The Restaurant Innovator cover art

All Episodes

The Restaurant Innovator — 125 episodes

#
Title
1

What It Takes to Keep a Neighborhood Restaurant Alive

2

How Two Resort Chefs Make 50 Restaurants Feel Distinct

3

When a Hotel Restaurant Is Ready to Stand on Its Own

4

Craft Beer Meets Modern Wellness Culture at This Franchise-Ready Beer Spa

5

From Jersey Shore Roots to 300-Unit Goals with Chris Ives

6

How a Nashville Chef Achieves Sub-30% Food Costs

7

Sam Jett Redefines ‘Luxury’ Fine Dining: Where Farmers Write the Menu

8

What 10 Years in Front of House Taught This Executive Chef

9

The Disney Playbook for Better Hospitality

10

Inside Chef Kenny Gilbert’s Boot Camp for Future Culinary Leaders

11

Why Cotton Patch Cafe Stopped Chasing Newness

12

Why Chef Michael Campbell is Betting Big on Catering to Scale in California

13

How Fiamma Turned Scarcity Into a Sellout Strategy (With Just 5 Burgers a Day)

14

Chef Basil Dean’s Blueprint for Island Hospitality

15

How Cracker Barrel Balances Nostalgia and Newness

16

Disco Unicorns and Designing for the ‘Wow’ Factor

17

Why “Brilliant at the Basics” Wins in Modern Dining

18

Katie Button’s Recipe for Resilience Through Crisis and Competition

19

How Keke’s is Scaling a Florida Favorite Nationwide

20

How Paul Mangiamele Brought Iconic Brands Back from the Brink

21

The Tools That Power Mise en Place: Why the Hidden Driver of Kitchen Efficiency is Cleanliness

22

From ‘Chopped’ Champion to ‘Top Chef’ Contender: Anthony Jones

23

Inside the Gray Areas of Tipping, Wages, and Compliance

24

Why Diners Aren’t Dead—They Just Need Disruption, According to Stratis Morfogen

25

Rethinking Restaurant Tech with 7shifts’ Jordan Boesch

26

The Dual Role Advantage: Fabien Jacob on Running the Floor and the Cellar

27

Diana Geseking on Building an Impact-Driven Brand Without Greenwashing

28

‘Top Chef’ Alum Dan Jacobs on Aging in an Industry Obsessed with Youth

29

Purpose Over Pace With Mecha Noodle Bar’s Tony Pham

30

How to Flip a Struggling Restaurant Into a Success Story

31

Resilience and Reinvention With Cloak and Petal’s Cesar Vallin

32

Inside North Italia’s Culinary Engine With Chef Chris Curtiss

33

Nostalgia, Relevance, and How NORMS Stays Feisty After 76 Years, with CEO Mark Politzer

34

The Simple Math for More Sales: Popmenu Co-Founders on the Formula for Growth

35

The Blueprint for Thoughtfully Designing Community-Centric Restaurants With Jeremy Walton

36

How Chad Offerdahl Turned a Two-Unit Diner into a Breakfast Powerhouse

37

‘Top Chef’ Competitor Manny Barella on Balancing BBQ, Fatherhood, and the Roses and Thorns of Reality TV

38

How bartaco CEO Anthony Valletta Streamlined Ops With Behold Juice

39

Chef Gabriela Lopez’s Journey From Cleaning Houses to Living Her Culinary Dream

40

Adam Halberg’s Hospitality Hot Take: Why Barcelona Wine Bar is Doubling Down on People Over Tech

41

From ‘Chopped’ Champion to Barleymash and Beyond with Chef Kevin Templeton

42

How Passerine Is Reimagining Indian Food in New York City

43

The Secret Sauce Behind Hawkers’ Cult Following and Savory Fund Deal with Kaleb Harrell & Andrew Smith

44

How a New Catering Vision Reenergized a 50-Year Brand & Boosted Sales 85% in 90 Days

45

The Secret to Building Restaurants That Last, According to Jamey Shirah

46

Lessons on Growth, Grit, and Investing in People with Hi Neighbor’s Tai Ricci

47

Why Daring to Do Things Differently Pays Off with Chef Jacob Stull of Rêve

48

How Chris Piro Uses Fine Dining Pop-Ups to Fund Foster Dreams

49

What Happens When a Finance Pro and a Chef Reimagine Italian Dining

50

Why Chef Chaz Brown Is Betting Big on Afro-Caribbean Food in D.C.

51

The Secrets of Seasonal Menu Transformation with Joel Reynders

52

Top Chef’s Rasika Venkatesa on Breaking the Mold While Honoring Her Roots

53

Taking the Pulse of Culture and Wellness in Restaurants with Steve Palmer

54

How to Establish Your Restaurant Brand DNA with Joe Haubenhofer of The Plaid Penguin

55

Blending Identity and Innovation Behind the Bar

56

What Operators Need to Know about the State of Eggs and Avian Influenza

57

How a Wealth Advisor Built a Thriving Restaurant Group

58

Michelin-Starred Chef on What Culinary School Doesn’t Teach You

59

Oakland Restaurateurs Paul Iglesias and Sophia Akbar on Food, Culture, and Community

60

Boosting Guest Engagement and the Bottom Line with Ziosk CEO Rhonda Levene

61

Inside the Marketing Mind of Cai Palmiter and How Details Become Differentiators

62

From Lawyer to CEO: Tony Roma’s CEO Mina Haque on Steering the 53-Year-Old Legacy Chain

63

Inside the Journey from Tre Luna Catering to Brick-and-Mortar and Beyond

64

Inside Mellow Mushroom’s Data-Driven Strategy for Growth with Ahsan Jiva

65

Leadership and Longevity Lessons with Jack Gibbons, CEO of FB Society

66

How Boqueria Blends Tapas, Old-World Design, and Mindful Growth Ft. Founder Yann de Rochefort

67

Building Community through Storytelling with Chef Yia Vang of Vinai

68

The State of AI, Franchising, and Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion with Patti Rother

69

Lessons on Opening a ‘Relationship-to-Table’ Restaurant with Chef Jake Potashnick of Feld

70

Restaurant Resilience with Asheville’s Caroline Skinner of Tupelo Honey

71

From Club Kid to Building a Booming Hospitality Empire with Emi Guerra

72

From Employees to Restaurateurs with The Graceful Ordinary’s Megan & Chris Curren

73

'Top Chef' Jeremy Ford on Farming and Growing a Restaurant Empire

74

How Barry McGowan’s People-First Culture Drives Growth at Fogo de Chão

75

Crafting Connections through Authentic Italian Dining with Eldredge Ropolo

76

Secrets to Thriving in a High-Failure Industry with Restaurateur and Author John Felico

77

Creating an Emotion-Filled Dining Experience with 22-Year-Old Chef Trevor Shankman

78

Driving the Data-Forward Future of Competitive Social Entertainment Dining, with Mathew Focht

79

The Future of Restaurant Sensor Monitoring and Automation, with Jake Simon of ConnectedFresh

80

Cultivating Genuine Customer Interaction, with Shuckin’ Shack’s Jonathan Weathington

81

How to Blend Art and Hospitality with Kingfisher and Queeny’s Co-Owners

82

Long-Term Mindset and Leaving a Legacy for Restaurant Employees with Carl Sobocinski

83

The Secret Sauce of Restaurant Success, with Nathan Thurston

84

Sustainability Beyond the Kitchen with Justin Cucci

85

From Humble Beginnings to a Multi-Million Dollar Business with Hisham Abdelfattah

86

Fostering an Employee-Centric Environment with Obadiah Ostergard of Vine Hospitality

87

Leveling Up Your Vendor Relationships with Chris Hellmann of Restaurant Technologies

88

From Subway to Fine Dining and Food Halls with Reza Farahani of Joon and The Kitchen Collective

89

Revamping a Legendary Restaurant’s Bar Program with Adam Fournier

90

Creating a Multi-Sensory Dining Experience with ‘The Billionaire Chef’ Tolu Eros

91

Behind the Bar with Ray Tremblay, COJE’s Beverage Director

92

A Taste of Rebellion and Puerto Rican Cuisine with Milena Pagán

93

Overcoming Adversity and Building Mission-Driven Brands with Adenah Bayoh

94

How Tocabe is Cultivating the Future of Indigenous Cuisine, Ft. Ben Jacobs

95

Keys to Finding Success in a Competitive Food Category, Ft. Brian Shunia of Wing Snob

96

Balancing History with Modern Relevance, Ft. Mark Latter of Tujague’s

97

A Roadmap for Restaurant Resilience Ft. ‘Bar Rescue’ Chef Ashish Alfred

98

Building a Restaurant Community from the Ground Up, Ft. Krista Cole

99

Transforming Managers Into Hospitality Leaders, Ft. Jason E. Brooks

100

The Making of MINA Group’s Culinary Empire, Ft. Michael Mina and Jason Himber

101

The Art of Personal Branding and Taking Chefs to the Next Level, Ft. Lonny Sweet

102

Creating the Sports Bar of the Future, Ft. Celebrity Chefs Janine Booth, Jeff McInnis, and Caribe Royale’s Amaury Piedra

103

Lessons on Arrogance from ‘Top Chef’ Star CJ Jacobson

104

Honoring Mexico's Culinary Hub, ft. Chef Eddy Escriba of Oaxaca Club

105

Bringing Korean Cuisine to the Masses, ft. Dae Gee’s Joe Kim

106

Mastering Menu Development, ft. Craveworthy’s Becca McIntyre

107

The Dish on 2024’s Foodservice Trends, Feat. Stephanie Lind

108

Bringing a French Fine-Dining Approach to Fast-Casual Franchising, Ft. Chef Gregoire Jacquet

109

From Brewery to Brasserie, Ft. Southerleigh's Jerome Serot

110

Emshika Alberini on Building A Family Legacy Through Food

111

How Restaurants Can Emotionally Connect with Guests, Ft. GiftAMeal CEO Andrew Glantz

112

Top Chef Master Alum Sees an Opportunity in Suburbs and Hotels

113

Chef Troy Guard on Cultivating a Cohesive (Yet Diverse) Restaurant Collective

114

How to Streamline Restaurant Kitchens, Ft. Opsi Founder James Passafaro

115

Redefining the Value Menu, Ft. The Culinary Edge CEO Graham Humphreys

116

‘The Restaurant Diva’ on Being the Face of a Growing Culinary Empire

117

Indigo Road’s Steve Palmer on the Human Touch in Hospitality

118

Revolutionizing Tech in Hospitality with Harri CEO Luke Fryer

119

From Greek Deli to 30-Concept Hospitality Group: Alex Smith’s Mission to Bolster Baltimore’s Restaurant Scene

120

Full Course’s Lauren Fernandez on Playing Both Franchisor and Franchisee

121

James Beard ‘Outstanding Chef’ Rob Rubba on Rethinking our Food System

122

Frankie Olivieri on Keeping a Family-Run Legacy Brand Relevant

123

Sparking Social Equity in Restaurant Franchising with Everytable’s Bryce Fluellen

124

Inside True Food Kitchen’s Incredible Evolution with Christine Ferris

125

Top Chef David Viana on Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry