Women in Restaurant Leadership

In this episode of Women in Restaurant Leadership , I sit down with MJ Riva, CEO of Pizza Factory, to explore her journey in the restaurant industry and the evolution of her leadership style. MJ shares powerful insights on finding your voice, embracing discomfort to grow, and navigating challenges with confidence and authenticity. We discuss how she’s used her unique perspective to drive brand gro...

Happy New Year, #WiRLFam! In this episode of the Women in Restaurant Leadership podcast, I’m joined by Tara Gilad, President and Founder of Vitality Bowls, a fast-growing superfood café franchise that has transformed the healthy dining landscape. Tara shares her inspiring journey from her health-conscious upbringing and entrepreneurial roots to founding a brand driven by a deeply personal mission—...

How does a biology major become one of QSR’s Young Leaders to Watch? In this episode of Women in Restaurant Leadership , I chat with Trisha Bovell, Head of Training at Big Chicken, about her unconventional path into the restaurant industry, her rise from GM to training guru, and her hands-on approach to onboarding that’s helping Big Chicken grow! Trisha shares lessons from her time at Dutch Bros a...

In this episode, I sit down with Meredith Sandland , author of Delivering The Digital Restaurant and founder of Empower Delivery , to discuss the transformative shift in how Americans consume food. Meredith shares her career journey, pivotal lessons learned along the way, and her passion for leading change in the restaurant and delivery industries. We dive into: 🍴 How food consumption patterns ar...

Let's talk tech! 👩‍💻🤖🎮 This week, we're catching up with Shelly Rupel, CEO and Co-Founder of Devour—a next-gen engagement platform that's "feeding the future" by weaving seamless food ordering into the world of gaming and streaming. Shelly is a fearless leader in three traditionally male-dominated fields: restaurants, technology, and gaming. With Devour, her goal is to...

Today I'm joined by Healey Mendicino, who shares her journey to becoming the president of Port of Subs, a beloved 52-year-old nationwide sandwich shop. We also dive into the nuances of franchising and what it takes to successfully grow in today's ever-changing environment.  We also learn about Healey's favorite sub order! 

This time on the Women in Restaurant Leadership podcast, we're joined by Brandy Blackwell, VP of Marketing at Another Broken Egg Cafe. Brandy opens up about her inspiring career journey, unique leadership style, and what it takes to thrive as a woman in a male-dominated industry. We’ll also dive into the “Brunch Boom” phenomenon and explore how Another Broken Egg Cafe continues to lead the wa...

Today we're joined by Jennifer Dodd, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice Company! In this episode, we talk about everything under the sun when it comes to career growth.  With over 30 years of experience leading successful turnarounds, driving strategic growth, and empowering diverse teams across brands like The Melting Pot, Tim Hortons, Dunkin’ Donuts, Applebee’s, Church’s Chicken, Arby’s, and more, D...

This week I'm joined by Emily Rugaber, VP of Marketing at Thanx. She's a leading expert in digital transformation, loyalty, and data-driven restaurant marketing. Together, we explore how customer behavior has evolved over the past few years and the pivotal role that digital transformation plays in shaping loyalty programs today.  Emily breaks down the latest loyalty trends, how data and...

Once upon a time, Wetzel's Pretzels was the go-to treat during your annual "school clothes shopping" marathon at the mall. Fast forward to today, and Wetzel's has stepped beyond the mall scene, spreading pretzel joy through food trucks, Walmart partnerships, and stand-alone bakeries. In this week’s episode, Hillary Frei and I dig into how Wetzel's is reshaping the snack ga...

Auntie Anne's. Cinnabon. Carvel. Moe's Southwest Grill. If these brands sound familiar to you, listen up! On this week's episode, Kristen Hartman, President of Speciality Brands for GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands), discusses the evolution of co-branded QSR concepts.  She gets down into the nitty gritty of what makes a co-branded concept successful—she even shares a sneak peek int...

Mistie's seen it all. From mystery shopping to operational development, team training, and more, she helps restaurants and hospitality companies enhance their guest experience through team building and culture development.  We discuss some of the biggest challenges facing the industry today in terms of making employees feel seen, heard, and valued... because happy employees make for happy gue...

Meet Linda Chadwick, president and CEO of Rita’s Italian Ice & Frozen Custard. In today’s episode, we discuss her 25-plus years of experience in the industry, the moments that defined her leadership strategy, the fundamentals that shape Rita’s culture, and the idea of balancing nostalgia with innovation.  Plus, I found out what her favorite Rita’s flavors are. I can’t spoil it here though!

On this week’s episode, we're joined by Julie Zucker, CMO of Branded Strategic Hospitality and WiRL advisory board member. We’re talking about all things balance. 🧘🏻‍♀️ How do you find and maintain balance as your priorities shift in your personal and professional life? By sharing her life experiences, Julie tackles the big feelings of guilt, motherhood, personal accountability, and finding...

Welcome to Episode No. 1 of the Women in Restaurant Leadership podcast, a new initiative from the editors behind QSR and FSR magazines. We start by diving into the world of culinary with WiRL advisory board member Mindy Armstrong, who walks us through a day in her life as VP of Menu Innovation for beloved brands Perkins and Huddle House. We explore her role, what’s trending, and her advice for oth...