizations. Nick and Bobby also discuss how foodservice companies can exp...

In this episode of the Titans of Foodservice podcast, host Nick Portillo speaks with Paul Fornier, President and Founder of Tacticware Resource Group. Paul and Nick take a deep dive into what Paul calls the Equilateral Triangle of Success, which includes leadership, culture, and strategy. Nick and Paul discuss how companies can leverage these three things to be successful, and how to create v...