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All Episodes

The Restaurant Innovator — 111 episodes

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Title
1

How Cracker Barrel Balances Nostalgia and Newness

2

Disco Unicorns and Designing for the ‘Wow’ Factor

3

Why “Brilliant at the Basics” Wins in Modern Dining

4

Katie Button’s Recipe for Resilience Through Crisis and Competition

5

How Keke’s is Scaling a Florida Favorite Nationwide

6

How Paul Mangiamele Brought Iconic Brands Back from the Brink

7

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

8

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

9

Inside the Gray Areas of Tipping, Wages, and Compliance

10

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

11

Rethinking Restaurant Tech with 7shifts’ Jordan Boesch

12

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

13

Diana Geseking on Building an Impact-Driven Brand Without Greenwashing

14

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

15

Purpose Over Pace With Mecha Noodle Bar’s Tony Pham

16

How to Flip a Struggling Restaurant Into a Success Story

17

Resilience and Reinvention With Cloak and Petal’s Cesar Vallin

18

Inside North Italia’s Culinary Engine With Chef Chris Curtiss

19

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

20

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

21

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

22

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

23

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

24

How bartaco CEO Anthony Valletta Streamlined Ops With Behold Juice

25

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

26

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

27

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

28

How Passerine Is Reimagining Indian Food in New York City

29

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

30

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

31

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

32

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

33

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

34

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

35

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

36

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

37

The Secrets of Seasonal Menu Transformation with Joel Reynders

38

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

39

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

40

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

41

Blending Identity and Innovation Behind the Bar

42

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

43

How a Wealth Advisor Built a Thriving Restaurant Group

44

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

45

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

46

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

47

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

48

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

49

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

50

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

51

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

52

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

53

Building Community through Storytelling with Chef Yia Vang of Vinai

54

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

55

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

56

Restaurant Resilience with Asheville’s Caroline Skinner of Tupelo Honey

57

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

58

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

59

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

60

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

61

Crafting Connections through Authentic Italian Dining with Eldredge Ropolo

62

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

63

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

64

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

65

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

66

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

67

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

68

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

69

The Secret Sauce of Restaurant Success, with Nathan Thurston

70

Sustainability Beyond the Kitchen with Justin Cucci

71

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

72

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

73

Leveling Up Your Vendor Relationships with Chris Hellmann of Restaurant Technologies

74

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

75

Revamping a Legendary Restaurant’s Bar Program with Adam Fournier

76

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

77

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

78

A Taste of Rebellion and Puerto Rican Cuisine with Milena Pagán

79

Overcoming Adversity and Building Mission-Driven Brands with Adenah Bayoh

80

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

81

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

82

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

83

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

84

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

85

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

86

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

87

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

88

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

89

Lessons on Arrogance from ‘Top Chef’ Star CJ Jacobson

90

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

91

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

92

Mastering Menu Development, ft. Craveworthy’s Becca McIntyre

93

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

94

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

95

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

96

Emshika Alberini on Building A Family Legacy Through Food

97

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

98

Top Chef Master Alum Sees an Opportunity in Suburbs and Hotels

99

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

100

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

101

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

102

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

103

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

104

Revolutionizing Tech in Hospitality with Harri CEO Luke Fryer

105

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

106

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

107

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

108

Frankie Olivieri on Keeping a Family-Run Legacy Brand Relevant

109

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

110

Inside True Food Kitchen’s Incredible Evolution with Christine Ferris

111

Top Chef David Viana on Revolutionizing the Restaurant Industry