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A Deeper Dive — 429 episodes · page 3 of 5

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Title
201

Has Starbucks won its union battle?

202

What is the future of restaurant automation?

203

How nostalgia keeps Mountain Mike’s on the growth track

204

Applebee’s John Cywinski on the future of casual dining

205

The fast-casual sector is dead, or maybe it isn’t

206

How video games proved to be a winner for Cicis

207

How restaurants can avoid becoming a political football

208

How operators can navigate a tough pricing environment

209

Why Scooter’s Coffee believes speed is key to its growth

210

How Gong Cha plans to take its bubble tea brand across the U.S.

211

A look at unionization and California’s new fast-food wage law

212

A look at the devastating impact of opioid addiction

213

Why Quiznos believes it is on the cusp of a turnaround

214

How Smoothie King cut back on sugar and won

215

A look at Krispy Kreme’s innovative marketing strategy

216

On pumpkin spice, plant-based meat and Milk Bar

217

How restaurants are combating a historically challenging environment

218

Why Charlie Morrison left Wingstop for an upstart

219

Taco Bell’s COO on its ‘Defy’ drive-thru prototype and the Mexican Pizza

220

How an Iranian immigrant figured out the pizza business

221

A look into Subway’s new menu, and whether it will further the brand’s turnaround

222

How Layne’s Chicken Fingers hopes to become the next big thing

223

What it means to have a good workplace culture

224

How chicken wings helped Charley’s escape the mall

225

A look into Subway’s future

226

How to create a restaurant concept in a time of uncertainty

227

How operators can overcome thinning profit margins

228

How restaurants are combatting multiple challenges

229

Why grocery inflation is so bad, and how it’s affecting restaurants

230

A look into the impact of the driver shortage on distributors

231

The story behind Crumbl Cookies’ sweet success

232

How operators can avoid raising prices too aggressively

233

How Wienerschnitzel handled a sudden surge of drive-thru business

234

A look at which chains stood out in 2021

235

A look at the quality and value of virtual kitchens

236

A look into Wendy’s plans to build more restaurants

237

Why the supply chain crisis won’t go away anytime soon

238

How the pandemic has changed restaurants’ beverage deals

239

Why people keep buying restaurants

240

How a small chain is coping with the tough operating environment

241

How Portillo’s is handling life as a public company

242

A look at the future, and the present, of third-party delivery

243

A look at the fierce competition for drive-thru real estate

244

What restaurants can expect in 2022

245

How the omicron surge has affected restaurant traffic

246

A former McDonald’s franchisee looks back at her long career

247

How Biggby Coffee works to compete with its giant competitors

248

How ghost kitchens and virtual brands could change the restaurant industry

249

The biggest stories of 2021

250

What is the future of restaurant mergers and acquisitions?

251

Should restaurants worry about the omicron variant?

252

Can a salad chain become the next big thing in the restaurant business?

253

How operators can navigate twin inflationary waves

254

How Andy Wiederhorn plans to pay for all his new chains

255

A debate on the long-term impact of the labor challenge on restaurants

256

How Jack in the Box is reclaiming its unit growth potential

257

Checkers has the upper hand in a drive-thru future

258

How restaurants are coping with the labor shortage

259

Why the FTC may take a harder look at franchising

260

Why independent restaurants are recovering more slowly than chains

261

How long will supply chain problems last?

262

Why more careful selection is key to restaurant success

263

How Sam Fox overcame early challenges to thrive as a restaurateur

264

A look at restaurants' mixed relationship with delivery

265

Why restaurants’ recovery has been faster than expected

266

How long will the restaurant sales boom last?

267

How organizations can best tackle diversity issues

268

Can a franchisee be a successful brand operator?

269

What it takes to make a good fast-food burger

270

Why the real estate market is so hot right now

271

Is the plant-based meat revolution past its peak?

272

Is there any hope for the Restaurant Revitalization Fund?

273

How Red Robin is helping vault Donatos around the country

274

How companies can keep their best employees in a tough market

275

How Jollibee plans to take over the U.S.

276

How Jimmy John’s shifted marketing under Inspire Brands

277

How restaurants are fending off the labor shortage

278

Why there are so many big franchise disputes right now

279

How to best build a virtual brand

280

How Domino’s became a technology company

281

How long will the restaurant boom last?

282

How Jersey Mike’s was able to thrive during the pandemic

283

What to expect from restaurant M&A coming out of the pandemic

284

How the Top 500 restaurant chains fared during a tough 2020

285

How activist investors hurt corporate diversity

286

How Greg Flynn engineered the biggest franchise deal in U.S. history

287

A deep look at the fast-food chicken sandwich wars

288

How Cooper’s Hawk is preparing for pent-up demand

289

Why SPACs have become so popular

290

Del Taco has big plans for its new prototype

291

How Golden Corral survived the pandemic

292

Why virtual brands are changing the restaurant game

293

How Hungry Howie’s competes against big pizza chains

294

The story behind Dutch Bros Coffee’s quiet yet impressive growth

295

Why fast-food restaurants need more than just a redesign

296

How Bartaco adapted to the pandemic

297

Why Nathan’s Famous is big on ghost kitchens

298

How Papa John’s quickly turned itself around

299

A look back at a difficult 2020

300

Why ghost kitchens may not be all they’re cut out to be