Choppin’ It Up by Bloomberg Intelligence
Episodes
Brooklyn Dumpling Shop CEO on Fast-Casual Sales
15 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
There’s a lot of talk about how soft the consumer is, but our third-party delivery same-store sales are up 50% year over year, Brooklyn Dumpling...
Liberty Ventures CEO on Conscious Leadership
01 Dec 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If a leader wants to run a business that’s more focused on taking care of its people, he or she has to reflect on their own values and how they ...
Golden Corral’s Improved Operations Boost Sales
18 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Value is more than just price — you have to give the guests an experience that exceeds their expectations, Golden Corral CEO Lance Trenary tells...
Bikky’s Kapur on Saturation of Third-Party Ads
06 Nov 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Survey data show third-party delivery ads are hitting a saturation point and 45% of chains expect to invest less in the channel in 2026, Bikky Co-Foun...
Foodini’s CEO, COO on Food-Allergen Disclosure
22 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
A significant challenge of allergen disclosure is that ingredient information is fragmented and frequently changing, while supply-chain tracking isn&r...
Chipotle’s Brandt on LTOs, Improving Operations
13 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The rubber meets the road in Chipotle restaurants and the whole company is focused on improving operations, Chief Brand Officer Chris Brandt tells Blo...
TipHaus’ COO on New US Tax Law, ‘Tipflation’
03 Oct 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The majority of full-time servers and bartenders should see more money in their pockets due to the recently enacted US tax law, TipHaus’ Chief O...
Costa Vida’s Allen on Catering, Tech and AI
23 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
If you’re not paying attention to catering, your restaurants are missing a huge opportunity to drive revenue, Costa Vida President Wade Allen te...
A Plan for Cracker Barrel’s Path to Recovery
15 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The great brands open up the throttle at their busiest times, Fred LeFranc, Results Thru Strategy founder, managing partner and chaos strategist, tell...
Buffets, Bambi and Big Plans at Rave’s Pizza Inn
02 Sep 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Pizza Inn is a massive sleeping giant with latent equity, Rave Restaurant Group CEO Brandon Solano tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of th...
SPB Hospitality’s Kern on M&A, Refranchising
14 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US restaurant spending has been resilient, and guests are looking for a better sit-down experience, SPB Hospitality CEO Josh Kern tells Bloomberg Inte...
Velvet Taco’s Dover on Culinary Roots, Culture
01 Aug 2025
Contributed by Lukas
What other restaurant can you go to and get a chicken-fried oyster taco? Velvet Taco CEO Clay Dover sits down with Bloomberg Intelligence senior resta...
Restaurants Set the Table for Better 2H Sales
15 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
The restaurant industry could post a 1-2% same-store sales increase for 2025, BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen tells...
FAT Brands’ Wiederhorn on Growth, Debt Paydown
01 Jul 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Sales almost double when Smokey Bones restaurants are converted to the Twin Peaks chain, FAT Brands’ Chairman Andy Wiederhorn said on this episo...
SignalFlare.ai’s Lukianoff on Data Analytics, AI
24 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
US restaurant development is outpacing population growth by about 5x, according to SignalFlare.ai Founder and CEO Michael Lukianoff. In this episode o...
Ziosk’s Howard on Lifting Sales, Ops Via Digital
11 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Establishing a digital relationship with the 75% of a chain’s patrons that aren’t loyalty customers will be the growth engine for full-ser...
HF Foods’ Lin on Organic Growth Strategies, M&A
02 Jun 2025
Contributed by Lukas
M&A is a great opportunity for HF Foods Group because Asian specialty foodservice distribution is primarily made up of smaller competitors and HF ...
Checkmate’s CEO on Voice AI, Kiosks, Catering
22 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Voice AI at the drive-thru is one or two years away from being ready to be rolled out to hundreds of thousands of locations, Checkmate CEO and founder...
Just Salad’s Kenner on Operations, Store Growth
12 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Every Just Salad employee is trained in culture, connecting with customers and the consistency of product and hospitality, according to founder and CE...
Align’s Kefauver on Tariffs, Tax Cuts and MAHA
01 May 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Where we were with trade talks six weeks ago and where we are now are very different and that trajectory will continue over the next six weeks to six ...
Ovation’s CEO on Addressing Customer Complaints
22 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Poor order accuracy is a fast way to lose customers and gain one-star reviews, Ovation’s CEO and Founder Zack Oates tells Bloomberg Intelligence...
Authentic Restaurant Brands’ CEO on M&A Strategy
10 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Authentic Restaurant Brands wants to be national, but it’s going to get there by being regional across the country, CEO Alex Macedo tells Bloomb...
Brinker’s Hochman on Chili’s Accelerating Sales
01 Apr 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Chili’s accelerated sales growth is sustainable because the company is working with the fundamentals of casual dining — the food, service ...
El Pollo Loco’s Employee Turnover Bests Peers
24 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
El Pollo Loco has some of the lowest turnover in the industry, CEO Liz Williams tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It...
Olo’s Glass on Using Guest Data to Boost Traffic
17 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
It’s imperative for restaurant brands to use guest data to become more efficient with their marketing and drive profitable traffic, Olo’s ...
Denny’s Valade on Value, Keke’s Strong Growth
07 Mar 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Consumers need to be able to count on restaurant brands for a great value proposition, Denny’s CEO Kelli Valade tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In...
Dairy Queen Pursues Strong International Growth
18 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Dairy Queen’s international development team seeks to expand into countries where they can quickly grow market share, the customers can afford t...
LA Aims to Rebuild Ahead of Super Bowl, Olympics
03 Feb 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Any time you go through a disaster, the first thing you want to do is find your family and hug them, Main + Main’s CEO and Los Angeles resident ...
Twin Peaks’ Conversion Lifts Average Unit Volume
27 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Twin Peaks’ first conversion of a Smokey Bones restaurant is generating run rate sales of $8.3 million, up from $3 million before the switch, CE...
Tom’s Watch Bar Looks to Raise Sports-Bar Game
22 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
At its core Tom’s Watch Bar is a “super sports bar,” cofounder and co-CEO Brooks Schaden tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episo...
Cracker Barrel’s Masino on Menu Enhancements
07 Jan 2025
Contributed by Lukas
Cracker Barrel’s innovation team is “on fire” and just getting started, CEO Julie Masino tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episo...
Firebirds’ Differentiated Experience Lifts Sales
06 Dec 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Leaning into the wood fired grills, bringing fine-dining elements to a more casual environment and an affinity for families are points of differentiat...
Fast Food Lost Its Value, Convenience Advantages
21 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fast-food chains have lost their value and convenience advantages over competitors, Restaurant Insight Monitor Founder and Partner Tom Wagner tells Bl...
PathSpot’s Schindler on Reducing Foodborne Illness
05 Nov 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The No. 1 issue behind the spread of foodborne illnesses is food handling and handwashing practices, making up 89% of outbreaks, PathSpot CEO and cofo...
Cava’s Rebhun on Driving Brand Awareness, Sales
30 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cava’s brand awareness has gotten a boost from the 2023 IPO, social media and its growing consumer packaged goods business, Chief Experience Officer...
Shake Shack’s Marketing Plan May Boost Frequency
16 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Shake Shack’s food speaks for itself, but marketing can help reinforce the qualities that make it special like brisket in the burgers and shakes mad...
Kiosks Can Boost Guest-Check Average and Margin
02 Oct 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Guests are very willing to adopt kiosks as a part of their ordering process, and the technology can boost check averages 20% or more for some restaura...
Tariffs, Tax Rates at Stake in the 2024 Election
24 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The US presidential race is between Vice President Kamala Harris, former President Donald Trump and the couch, according to Bloomberg Intelligence sen...
Chili’s Cultural Relevance Boosts Traffic
16 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It’s a battle for restaurants to become top of mind with consumers, so generating cultural relevance is imperative, Chili’s Chief Marketing Office...
Craftable’s Zats on Using AI to Cut Eatery Costs
05 Sep 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurants can’t just raise prices, they need to use data to make real-time decisions to cut waste and excess costs, says Craftable CEO and co-foun...
Hopdoddy Recipe for Good Burgers, Happy Workers
13 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
More and more ranchers are transitioning to regenerative practices, Hibar Hospitality CEO Jeff Chandler tells Bloomberg Intelligence, and he is hoping...
Savory’s Smith on Consumer Squeeze, Value Meals
01 Aug 2024
Contributed by Lukas
American consumers are getting squeezed and spending their restaurant dollars on indulgent snack times and value plays, Savory Fund Managing Partner a...
Negative Earnings Revisions Loom for Restaurants
18 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Many restaurant companies could cut guidance this year as low-income consumers and industry sales remain challenged, Guggenheim Partners Director and ...
US Restaurant Delivery Is In Need of a Makeover
08 Jul 2024
Contributed by Lukas
It is becoming clear that delivery in the US isn’t working for anyone, Empower Delivery CEO Meredith Sandland, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this...
Restaurants Pivot Amid Expensive Real Estate
17 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant real estate is expensive and vacancy is low, motivating chains to pivot to alternative formats and omni-channel development including nontr...
Cultivated Meat Offers Taste and Sustainability
04 Jun 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Cultivated meat can give customers a product they love without the negative impact to the environment, Meatable Founder and Chief Technical Officer Da...
Private Markets May Signal More Restaurant M&A
14 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The volume of restaurant mergers and acquisitions remains well below 2019-21 levels, but private-market activity is starting to pick up, Harrington Pa...
No-Shows Crimp Fine Dining Restaurant Profits
02 May 2024
Contributed by Lukas
No-shows remain in the 20% range in the fine-dining industry, Head of Tock Matt Tucker tells Bloomberg Intelligence, despite demand that far outstrips...
Puttshack Tech, Food May Revolutionize Mini Golf
23 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Puttshack owns a global concept patent on automatic scoring in miniature golf, CEO Joe Vrankin, tells Bloomberg Intelligence, creating a barrier to en...
Weak Foodservice Capacity Lifts Restaurant Costs
11 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Foodservice distribution capacity is very tight, Datum FS Founder and President David Maloni tells Bloomberg Intelligence, contributing to higher pric...
Gong cha May Benefit as Bubble-Tea Sales Jump
03 Apr 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Global bubble-tea sales could double or triple to more than $5 billion in the next 5-6 years, Gong cha Global President of the Americas Geoff Henry te...
Shatranj Capital on Ample Mideast Opportunities
21 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
The Israel-Hamas war is a bigger issue for McDonald’s and Starbucks than many other food chains due to reputational risk, deeper sales declines and ...
Restaurant Loyalty Programs Need an Upgrade
11 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant chains are revamping loyalty programs this year because they aren’t working, Thanx CEO and Founder Zach Goldstein tells Bloomberg Intelli...
Salad and Go Aims for Low Price in Healthy Food
01 Mar 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Salad and Go’s mission -- to make fresh, nutritious food affordable and convenient for all -- is unique in the restaurant industry, CEO Charlie Morr...
Rock-Solid Restaurant Operations Fuel Traffic
12 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Collaboration and alignment between restaurant operations and marketing teams is critical to driving traffic without hurting the guest experience, Ray...
Fogo de Chao’s Employee Investments Fuel Growth
01 Feb 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Fogo de Chao doesn’t build a site pipeline until it has three years of visibility into the development of general managers, CEO Barry McGowan tells ...
Qdoba’s Big Opportunity in Fast-Casual Mexican
23 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Mexican fast casual is the only dining category that doesn’t have a list of 20 mature competitors slugging it out for market share, CEO of Modern Re...
Potbelly Sees Franchisees Fueling 10% Unit Gains
12 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
Great franchisees will make Potbelly stronger for 20, 30 or 40 years, CEO and President Bob Wright tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of ...
Restaurant-Tech Troubles Could Continue in 2024
04 Jan 2024
Contributed by Lukas
A record number of restaurant-tech companies could shut their doors for good in 2024, Juan George, co-founder of 858 Partners, tells Bloomberg Intelli...
GLP-1 Patients Cut Snacking, Alcohol Consumption
22 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Patients taking GLP-1 drugs reduce their snacking and alcohol consumption, but the overall impact on the restaurant industry will be minimal, Allan Hi...
Red Robin’s Food and Service Fuel Turnaround
07 Dec 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Red Robin Gourmet Burgers’ new flat-top grills make better burgers, improve efficiency and give the chain more menu optionality going forward, CEO a...
GLP-1 Drugs May Motivate Restaurant Menu Changes
20 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant CEOs seem pretty confident that sales will hold up just fine as the use of GLP-1 drugs increases, Daniela Sirtori-Cortina, Bloomberg News r...
Restaurants Must Adapt to Shifting Labor Market
02 Nov 2023
Contributed by Lukas
On the surface it looks like US employment is strong but labor participation is lower than pre-pandemic levels and there are nearly four million part-...
Honeygrow Posts Net Income Despite Rapid Growth
19 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Honeygrow keeps G&A tight and is profitable on a net income basis, founder and CEO Justin Rosenberg tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode ...
Restaurants Aim to Steal Share Amid Traffic Drop
12 Oct 2023
Contributed by Lukas
This will be a year of stealing share because the restaurant industry isn’t going to drive positive traffic, Mark Kuperman, COO of Revenue Managemen...
Blaze Pizza’s Smaller Stores to Fuel Development
28 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Blaze Pizza’s new, smaller format stores are half the size of existing units and cost 25-35% less to build, CEO Beto Guajardo tells Bloomberg Intell...
Franchisors Outperform as Restaurant Sales Slow
06 Sep 2023
Contributed by Lukas
“We see a lot of challenges ahead, especially for the US consumer,” Howard Penney, managing director and consumables analyst at Hedgeye Risk Manag...
The Melt’s Employees Help Serve Up 400% AUV Jump
15 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The Melt’s turnaround was fueled by input from team members and customers, CEO Ralph Bower tells Bloomberg Intelligence, fueling a 400% jump in aver...
Freddy’s Franchisee Focus Boosts Net Unit Growth
01 Aug 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers is highly focused on its franchisees and their returns on investment, President and CEO Chris Dull tells ...
AI Spices Up Consumer Connection, Marketing
19 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Emotional connection drives consumer decisions and every marketing campaign needs to bring customers on an emotional journey to be successful, Beni Gr...
Closing the Gender Gap on US Boards of Directors
05 Jul 2023
Contributed by Lukas
One-third of private companies in the US have all-male boards of directors and just one in seven of those seats are occupied by a woman, Jocelyn Manga...
Digitally Native Restaurants May Be the Future
21 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The digitally native restaurant could overtake fast casual and become the fastest growing concept in the US, Carl Orsbourn, co-author of the Deliverin...
First Watch’s One Shift Provides Unique Advantage
08 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
First Watch’s one shift, one menu model has given First Watch a hiring and employment advantage, Matt Eisenacher, First Watch’s Senior VP of Brand...
Cyberattacks Are a Growing Restaurant Concern
01 Jun 2023
Contributed by Lukas
No company is immune from an “oh-no!” moment, Deborah Nitka, senior manager of cybersecurity and privacy at Cohn Reznick, tells Bloomberg Intellig...
Portillo’s Boasts a Sizable Growth Opportunity
18 May 2023
Contributed by Lukas
If Portillo’s can prove that its iconic and unique menu is accepted outside of its home market of Illinois it may deserve the fattest multiple in th...
Empowering Workers Is Key to Restaurant Success
25 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Restaurant success is all about the employees, Fred LeFranc, Results Thru Strategy founder, managing partner and chaos strategist says. In this episod...
Restaurant M&A Slows on Private Equity Headwinds
11 Apr 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The market for restaurant mergers and acquisitions is rough seas right now, Mike Gottlieb Managing Director of National Hospitality Advisory at CohnRe...
Walk-On's Culture Boosts Staffing, Sales Volume
31 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux has avoided staffing issues due to a strong culture that emphasizes team over the individual, CEO Scott Taylor explains to B...
SVB May Spur Cash Crunch for Restaurant Tech
21 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank could make venture debt more expensive and harder to get for restaurant tech startups, Jimmy Frischling and Michae...
Great Food, Training Fuel Restaurant Success
10 Mar 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Food consistency, superior service and employee training are critical to success in the restaurant market, Marvin Alballi, Chief Operating Officer of ...
Olo Aims to Digitize All Restaurant Transactions
03 Feb 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Noah Glass, Founder and CEO at Olo, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the company’...
Split Congress and Its Impact on Restaurants
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Joe Kefauver, Founding Partner of Align Public Strategies, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, t...
Mecha Noodle Bar’s Blueprint for Giving Back
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Rich Reyes, CEO and Co-Founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discu...
Next Level Burger Aims to Change US Eating Habits
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Matthew de Gruyter, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Level Burger, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence,...
Unionization Threatens US Restaurant Profits
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Riley Lagesen, Shareholder and Chair of the Global Restaurant Industry Group at GreenbergTraurig, and Jonathan Sack, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig, ...
California's Fast Act to Raise Restaurant Costs
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Riley Lagesen, Shareholder and Chair of the Global Restaurant Industry Group at GreenbergTraurig, and Jonathan Sack, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig, ...
US Consumer Response to Menu Pricing Madness
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Michael Lukianoff, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Extropy 360, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Int...
Ghost Kitchen Growth and Food Delivery's Future
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Atul Sood, Chief Business Officer at Kitchen United, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to disc...
Leadership and Hiring Trends
26 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Alice Elliot, Founder and CEO of The Elliot Group, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discus...
Weighing Wall Street's Appetite for Restaurant Stocks
24 Jan 2023
Contributed by Lukas
Gregory Francfort, Senior Restaurant Analyst at Guggenheim Partners, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intel...