1259: Chris Schultz, CEO of Velvet Taco

Chris Schultz joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 6th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chris Schultz is the CEO of Velvet Taco, a fast-casual taco brand known for its globally inspired, chef-driven tacos and cult-favorite Weekly Taco Feature program. He brings more than 30 years of restaurant leadership experience to the role and is focused on leading Velvet Taco through its next phase of domestic and international growth while protecting the brand's bold, creative, and unapologetically original culture. Before joining Velvet Taco, Chris served as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut, where he helped guide the brand into new markets and strengthen its cult following. Prior to that, he spent nine years as senior vice president of operations at MOD Pizza, helping grow the concept from a single shop to more than 350 locations across the U.S. He began his restaurant career with a 13-year run at Starbucks, working in operations and development during a period of rapid national and global expansion. Today, Chris is leveraging that Starbucks, MOD Pizza, and Voodoo Doughnut playbook to scale Velvet Taco's 50-plus restaurants across eight states and into new markets, including its first international location in London, all while doubling down on innovation, guest experience, and a highly distinctive brand identity. Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/ Today's sponsors: - Restaurant Technologies — the leader in automated cooking oil management. Their Total Oil Management solution is an end-to-end closed loop automated system that delivers, monitors, filters, collects, and recycles your cooking oil eliminating one of the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen.. Automate your oil and elevate your kitchen by visiting rti-inc.com or call 888-779-5314 to get started! - Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof. Call (281) 888-2413 and mention Restaurant Unstoppable to get 20% off your first month of service. - US Foods®. Running a restaurant takes MORE than great food—it takes reliable deliveries, quality products, and smart tools. US Foods® helps you make it. Ready to level up?  Visit: usfoods.com/expectmore. - Guest contact info:  Email: [email protected] Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!