QSR Uncut

Épisodes

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  Winning in the Digital Restaurant Economy, with DoorDash’s Jeff Frost 15.10.2026 45min

  DoorDash leader Jeff Frost joins QSR Uncut this week to talk through an increasingly complex digital ecosystem and where operators should begin. How can you manage growth? What channels are top of mind? How do you take control? We chat through customer acquisition and retention, direct ordering, loyalty, marketing, operational fit, connected technology, and much more, on this wide-ranging discussion into one of the fastest-evolving arenas there is. This episode was brought to you by our partn...
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  Smalls Sliders Plans a Big Leap, with Founder Brandon Landry 08.10.2026 38min

  Brandon Landry joins QSR Uncut this week to discuss what’s ahead for Smalls Sliders, a brand that leapt onto the scene and appears ready to hit its growth stride. We discuss what’s next, what’s driving consumer interest these days, and also take a dive into some thoughts around leadership and what's needed to build an organization with lasting power. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your network. Get empowered. Learn from the best. You can...
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  Tiki Bagel Joins the Bagel Surge, with Founder PJ Powell 01.10.2026 35min

  All of sudden, bagels are one of the hottest categories in QSR. Let’s meet Tiki Bagel, a St. Pete-based brand that endured early craziness (what else is new in foodservice?) to emerge stronger on the other side. Now, it’s targeting growth via franchising and taking its unique and bold labor model forward into a future rife with potential. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your network. Get empowered. Learn from the best. You can find out mo...
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  Why Mike's Red Tacos Could Be the Next Big Thing, with CDO Patrick Cunningham 24.09.2026 35min

  Few restaurant brands have generated as much buzz in recent months as Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-founded concept that has hundreds of units lined up through franchising agreements. CDO Patrick Cunningham joins QSR Uncut this week to discuss the early push and what it's been like stepping into a role with so much whitespace ahead. Can Mike's Red Tacos define a category? We're about to find out. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your netwo...
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  Solving Restaurant Tech Fatigue: Turning Friction Into Flow 17.09.2026 54min

  Tim Busa and Brian Herr of Crunchtime join QSR Uncut this week as we tackle some of the industry’s most-pressing technology topics, from fragmented bloat to why surface-level API integrations haven’t solved the problem yet. We’ll introduce a new vision of a true "Connected Kitchen" and begin to lay out a roadmap for the future of operations in a more-connected restaurant world. This episode was brought to you by our partners at Crunchtime.
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  Restaurant Development Trends, from Two Ex-Raising Cane’s Operators 03.09.2026 54min

  College roommates Eric Ongaro and Matt Salts joined forces at RCO Limited, the first Raising Cane’s franchise partner. Together, they helped grow the company to nearly 50 Ohio locations and $200 million in annual sales before Raising Cane’s bought back the enterprise in late 2021. While scaling RCO, however, the two kept running into development challenges, leading to the creation of an inside operation that ultimately became OLIO Development Group. Today, OLIO works with brands like Cane’s, ...
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  Talking GLP-1s, Wellness, and Crisp & Green’s Next Growth Chapter, with Steele Smiley 27.08.2026 36min

  Cofounder and executive chairman Steele Smiley returns to QSR Uncut to share his thoughts on why wellness and fitness remain major whitespace opportunities within the restaurant industry. We discuss how Crisp & Green is tapping in from an authentic angle, and what some brands are getting right and wrong about how America really wants to eat. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your network. Get empowered. Learn from the best. You can find...
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  The ROI of Restaurant Conferences: There Has to Be a Better Way, with Michael Sien 20.08.2026 35min

  Industry vet Michael Sien joins QSR Uncut this week to talk about a recent leap—starting faSHOW, a specialist consultancy dedicated to helping organizers, exhibitors, and operators get more out of their industry events. We’ll explore what’s going wrong with the current model and how partners, leaders, and everyone in between can improve ROI while attending in-person experiences (including September’s QSR Evolution Conference).
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  Huey Magoo’s and the Rise of a Chicken Powerhouse, with CEO Andy Howard 14.08.2026 33min

  At just about 90 locations open across 12 states and 230 signed for development in the coming years, the fast casual tenders focused brand is hitting the growth lever. Andy Howard, known as the “Chicken Guy,” has had stops from Kenny Rogers Roasters to Ranch One to Wingstop before taking on this corner of the category. What’s ahead, how is Huey Magoo’s winning over customers and franchisees—we get into all of it as we explore the future of a surging chicken contender. Registration is now open...
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  Can AI Make You a Better Leader? with Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator Jon Harmeling 06.08.2026 45min

  Chick-fil-A owner-operator Jon Harmeling, a former West Point instructor in systems engineering, joins QSR Uncut to chat about his journey with the category leader, but also to break down how he’s developed 10 AI systems that run inside his store. Harmeling speaks to restaurant, franchise, and other frontline leadership audiences about using AI to lead and develop people. His Frontline AI Leadership keynote focuses on coaching, meaningful recognition, and following through on employee g...
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  The Rise of AI and Location Intelligence in QSR, with Gladys Kong 30.07.2026 38min

  Gladys Kong, CEO of Azira, joins QSR Uncut this week to break down some rising technologies and how restaurant brands can better understand their customers, optimize operations, and compete in a market where consumer behavior is quickly changing. Is it time to move beyond basic foot traffic reporting and into predictive, data-driven decision making? Should you worry about privacy regulations? A lot to get into as innovation continues to flood the foodservice world. Registration is now open fo...
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  Cinnabon Makes a Big Beverage Move, with Chief Brand Officer Urvi Patel 23.07.2026 31min

  One of the country’s most-iconic treat chains recently rolled out Seattle’s Best Coffee as it looks to compete more aggressively for high-frequency beverage occasions and evolve beyond traditional indulgence moments. We’ll explore what that means for Cinnabon, how it’s innovating overall to meet the customer where they are, and what’s next for a chain that added more than 300 stores nationwide last year. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find yo...
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  QSR Tech and Drive-Thru Expectations: What Do Customers Really Want? 16.07.2026 46min

  Andy Grindstaff, Director, Enterprise Restaurant Product, Global Payments, joins QSR Uncut this week for a wide-ranging discussion as we roll around the tech landscape. Let's talk AI. Drive-thru (does speed matter as much as it used to?). How customers are reacting to innovation, and what the true after-shock of COVID is on the innovation debate. We get into all of it, backed by data, and take a look at what could be coming next. This episode is supported by our partners at Global Payments.
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  Welcome to Moe’s! … for Late-Night? With Chief Brand Officer Mike Smith 09.07.2026 39min

  Moe’s Southwest Grill is in the midst of a new, three-part strategy to drive incremental gains. It includes extended hours to serve unmet demand, a Gen Z menu play, a deeper dive into delivery, and more as the category icon readies for what’s next. Chief brand officer Mike Smith joins QSR Uncut this week to unpack what brands are missing with late-night, how snacking behavior is shaping trends, and how Moe’s plans to find growth in one of the most competitive categories there is. Registration...
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  How Your Kitchen Can Solve Margin Pressure, with Kelli Jenkins and Derek Clayton 02.07.2026 38min

  Kelli Jenkins, senior product manager at Vitamix, and Derek Clayton, the company’s corporate chef, join QSR Uncut for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from back-of-the-house foodservice trends to the skill gap in restaurants to understanding why a piece of equipment built to last can make all the difference. We roll through pressing realities and where you can turn to get ahead of what’s coming next. This episode is brought to you by our partners at Vitamix.
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  The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Preps for Lift-Off, with President Bob Andersen 25.06.2026 49min

  Recently named a Top 3 emerging restaurant chain in the U.S. by Datassential, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is fast approaching 100 units and $150 million in systemwide sales. President Bob Andersen joins QSR Uncut to discuss life growing a concept in a red-hot Mediterranean category and what it takes to win on the AI, menu, and franchising fronts. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your network. Get empowered. Learn from the bes...
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  Lessons on Leadership from One of the Industry’s Most Important B2B Companies 18.06.2026 45min

  Alissa Partee is stepping into the role of CEO at Restaurant Technologies, a company she joined in 2020 before becoming COO. Partee has worked at leading brands such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Caribou Coffee and has picked up no shortage of lessons along the way. She joins QSR Uncut to discuss her journey to the CEO spot, what it takes to lead with clarity, and how restaurants can find back-of-the-house solutions to improve their hospitality and stand out during a challenging time. Registratio...
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  A Conversation on Franchising, Growth, and the State of Restaurants, with Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe 11.06.2026 41min

  Dan Rowe, CEO and founder of Fransmart, and 35-plus-year-industry vet, joins QSR Uncut this week for a special episode exploring what it takes to grow, the state of concept creation, how franchising is evolving, and much more. We explore some of the stories behind CAVA, Five Guys, QDOBA, and what founders and emerging brands should look for before deciding it's time to expand. How is regulation affecting the industry? Where is the consumer taking us? How can founders check the right box...
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  The Journey of Beignet Spot, with CEO and Cofounder Fabrice Alce 04.06.2026 45min

  Can a brand based around beignets scale? We step into the unique concept with its cofounder and CEO, Fabrice Alce, to explore developing a fast casual from the roots, what it takes to start looking ahead, and how leadership changes from the early days to the evolution. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Leadership Summit. Find your network. Get empowered. Learn from the best. You can find out more and sign up here.
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  Winning the Value Customer, with Cici's President Jeff Hetsel 28.05.2026 33min

  The legacy pizza buffet has posted a strong year despite the odds, leaning into a fresh approach of value-based branding and promotions. From a record-breaking loyalty launch that turned back the clock on pricing, with sales jumping nearly 30 percent in two days, to how Cicis is evolving its voice, Hestel shares why tapping into your roots and adjusting strategy along the way can lead to gains in a challenging consumer climate. Registration is now open for QSR and FSR's Women in Restaurant Le...