Podcasts about famous dave

Episode 281 features outstanding stories from Barbecue Hall of Fame inductee, Famous Dave Anderson and New York State Baseball Hall of Fame member, Dom Scala. Dave Anderson known worldwide as Famous Dave Anderson is dedicated to making outstanding barbecue.  In 1994 he opened The Original Famous Dave's in a small Wisconsin town where he was serving as many as 6000 people a week in a place where only 2000 people lived.  The sucess of that first restaurant lead to the opening of over 180 restaurants nationwide and over $500 Million in sales and the creation of over 20,000 jobs.  How Famous Dave achieved this level of success and the road he took to get there is filled with plenty of curves, twists, and bumps in that road.  Listening to Dave talk about his life is an education in what to do, as well as what not to do.  Dave is one of the most award winning BBQ Grillmasters and has become known as “America's Rib King!” Dave's philanthropy is another  part of his life as he and his family founded The LifeSkills Center for Leadership which provides leadership experiences to at-risk and underprivileged Native American youths. Dom Scala is a baseball lifer.  After playing in the minor leagues he made the decision to become a coach and in 1978 Dom earned a World Series Championship with the New York Yankees while working as their bullpen coach.  Dom's career is filled with honors and accolades, too many of which to list here.  As Head Coach of the Adelphi University Panthers from 2003-2021, Dom has seen dozens of his former players drafted or signed to professional contracts. His efforts for the the Adelphi University Athletic Department have raised well over 1.5 million dollars. The funding has built a new baseball field and the construction Adelphi Panthers Baseball Team Clubhouse in 2017. In 2019 Coach Scala had an unprecedented season, clinching his 400th win at Adelphi University and being named the North East 10 Coach of the Year. In 2021 Dom left Adelphi University after 18 successful seasons and is focused on expanding his youth camps. In 2021, Dom was inducted into the New York State Baseball Hall of Fame. We recommend you go to Baseball BBQ, https://baseballbbq.com for special grilling tools and accessories, Magnechef https://magnechef.com/ for excellent and unique barbecue gloves, Cutting Edge Firewood High Quality Kiln Dried Firewood - Cutting Edge Firewood in Atlanta for high quality firewood and cooking wood, Mantis BBQ, https://mantisbbq.com/ to purchase their outstanding sauces with a portion of the proceeds being donated to the Kidney Project, and for exceptional sauces, Elda's Kitchen https://eldaskitchen.com/   We conclude the show with the song, Baseball Always Brings You Home from the musician, Dave Dresser and the poet, Shel Krakofsky. We truly appreciate our listeners and hope that all of you are staying safe. If you would like to contact the show, we would love to hear from you.   Call the show:  (516) 855-8214 Email:  baseballandbbq@gmail.com Twitter:  @baseballandbbq Instagram:  baseballandbarbecue YouTube:  baseball and bbq Website:  https//baseballandbbq.weebly.com Facebook:  baseball and bbq

Dr. Derek Scott, a sports/rehab medicine physician and restaurateur is bringing the iconic Famous Dave’s franchise to Georgia. Dr. Scott started his entrepreneurial journey while still in medical school, opening his first restaurant, Taste of Chicago, in Nashville. Now, he's expanding his portfolio with Famous Dave's and has signed to open three locations in Georgia, […] The post Dr. Derek Scott With Famous Dave’s appeared first on Business RadioX ®.

In this week's episode of Hidden Heritage, host Paul LaRoche takes us on a journey to Hayward, Wisconsin, to uncover the inspiring life story of Dave Anderson, better known as "Famous Dave." Discover how Dave, a member of the Choctaw Chippewa Band of Lake Superior Ojibwe, turned his passion for barbecue into a nationwide sensation, defying the odds and embodying the American dream. Join us on Dave's remarkable journey from humble beginnings, overcoming personal struggles, and embracing his Native American heritage to becoming a successful entrepreneur. Learn about the pivotal moments in his life, from his family's history in Indian boarding schools to his battles with adversity and eventual triumphs in the business world. Through candid storytelling, Dave shares the challenges he faced, the dedication required to achieve his dreams, and the importance of giving back to the community. This episode is not just about barbecue; it's about hope, resilience, and the power of believing in oneself. Tune in to be inspired by a true tale of transformation and success.

Anand is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gala Capital Partners, a diversified investment and holding company with interests in chain restaurants, software & technology, real estate development, franchising and public equities investment. He has spent the past 35 years in various executive capacities within the Software, Real Estate & Restaurant Industries.Gala Capital Partners invests in (among other things) restaurants. The current portfolio includes CiCi's Pizza, Famous Dave's Barbeque, Rusty Taco and MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes.Anand grew up in the restaurant industry. His mother was an early franchisee with Jack in the Box. Anand's parents knew the restaurant industry was a difficult career path, so they encouraged Anand to pursue other careers. He graduated from USC with a degree in biology, but he was drawn back into the family business and fell in love with it all over again. When it comes to restaurants to invest in, Gala Capital Partners focuses on five key categories: burgers, chicken, tacos/Mexican, pizza and coffee. The brands that Gala Capital Partners focus on are between 25-350 units. They call those “adolescent brands.”  When evaluating successful franchises, Anand starts with the quality of the food. Focusing on quality and taste is the easiest way for a restaurant to stand out from the competition.  QUOTES “(The restaurant industry) is usually the first job for many young adults and teenagers. It teaches them work ethic, it teaches them responsibility.” (Anand)“When I returned to the (restaurant) business after university, I realized I could learn about finance, I could learn about accounting, I could learn about marketing, I could learn about HR, I could learn about IT, I could get into real estate. It was so multi-dimensional. It was remarkable and it just captivated me.” (Anand) “There were many, many humbling experiences. When you're 25 you have a great deal of confidence and bravado. I had a couple lessons that I learned the hard way and I think I'm far better off for it today.” (Anand) “I'd encourage each and every (restaurant) executive to go work a week and do that every single year. You don't know what a franchisee goes through and you don't know what a store manager goes through until you've done it.” (Anand)“Each and every one of our restaurant brands plays a significant role in how you serve the customer.” (Anand) “Our typical franchisee and the ideal profile is somebody who is new to franchising and really wants to get into the business and work in the business and be hands on in the stores. Or it's going to be someone in a smaller market of the family business and they've got anywhere from 3 to 30 locations and they really love being hands on and involved.” (Anand) “We want very active and hands on operators. People who want to be there and build relationships with their leadership teams, with their managers, with their employees. They want to participate and support their local communities. Those are the folks we're looking for.” (Anand)  TRANSCRIPT 00:01.44vigorbrandingHello, everyone. Today’s guest is Anand Gala of Gala Capital Partners. Put simply, Anand is an investor, and one of those investments is restaurants. But I’ve known him for quite a while, and I’m always blown away by his stories, his growth, and and everything in between. So this will be a great conversation. Anand, welcome to Fork Tales. Thanks for doing this program. 00:25.38Anand GalaAbsolutely. My pleasure. Thanks for having me, Michael. 00:28.50vigorbrandingPerfect. Well, hey, so I know we were talking, catching up a little bit before because I’m fortunate to have known you for a while. um You know, I was saying, when people hear about Gala Capital Partners, it sounds ah very regal, which it is. It’s an amazing company and the growth is is astronomical, which we’ll talk about, but it didn’t really all start out that way, did it? 00:47.08Anand GalaYou know, no, it’s everybody’s got a, everybody’s got a story. I guess you can say everybody’s got a story. And mine is um is probably very familiar. 00:58.92Anand Galato many others that are you know that were raised in immigrant families that that came from humble beginnings. And it’s just a story of a lot of hard work. It’s a story of intentionality by my family, by my parents to really invest in me ah in an education around operations and around entrepreneurship that candidly none of us really knew we were doing at the time. 01:24.49vigorbrandingYeah, I mean, you you were literally, I think when I first met you, you you were a child basically being babysat by the dishwasher, right? You were in the restaurants at a young, young age. Talk a little bit about that. 01:34.34Anand GalaYeah, absolutely. So my mom was a franchisee of Jack in the Box. And that was early on when they just began franchising. I think she might have been franchisee number two. 01:45.49vigorbrandingWow. 01:45.60Anand GalaAnd that was 1982 or 83. I must have been eight or nine years old. And she started working 16, 18, 20 hours a day because you know that’s what an operator does. 01:56.08Anand GalaThat’s what an entrepreneur does. You have to figure it out. And I just didn’t see her very often. And so therefore, the best way for her to make sure that she had an eye on me and I spent time with her was for her to bring me to work. And that was daycare. That was after school care. That was vacations and holiday care. You know, that’s what it was. That’s how I spent my time. And so I literally grew up in the back of a restaurant ah and in some cases standing on a milk crate so I could see over the front counter and and talk to customers. But that that was it within eyesight and earshot. 02:27.89vigorbrandingThat’s great. And you know, the the restaurant business has to be in your blood. And obviously, yeah it was literally infused in you from a young age. And I think that’s, ah again, i you can’t help to learn, you can’t help to see. I think it’s one of the most incredible experiences ah for anybody ah is to work in a restaurant. You learn a lot about sales, you learn a lot about people, about hustle, about ah yeah just everything in in between, dealing with problems on your feet. When someone complains, it’s ah it’s ah it’s a phenomenal way to ah get an education, that’s for sure. 02:57.22Anand GalaAbsolutely. and i’ll And I’ll take it a step further. I think it’s fascinating because it not only teaches you all of the things that you mentioned, it’s usually the first job for many young adults or or teenagers. 03:07.18vigorbrandingMm hmm. 03:09.41Anand GalaIt teaches them work ethic. It teaches them responsibility. And one thing that candidly, I’m not sure how it gets taught other than maybe in the home or or through your church or temple or or what have you, 03:22.08Anand GalaBut it’s respect for others, regardless of the position that they’re in. ah It’s an appreciation for hard work and how much it takes to really earn a dollar. 03:32.67Anand GalaAnd the fact that people do what they do so that they can support themselves, their families, have some spending money, develop some independence, it’s remarkable. And, you know, those are lessons and values that don’t get taught very often in many other places. 03:46.25vigorbrandingYeah, no doubt. So okay, so you you youre you’re you’re young, you’re in the restaurant, you’re you’re eight, then you go to USC, right? And you you graduate with a degree in biology. ah So that was, you weren’t on the restaurant path, I don’t think at that point. So what happened there? Where were you headed? Where did you go? And where did how did you end up here? 04:04.53Anand GalaYeah, it’s, you know, don’t don’t all good restaurant operators go into the sciences? Of course. ah it it it is a It is a fascinating path and it’s one that, ah you know, my my parents recognized how hard the restaurant business was. And they wanted my brother and I to have a better life. They wanted us to get an education and and really not have to go through the trials and tribulations that they went through, as every parent wants for their children. 04:31.20Anand GalaSo they thought, hey, we’ll have our kids become doctors. ah That would be great. And I thought, boy, wouldn’t medical school be easier than running a restaurant until I, you know, I i took the ah med school entrance exams and and I tried a couple of interviews for for med schools and I realized that’s not what I wanted to do. I probably should have come to that conclusion much, much earlier in college, but I waited until the end. 04:54.40Anand GalaAnd, ah you know, I thought, okay, I’ll just go help out in the family business, because I know how to do that. And my parents thought, okay, you know, he’s gonna realize how hard this is, and he’ll change his mind quickly and run to med school. And as I got back into the business, I realized how much it just came second nature, how much I truly enjoyed it. And candidly, how much it had to offer. When I was growing up, I thought, boy, the only thing it has to offer is operations. 05:21.61Anand GalaAnd I got a great education and experience in operations. But when I returned to the business after university, I realized I can learn about finance. I can learn about accounting. I can learn about marketing. I can learn about HR. I can learn about IT. t I can get into real estate. there It was so multidimensional. It was remarkable. And it just captivated me. It drew me in. And I had an insatiable curiosity and appetite to learn. 05:47.54Anand Galaand And so every single day it drew me in further and further and further to the point that there was just no return. This was it. 05:54.51vigorbrandingthat’s That’s, that’s awesome. That’s awesome. Well, so I mean, now we’ll jump into to to to life after after school, you you get involved as a is a franchisee, correct? That’s what you that’s that was your first sort of for you were young, I think you bought your first franchise, right? 06:11.11Anand GalaYeah, that’s right. So you know growing up in the restaurant space was fantastic. But the challenge at the time within Jack in the Box was there were a limited number of franchisees that were allowed to expand. And it was because the company was in a very large expansion phase for itself. And so in large markets like Houston and Los Angeles where we operated, there simply weren’t that many opportunities for us because the company had already scouted them out and had already tied them up. 06:40.93Anand GalaSo I left the family business when I was 25 and I became ah I think the youngest franchisee for Applebee’s and started building stores throughout California the exact same time same year I became I believe also the youngest franchisee for Del Taco at the time. 06:59.02vigorbrandingwow 06:59.12Anand GalaAnd I was 25 years old. I was building Applebee’s from Bakersfield to Fresno and and later in the Bay Area and was building Del Taco restaurants outside of Sacramento and Modesto and Stockton and small markets there as well as in Phoenix, Arizona. And so I was traveling a lot and I think when you’re young and you’re not married and you don’t have other responsibilities and You’ve got a lot of energy. 07:22.40Anand Galaah You can really you know push the push the pedal. And so I did. I learned a great deal during that period of time. And I learned a lot about what ah what I did know and what I didn’t know. 07:31.09vigorbrandingY 07:33.97Anand GalaI’ll tell you, there were many, many humbling experiences. 07:35.59vigorbranding‘all bet. 07:37.63Anand GalaBecause when you’re 25, you have a great deal of confidence and bravado. And I had a couple of lessons that I learned the hard way. And um I think i’m I’m far better off for it today. 07:49.97vigorbrandingYeah, we’ve learned a lot more from our mistakes and our wins, that’s for sure. 07:53.08Anand GalaYeah. 07:53.18vigorbrandingAnd ah so it’s it’s interesting too, because we’ll talk about this in a moment, but I mean, you know, obviously, ah you know, at Vigor, we do marketing for restaurants, and we deal with ah franchisees, and we deal with franchisors, the folks that own the brand and control the brand. 08:07.88vigorbrandingAnd and sometimes there’s, there’s dissension among the ranks. I mean, there’s, you know, and you’re you’re you’re on both sides of it. So I’ll be really interested to hear your perspective on the whole thing. 08:18.23Anand GalaYeah, yeah it’s it’s been a fascinating journey, having been a franchisee from 83 all the way to or 82, I guess all the way to, I think about 2014 is when we finally ah decided we were going to start selling and not start selling the brands, but we exited most of the brands that we were involved in. 08:35.37vigorbrandingMm hmm. 08:37.22Anand GalaAnd so prior to that, we had sold our jack in the box business and sold our Del Taco business and, and then by 2014 sold our Applebee’s business. And we we still our franchisees a famous day’s barbecue in California. 08:46.15vigorbrandingMm hmm. 08:49.86Anand Galaah But then starting in 2017, we started investing in and acquiring small franchiseurs. And what’s interesting is we took a very different approach to being a franchisor. Having walked a mile in the shoes of the franchisee, literally, and still being a franchisee, i I fundamentally understand the approach to business and the relationship that a franchisee has. And I try to bring that knowledge and experience and insight to the relationship that we bring as a franchisor. 09:23.64Anand GalaWe acknowledge that a franchisee makes their money off the bottom line and a franchisor makes their money off the top line. That being said, discounting your royalty is not the solution you because you want a financially strong franchisor that has the capital to make the investments in the people and the systems and the resources to really drive your business. 09:45.68Anand GalaIf you cut the royalty down to call it 1%, what’s left for them? 09:45.83vigorbrandingThat’s right. 09:48.63vigorbrandingMhm. 09:50.10Anand Galayou’re not gonna get the best talent, you’re not gonna get the best support. And so it becomes a vicious cycle if you go down that road. I think that what most franchisees ah do focus on and and I think many recognize is rather than try to reduce the royalty, let’s drive accountability and expectations with the franchise or to say we expect best in class marketing, best in class leadership, best in class operations, 10:11.11vigorbrandingMhm. 10:17.38Anand Galaum And so please make sure that you’re hiring those people, make sure that you’re driving those attributes ah through the brands, because that’s what makes us better. you know Please invest in us, please support us. And that’s how we try to bring the parties together. That doesn’t mean that we’re free of any discontent from time to time, but that’s our responsibility is to work through that. 10:42.35vigorbrandingSure. I mean, I’ve always said and I feel very strongly that empathy is probably one of the more powerful like emotions, if you will, and you know, understanding both sides of it from where you’re your you seat from growing up in it. And then being on the other side, it’s I think that’s very powerful to have that that understanding that that that intelligence that hey, I understand I’ve been in your shoes. I know what’s important to you. Here’s what’s important. And and there’s this partnership, right? 11:06.60vigorbrandingIt’s almost like you treat them with as family. ands they’re’re’re They’re a part of your company because they are. i mean they’re They’re your brand. right They’re an extension of it. 11:13.80Anand GalaAbsolutely, and I would even go a step further and I’d encourage each and every executive or leader in a franchise or to go work a week and do that every single year in the stores because honestly, you don’t know what a franchisee goes through. 11:23.83vigorbrandingYeah. Mm-hmm. 11:29.38Anand GalaYou don’t know what a store manager goes through until you’ve done it. You you may have the the best degrees on the wall. um and and lots of experience from lots of other brands, but until you really walk a mile and and do what they do, ah then I think you build a tremendous amount of credibility and and candidly empathy at the same time. 11:49.25vigorbrandingSure. 11:49.40Anand GalaSo I think it helps you connect with with lots of operators and franchisees. 11:55.71vigorbrandingThat’s great. So, okay. So one of your biggest investments was Muyah, burgers, fries, and shakes. Okay. So, and i I was fortunate. 12:01.37Anand GalaYeah. 12:02.41vigorbrandingI actually came out to see you. I was out in California and I ate at one of your, at one of your restaurants. Phenomenal. It was a great ah burger. I’m not just saying that now, but the thing is there’s lots of burgers out there. And I was quoted on a previous podcast. 12:13.42vigorbrandingah I had a gentleman by the name of Audley Wilson on who created a robo burger, which is the yeah ah basically the burger vending machine. 12:18.71Anand GalaYeah, yeah. 12:21.05vigorbrandingAnd, you know, ah my my line my line was no one American ever went bankrupt trying to feed America hamburgers. So, I mean, but there’s a lot of competition out there, isn’t there? I mean, how does how do you guys stand out? 12:30.45Anand Galathere There is. 12:31.03vigorbrandingI mean, you know, I mean, I know it’s ah a phenomenal product with great ingredients, but talk talk a little bit about dumuya. 12:38.44Anand GalaWell, i’ll I’ll frame it in a way that I think you’ll definitely get and I’m sure your audience will get, which is why compete with everybody else? Why play their game? they you know If you’re playing somebody else’s game, then you are automatically at a disadvantage because they’ve been playing it a lot longer. 12:54.46vigorbrandingMm hmm. 12:56.28Anand GalaThey created the rules. They’ve been doing this for a while and they know how to win. They’re gonna tilt the deck in their in their favor. So I think you have to decide what you do that is distinct, that is different. How do you define yourself? And so at Mujah, it’s a very simple approach. It’s better ingredients, it’s better quality, it’s better tasting, ah and it’s done with more hospitality, and it’s done fresh in store every day. And so that’s the approach we take, is that we wanna have fresh, never frozen meat, and we want it to be certified Angus beef, 13:33.11Anand Galawe fresh bake our buns in the stores every day, we hand cut our fries, you know, we only use the highest quality ingredients, and we don’t make anything until you order it. So these are all of the different things that we think are distinct and unique. 13:48.02Anand GalaAnd, you know, nobody ever um disliked high quality and great taste. 13:54.56vigorbrandingright 13:54.79Anand GalaSo our perspective is we’re going to compete on taste, on quality, on service, on experience. Now that may cost a little bit more, but candidly when you put it all together and you’re doing sort of the value formula, it still comes out to be a tremendous value because of what you get, not what you pay. 14:13.95vigorbrandingYeah, no doubt. So, okay, burgers aren’t your only restaurant. You’re you’re involved with a portfolio. you have You have pizza, tacos, coffee, and everything in between. what What criteria do you use when evaluating which restaurants to invest in? 14:27.84Anand GalaWell, your statement earlier, which was nobody ever lost money selling hamburgers to Americans, I would take it a step further and say, you know, there’s a bunch of different categories where 14:37.50vigorbrandingYeah. 14:38.40Anand GalaThe world already knows what you do and how to use your business or your product or your brand. And so we focus on five primary categories. That doesn’t mean that we won’t look at and invest in things around the periphery as well. But those five categories are burger, chicken, tacos or Mexican pizza and coffee. And not only are they pervasive in American society and candidly, I think foundational. 15:04.85Anand Galaum But I think that what American society culture and its tremendous marketing ah machine behind so many of its companies has done a great job of is exporting that culture around the world. 15:14.31vigorbrandingYeah. 15:18.82Anand GalaI can open up a coffee joint anywhere in the world and I can guarantee you that that local community knows exactly how to use that brand, that product, that concept. The same is true with pizza. The same is true with chicken. 15:30.19Anand GalaThe same is true with tacos and Mexican food. and And thank God for the Taco Bells and the Chipotle’s and so many others that have blazed a trail before us. um and And that end is, it for example, just in the Mexican category, but the same is true in each and every one of those categories. 15:48.21Anand GalaSo our primary focus is within these five big categories. 15:51.97vigorbrandingMm hmm. 15:52.18Anand GalaWe love these brands and we think we can bring a higher quality, better experience approach to each and every one of them. 15:59.57vigorbrandingIt’s fantastic. So you went from being a franchisee to now you own these brands and you own is it rusty taco, you have CC’s pizza, Dunn Brothers coffee, Muyah burger, what am I missing one? 16:12.76Anand GalaNope, that’s it, that’s it. 16:13.57vigorbrandingIs that it? 16:13.90Anand Galathose are the those Those are the main ones, yeah, absolutely. 16:14.05vigorbrandingOkay, good. I nailed it. Yeah, yeah. That’s fantastic. 16:17.73Anand GalaYeah, so we’ve we’ve we’ve invested in these brands and some of them we’ve got partners and you know we’re just excited. 16:18.25vigorbrandingSo 16:23.95Anand Galawe We think that each and every one of them plays a significant role in how you serve the customer. So for example, Cece’s Pizza is a buffet concept. 16:35.11Anand Galaum And people, you know they they may attribute buffet with a lower quality. I’ll tell you, if you walked into the back of a Cece’s, Everything is fresh. They make their dough in-store fresh every single day. 16:46.57Anand GalaThe quality of the ingredients is really, really high. in And I was very surprised by that. I mean, it’s it’s a really high quality product. um So I encourage folks to go and focus on the quality because you can’t go wrong. 16:58.93vigorbrandingHmm. 17:01.08Anand GalaYou’re you’re always going to have a better tasting product with a higher quality product. 17:02.21vigorbrandingHmm. That’s great. So now on the opposite end there, so how how do you then ah interview or evaluate potential like franchisees or investors? 17:15.40vigorbrandingHow does that work? I mean, again, playing both sides, these are your babies now. And you know you don’t want to just hand that that off to someone who’s got some money enough money to buy it. 17:19.65Anand GalaYeah. 17:23.70vigorbrandingit’s you know There’s got to be a lot more to it than that, especially for all the care that you put into it. 17:28.63Anand GalaWell, the brands that we focus on tend to be anywhere from 25 to 350 units. 17:33.92vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 17:34.33Anand GalaAnd so we call those adolescent brands. They’re past proof of concept. They’re in a couple of markets. um Maybe they’ve already started franchising. And you know maybe they’ve just hit a speed bump somewhere. 17:45.32Anand GalaMaybe they’re just out of favor. They’re not very sexy. But they are great businesses. As we think about it, every brand goes through a cycle. And there’s a cycle of of evolution and then innovation and then scaling up and so forth. 17:55.57vigorbrandingMm hmm. 18:00.85Anand GalaAnd so the same franchisee that’s a 300 unit KFC or Taco Bell franchisee may not be an ideal candidate for what we do. because they’re focused on scale. They’re focused on large markets controlling big pieces of the business. And candidly, we’re focused on folks that are really involved in their market. So our our typical franchisee and probably the the ideal profile of our franchisee is gonna be somebody who is either new to franchising but really wants to get into the business and work in their business um and and be hands-on and in the stores. 18:38.32Anand Galaor it’s gonna be somebody that’s probably in a smaller market or it’s a family business and they’ve got anywhere from three to 30 locations amongst whatever they’re involved in. 18:48.51vigorbrandingYeah. 18:50.53Anand GalaAnd they they really love being very hands-on, not to mean that they’re in the stores every day all the time, but they really enjoy being involved in their business. It’s not going to be just an investment for them. 19:03.06Anand GalaThey really they they believe this is it. And so we want very active hands-on operators. that’s the That’s the easiest way for us to describe them. ah and And so when somebody really knows their business, they know their business and they want to be there. 19:16.69Anand GalaThey want to, you know, build relationships with their with their leadership teams, with their managers, with their employees. They want to participate and support their local communities. Those are the folks that we’re looking for. 19:28.70Anand GalaAnd those are the ones that that do the best in our organization. 19:28.83vigorbrandingThat’s awesome. 19:31.48vigorbrandingmost successful at the end of the day, right? 19:32.98Anand GalaYeah, absolutely. 19:33.61vigorbrandingVery cool. Probably like ah your mom was, right? When she started out, you know? 19:36.82Anand GalaThat’s right. That’s right. 19:39.60vigorbrandingI mean, it you know, it all comes back around. So when when you look at like a successful growing restaurants or I guess brands to maybe invest in or buy, um is there a common denominator? Is it always like that sort of fresh type of thing? 19:50.01vigorbrandingOr is there anything that you have in your criteria that you’re that you’re really kind of honing in on as far as there’s something you’re seeing in the market that you that you’re that you find to be ah ah successful or you think will be successful? 20:01.93Anand GalaYou know, the the ingredients are very simple. um First and foremost, we start with the food. And interestingly, a lot of people look at franchises and they just see it as a business. 20:13.19Anand GalaThey don’t think of it as what does the business do. So we always, as I mentioned earlier, we have a ah disproportionate focus on quality. 20:20.47vigorbrandingThat’s 20:21.19Anand GalaAnd so we start with the food. I think in in a world where there is so much commoditization and so much a sea of sameness across so many different brands and products, the the easy way to stand out is focus on quality, focus on taste. 20:23.39vigorbrandinggreat. 20:38.35Anand GalaPeople go out to eat because food tastes good. If you wanted bad food or you wanted bland food, you could probably just do that yourself. But you go to restaurants because they’re known for something. 20:49.96Anand GalaAnd so we wanna make sure that when you come in and you’re getting something that we are known for, that you say that’s a darn good, whatever it is, taco, burger, pizza, that’s a darn good ah you know beverage, coffee, tea, you know whatever that was. And you wanna say, geez, I’m glad I went out for that rather than trying to make something at home. 21:10.45Anand GalaSo distinctly, it’s gotta be darn good. Now from there, we look at the bones of the business and usually we’re investing in things that we think we can substantially improve. 21:22.44Anand GalaWhether it’s unit count, whether it’s quality or process or profitability, but if the product itself is pretty darn good, then you can work on the rest. 21:31.08vigorbrandingMm hmm. 21:31.73Anand GalaYou can figure out how to get them to better profitability, faster growth, ah yeah what whatever it may be, we think we can help. 21:32.06vigorbrandingMm hmm. 21:39.94vigorbrandingYeah. but You make a really good point, a very stupid one, especially when it comes to food. like you know Obviously, we have the vigor brand for the markets, restaurants, but we also have ah an agency called Quench. It does food and beverage and CPG. 21:51.67vigorbrandingAnd what we’ve known and noticed is you know when the economy is down, sure, there’s there’s a reason out there for dollar menus and there’s saving stuff. But you know the the place where people will, for lack of a better word, treat themselves is is what they put in their mouths, right? 22:04.79vigorbrandingI mean, so they’ll they’ll they’ll still pay for premium ice cream. 22:05.31Anand GalaAbsolutely. 22:08.35vigorbrandingwhen it’s when things aren’t so good because that’s that that little pleasure they can have it’s not it’s not you know obviously it’s not some overindulgence or ah a great expense but a great burger i mean it’s pretty it brings a lot of joy you know so yeah 22:21.99Anand GalaIt’s the little things that bring you joy. I couldn’t agree more. I’ll tell you, you know, I didn’t understand the difference in the various qualities of ice cream, ah except in the CPG aisle, right? you You knew that you could get the store brand, which was one thing. And don’t get me wrong, it’s tasty. And it’s a nice treat. Or you could go for the super premium with a very high butterfat. 22:42.97Anand GalaUm, and, and so I thought, well, geez, I guess this experience only exists in the grocery aisle until one day I tried a Brewster’s or a Handel’s ice cream. 22:53.69Anand GalaUh, and, and I was blown away. Now it’s not the kind of thing that you’re going to go for every day or every week. 22:59.51vigorbrandingRight. 23:00.35Anand GalaBut when I think about having ice cream, I can go to a lot of different places, or I can just say when I go out for ice cream. as infrequently or frequently as that is, I just wanna get something that I know is gonna be so delicious. 23:14.33vigorbrandingright. 23:15.67Anand GalaAnd I’m gonna go to the place where it’s just gonna knock my socks off. And I’ll pay just a little bit more and I’m okay with that. I just won’t do it as often. But I want it when I want and it. And I’ll tell ya, it’s the service, it’s the quality, it’s the taste. 23:29.23Anand GalaThose things combined create the addiction that you just have to have it. 23:32.64vigorbrandingThat’s it. and I’m sure in most of your brands, you have a lot of repeat clients coming in because they’re they’re getting the quality, they see the quality, they taste the quality, and it’s worth it. It’s an ongoing, probably, I’m sure it becomes habitual. so that’s That’s fantastic. so okay I want to talk about like the ru last year, I think it was last year, you bought Rusty Taco and Dunn Brothers. 23:53.84vigorbrandingum with Gala Capital. He did it with ah an all cash deal. So you didn’t take on any debt. um Talk to me about cash deals and and what are the advantages, disadvantages, and I know you’re you’re adverse to debt. I i am too. So I absolutely respect that. So talk to me a little bit about that and how you how you’ve done all that. 24:10.94Anand GalaWell, you know but in in both cases, they needed some investment. They needed some love. And if you put leverage on a business, you’ve got a lot of reporting requirements. You’ve got you know metrics that you’ve got to hit, ratios you’ve got to hit and report to your bank. It it puts constraints on you. 24:28.99Anand GalaDebt is not bad. Debt is fine. It’s a tool to grow a business. But the business has to be ready to grow in a meaningful way. And it’s got to be pretty stable and strong ah in order to continue to fulfill those criteria that your bank is going to ask you about. And in the case of these two brands, we thought that these businesses needed some work. They weren’t they weren’t bad businesses, but they just needed some work. 24:55.76Anand GalaAnd our perspective is we’d rather do that with our own money and do it in a way that we don’t have a lot of constraints on us. We can make the investments that we need to make that are for the long run. And that may be five years, 10 years, 20 years, but when you’ve got ah when you’ve got debt, you know you really need to focus on cash flow rather than making those investments that need to happen and pay off over the long period of time. 25:20.85Anand Galabecause you’ve got to service that debt. So our perspective is let’s do it where we’ve got a lot of freedom, a lot of flexibility. Let’s go ahead and make these investments. We’ll do it with all cash. And that way we’ve got a little more control over what we do, when we do, how we do. And as we get these things ready and we’re starting to grow them and scale them up, then we’ll look at what can they support reasonably. And we’ll we’ll probably put a little bit of debt on each of these businesses, but it’ll be some time in the future. 25:50.74vigorbrandingGotcha. That makes total sense. so So when you’re working on on a new franchise, um you always you make it a point to have very detailed conversations with current franchisees, which is is very smart. um How does that process work? And you know what do you learn you know from those conversations? 26:08.06Anand GalaWell, I think that there are some franchisees that candidly have just been waiting for the phone to ring so they can talk to somebody. It is fascinating to me how infrequently folks are speaking to franchisees, including executives of brands. 26:22.83Anand GalaThey think they’ve got it all figured out and they’re just gonna send the memos out and send the promotions out and everybody needs to get on board. Now, in in many cases, that may be true, but you do need, this is a team effort. You gotta remember, the franchisee puts up the money. The franchisee runs that restaurant. 26:40.17Anand Galayou You know, they’re taking more risks than the franchise or. And so you have to respect them as effectively your partner in the business. And you don’t always have to agree. They did sign an agreement. You do control the intellectual property and you’re going to set the the tone and the direction of the brand and the business. But it’s a collaboration. 27:00.32Anand Galaand And I think no different than in a successful marriage or a successful partnership or even in a successful corporate environment. You have to find a way to effectively communicate with your peers. And I consider the franchisees to be our peers. So we want to hear them. We want to listen to them. We want to take their ideas and their feedback into consideration. And ah you know, listen, we’re we’re not the ones that have it all figured out. 27:24.87Anand GalaAs the old saying goes, some of the best ideas come from the franchisees because they are toeto toe to toe face to face with the customer. 27:30.43vigorbrandingYeah. 27:31.97Anand GalaThey see the behavior. 27:32.45vigorbrandingThat’s it. 27:32.93Anand GalaThey see the interaction every single day more often than we do. That’s for sure. 27:38.07vigorbrandingYeah, they’re the boots on the ground. Have you ever backed away um from a deal based on and you certainly don’t have to mention any names, but have you ever backed away from a deal based on some feedback that you’ve heard from the franchisees? It kind of scared you off a little bit. 27:48.85Anand GalaYou know, we have, we have actually. 27:50.73vigorbrandingWow. 27:50.94Anand Galaah there There were concerns in one brand that we looked at and there were a number of franchisees that said, geez, you know, um I’m not making money. I’m losing a lot of money. I can’t keep doing this. 28:02.56Anand GalaI’m just gonna close my store down. And we heard that over and over and over again. So then you have to think to yourself, what am I really buying? And and maybe the investment banker did a great job in polishing this thing up and and putting a story behind it. 28:16.29Anand GalaBut, you know, when you really get to the reality of it, this wasn’t gonna be much of a brand for much longer. And so we have to make the hard decisions that we either are gonna say, no, thank you, or we’re gonna you know we’re going to have to recommend a price adjustment um because we think in order to really stem the stem the loss there of franchisees, we’re gonna have to put a lot of incentive in place. We’re gonna have to make a big investment into them and their marketing and their operations. And that changes the economics of a deal. 28:48.13vigorbrandingYeah, I mean, that that that that totally, totally tracks. I mean, and it’s it’s interesting because yeah as an agency, too, we’ve we’ve had several situations where, and we were talking about this earlier, you were on both sides, the franchisee-franchise, or I think that’s really, in a way, your superpower. I think your empathy and the understanding really is ah is ah is it a massive benefit ah in your in your world. and ah But many times, we’ve been asked to for lack of a word act like the whatever you call it bulletproof vest liaison mediator between the the franchisees and the franchisor and I always felt like that was like uh I mean we’re happy to do it as an agency but I always felt like that that that just it signals that there’s a really a communication gap you know what I mean that to you really should you know yeah 29:29.90Anand GalaOh, I think you’re right. I think you’re right. I encourage people have the hard conversations. I’m not saying that you’re gonna be comfortable doing it. They they are uncomfortable conversations, but it that’s just life. 29:43.08Anand GalaThat’s just life. 29:44.79vigorbrandingYeah, no doubt. All right. Well, let’s have some fun with us now. How, I mean, you have a lot of restaurants. 29:47.59Anand GalaYeah. 29:49.23vigorbrandingI mean, obviously you can, you have your choice every day. I’m sure you do, but you, you eat in your restaurants that you invest in, correct? 29:55.66Anand GalaOh, every week, every single week, yep. 29:56.65vigorbrandingOkay. That’s what I wanted to ask you. How often and like, what, you know, is it a coffee thing? Then I’ll get a pizza one day and maybe a burger the next. 30:03.48Anand GalaYeah, I’ll mix it up, exactly. 30:04.69vigorbrandingNice. Nice. Nice. All right. So now I want to get your opinions on some of the menu items in your restaurants and your current portfolio. 30:10.38Anand GalaOkay. 30:11.59vigorbrandingOkay. So what’s the best burger on the menu at Mujah? What’s your go-to? 30:16.68Anand GalaYou know, so so Best Burger, that’s such a personal question, right? Everybody’s got their own approach. Mine, I’m i’m a real fan of what made them successful, right? What is their core product? And for us, our core classic is the Muyad Double Cheeseburger. 30:37.47vigorbrandingNice. 30:37.60Anand GalaMan, it is just such a amazing, delicious burger the way that it should be made. It’s it’s fantastic. If I’m feeling indulgent, i’ll I’ll pop some jalapenos on there, but oh, it’s my go-to. 30:48.61vigorbrandingUh, I’m getting hungry. I didn’t eat lunch today. So I’m, you know, I’m with East coast. So I’m, I’m, I’m ready. 30:54.19Anand GalaYeah. 30:54.60vigorbrandingThat’s, that’s fantastic. All right. CCs. If you’re building your own pizza, what are we getting? 30:59.66Anand GalaSo again, I’m a classic kind of guy. It’s gonna be probably a pepperoni, ah but I’ll tell you what, if you haven’t had it, 31:01.97vigorbrandingMm-hmm. 31:07.71Anand GalaCece’s is known for a mac and cheese pizza. 31:12.16vigorbrandingOh, wow. 31:12.46Anand GalaNow, it’s not something you’re gonna eat every day, but it is definitely something you have got to try. It is addictive. 31:19.32vigorbrandingI’ll take your river. I’m Italian. So I’m, you know, Mac and cheese. We never put it on pizza. I don’t know. So, but that’s definitely and both good foods. 31:22.99Anand GalaI know, I know. It sounds wacky, but you just gotta give it a shot one day. 31:28.54vigorbrandingYou know, put it together. You know, it’s like peanut butter and jelly probably. So maybe, maybe it works. 31:31.22Anand GalaYeah. 31:32.65vigorbrandingah Famous Dave’s barbecue. You ribs, chicken or catfish? 31:36.50Anand GalaBoy, I’m gonna throw you for a loop here. um Although I love all three of those, but you’ve gotta try the brisket. 31:44.14vigorbrandingAh, okay. 31:44.11Anand GalaOh my goodness, it is fantastic. 31:45.58vigorbrandinglove I do love brisket. 31:47.29Anand GalaNow, if i’m if I’m not having the brisket, it’s the St. Louis style ribs. Hands down, the juiciest, meatiest ribs I’ve ever had in my life. They are, oh, they’re addictive. 31:59.10vigorbrandingYou’re you’re not not just the owner, you’re you’re you’re obviously a connoisseur and a fan, so and comes that comes through. That’s not marketing, I can tell. All right, Dumb Brothers Coffee. how what What are we ordering there? like what What’s your go-to there? 32:10.93Anand GalaSo if you don’t know much about Dunn Brothers, we roast our coffee fresh in the locations. 32:15.52vigorbrandingUh-huh. 32:17.25Anand GalaThat is really unique. um And so the coffee you’re having, or coffee-based drink you’re having, the coffee that goes into that has been roasted within the last few days. 32:27.48vigorbrandingBe a test. 32:27.62Anand GalaThat, if you haven’t tried fresh roasted coffee, is remarkable. You can truly, truly taste the difference. 32:35.40vigorbrandingUh-huh. 32:36.61Anand GalaSo for me, it’s just what is the um the the micro lot or special roast that they have during that time frame? And it’s that with maybe just a little bit of milk or just a splash of cream, but just trying to keep it simple so you really get all the real flavors and notes of that coffee coming through. 32:57.21Anand GalaSo I’m a simple guy when it comes to coffee. 32:57.36vigorbrandingAbsolutely. Yeah. Hey, i mine’s just black with a few ice cubes in it. You know, I call it the grandma Agnes move. 33:02.69Anand GalaYeah. 33:03.95vigorbrandingMy grandmother used to always put ice cubes in her coffee. 33:05.46Anand GalaYeah. 33:06.56vigorbrandingAnd so I’ve been drinking coffee all my life, but I love just black ice, black coffee with a little ice cubes in it. And I said, I don’t do the triple latte half oat milk. 33:12.68Anand Galaso So you’re saying that grandma invented, grandma invented iced coffee. 33:15.46vigorbrandingyeah There you go. 33:17.38Anand GalaThat’s what you’re telling me. 33:18.12vigorbrandingyeah It’s not even ice, just a few ice cubes just so I don’t burn my mouth. And it’s probably because I like to drink coffee and I don’t, you know, so it’s not, not loaded with ice, just, you know, a few ice cubes just to cool it off. 33:21.75Anand GalaAh, okay. 33:26.57vigorbrandingRight? So very, very sensitive lips. 33:27.05Anand GalaAll right. 33:29.61vigorbrandingOkay. Rusty taco, pork, beef, shrimp, chicken. 33:31.44Anand GalaYes, sir. 33:34.24Anand Galayou gotta to try the Rusty Taco. It’s the original named for our founder, the namesake. 33:36.79vigorbrandingOkay. home 33:40.53Anand GalaIt’s it’s ah it’s pork with some chunks of pineapple. ah It’s just, I mean, it’s a classic taco, ah which which is the foundation of what Rusty built the brand upon. 33:53.80Anand GalaNow we’ve got a bunch of others and and they’re very sort of Tex-Mex, Taqueria style tacos that are really delicious. So there’s that one. And then I would say, ah Boy, that’s that’s the that’s my go-to every single time, yeah. 34:08.65vigorbrandingPerfect. That’s perfect. So, okay. 34:11.72Anand GalaOh, by the way, if yeah if you haven’t tried, um the queso at Rusty Taco is off the charts. People don’t know that we have it, but we’ve got nachos and you can do that with the queso and you can do brisket or pulled pork or you know any kind of topping you want on there, just off the charts, fantastic. 34:27.40vigorbrandingPerfect. 34:30.84vigorbrandingWell, you’re killing me. Like I said, I haven’t eaten lunch yet. It’s going to one o’clock. So this is this is this is all good. I got to figure out what i’m gonna we’re going to have now. It’s all going through my head. So, okay. What’s what’s up? What’s next for, for, for gala partners? I mean, is there anything else on the horizon? I mean, obviously if you can’t talk about, it you can’t talk about, but anything that you’re, any categories you’re excited about, anything you’re kind of looking at, it anything you can talk about there. 34:52.63Anand GalaYou know, honestly, we’re excited about what we have in the portfolio. we We have so much runway with every one of these businesses that we have that it’s really got to be something special to get our attention. 34:55.64vigorbrandingAbsolutely. 34:58.52vigorbrandingabsolutely 35:02.75Anand GalaAnd right now we just haven’t seen anything that’s that special. So we just double down on what we have and we’re just going deep, going long. 35:09.62vigorbrandingMm hmm. 35:10.05Anand Galayou know With Dunn Brothers, we just expanded into K-Cups and into CPG, so we’re we’re pushing some of our coffee through some grocery stores. 35:10.52vigorbrandingWait. 35:14.74vigorbrandingWow. 35:19.48Anand Galaum We’re going to be redoing, redesigning, and relaunching our direct-to-consumer website and e-commerce pretty soon. We’ve got several new stores and new prototypes in the hopper. 35:30.40Anand GalaThe same is true with Rusty. We’re opening, I think, it’s eight or nine locations this year. um And Muya, we just opened two of our ah very first drive-through locations, both company owned. We want to get the the ball rolling on drive-throughs. And so we’re excited to prove that model out. And so far, the customers love it. 35:48.57vigorbrandingYeah, well, you brought up a couple really, I think, important points. You did load up on a lot of these brands here very recently. And yeah you happened, I mean, no pun intended, but it seems like you covered every food group, like everything that’s important as far as coffee, pizza, burgers, taco, I mean, you know, boy, it’s, ah yeah, yeah, literally, yeah, you nailed it, you nailed it. 35:58.28Anand GalaYeah. Our plate is full. 36:05.78vigorbrandingSo, I mean, it it does make a lot of sense to really kind of drive all that. And and the other thing you brought, which i I personally see a lot is, You know, with our company, you know, we we have about five different agencies in our in our portfolio. and And one being Quench is CPG food and beverage, which is very different than restaurants. They just happen to sell foods. We have another company called Vigor that just does restaurant expertise. But it’s amazing how many are doing the, we have this product, it’s people find it in the restaurant, it’s great marketing, they have it, they love it, like your coffee. 36:35.42vigorbrandingAnd all of a sudden, it’s slotted over CPG. 36:35.64Anand GalaMm hmm. 36:37.06vigorbrandingAnd it’s like people, hey, I i love that coffee. It’s fresh. it’s ah And I walk into the store, and I can buy it. And it’s ah such a smart move. ah but You see it both ways. I’ve seen it from the CPG side going into restaurants, and the restaurant side going into CPG. 36:48.29Anand GalaYeah. 36:49.56vigorbrandingSo I think that’s ah it’s a really, really smart move. 36:49.67Anand GalaYeah, absolutely. 36:52.78vigorbrandingNow, I have one last question. And you know it’s going to be hard for you, probably the hardest thing you have to answer all day, because you can’t you can’t say one of your restaurants. 36:54.72Anand GalaYes, sir. 37:00.72vigorbrandingIf you had one last final meal, what would you eat, where, and 37:00.96Anand GalaAll right. 37:05.55vigorbrandingWith who? 37:08.26Anand GalaBoy, that is a great question. ah First of all, with whom it’d be my family. Hands down, there’s nobody else who I wanna spend time with as often as possible than with my parents and my wife and my kids and my brother and his family. 37:26.81Anand GalaMy family means everything to me. What would the meal be? It’s gotta be something that everybody loves. And so when I think about what does everybody love, it’s probably pizza. 37:36.68vigorbrandingThere 37:38.26Anand Galaeverybody loves pizza. 37:39.72vigorbrandingyou go. 37:40.24Anand GalaAnd you can customize it every which way you want. Where would I go? My goodness. Or what would I have it? There’s a there’s a restaurant in Los Angeles, which ah I truly, truly enjoy. 37:56.39Anand GalaI can’t ever think that I had a bad meal there. And it’s an Italian restaurant. They happen to have amazing pizza. It’s called Osteria Mozza. 38:05.65vigorbrandingNice. 38:05.67Anand GalaAnd they have a a sister brand called Pizzeria Mozza. And the it’s just some of the best food I’ve ever had in my life. It’s the service. It’s the quality. It’s the flavors. 38:17.73Anand GalaIt’s everything all combined. 38:20.04vigorbrandingFantastic. 38:20.05Anand GalaAnd I don’t even remember what I spent. I’m sure it was too much. But, oh man, it’s so memorable. 38:25.90vigorbrandingWell, hey, back to your the concepts on your burger, right? I mean, if it’s a if it if the food hits the mark, you you you really don’t care what you spend. I mean, you know you know it’s it don’t be for those, but quality and and you know it’s it’s so, so important. And you were very smart and you’re a smart guy, you covered it. So if your if your family or anybody in your family watches this podcast, you know you answered the right, you had the right answer. with Only with my family. So that’s fantastic. 38:50.99vigorbrandingand you’re You’re amazing. I love watching what you’ve been doing. it’s It’s a pleasure to talk to you and it’s great knowing you and I look forward to the next time I see you. it Thanks a lot. 39:00.65Anand GalaAbsolutely. Look forward to it. I’ll see you soon. All right. Take care. bye 

World Food Championships Founder Mike McCloud shares all the details about the annual food fight that puts the best chefs from across the culinary world into the ring of competition. Find out about the barbecue competition and what it takes to earn a place in the championships and a chance to be named a category champion or a World Food Champion. Listen today to learn about Famous Dave's All-Start BBQ Series, as well as Mike McCloud's own barbecue preferences.Visit The Low & Slow Barbecue Show website here!See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

(September 10, 2024 - hour Two)10:14pm - Leading off the 2nd hour is the creator of the World Food Championships, Mike McCloud. Mike and I will get the recap of the 2024 Famous Dave's Allstar BBQ Series. What was good, what was bad and what they will look to improve for 2025. After that, we will turn our attention to the impending WFC 2024 in Indianapolis starting November 9th. We will get the lead up to the event, what's new, what celebrities might be there and what the focus is as WFC continues to set itself apart in the food sport world.10:35pm - Currently open.The BBQ Central Show SponsorsSchwank Grills -      Use Code BBQCENTRAL for $150 off!Primo GrillsPitts & Spitts BBQ Pits - Use "charcoalcentral" at checkout for $150 Off Charcoal GrillsBig Poppa Smokers – Use promo code “REMPE” for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more!FireboardCookin PelletsFamous Dave's All Star BBQ SeriesPit Barrel CookerFranklin BBQ PitsThe Butcher Shoppe - Save 10% When You Mention "The BBQ Central Show"JRE Tobacco – Makers of the Aladino (and other) line of premium cigars!Micallef Cigars – Premium Hand Rolled Cigars

This week we are joined by Brett Larrabee, a seasoned franchise professional who has accomplished a great deal in his culinary and franchise career.  Brett's incredible journey began right out of college, as a franchisee…, not just any franchisee, but as Subway's very first, in the City of Seattle.  Over the next 20 years, Brett grew with Subway, opening many more locations and eventually helping other franchisees within the system, that were perhaps a little less successful than he.  That ultimately led to his transition, from the role of franchisee to that of franchisor.  Brett went on to develop more sophisticated franchised restaurants domestically and abroad, for: Panchero's Mexican Grill, Five Guys, Famous Dave's BBQ and Little Caesar's.  Brett describe how a few years ago, while in Ukraine for Little Caesar's, curiosity led him to encounter Lviv Croissants, a wildly successful Ukrainian-based franchise concept.  With nearly 200 locations throughout Ukraine, Poland, and Slovakia, this franchise brand is well known for their use of higher than usual, quality ingredients.  That, coupled with the simplicity of their operations, and crowds at all hours of the day and night really captured Brett's interest.     What began as intrigue, actually caused Brett to flip the script.  After years of taking US brands abroad, he felt moved to bring this concept to the USA, despite the challenges and triumphs of opening the first Lviv Croissants store in Roswell, Georgia, amidst the backdrop of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. After all these years, Brett returns to the simplicity of his Subway days, but this time, as CEO of Lviv USA, where he is on his way to building a franchise dynasty.  Filled with fascinating stories and insights into both the culinary and franchise worlds, he's here today, to dish on it all. 

Join Angie and myself (Dave) this week as I smoke the Rocky Patel Edge Candela and we try Famous Dave's Chicken Rub on The Rubdown! Angie talks about her trip to Crime Con in Nashville and we talk about some other shows we have been watching.

Send us a Text Message.Get ready to take notes as we have a true BBQ legend dropping tips and hints left and right. Dave Anderson is the Dave of the more than 200 Famous Dave's BBQ in North America.Growing up in Chicago, Anderson remembers his father coming home from work with a lunch pail full of street vendor ribs. Those early flavors inspired a lifelong passion, one that's taken Anderson from barbecue novice to one of the foremost authorities on the art and craft of meat, heat, and smoke.Anderson spent 25 years exploring his passion in barbecue capitals of America, from Kansas City to the Carolinas. About 20 years and 20,000 jobs later, the rest is finger-licking history. Over the course of his career, Anderson has shared his smoky savvy everywhere from The Food Network, The Travel Channel, and CNBC to Washington, D.C., and a special Presidential appointment. And he's devoted his talents not only to feeding a nation but to charitable causes, including leadership work with at-risk youth.www.bbqradionetwork.com www.holsteinmfg.com

DJ tell Jordana about the time he doubled down on the Dave's Day promotion at Famous Dave's. 

If you like barbeque, you know Famous Dave's. The icon and originator joins Jason for today's DeRusha Eats. 

Hour 2: Jason talks with Famous Dave Anderson from "Famous Dave's" on DeRusha Eats. Then he talks with attorney Joe Tamburino about the conviction of Hunter Biden and they debate if that case - or the one against President Trump - should even have been brought. 

(April 30, 2024 - Hour One)9:14pm - John and John (J2) McLemore join me to lead off the show tonight as we talk about their new book "Gather & Grill". Currently available for preorder, John and J2 will talk about the recipes that make it into the book, what those recipes mean to them and, of course, we will talk about how this book came together. What is especially interesting to me is, during their time of ownership at Masterbuilt, there was plenty of opportunity to drop a "brand-based" book but it never happened. Tune in for what will be a great segment.9:35pm - After The McLemore Boys, the creator of the World Food Championships, Mike McCloud, joins me to talk about two different topics. In no particular order, we will discuss the 2024 version of the Famous Dave's All-Star BBQ Challenge Series. We will also talk about the 2024 version of the World Food Championships and why they pulled up their steaks in Dallas and planted them in Indianapolis. Both are big topics and both need to be dug into a lot more! Catch it tonight and be the first to hear why Mike is doing the move!The BBQ Central Show SponsorsSchwank Gills ­ Use promo code BBQCENTRAL and get $150 OFFPrimo GrillsPitts & Spitts BBQ Pits - Use "charcoalcentral" at checkout for $150 Off Charcoal GrillsBig Poppa Smokers – Use promo code “REMPE” for $10 off your purchase of $50 or more!FireboardCookin PelletsFamous Dave's All Star BBQ SeriesPit Barrel CookerFranklin BBQ PitsThe Butcher Shoppe - Save 10% When You Mention "The BBQ Central Show"JRE Tobacco – Makers of the Aladino (and other) line of premium cigars!Micallef Cigars – Premium Hand Rolled Cigars

The Cabin is presented by the Wisconsin Counties Association and this week we're featuring Manitowoc County; https://www.wicounties.org/counties/manitowoc-county/  The Cabin is also presented by Group Health Trust: www.wcaght.orgCampfire Conversation: The Cabin smells all smoky and sweet today because Dave Anderson - aka “Famous Dave” of BBQ chain fame - joins us for a fun and insightful conversation about food, creativity, perseverance, and entrepreneurship. Famous Dave's BBQ started as essentially a tent; a barbecue stand where Dave Anderson learned to make remarkable sauces and grill meat in ways that caught people's attention. So much so that he was able to open a regular restaurant, which he named Famous Dave's, in his hometown of Hayward, Wisconsin in 1994. Today, Famous Dave's has around 180 locations across 33 U.S. states and international locations from Winnipeg to Dubai. How did he get there? What obstacles did he face? What powers him, and where does he see things going from here? We learn all about his background and get some BBQ tips too. A fun and saucy episode to enjoy today on The Cabin!Check out Famous Dave's BBQ here: https://www.famousdaves.com/Inside Sponsors:Ho-Chunk Gaming: https://bit.ly/3l2Cfru

Heidi and Toni had a girl's night out with our very good friend Emily and had dinner at Famous Dave's in North Olmsted. If you're looking for a place that serves delicious BBQ and give healthy portions, give Famous Dave's a try. Visit their website for full details and locations. Famous Dave's BBQ Restaurant | Best Barbecue Restaurant (famousdaves.com). Follow us on social media, our links are in our bio, and tag Heidi and Toni Explore Cleveland Podcast on your social media when you any of the places we explore. Heidi and Toni Explore Cleveland is produced by Heidi Johnson and Toni Gambino; assistant director and assistant editor Matthew Gingras Jr., all rights reserved.  Please follow us on YouTube, Facebook, Instagram, Snapchat, Twitter, and TikTok. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠https://exploringclevelandwithheidiandtoni.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Email: ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠exploringclevelandht@gmail.com⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ The views and opinions expressed in this podcast belong to the content creators and not the business, organization, affiliates, or their employees. This podcast is for entertainment purposes only. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/heidi-johnson39/support

In fairness, they didn't want their brisket getting cold.  Chicago's best morning radio show now has a podcast! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and remember that the conversation always lives on the Q101 Facebook page.  The Q101 Morning Crew is live every morning from 6a-10a on Q101.    Subscribe to our channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@Q101 Like Q101 on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/q101chicago Follow Q101 on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/Q101Chicago Follow Q101 on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/q101chicago/?hl=en Follow Q101 on TikTok HERE: https://www.tiktok.com/@q101chicago?lang=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

We're flipping the script on today's episode! Kurt has his friend and Pitmaster of Blinky's Offset BBQ, Matt Osman, on The Barbeque Life to interview Kurt about his journey to getting a GC at the Famous Dave's BBQ World Food Championship, flying to Billings, Montana and his experience cooking on borrowed grills, cooking lamb for the first time, getting DAL and placing terribly in People's Choice at his first Famous Dave's pilot competition, the EAT method, and tips on what to do and what to avoid, and more! “A true pit master, in my opinion is someone that can cook on any cooker you put in front of that person. Period. End of story.” Follow and connect with Kurt and Ironhead Barbeque at the links below! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ironheadbarbeque Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ironheadbbq/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/ironheadbbq TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ironheadbbq Merch: https://www.ironheadbbq.com/ Email: kurt@ironheadbbq.com Linktree: https://linktr.ee/ironheadbarbeque The Barbeque Life is Powered by Hound Hogs BBQ Supply! Follow and connect with them here: https://houndhogsbbqsupply.com/ Use code BBQLIFE to save 10% on your next order! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Facebook! Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YkKv7h Spotify: http://bit.ly/3RvpAwc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarbequelife/reviews Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter: https://linktr.ee/thebarbequelife Want to reach us? Email us at kurt@thebarbequelife.com KEEP CALM AND SMOKE ON!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thebarbequelife/message

Kurt talks with Chad Urbonovic with QueFellas BBQ out of Lapierre, MI about a recent contest at Famous Dave's, competing using the EAT method, starting his BBQ journey, taking a class, missing a turn in box, taking a class again and gaining momentum, learning new things and getting out of his comfort zone, what the set up for the wild card looks like, his experience with the wing category in People's Choice, some words of wisdom and more! “You give anyone free cheesecake, they're gonna say it's great.” Follow and connect with Chad Urbonovic and QueFellas BBQ below! Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090173781886 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/quefellasbbqcompetition/ The Barbeque Life is Powered by Hound Hogs BBQ Supply! Follow and connect with them here: https://houndhogsbbqsupply.com/ Use code BBQLIFE to save 10% on your next order! Leave us a review on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or Facebook! Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3YkKv7h Spotify: http://bit.ly/3RvpAwc Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebarbequelife/reviews Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and Twitter: https://linktr.ee/thebarbequelife Want to reach us? Email us at kurt@thebarbequelife.com KEEP CALM AND SMOKE ON!  --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/thebarbequelife/message

Yes, Famous Dave, of Famous Dave's fame, joins Brian & Kenzie for a short, exclusive interview about his life in BBQ.  Chicago's best morning radio show now has a podcast! Don't forget to rate, review, and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts and remember that the conversation always lives on the Q101 Facebook page.  The Q101 Morning Crew is live every morning from 6a-10a on Q101.    Subscribe to our channel HERE: https://www.youtube.com/@Q101 Like Q101 on Facebook HERE: https://www.facebook.com/q101chicago Follow Q101 on Twitter HERE: https://twitter.com/Q101Chicago Follow Q101 on Instagram HERE: https://www.instagram.com/q101chicago/?hl=enSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Founder of Famous Dave's Dave Anderson joins the Steve Cochran Show to talk about growing up in Chicago, the National BBQ Championship happening July 8th, and the secret to making the best BBQ in town. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

America’s Rib King and BBQ Hall of Famer Famous Dave Anderson joins Dane Neal on WGN Radio. Hear as Dave shares patriotic excitement for celebrating our nation’s Independence Day through food and of course BBQ. Listen as Dave fills us in on the upcoming “Porking Lot Party” in Addison on July 8th and all the […]

This week on The Ad Project, we welcome Marty Weintraub from Aimclear. Marty is an entrepreneur, marketer, photographer, and speaker. He founded Aimclear®, a driven, integrated marketing agency dominant in customer acquisition, winner of 27 US Search Awards including 7X most recent Best Integrated Agency. Credits include Airbnb, Uber, Eurail, PayPal, Venmo, eBay, Dell, LinkedIn, Etsy, Gumtree, Firestone, INC Magazine, Amazon, Carewell, Famous Dave's, Martha Stewart Omni, Intel, Travelocity, DECC, Semrush, Optmyzr, Neustar, Macy's, GoDaddy, 3M, Siemens, Land's End, and many more. A fixture on the international conference circuit, Marty has appeared in front of hundreds of international search & social marketing conference audiences, from Jerusalem to Sydney. In this episode, Marty discusses his agency's approach to performance marketing, brand building, public relations, and data analytics. Marty shares his valuable insights about the current state of marketing in 2023 and its future. He notes the ongoing changes and challenges in the industry, including layoffs and shifts in resource allocation due to the rise of AI. He describes the cyclic nature of the industry, with professionals moving between in-house positions, agencies, and consultancies.Marty also emphasizes the need for marketers to adapt to the evolving landscape and ensure their skills remain relevant in the age of AI.Overall, this episode provides a glimpse into Marty's background and the current state of the marketing industry with a focus on the impact of AI. Connect with Aimclear: www.linkedin.com/in/aimclear/Connect with Marty: www.instagram.com/martyweintraub/www.facebook.com/marty.weintraub

Dane Neal is in for Bob Sirott on a Fourth of July show full of fabulous food and special events. ‘Famous’ Dave Anderson talks about the upcoming Famous Dave’s BBQ All-Star BBQ Series on Saturday, July 8th taking place at 1631 W. Lake Street in Addison. Then, Food Network personality Sunny Anderson joins the program […]

Speedy BBQ lifestyle? Yeah speedy. Let's see….start competition bbq in 2012, Reserve Grand Champion 10 competitions later…. That's just the beginning. Maxes out available points for the entire year in KCBS… in July! Who does that? Travis does. Fast forward to 2018, Famous Dave joins the picture and Travis goes to work with FD. FD assisted Travis in opening his first restaurant. Going through the wars of the “vid.” Now adding a second location! Guys I can't tell you how much I enjoyed doing this episode. I hope you enjoy it as much as I enjoyed getting it documented. An overnight success, 10 years in the making! As always I would appreciate a review, and sharing this with someone who would get value from this!

This week we bring in NBA savant Adam Harm to really get into the weeds about the teams in the playoffs and even the players that didn't make it **cough** Kyrie. We make our bold predictions on who will move onto the Conference Finals and win the whole dam thang. Brunson continues to break Trainor's heart, Zion continues to break scales, and the Suns continue to break down when Harm needs them most. Are the 76ers better without Embiid? Can Jimmy Buckets come back and save the Heat?? Will the Nuggets redeem Russ and the Broncos in Denver??? Download and subscribe to the podcast. Stream us or tune into 89.1 KHOL on Fridays 2-3 mountain time.

Joel is checking on his friend Ian's girlfriend, Cassidy. Joel saw Cassidy holding hands with someone else at Famous Dave's

Joel is checking on his friend Ian's girlfriend, Cassidy. Joel saw Cassidy holding hands with someone else at Famous Dave's

Joel is checking on his friend Ian's girlfriend, Cassidy. Joel saw Cassidy holding hands with someone else at Famous Dave's

Special guest Israel Ajose, President of the Astrological Lodge of London, discussing the “Powerful Scorpio Lunar Eclipse” bringing empowerment through transforming perspectives. Scheduled monthly on the 3rd Sunday, the Special Guest Panel brings a variety of new and returning astrologers. “The Lunar Eclipse happens when the full moon is within 18 degrees of the lunar nodes. On May 5, we experience the final Scorpio eclipse at 14°Taurus not occurring again for eight years on May 7, 2021 for a lunar eclipse at 16° Scorpio,” said Sue Minahan, founder, and host of the weekly show. “A fixed water sign, Scorpio's archetypal energy involves an intense focus, deep passionate emotions, and clear purpose. Empowerment through transformation, eliminating whatever no longer serves to support growth. What's hidden may become exposed." Regions seeing at least part of this Lunar eclipse includes Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. Join Sue Rose Minahan of Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, founder of Talk Cosmos and Astrologer/Consultant with February's Special Guest panel featuring ISRAEL AJOSE, London, England. See his bio below, and on Talk Cosmos website menu/guests. New Announcement! Log into 1150kknw.com for their 2023 Listener Survey! A chance to tell KKNW radio station your favorite shows! Share Talk Cosmos! A total win-win. Your voice heard will shape the station's future. AND your entry offers you a chance to win a RT passage for TWO on Victoria Clipper to Victoria, BC, Canada, PLUS a $100 in gift certificates to Famous Dave's restaurant! Submit your survey entry from March 27 through April 23, when the winner's announced! Subscribing for the newsletter keeps you up with the changes! And follow us on Talk Cosmos YouTube Channel where you can find all visual YouTube episodes. We're always heard on your favorite podcast, or on 1150kknw.com online /radio with the podcast episode library. ISRAEL AJOSE, D.Psych.Astrol: is a dedicated student, teacher of astrology and tarot. https://www.apae.uk & https://www.astrolodge.co.uk/ He is now a full-time practitioner and teacher of astrology, tarot, philosophical and esoteric teachings, which he began studying and completing full honours in psychological astrology at the Center of Psychological Astrology in London with Liz Greene. He combines traditional, medieval, psychological, and Vedic techniques to provide guidance, answers, and consultations to students and clients worldwide. https://www.sacredplanets.com  He is currently the President of the Astrological Lodge of London. Much of his studies and practices also include cosmology, mythology, occult sciences, Kabbalah, shamanism, and divination. Email: astrologyofthesoul@gmail.com SUE ROSE MINAHAN: Founder of Talk Cosmos celebrating its 6th season in 2023 of weekly insightful conversations awakening consciousness for soul growth. https://www.TalkCosmos.com Sue's an Eclectic Modern Evolutionary Astrologer, and Consultant. Workshop Facilitator, Speaker. Certified Color Energy Life Coach. Vice-President of Washington State Astrological Association Member of Kepler Astrologer Toastmaster Club Holds an AA Degree, Associate of Fine Arts Music Degree & Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz from North Seattle College Dwarf Planet University graduate Writer, artist, musician, ardent mythologist. Student of esoteric philosophies and life.

Special guest Israel Ajose, President of the Astrological Lodge of London, discussing the “Powerful Scorpio Lunar Eclipse” bringing empowerment through transforming perspectives. Scheduled monthly on the 3rd Sunday, the Special Guest Panel brings a variety of new and returning astrologers.“The Lunar Eclipse happens when the full moon is within 18 degrees of the lunar nodes. On May 5, we experience the final Scorpio eclipse at 14°Taurus not occurring again for eight years on May 7, 2021 for a lunar eclipse at 16° Scorpio,” said Sue Minahan, founder, and host of the weekly show. “A fixed water sign, Scorpio's archetypal energy involves an intense focus, deep passionate emotions, and clear purpose. Empowerment through transformation, eliminating whatever no longer serves to support growth. What's hidden may become exposed."Regions seeing at least part of this Lunar eclipse includes Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.Join Sue Rose Minahan of Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, founder of Talk Cosmos and Astrologer/Consultant with February's Special Guest panel featuring ISRAEL AJOSE, London, England. See his bio below, and on Talk Cosmos website menu/guests.New Announcement! Log into 1150kknw.com for their 2023 Listener Survey! A chance to tell KKNW radio station your favorite shows! Share Talk Cosmos! A total win-win.Your voice heard will shape the station's future.AND your entry offers you a chance to win a RT passage for TWO on Victoria Clipper to Victoria, BC, Canada,PLUS a $100 in gift certificates to Famous Dave's restaurant!Submit your survey entry from March 27 through April 23, when the winner's announced!Subscribing for the newsletter keeps you up with the changes! And follow us on Talk Cosmos YouTube Channel where you can find all visual YouTube episodes. We're always heard on your favorite podcast, or on 1150kknw.com online /radio with the podcast episode library.ISRAEL AJOSE, D.Psych.Astrol: is a dedicated student, teacher of astrology and tarot. https://www.apae.uk & https://www.astrolodge.co.uk/He is now a full-time practitioner and teacher of astrology, tarot, philosophical and esoteric teachings, which he began studying and completing full honours in psychological astrology at the Center of Psychological Astrology in London with Liz Greene. He combines traditional, medieval, psychological, and Vedic techniques to provide guidance, answers, and consultations to students and clients worldwide. https://www.sacredplanets.com He is currently the President of the Astrological Lodge of London.Much of his studies and practices also include cosmology, mythology, occult sciences, Kabbalah, shamanism, and divination. Email: astrologyofthesoul@gmail.comSUE ROSE MINAHAN: Founder of Talk Cosmos celebrating its 6th season in 2023 of weekly insightful conversations awakening consciousness for soul growth. https://www.TalkCosmos.comSue's an Eclectic Modern Evolutionary Astrologer, and Consultant.Workshop Facilitator, Speaker.Certified Color Energy Life Coach.Vice-President of Washington State Astrological AssociationMember of Kepler Astrologer Toastmaster ClubHolds an AA Degree, Associate of Fine Arts Music Degree & Certificate of Fine Arts in Jazz from North Seattle CollegeDwarf Planet University graduateWriter, artist, musician, ardent mythologist. Student of esoteric philosophies and life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April's Taurus panel Planet Buzz, scheduled every first Sunday each month. Astrologer Nicholas Polimenakos joins as the Special Guest for Planet Buzz subject, “Eclipses Unleashed” about the upcoming first set of solar and lunar eclipses in 2023.“Eclipses occur when the New Moon or Full Moon is close to the lunar nodes, and come in pairs. April 20 brings 29° Aries Solar Eclipse because the nodes enter Aries/Libra this July and currently are at the end of Taurus/Scorpio. The solar eclipse called Ningaloo Eclipse takes its name from an Aboriginal word. The path of totality passes over North West Cape, a remote peninsula of Western Australia, as well as lower part of Indonesia.” said Sue Minahan, founder, and host of the weekly show. “May 5 brings the final Scorpio eclipse at 16°Taurus until May 7, 2021, in eight years, also a lunar eclipse at 16° Scorpio. The combination of the South Node, that releases energy at the Full Moon, and the emotionality of the passionate fixed water sign Scorpio archetypal energy, involves deep emotions. What's hidden may become exposed resulting in transforming what must be deal with, although difficult, allows more empowerment." Regions seeing at least part of this Lunar eclipse includes Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica.Join Planet Buzz with Sue Rose Minahan of Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, founder of Talk Cosmos and Astrologer/Consultant, special visiting guest Nicholas Polimenakos, from London, UK and panel member Dr. Laura Tadd of Chattahoochee Hills, GA. See bios below, and on Talk Cosmos website.New Announcement! Log into 1150kknw.com for their 2023 Listener Survey! Tell the station your favorite shows and include Talk Cosmos! A total win-win because your voice getting heard will shape the station's future AND every entry offers you a chance winning a RT passage for TWO on Victoria Clipper to Victoria, BC, Canada, PLUS a $100 in gift certificates to Famous Dave's restaurant! Survey entries from March 27 to April 23 when the winner's announced!NICHOLAS POLIMENAKOS: Astrology and Magic born from a deep rebellious fire, Nicholas Polimenakos offers 20 years of professional experience in Astrology Readings and Consultations where there are no wrong questions or judgement. He creates a comfortable, secure space client's evolution, working together to transcend limitations. https://www.sparklesofgold.comLAURA TADD: A spiritually oriented psychological astrologer. She works as an astrological counselor, writer, teacher, and lecturer both in-person and remotely with people worldwide. https://www.MythicSky.comSUE ROSE MINAHAN: Founder of Talk Cosmos celebrating its 6th season in 2023 of weekly insightful conversations awakening consciousness for soul growth. https://www.TalkCosmos.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

April's Taurus panel Planet Buzz, scheduled every first Sunday each month. Astrologer Nicholas Polimenakos joins as the Special Guest for Planet Buzz subject, “Eclipses Unleashed” about the upcoming first set of solar and lunar eclipses in 2023. “Eclipses occur when the New Moon or Full Moon is close to the lunar nodes, and come in pairs. April 20 brings 29° Aries Solar Eclipse because the nodes enter Aries/Libra this July and currently are at the end of Taurus/Scorpio. The solar eclipse called Ningaloo Eclipse takes its name from an Aboriginal word. The path of totality passes over North West Cape, a remote peninsula of Western Australia, as well as lower part of Indonesia.” said Sue Minahan, founder, and host of the weekly show.  “May 5 brings the final Scorpio eclipse at 16°Taurus until May 7, 2021, in eight years, also a lunar eclipse at 16° Scorpio. The combination of the South Node, that releases energy at the Full Moon, and the emotionality of the passionate fixed water sign Scorpio archetypal energy, involves deep emotions. What's hidden may become exposed resulting in transforming what must be deal with, although difficult, allows more empowerment." Regions seeing at least part of this Lunar eclipse includes Europe, Asia, Australia, Africa, Pacific, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, Antarctica. Join Planet Buzz with Sue Rose Minahan of Kailua-Kona, Big Island of Hawaii, founder of Talk Cosmos and Astrologer/Consultant, special visiting guest Nicholas Polimenakos, from London, UK and panel member Dr. Laura Tadd of Chattahoochee Hills, GA. See bios below, and on Talk Cosmos website. New Announcement! Log into 1150kknw.com for their 2023 Listener Survey! Tell the station your favorite shows and include Talk Cosmos! A total win-win because your voice getting heard will shape the station's future AND every entry offers you a chance winning a RT passage for TWO on Victoria Clipper to Victoria, BC, Canada, PLUS a $100 in gift certificates to Famous Dave's restaurant! Survey entries from March 27 to April 23 when the winner's announced! NICHOLAS POLIMENAKOS: Astrology and Magic born from a deep rebellious fire, Nicholas Polimenakos offers 20 years of professional experience in Astrology Readings and Consultations where there are no wrong questions or judgement. He creates a comfortable, secure space client's evolution, working together to transcend limitations. https://www.sparklesofgold.com LAURA TADD: A spiritually oriented psychological astrologer. She works as an astrological counselor, writer, teacher, and lecturer both in-person and remotely with people worldwide. https://www.MythicSky.com SUE ROSE MINAHAN: Founder of Talk Cosmos celebrating its 6th season in 2023 of weekly insightful conversations awakening consciousness for soul growth. https://www.TalkCosmos.com

Lots of obstacles got in the way and with location being a big one, Dave Anderson figured out how to become famous for Bar-B-Que. Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders Podcast, teaching business owners the not so secret techniques that took famous businesses from mom-and-pop to major brands. Stephen Semple is a marketing consultant, story collector, and storyteller. I'm Stephen's sidekick and business partner, Dave Young. Before we get into today's episode, a word from our sponsor, which is ... Well, it's us, but we're highlighting ads we've written and produced for our clients. So here's one of those. [Frank Gay Ad] Dave Young: Welcome to the Empire Builders. Dave Young here, Stephen Semple right there. And you told me just before this started that I'm really going to like this one. Famous Dave's. And I'm thinking, "Oh, yeah, we're going to talk about me." No wait, Famous Dave's. That rings a bell. Wendy's? No, he was famous, but ... Different Dave. Famous Dave's is a barbecue place. Stephen Semple: That's right. Famous Dave's BBQ. Dave Young: Yeah, I met that guy at the Dave Convention years ago. You didn't know. You probably didn't know all Dave's get together once a year. Stephen Semple: You had mentioned this one time previously. And what was confused is that you were not the keynote speaker. I figured you would be the keynote speaker at an event like that. Dave Young: Well, there's a lot of Dave's. Stephen Semple: So Famous Dave's BBQ. It's actually a pretty wild story, and it's one of these ones where his experience that he had through his life really led him to this restaurant. And so that's the part I want us to really focus on when going through this. Because basically it's a pit barbecue restaurant. It was founded in 1994 in Hayward, Wisconsin, which is a little town of 2,300 people literally in the middle of the state. And if you know anything about Wisconsin, when you're in the middle of Wisconsin, you are in the middle of nowhere, by definition. And today it's one of the largest barbecue chains out there with 180 locations. It's listed on NASDAQ with the symbol BBQ, which I think is actually pretty cool for a barbecue place. Dave Young: Before you get into the whole origin story, my big, big question is, did he come out of the gate calling it Famous Dave's? Stephen Semple: He did not. Dave Young: That would take some balls, wouldn't it? It's like, "Nah, I was Famous Dave's from the get-go." Stephen Semple: Slightly different than that and you're just going to have to wait. Dave Young: All right. I'm on the edge of my seat. Stephen Semple: But here's the thing that really caught my intention. Here they are, this little barbecue shack, six miles outside of Hayward, which is in the middle of nowhere, Wisconsin. He's not even near an interstate. It's almost three hours from Minneapolis. Dave Young: Can I point out that he's a thousand miles away from barbecue country? Stephen Semple: He's three hours from Minneapolis, four hours from Green Bay. And guess what? They were getting 6,000 customers a week. Dave Young: Holy cow. Stephen Semple: In a town of 2,800 people. Dave Young: This is called 'the destination.' Stephen Semple: Crazy, right? Dave Young: Yeah. Stephen Semple: And when I heard about this, I went, "Man, what did this guy do?" It was founded by Dave Anderson. And Dave came from a working class family. And hearing and researching Dave's story, I feel like there's four things that really led to his success: his family background, influence of an art teacher, meeting Zig Ziglar, and his involvement in Vegas. And this really all came together. So first was family background. His parents were Native Americans who grew up on reservations, and his parents were taken away from their family and put in Indian boarding schools in Canada.

Growing up in 1960's Chicago, Dave Anderson didn't eat much deep dish. Instead, his dad took the family to the South Side for barbecue, and those memories—and aromas—stayed with him.For years, Dave tinkered with his own recipes for sauces and sides while working as a salesman and business advisor to Native American tribes. Finally in 1994, he opened his first barbecue shack in the last place you might expect to find one: the little town of Hayward, Wisconsin.The chain grew quickly—too quickly—and Dave developed a love-hate relationship with the brand he'd created, but never lost his passion for smoked ribs and brisket. Today, Famous Dave's has over 100 restaurants across the U.S., making it one of the largest barbecue chains in the country.See Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Famous Dave Anderson joins Dane Neal to talk about his Chicago roots, BBQ, and his wild rice soup recipe. Dave also talks about the role of cranberries in a Thanksgiving meal and how he prefers using them.  For more information on all things food and fun for the holidays check out https://www.famousdaves.com/ 

Crafts and Cocktails with Alexis is tonight at Southern Lights! And our Project Down and Dirty theme will be revealed at 8; we don't have many clues this year. Six women have detailed sexual allegations against Fred Savage.

The restaurant acquisition market got suddenly hot on Tuesday. Wendy's added a new item to its breakfast menu for the first time. And First Watch may be recession proof.

It's a War of the Roses Marathon today! Enjoy a bunch of your favorite War of the Roses from back in the day - Present! War of the Roses: Caught Holding Hands at Famous Dave's, BRAND NEW War of the Roses, & More!

It's a War of the Roses Marathon today! Enjoy a bunch of your favorite War of the Roses from back in the day - Present! War of the Roses: Caught Holding Hands at Famous Dave's, BRAND NEW War of the Roses, & More!

From his very humble beginnings on the reservation selling fry bread & venison sandwiches to creating an international barbecue restaurant franchise and beyond!

This week on Givers, Doers, & Thinkers, Jeremy sits down with businessman and philanthropist Dean Riesen about his effort to deliver and access clean water in Tanzania and what the rest of us can learn from his work.Dean is the Managing Partner of Redrock Partners, a private equity investment firm. As part of the firm's work, he has served as the Chairman of Romano's Macaroni Grill, Chairman of Famous Dave's of America, and Managing Partner of Rimrock Partners, a commercial real estate investment and development firm. He founded and serves as Chairman of the Tanzania Water Fund, which has completed over 35 community-based water systems in the Singida Region of Tanzania. Does a localist approach translate to international giving? Dean shares his method for charitable sustainability through the Tanzania Water Fund—along with systems, people, and protocols to enact. He outlines what he calls the “human development pyramid” and why clean water is foundational to transformative impact for many developing communities rather than economic development or healthcare. Dean closes out by offering wisdom on starting new endeavors and charitable work, noting the importance of patience and persistence when things fail and measuring the desired output instead of input.During our practicalities segment, Jeremy speaks with American Philanthropic consultant Michela Petrosino. She shares her insights and unique approaches to cultivating genuine relationships with your donors that go beyond the typical run-of-a-mill suggestions.You can find Givers, Doers, & Thinkers here at Philanthropy Daily, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, Google Podcasts, Buzzsprout, and wherever you listen to podcasts.We'd love to hear your thoughts, ideas, questions, and recommendations for the podcast! You can shoot Katie Janus, GDT's producer, an email anytime!

Summer in Spring, hard on seeds, manufacturing shade, working from home, spoiled chickens, Louisa May is growing a mohawk, it's a vibe, 6 eggs a day, poppy seeds, geraniums, bring in over winter, whitefly, leaf eating worms, nature can be mean, that's a weird hack, Neem Oil, it's a process, indoor plant stakes, Lowe's, Home Depot, petunias, oooh big turkey vulture, tightly gardened beds, are you a weed or are you a flower?, impatiens, reverse google search, this is going to be fun to watch, morning glories, rescued azalea, hybridizing, we'll both say stupid stuff, don't get depressed, jade plant, mealy bugs, you can play doctor and nurse to your plants…and win, wilt, it's like ebola for plants, another shopping spree, willow, another owner, saving peony blossoms from heat, ground hog, Wilbur & Nigel, horizontal tree, people are very opinionated about apples, cherrasberry jam, bar fight, bee watering fountain, purple dead nettles, tea sommelier, celery, compost pile, you will find your way, tomatoes, walls of water, tomato hoop thingies, season extenders, Bella, personal investment, do it together if you can, eggrolls, tofu, Famous Dave's, pruning, George Washington incident, you never know what's in store for you, real estate.

What's So ‘Famous' About Famous Dave?     On this episode of All Business with Jeffrey Hayzlett, we're all in the presence of royalty – America's Rib King -- and if you like your BBQ, you've definitely heard about Dave Anderson. He's the founder of Famous Dave's a national chain of restaurants and host Jeffrey Hayzlett will be asking him what makes him so ‘famous.' Anderson also discusses where his passion for BBQ came from, how the name came about, and creating unique experiences. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Russia is threatening restaurant companies that closed locations in the country. The owner of Famous Dave's is making another acquisition or two. And why some people who quit their restaurant jobs wish they hadn't.

BBQ Holdings (BBQ) is set to change its name to "Famous Hospitality." The BBQ recent earnings report indicated $0.27 in EPS and $68.39M in revenue. The company franchises, owns, and operates casual and fast food dining restaurants. Notable brands include Famous Dave's, Village Inn, Granite City, and Bakers Square. Next, George Tsilis weighs in on Academy Sports & Outdoors (ASO) as it is set to join the S&P SmallCap 600 this month. The company is a sporting goods and outdoor recreational retailer.

Third-party delivery prices are soaring. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, so are gas prices. Burger King is riffing on its Whopper. And Famous Dave's is entering the drive-thru arena.

Episode 197 August 13, 2013 – David Marks from Wilbur's Revenge BBQ Team, owner of many Famous Dave's BBQ stores and the Chief Media Officer of Operation BBQ Relief...this was his first time on the show back in 2013...so if you aren't familiar with David or what his background is, this is a good segment for you to check out...he's also been on the show a few times since then to talk about OBR stuff...Make sure you are subscribed to the podcast feed to make sure you get the “Best Moments show” every Friday. Ready to make a “BEST OF” show all your own?? Email Jon Solberg and let him know what you would like to hear on a future episode! As always, thank you for listening! *Don't forget to RATE AND REVIEW THE SHOW ON YOU PODCAST APP* Want to hear more from this episode??? Click the link below to hear the full show Original Air Date: 8/13/2013 Original Full Show Link:  CLICK HERE This episode is brought to you by The butcher Shoppe…Home of the NEVER crossbred 100% Australian Wylarah 9+ Wagyu brisket, wagyu beef (American and Japanese), dry aged steaks, wild game and MUCH more!! Call to order today: (850) 458-8782 and ask for Kevin! Mention The BBQ Central Show for 10% off your entire order!!

Episode 197 August 13, 2013 – David Marks from Wilbur's Revenge BBQ Team, owner of many Famous Dave's BBQ stores and the Chief Media Officer of Operation BBQ Relief…this was his first time on the show back in 2013…so if you aren't familiar with…