Dairy Farmers of America (DFA) is a farmer-owned cooperative representing more than 9,500 American dairy farmers. As the leading global dairy cooperative, DFA produces and markets a wide range of dairy brands, with a mission centered on delivering value back to its farmer-owners and their communities.

DFA operates with a long-term mindset, prioritizing sustainable growth and innovation over short-term gains. Its structure allows marketing and innovation teams to focus on building brands that resonate with consumers while supporting farmers’ livelihoods. The organization blends large-scale brand management with a strong sense of authenticity, transparency and purpose rooted in agriculture.

Dairy is experiencing a resurgence as consumers reconnect with real, wholesome ingredients and seek both health and indulgence in the same products.

Great marketing starts with understanding people, their routines, motivations and the small moments that shape decisions.

Even in crowded categories, brands must earn attention through storytelling and relevance or risk being ignored.

Innovation in dairy extends beyond new flavors to include format, function and new ways to meet everyday needs.

Authenticity and transparency are critical, helping consumers trust where their food comes from and how it’s made.

Creativity often comes from observing everyday frustrations and solving small, real-world problems.

Strong brands maintain distinct personalities, allowing them to connect with specific audiences without competing against themselves.

A long-term mindset, driven by farmer ownership, enables more thoughtful innovation and brand-building decisions.

QUOTES

“We’re actually owned by 9,500 American dairy farmers, which puts a different spin on the work. It makes things more personal because our mission is to provide value to them and their families.” (Jenny)

“If I can do right by our farmers and provide value to them and their families, I’m doing my job well.” (Jenny)

“I look at brands as humans. They have personalities, and you have to treat them properly and have fun with them in a way that fits who they are.” (Jenny)

“I’ve never found a business where you can’t get people to talk about cheese and butter. It’s kind of phenomenal.” (Jenny)

“The secret to good marketing is really getting to know people, what makes them tick and what drives their decisions.” (Jenny)

“Dairy is having a bit of a renaissance. It’s less about the challenge and more about the opportunity to stay relevant in people’s lives.” (Jenny)

“Sometimes we get so focused on the big idea that we forget about the little moments. Those everyday occasions are where the connection really happens.” (Jenny)

“I don’t often think in quarters. Our farmers are always thinking about the future, and that changes how we approach innovation and investment.” (Jenny)

“Authenticity builds trust. If something feels authentic, people feel like they understand it and can trust it.” (Jenny)

“I look at what I do as problem solving and getting to know people. Whether it’s detergent, chocolate or cheese, the motivations are often the same.” (Jenny)

“Everybody is creative in their own way. It’s about recognizing it and giving people the permission to keep doing it.” (Jenny)

Golden Waffles, founded in 1937, provides an all-inclusive waffle program to operators in more than 50,000 locations across 60 countries. The company supplies mix, irons, service and support, helping foodservice partners add fresh waffles to their menus without operational friction.

Under Mike’s leadership, the company rebranded from Golden Malted to Golden Waffles to better reflect what it actually delivers. The transition focused on clarity, modernization and honoring the company’s heritage, with careful internal communication and customer engagement throughout the process.

Mike describes the brand’s mission as “happy made easy,” explaining that Golden Waffles exists to remove friction for operators, not just sell waffle mix.

He shares that the rebrand was rooted in clarity. Customers already referred to the team as “the waffle people,” and the new name simply reinforced that identity.

Relentless communication was central to the rollout. Mike believes that if leaders do not clearly explain the why, employees and customers will fill in the blanks themselves.

Internally, involving long-tenured associates and even the founder’s grandson helped preserve heritage while modernizing the brand.

Mike defines success as the intersection of speed, honesty and accuracy, getting to the right answer quickly without cutting corners.

On trends, Golden Waffles focuses on solving real operator problems such as speed, simplicity and kitchen footprint rather than chasing hype.

Regarding AI and technology, Mike views it as a support tool that should make good teams better, not replace people.

At its core, he believes food is memory. Whether leading a rebrand or serving a waffle, the goal is to create shared experiences that people remember.

QUOTES

“If the waffle is right, you don’t need to hide it under toppings.” (Mike)

“Golden Waffles is the first time where I actually leapt at something. I ran towards something.” (Mike)

“We don’t just sell waffle mix. We help operators serve a great waffle without any friction.” (Mike)

“Bread tells you what to do. It’s a carrier. A waffle asks, how creative do you want to be?” (Mike)

“You don’t rebrand just to look cool. You better look cool at the end of it, but you don’t rebrand to look cool. You rebrand to be clear.” (Mike)

“Our rebrand was intended to remove friction, not necessarily to add polish.” (Mike)

“If you don’t explain the why, people will fill in the blanks. And when they do that, it typically doesn’t align with where leadership’s head is at.” (Mike)

“My definition of success is where speed, honesty and accuracy all meet. Who can get to the right answer the fastest without cheating?” (Mike)

“Technology should really disappear into the experience. AI is never going to replace people. It’s about making good teams better.” (Mike)

“The best meals aren’t really about complexity. It’s about who you share them with. Food is memory, that’s why it matters so much.” (Mike)

Founded in Los Angeles in 1972, Maria’s Italian Kitchen is a family-rooted, Southern Italian restaurant brand known for classic comfort food, consistent quality and warm hospitality. With eight locations, the brand has become a multigenerational neighborhood staple across Southern California.

Alfano grew Maria’s from a small takeout operation into a multi-unit brand while navigating major challenges, including the Northridge earthquake and rapid industry change. She serves on California and national restaurant boards and is a strong advocate for thoughtful leadership, employee respect and community-centered hospitality.

Early lessons from her parents taught her that customers will tell you exactly what they want if you listen closely.

True hospitality means treating everyone with the same respect, regardless of status or background.

Clear, consistent communication is critical, especially as a business grows.

Leadership requires calm focus during crises, even when things are chaotic behind the scenes.

Hiring in hospitality should prioritize personality and attitude over technical skills.

Strong culture is built by leading by example and meeting people where they are.

Long-term employee retention comes from respect, flexibility and genuine care.

What keeps guests coming back isn’t just food, it’s how they feel when they walk through the door.

QUOTES

“People will tell you what they want to buy. If you really listen, they’ll show you exactly what belongs in your business.” (Madelyn)

“You treat everyone the same, from the Getty’s to the gardeners. My parents taught me that respect is non-negotiable.” (Madelyn)

“Whoever walks through your front door, you need to embrace them and make them feel really good about who they are and where they are.” (Madelyn)

“I was the original Instacart girl. We were delivering groceries long before anyone thought to call it that.” (Madelyn)

“I had to pretend that someone was coming from Mars and had never worked in a restaurant before. That’s how clear your communication has to be.” (Madelyn)

“Regardless of the circumstances, if you stay focused and lead with intention, you can get through almost anything.” (Madelyn)

“It’s like a duck in water. Underneath, you’re paddling like crazy, but on top you have to look calm and steady.” (Madelyn)

“Don’t confuse my kindness for weakness or my casualness for not being serious. I’m very intense about our business.” (Madelyn)

“I’m very interested in people. It’s better to be interested than interesting.” (Madelyn)

“Our first customers are the people we work with. If you don’t respect your team, nothing else works.” (Madelyn)

Chuck has led creative teams at major agencies and worked on campaigns for brands including General Motors, Hellmann’s, McDonald’s, Del Taco and Universal Orlando Resort. His Super Bowl work includes back-to-back GM spots featuring Will Ferrell and Mike Myers as Dr. Evil, as well as large-scale brand activations that extended far beyond the broadcast.

Big ideas come from interpreting the brief in an unexpected way and connecting dots others don’t see.

If an idea can’t be explained clearly in one sentence, it’s not fully formed.

Super Bowl advertising is a six-month marathon that requires protecting the idea through intense internal and external pressure.

The most successful Super Bowl spots extend beyond the ad itself into brand activations and social storytelling.

Celebrity-driven campaigns only work when the talent serves the product and idea, not the other way around.

AI should be used to amplify creative thinking, not replace the struggle and reps required to develop great ideas.

In-person collaboration plays a critical role in mentoring young creatives and building strong creative culture.

Great creative leadership is about creating an environment where people feel safe to take big swings and learn from misses.

QUOTES

“The Super Bowl is the coolest thing and it’s the most terrifying thing. And what’s hard about it is, a lot of them start in August. So if you make it to February, that’s six months of your life.” (Chuck)

“If you can survive that gauntlet and somehow get to the Super Bowl with a great spot, it’s a Herculean feat for sure. It’s an amazing thing and it’s a bit of a horrible thing at the same time.” (Chuck)

“That (GM Dr. Evil) brand activation actually became a bigger story than even the spot in a sense. So yeah, that was a thing where we just didn’t stop at the spot.” (Chuck)

“By the Monday after the Super Bowl, the whole world’s moved on. Brands looked at that and thought that if I’m spending that much money, why don’t I release the spot a week ahead of time and get more out of it.” (Chuck)

“When it comes to a Super Bowl commercial, you’ve got to put three-act story in 60 seconds. That’s the discipline. When I’ve worked with people outside advertising, they don’t quite get it. It’s a very specific art.” (Chuck)

“It’s good because over the years, as a creative director, ECD, GCD, CCO, I’m constantly critiquing work. I’m constantly critiquing ideas. And most of them don’t get past me, which is kind of the drill. The ones that do interpreted the brief in a way I didn’t expect.” (Chuck)

“I always tell creatives, show me a different way of looking at something. And even when I’ve judged shows, it’s always the stuff that I’m like, how did they get there? Ninety-nine percent of things I can see where they’re going.” (Chuck)

“If you can tell me it in one sentence, you have an idea. And if you can’t explain it, you don’t know it.” (Chuck)

EPISODE 106: Tom Moffitt – Founder and CEO of Culture Fresh Foods and pioneer in plant-based dairy innovation

EPISODE 107: Edward Medina – President of Ramona’s Food Group and transformative leader in authentic Mexican cuisine

EPISODE 108: Sameer Malhotra – CEO of Café Spice and champion of authentic Indian cuisine

EPISODE 109: Elliot Nelson – Founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group and visionary in community-driven hospitality

EPISODE 110: Curtis Chin – Writer, filmmaker and storyteller of culture and community

Chung’s Cantonese Cuisine, founded by Curtis’s great-grandfather, was a legendary Detroit institution for 65 years. Known for its handmade egg rolls and welcoming atmosphere, the restaurant became a cultural hub and safe haven for people from every walk of life.

Curtis has taken his family’s story global through more than 300 talks across seven countries. His memoir has received widespread recognition from outlets including The New York Times, The Washington Post, and CBS. He continues to tell stories through writing and film, while exploring ways to reconnect with his restaurant roots.

Growing up in the dining room taught him about people, service, and the value of making someone’s day better.

His father taught him to “talk to strangers,” a lesson in curiosity, openness, and seizing opportunities.

Chung’s exposed him to every side of Detroit — from white-collar professionals and politicians to pimps, drag queens, and movie stars.

He values service as much as food, lamenting the loss of human interaction in today’s QR code and robot-driven dining experiences.

The restaurant sold more than 10 million handmade egg rolls and became a Detroit institution remembered decades after closing.

Food anchored his cultural identity and offered a tangible link to his heritage when other ties to China were distant.

He believes family restaurants are the “glue” of communities and often serve as civic spaces as important as political offices.

Chinese restaurants shaped American dining trends — from takeout and delivery to open kitchens — and remain a vital, unifying presence across the country.

QUOTES

“I grew up in the restaurant, but I was one of those kids that didn’t know how to cook, so I was banished to the dining room. That’s where I actually did most of my learning.” (Curtis)

“I like to say that even though I don’t work in a Chinese restaurant anymore, I’m still that Chinese waiter.” (Curtis)

“My dad always gave us that advice — talk to strangers — because he knew the dining room was full of people who had opportunities outside the four walls of that Chinese restaurant.” (Curtis)

“For me, going out to eat is really not just about great food, but also about great service.” (Curtis)

“I realized, if I’m gonna look up to somebody, it’s gonna be my dad and not this Hollywood star.” (Curtis)

“Meeting all these people gave me a different perspective, a different way to see the world.” (Curtis)

“Detroit in the ’80s was really rough. I knew five people murdered by the time I was 18 years old.” (Curtis)

“The one connection I did keep to my culture was food — that was the easiest way to hold on to where we came from.” (Curtis)

“Chinese restaurants are actually one of the few places where you can go in and see someone from a different race or class and maybe start a conversation.” (Curtis)

“Small family restaurants are the glue to a lot of communities.” (Curtis)

“Chinese restaurants are going to save America.” (Curtis)

McNellie’s Group operates a diverse portfolio of pubs, restaurants, and concepts across Tulsa, Oklahoma City, and beyond. With a focus on revitalizing neighborhoods, historic renovations, and community-driven development, the company now includes more than 25 units and multiple large-scale real estate projects.

Elliot’s journey started with a college business plan for a fictional pub, which eventually became the foundation for McNellie’s. From restoring century-old buildings to developing multi-million-dollar mixed-use projects, he has played a central role in the transformation of downtown Tulsa. Beyond restaurants, his work emphasizes placemaking, employee care, and creating spaces that serve as the backdrop for community life.

Elliot abandoned plans for law school after realizing he wanted to build something tangible and people-focused.

His first pub in 2004 became Tulsa’s destination for craft beer and helped spark downtown’s restaurant renaissance.

He emphasizes that a great pub should feel like “Tulsa’s living room,” welcoming all generations.

Development projects like Santa Fe Square and 36 Degrees North have redefined downtown, blending restaurants, apartments, and office space.

COVID-19 reshaped habits—lunch sales are still down, but outdoor dining saved his flagship pub.

Elliot believes in putting employees first, offering benefits and even personal support during tough times.

Success stories include staff rising from entry-level roles to ownership and executive leadership.

He sees his larger purpose as making Tulsa a better place to live—and may even consider running for mayor one day.

QUOTES

“After spending a summer in a law office, I was like, man, there’s no @#$%ing way I can do this for my life.” (Elliot)

“When we opened in 2004, I had no idea what I was doing. I’d waited tables for nine months to try to figure out how a restaurant worked.” (Elliot)

“We instantly became the destination in town for beer. At one point, we were named one of the 100 best places in the world to drink beer.” (Elliot)

“More than anything, we’ve just tried to make our hometown a better place to live. Restaurants were the vehicle in the beginning.” (Elliot)

“All those other people make a bunch of money. I just like to do cool shit.” (Elliot)

“A really good pub should be everybody’s place—where you can bring your kid, or your 80-year-old parent, and all generations feel welcome.” (Elliot)

“I think my purpose is to make my hometown a better place to live. That clarity really helps give direction and meaning to what I do.” (Elliot)

“We used to be the 11th or 12th place to get a drink downtown. Now there are about 150, and we helped create that momentum.” (Elliot)

“We realized in this industry you might be the most stable force in someone’s life. It’s a responsibility I take to heart.” (Elliot)

“We’re not chasing awards—we’re trying to be the place where people make their memories.” (Elliot)

Café Spice is a family-owned food company specializing in globally inspired, ready-to-eat meals. Partnering with Whole Foods Market and other retailers, Café Spice provides hot bar items, refrigerated and frozen meals, and private-label products for supermarket chains across the U.S.

Founded in 1998 as a bistro-style Indian restaurant in New York City, Café Spice transitioned from restaurants to large-scale food manufacturing after Whole Foods tapped the brand to supply its Indian hot bars. 

Today, Café Spice operates from a state-of-the-art 70,000-square-foot facility, produces both branded and private-label products, and continues to innovate with new offerings like Cantina Latina, a Latin-inspired line of prepared meals.

Growing up in his family’s acclaimed Indian restaurants gave Sameer firsthand insight into the challenges and opportunities of introducing Indian cuisine to America.

Café Spice pivoted from restaurants to manufacturing after landing Whole Foods as a client, eventually supplying Indian food to every Whole Foods hot bar in the country.

Company culture emphasizes “grittiness and safety,” with longtime employees playing a key role in consistency and growth.

Scaling recipes for national distribution required investments in food safety, standardized spice rooms, and consistent culinary processes.

Education and sampling are central to marketing—demos help consumers overcome misconceptions that all Indian food is spicy or “just curry.”

QUOTES

“Whole Foods decided they were going to open an Indian hot bar, and that’s where the entire business changed. Now, 20 years later, we make the Indian food for their hot bars in every store in the country.” (Sameer)

“We’ve always been a gritty team. Culture is grittiness and culture is safety.” (Sameer)

“As restaurateurs, you’re creating food that’s going to be consumed within an hour. Here, we’re making food that may be frozen or refrigerated and eaten days later. Food safety became the most important part.” (Sameer)

“I walked into the Whole Foods office in a suit, 23 years old, and the guy who greeted me was in cargo shorts and flip-flops. I felt completely out of place.” (Sameer)

“Spice is always a trend. Generationally, spice is much more accepted now than when we started the business.” (Sameer)

“Rather than discounting, I focus on demos. People need to taste the food and realize how good it is.” (Sameer)

“The biggest misconception is that all Indian food is curry and all Indian food is spicy. Not everything is curry, and not all Indian food is spicy.” (Sameer)

“We changed the name from ‘alugobi’ to ‘curried cauliflower and potatoes’ and sales doubled. People knew what it was.” (Sameer)

“We put in robotic arms for packaging. It increased output, reduced giveaway, and didn’t reduce jobs. Technology has been a game changer.” (Sameer)

“Surround yourself with like-minded people, but also fill the gaps you don’t have. You need people who will push you—not just yes men.” (Sameer)

Ramona’s Food Group is a family-owned enterprise renowned for its authentic Mexican cuisine. Established in 1947 by Romana Banuelos, the company has evolved from supplying tortillas to becoming a staple in frozen Mexican foods, remaining committed to its heritage and quality.

Founded in 1947, Ramona’s began as a tortilla supplier before expanding into frozen foods in the early 1970s.

The company prides itself on using 100-year-old recipes, maintaining authenticity and tradition amidst industry pressures.

Edward, alongside his cousin Robert, co-owns the company, leveraging their complementary skills to continue its legacy.

Edward describes Ramona’s as a “78-year-old startup,” highlighting its long-standing history combined with a spirit of innovation.

He recounts the company’s origins, emphasizing the resilience shown by founder Romana Banuelos, who started by making tortillas and delivering them on public buses.

Under his leadership, Ramona’s maintained its authentic recipes, resisting changes despite industry trends for substitutions.

The transition to frozen burritos in the 70s marked a significant evolution for the company, building on their experience as a key supplier to Taco Bell.

Edward sees Mexican food’s mainstream popularity as a testament to its dynamic nature, expressing excitement about being part of this culinary evolution

QUOTES

“I always say we’re like a 78-year-old startup. It was started in 1947.” (Edward)

“Our recipes are over 100 years old. Mrs. B carried those recipes from her early days. We have not ventured from those.” (Edward)

“We like to think of ourselves as like the In-N-Out of Mexican food. We do a couple of things. We do them well.” (Edward)

“The family dynamic was not very good. It was quite ugly, actually, which kind of led to our purchase in 2017.” (Edward)

“When we became profitable, that’s when life got slower. We could make better decisions, make better products.” (Edward)

“Culture is the way people act when I’m not here, and I think people are very responsible and when we’re not here, they get it done.” (Edward)

“Mexican food is very exciting, and it’s almost American food now.” (Edward)

Culture Fresh Foods specializes in creating next-generation plant-based dairy products, offering a variety of non-dairy yogurts, sour cream, and cream cheese. The company emphasizes quality and innovation, transforming traditional yogurt plants into centers of plant-based production.

Tom’s passion for food innovation is rooted in his background in food microbiology. His approach focuses on consumer demand, quality standards, and leveraging his dairy experience to excel in plant-based markets. Culture Fresh Foods navigates challenges in plant-based production with a commitment to improving taste and texture.

Tom transitioned from the dairy industry to plant-based products by focusing on consumer desires, emphasizing the importance of “swimming downstream” to meet market demand.

The COVID-19 pandemic posed significant challenges for Culture Fresh Foods, as they opened just weeks before the crisis hit, impacting their market entry.

Tom emphasized the importance of maintaining consistent quality and saw plant-based as a new opportunity, akin to the Greek yogurt revolution.

Sustainability and taste are critical in plant-based consumption, with ongoing improvements in flavor and nutritional profiles narrowing the gap with traditional dairy.

Tom shared insights from his past experiences, highlighting the challenges of balancing entrepreneurial risks with manufacturing capabilities and external market conditions.

The plant-based market is becoming more interchangeable with traditional dairy, driven by consumer preferences and innovative product offerings like coconut yogurt and non-dairy ice cream.

Culture Fresh Foods focuses on bulk products like coconut yogurt parfaits and oat milk for cold brew coffee, tapping into consumer trends and preferences, particularly among younger demographics.

Tom’s entrepreneurial journey includes taking calculated risks, investing in quality, and navigating the complexities of plant-based product development to meet evolving consumer demands.

QUOTES

“I figured why swim upstream? You might as well just swim downstream and give people what they want.” (Tom)

“I opened my doors in March of 2020, about two weeks before COVID. That really sucked, to be honest.” (Tom)

“I’m a food microbiologist. I get really excited about yogurt.” (Tom)

“For me, it’s all about food safety, food quality and quality really means if you have a cup of my yogurt today, it’s the exact same cup of yogurt you have three months from now.” (Tom)

“Protein is massive and low sugar. Those are the two big things. It’s got to taste great.” (Tom)

“I don’t think (plant-based) will replace dairy in my lifetime. I think it’s just going to become more interchangeable.” (Tom)

“Coconut yogurts sell the best. Why? Because they taste the best.” (Tom)

Tasty Duck is a vertically integrated duck operation headquartered in Pennsylvania, with a legacy dating back to 1933. The company supplies premium Pekin duck to top restaurants, retailers and international markets.

The Jurgielewicz family can trace their duck lineage directly back to the original Long Island breeds—making them unique in the industry.

The business is fully integrated: they hatch, raise, process and distribute their ducks while partnering with local family farms.

Tasty Duck emphasizes sustainability, using feathers for pillows, composting manure for fertilizer and producing single-ingredient pet treats from unused duck parts.

Their duck products are increasingly accessible to consumers thanks to pre-cooked items and partnerships with national retailers like Whole Foods.

Tasty Duck is rooted in legacy but built for today. Joey’s great-grandfather started farming ducks in 1933, and the operation now spans generations and innovations.

Joey believes duck should be more than a fine dining staple. He’s on a mission to make it an everyday option through products like duck carnitas and duck bratwurst.

“A happy duck is a tasty duck.” The company prioritizes animal welfare with clean facilities, careful oversight and expert staff.

Sustainability is built into every layer of the operation—from using feathers for pillows to turning manure into fertilizer.

QUOTES

“We’re not the largest in the world, but we definitely like to say we are the tastiest and the most fun.” (Joey)

“We’re the only one in the duck industry that can trace our roots back to our original breed, our original farm.” (Joey)

“A lot of our fellow duck farmers… they chickenized it. We kept ours as the original strand from Long Island.” (Joey)

“We like to say we have that respect. Duck has a spot on the menu now—it’s not just a special occasion item anymore.” (Joey)

“A happy duck is a tasty duck.” (Joey)

“If I can get people to try it, nine out of ten, if not ten out of ten, I can convince them to put duck on their menu.” (Joey)

“Don’t try too hard. Simpler is better. Duck has a natural flavor—just enjoy it.” (Joey)

“We’re a niche business, so our goal is to create a niche in our niche.” (Joey)

EPISODE 103: Kenny Morrison – Founder of VCC Brands and Pioneer in Cannabis-Infused Beverages

EPISODE 102: Laurel Orley – CEO of Daily Crunch and Innovator in Better-for-You Snacking

EPISODE 101: Judy Joo – Chef, entrepreneur and leading voice in modern Korean cuisine

EPISODE 100: Denise Woodard – CPG entrepreneur and advocate for allergy-friendly snacking

EPISODE 99: Josh Kesler – Restaurateur, community builder and champion of local food and art

EPISODE 98: Peter Newlin – Chief Vision Officer of Gastamo Group

EPISODE 97: Stephanie Jaeger – President of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI)

EPISODE 96: Yanni Hufnagel – Founder of Lemon Perfect

EPISODE 95: Jeff Broadhurst – CEO of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group

EPISODE 94: Clara Paye – Founder & CEO of UNiTE Food

VCC Brands, originally Venice Cookie Company, is a legacy cannabis company focused exclusively on beverages since 2020. Its flagship brand, CQ (Cannabis Quencher), creates micro- and macro-dose drinks designed to be approachable, flavorful and stigma-free.

Founded in Venice Beach, VCC Brands embodies the area’s countercultural spirit with a refined, modern twist. CQ was born partly in response to early San Francisco regulations requiring “cannabis” to appear prominently on product labels. Today, the brand operates in seven states (soon to be eight) through a mix of licensing partnerships and hemp distribution, aiming to normalize cannabis consumption with clean branding, fast-acting nanoemulsification technology, and a lifestyle-oriented appeal.

Kenny got into the cannabis industry by helping friends transition from underground cultivation to legal retail, ultimately co-founding one of LA’s first dispensaries.

VCC Brands began as a baked goods company but pivoted fully to beverages to focus on “the future of drinking.”

CQ Drinks emphasizes approachability by avoiding stereotypical stoner branding and designing products with women and first-time consumers in mind. 

Kenny compares CQ’s brand positioning to “the Corona of cannabis” — a laid-back, beachy vibe grounded in authenticity.

Nanoemulsification helps cannabis beverages hit faster, making them more comparable to alcohol and easing consumer adoption.

Despite being a cannabis entrepreneur, Kenny uses the product less than most of his family and believes in freedom of choice across alcohol and cannabis.

He stresses honesty, reliability, and customer service as keys to building trust in the cannabis space, especially for new users.

Regional product tweaks — like adding seasonal flavors in Massachusetts — have helped CQ Drinks grow in both the dispensary and hemp markets.

QUOTES

“Visiting one of these early stores, it was almost like an anthropological experiment for me, which really just means that I’m a thrill seeker.” (Kenny)

“Ever since I was a little kid, my father never hid his cannabis use from me. Even when I was nine, he’d say, ‘Hey Kenny, I’m going to go get some grass, want to come with me?'” (Kenny)

“We’re basically, you know, the original prohibition cannabis beverage brand… the things we’ve been through to keep this thing alive, it’s a frickin’ novel.” (Kenny)

“The goal is to get to a place where we can really tell that story in sort of a deep, profound way.” (Kenny)

“My theory has just been, look, if girls like to drink it, guys are going to drink it.” (Kenny)

“We’re all trying to target the alcohol consumer looking to moderate their alcohol consumption… and when a cannabis drink affects you as quick as an alcoholic drink does, that’s going to increase consumership.” (Kenny)

“Cannabis should be perceived as a benefit to be promoted rather than a harm to be tolerated.” (Kenny)

“Something that makes cannabis very different than alcohol is because cannabis is non-toxic… tolerances vary far greater than people’s tolerance for alcohol.” (Kenny)

“You’ve got to have great customer service and you’ve got to be honest. Especially in cannabis.” (Kenny)

“]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/FORK_EPImage_KMorrison-copy.png false no 52:27 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/laurel-orley-ceo-of-daily-crunch-and-innovator-in-better-for-you-snacking/ Thu, 22 May 2025 16:19:07 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2718 Laurel Orley is the founder and CEO of Daily Crunch Snacks and a mission-driven entrepreneur with a background in advertising. After more than a decade building major brands like Dove at Unilever, she transitioned to launch her own company focused on health, flavor, and impact.

Daily Crunch Snacks is a women-owned snack brand offering sprouted, air-dried almonds and other nut blends with bold, innovative flavors. Rooted in a family recipe and a mission to support mental health, the brand emphasizes clean ingredients, sustainability, and crave-worthy crunch.

Laurel launched Daily Crunch with her aunt Diane, who developed the unique sprouting process after studying brain health in India.

The brand debuted in March 2020—days before the COVID-19 shutdown—and adapted its launch strategy for a digital-first world.

Daily Crunch has since expanded into 6,000+ stores and was named the 13th fastest-growing food and beverage company by Inc.

Laurel is a board member of the Upcycled Food Association and a member of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2024.

The brand’s mental health mission is personal: Laurel’s cousin lost his life to bipolar disorder, inspiring her family to create The Support Network, which Daily Crunch supports financially and publicly.

Laurel’s experience on Dove’s Real Beauty campaign taught her the power of mission-driven marketing and authenticity.

The sprouting process transforms the texture of almonds, making them crisp and chip-like while improving digestibility.

Product innovation stems from a blend of trend reports, consumer feedback, and Laurel’s own flavor instincts—like turmeric & sea salt or Nashville Hot.

Collaborations, like their Fly By Jing partnership, are a strategic focus for driving awareness and reaching new audiences.

Upcycling ingredients—such as pickle ends from Cleveland Kitchen—helps reduce waste and differentiate flavor profiles.

Daily Crunch doesn’t lead with its mission, but invites consumers to discover its mental health advocacy as they dig deeper into the brand.

QUOTES

“I wanted to launch a brand with a mission that I believed in. Our mission is actually mental health awareness.” (Laurel)

“Soaking nuts removes phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, making them more bioavailable, easier to digest and more nutrient dense.” (Laurel)

“The crunch is what gets people in. It’s lighter, airier, crunchier. Honestly, it’s like a chip.” (Laurel)

“You’re always going to have setbacks. My motto is always two steps forward, one step back.” (Laurel)

“We had to throw out 20,000 pounds of almonds and I didn’t have the right insurance for it. I almost threw in the towel.” (Laurel)

“There’s a fine balance between mental and physical health. It all ladders back up to brain health.” (Laurel)

“When you see someone in the wild buying your product, it’s the best feeling. I was hiding behind a pillar at the airport.” (Laurel)

“The savory-sweet combo is really resonating right now. Our last two launches were savory, but you can definitely do both.” (Laurel)

Judy is the founder of Seoul Bird, a Korean fast-casual fried chicken concept with locations in London, New York, Las Vegas, and beyond.Seoul Bird merges bold Korean street food flavors with the speed and scale of modern dining, combining Judy’s culinary heritage and operational expertise.

Before launching her restaurant empire, Judy trained at the French Culinary Institute, worked in Michelin-starred restaurants like The French Laundry and Gordon Ramsay’s empire, and became a recognizable face on Food Network. 

Seoul Bird is expanding through a strategic mix of franchising and licensing, including high-traffic venues like Citi Field and Edinburgh Airport.

Judy left Wall Street to pursue her passion for food, trading finance for the kitchen with zero expectations—just love for cooking.

Her engineering and banking backgrounds continue to shape how she designs restaurants and runs operations at scale.

As a Korean-American woman in male-dominated fields—finance, engineering, and restaurants—Judy forged ahead with “fearlessness or I just don’t care” confidence.

She believes “today’s invention is tomorrow’s tradition,” especially in defining authenticity in global cuisines like Korean fried chicken.

Seoul Bird thrives in arenas and airports, offering high-volume, high-flavor experiences with a focus on simplicity, quality, and cultural storytelling.

She emphasizes the power of brand building—through books, TV, and food—as key to her business success.

Judy finds inspiration everywhere, from grocery store aisles to international travel, always absorbing and evolving her culinary creativity.

She’s proud to see Korean food embraced globally, transforming from a source of school-lunch embarrassment into a pop-culture phenomenon.

QUOTES

“I love creating experiences. I love creating meals. I love food. I love the language of food. It is a language of love for me.” (Judy)

“I’m going to downgrade my life in every way possible and work weekends and evenings and much longer hours and get paid a fraction of what I was getting paid.” (Judy)

“I remember hesitating. Like, which one do I want to do? I was like, oh, math and science is easy for me. I’ll go to engineering school.” (Judy)

“If I want to be in these industries where I am the one and only minority, the one and only female, I don’t care. I’m going to do it.” (Judy)

“A restaurant is a business at the end of the day. You have to know cost control, maximize profits, and understand finance.” (Judy)

“I know so many chefs who can’t even get their way around an Excel spreadsheet.” (Judy)

“Koreans are obsessed with fried chicken. Obsessed. Obsessed.” (Judy)

“Today’s invention is tomorrow’s tradition. Korean fried chicken came from war and evolved. Is it authentic? I think so.” (Judy)

“I’ve gone from being embarrassed about my lunchbox to everybody spamming me, asking, ‘What are they eating? What are they drinking?'” (Judy)

“As long as the DNA is there—that makes it Korean.” (Judy)

“Television cheffing is much easier. You’re in a nice air-conditioned studio versus burning yourself and dealing with employees.” (Judy) https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FORK_EPImage_JJoo-copy.png false no 43:34 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/denise-woodard-cpg-entrepreneur-and-advocate-for-allergy-friendly-snacking/ Thu, 08 May 2025 18:34:28 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2670 Denise Woodard is the founder and CEO of Partake Foods. She launched the brand after her daughter was diagnosed with multiple food allergies. A former Coca-Cola executive, Denise became the first Black woman to publicly raise over $1 million for a CPG food startup.

Partake Foods creates delicious, allergy-friendly snacks that are free from the top nine allergens. With a mission rooted in inclusivity and accessibility, the brand is now available in over 18,000 stores nationwide and continues to grow through innovation and community impact.

The brand’s name, “Partake,” reflects Denise’s desire for her daughter and others with allergies to fully participate in the joy of food.

Denise’s journey began with a pitch competition and a nudge from her nanny, Martha—who now holds equity in the business.

Partake has collaborated with major partners like Marvel and Sesame Street, and has donated over one million boxes of cookies to support families in need.

The company is deeply involved in social impact initiatives, including work with No Kid Hungry and the Food Equality Initiative.

Denise founded Partake to create allergy-safe foods her daughter could enjoy, after struggling to find suitable options in the market.

Leaving Coca-Cola, she underestimated how challenging it would be to build a brand from scratch without the resources of a large company.

Getting allergy-friendly products manufactured required finding rare, specialized partners willing to work with a startup founder.

Her family—especially her daughter—has been central to the business journey, often pitching in during trade shows and events.

Denise emphasizes leading with great taste rather than a long list of dietary claims when introducing products to new consumers.

Building strong retail partnerships is about follow-through, not just shelf placement—it requires active investment and support.

She believes inclusivity should be embedded naturally into company culture, hiring, and investor relationships.

To stay energized, Denise now prioritizes time for reflection, creativity, and rest, recognizing the importance of long-term sustainability.

QUOTES

“I sought out products that she could eat and enjoy safely and that we could eat as a family together and couldn’t find the things that I was looking for and decided to do something about it.” (Denise)

“I knew enough to be dangerous. I could speak the lingo. I knew the acronyms. I did not realize what I was in for.” (Denise)

“There’s not very many allergy friendly contract manufacturers. So calling someone up and getting them to agree to work with a woman with an idea was definitely a challenge.” (Denise)

“Being an entrepreneur is a family sport. My daughter too, I think about all the sacrifice that she made. She can probably put together a trade show booth faster than most adults.” (Denise)

“It feels like a game of whack-a-mole. It’s like you think you got one thing covered and then, oh, tariffs or something. Every week there’s a new adventure.” (Denise)

“The name Partake originally came from this idea that I wanted my daughter and people with food allergies to be able to partake.” (Denise)

“You’re nothing if you have a story with no good product. And honestly, the same if you have a good product but nothing to talk about.” (Denise)

“I want my employees to feel like they have the freedom to be able to do the same thing because I think this whole idea of separating your personal life and work life isn’t healthy for anyone.” (Denise)

“I’ve just started this practice. Making time to think and be inspired]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/05/FORK_EPImage_DWoodard-copy.png false no 34:32 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/stephanie-jaeger-president-of-les-dames-descoffier-international-ldei/ Thu, 27 Mar 2025 18:08:32 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2618 Stephanie Jaeger is the President of Les Dames d’Escoffier International (LDEI) and a veteran of the restaurant industry with over 35 years of experience. She also serves as a Learning and Development Specialist for the Joey Restaurant Group, where she focuses on training and team culture.

LDEI is a global philanthropic organization of women leaders in food, beverage, and hospitality. With over 2,800 members across 42 chapters worldwide, LDEI supports women through scholarships, mentorship, and networking opportunities to elevate and advance their careers.

Founded in response to the exclusion of women from the all-male “Friends of Escoffier” society, LDEI has grown into a powerful network that champions leadership, education, and community. Under Stephanie’s leadership, the organization is expanding its reach, including new chapters in Mexico and Italy, and launching new initiatives like the M.F.K. Fisher Symposium for Women’s Food and Storytelling.

LDEI was born from a desire to give women a seat at the culinary table—where they had previously been excluded—and now supports thousands of members across the globe.

Stephanie initially joined LDEI over 20 years ago and, inspired by mentorship and a desire to represent a global voice, rose through the ranks to become its international president.

“You have to see it to be it”—Stephanie emphasized the importance of visibility and representation for women in leadership across hospitality and culinary fields.

Mentorship is central to LDEI’s mission; the organization provides not just scholarships, but ongoing personal support to help women succeed in their careers.

While representation at the top is critical, Stephanie believes respect and equality must also be reinforced in everyday kitchen culture and among mid-level staff.

LDEI’s upcoming M.F.K. Fisher Symposium will spotlight women in food media and storytelling, creating a space for inspiration, connection, and collaboration.

Stephanie’s work at Joey Restaurant Group complements her LDEI leadership, allowing her to show women within the organization that there’s always a next step in their careers.

Despite growth, barriers like unconscious bias and lack of access to education persist in the industry, making LDEI’s mission more relevant than ever.

QUOTES

“I either needed to step up or step aside. So here I am stepping up and excited about it.” (Stephanie)

“You have to see it to be it. You have to see somebody in that position, and I would encourage anybody in the industry to put a woman in that leadership position so that somebody younger can see themselves there too.” (Stephanie)

“Every time I see a woman in the industry, she’s breaking a barrier. She’s showing that it’s possible. She’s showing me that I can do it too. And every time I see a woman on the Food Network or read about one taking on a leadership role, it’s one more reminder that we belong.” (Stephanie)

“We need to make sure that women are not only in the kitchen, but treated with respect and equals. It’s not just about being there—it’s about being seen, being supported, and being recognized as just as capable.” (Stephanie)

“Mentorship is the ability to talk about your experiences in a positive way—not in a ‘you’ll never get there’ way, but ‘look what I’ve done, and you can too.’ It’s not about gatekeeping—it’s about opening doors and saying, ‘Come on in, let me show you how I did it.’” (Stephanie)

“Asking for help really can come down to just ]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/03/FORK_EPImage_SJaeger-copy.png false no 35:46 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/yanni-hufnagel-founder-of-lemon-perfect/ Fri, 14 Mar 2025 13:46:04 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2598 Yanni Hufnagel, a former college basketball coach turned entrepreneur, is the founder and CEO of Lemon Perfect, a fast-growing enhanced water brand. With a background in coaching at top programs like Harvard and Vanderbilt, Hufnagel applied his competitive drive and leadership skills to disrupt the beverage industry with a health-focused, innovative brand.

Lemon Perfect is a fast-growing beverage brand redefining the enhanced water category with its refreshing, zero-sugar, lemon-infused drinks. Made from organic lemons and packed with antioxidants and electrolytes, Lemon Perfect delivers great taste and hydration without artificial ingredients, appealing to health-conscious consumers seeking a flavorful, better-for-you alternative.

Lemon Perfect offers a lineup of refreshing, zero-sugar, lemon-infused beverages made from organic, hand-picked lemons. Packed with antioxidants, electrolytes, and vitamin C, the brand’s flavors include classics like Original Lemon and fan-favorites like Dragon Fruit Mango, Peach Raspberry, and Blueberry Acai. The drinks are cold-pressed, keto-friendly, and designed for guilt-free hydration.

Lemon Perfect has rapidly expanded its distribution footprint, securing shelf space in major retailers like Whole Foods, Target, Kroger, Publix, and Costco, while also growing its presence in convenience stores, gyms, and online marketplaces nationwide.

Yanni was inspired to create the Lemon Perfect brand in 2017 after a chance encounter with a man who introduced him to drinking organic lemon water each morning as part of his daily routine. 

Squeezing and juicing lemons each morning was a hassle and Yanni was determined to create a product that took the work out of drinking organic lemon water. 

Seven years after launching the brand, Lemon Perfect has sold more than 100 million bottles.

In early 2020, Beyonce featured a bottle of Lemon Perfect in one of her Instagram posts. It gave the brand a boost. In April 2022, she became a key investor in the brand.

QUOTES

“So many parallels between coaching and entrepreneurship and running a business. At the core, you’re telling a story. Being a great storyteller is probably the most important skill you can have as a recruiter and as a college baseball coach. [As an entrepreneur] being able to tell a story is also important, and it all starts with the product.” (Yanni) 

“There’s a difference between selling and presenting. I’ve always felt like presenting was more important than selling. I’ve always tried to present our story and vision and not sell it.” (Yanni) 

“I was having lunch with an angel investor and I said ‘John, what do you think about this idea?’ and he said ‘I love it. Anything you can build that captures a piece of someone’s daily routine is worth going for. You can build a business around it.’ “ (Yanni) 

“We’ve sold 100 million bottles. How do you sell one billion? In America and beyond, they don’t read words, they read pictures on packaging. Putting fruit on the (packaging) was a big decision. Simplifying our message.” (Yanni) 

“We had an incredible entrepreneurial culture for the first five years and then we lost our way a little bit. I’ve been focused in the last six months or so on refinding our entrepreneurial way. When you’re building a beverage and you have to scratch and claw and fight and bleed every day, you need that.” (Yanni) 

“You have to have a relentless motor and I think we have a group that will do that.” (Yanni)

Parkhurst Dining, a division of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group, provides customized dining solutions for universities, corporations, and cultural institutions. With a focus on fresh, locally sourced ingredients and scratch-made meals, Parkhurst emphasizes hospitality, sustainability, and culinary excellence, creating memorable dining experiences tailored to each client’s needs.

Jeff said the decision to create Parkhurst Dining was rooted in the desire to focus on an industry that they knew well – food. 

Eat’n Park’s FarmSource program, launched in 2002, partners with local farms to source fresh, sustainable ingredients, supporting regional agriculture while delivering high-quality, farm-to-table meals.

In 2024, Eat’n Park celebrated its 75th anniversary and has nearly 60 locations in Pennsylvania, Ohio and West Virginia.The restaurant has been a family business since the 1970s. 

Jeff Broadhurst is the President and CEO of Eat’n Park Hospitality Group. He joined the company in 1996, became President in 2006, and CEO in 2008. Under his leadership, the company has expanded to include multiple dining concepts and emphasizes community engagement and sustainability. 

Jeff works side-by-side with his brothers, Brooks (Senior Vice President of Food and Beverage) and Mark (Vice President of Corporate Dining & Retail Development).

In the midst of COVID, Eat’n Park turned heads by opening a new location in Butler, PA. Jeff called the decision a “leap of faith” but said the decision showed employees and customers that Eat’n Park was strong and focused on growth. 

Eat’n Park’s Smiley Cookies debuted in the 1980s as a way to bring joy to guests, especially children. Originally hand-decorated with bright icing and a signature smile, these cookies quickly became a beloved brand symbol. Today, they are shared nationwide, spreading Eat’n Park’s message of kindness and hospitality.

QUOTES

“There are challenges (with working with family). There are challenges in any business, but there are a lot more positives.” (Jeff) 

“During COVID it was really nice having family there. Dealing with what we went through. That was the one thing that you really needed people that you trusted and respected and, in many cases, loved.” (Jeff)

“When new management comes in I always tell them one thing: You can never have too much fun in the role.” (Jeff) 

“My mother was always talking about treating people the way you want them to treat you.” (Jeff)

“(The Smiley Cookies) are all about creating a smile. That’s what it’s led into.” (Jeff)

“Community involvement is a big part of our culture and a big part of who we are.” (Jeff) 

“A lot of our focus right now is continuing to invest in the brand – a 75-year-old brand.” (Jeff) 

“What we have to do in the restaurant industry is anticipating the guest needs. What are they going to want tomorrow, next week, next year?” (Jeff)

“A lot of our innovation is about helping our team members have a more rewarding job and career. You can never forget about the importance of our team members.” (Jeff)

Clara often relied on protein bars during her busy career but found the available flavors uninspiring. Drawing from her diverse culinary background, she recognized a gap in the market for culturally diverse flavors. 

Clara’s father is an entrepreneur. Her family immigrated from Sudan when she was five years old. When they arrived in the United States, her father started a plumbing supply distribution business, which is the business Clara worked in earlier in her career. 

The idea for UNiTE was something Clara started thinking about in 2018 or 2019 while she was still working in her family’s plumbing business. She began experimenting with different recipes and products in her kitchen in the early days of the pandemic in 2020.

Clara often visits ethnic markets to learn about new flavors for new products. She also studied flavors and what people were eating when she traveled abroad. 

QUOTES

“If I’m anything, I’m a very curious person. I’m curious about how the world works and I’m curious about why segments of the population aren’t being served.” (Clara) 

“If you focus on your customers, they will reward you with loyalty. And if they reward you with loyalty, your revenue will grow. If you create value, why would somebody leave you?” (Clara)

“For me, it was about making sure we were taking care of our customers. That was the winning strategy. It sounds really simple, but it’s way harder to execute.” (Clara)

“Business is a framework. Once you understand product liability, you understand how to insure against it. You learn about the certifying bodies in your industry. It’s hard and it’s not (hard).” (Clara)

“It’s really about building relationships. Mutually beneficial relationships.” (Clara) 

“When you’re over 40 and you created a new business, you’re usually not doing it for money, you’re doing it to try to make the world a better place.” (Clara)

“I wanted to find common ground. Let’s find flavors that will resonate with lots of people.” (Clara)

“The essence of the UNiTE brand is to seek to understand and seek to find common ground instead of focusing on how we’re different.” (Clara)

“At the end of the day, consumers want authenticity and they want brands that create products that are meaningful to them. (Clara)

“I don’t really worry about copycat brands. I worry more when they stop copying me.” (Clara)

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.49

vigorbranding

All right. Hello, everyone. Welcome to Fork Tales. I’m Michael Pavone. Our guest today is Clara Paye. And I’ve known Clara for a long time. ah She is from Unite Foods. ah Unite’s line of nutritious bars are built around the concept of global flavors, but also comfort foods. Clara has started a brand that’s redefining what protein and nutrition bars can be, and I’m happy to have her as a guest. Clara, welcome.

00:25.55

Clara Paye _ UNiTE

Thanks, Michael. Good to be here.

]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/FORK_EPImage_CPaye-copy.png false no 44:19 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/season-7-highlights/ Fri, 20 Dec 2024 05:56:24 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2534 EPISODE 92 – Stephen Baldi – President of Baldi Management Group 

EPISODE 91 – Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli – Managing Partners of Golden Steer

EPISODE 90 – Anand Gala – Managing partner of Gala Capital Partners

EPISODE 89 – Andy Gellert – President of Gellert Global 

EPISODE 88 – Shannon O’Shields – VP of Marketing for Rubix Foods

EPISODE 87 – Doug Renfro – President of Renfro Foods and Salsa Creator Extraordinaire 

EPISODE 86 – Burney Jennings – Executive Chairman of Biscuitville 

EPISODE 85 – Ben Jacobs – Chef, founder of Tocabe and Native local pioneer 

Established in 2008, BMG operates various food and beverage outlets, including franchises like Dunkin’ Donuts, Potbelly, and Smashburger. 

Stephen is an alumnus of Georgetown University, where he was a Community Scholar and student-athlete. He attributes his success to mentorship and now mentors young people, aiming to provide growth opportunities within his company. 

As founder-led company, Stephen has formed connections with other DC-based founder-led restaurants like Founding Famers and Timber Pizza as well as with larger national brands. 

About 15-20% of BMG’s customers are employees from the airport itself. 

Stephen is a strong advocate of mentorship and helping employees grow and advance within an organization, even if it means the employee leaving the organization for a better opportunity.

QUOTES

“My commitment to making meaningful connections with people comes from way back then when I was forced to do it, not only because of who I am but my circumstances and I’ve tried to carry that out through my career and my life.” (Stephen) 

“There’s something different about a founder-led company, because you’ve built it.” (Stephen)

“Airports are a wonderful place to work. Once you end up in this ecosystem, it’s hard to walk away.” (Stephen)

“(In airports), the passengers are dynamic. We get to meet and connect with them all. We have the privilege of participating in whatever journey people are on every day and the following day, we get a whole new group of people.” (Stephen) 

“The (airport concessions and restaurant industry) is about an $8 billion a year industry nationally but the industry is controlled by about 20 key companies. It’s a small ecosystem.” (Stephen) 

“Operating a streetside restaurant versus a restaurant in an airport is a completely different sport. The speed, the requirements, the logistical challenges (of being an in airport), all of our crewmembers have to go through background checks. Unless you’re a serious player, you’re not trying to participate in airports.” (Stephen) 

“We encourage our crewmembers just to meet people where they are. It may be the 50th time you’ve welcomed someone to our restaurant but it’s the first time you’ve spoken to the person in front of you. You should be additive to their experience and not add additional stress or complications.” (Stephen) 

“We welcome the chaos. When it’s raining and snowing outside and your flights are delayed, we kind of welcome that because that means we get to hang out with you a little bit longer.” (Stephen) 

“If I bring in someone as a front line worker who’s pouring coffee, if they’re still pouring coffee in three years, both them and the organization has done something wrong. We want to scale people up.” (Stephen) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.9900:01.99

vigorbranding

Hey folks, welcome to Fork Tales, and I’m excited. Today’s guest is Stephen Baldi He’s the founder and president of Baldi Management Group. Baldy Management Group is an airport concessions and management consulting company. It’s a mouthful there. ah Manages concessions in Reagan National Airport, JFK International Airport,]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/12/FORK_EPImage_SBaldi-copy.jpg false no 50:36 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/nick-mcmillan-and-amanda-signorelli-managing-partners-of-the-golden-steer/ Wed, 13 Nov 2024 20:30:11 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2486 The Golden Steer Steakhouse, established in 1958, is Las Vegas’s oldest continuously operating steakhouse. It has been a favored dining spot for numerous celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe. The restaurant is renowned for its classic ambiance, featuring red leather booths named after its famous patrons, tuxedoed servers, and tableside preparations of Caesar salads and flambéed desserts.

One diner once said, “The Golden Steer feels like the soul of Las Vegas.” 

Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli are the managing partners of the Golden Steer. Nick & Amanda took over as managing partners in 2018. Amanda’s father, Dr. Michael Signorelli, purchased the Golden Steer in 2001. 

Nick has spent his career building companies in both the technology and food industries. Amanda’s background is in the tech industry.

Nick and Amanda created a mail order offering called Goldbelly in 2020 as a way to offset the impact of lost sales during COVID. The online sales continue today with a variety of high end seasonings and compound butters.

Customer service and hospitality is a key part of the Golden Steer brand and they live that philosophy every day. It includes simple things like answering phones with a human voice, which Golden Steer has hired staff members to do.  

The Golden Steer has worked hard to build its social media presence, becoming one of the most viewed steakhouses on TikTok and using the channel to create offers that drive traffic to the restaurant. 

QUOTES

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.94

vigorbranding

Hello, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m Michael Pavone, and we’re really excited about this episode. This is gonna be a fun story. There’s a list, obviously, of truly legendary restaurants right in in the United States, but the Golden Steer in Las Vegas is one of those restaurants. it’s It’s the oldest continually operating steakhouse in Las Vegas, and our guests today are Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli. I’m Italian, so I got that right, right?

00:29.18

Nick _ Amanda

Nailed it.

00:29.73

vigorbranding

yeah Okay. So the managing partners, the Golden Steer, the Golden Steer is a steak house that became a regular stop of Fr]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/FORK_EPImage_NMcMillan-copy.jpg false no 43:27 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/anand-gala-managing-partner-of-gala-capital-group/ Mon, 21 Oct 2024 14:45:19 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2449 Anand is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gala Capital Partners, a diversified investment and holding company with interests in chain restaurants, software & technology, real estate development, franchising and public equities investment. He has spent the past 35 years in various executive capacities within the Software, Real Estate & Restaurant Industries.

Gala Capital Partners invests in (among other things) restaurants. The current portfolio includes CiCi’s Pizza, Famous Dave’s Barbeque, Rusty Taco and MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes.

Anand grew up in the restaurant industry. His mother was an early franchisee with Jack in the Box. 

Anand’s parents knew the restaurant industry was a difficult career path, so they encouraged Anand to pursue other careers. He graduated from USC with a degree in biology, but he was drawn back into the family business and fell in love with it all over again. 

When it comes to restaurants to invest in, Gala Capital Partners focuses on five key categories: burgers, chicken, tacos/Mexican, pizza and coffee. 

The brands that Gala Capital Partners focus on are between 25-350 units. They call those “adolescent brands.”  

When evaluating successful franchises, Anand starts with the quality of the food. Focusing on quality and taste is the easiest way for a restaurant to stand out from the competition. 

QUOTES

“(The restaurant industry) is usually the first job for many young adults and teenagers. It teaches them work ethic, it teaches them responsibility.” (Anand)

“When I returned to the (restaurant) business after university, I realized I could learn about finance, I could learn about accounting, I could learn about marketing, I could learn about HR, I could learn about IT, I could get into real estate. It was so multi-dimensional. It was remarkable and it just captivated me.” (Anand) 

“There were many, many humbling experiences. When you’re 25 you have a great deal of confidence and bravado. I had a couple lessons that I learned the hard way and I think I’m far better off for it today.” (Anand) 

“I’d encourage each and every (restaurant) executive to go work a week and do that every single year. You don’t know what a franchisee goes through and you don’t know what a store manager goes through until you’ve done it.” (Anand)

“Each and every one of our restaurant brands plays a significant role in how you serve the customer.” (Anand) 

“Our typical franchisee and the ideal profile is somebody who is new to franchising and really wants to get into the business and work in the business and be hands on in the stores. Or it’s going to be someone in a smaller market of the family business and they’ve got anywhere from 3 to 30 locations and they really love being hands on and involved.” (Anand) 

“We want very active and hands on operators. People who want to be there and build relationships with their leadership teams, with their managers, with their employees. They want to participate and support their local communities. Those are the folks we’re looking for.” (Anand) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.44

vigorbranding

Hello, everyone. Today’s guest is Anand Gala of Gala Capital Partners. Put simply, Anand is an investor, and one of those investments is restaurants. But I’ve known him for quite a while, and I’m always blown away by his stories, his growth, and and everything in between. So this will be a great conversation. Anand, welcome to Fork Tales. Thanks for doing this program.

  https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FORK_EPImage_AGala-copy.jpg false no 40:12 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/andy-gellert-president-of-gellert-global-group/ Mon, 14 Oct 2024 00:14:25 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2421 Andy is president of Gellert Global Group. The company imports more than 5,500 unique food items from more than 60 countries and is one of the largest food importers in the world. Gellert Global Group is home to 12 companies, led by Atalanta, the largest privately-held food importer in the U.S.

Gellert Global is a third-generation family-run business. The Gellert Global Group comprises many of the leading North American food-importing companies and has been importing food products for over 100 years. The combined revenues of the Group exceed $1.7 billion.

The Gellert Global family includes Andy’s sister, brother and cousin. Andy’s father and uncle are also part of the company. Andy’s father, George, was recently inducted into the New Jersey business hall of fame. 

Gellert Global’s goal is to be a part of every food and beverage experience. 

Andy and his team use a variety of factors to determine which products and brands to partner with, including trends and the needs of customers.

QUOTES

“Some of these family businesses and you hear about fighting and people not getting along. I think we’re successful because we keep growing and there’s enough things for everyone to do and for everyone to bring value.” (Andy) 

“You want (joining the family business) to happen organically. It’s a fun business. There’s opportunities for (family) to join if they want. There’s no obligation to come in. We’d like them to come in, but we don’t want to make a rule that they have to come in.” (Andy) 

“Network is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. Being a part of YPO (Young President’s Organization), I love leveraging my network. I like investing in early-stage CPG’s and helping and leading them to other opportunities.” (Andy) 

“We don’t want to lose direction. We’re very big and we’re happy where we are but we’re not in a rush to get to two billion. We’re going to get there smart. If it means pairing down and doing SKU rationalization to be more profitable, all the better.” (Andy) 

“It’s really all about efficiency. As you get bigger you can be more efficient, but you have to be diligent.” (Andy) 

“We’re an importer of products so our products are expensive already. We’re always looking for ways to (save). You always have to turn over rocks to look for more opportunities.” (Andy) 

“I love eating. I love food experiences. I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and saying ‘Just surprise me. Just give me what you do best.’” (Andy) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.45

Andy Gellert

Bye.

00:01.87

vigorbranding

Hey there, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m ah Michael Pavone, and I’m happy to really get a chance to talk to a good friend of mine. ah Today we have Andy Gellert here. He’s a good friend I’ve known for and respected for a long, long time. Andy’s the president of Gellert Global Group, one of the largest food importers in the world. ah They import more than 2,500 product lines from more than 60 countries. Andy, thank you so much for being here.

00:27.05

Andy Gellert

Mike, always a pleasure, always great seeing you, and nice seeing your smiling face, and I love hanging out with you. We’re always having a lot of fun together.

00:34.39

vigorbranding

Yeah, absolutely. You know, if they if they have music for this in the beginning, you know, I was going to, I was going to change up our, our forktails music and have a little.

00:41.1]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/10/FORK_EPImage_AGellert-copy.jpg false no 30:47 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-88-shannon-oshields-vp-of-marketing-for-rubix-foods-and-gen-z-whisperer/ Mon, 30 Sep 2024 15:23:22 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2399 Shannon is VP of Marketing for Rubix Foods. Rubix bills itself as “a premier culinary and food science-focused provider of flavor and functional ingredients, offering up insight-driven concepts and breakthrough food solutions for industry leading restaurants, retailers and manufacturers in the United States.”

Rubix works with about 70% of the top QSR and FSR chains with a focus on sauces, glazes and spreads. Rubix has a full R&D team that works on new flavors and processes to help with shelf life and other factors. 

Consumers today demand specific flavors from specific parts of the world. 

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry faces unique challenges in product development. Scaling products to meet operational demands, managing supply chains, and maintaining cost-effectiveness are all critical. 

Products must also maintain consistent taste, shelf stability, and not require refrigeration, adding to the complexity. This differs from fine dining, where chefs can source fresh ingredients from farmers’ markets and prepare them on-site. The technicalities involved in QSR make the development process much more intricate and demanding compared to traditional restaurant models.

Rubix Foods created the NEXT Flavor Network, an insight generator comprised of an exclusive group of social influencers who have joined the Rubix team to bring Gen Z-approved concepts to restaurant menus.

QUOTES

“What really sets (Rubix Foods) apart is the market research and consumer insights, which plays a huge role in what we do, and also speed-to-market. Because of our size and the team members that we have here we are able to be much more nimble and agile.” (Shannon) 

“We’re able to help restaurants capitalize on (flavor trends) at the peak of their virality and take advantage of trends much faster than (competitors).” (Shannon) 

“Gen Z is the most diverse demographic in history and they’re really excited about trying new flavors. Social media is a part of that.” (Shannon) 

“We’re seeing a lot of really exciting flavor profiles entering the marketplace. Like Korean flavors and Korean barbeque, Hawaiian flavors, a lot of spins on tropical and Caribbean flavors. It’s been really exciting. Not much is off limits right now.” (Shannon) 

“We all eat food. We all have our own unique food experiences. So it’s extremely interesting and nuanced and novel to see how other people are experiencing food. Food influencers have really tapped into that.” (Shannon) 

“There are very few companies that can allow brands to take advantage of social trends at the peak of their virality and actually get them on a menu while consumers still care about it. That is what brands need to do if they want to win with Gen Z.” (Shannon)

Founded in 1940, Renfro Foods is owned and managed by the second and third generations of the Renfro family. Its products are sold in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada and the U.K.

As president of Renfro Foods, Doug works closely with his cousins Becky and James to run the company. In particular, Doug focuses on research and development, private label and contract packing, quality assurance, sales and marketing, legal, information technology and a dozen other areas 

Doug and his cousins strive for family harmony in managing the company and don’t make any major decisions without a unanimous vote of support. 

For Doug, one of the benefits of working with family is the ability to be brutally honest with each other and still maintain a civil and professional relationship.  

The team at Renfro Foods pays close attention to flavor trends to identify new salsa flavors. 

QUOTES

“When I got out of college, if I had come to work here I would have been chopping cabbage. The executive positions were filled by my dad and my uncle.” (Doug)

“When I came (to Renfro Foods) I had been in charge of corporate accounting for a billion dollar company. My uncle was still doing pricing on a legal pad with his desk calculator. I said, ‘Here’s a spreadsheet. It’s going to instantaneously recalculate the cost of thousands of items in a millisecond.’ He saw what that did and he said, ‘Can you do that every 90 days from now on?’” (Doug) 

“If you don’t demand as much of your ego to be around, one of the secrets I tell (people) is get somebody without your last name to suggest the same idea you’ve been suggesting that’s been ridiculed and suddenly it’s a great idea.” (Doug)

“If you take business things personally, that screws (family) relationships up.” (Doug) 

“I think we lost money on every jar of Raspberry Chipotle we sold last year. Thankfully we didn’t sell many.” (Doug)

“I want everything on the label to be tasteable but you can’t always afford to do that without losing money,” (Doug) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.23

vigorbranding

All right, hey there, Fork Tales listeners and viewers. I am really happy to be joined today by a good friend of mine, Doug Renfro. Doug is president of Renfro Foods. And I had to say it like 25 times because somehow the word foods after Renfro, I mean, foods in Renfro is easy.

00:13.93

Doug Renfro

sorry

00:15.18

vigorbranding

Renfro Foods, I just struggled. But anyway, ah he is the the the president of Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa. ah Not only are they a family owned company, which always is interesting, but they’re one of the most innovative companies I know. Doug, welcome and thank you very much for joining us and for your time.

00:32.73

Doug Renfro

Thanks, happy to be here.

00:34.60

vigorbranding

So ah you know I’m going to start off by pointing out i’ve I’ve been very fortunate to know you and to ah have your product. And it’s phenomenal. And I’m not just saying that. ah Case in point, I have three jars behind me that were supposed to be props for this presentation. There w]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/FORK_EPImage_DRenfro-copy.jpg false no 31:45 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-86-burney-jennings-executive-chairman-of-biscuitville/ Wed, 21 Aug 2024 13:59:07 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2268 Burney Jennings is the CEO and president of Biscuitville. Burney took over the leadership reins from his father and founder of Biscuitville Maurice Jennings in 1996. Burney’s bold leadership, vision and keen sense of knowing what customers want has contributed to the company’s growth and success. 

Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Biscuitville Fresh Southern is a family-owned company serving authentic Southern food made fresh daily from locally sourced ingredients. Known as the Home of the Biscuit Window Since 1966, Biscuitville serves scratch-made biscuits baked fresh every 15 minutes. 

Biscuitville employs over 2,400 people and operates more than 70 restaurants in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina. In July 2023, Biscuitville was voted the nation’s Best Fast Food Breakfast & Best Regional Fast Food restaurant in the 2023 USA Today Readers’ Choice 10Best contest. 

Burney’s father inherited his mother’s famous biscuit recipe after his ailing mother gave him a choice of his inheritance – the recipe or the farm. Burney’s father chose the recipe and the rest is history. 

Biscuitville has stood out from the competition for not working with food delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub. According to Burney, the decision was based on several factors including the inability to accommodate to-go orders because the restaurant is so busy. 

Biscuitville has made headlines with its “Life After 2” program in which each of its locations close at 2pm each day. The program allows employees to pursue other interests and spend more time with their families. 

QUOTES

“(My grandmother) gave my dad – since he was the oldest – the choice: My biscuit recipe or the farm. He chose the biscuit recipe.” (Burney)

“The key to a good biscuit is love.” (Burney)

“Growing up, my dad was fascinated by chain restaurants. My dad told me, ‘We all know how to make a McDonald’s hamburger. We know the ingredients. It’s not about the burger, it’s how they do it. It’s the system they put in place. It’s the marketing, it’s the brand, it’s the people, it’s the execution.’” (Burney)

“We started closing at 2pm. Our food quality went up, our food costs went down and our employees are much happier. Now of course, you need to be a morning person. If you’re not a morning person, we’re not a good place for you.” (Burney) 

“We really strive to work with local companies first, and if we can’t be local, we work with family businesses.” (Burney) 

“We’ve been able to differentiate ourselves in the breakfast space because we close at 2pm. People know breakfast is our focus.” (Burney) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.01

Burney Jennings

I can, this is not too close.

00:04.65

vigorbranding

No, ye you’re perfect.

00:05.35

Burney Jennings

No video? Okay.

00:06.54

vigorbranding

Yep. Okay. You ready to roll?

00:08.75

Burney Jennings

Now I’m ready to roll.

00:10.09

vigorbranding

All right. Welcome, Fork Tales fans. The best biscuits in the world are made in the South, of course. And the best place to buy those biscuits is a restaurant called Biscuitville. Today’s guest is the chairman of bisop but Biscuitville, Bernie Jennings, and we’re going to talk about biscuits, fam]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/FORK_EPImage_BJennings-copy.jpg false no 32:21 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-85-ben-jacobs-chef-founder-of-tocabe-and-native-local-pioneer/ Thu, 01 Aug 2024 15:38:32 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2229 Ben started Tocabe with his friend and business partner Matthew Chandra. Opened in 2008, Tocabe is one of the only restaurants in Denver specializing in Native and Indigenous cuisine and one of only a handful in the United States. 

Ben is a tribal member of the Osage Nation of northeast Oklahoma. 

Ben also created Seed To Soul, which creates prepared authentic Native American meals for people in need in Native American communities. In Ben’s words, Seed to Soul helps to create and develop a Native food system. 

Tocabe was featured on Diners, Drive-In’s & Dives in 2011. Before the appearance, Tocabe was struggling. After the appearance, business “skyrocketed.” 

Ben admits that operating a Native restaurant isn’t as easy as a burger or pizza restaurant because the food doesn’t have the built in knowledge and familiarity that other restaurants might have. 

QUOTES

“Whenever someone asks me ‘What is Native American cuisine?’, I don’t know. And that’s the whole point. We’re all so different depending on the region and tribal community.” (Ben) 

“I always like to say we’re the oldest cultures on the continent but in many ways we have the youngest cuisine because it’s not clearly defined.” (Ben) 

“When we started we said we wanted to create the trend for what a Native restaurant is in America.” (Ben) 

“We started with Osage-specific recipes, but now we’re ingredient-driven. We source from native food producers from all over the country.” (Ben) 

On Tocabe’s appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives: “Guy (Fieri) was amazing. He was so fun, he was engaging. He enjoyed being there. You can tell he was into it.” (Ben) 

“For us to be a Native restaurant, we need to support the Native food system. And since it’s so spread out, we can’t always be locally made. So we say ‘Native first, local second.’” (Ben) 

“We source wild rice from the Great Lakes, blueberries from Maine, huckleberries from Washington state, olive oil from California, beans from the southwest. You name it, we source from all over.” (Ben)

TRANSCRIPT

“Whenever someone asks me ‘What is Native American cuisine?’, I don’t know. And that’s the whole point. We’re all so different depending on the region and tribal community.” (Ben) 

“I always like to say we’re the oldest cultures on the continent but in many ways we have the youngest cuisine because it’s not clearly defined.” (Ben) 

“When we started we said we wanted to create the trend for what a Native restaurant is in America.” (Ben) 

“We started with Osage-specific recipes, but now we’re ingredient-driven. We source from native food producers from all over the country.” (Ben) 

On Tocabe’s appearance on Diners, Drive-Ins & Dives: “Guy (Fieri) was amazing. He was so fun, he was engaging. He enjoyed being there. You can tell he was into it.” (Ben) 

“For us to be a Native restaurant, we need to support the Native food system. And since it’s so spread out, we can’t always be locally made. So we say ‘Native first, local second.’” (Ben) 

“We source wild rice from the Great Lakes, blueberries from Maine, huckleberries from Washington state, olive oil from California, beans from the southwest. You name it, we source from all over.” (Ben)

Roboburger RoboBurger was invented by Audley Wilson, a data scientist; Dan Braido, a Rutgers PhD grad; and Andy Siegel, a serial entrepreneur. Audley and his team have been working on Roboburger for about five years but Audley’s passion for robotics goes all the way back to his childhood. 

Audley has been passionate about robotics and automation from a young age, and one of his teenage years robotics prototypes got him a scholarship at Carnegie Mellon. 

RoboBurger was in beta phase up until SharkTank. They launched their first beta location in a dive bar in Jersey City in 2020. They launched an NSF-certified model in 2022. The units now – generation 5 – are UL certified and are launching in locations from Indiana to Missouri. 

Future locations for Roboburger machines include colleges, airports and rest stops. 

Friends encouraged Audley to take his idea to Shark Tank since the earliest days of the Roboburger process. Shark Tank producers noticed the media coverage about RoboBurger and reached out to Audley in 2022 with an offer to appear. It wasn’t until 2023 that Audley and his team decided the machine was reach for a prime time appearance. 

QUOTES

“No one ever went bankrupt trying to feed America burgers.” (Michael) 

“One of the biggest challenges (with Roboburger) has been the health requirements. Getting that NSF certification was a gargantuan challenge and getting our UL certification on top of that was even more.” (Audley)

“We clean the griddle after every burger. We do heat sanitization every four hours. We’ve actually got our cleaning process certified by a third party.” (Audley) 

“(One of our goals is to) make food service accessible for vending.” (Audley)

“People are starting to shift to a higher convenience lifestyle. How can I get what I want, when I want it, wherever I am.” (Audley) 

“When you get to Shark Tank, it’s just one go. You’re standing on a carpet. It’s live. There are no cuts.” (Audley)

“Shark Tank was a really interesting experience. I’ve done thousands of pitches over the years, but I’ve never had one (like Shark Tank).” (Audley) 

“We’re very happy with the (Shark Tank) deal. Those are exactly the sharks that we wanted to make a deal with.” (Audley)

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.57

vigorbranding

Hello there to Fork Tales. Today’s guest is Audley Wilson. Now, typically, I have chefs on. Typically, I have restaurateurs. But today, we have a robotics expert. ah He is a burger expert and founder and CEO of Robo Burger, the world’s first burger chef in a vending machine. That’s right. He makes burgers within a vending machine. He also recently appeared on Shark Tank to pitch his idea to the investors. Audley, thank you so much for joining us today.

00:31.42

Audley Wilson

Well, thank you so much, Michael, for having me on. I’m excited to be speaking with you.

00:36.82

vigorbranding

Awesome. wow You and I got to meet, I think it was a little over a year ago and I i saw you then again in LA and]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/07/FORK_EPImage_AWilson-copy.jpg false no 37:52 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-83-craig-bernstein-founder-of-doc-bs-restaurant-bar/ Fri, 28 Jun 2024 15:07:39 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2164 Craig is the founder of Doc B’s Restaurant & Bar. The restaurant is named after Craig’s late father, “Doctor B,” Doc B’s was first opened in Chicago in September 2013 and is a fresh, casual dining concept. Doc B’s has 10 locations in Chicago, Tampa, Ft. Lauderdale, and Coral Gables, FL; Austin, Dallas, and Forth Worth, TX.

Craig was inspired to follow a career in the restaurant industry after meeting Morton’s Steakhouse legend Allen Bernstein at a Knicks game. Craig and his dad talked to Allen at his courtside seats and he later formed a mentor relationship with Craig. 

Craig interviewed Allen Bernstein for a career report in the sixth grade about being a restaurant owner. Allen would later industry Craig to other restaurant industry leaders. 

Doc B’s started as a fast casual restaurant and transformed into a full service restaurant. That shift allowed Doc B’s to offer an elevated food offering and establish a better relationship with customers. 

Different layouts of each Doc B’s location provides opportunities for different design elements and features within each location. 

QUOTES

“(Allen Bernstein) really transformed my life to a certain extent. Allen drove me to pursue a career in the restaurant industry.” (Craig) 

“For me, the idea of hospitality and really going above and beyond for every guest was always really innate in the philosophy of our business. That’s why we transferred to full service.” (Craig)

“It’s about slow and steady growth. Not just growing for growth sake. Really trying to get great real estate, grow organically, grow from within and build the team from within.” (Craig) 

“I know the last chapter of our book. I just don’t know all the pages between today and then.” (Craig) 

“We don’t want to cut costs just to get more bodies inside the restaurant. We want to maintain our integrity, we want to maintain our value on the plate and we don’t want to trim the quality that we offer.” (Craig) 

“We’re traveling. We’re in our restaurants. We’re engaging with the team and engaging with guests. We’re doing constant evaluations of the food and service.” (Craig) 

“It really comes down to letting the general managers own their business and operate it like it was their four walls.” (Craig) 

“What’s fun about my job is you can have a day that’s the easiest day in the world and then you can have another day where nothing is going right.” (Craig)  

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.60

vigorbranding

Hey there hey I’m really excited today to talk to a guest ah a gentleman I met probably a couple months ago something happened there got an error message you the phone expensive fiction problems. She’s got internet connection.

00:20.20

vigorbranding

It’s still going just gonna let rather than stop it ended I think we’ll just I’ll trim this up so you let’s start over. Okay hi I’m really excited about today’s guest mainly because I love a good origin story. Our guest today is Craig Bernstein he’s the founder of dock be’s fresh kitchen restaurants Craig I really appreciate you joining us today. Um, ah you and I met like ah I don’t know a couple months ago out in l a and I got to talking to you and I just love a good story. So welcome to the show]]> 83 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FORK_EPImage_CBernstein-copy.jpg false no 38:45 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-82-martino-brambilla-president-of-embassy-ingredients/ Mon, 10 Jun 2024 15:35:54 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2135 Embassy Ingredients combines creativity and science to provide its customers with the very best innovative flavors and bakery ingredients available. 

Embassy Ingredients has an on-site flavor lab and full bakery test kitchen staffed with certified flavorists, food scientists and bakery specialists.They formulate, test and manufacture a wide range of flavors and bakery ingredients ensuring that taste, quality and performance are built into every product.

Natural ingredients and colors have taken over, with nearly 80% of flavors and ingredients being natural. Using high quality, natural ingredients is something Embassy Ingredients has been focused on for many years. 

It is possible to have indulgence AND clean labels. Many products that are indulgent and taste great have clean labels. The technology today allows for the use of natural ingredients that taste as good or better than the artificial ingredients of the past. 

The typical Embassy customer takes 12-18 months to launch a new product. For that reason, tracking trends that are in the earliest stages and will still be relevant a year from now is important.

QUOTES

]“When I started, I was the only employee. I got the orders in the morning, made them in the afternoon, delivered them the next day and got more orders.” (Martino)

“As a 17 year old kid I found out that persistence and perseverance were the personality traits you need as an entrepreneur.” (Martino) 

“In the 90s I’d say about 80% of the flavors that were sold were artificial and 20% were natural. Right now it’s about 80% natural and 20% artificial.” (Martino) 

“We’ve always tried to keep the junk out of mixes. Just because you’re buying something you want to indulge in, doesn’t mean it has to be completely unhealthy for you.” (Martino)

“If it’s not needed inside the product, why put it in?” (Martino) 

“When you indulge, it better be good. You don’t want something that’s being made as inexpensively as possible.” (Martino) 

“Every crisis you face you learn some new business skills you didn’t know you had.” (Martino) 

“During a crisis (like COVID), people eat more sweets than in a non-crisis.” (Martino)

“If you taste test new recipes for a living, you get really good at tasting without eating.” (Martino) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.76

vigorbranding

Today’s guest is someone who knows a lot about ingredients a lot about flavor trends and a lot about baked goods. He’s Martino Babila and he’s the founder and president of embassy ingredients welcome to show Martino and thank you very much for joining us. So.

00:13.47

Martino

Thank you Michael thanks for being glad to be on the show.

00:18.41

vigorbranding

Yep, So tell everyone you know a little bit about Embassy ingredients. What’s your mission and what do you guys? do.

00:21.59

Martino

So embassy ingredients is centered on the bakery trace so we supply ingredients to large scale bakeries. So we have a side of our business that makes flavors and a side that makes the industrial version you might say of a Duncan hides cake mix. So when you go off to your supermarket or to Dunkin Donuts or Starbucks you’ll find our ingredients and a lot of the baker that you’re going to be buying at those qsars or supermarkets.

00:47.54

]]> full 82 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/06/FORK_FI_MBrambilla-copy.jpg false no 30:32 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-81-benjamin-calleja-cxo-of-livit-design/ Thu, 23 May 2024 03:25:45 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2100 Livit Design is the leading design firm specialized in creating unique guest experiences in the Food & Beverage and all areas of Hospitality, Fitness and Retail sectors. For over 20 years, 

Livit has worked as strategic advisors to investors and global brands on design, operations, guest journey and guest experience with the focus on improving efficiency, profitability and increasing growth potential.

Livit Design bills itself as “a perfect mix of foodies, architects, interior designers, guest experience specialists, chefs, kitchen consultants, operations experts, entrepreneurs, graphic artists, DJ’s, visionaries and restaurant operators.” 

One of the projects Benjamin and Livit Design is working on is called The Line. Located in Saudi Arabia by the Red Sea, The Line is billed as the future of urban living. The 105-mile long structure is just 650 feet wide and will eventually be home to more than nine million people. It has no roads, cars or emissions and runs on 100% renewable energy. 

All great restaurant design has to touch the emotions of diners, but there’s not a magic wand that does that. Doing that requires great design and so many other touchpoints and factors. 

According to Ben, the hospitality industry is divided into two sides. One side focuses on convenience and the other is focused on experience. 

The Livit team is helping restaurant staff focus on hospitality by creating systems that automatically adjust sensory factors like scent and sound (music) to create better diner experiences. 

QUOTES

“I believe that one of the biggest differences between what we do and a regular design firm, but what’s really challenging is understanding the operations. How do you make sure that you create designs that are profitable? That’s where design really matters.” (Benjamin)

“It could be the scents, it could be the sounds, it could be the thickness of the menu. There are so many small details in creating that holistic experience.” (Benjamin) 

“Consumers are getting picky. You go out less. The bland experiences – trying to be everything to everyone – those are the brands that are really suffering. You need to be niche, you need to create a phenomenal experience and you need to be a driver.” (Benjamin) 

“Restaurant design is an investment, not a cost.” (Benjamin) 

“Brands that try to be everything to everyone – they’re audience is literally dying. That’s a struggle in a world where everything is becoming more specialized.” (Benjamin) 

“We’re going to see a lot more artificial intelligence (in restaurants and design). It’s going to be better than humans at a lot of the repetitive tasks. Whether that’s comps and analysis, restaurant layouts, optimization of spaces, etc.” (Benjamin) 

“I’m a lighting freak. I think lighting and acoustics are the two things that designers will often overlook and they’re not well taught in design schools.” (Benjamin) 

“The things you touch – the cutlery, the table, the chairs, the glassware, the plateware – those are the most important things.” (Benjamin) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Well hello today’s guest is someone at the forefront of restaurant design. His name is Ben Kaa I probably pronounced it wrong even though I practice and he’s the founder and chief experience officer at design the what’s ama]]> 81 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/FORK_EPImage_BCalleja-copy.jpg false no 42:19 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-80-dan-rowe-ceo-of-fransmart/ Thu, 09 May 2024 14:22:51 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2075 Fransmart is a global leader in franchise development. For over 20 years, they’ve excelled at turning emerging concepts into national and global brands. Led by company founder Dan Rowe, Fransmart is known throughout the franchising community for spotting and growing brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries and Qdoba Mexican Grill, from single unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. 

Fransmart has built restaurants in all of the top 150 media markets in North America. 

Fransmart’s success stories include Five Guys, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Halal Guys – a franchise that started from a success food cart in New York City. Today, Halal Guys is the most successful Middle Eastern restaurant in America. 

Dan’s success stems from his knowledge of each market and the potential franchisees in each market. With that knowledge, he can often predict whether a restaurant will find franchisees and be successful. 

The biggest mistake a lot of franchisees make is picking the wrong brand to invest in. Another mistake franchisees make is not following the system put in place by the brand they’re investing in. 

QUOTES

“A good franchisee wants to follow somebody else’s system. A bad franchisee buys a franchise and tries to do everything different.” (Dan)  

“In every market, we know where the best operators are, we know where the best intersections are, where the best projects are, the best architects, contractors, food distributors, so we just sort of developed this knack for understanding the best way to do everything in these markets.” (Dan) 

“I want to be relentless about getting the right site (for a new restaurant). For any concept, there’s 10 or 15 or 20 potential sites. But there’s really only three or four first sites. You have to be very careful when you’re building a brand in a brand new market. There’s something very strategic about using real estate and real estate’s role in marketing.” (Dan) 

“You have to be really good at knowing exactly where your bullseye’s are and coming up with some logic around what order you should be growing.” (Dan) 

“You have staff for the sales you want and you have to staff for the company you’re trying to build.” (Dan) 

“I’ve never seen a concept that I can’t figure out how to drive sales and lower costs.” (Dan) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Hello if you’re a restaurant looking to become an an international restaurant chain or if you’re um, you know I’m gonna start over I’m sorry it’s kind of fumble that all just yeah, hello if you’re a restaurant looking to become an international restaurant chain or if you’re an entrepreneur who wants to own a franchise today’s episode is for you. My guest is Dan Rowe he’s the Ceo and founder of fransmart and he takes emerging restaurant concepts and turns them into national and international franchises. He’s been called the chainmakerr and we’re gonna talk to him today about his process. Dan. Thank you so much for joining us.

00:32.74

dan_fransmart_com

Um, yeah, thanks, thanks for having me.

00:36.52

vigorbranding

Well let’s just jump right in. Let’s start with Fransmart tell me a little bit about it How you started maybe a little bit about your history and where you got]]> 80 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/05/FORK_EPImage_DRowe-copy.jpg false no 47:54 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-79-jason-e-brooks-founder-of-hospivation/ Thu, 18 Apr 2024 16:55:05 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2054 Through his company, HospiVation, Jason coaches restaurant executives how to make their goals real in the restaurant and teaches restaurant managers how to transform their patterns of management to improve their hospitality leadership.

HospiVation helps restaurants through coaching, speeches, workshops and books. They try to meet managers where they are and dive deep in the restaurant’s team to help them build better teams. 

Jason has wanted to work in the restaurant industry since a very young age and got his first job as a restaurant dishwasher at the age of 15. He’s worked for 20 different restaurant brands during his career. 

One of the biggest mistakes restaurant managers make when it comes to leadership is trying to do everything by themselves and not learning to delegate. 

It’s important for managers to understand a restaurant’s KPIs, but it’s also important for EVERY member of the team to understand the KPIs and how success is measured.

In an effective meeting, the meeting organizer and leader should talk 20 percent of the time and the rest of the attendees should talk 80 percent of the time.

QUOTES

“I came in through the side door. I started out washing dishes at a very young age. My mother didn’t even know I got a job.” (Jason) 

“I’ve worked for 20 different restaurant brands and six of the top 100 brands in the U.S. This has given me the ability to see the Mona Lisa painted 20 different ways. All of those learnings helped to shape my company, HospiVation.” (Jason)  

“Ask any social media manager. It’s very hard to get people to follow you and it’s even hard to keep them.” (Jason)

 “It’s not just managing, leading and coaching – it’s knowing the difference between the three. We use managing more than anything else in our day as a hospitality leader. Leadership is different. Leadership is understanding the overarching items about the industry and where to move the brand next.” (Jason) 

“Coaching is the mastery of small groups and one-on-ones. Coaching is you creating a space of 30 minutes to listen to your team.” (Jason) 

“When it comes to mastering your meetings, you have to understand that if you aren’t sitting down to make a decision, you probably shouldn’t be there.” (Jason) 

“You should never stop training, even when someone puts in a notice (and are departing soon).” (Jason)

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Hello everybody today’s guest is Jason Brooks he’s a motivational speaker an expert in restaurant management and the author of the book every leader needs followers 10 keys to transform restaurant managers into hospitality leaders Jason. Thanks so much for being here. Um, I’d love to start off with just you talking a little bit about your past like some of the places you’ve been and some of the things you’ve done.

00:26.34

Jason Brooks

Thank you Michael ah, it’s a pleasure being on forktails in amazing podcast. Your listeners are full First they know their business. They know what they’re talking about so I am honored. Um, you know my past is like many. Pasts of coaches of speakers meaning that I came in through the side door and and I started out washing dishes very young age 15 first job. My my mother didn’t even know that I got a job. Ah, she just came home one day afte]]> 79 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FORK_EPImage_JBrooks-copy.jpg false no 41:17 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-78-emily-rugaber-vp-of-marketing-for-thanx/ Thu, 04 Apr 2024 15:11:13 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2034 Thanx is a leading loyalty and guest engagement platform for restaurants. The company, founded by Zach Goldstein in 2011, helps businesses embrace digital purchasing, capture greater customer data, and take action on that information to personalize guest engagement.

Thanx builds digital UX – mobile apps and web ordering experience – that help restaurants differentiate themselves. Thanx also offers dynamic self-service loyalty programs that help restaurants break free from cookie cutter loyalty programs. 

Before joining Thanx, Emily was a business intelligence consultant.

Restaurants face many challenges when it comes to data, including not having resources to analyze and take action on data available to them. They also don’t have a good way to centralize the data and make it useful. Restaurants also struggle to capture enough data. 

Many loyalty programs fail to capture enough data because the programs are difficult to sign up for (often requiring an app) and they make customers jump through hoops to use the app or program. 

Thanx loyalty programs think outside the “Spend X, Get Y” box to offer unique loyalty programs that don’t rely on discounts. That includes offers of special food items or LTOs to loyalty members or all day happy hour for loyalty members. 

QUOTES

“There’s problems associated with getting data and then there’s the problem of doing something with the data (after you get it) that’s meaningful to the business.” (Emily) 

“Restaurants generally don’t have the resources in house to help them make sense of the data that they have.” (Emily) 

“Far and away the most common challenge (for restaurants) is that they’re not capturing enough data.” (Emily) 

“Most revenue is still flowing through in-store channels. This is where loyalty comes in.” (Emily)

“Loyalty is the only proven mechanism for broadly capturing data and driving repeat purchasing from it. And yet, most loyalty programs don’t capture enough data.” (Emily) 

“There are a few restaurants doing loyalty really well. For the rest of restaurants, those loyalty programs are all very similar ‘Spend X, Get Y’ programs. Thanx allows you to build unique, differentiated, bespoke loyalty programs.” (Emily) 

“Not only do non-discount programs work better, they also cost less.” (Emily) 

“If you look at why restaurants aren’t personalizing (programs), most of the time it’s not because people think it’s not important or it’s not going to drive results. It’s because it’s really hard to do.” (Emily)

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Hello Today’s guest is someone who knows a lot about data and loyalty programs which are two extremely important topics for restaurants and any brand for that matter. Our guest is Emily rugabier and she is the Vp of marketing for thanks with an x. So thanks for joining us Emily Rut Gaber I’m sorry I practiced it three times. So.

00:19.99

Emily 

Yeah, happy to be here and you almost got it rugeber very close. Um.

00:27.57

Emily 

So um, yeah, very happy to be here. Thank you so much for having me. Thanks is a guest engagement and retention platform for restaurants. Ah so that’s kind of a mouthful so I’ll tell you what that means? um. We build digital ux so we build mobile apps and web ordering experiences ]]> 78 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/FORK_EPImage_ERugaber-copy.jpg false no 33:46 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-77-betsy-hamm-ceo-of-duck-donuts/ Thu, 21 Mar 2024 14:49:12 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=2014 Duck Donuts is an American doughnut shop chain based in Mechanicsburg, Pennsylvania. Duck Donuts was founded in 2006 in Duck, North Carolina, by Russ DiGilio and Robin Griffith, and has since expanded to over 100 locations in the United States. 

Duck Donuts is known for its made-to-order donuts in a variety of unique flavors. It recently opened a location in Thailand. 

Managing growth is something that Duck Donuts (and many franchises) pays careful attention to. The training program for franchisees includes an emphasis on consistent branding and quality. 

Duck Donuts franchisees typically own just a few locations and often work on a daily basis in the locations they own. 

The custom, made-to-order model is what differentiates Duck Donuts from its competitors. 

Duck Donuts is testing kiosks in stores and grab-and-go opportunities for customers who might not want to wait for donuts. 

QUOTES

“(Managing growth) is challenging. We try to set franchisees up for success in the beginning from a training standpoint and teaching them how we do things.” (Betsy) 

“We have smaller franchisees. A lot of them have two or three locations and come from different backgrounds.” (Betsy)

“What really makes a franchisee successful is someone who has a small business mentality. They’re accountable for their success or failure and we’ll give them all the tools and resources they need to succeed.” (Betsy) 

“It’s a lot of work and it’s constant. Franchisees have to be in the store and know what’s going on. Having that ability to work ON the business and not just IN the business is important.” (Betsy)

“We do try to make (the ordering process) easier because it can be overwhelming for some people. The ability is still there if they want to customize their donut, but if they don’t want to think about it and they want 12 suggestions, here you go, here’s a couple to pick from.” (Betsy) 

“We’re in growth mode. We opened 32 shops last year and we’ll open 45 this year.” (Betsty) 

“Donuts are happiness and the world needs more happiness.” (Michael) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Great hello I’m joined today by someone I’ve always wanted to have on this show. Betsy ham is our guest. She’s the Ceo of duck donuts and it’s one of the fastest growing donut franchises in the nation betsy. Thanks for joining us.

00:12.88

Betsy Hamm

Thank you so much for having me.

00:17.00

vigorbranding

So I want to hear all about your story but the duck story. It’s it’s amazing to me and and kind of maybe fortuitous. The the idea I guess actually grew up in my neighborhood. My neighbor Russ was the is the founder and ah.

00:30.67

Betsy Hamm

Yep.

00:31.37

vigorbranding

If you would tell us the story. You know how it comes from a little neighborhood and in in Pennsylvania and turns into this international and international business. What was the idea behind it how to come come about.

00:38.78

Betsy Hamm

Sure so it’s crazy. It real]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FORK_EPImage_BHamm-copy.jpg false no 26:37 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-76-jay-cipra-ceo-of-broaster-company/ Thu, 07 Mar 2024 13:57:32 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1995 Broaster Company is an American foodservice equipment manufacturer headquartered in Beloit, Wisconsin. The company is the leader in providing high quality pressure fryers and branded food service programs for over 65 years. 

“Broasting” is a unique cooking method developed in 1954 when Broaster’s inventor and founder L.A.M. Phalen combined the principles of a pressure cooker and a deep fryer into one commercial cooking appliance. The results – in quality, flavor and cooking speed – were revolutionary.

Only restaurants and food service providers that are licensed to use genuine Broaster Company equipment can offer “broasted chicken” on menus. Protecting that trademark and licensing is important to the Broaster Chicken team. 

In many restaurants, broasted chicken is a champion menu item and sold to restaurants as a featured menu item. 

Broaster Company has been a global business for as long as the company has been incorporated. The company has a distributor in the Middle East for the past 60 years.

QUOTES

“If you were to take the Dakotas over to Ohio, go down probably to Kentucky – that is where the Broaster market is. As people move outside the midwest, that’s how the name spreads.” (Jay) 

“If you want to say that you’re serving broaster chicken, it starts with the marinades and coatings, it uses the frier and you have to use the process that we dictate to call it genuine broaster chicken.” (Jay) 

“We have ‘broaster,’ ‘broasted,’ ‘genuine broaster chicken’ and anything around the name broast, broaster, et cetera has been trademarked by the Broaster Company.” (Jay)

“We get more calls from consumers (about trademark violations) than we do from restaurants or distributors. Our consumers are our biggest police for monitoring our brand.” (Jay)

“I’ve heard of people pressure frying Twinkies, hot dogs, et cetera. You can almost do anything. […] Around the holiday season, one of the favorites is turkey.” (Jay) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.14

vigorbranding

Fantastic hello hey today I am joined by someone I’ve known for ah personally for a long time. His name is Jay Cira and he is the Ceo of broster company Jay say hello and tell us a little bit about yourself.

00:14.42

Jay Cipra

Hey, how are you Mike how you doing um, first of all, thanks for the opportunity one whenever I get a chance to spend some time with you. It’s exciting but also the opportunity to talk about broster is great. So thanks for the opportunity and inviting me on your show here. Um. Groster company. So I’ll tell you a little bit about myself I’ve been with grocester company for 19 years now so long time can never imagine that I was going to be part of an organization this long but it’s it’s been awesome and it’s been awesome run and looking forward to another 20 years or so so it’s ah the broster company. Is actually a very interesting company and something that you know you think of a you know small business within the us. You know you think it’s fairly simple but it’s a little bit more complex than a lot of people think and that’s because we do a lot of different things. Um, broster company started back in 1954 when it was first organized and the way we got. Our started is ah there was a gentleman by the name of Lewis ]]> https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/FORK_EPImage_JCipra-copy.jpg false no 33:45 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-75-mark-schostak-executive-chairman-of-team-schostak-family-restaurants/ Thu, 22 Feb 2024 15:47:01 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1960 TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants is based in Livonia, Michigan and has a portfolio of 150 casual dining, family dining, fast casual, and quick service restaurants throughout Michigan, TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants (TSFR) include Applebee’s, Olga’s Kitchen, Olga’s Fresh Grille, MOD Pizza and Wendy’s.

Mark is the third generation of a four-generation family business. The company places a lot of emphasis on its road map, which includes its core purpose, its vision (to lead the way), its mission statement and its core values. 

TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants core purpose is to create opportunities that make lives better – to life. They create opportunities to make lives better with their employees, their guests and within the communities the company’s restaurants serve. 

The culture created by TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants took many years to create, but they bring it to life by modeling it and living it every day. 

The COVID pandemic was unprecedented territory for TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants and most restaurants. The first priority for TEAM Schostak Family Restaurants was keeping people employed. 

QUOTES

“Our core purpose is to create opportunities that make lives better. You have to give people a sense of purpose and they have to recognize that what they’re doing is really important.” (Mark) 

“You can do a great job with your people, a great job with your guests, a great job in the community and you can do everything with integrity but you have to achieve results.” (Mark)

“The only way a culture comes to life in a restaurant is you have to model those behaviors. You have to live it. You have to talk about it all the time.” (Mark) 

“If you’re constantly going to the outside (to recruit restaurant managers), you’re losing. The only way you’re going to build a culture is you have to internally develop (managers).” (Mark) 

“People don’t quit companies, they quit managers.” (Michael) 

“We need to be out there. If you’re in the restaurant business, you need to be eating at your competitors’ restaurants. You gotta be out in the field.” (Mark) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.97

vigorbranding

Great hello everyone I’m excited today dear friend of mine mark showstack is joining us and if you live in the lower peninsula of Michigan ah, you inevitably have eaten at 1 of Mark’s team show stack restaurants. Mark welcome to the show. You want to tell us a little bit about you and your family.

00:17.83

Mark Schostak

Yeah, sure I’m part of a family business It’s a fourth generation family business I’m third generation and in the ah third generation my brothers and I got involved in the restaurant business and. Family’s legacy business is commercial real estate and we celebrated our hundred year anniversary in 2020 so we’re very proud of that.

00:38.72

vigorbranding

Amazing.

00:46.00

vigorbranding

It’s fantastic I mean I know you guys were huge in real estate. It’s just only natural to put restaurants in it. So now you didn’t just put a restaurant in or a couple restaurants in I mean yo]]> 75 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/FORK_EPImage_MSchostak-copy.jpg false no 27:04 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-74-rob-grimes-founder-ceo-of-ifbta/ Thu, 11 Jan 2024 15:49:05 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1903 The International Food & Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA) is a nonprofit trade association that promotes the use of technology within the global food and beverage industries with a specific focus on education, networking, certification, standards, research, and events, while aligning with other industry associations and groups in support of their technology related initiatives.

Rob started his career as a restaurant manager for Bob’s Big Boy and Marriott Hotels. In those roles, he was able to marry his love of operations and restaurants with technology.  

Rob is seeing an increase in the use of robotics in back-of-house operations in restaurants, but fewer uses for food delivery to tables. 

At CES, Rob sees a sharp increase in electric vehicles as a trend and robotics for use in food preparation and fewer uses of VR. 

QUOTES

“The word ‘technology’ is changing. It’s evolving as a definition in hospitality, food service and retail and that’s a very exciting thing to see.” (Rob) 

“Certain terms and technology become very popular over time. The way to know what’s popular is to go to a trade show and look above the aisles at the signs. I look at what words are being used. Many years ago it was one-to-one marketing or big data.” (Rob) 

“I think the concept of drones may be more of a fad than a trend (in food service). I’m not so hot on drones for delivery, I am very hot on autonomous vehicles and even hotter now that I’m at CES. There is a whole room at CES with electric vehicles and half of those vehicles – probably more than half – are using autonomous driving.” (Rob)

“I believe in robotics. I think we’re going to see it more in the back of the house for food preparation. That’s very clear here at CES with robotic baristas. There’s going to be at the NRF Show next week a robotic pizza maker that’s being used by Walmart. What we don’t see is a ton of robots being used for delivery of food (in restaurants) to tableside.” (Rob)

“I saw a company in Taiwan and they were doing simultaneous translation with earbuds. I’ve seen this before, but it always needed a phone. This one did not need that. So we’re really getting to the point of Star Trek where you put the earbuds in and you’re instantly having conversations with somebody and it’s instantly being translated.” (Rob) 

“One of the two things I’ve noticed at CES between last year and this year is a whole pavilion on vehicles. Electric scooters, cars and farming equipment. The other thing I noticed is that the big companies that usually do CES have two booths. I see LG electronics, who I normally see in the main building doing video displays and phones, now has a separate booth in the automotive section where they’re showing their cars.” (Rob)  

“I believe you can’t talk about technology. The best way is to show people technology and show them how it’s being used.” (Rob) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.96

vigorbranding

Hello everyone today’s guest is ah a self-described techovvader and someone I’ve known for a long long time. A good friend. He’s Rob Grimes and he’s the founder and Ceo of the international food and beverage technology Association Rob also has other businesses. He’s tied to he’ll talk a little bit about that. And he’s ]]> full 74 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2024/01/FORK_EPImage_RGrimes-copy.jpg false no 29:46 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-73-andrew-glantz-founder-of-giftameal/ Thu, 14 Dec 2023 16:12:44 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1865 GiftAMeal is an app that allows diners to take a photo of their order from a partner restaurant. For each photo taken, GiftAMeal donates to a local food bank to provide a meal to a family in need. 

Each month, more than 40,000 meals are provided through more than 100 local food banks in 37 states via GiftAMeal. In the last year, GiftAMeal has grown from 200 to almost 1,000 partner restaurants. 

Andrew fell in love with the profits-with-a-purpose business model as a student at Washington University. While there, he owned and operated a non-profit storefront dedicated to reuse and sustainability. Later, while interning at a venture capital firm, he developed the idea for GiftAMeal on his lunch break. 

GiftAMeal works with individual restaurants and franchises or franchise groups of restaurants like Red Robin. 

Making GiftAMeal an easy plug-and-play concept for restaurants and larger chains is a goal in 2024. 

QUOTES

“Making an impact is something that’s always been important to me. I also love the creative autonomy that comes with entrepreneurship and trying to find those win-win scenarios and align incentives for different parties.” (Andrew) 

“We’ve seen that guests using GiftAMeal are returning 39% more frequently, they’re spending 20% more per visit and they’re tipping 32% more than a standard guest.” (Andrew) 

“We started off as a mobile app, but we’ve always paid attention to the different technologies that were being developed.” (Andrew) 

“Fuse Marketing and 5W PR studies found that 84% of Gen Z were more likely to purchase from a brand if (the brand) gives back and 71% of Millennials would pay more for a product if they knew that some of the proceeds were going to a good cause.” (Andrew)  

“Entrepreneurship is not an easy journey.” (Andrew) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.00

vigorbranding

Hello everyone today’s episode of flirk tales I am joined by someone who takes cause marketing and entrepreneurial spirit to a new level. His name is Andrew Glanz and he’s the founder of gift a meal. Welcome Andrew and tell us a little bit about yourself and some of your backstory.

00:14.43

Andrew Glantz

Yeah, of course. Um so I’m originally from Los Angeles and I came out to St Louis to go to wash you for college when I was a student there I owned and operated a nonprofit storefront to promote reuse and sustainability and volunteered for various causes and. Ah, then when I had a summer internship at a venture capital firm and got exposed to the startup world I fell in love with the scalability of it and found out about the idea of a profits with a purpose business model that you could do well while doing good and came up with the idea for gift and meal when I was on a lunch break break and kind of ran with it and put my savings into it. Graduated in May Twenty seventeen and started out in St Louis and now started to really scale it up and grow it into what it is today.

01:01.68

vigorbranding

That’s very cool now like you know I’m I’m somewhat of an entrepreneur I started my own business when I was 27 and grew several companies and I love it. I mean I Just think it’s ah a great way to be and and I love the energy of it. So How did you become this en]]> 73 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/FORK_EPImage_AGlantz-copy.jpg false no 35:21 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-72-james-passafaro-co-founder-of-opsi/ Thu, 28 Sep 2023 13:55:30 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1830 opsi is a daily workflow app built to progress the way modern operators manage their restaurant. With robust recipe management, true recipe costing, task and food prep lists, and product guides, opsi is suited for any operation looking to maximize efficiencies within their kitchen team, and cut down on employee training times.

James has 20 years of experience in the hospitality industry and a strong vision for technology’s role in it. His time in the kitchen has taken him from New Jersey to Rhode Island, Washington DC, San Francisco and Minnesota. 

As a chef, James has worked alongside industry-leading chefs such as Michael Mina and Gavin Kaysen, giving him a profound understanding of restaurant operations. 

The inspiration for opsi came early in James’ career after he took over as chef de cuisine in a restaurant that was in the midst of change and facing issues with internal communication. 

QUOTES

“(Being a restaurateur) is a wild and challenging business. From any angle, as an operator it’s even more challenging because you’ve got 50+ people banking on you.” (James)

“I love the stories behind entrepreneurial ideas because they’re usually very simple, very true and very authentic and that’s what makes them wonderful.” (Michael) 

“Technology was a space for me where we could develop a solution where we could keep all the information in there, keep the team on the same page and marching to the same sheet of music and moving in the same direction.” (James)

“(opsi) made it easier for us to focus on the larger goal, which was servicing the guest and putting out a really high quality product.” (James)

“In any kind of creative business, there’s organized chaos and artistry but I agree that people need and love process. A little organization isn’t a bad thing.” (Michael)  

“My belief is that anyone – from a food truck to a three-star Michelin restaurant – can utilize opsi.” (James) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:01.48

vigorbranding

Hello everyone today I am joined by someone who knows a lot about how to run an a fishing kitchen his name is chef James Pasa Faro James how you doing say hello and give us a little bit of your backstory.

00:17.65

James

Hi thanks for having me. Um, yeah, my background I started in the cooking culinary world when I was really young something I really wanted to do from a young age bounced around a bunch ended up in Minnesota. I work for some really great chefs like Gavin Casean and Michael Mina and um here I am now working in technology which I never thought I probably have to say out loud.

00:42.10

vigorbranding

That’s awesome. We’re gonna talk about opsy here in a little bit but where did the whole love of cooking come from like where did it start I mean how did you? How did you happen upon it.

00:51.22

James

Yeah, um, you know a lot of the times I think generally this story kind of goes for people. It’s like you know they’re cooking in a kitchen if they’re grandmother or mother some some family member or it’s a family-owned operator. My parents. Ah, my mom was in sales for telecoms so she worked for att my father was in floing so he worked worked in union in New York and then he owned a business in New Jersey where we grew up and he just had friends that were in]]> full 72 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/JPassafaro_EPImage.jpg false no 24:09 No no https://forktales.co/podcast/ep-71-dan-costello-ceo-of-home-run-inn-pizza/ Wed, 13 Sep 2023 19:23:04 +0000 https://forktales.co/?post_type=podcast&p=1812 Home Run Inn is a family owned & operated establishment with nine restaurants throughout the Chicago area. They’ve been making pizza since 1947 and began creating and selling frozen pizzas for grocery store distribution nationwide in the 1960s.  

Dan is the 4th generation leader of Home Run Inn Pizza. He started in the family business at the age of 13 as a busboy. 

Home Run Inn’s signature square-sliced pizzas originated in the 1940s when the tavern would slice the pizza into small sample-sized pieces to entice customers. 

The restaurant’s frozen pizza was born after a regular customer used to request par-baked pizzas to take to his summer home in Wisconsin. 

Home Run Inn Pizza has a synergistic relationship between the restaurant brand and the frozen brand and doesn’t view the relationship as cannibalistic when it comes to sales for either brand. 

QUOTES

“Everyone who has a restaurant wants to get into CPG. They want to put it in grocery stories. They think it’s easy to do CPG.” (Michael) 

“Our first distributor was our bartender. He would take pizzas after work, walk them down to the corner grocery store and pick up the cash the next day.” (Dan) 

“Our frozen pizza production facilities model and mirror what we did in the restaurants. My uncle would say, ‘The reason we make it like that is because that’s the only way I know how.’” (Dan)

“Pizza is like sex. It’s all good, but some is better than others.” (Michael) 

“The (Home Run Inn Pizza) restaurants drive brand awareness on the marketing side for our frozen pizza.” (Dan)

“A brand is a promise. Many times, an agency is hired to create that story or build that authenticity. What’s beautiful about what Home Run Inn Pizza has, is that (story) is already baked in.” (Michael) 

TRANSCRIPT

00:00.22

vigorbranding

And with some great guests and so I thought well we should keep it going. It’s good for social media. It’s good for you know it’s good. So I mean you know I’ll be honest’ve I’m only done a few of these but it’s been fun and you know I don’t know it’s just ah, you know the guys do a great job. So it turns out all right? yeah.

00:06.19

Dan Costello

Um, yeah.

00:16.98

Dan Costello

Um, cool, Awesome. Look forward to it. Don’t give hi.

00:19.29

vigorbranding

Yeah, yeah, yeah, know yeah this will be this will be a lap for you I mean you know it’s just just like your story and I mean it sincerely I mean great story, great family. Great product. It’s just you know it’s just it’s just super cool. We got a guy here working the production Robert who you’re already his fan. He’s a huge fan of home run his friends.

00:28.80

Dan Costello

Gun.

00:36.54

vigorbranding

Took him there and he you know is one of his best buddies is out there archer ra and thirty first street with archer a thirty first yeah Yeah, so yeah, yeah, so yeah, yeah, heyan on one thing we’re you know can keep casual and loose. We’re already kind of rolling here. Um, just 1 thing he got to do once we kind of finish up the convo.

00:42.27

Dan Costello

Ah, okay, nice Robert very good.

00:55.40

vigorbranding

We just gotta have you hang on the line thus til your tilll your file kind of uplis what locally so we’ probably just got hang out for extr]]> 71 https://forktales.co/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/FORK_EPImage_DCostellojpg.jpg false no 23:32 No no