QSRweb

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Mike Burns, CEO of &pizza based out of Washington, D.C.The brand was founded in 2012 by Michael Astoria who's still involved with the brand today. Astoria traveled the country and found D.C. was a blank slate and ripe for a gourmet pizza brand."Really, there wasn't a staple pizza here in D.C.," Burns said in the podcast. Astoria built one shop, unsuspecting that it would take off.Burns said the brand got "too corporate" and lost the edginess it was known for after Astoria stepped away from &pizza in 2018. He came back into operations, but then the COVID-19 pandemic hit.Astoria wanted to stay as the creator and founder, but didn't want to run it on a daily basis.Enter Burns, who joined about a year and a half ago."It's been everything I thought it would be," Burns said. "It's a really fun brand and we're just trying to kind of bring it back to its roots of the fun, urban-centric college campus brand when it first started."The brand has begun franchising. Burns said &pizza wanted to stay corporate for a long time thinking it could grow faster and the leadership team could control the brand.Burns said he believes &pizza should have franchised six or seven years ago when it was at its peak. "It's such a cool, fun brand," he said. "Everybody loves it. There's a need for it in the market. Potential franchisees have been reaching out for years trying to franchise this brand, and to me to be at 45 restaurants, or 46 with a couple of airport units, is a shame."To learn more about &pizza's franchising efforts and how it has increased business listen to the podcast above in its entirety.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Kevin King, who recently took over Donatos Pizza last October as president and CEO. Under King's leadership, the brand is embracing strategies to keep it relevant for both new and existing customers amidst rising pricing wars in the pizza industry.Donatos started in 1963 when its founder, Jim Grote, started a small pizza shop in the sound end of Columbus, Ohio based on principles and values that even today make Donatos a standout in the pizza industry.The brand is founded on three tenets: lead with love, follow the Golden Rule and do the right thing."If we do those, we know we'll have a successful business in the end," King said.Donatos has 180 traditional restaurants across the U.S. and 270 units inside Red Robin restaurants."Donatos has always been about abundance, great toppings, great quality and super consistent," King said.To learn more about the Donatos Pizza story, click the link at the top of the page.Don't forget to subscribe to the Networld Media Group YouTube channel for more great podcasts with industry leaders.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Mary Jane Riva, CEO of California-based Pizza Factory.The brand was founded in 1985 in two small California towns and will celebrate its 40th anniversary this year. Riva and her husband, Bob, came aboard as franchisees in 1990 and opened five of their own Pizza Factory locations. In 2012, the founders were ready to leave and sold the company to the Rivas."The culture of Pizza Factory is so much about community and it's individuals being able to come and work in a town or a city. Some of our stores are in really small towns, so it allowed people who wanted to be self-employed and live in a small town and actually accomplish that," Riva said.Pizza Factory connects with its communities with owner/operators who are residents of the towns their shops are in.The brand was recently acquired by Wonder Franchises. "After 12 years, it can to a point where I knew it was time to bring on some extra resources," Riva said. "Another set of eyes, and bring on that support system that I felt that as an office and for the franchisees, really we are the steward of the brand. The franchisees are who we work for, and I felt that is was time to bring on another set of eyes and that youthfulness."With rapid changes in social media, digital and tech stacks, Wonder will help Pizza Factory into the future. "Bringing them on was one of the ways I felt we could support the franchisees better as well as accelerate growth."Listen to the podcast to learn more about Pizza Factory and Wonder Franchises future. Don't forget to subscribe to the Networld Media Group YouTube Channel.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to John Stetson, CEO of Florida-based Stoner's Pizza Joint.The brand was founded in 2013 in Savannah, Georgia. The first location had a stone oven, which is from where the brand takes its name. Though the brand enjoys its double entendre namesake, there's actually no cannabis involved in the recipes, though Stoner's does use it in its marketing."We kind of pivot depending on the marketing we're in," Stetson said. "If we're on a college campus, I think we're very outgoing with the name. If you go into one of our locations we'll have #legalizemarinara, #ownajoint, #getbaked -- those kinds of play on words of cannabis and pizza simultaneously. But, then you go into some other demographics where it's more of a community and it doesn't resonate as well. We, in those markets, will drop the 'Joint' from our signage as 'Stoner's Pizza.'"He said he doesn't want to lose that family of four ordering a pizza on a Friday night and the franchisees strive to be local pizzerias in their respective communities. The brand also delivers to a lot of schools, so it's cognizant of how the brand stands in the community."We use it to our advantage when we can and obviously pull back when we need to," Stetson said.To hear how Stoner's Pizza Joint is weathering the economy and more, click the link above.Don't forget to subscribe to the Networld Media Group YouTube channel for more exclusive podcasts.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, Editor Mandy Detwiler talks to Carl Comeaux, CEO and partner of Texas-based Crust Pizza Co. Comeaux joined the company after being a fan of its pizza. Crust now has 30 units in Texas and Louisiana and plans to grow another 15 in 2025. It has seven corporate stores and 23 franchised units with a goal of 250 units in nine years."We're looking for owner-operators," Comeaux said in the podcast. "Right now at this stage of where we're at in growth, eventually we'll be looking for multi-unit franchisees that own 10 to 15 other units for other concepts that are looking for a second brand to sink their teeth into."Comeaux said the product helps Crust stand out in a heavy pizza field."It's premium quality," he said, adding the dough is made in house every four hours. "Our sauces are all proprietary blends — our pizza sauce, marinara, Ranch, Alfredo ... the sauce are amazing that you can put on the pizza or dip. ... We created our own propriety cheese about a year ago, and when we did that we were able to save 50 cents per pound on cheese."To learn more about Crust Pizza Co.'s operations and how the brand is building its own tech stack, click the link above.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Jim Metevier, CEO of Mountain Mike's Pizza. The California chain of 240 restaurants is making waves on the West Coast with its toppings-heavy pies and tight operations.Metevier has more than 30 years experience in the restaurant industry. He previously served as the company's president and COO before taking the reigns as CEO earlier this year.Metevier said the restaurant business is not for the faint of heart."I always find it funny when I talk to prospective franchisees ... people will tell me 'Hey, when I retire, I want to open a restaurant. That's the opposite of retiring!" he said.To listen to the podcast in its entirety, click the link above.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Brandon Hunt and Zane Hunt, brothers who launched Via 313 in Austin, Texas.Zane said he and his brother were raised in the Detroit, and grew up eating square pizza, now known as Detroit-style pizza."You thinking about where we're at right now in 2024 with the hyper gentrification of pizza," he said. "Back then, there was just round and square pizza. Round pizza could have been a number of different things. Square pizza could have been a number of different things, whether its was a sheet-pan pizza from an Italian bakery or Grandma-style pizza, and then we had Detroit with the caramelized edges."It took the brothers traveling to different parts of the country to realize that they were fortunate to have different styles of pizza in Detroit.Zane moved to Austin in 2009 with his wife and kids and sought out pizza like he had at home "and we realized quickly it didn't exist," he said.Zane and Brandon began examining what it would look like if they started their own pizza brand in Austin. They wanted to bring Detroit-style pizza to Austin, and used a recipe they were both comfortable with. It took almost two years to open their first location, a pizza trailer.Brandon said what sets Via 313 is now focused on consistency and service. Though they won't compare their pizza to other Detroit-style brands, they instead focus on the customer and efficiency."Service was a thing that could separate us," Brandon said. "You really can't debate whether service is good or not or if we're the best at service. That's not debatable. That's really important to us."To listen to the podcast in its entirety, click the arrow above.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Little Caesars franchisee Vicki Dunn-Marshall. Dunn-Marshall's focus on philanthropy has led to start Pizza Paws, a campaign that raises money for police K-9 units across the country.The idea came about after there was a prison break in one of the towns where she operates a Little Caesars store. They brought in K-9 units from three or four states for several days."We were feeding the officers," Dunn-Marshall said. "They don't get support for what they do."Human handlers pay for the food and vet visits themselves, perhaps using a small stipend from the department.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Wesley Keegan, founder of TailGate Brewery, a nine-unit pizzeria and brew hall in Nashville, Tennessee.Keegan started with a brewery, but found his customers would have a beer and then leave to go find food. He tried bringing in food trucks, but that didn't seem to work. Instead, he started his own pizzeria using the best ingredients he could find."We run a full pizza kitchen in all of our stores and it's really a full pizza restaurant by every measure, but being a brewery, we call it a taproom, and the majority of our taproom sales is pizza," Keegan said.To learn more about beer and pizza sales, listen to the podcast in its entirety.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, and Jeff Hetsel, president of Cicis Pizza.Hetsel says Cicis, which is a buffet concept, is doing well with positive sales, and the brand is currently looking for ways to leverage technology to increase those sales."One of the great things we try to do is if you don't see your favorite pizza, we'll make it for you," Hetsel said. Pizzas are cooked in about three and a half minutes.The biggest change the brand has made over the years is improving and increasing its "eatertainment" and game rooms.

 In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to John Arena, co-owner of Metro Pizza in Las Vegas. Arena recently opened a signature pizzeria called Truly Pizza in Dana Point, California, with a group of friends. Together, they've built a concept new to the city that brings in both tourists and locals alike. 

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks with Les Tomlin, co-founder and president of PizzaForno, North America's first automated pizzeria, about the rise of food vending machines."The concept of automated pizza is relatively new to North America but has been around Europe for almost 20 years," Tomlin told Detwiler. "We found this technology platform — we being my business partner and myself — in France, and we were just amazed that this technology platform had not yet made it to North America."The pizza vending machine helps with square footage, rent, waste and wages. It bakes an 11-inch pizza in under three minutes in 65 square feet, Tomlin added.To listen to the podcast click here.

Pizzeria menus can range from small and tidy to large and complex, but they've all got one thing behind them: research and development.In this episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, host Mandy Detwiler, editor of Pizza Marketplace, talks to Hisham Abdulfattah, partner and executive chef of Willow Street Pizza in Willow Glen and Los Gatos, California, about menu development.Abdulfattah said his first job was working in a kitchen washing dishes at age 14. He later moved on to prep and cooking at a taqueria."I fell in love with the atmosphere of a restaurant and the fast-paced environment," Abdulfattah said, adding he went to a culinary academy right out of high school. "I worked probably every position in a restaurant, including front of the house."During the pandemic, he got a loan and bought food truck, and one of his partners owned Willow Street Pizza, which he later invested in and now co-owns."There's something for everyone on their menu," Abdulfattah said. "Willow Street is a place where you can go and feel very comfortable and warm."To learn more about Abdulfattah's approach to menu development, click the link to listen to the podcast in its entirety.

 Scott Weiner holds the Guinness World Record for the Largest Collection of Pizza Boxes. Weiner, who owns a pizza touring company in New York City, has become an expert in pizza boxes. Today's boxes hold more than just pizza — they're an extension of the pizzerias themselves. In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, Pizza Marketplace Editor Mandy Detwiler talks to Weiner about his collection -- which she personally certified by counting his collection twice. He's got nearly 1,900 pizza boxes now, and his collection has grown out of his Brooklyn apartment to a storage unit. 

We talked to Buddy's new CEO, Chris Tussing, to learn the history of Detroit-style pizza and what's making the style so popular in this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast.

In this episode of the Pizza Marketplace Podcast, editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler speaks with Shane Murphy, co-founder and CEO of Boostly, about the effectiveness of text marketing for restaurants.

Learning what toppings go together, what tastes good and what sells is a skill set that is learned through trial and error. Listen to the podcast to learn more about how to make — and sell — creative pizzas beyond the pepperoni and cheese.

In this episode of The Pizza Marketplace Podcast, Pizza Marketplace Editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler talks to Nick Bogacz, owner of Caliente Pizza & Draft House in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and a member of the World Pizza Champions, to learn what makes a great dough, what to avoid and tips to make your dough a standout among the competition.

Modern POS systems in restaurants are far more than just cash registers. They are comprehensive solutions that seamlessly integrate various aspects of restaurant management, from order processing and payment handling to inventory tracking and customer relationship management. These systems have proven to be invaluable tools for streamlining operations and increasing productivity.

In this podcast, E.J. Kritz, EVP of customer experience and training with APC, a customer experience research and training company, joins Pizza Marketplace Editor Mandy Wolf Detwiler to explain what customers want from their pizzerias.

In this episode podcast host Mandy Wolf Detwiler sits down with loyalty experts Larry Fiel and Mike Reinecker of PDQ, and Russ Lehmann, co-owner of Little Italian Pizza in Naperville, Illinois, to learn how the pizzeria is finding success with its loyalty program.

In this podcast, we talked to Brian Brindza, director of culinary and menu innovation for Toppers Pizza, to learn how the brand is selling and marketing its vegan line to customers with success.

The Halal Guys CEO talks about riding the choppy seas of a rough restaurant year, while HungerRush stops in to recount the many ways restaurant management tools can help operators navigate their brands in good times and bad.

In the annals for hot food trends, chicken and plant-based menu items are definitely having their "moments." For proof, look no further than chicken-centric chain, Starbird, as well as all the interest that companies, like Custom Culinary, are seeing around plant-based cooking.

Hustle - noun: meaning busy movement and activity. Many restaurant brands have redefined the term "hustle" over the past year as their leadership has quickly moved to adapt toward a swiftly shifting pandemic-era landscape. Here's Huddle House's CMO's story.

In this edition of the QSRweb podcast, Dave's Hot Chicken CEO Bill Phelps talks about building a brand on simple, but sizzling chicken sandwiches, while a Publicis Sapient customer experience expert details why value offerings must be a part of QSR menus now.

Hungry Howie's CEO joins today's podcast with the brand's plan to move on out around its Motown-area home and beyond. Then Lavu's CEO points to the increasing necessity for pushing a brand's presence online.

On the unofficial national holiday of Juneteenth -- commemorating the proclamation of the freeing of slaves in the final remaining U.S. state to do so, of Texas -- the COO of one of today's most socially active restaurant brand's, &pizza, joins the QSRweb podcast.

With a fresh look and a plan to add more than 75 stores in the next few years, Wyoming-based Taco John's, is having something of a rebirth 52-plus years into its life.

On today's podcast, Fast Casual Editor Cherryh Cansler gives her take on top traits of this year's Top 100 Movers & Shakers winners, while an Oracle restaurant expert relays what that company is hearing about what works and what doesn't for QSRs operating under the constraints of the pandemic.

For QSR operators today, there are two huge questions: 'How can I quickly train my staff on all these new COVID-19-related mandates?" and "How should I modify my menu to capture business in a wary world?"Get answers to both from the two experts featured in today's QSRweb podcast.

Though just 189-stores in size now, Golden Chick is planning a whole lot of hatchlings for the future, with a goal of 500 stores nationally by 2030, according to podcast guest and chain President Jim Stevens. Plus, Netsurion exec, Mark Cline details what restaurateurs say they need now to succeed into the future.

While some restaurants are planning to reopen, others are waiting. Bradley Cooper, the contributing editor of FastCasual, reviews the week's COVID-19 related news.

Freddy's co-founder and COO Scott Redler joins the conversation to discuss the challenge of customer service via drive-thru and delivery. Then Messner Reeves attorneys Rachel Farr and Torben Welch unravel some of the mysteries of government aid to the restaurant industry.

Soupergirl co-founder, Sara Polon joins today's podcast. She chats about the chain's strategy regarding the pandemic, but also about her appearance on "Shark Tank," her future plans for the business and what it's like to work with your mom.Bradley Cooper also shares the latest coronavirus news and updates.

Checkers/Rally's CEO Frances Allen explains why all that uber-healthy plant-based food that was so hot pre-pandemic in the U.S., could get a lot more competition from burgers, fries and shakes post-pandemic. Then, Lavu CEO Saleem Khatri tells why he thinks QSRs will experience a digital revolution after the U.S. lockdowns lift.

Fast Casual Contributing Editor Bradley Cooper reports this week's coronavirus news, which includes a decline in restaurant transactions and small restaurants being denied funding through the CARES Act.To help its members stay afloat, The National Restaurant Association has called on Congress to follow its "Blueprint for recovery."

Is your brand making the moves now to prevent COVID-19-related liability claims later? Today's podcast features two Messner Reeves attorneys' best advice on how to stay out of court. But first, Edible Brands President and COO Cheikh Mboup signs on with news about that company's soon-to-launch QSR.

From waiving franchise fees and launching grocery services to optimizing online menus and changing service models, restaurants are pivoting in order to keep their businesses open during COVID-19.

In episode 2 of our six-part series on how restaurants are navigating COVID-19, host Bradley Cooper chats with Cherryh Cansler, editor of FastCasual, about how restaurants and foodservice vendors are coming together to help one another as well as their communities by providing free meals and other services.He'll also review this week's news, which includes information on the CARES Act and how one New York acai and smoothie chain is staying alive amid the coronavirus.

In episode 1 of our six-part series on how restaurants are navigating COVID-19, Bradley Cooper, contributing editor of FastCasual.com, reviews some of the week's most-read stories on the topic.The podcast will post every Tuesday. Today's episode includes how Cousins Subs is staying afloat and what several other chains are doing to ease economic pains. Find out why eight fast casual restaurants are waiving franchise fees and learn about one small chain called on its customers to help it keep the doors open.

On today's QSRweb podcast, we get the view of the evolution of the pandemic in the restaurant industry over the last two weeks, thanks to interviews with two U.S restaurateurs recorded two weeks apart.

California born and bred restaurant brand innovator, K2, is on a mission to wake up limited service, among other dining categories. In today's podcast, K2 CEO John Kolaski talks about cooking up creative concepts with legs to last.

A hundred stores in five years is an ambitious growth plan for any brand, but Pincho co-founder and CEO Otto Othman thinks the popularity of the brand in Miami proves it has legs that will run rapidly toward some pretty hefty expansion.

In the dead of winter, as winds whip around Chicago's skyscrapers, many gravitate toward a little slice of Hawaii in the form of the tropically influenced brand, Aloha Poke. Today, CEO Chris Birkenshaw tells us why the brand's operating principles -- like a beachcomber's life -- are focused on simplicity.

Dilla's Quesadilla's founder, Kyle Gordon, comes off as a laid-back guy you'd like to have a beer with. But don't let looks deceive. This one-time college kid with a "never-say-die" attitude is an up-and-comer who has built his Dilla's Quesadilla's into a force to be reckoned with on the competitive Texas restaurant scene.

Olives on burgers? Ice cream in ginger ale? Saintly looking cows? Yes, you've landed in the Halo Burger zone, a regional burger brand that has regained its footing and isn't about to look back, as QSRweb podcast guest and Halo Burger Marketing Director Olivia Ross details.

Drawing on the flavors of as disparate of places as China, Brazil, Mexico and Hawaii, Wahoo's Fish Taco's not only performs a bit of culinary alchemy, but also manages to produce some truly health-boosting dishes that its core of young athlete customers crave.