A Deeper Dive
Episodes
Why consumers' views on value are changing
21 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do consumers view value these days?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jen Meyers, growth strategy lea...
How franchisees can find winning restaurant brands
14 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
How do franchisees pick winning concepts?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Martha Olmos, chief operating...
The outlook for restaurants in 2026
07 Jan 2026
Contributed by Lukas
What is the outlook for restaurants in 2026?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Technomic Senior Principal...
Restaurant sales and traffic challenges dominated 2025
24 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant sales and traffic challenges were a huge story in 2025.This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive takes a look ...
How AI will reshape restaurants
17 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How will AI truly change the way restaurants do business?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive concludes our series o...
How AI is helping restaurants with their marketing
10 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is already having a big influence on restaurant marketing. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive continues our ex...
How AI is helping restaurants in the back of the house
03 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Customers may see AI when they order from their favorite restaurant on an app or in the drive-thru, but the technology’s biggest impact may be behin...
AI is playing a bigger role in menu development
26 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI can’t necessarily make a burger, but it can help learn what kind of burger to put on the menu.In this episode of the Restaurant Business podcast ...
How AI may, or may not, change the drive-thru
19 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is coming for your drive-thru. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive continues our look at the impact of AI in th...
AI is everywhere, but how can it help restaurants?
12 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
AI is everywhere. Software companies bombard you with promises that their AI-powered programs will revolutionize your business. Prognosticators say it...
How El Pollo Loco is winning the value-profitability battle
05 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How is El Pollo Loco giving customers value without giving up profits?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features ...
What is driving consumer weakness right now
30 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are consumers less responsive to restaurant marketing right now?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ro...
Why so many consumers are dining on a deal right now
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are so many consumers dining on a deal?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Portalatin, SVP and f...
Why PJ's Coffee cut hundreds of food items from its menu
15 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why did PJ’s Coffee dramatically cut back on its menu items?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Me...
The outlook for the restaurant industry the rest of this year
08 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the state of the restaurant industry right now?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rich Shank, sen...
Why a choosy investor opted to invest in a major 7 Brew franchisee
01 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What goes into an investment into one of the country’s fastest growing restaurant brands?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A ...
Why restaurants may be missing an opportunity on delivery
24 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Are restaurants missing a key opportunity on delivery?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Cameron Watt, th...
On McDonald's head-scratching stand on the tip credit
17 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is McDonald’s taking on the tip credit? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive takes a hard look at the fast-fo...
How the convenience-store chain Casey’s is making waves in the pizza business
10 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the country’s fifth largest pizza concept doing to expand its reach?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive f...
Why restaurant profitability has yet to recover from the pandemic
03 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are some restaurants having such a tough time this year?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Chad Moutr...
Todd Penegor on his first year as CEO of Papa Johns
27 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is Todd Penegor doing at Papa Johns?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Todd Penegor, who has been CE...
How franchisees are facing the difficult operating environment
20 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How are franchisees dealing with the current operating environment?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Raj...
What restaurant chains are looking for when it comes to technology
13 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What kind of technology are restaurant companies looking for?This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Juan George, a former Olo executive and c...
Why Zaxbys believes it is ready to grow again
06 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Zaxbys is ready to fulfill its destiny.This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion with Bernard Acoca...
A look at the recent sale of Dave's Hot Chicken
30 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a restaurant chain go from parking lot startup to $1 billion valuation in less than a decade?This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive focuses o...
Why Handel's is keeping the focus on hospitality
23 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why doesn’t Handel’s Homemade Ice cream have an app?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jennifer Schul...
Why fireplaces are vital for La Madeleine
16 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why is La Madeleine adding more fireplaces? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features John Dillon, CEO of the D...
How the CEO of A&W taps into brand nostalgia
09 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a 106-year-old brand keep customers coming back? By tapping into nostalgia.This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper ...
The story behind the fast-growing restaurant chain Mo'Bettahs
02 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the story behind the growth chain Mo’Bettahs?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rob Ertmann, t...
How Heather Neary is bringing Taco John's into the future
25 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you take a 56-year-old brand into the future?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Heather Neary, the...
How the owner of Krystal and Logan's Roadhouse makes it work
18 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the next step for the owner of Krystal?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Josh Kern, the CEO of ...
How Velvet Taco's unique menu gives it permission to go where others can't
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does Velvet Taco come up with its recipes?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Clay Dover, CEO of the f...
How restaurants can adapt marketing in an era of AI
04 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How should marketing change in the era of AI?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kyle Drenon, the CEO and ...
Why restaurant chains are pushing so many new menu items
28 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are restaurant chains introducing so many limited-time offers?This week’s episode of the restaurant finance podcast A Deeper Dive features Katie...
How the restaurant industry is adjusting to the Trump administration
21 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How is the restaurant industry adjusting to the Trump administration?This week’s episode of the weekly restaurant finance podcast A Deeper Dive feat...
A discussion with new Culver's CEO Julie Fussner
14 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What does Culver’s new CEO have in mind for the chain?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Julie Fussner,...
How tariffs will affect restaurant equipment costs
07 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How will tariffs affect restaurants?This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Neal Sherman, the founder of the used equipment company Tagex Bran...
A deep look at Chili's marketing
30 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does Chili’s keep doing this?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business finance podcast A Deeper Dive features George Felix, the chief mar...
How Sbarro survived, and thrived, after 2 bankruptcy filings
23 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you teach an old pizza chain new tricks?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features David Karam, the CEO of...
A look into the Top 500 chain restaurants
16 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How did restaurants do in 2024?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive is all about the Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaur...
How the Hooters and TGI Fridays bankruptcies will disrupt the credit markets
09 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How will the bankruptcy filings of TGI Fridays and Hooters affect the market for securitizations?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podc...
The Salad House founder on finding balance between healthy and indulgent
02 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
In this special episode of A Deeper Dive — guest-hosted by Nation’s Restaurant News editor-in-chief and Take-Away host Sam Oches — Sam talks wi...
What the owner of Pollo Tropical will do next
26 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the strategy for Authentic Restaurant Brands’ newest acquisition?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive feat...
How the COVID pandemic has changed the restaurant industry
19 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How has the pandemic affected restaurants?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Lisa Miller, a consumer stra...
Why restaurants are still having challenges this year
12 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are restaurant chains still having challenges in 2025?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Rich Shank, ...
How record egg prices are affecting breakfast chains
05 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What’s going on with egg prices?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ricky Richardson, the CEO of the bre...
A look into Starbucks' marketing strategy shift
26 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How should we think of the shift in marketing at Starbucks?This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive is about marketing restaurant brands and it features...
How to grow a hot restaurant concept without destroying it
19 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How do you take a hot restaurant concept national without destroying it?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive feature...
How to rebuild a restaurant chain
12 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
How does a restaurant chain come back from bankruptcy?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Greco, the C...
Why Chili's is outperforming Applebee's
05 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why are some chains easily outperforming their biggest competitors? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features ...
What private equity thinks of the restaurant business right now
29 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The best time to invest in a restaurant chain may be when the industry is struggling. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deepe...
The right and the wrong way to franchise a restaurant
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What is the right franchising strategy for your restaurant brand? It’s not as simple a question as you may think. And I brought in Sean Thompson, VP...
How weight-loss drugs will impact restaurants
15 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Should restaurants worry about weight-loss drugs? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Leo Feler, chief eco...
Why restaurants closed so many locations last year
08 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Why did restaurants close so many locations last year? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Balis, the ...
Why consumers turned away from fast-food restaurants in 2024
18 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Traffic and value dominated restaurant news in 2024. Unsurprisingly, then, this episode of the Restaurant Business podcast of A Deeper Dive, which fea...
How to tell whether an emerging restaurant chain will be a long-term success
11 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can you tell if an emerging brand will be a long-term success? It’s not an easy question to answer. A lot of private-equity firms, restaurant ex...
Why restaurant chains are releasing so many new menu items
04 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurants have been loading their menus with new items lately. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive is all about m...
Why some restaurant brands are coming back from the dead
27 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s impossible to kill a restaurant chain, even when it’s dead. This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features a discussion on a fascinating phe...
Inside Church's Texas Chicken's big growth plans
20 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Church’s Texas Chicken has a new recipe that’s its old recipe. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features J...
The story behind L&L Hawaiian Barbecue
13 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s the story behind the Hawaiian barbecue trend? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Elisia Flores, ...
Why TGI Fridays filed for bankruptcy
06 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is happening with TGI Fridays? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on the recent Chapter...
Bill Marler on McDonald’s E. coli outbreak
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do we make of McDonald’s E. coli outbreak? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Bill Marler, the cou...
What to make of a weird year in the restaurant business
23 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are we to make of the weird year in restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kenny Kraft, a m...
How to use customer reviews to your advantage
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can your restaurant use customer reviews to manage their business? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Avi...
The benefits, and drawbacks, of restaurant AI
09 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the benefits and drawbacks of artificial intelligence? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Richar...
How to market fast food at a time like this
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you market a brand like Jack in the Box? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ryan Ostrom, the chief...
Why third-party delivery continues to grow in popularity
25 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is delivery so popular? Hint, it’s easy. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Cameron Watt, the presi...
A look at the past, and future, of Whataburger
18 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of Whataburger under its new CEO? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ed Nelson, the CE...
What Topgolf's challenges say about the future of food-and-games brands
11 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of Topgolf? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mathew Focht, the founder and managing ...
The story behind the fast-growing sandwich chain Cheba Hut
04 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does a pot-themed brand become one of the industry’s fastest-growing restaurant chains? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast...
What all these bankruptcies say about the state of restaurants right now
28 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What do all these bankruptcies mean for the future of the restaurant industry? In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Di...
What a potential merger of Circle K and 7-Eleven means for restaurants
21 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does the potential Circle K-7-Eleven deal mean for restaurants? This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features...
How franchising can build multi-generational wealth
14 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can operating a franchise lead to multi-generational success? This week's episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Ke...
Why China is causing headaches for Starbucks
07 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are some restaurant chains suddenly struggling in international markets? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive fe...
Why private equity likes restaurant franchisees
31 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why should franchisees take private-equity investments? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Mike Esposito,...
How Pepper Lunch is breaking into the U.S. market
24 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How does an international restaurant chain break into the toughest market in the world? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Dee...
Why restaurants are losing customers
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why are restaurants losing customers right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features R.J. Hottovy, head of ...
Why platform companies are buying so many small chains
10 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Why is it better for small restaurant chains to band together? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Kelly R...
Can technology fix restaurants' workforce issues?
03 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Can technology fix restaurants’ workforce issues? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features two different discussions. First...
How restaurants should operate in a price-sensitive market
26 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do brands operate in a price-sensitive restaurant market? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Juan Mar...
A look at some of the restaurant industry's biggest concerns
18 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What are the restaurant industry’s biggest concerns right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Scott...
The difference between winners and losers in a tough restaurant market
12 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How can restaurant chains survive in this market? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features longtime industry ex...
What is the future of Red Lobster?
05 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of Red Lobster? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Victor Fernandez, the vice presiden...
How Dutch Bros is refining its real estate strategy
29 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How has Dutch Bros changed its real estate strategy? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Christine Barone,...
The biggest trends in the restaurant industry right now
22 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What does the Technomic Top 500 tell us about the restaurant industry right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Div...
How Pinstripes plans to upgrade the bowling experience
15 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How is Pinstripes upgrading the bowling experience? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Dale Schwartz, the...
Who is winning the chicken wars right now
08 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Who is winning the chicken wars? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on recent earnings with ...
A preview of this year's National Restaurant Association Show
07 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What’s coming to this year’s National Restaurant Association Show? More seats, for one thing. This special episode of the Restaurant Business podc...
An in-depth look at a fast-growing c-store chicken concept
01 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Convenience stores are upping their food game and one concept is taking advantage of it. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A De...
How restaurants can tailor real estate strategies to an uncertain market
24 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How do you tailor your real estate strategies to an uncertain market? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features ...
A look at the future of virtual restaurant brands
17 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is the future of virtual restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robbie Earl, the co-founder...
The story behind the fast-growing minigolf concept Puttshack
10 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What happens when you combine high-tech miniature golf and food? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe V...
What to expect from the upcoming Restaurant Leadership Conference
05 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is happening at the Restaurant Leadership Conference this year? We decided to demand that Chris Keating, the EVP of Conferences for Informa Conne...
How Wingstop fixed its chicken wing cost problem
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How did Wingstop fix its cost problem? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michael Skipworth, the chicken ...
How to modernize a 50-year-old pizza chain
27 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How is Happy Joe’s modernizing its brand? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Sacco, the CEO of Happ...
How a more diverse C-suite is helping restaurants
20 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How are restaurants making their C-suites more diverse? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Therese Gearha...
What Corner Bakery's new owners saw in the brand
13 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What is Corner Bakery doing to right its ship? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Chris Dharod, the CEO o...
Why you should never compromise on unit economics
06 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Never compromise on your unit economics. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Justin Rosenberg, the founder...
Why restaurant consumers are more value conscious right now
29 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
How important is value right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robert Byrne, the director of consum...
What to expect out of restaurants in 2024
21 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
What will the restaurant industry do in 2024? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Hudson Riehle, the senio...