Top Business Leaders Show

Andrew Martino is the Founder of Ghost Truck Kitchen, a digital food truck concept. GTK is the first and only of its kind with a mission to make food takeout a greater experience.  Andrew has nearly 20 years of experience in the food and hospitality industry, working at the managerial and executive levels. A virtuoso in the ghost kitchen space since 2018, Andrew gives expert advice on podcasts and...

Kyle Noonan is the Co-founder and CEO of FreeRange Concepts, a Dallas-based restaurant and hospitality management company with a mission to create remarkable memories. The company owns and operates 12 food and entertainment venues, including Bowl and Barrel, Mutts Canine Cantina, The Rustic, and The General Public. With over 13 years in the restaurant industry, Kyle gained experience opening eater...

Raji Sankar is the Co-founder and CEO of Choolaah, an authentic Indian barbeque restaurant with seven locations around the United States. Although Raji has an extensive background in the tech industry, her love of food and sense of community drove her to start a business in the restaurant industry. She considers herself fortunate to have created an authentic place that prepares quality food made o...

Serial entrepreneur Gaurav "G" Patel is the Founder of Eschelon Experiences, a hospitality group based in Raleigh, North Carolina that includes cocktail lounge concepts such as The Haymaker and Killjoy Cocktail. Since the age of 17, G has launched over a dozen companies and over two dozen hospitality brands. Additionally, he's founded spirits and retail brands and various startups. In this episode...

Jonathan Heit is the Co-founder and Global Chief Operating Officer at Allison+Partners. The award-winning Allison+Partners is a global marketing and communications agency operating in 50 worldwide markets. The agency specializes in corporate, consumer brands, public affairs, reputation risk, and health and technology practices.  In the 20-plus years under Jonathan's leadership at Allison+Partners,...

Mac Hay is the Founder and CEO of Mac's Seafood, which has five locations in Massachusetts. Mac's passion for cooking allowed him to work in the restaurant industry before purchasing his own business, which was primarily a fish market that eventually turned into Mac's signature restaurant. After a decade in the industry, Mac decided to expand by opening seafood restaurants in other locations acros...

Robert Hall is the CEO of Refined Hospitality Concepts, a hospitality group and catering company centered in Farmer's Branch, Texas that serves the greater Dallas-Fort Worth area. He has decades of experience in the hospitality industry, from pizza shops to wineries. Robert uses his vast experience to foster a culture of excellence across all of his restaurants. In this episode… In this episode of...

Tom Coogle is the President of Reynolds Foodliner Inc., a grocery company that operates stores including Piggly Wiggly and Stripling's General Store. He is also a Franchise Owner at Your Pie Franchising. Tom has been in the food and beverage industry for over 22 years, taking his family's company from modest success in the grocery business to a diversified company with his team members as the prio...

Alexander Green is the Managing Director of The Fireman Hospitality Group in National Harbor, a diverse group of restaurants ranging from pizzarias to upscale steakhouses. He has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years, starting as a dishwasher and working his way up to his current position. Alexander oversees two restaurants in National Harbor: Fiorella Italian Kitchen & Pizzeria and Bond 45...

Josh Halpern is the CEO of both Beer Park and Big Chicken, a dining concept that pays homage to the food of founder Shaquille O'Neal's childhood. He holds an MBA from Babson College. Josh is currently looking for single and multi-unit franchisees who are serious about the food industry and carrying on the culture of Big Chicken. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen...

Solomon Choi is the Founder and CEO of 16 Handles, the first self-serve frozen yogurt store to open in New York City. Also the Co-founder of Greeno Products, he is an entrepreneur, advisor, and investor with a background in hospitality. Solomon is an Advisor for Hooray Foods, Kolkata Chai Co., Lunchbox, and Optamark, an Investor for Bikky, Sunscoop, and MCTco., and a Hospitality Partner at Branded...

Terces Engelhart is the Co-founder of Cafe Gratitude and Gracias Madre. She has co-authored three books with her husband, Matthew. Terces draws from over 35 years of recovery from 20 years of addiction and her intimate relationship with Christ, which led to her healing. She recently launched her podcast called Unreasonably Grateful , sharing life lessons she learned and how those lessons can help...

Ran Nussbacher is the Co-founder and CEO of Shouk, a plant-based restaurant chain with a mission to fight climate change. He has almost 20 years in diverse sales industries, which helped drive his passion for conservation. Ran holds Master's degrees in Information Systems and Business Administration from Boston University.  In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen speak...

Bill Tobin is the Co-owner and CEO of Tiki's Grill & Bar and a business mentor on his Restaurant Leadership 365 podcast. He has over 25 years of experience in the restaurant industry as a manager, owner, mentor, and consultant. Bill Tobin is a veteran of the US Army and holds a bachelor's degree in Business Administration from the University of Hawaii at Manoa. In this episode… In this episode of...

Jim Kaa is the CEO and President of Polly's Pies. He has spent nearly 40 years in the restaurant industry, formerly working as Vice President of Accounting for The Veggie Grill, Director of Financial Planning and Analysis for Pacific Restaurant Advisors, Director of Accounting for Ruby Restaurant Group, and Director of Finance and Administration for Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Jim Kaa holds a bachelor's...

Eric Goodwin is the Co-owner of The Friendly Toast Restaurants and President of Goodwin Recruiting. He is a serial entrepreneur, owning and overseeing numerous other businesses, such as NOBL Coffee. Eric Goodwin holds a bachelor's of science in Business Administration. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen speaks with Eric Goodwin, Co-owner of The Friendly Toast Rest...

Jayson Siano is the Founder and CEO of Sabre Real Estate Advisors, a full-service boutique real estate advisory firm specializing in tenant/owner representation, investment sales, and development/construction services. As an entrepreneur and commercial real estate executive, Jayson advises and scales some of the most successful brands in the world. His client list includes Chipotle, Starbucks, Ora...

Elaina Morris is the Founding Partner, President, and CEO of Ascend Hospitality Group, which delivers world-class hospitality and culinary experiences across the Pacific Northwest. As an accomplished business owner and community leader, Elaina has over 20 years of experience developing concepts and creating value in various industries. She serves as a trustee for the Washington Hospitality Associa...

Karl Goodhew is the Chief Technology Officer at BurgerFi, one of the nation's fastest-growing premium, fast-casual restaurant concepts with 116 locations. As a proven engineer and product leader, he has over 15 years of experience in software development, with more than six years spent managing and overseeing enterprise-level programs. In this episode… In today's episode of the SpotOn Series, join...

Jem Bourouh is a 24-year-old serial entrepreneur from Germany and the CEO and Founder of Adcubator. Jem's business acts as a marketing agency-cum-venture capital. Jem uses his gained experience, knowledge, and creativity to assist e-commerce businesses in converting their ideas into multimillion-dollar successes. In addition to Adcubator, Jem helped co-found eCom Incubator, an education-focused en...

Brandon and Zane Hunt are the Co-founders and Co-owners of Via 313 Pizzeria, which serves Detroit-style pizza from three brick-and-mortar locations and two customized trailers in Austin, Texas. They are investors in Better Half, Sold Out, Lil Nonna, Parma Pizza, and several other restaurants. In this episode… Join Chad Franzen in today's episode of the SpotOn Series as he welcomes Brandon and Zane...

Micha Magid is the Co-founder of Mighty Quinn's BBQ, a fast casual barbeque with 13 locations. He oversees finance and marketing strategies alongside the brand's PR and social media teams. Micha began his career on Wall Street performing mergers and acquisitions for J.P. Morgan before investing in Mighty Quinn's. In this episode… In today's episode of the SpotOn Series, join Chad Franzen of Rise25...

Michael Oshman is the Founder and CEO of the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national nonprofit organization created to shift the restaurant industry toward ecological sustainability. He has been featured in Time Magazine, The New York Times, The Boston Globe, and hundreds of other local and national media outlets. Through the GRA's notable press coverage, Michael has been a keynote speaker...

Jim Laube is the Founder and CEO of RestaurantOwner.com, a restaurant consulting firm that has helped thousands of aspiring and struggling restaurant owners succeed and make their dreams a reality. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series , Chad Franzen speaks with RestaurantOwner.com Founder and CEO Jim Laube about how they help new restaurateurs succeed. Jim launched RestaurantOwner...

Kevin Suto is the CEO of Zachary's Chicago Pizza, which currently operates five locations in Northern California. He began working at Zachary's as a dishwasher and has been with the company for 38 years. Kevin has assumed many roles, including president and CFO. In this episode… In this episode of the SpotOn Series, Chad Franzen sits down with Kevin Suto, CEO of Zachary's Chicago Pizza, to discuss...