A Deeper Dive
Episodes
Why people keep buying restaurants
09 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Despite a number of challenges, there remains plenty of demand for restaurants on the open market. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business po...
How a small chain is coping with the tough operating environment
02 Mar 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does a small growth chain expand when the operating environment is so difficult? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Dee...
How Portillo’s is handling life as a public company
23 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How has life changed for Portillo’s since the brand went public? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” featur...
A look at the future, and the present, of third-party delivery
16 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What happens with third-party delivery from here? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” attempts to answer that...
A look at the fierce competition for drive-thru real estate
09 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Everybody wants a drive-thru these days. And that has an impact on the prices for real estate that can accommodate that wish. This week’s episode of...
What restaurants can expect in 2022
02 Feb 2022
Contributed by Lukas
What is 2022 going to be like for restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Hudson Riehle, SV...
How the omicron surge has affected restaurant traffic
26 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How has the omicron variant affected restaurant traffic? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features RJ Hott...
A former McDonald’s franchisee looks back at her long career
19 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Tracy Johnstone wanted to go into academics. Instead she found plenty of teaching opportunities with McDonald’s. This week’s episode of the Restau...
How Biggby Coffee works to compete with its giant competitors
12 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
How does a small, Midwestern coffee chain compete with the big giants? Bob Fish, the co-CEO and cofounder of Biggby Coffee, joins the Restaurant Busin...
How ghost kitchens and virtual brands could change the restaurant industry
05 Jan 2022
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual brands and ghost kitchens have been hugely popular since the outset of the pandemic. But just how big will they be? This week’s episode of t...
The biggest stories of 2021
22 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features staff editors, all discussing their takes on the year’s bigges...
What is the future of restaurant mergers and acquisitions?
15 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will high labor costs derail restaurant industry mergers and acquisitions? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive”...
Should restaurants worry about the omicron variant?
08 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The omicron variant is spreading. Will it cause problems for restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive”...
Can a salad chain become the next big thing in the restaurant business?
01 Dec 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Will people eat enough salads to fuel Sweetgreen’s potential growth? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” fe...
How operators can navigate twin inflationary waves
17 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
A Deeper Dive: Jim Balis, managing director with CapitalSpring, joins this week’s episode to talk about overcoming labor and commodity inflation.
How Andy Wiederhorn plans to pay for all his new chains
10 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How is Andy Wiederhorn doing it? In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” the CEO of Fatburger and Johnny Rock...
A debate on the long-term impact of the labor challenge on restaurants
03 Nov 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Just how bad is the labor shortage? In this episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive,” I debate with Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo about that very t...
How Jack in the Box is reclaiming its unit growth potential
27 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Want to grow your brand? Make sure you get your franchise relations right. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive”...
Checkers has the upper hand in a drive-thru future
20 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Frances Allen, CEO of Checkers and Rally’s, who talks about th...
How restaurants are coping with the labor shortage
13 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Is there any positive outlook on the labor front? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Kevin Bazner, ...
Why the FTC may take a harder look at franchising
06 Oct 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The U.S. Federal Trade Commission appears ready to take a harder look at franchising. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A De...
Why independent restaurants are recovering more slowly than chains
29 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
When will independent restaurants catch a break? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features a discussion on...
How long will supply chain problems last?
22 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Mark Rossi, the CEO of Avanti Restaurant Solutions, who talks ab...
Why more careful selection is key to restaurant success
15 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fast growth isn’t necessarily the best growth. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Pete Pascuzzi, the CEO of MRI Herit...
How Sam Fox overcame early challenges to thrive as a restaurateur
08 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What did Sam Fox learn from his early struggles in the restaurant business? Fox, the founder of Fox Restaurant Concepts, joins this week’s episode o...
A look at restaurants' mixed relationship with delivery
01 Sep 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurants have a love-hate relationship with third-party delivery services. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Div...
Why restaurants’ recovery has been faster than expected
25 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why have restaurant industry sales recovered so quickly? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features David H...
How long will the restaurant sales boom last?
18 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How long will the boom in restaurant sales last? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Michael Swanson, an agricultural ec...
How organizations can best tackle diversity issues
11 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What are the best strategies for companies to improve diversity and inclusion in their organizations? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business...
Can a franchisee be a successful brand operator?
04 Aug 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Can a franchisee succeed as a franchisor? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tabbassum Mumtaz, CEO ...
What it takes to make a good fast-food burger
28 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What makes a good fast-food burger? Or a chicken sandwich? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Bill ...
Why the real estate market is so hot right now
21 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
So much for the idea of real estate availability. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Barry Wolfe, s...
Is the plant-based meat revolution past its peak?
14 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
In this week’s episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive,” senior editors Pat Cobe and Heather Lalley join me to discuss the state of plant-based...
Is there any hope for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?
07 Jul 2021
Contributed by Lukas
What happens with the Restaurant Revitalization Fund now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Sean K...
How Red Robin is helping vault Donatos around the country
30 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Donatos is expanding using any method it can. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Tom Krouse, the ch...
How companies can keep their best employees in a tough market
23 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Helen Lao, the founder and CEO of executive recruitment firm Cle...
How Jollibee plans to take over the U.S.
16 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The track record of international concepts expanding in the U.S. is not great. Jollibee Foods plans to change that. Maribeth Cruz, president of Jollib...
How Jimmy John’s shifted marketing under Inspire Brands
09 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Jimmy John’s has shifted its marketing under Inspire Brands. In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” the ch...
How restaurants are fending off the labor shortage
02 Jun 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How are restaurant companies finding and keeping workers right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” featu...
Why there are so many big franchise disputes right now
26 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The three biggest franchise brands in the world are all embroiled in disputes with their U.S. franchisees. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Bus...
How to best build a virtual brand
19 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual brands are all the rage right now. But how do they work? And how can they succeed with so many of them out there? This week’s episode of the...
How Domino’s became a technology company
12 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did Domino’s become a tech company? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Dennis Maloney, the An...
How long will the restaurant boom last?
05 May 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The restaurant industry has enjoyed some remarkably strong sales so far this year. The Restaurant Business team of editors want to know how long this ...
How Jersey Mike’s was able to thrive during the pandemic
28 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How was Jersey Mike’s able to outperform all of its competitors, and most of the restaurant industry, in 2020? This week’s episode of the Restaura...
What to expect from restaurant M&A coming out of the pandemic
21 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers are changing again coming out of the pandemic, and that is expected to change the market for restaurant chains. This week’s episode of the...
How the Top 500 restaurant chains fared during a tough 2020
14 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The Technomic Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, released earlier this month, has provided a clear picture of just how much the pandemic has influenced ...
How activist investors hurt corporate diversity
07 Apr 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why are there so few Black and women CEOs? Activist investors. Or so says James White, the former CEO of Jamba, and Thomas Lynch, senior managing dire...
How Greg Flynn engineered the biggest franchise deal in U.S. history
31 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
The latest acquisition in Flynn Restaurant Group’s history was its biggest. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast features Greg F...
A deep look at the fast-food chicken sandwich wars
24 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fast-food chains are gung-ho for chicken sandwiches these days. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” explores ...
How Cooper’s Hawk is preparing for pent-up demand
17 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How will an upscale casual chain prepare for a potential flood of post-pandemic customers? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “...
Why SPACs have become so popular
10 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Why have SPACs suddenly become so popular among investors? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Andy ...
Del Taco has big plans for its new prototype
03 Mar 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Del Taco has big plans for its new prototype. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features John Cappasola, CE...
How Golden Corral survived the pandemic
24 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How did Golden Corral, the country’s biggest buffet chain, survive a pandemic in which it couldn’t operate much if not all of its buffets? Lance T...
Why virtual brands are changing the restaurant game
17 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual brands are big and getting bigger. And they could change the restaurant industry. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “...
How Hungry Howie’s competes against big pizza chains
10 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
How does Hungry Howie’s compete in the pizza sector with so many giant competitors? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A De...
The story behind Dutch Bros Coffee’s quiet yet impressive growth
03 Feb 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Dutch Bros Coffee has quietly been one of the strongest growth chains in the U.S. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper...
Why fast-food restaurants need more than just a redesign
27 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Fast-food restaurant companies are busy developing new prototypes to take advantage of the growth in takeout. But they need more than that to succeed....
How Bartaco adapted to the pandemic
20 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Bartaco has had a busy three years. Scott Lawton, CEO and cofounder of the 20-unit taco chain, joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business ...
Why Nathan’s Famous is big on ghost kitchens
13 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Ghost kitchens are a big trend, and Nathan’s Famous is taking full advantage. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper D...
How Papa John’s quickly turned itself around
06 Jan 2021
Contributed by Lukas
Papa John’s turned itself around last year. Its challenge in 2021 is to keep that momentum going. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business p...
A look back at a difficult 2020
23 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
There is no question what the biggest story of the year was. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” includes a d...
Why ghost kitchens may not be all they’re cut out to be
16 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Ghost kitchens are popular right now. But how long will the trend last? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” f...
The ‘Gain Train:’ How restaurants can win in the post-pandemic era
09 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurants facing a long pandemic winter have a number of strategies they can use to survive and thrive. That, at least, is according to Navin Nagran...
Why restaurants are more resistant to pandemic shutdowns this time around
02 Dec 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurants seem to be more resistant to state shutdowns this time around. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive”...
Inside Zaxby’s deal with Goldman Sachs
24 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Earlier this month, the fast-casual chicken chain Zaxby’s took a major investment from Goldman Sachs Merchant Banking Division. Cofounder and CEO Za...
What the restaurant industry will look like when the pandemic is over
18 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The restaurant industry is going to look a lot different once the pandemic is over. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deep...
Why some restaurants may struggle to get through the winter
11 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
A vaccine may be on its way, but so are additional restaurant closures. And that could make for a difficult winter. This week’s episode of the Rest...
What Inspire Brands is building with its Dunkin’ acquisition
04 Nov 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Inspire Brands’ proposed purchase of Dunkin’ Brands was the culmination of three years of acquisitions that have taken the brand operator into the...
What restaurant sectors thrived during the pandemic?
28 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Lorn Davis, who leads corporate and product strategy at the fina...
Why private equity puts some restaurant chains at a disadvantage
21 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Private equity groups may be hurting U.S. restaurants. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Joel S...
Why franchise regulations are due for a makeover
14 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Franchising can be a bigger risk than many expect. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast "A Deeper Dive" delves into that risk wit...
Why a second wave might be worse for restaurant-landlord relations
07 Oct 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Stephen Cohen, a solo practice attorney who works with a wide ra...
How restaurants are being designed for a mobile future
30 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant design is adapting quickly to meet changing consumer needs. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” f...
How Reef Kitchens is riding the wave of delivery demand
23 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Reef Kitchens has a unique business. But its model is more traditional than you think. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A ...
Why the CDC report will hurt the full-service recovery
16 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The recovery in full-service dining likely hit a big speed bump last week, when the U.S. Centers for Disease Control cited in-restaurant dining as fac...
How the pandemic is changing restaurant finance
09 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Mark Wasilefsky, head of franchise finance for TD Bank, joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss COVID-19’s impact on financing.
Some restaurants push growth while others struggle to survive
02 Sep 2020
Contributed by Lukas
It’s almost as if there are two restaurant industries, with one struggling to survive the pandemic, and the other flourishing. This week’s episod...
Why the virtual brand gold rush may not be all it’s cracked up to be
26 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Virtual brands are all over the place. But the trend is riskier than it appears. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper...
Why Andy Wiederhorn keeps buying restaurants
19 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Andy Wiederhorn has a penchant for burger chains. The CEO of brand-collecting company Fat Brands joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Busines...
How Firehouse Subs hit record sales this summer
12 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Firehouse Subs’ sales are on fire. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Don Fox, CEO of the Jackso...
How Qdoba survived the quarantine on its own
05 Aug 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Keith Guilbault, CEO of Qdoba Mexican Eats, the 730-unit fast-ca...
Where does the economy go from here?
29 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The economy will not recover until the pandemic is under control. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features eco...
Taco John’s Jim Creel on the coronavirus, expansion and LeBron James
22 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
The Mexican fast-food chain’s CEO joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss how his chain has responded to COVID-19, and also Taco Tuesday...
Why BurgerFi is going public in a pandemic
15 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
BurgerFi president Charlie Guzzetta joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to talk about the coronavirus and its merger with Opes Acquisition.
What restaurants should think of the worsening pandemic
08 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s edition of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features editors Jonathan Maze and Peter Romeo discussing the coronavirus resurgence and i...
How to protect unit profitability during a pandemic
01 Jul 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s edition of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Juan Martinez, principal and cofounder of the industrial engineering firm Profit...
10 big challenges restaurants face post-COVID
24 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Navin Nagrani, executive vice president and operating partner with Hilco Real Estate, joins the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive” to discuss pain points ...
How Punch Bowl Social is surviving the pandemic, without Cracker Barrel
17 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Three months ago, Punch Bowl Social was seemingly left for dead when its sponsor, Cracker Barrel, opted to pull its support less than one year after i...
Why cultural intelligence matters for restaurants
10 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Gerry Fernandez, president and founder of the Multicultural Foodservice and Hospitality Alliance, joins this week’s episode of the RB podcast “A D...
How to avoid buying a bad restaurant franchise
03 Jun 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s edition of the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" features Jeff Lefler, CEO of FranchiseGrade.com, to talk about the risks of buying a bad fran...
How Zaxby’s adapted to the pandemic and thrived
27 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Cofounder and CEO Zach McLeroy joins the RB podcast "A Deeper Dive" to discuss the chain’s response to the pandemic, as well as its future.
Restaurants are rethinking their costs during the pandemic
20 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s episode of "A Deeper Dive" features Neal Sherman, founder of restaurant equipment reseller TagEx Brands.
How is the pandemic affecting the food supply?
13 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
David Maloni of ArrowStream joins “A Deeper Dive” this week to discuss the pandemic’s impact on the food supply and prices.
How landlords view the future of restaurants
06 May 2020
Contributed by Lukas
This week’s edition of “A Deeper Dive” features Jeff Brand, founder of real estate developer and broker Brand Partners.
How MOD Pizza is combatting the pandemic
29 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Scott Svenson, cofounder of the fast-casual pizza chain, joins this week’s episode of the RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the company’s strate...
How the pandemic is affecting restaurant chains
22 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Technomic Managing Principal Joe Pawlak joins this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive” to talk about Technomic’s Top 500 and how the pandemic is...
How the coronavirus is shaking up delivery
15 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
On this week’s edition of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” Melissa Wilson, principal with Technomic, talks about that subject.
How restaurants can get creative to help people and survive the shutdown
08 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Randy Dewitt, CEO of Front Burner Restaurants, joins this week’s episode of “A Deeper Dive” to talk about his company’s response to the corona...
How restaurants can survive as their sales plunge
01 Apr 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Jim Balis of CapitalSpring joins “A Deeper Dive” to talk about strategies operators can use to emerge from the coronavirus shutdown.
How restaurant operators are coping with the coronavirus shutdown
25 Mar 2020
Contributed by Lukas
Applebee’s and Panera Bread franchisee Ed Doherty joins this week’s RB podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss the impact of the shutdown on his business...