Heroes & Headwinds

Mindy Armstrong has been a thought leader in the foodservice industry for nearly two decades, specializing in strategy, the creative process, and culinary leadership. Mindy has had a rich career in consulting and corporate leadership, and today, serves as VP of Menu Innovation for Ascent Hospitality, including the Perkins Amercian Food Company, and Huddle House. Mindy is a prominent industry contributor on trends and innovation, and is an advisory board member for Women in Restaurant Leadership. We hope you enjoy this conversation with Mindy as much as we did.

Today's guest on Heroes & Headwinds is Maisie Ganzler. Author, speaker, and corporate advisor, Maisie is an expert on how companies can make positive change in supply chains and other systems. For two decades, Maisie drove strategy for Bon Appétit Management Company and she positioned the company as a leader in sustainable purchasing. She is also the author of You Can't Market Manure at Lunchtime: and Other Lessons from the Food Industry for Creating a More Sustainable Company. She joins us today

On this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, you'll meet Anne Mejia, Senior VP of Brand Development at Mellow Mushroom. Before her tenure at this famed pizza joint, Anne has been an integral part of the marketing teams of notable franchises such as Einstein Bros. Bagels, Jack in the Box, Carl's Jr., and most recently Frisch's Big Boy Restaurants. Since joining Mellow Mushroom in 2018, Anne has helped breathe new life into the stone-baked industry titan and is guiding the company through its largest brand refresh in 50 years of business. We hope you enjoy the conversation.

Today you'll be hearing from Annica Conrad, Chief Brand Officer of City BBQ. Prior to this role, she's held marketing leadership positions at numerous restaurants including Mellow Mushroom, Moe's Southwest Grill and McAlister's Deli. She later became the Chief Marketing Officer at both FAT Brands and Global Franchise Group. There is not a single doubt that you've been knowingly or unknowingly inspired by Annica's work. Enjoy her interview with TCE's Michael Parlapiano.

This week, we're dropping a recent interview with Erica Spector Wishnow, Co-CEO of Southpaw, a major franchisee of Taco Bell and Dunkin', and one of the advisors behind Greenlane, a drive-thru salad concept that just launched in Tampa, Florida. Erica is a leader with a powerful personal story that's driven her to blaze a unique and innovative trail in food and beverage.

Dan Anfison is the dynamic visionary force behind Slapfish, a renowned seafood-centric restaurant chain known for its innovative and sustainable approach to dining. Dan is also the COO of Mac Haik Restaurant Group. Well known by many for his prowess in restaurant operations, only a few of us know that he moonlights as a lead vocalist and guitarist.

Greg Dollarhyde is a four-decade, serial entrepreneur in the restaurant industry who has led companies to realizations totaling more than a billion dollars over that time. As an early pioneer in the fast casual segment of the industry, he originally led the buyout of early-stage Baja Fresh in the late 90's, and sold it to Wendy's four years later as a national chain. Greg was also the former Executive Chairman & CEO of NYSE-listed Zoes Kitchen and, he has recently led investor groups into Blaze Pizza and Starbird Chicken, where he is a director on those company's boards.  Dollarhyde has received the honor of “Mentor of the Year” from industry icon, Elliot Associates, and has been recognized in the “POWER 50” of the restaurant industry for two years in a row by Nation's Restaurant News.  As the former Chief “Energizing Officer” of VeggieGrill, Dollarhyde helped revolutionize the perception of sustainable, plant-based cuisine, and with his visionary approach, continues to inspire the culinary and investment community in helping to shape the future of conscious and fast-casual dining.  Greg's personal goal is to visit and explore 100 countries, while encouraging people to “Live it UP!” along their life's path.

Katie Ayoub is an award-winning writer and Managing Editor of Flavor & The Menu, with more than 20 years dedicated to foodservice publishing. If you've read the industry trades, you've certainly read Katie's work. She also runs Flavor Forward Events, a boutique consultancy that works to elevate food and beverage menus with trend-forward ideas and immersive experiences. Additionally, Katie is the Content Director of the Flavor Experience, an annual conference geared toward high-volume menu developers. What would this seasoned food writer title her own memoire? You'll have to listen to find out.

In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, we're sharing an interview with Geoff Alexander, President and CEO of Wow Bao and a longtime leader in food and beverage innovation: from digital ordering to dark kitchens to a staffless front of house. From listening to Geoff, you might be forgiven for thinking that the success of Wow Bao was inevitable, however, Geoff and his team pioneered these innovations during one of the most challenging eras our industry has ever seen, provoking us to consider new paradigms in restaurant operations. And while Wow Bao is heralded as a leader in technology solutions, you might be surprised to discover Geoff's even stronger drive for human-centric hospitality.

In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, we're talking shop with Sam Oches, the award-winning Editorial Director of Informa Restaurant & Food Group, which publishes Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality. Sam has such a unique and big picture vantage of the F&B landscape; he is deeply in touch with the million challenges our community faces, but persists in forging a path from those challenges towards a better and more vigorous industry.

While so many were furloughing staff or shuttering their businesses in early response to the COVID pandemic, Andy Hooper gave his entire staff a raise and extended benefits. Today Andy is the CEO of Hart House, a plant-based QSR concept founded by Kevin Hart. We learn in this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, how through Andy's commitment to best-in-class employee benefits, Hart House is creating a provocative alternative to traditional QSR business models.

Why on Earth would you create space for "bad" ideas in pursuit of the good ones? How do you ideate today for tomorrow's food future? In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds, the extraordinary Mindy Armstrong, Sr. Director at Inspire Brands, answers these questions and more. This interview was a trip, not only because of Mindy's energy and transparency, but also her people-first approach to innovation, and, actually, pretty much everything else in life.

In this episode, we're chatting with Annemarie Vaupel, Vice President of Marketing at Hormel Foodservice. We'll hear about the pivotal role that food has played in her personal life, but also how her career in F&B has informed her definition of hospitality. What can brands do to make a lasting impression on her? How do restaurants capture a finite amount of consumer dollars? She shares effective ways for restaurants to over-deliver without extra lift.

Today we're sharing a recent interview with Dan Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Taziki's Mediterranean Café. Taziki's Cafés are a hallmark of the American East, but with locations stretching as far west as Colorado, delivering fresh, Mediterranean-inspired cuisine. Dan taught us the saying: “The pessimist complains about the wind; the optimist expects it to change; and the realist adjusts the sails.” and this encapsulates Dan's inspiring approach to navigating these interesting times. Interviewed by TCE's Nikki Freihofer.

We launched Heroes & Headwinds with an interview featuring Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Wetzel's Pretzels. We found Jennifer's personal story and professional insights so compelling that we simply couldn't edit it down to one episode. And so we're back to wrap up the story of a beloved West Coast snack chain and its dynamic leader. In this week's episode, Jennifer Schuler shares just how she solves for the sizable challenges of 2022 - which is by finding even bigger challenges to tackle first

In this episode of Heroes & Headwinds we're sharing a recent interview with Jarrett Whitlow, Senior Vice President Concept Development & International at Red Lobster. Jarrett has had an illustrious career coming up through Red Lobster and Darden restaurants for the last quarter century. A serious operator by training, Jarrett is also a creative leader, and brings this quality to bear in his professional and personal life. Give it a listen!

This week, we're chatting with Jamil Dib, founder of the restaurant group, Vida & Estilo, which since 1996 has created a stable of globally-inspired restaurants, from Miami to Las Vegas. Jamil has an uncompromising, yet empathetic attitude to growth. And while he can be pretty tough on our industry, no-one loves it more.

This week, we're chatting with Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Wetzel's Pretzels, a beloved snack chain born here on the West Coast. Throughout our chat, we observe how Jennifer matches precise critical thinking with an irrepressible sense of fun and joy. And for Wetzel's fans who revere the brand's sense of levity, that should come as no surprise.