Podcasts about hospitality-podcast

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I chat with the chief executive officer of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Charles Watson.  Watson, a veteran franchise professional, worked for several hospitality companies including Intercontinental Hotels Group and US Franchise Systems. We talk about his early introduction to the business as a boy, standing on a tub in his dad's restaurant doing dishes. Watson says, “I started at about nine standing on a bus tub in my dad's restaurant washing dishes. My dad described the dishwasher as the race car which was supposed to make it more attractive to me as a nine year old and I guess it.”  Tropical Smoothie Cafe is about who they are as a brand and it is about the people, Watson says when I ask about brand strategy. “It's about us as a corporate support center, it's even more importantly about our franchisees who deliver our products and services to guests every day and when we think about that and we think about our culture we start with two words, inspire better. It's our belief at Tropical Smoothie Cafe that what we do every day matters.” Watson talks about their thirteen year partnership with Camp Sunshine. It is a retreat in Maine that offers support for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families through stages of a child's illness. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has raised close to $8 million over the years. At a recent franchisee convention, the brand announced the new national charity partnership with No Kid Hungry. The nonprofit helps nearly 12 million kids in America who are living in hunger.  Watson says about the partnership, “And to think that we live in this country and we're blessed with so much and that there's still kids out there that are hungry every day, especially right now especially in the summer right? when school is out of session so through the partnership we really think Tropical Smoothie Cafe locations around the country will be able to really drive this partnership.” To hear about Tropical Smoothie Cafe's loyalty program and the brand's roll out for 2022 listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.

During a recession, there is a decline in consumer spending when the credit markets become harder and harder for consumers to utilize. This is a key trigger point we are watching very closely as the impact on the casual and fine dining sales will most likely be the first to be affected.Our Foodable Labs data shows that current trends for consumer traffic have been trending down for most sectors.Fine Dining down 3.9% Q1 vs Q2Casual Dining down 4.7% Q1 vs Q2Fast Casual down 1.4% Q1 vs Q2QSR up .053% Q1 vs Q2Recessions can be caused by a financial crisis, the bursting of a real estate or stock market bubble, or some black swan event that causes consumers to lose faith in the economy. Combine this with the current macroeconomics of global conflict, food supply shortages, and energy on the brink of supply problems in G20 nations, and you have the ingredients for a full-on recession.When GDP for the April through June period is released, it may be negative again, and by one common rule of thumb, two-quarters of negative GDP growth would mean the U.S. is already in a recession.That remains far from the case under the more formal standards economists use, particularly because hiring, perhaps the most important marker, remains very strong. A recent Reuters poll showed economists upping the likelihood of a downturn over the next year to 40%, but until workers start losing jobs, it is unlikely one has begun. The issue with the restaurant issue is we are already seeing the first signs of slowing job growth and reversal of job numbers for the first time in two years.So what are the things you can do to prepare? In this episode, we dive into a discussion with Ricky Richardson of Eggs Up Grill to talk about the tactics to help your restaurant business survive and thrive in these uncertain times.Discussion PointsManagement Preparation, how and what kind of team you should be building or grooming.Technology - prepare for more automation and more CRM integration.Menu Management - getting things right by maximizing and building new concepts - more with less.Marketing - more important than ever with market shares up for grabs and limited consumer spending on the rise.

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Hunter Evans, chef and owner of Elvie's in Jackson Mississippi. Elvie's which offers a modern take on classic French cuisine through Southern Culinary ingredients and traditions. The restaurant was named after Evans' grandmother who he spent time with in the kitchen growing up in New Orleans. Chef Evans a native of Jackson, Mississippi worked in kitchens run by acclaimed chef John Currence while getting his bachelor's degree in Hospitality Management at the University of Mississippi in Oxford. Evans continued his training at CIA, the Culinary Institute of America in New York. Chef staged at top restaurants in NYC, including Le Bernardin, Cafe Boulud and Daniel. After graduation, Hunter went on to work for Danny Meyer's Union Square Hospitality before returning to Mississippi to fulfill his dream of opening a restaurant in his hometown.I asked Evans about getting into culinary and he said his grandmother was the most influential and early exposure to food and great ingredients definitely came from her. He talks about his family always eating together and being around food, but said he didn't see cooking as a career possibility until his senior year. When Evans went to Culinary Institute of America he says, “I kind of saw my path and my goals pretty clearly early on which I feel like a lot of people don't so I feel very grateful that I figured out what I wanted to early on and that felt like the next step. I wasn't sure what to expect but you know I've told a lot of people and especially young cooks that are coming through the restaurant, I want to go to school, make sure you want to do it because it costs a lot of money. It's very time consuming. But ultimately you get out of it what you put into it.”To hear about challenges Evans faced and how he was able to help his community, plus get his recipe for Heirloom Tomato Vinaigrette, check out this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Stratis Morfogen, Book Author and Co-Founder of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, to discuss Dons, dumplings, and disruption.Frischling asks Morfogen about his background in the industry. Morfogen shares that although he has owned Chinese restaurants for the last 17 years he actually grew up in a typical Greek family. He talks about his family of restauranteurs running 14 different restaurants when he was a child, including the Chelsea Chop House which his father owned. The guys talk about Morfogen's concept for Brooklyn Chop House and his commitment to creating a menu that he says, “married Beijing Chinese food to an American steakhouse and I made both cultures true to each other.” He talks about innovating the restaurant's appetizer selection by reinventing and reimagining two subcategories: dumplings and sandwiches. He says, “Everything that was once a sandwich I converted it into a dumpling.” He adds, “When we opened in 2018, we doubled our projections, the restaurant just went gangbusters and everyone was ordering a bunch of dumplings.”The guys talk about Morfogen's new book and his unique pastime as a child. Morfogen shares that as early as age 6, he was hanging out with mobsters at the Fulton Fish Market. He talks about even declining trips to Disney with his siblings so that he could spend time with his dad a the infamous fish market which happened to be run by Alphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone of the Genovese crime family, or “uncle” as a young Morfogen would come to know him by. Morfogen talks about seeing the hustle and bustle of the scene and learning a lot there that he says, “they're just not gonna teach you in school.” He adds, “My father didn't hide it from me, you know, and I believe that was one of the greatest things he did for me because he really grew me up quickly and basically showed me the real world at a very early age.” Morfogen's experience includes running nightclubs, and 40 restaurants on his own, and becoming a published author. When asked about his new book, he says, “I got to tell you for the last twenty years people would say, “you got to write a book, you got to write a book” and this is what I did with Simon and Schuster, I wrote ‘Be a Disruptor.'”Morfogen talks about the recent MURTEC conference where he was a guest speaker. He tells the guys that one of the members of the audience addressed him with profanity and accused him of stealing jobs. Instead of shying away from the subject, Morfogen decided to use the platform to provide education and insights. He shares that the person was referring to automation. Morfogen explains that he didn't create automat for safety, it was created for economics and efficiencies because the number one reason a majority of restaurants go out of business is due to excessive payroll costs. He says, “If 7 out of 10 restaurants are failing because of 30 to 40% payroll and we have a method and it's proven now, it's not just hype, that you could bring this down to 14 to 18%, you got a chance of not just surviving but thriving.”To hear more from Morfogen about his new book, his thoughts on the rise of technology, and news on franchising the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Buck Jordan, Founder and CEO of Wavemaker Labs, to discuss his early fascination with automation, scaling brands through robotics, and why he thinks franchising is dead.Frischling asks Jordan to share a little about his background and Wavemaker Labs. Jordan talks about first being exposed to automation 20 years ago, when he was an armor officer going through tank training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. He vividly recalls seeing four, unmanned, armored, personnel carriers whizzing by at 40 miles per hour and how that moment planted a seed that would blossom into a career in automation, which ultimately led him to found Wavemaker Labs. He shares that the company's mission is to automate the supply chain of food, from seed to fork, with the outcome being higher quality food, with less cost to the masses. He explains that they take the highest consumption food categories in the United States and automate them. He says, “We believe that our business will end up kind of along two tracks, one, supplying the existing brands with automation solutions and helping them, you know, kind of modernize and reinvent themselves. And then two, we are also building a suite of digitally native brands that we'll be operating.”The guys talk about ways Wavemaker Labs is solving some of the biggest problems in the restaurant industry. Jordan tells the guys that he has always liked the idea of robots doing jobs that are too dangerous for humans to do or simply tasks that they don't want to do. As an example, many operators, clients, and friends complain about dishwashing. Jordan talks about not only automated dishwashing but also, fryers as well as other robotic kitchen assistants. Jordan shares that while he is excited to build his brand, it's also about, he says, “Really enabling existing brands to scale faster and better.”When Jordan is asked to elaborate on a quote that he made about franchising being dead, he talks about the logistics and challenges around the franchise model. Jordan says, “Well, let me just walk you through the logic, right? So in the '60s and '70s, every QSR went 99% franchising as fast as they possibly could. Why'd they do that? Because it costs anywhere from half a million to three million to build a restaurant. And then you gotta manage dozens and dozens of people on and off a shift, and so just offload that expense and that management headache to the franchisees. That's what the brands did.” He adds, “But the future, if the future really is 100% fully automated and if the future successful brands are going be digitally native brands, meaning that their menus have been designed to be a hundred percent automated, then do you really need franchising again?” He talks about how vending machines will be able to make and deliver Michelin-level, incredible food. Jordan asks, “Do you really need to have a franchisee do that? Especially when you're a big brand and you can finance the cost of that machine.” To hear Jordan share more about, automation, robotics, and his thoughts on the democratization of venture investing, tune into this episode of Hospitality Hangout on Spotify.This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I chat with Stacey Pool, chief marketing officer and Sue Petersen, executive vice president of Noodles & Company about the uncommon goodness that has been the core of the brand for more than twenty-five years. Pool shares her background prior to joining Noodles & Company and has held a variety of leadership roles at Vail Resorts, Inc., including senior vice president of season pass marketing, chief of staff to the ceo, and vice president of digital experience. Before joining Vail Resorts, Pool was at Nike, Inc., where she defined the vision and strategy for the NIKEiD.com digital experience. Petersen joined Noodles in 2015 as vice president of human resources, and in her expanded role as executive vice president of inclusion, diversity and people, she will continue to spearhead the Company's inclusion and diversity initiatives, as well as its total rewards, recruitment, and human resources functions. Her experience includes over twenty years of human resource and operational leadership roles at brands such as Chipotle, Walgreens and Rock Bottom Restaurants. We talk about Noodles team member benefits including immigration reimbursement, general manager equity partner program, mental health series and more. Petersen says, “we look at our benefit offerings and identify where there might be gaps and/or where we could maybe do something a little different than what's happening in the industry or around us and each year we can add to the standard benefits as far as health, dental, medical and look at what else we can be doing.  This year we're really excited, we introduced in the beginning of May some really cutting edge benefits.”Pool talks about the Noodles & Company rewards program and she says, “​​I think all of us are really passionate about our loyal members. They definitely are a key contributor to our success but the way that we think about the rewards program is how do we bring the most unique program to our guest so that it feels different, it feels special, and the guest feels very special being part of it.” Adding, “right now we have over four million members in that program and we continue to grow every single month.” To hear about the company's uncommon goodness positioning, more details on the team benefits, and menu innovation including LEANguini, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with John Davie, CEO and Owner of The Buyers Edge Platform, to discuss his mission to help local restaurants, the importance of clean data, and how he is leveraging tech to help the environment. Frischling asks Davie about his background. Davie shares that he has spent his entire career helping small, independent, local, mom-and-pop restaurants, get some of the same advantages as the larger chains. He talks about recognizing a need in the industry because smaller restaurants simply could not compete when it came to real estate, technology, software, and buying power. Davie, along with some insights from his father, decided to “even the playing field”, by developing a company, 25 years ago, that would give those businesses the same leverages and collective buying power as the big brands. Their concept evolved into Buyers Edge Platform, which is a digital procurement network, that leverages over $2 billion in collective food spend.The guys talk about the company's culture and how it helped them not only navigate the pandemic but rise to a new level together as a team. Davie talks about working with his own family at Buyers Edge Platform. His father, siblings, inlaws, and cousins, make up part of the team, but the family-oriented feel extends throughout the entire company and is a key to their culture. He shares that during the pandemic, both he and his father suspended their salaries and several employees voluntarily took temporary pay cuts to protect each other and the company as a whole. Davie shares that they were able to keep nearly the entire 700-person staff employed throughout that pandemic and collectively they spent that time building tools and software to make everything they did easier from a remote scenario. Davie shares how those efforts paid off. He says, “We added over 30,000 new restaurant locations in 2020.” He adds, “Then in 2021, last year, we came roaring back and we were 50% up over pre-Covid, but it was all due to our team really seizing the moment and sacrificing, voluntarily and then over-performing tremendously, to where now the company is just more than double up, versus pre-Covid.”When asked about the company's efforts regarding building incentives for restaurants to use, and switch to more sustainable solutions, Davie shares that it all goes back to data and analytics. He says, “The core thing that I learned early on with trying to bring restaurants together, is that you got to have clean, normalized data to be able to do any of the cool stuff with software and really help operators, manufacturers, and distributors.” He shares that as the company has grown they have been committed to giving back and doing great things for the environment. He shares that from an ESG perspective, they are able to leverage their massive amount of data to find products that are better for the environment. He acknowledges that while eco-friendly packaging tends to be more costly, Buyers Edge Platform offers rebates and assistance to help operators make the transition away from products like styrofoam. The goal is to find eco-products that hold the food temperature better and perform better for the operator. He says, “They will hopefully see the value in going into a little more expensive packaging, that ultimately gives them a better experience for their guests, especially in the takeout and delivery space.”To hear more from Davie about clean data, his predictions on BOH rapid technology adoption, and breaking news on the company's new partnership, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes! This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, I chat with Executive Chef Jair Solis Mendoza from The Restaurant at the Norton Museum of Art about his twenty years of experience, influences on his menu and mentoring the next generation of young cooks. Chef Mendoza born in Lima, Peru, was introduced to food early on by his family's pickling business and in the kitchen. As a young boy, Chef spent time over summer break making meals for the staff and began learning the restaurant business. Over his career, Mendoza has held positions at Troquet on South in Boston, NIOS at the Muse Hotel in New York City, Area 31 in Miami and The Breakers in West Palm Beach. Chef infuses a global approach to his culinary point of view. Chef talks about the importance of mentorship and about mentoring young cooks today. He says, “to me cooking is what keeps people together and you can learn from each other and you get to experiment.” Adding, “I try to pass that along to the new newbies too and for them to understand that if you don't make mistakes you will not learn. There's no such thing as a perfect recipe. You know you need to be able to judge less, try more.” Mendoza says focus is important in the kitchen, he says, “I guess it all depends on the individual, I treat every single one of my cooks as individuals and you know everyone deserves the opportunity to get better,” I asked Mendoza about industry challenges he has faced in day-to-day business, he says, “I guess the most obvious one is just staffing, to be able to find people that are willing to work and willing to do the type of work that we do. I mean after a pandemic, we've gotten a lot of people that just never been in the industry before.” To hear about special events at The Restaurant at the Norton Museum, how an exhibition can influence the menu and get the Norton's Quiche recipe, check out this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

Is the restaurant industry facing a major collapse under economic pressure? Why the mass exodus of significant CEO's within the last year, with Darden, Red Robin, Denny's, Brinker, and Starbucks all stating their CEOs were retiring after guiding their companies through the pandemic for over the past two years. Wingstop and Red Lobster's CEOs left for positions at other companies, adding to the turnover list.The previously recorded high of CEO departures was in 2019 – also the last time U.S. economists saw a potential recession on the horizon. Amid high inflation and rising recession concerns, company leadership may be preparing for difficult times after a few years of staggering change.Many companies not worried about layoffs may need to begin adjustments on compensation as inflation looms. In the past economic downturns of 2008, companies did not take inflation into consideration for compensation budgets since it was considered transitory. Now all of this may change with a new normal expectation of a 4-6% annual inflation base. The likelihood of Chair Power continuing a hard press on slowing inflation through Q4 2022 could place the country and the world in a new economic condition never seen before in the entire history of the restaurant business.We get a chance to chat with Patrick Renna the President of Burgerfi to reveal key pressures that brands are facing as they prepare to enter a very uncertain market. We dive in deep on strategy talking about technology, HR, menu management, and the future of growth plans.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Tom Gordon, President and CEO of Slim Chickens Restaurants, to discuss, launching a fast-casual chicken concept, robotics, and why technology is key to survival.Gordon talks about the early days of his career. He shares that after college, armed with a finance and real estate degree, he was on the stockbroker track, but he quickly learned that he loathed the path. He decided to leave the world of Wallstreet for the restaurant industry, where he started waiting on tables and bartending. Gordon tells the guys that in 2001, he and his business partner, Greg Smart, began conceptualizing Slim Chickens, a fast-casual chicken tender restaurant. He shares memories of developing recipes in Smart's garage, along with their friends, who provided feedback on everything from breading, sauces, and sides. Gordon says, “You know we really are still tracking with the majority of stuff we put together back then in the garage. From the garage, we found our first spot, and the rest is, you know, 19 years of history.” Gordon shares some growth metrics around Slim Chickens, which officially launched in 2003. He says the brand currently has 170 units, including 23 International locations, and has plans to scale to 600 units by 2026.Frischling asks Gordon about the company's early adoption of technology and why it is a key to survival. Gordon talks about recognizing the importance of technology early on and embracing it. He says, “We were early adopters of better POS systems, digital menu boards, and being able to change products and LTOs on a quick pace and a quick run.” He adds, “I think the most consequential investment we made, and the thing we did was, we invested in a really robust app and loyalty system about a year before Covid showed up.” He talks about technology being table stakes for the future and shares how tech helped the brand sell, maintain comps, and communicate with their guests through Covid. He admits that without the technology being implemented early on, Slim Chickens would have been in a much different position today. He adds “That embracing of technology, app-based ordering, online ordering, curbside delivery through the app and then all the ancillary parts and pieces, I mean made the year 2020 for us, and made sure 2021 stayed on track and here we are in 2022.”Schatzberg talks about tech and innovation and asks Gordon to share more about the reactions employees are having to the food-running robots popping up in some of the Slim Chickens locations. Gordon shares that some franchises are testing the food-running robots and that they have been very open to embracing this type of technology. He says that while it's been fun for everyone to see the new robots, there were concerns from some team members who worried about the robots making mistakes, such as delivering food to the wrong table. However, once they saw the robot in action, working successfully over and over again, they realized the usefulness of such technology. Gordon is quick to point out that while robots are helpful, they aren't currently a complete replacement for people. He says, “Hospitality is hospitality. You got to take care of the guests, you got to seat people, and look them in the eyes and make sure they're happy. But I think this is an adaptable technology with the right footprint in a restaurant.” He adds, “It's a useful piece of the puzzle.”To hear Gordon's thoughts on automation, robotics, and more from his chat with Schatzberg and Frischling, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The Fed Reserve Chair Jerome Powell testified in front of Congress this week. The update comes after the S&P 500's worst week since March 2020, including its fall into a bear market and the biggest Fed hike since 1994.With this new economic pressure, the restaurant industry continues to face rising menu prices and a double-digit slow down in retail restaurant traffic with consumers now dining out an average of 1.1 times less per week according to Foodable Labs.Tesla CEO Elon Musk, joins a growing chorus of Wall Street voices, including Roubini Macro Associates' Nouriel Roubini and several banks warning of tougher times ahead.“I think that a recession is inevitable at some point. As to whether there is a recession in the near term, I think that is more likely than not,” Musk told Bloomberg in an interview early Tuesday at the Qatar Economic Forum.Musk's comment lines up with an email he reportedly sent to company executives earlier this month, where he spoke of a “super bad feeling” about the global economy and said 10% of Tesla jobs needed to go, knocking shares of the company at the time.Could we see the first slowing of labor in the restaurant industry as a variety of white-collar jobs are now being hit with the hiring freeze and slowdown in many leading companies in the finance, retail, and automaker sectors?Goldman Sachs now sees a 30% chance of an economic slowdown over the next 12 months, from a previous 15% on worries the Fed will “feel compelled to respond forcefully” to high inflation. The restaurant sector could feel some of the deepest cuts as consumer spending could slow dramatically in the third and fourth quarters of this year.In this podcast, we talk with Larry Reinstein of LJR Hospitality and break down some of the key trends facing the industry and how operators can address a fast-changing economic landscape in the areas of management, labor, future technology and consumer habits.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Gary Goodman, CEO and Founder of Yumpingo, to discuss his early fascination with the industry, the necessity for customer feedback and the importance of creating a healthy company culture.Goodman and the guys chat about Goodman's background. Goodman shares that he was born in Manchester, England, where he would go to restaurants with his family as a child. He talks about how, even as a toddler, he had an absolute fascination with the industry and he recalls fond memories of seeing food on tables, looking into the kitchen and watching the food being cooked. He mentions that although he is qualified as a lawyer, he knew that wasn't the right path for him. He decided to go into marketing and then onto a career of building digital platforms, where he has spent the past 20 years connecting people with processes and data.When Schatzberg asks Goodman about his customer experience management platform, Yumpingo, Goodman says, “We deliver real-time guest insights at unique scale for restaurants across all service styles, and we're transforming how they're making key decisions in the business.” He shares that when it comes to the market, the Yumpingo app answers three questions better than anyone else. He explains how they do that as he breaks down the company's name. He says, “The ‘Yum' is related to how happy your guests are eating food, so we basically track happiness at a greater scale than anyone else. The ‘Pin' is to do with what's driving that happiness, so effectively the kind of why behind happiness, and the ‘Go', critically, and for as uniquely is, what you do about it.” He adds, “Our view is that feedback is really just opinions if you're not sure what to do about it.” Frischling talks about the incredible expansion of Yumpingo and congratulates Goodman on the company's growth, which now extends into twenty-two countries. The guys talk about the current labor market woes, the key to happy employees and why a healthy company culture is critical. Goodman talks about experiencing an incredible company culture when he worked abroad as an 18 year old, and why he has a mission to create a similar environment at his company. He says, “When you work in a restaurant environment, that is a family that you've just built out around you, right? To put that into a technology company is not easy, but for me and the team, it's all about a common purpose.” He adds, “We have a broad church of people that have come from either hospitality or just have a passion for the cause of helping people, the servers, connect better with the people that are eating their food.”To hear more from Goodman on customer experience, the importance of feedback, and how Covid forced change in the space, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I chat with Raji Sankar, co-founder of Wholesome International a multi-concept restaurant development company and co-chief executive officer of Choolaah Indian BBQ restaurants which is owned and operated by Wholesome International. I asked Sankar about her background prior to getting into the restaurant industry and she says, “I was what you could term a permanent student so I went to school for metallurgical engineering and then mechanical engineering masters, went to school for artificial intelligence and then finally got my MBA from Carnegie Mellon and in between I worked in tech and finance in big consulting. I think I was always searching for my true passion.” Sankar adds how she found herself in food and says, “I did two startups with my classmates at Carnegie Mellon while we were still in our MBA course and it was so much fun. It was focused on tech and once we wound that up I ended up in a technology company and that's where I met my current Co-ceo, we hit it off. That company got sold to a larger company and we decided to start something because it's one of those things when you find a great team it's such a powerful thing.”Sankar shared that in 2003 they wrote the business plan for a fast-casual Indian concept while looking at the trends around fast-casual and brands like Chipotle and Panera were emerging. She said that they saw that consumer behavior was leaning towards families who dined out needed speed and convenience. Consumers still wanted quality ingredients made fresh. Indian at the time was not mainstream and they decided to put that concept on hold.  Wholesome International in 2004 started to franchise Five Guys and Sankar talks about learning about the founders passion, values and staying true. She says they were blown away by the commitment from the brand. Sankar and I speak about automation and technology available in the industry. She talks about always looking for ways to make things easier on the team, using technology as an enabler for that and constantly innovating.When I ask about future plans for Choolaah, Sankar says, “so we want to bring that clean, healthy, good for you food across everywhere. We are in the process of opening number seven back in Cleveland. She adds,  like I mentioned to you, God willing we will have the opportunity to open across the eastern seaboard and then across all of the U.S.To hear more about being a people-centric company, the importance of growth & utilizing employee talents at the highest level, and a proactive approach to staffing, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Spotify.

Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill is planning to open a drive-thru service model for their casual dining business. Considered to be the first pure-play drive-thru in casual dining this could be the birth of something very exciting for the restaurant business.The drive-thru is being added to a restaurant in Bowling Green, Ky., and is expected to be up and running this summer. The big question is how will drive-thru impact pricing and speed of service for the chain and will they be able to compete with the rising stars of fast-casual and the stalwarts of QSR?Bigger questions about dining out will depend on the consumer. Credit card balances rose year over year, reaching $841 billion in the first three months of 2022, according to data released Tuesday from the Federal Reserve Bank of New York.“There's a good chance that Americans' total credit card balances will soon reach a new record high, marking a sharp reversal from the precipitous drop that occurred in 2020 and early 2021,” said Ted Rossman, a senior industry analyst at CreditCards.com.This will impact the restaurant business in a big way and survival may depend completely on strategies like casual dining drive-thru and new technology innovations that will position some brands to take a new market share position.Listen in on the full episode as we break down a variety of technology and consumer demand topics.Also, make sure to subscribe to our newsletter for the largest Podcast Network in foodservice.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, Authors of Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food, to discuss their new book, ghost kitchens and how to win at off-premise.Sandland talks about her background in the industry. She shares that she has spent over 10 years in the space, initially at Taco Bell, where she worked on brand turnaround, and then in real estate development. As she continued to scale the brand and opened locations in more expensive markets that had deliveries accounting for 40% of sales, she thought to herself, “It would be so awesome if there was just a commissary that we could deliver tacos out of.” Her forward thinking became a reality a few years later with the launch of ghost kitchens. Sandland connected with and joined the team at Kitchen United. She says, “They were making the thing, that I, as the customer, the Chief Development Officer of a big national chain, wished existed, and so I went and joined them.” She teases that this part of her story intersects with that of her co-author, Carl Orsbourn. Orsbourn, who held a senior level position at a major convenience retail leader, where he was accountable for $1.3 billion in sales of all in-store products, shares that during his experience in that role, he started to see a change in dynamics of food, and the way in which customers were becoming increasingly more demanding about convenience and better foods. He talks about his interest in getting involved in the start-up environment, which led to a mutual friend introducing him to Meredith Sandland. He shares that although he was new to the ghost kitchen concept when Sandland first mentioned it, but once he realized the opportunity in building out a customer success model and being able to scale it, he knew it was the right next step for his career.Schatzberg asks Sandland and Orsbourn to talk about what led to them writing their book, Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food. Orsbourn shares that between the two of them, they had been working and communicating with “pretty much every major restaurant chain in America”, and as they spoke to many independents, those conversations all had a similar thread, restaurants were having an immense challenge in trying to figure out how to win when it came to off-premise. Operators wanted to know, “How do we succeed in a ghost kitchen? What are some of the ways in which we need to be better, or what we do to succeed?” Sandland shares that they decided to buy a book to help navigate operators through those uncertainties, but after doing some research, no such book existed, so they decided to write one. Sandland recalls saying, “Let's write that book. Let's help the industry. Let's try and take all the various different players that are doing some really exciting things in this space, and tell their story.” They discuss the process of interviewing numerous players in the space, such as technology and restaurant leaders, to gain the insights and strategies to winning the off-premise game. They acknowledge that although some operators have shared their fears about this being “a very scary time to be in the restaurant industry.” Orsbourn says, “It's also one of the most optimistic and exciting times as well, and the future is bright and hopefully anyone that reads Delivering the Digital Restaurant will get that feeling.”Frischling says, “I think your book is not just for the industry, but it's also I think, for the consumer and our guests to understand what is going on in this transformation and how all these different generations are interacting with the food service and hospitality industry.” Sandland adds, “It has been really well received. We're very pleased about that.”To hear more from Sandland and Orsbourn about their book, their thoughts on the rise of curbside and what's next with ghost kitchens versus virtual kitchens, check out their full chat with Schatzberg and Frischling, in this episode of Hospitality Hangout on Spotify.

You can now pay for your burritos and tacos with Bitcoin and other digital currencies, which could open up an array of innovations around loyalty and decentralized payment. Flexa has announced that the Mexican fast-casual chain can now accept digital payments through its platform. The option is available at all Chipotle locations in the US, and you can use the option on the Flexa-enabled wallet app, such as Gemini and SPEDN. Just launch up your app, choose Chipotle and show your phone to the cashier.The big question will be the direction of digital payments in the future could we see a leapfrog over the existing platforms like Venmo, Zelle, and others with a new feature for merchant services, data, and more? Its possible that an innovation wave could be brewing in the retail sector and likely that Chipotle has some very secretive plans for the future of blockchain payments.In my book the Chipotle Effect - the concept was the birth of the digital consumer and what that could lead to with brands like Chipotle, I think we have an answer now - and the digital pioneer for the industry, once again appears to be Chipotle. Others will follow fast, and there will be a mass adoption period just like social media in 2007-2010 - but the killer app is still early to identify, rest assured it's coming very fast!

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating Officer at Capriotti's and Wing Zone, to discuss his passion for the industry, strategies for scaling brands and the adoption of technology.Bloom and the guys chat about Bloom's background in the industry. He talks about his humble beginnings growing up in New York and how restaurant life is a family affair. Bloom shares that he worked in the back of the house growing up, and that he has a brother who is an Executive Chef and a sister who is a Pastry Chef. Bloom reflects on realizing the tremendous opportunity he saw within the restaurant field, not only for himself, but for anyone wanting a chance to achieve their goals in the industry. He says encouragingly, “First and foremost is, one of the things I love about the restaurant industry is, you know, just talent and hard work go a really long way; if you stick with it, learn from the best and go wherever the opportunity is.”Schatzberg asks Bloom about his extensive experience working with and scaling major brands, and why he decided to join Capriotti's. Bloom talks about the significance of working with people he admires, which drew him to Capriotti's, and how much he enjoys working with an incredible team while creating success together. Bloom talks about his passion for scaling brands and shares some insights into the growth of Capriotti's, and the acquired brand, Wing Zone. Both brands are experiencing considerable growth domestically and internationally, and when considering current development, Wing Zone will be reaching 170 units while Capriotti's will be hitting an impressive 500.Frischling talks about Bloom's company being one of the most tech-forward operators in the space. Frischling says, “You have this incredible, and I'd say enviable philosophy to try out major tech, so by the time it becomes mainstream you're already ahead of the curve.” He asks Bloom to share more about the brand's adoption of technology. Bloom shares that it comes from their investors and board members in terms of a mandate for the brand and what they feel is a differentiator for them, because they own and operate their own stores as well. He adds that having a platform in which they are able to try technology, “on our own dime and figure it out and take the risks”, is not a luxury everyone has, but it's a critical investment that sets his company apart. He says, “I've had the opportunity to work with some, what I would call technology-enabled companies, and they grew at a rate that others just couldn't, both here and abroad, so we feel like it's sort of table stakes anymore.”To hear more from Bloom on the adoption of technology, including his thoughts on drone deliveries, and the relationship dynamic between employees and robotics, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Today I breakdown three tech categories that could be leaders in the future recovery of the restaurant industry. The key will be consumer adoption, UX, and the storytelling that many restaurants will need to implement to shift into a next-gen technology future.Faster Mobile PaymentsSquare, for instance, launched new handheld devices for servers that are designed to speed table turns. And Toast unveiled upgrades to its QR-code-based ordering and payment system, including a new feature that allows both the server and guests to add items to a running tab.The tools are not necessarily new, but they're being increasingly framed as labor savers because they eliminate the need for a server to run back and forth to put in an order or grab the bill.Delivery TechnologyNext-gen tech will begin to break out the delivery segment and potentially drive costs up in the beginning with higher margins in the future. Expect more logistics, order ahead, staging technology, and self-delivery technology. The key will be mobile UX integration to improve the customer experience to increase loyalty.Casual Dining Enters Premium Drive ThruTrends are heating up in Casual-dining drive-thrus. They've started to appear in various forms, from a full-service drive-thru at Smokey Bones to simple drive-up pickup windows at some Applebee's. Many analysts are leaning in that we will see more chains moving in this direction. Expect some premium aspects presented by casual brands to compete - the bigger question will be the aspect of if premium drive-thru is a good timing based on the economic conditions.Make sure to subscribe to our newsletter to get all the latest podcast updates from the Foodable Podcast Network!

Even with rampant inflation and rapidly accelerating interest rates, household borrowing climbed to start 2022 and hit a new record, the Federal Reserve reported Tuesday.Consumer debt and credit rose 1.7% in the first quarter to $15.84 trillion. The rise in total household credit was propelled largely by a $250 billion increase in mortgage debt, which now stands at $11.18 trillion, an increase of 10% from the first quarter in 2021.Consumers are returning to their previous habits with the balance between goods and services (Restaurants and dining out) spending back to where it stood in May 2020, according to data adjusted for inflation from Flexport, a freight forwarder. A separate metric cited by Goldman Sachs shows goods consumption about 5 percent higher from before the pandemic.Follow the Amazon TrendsInvestment firms noted that macro indicators appear to be deteriorating at a faster pace in a significant development for Amazon (AMZN)."The resulting negative sentiment across both consumers and businesses is likely to result in more cautious spending patterns, with headwinds worsening as the economic slowdown deepens. For consumers, that means less discretionary spend on pricier physical goods and more price sensitivity to service items like dining out."Will China boost spending with a Digital Yuan airdrop?The airdrop is a joint effort between the city of Shenzhen and Meituan Dianping, China's leading food delivery app. As per instructions, users would need to first log in to the Meituan app, sign up for the incentive, and then potentially receive the e-CNY rewards as part of a lottery draw.If chosen, the e-CNY is then dispensed to users and can be spent at more than 15,000 in-app merchant terminals that accept the state-owned digital currency. Previously, the People's Bank of China had identified the e-CNY as a potential tool for advancing regional economies and improving the efficiency of select financial services. Meanwhile, sources at Meituan say that the e-CNY plays a vital role in boosting spending and revitalizing local businesses. Shenzhen is also currently one of three cities in China where residents can pay municipal taxes and charges with the e-CNY.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” chat with Daniel Meth, chief executive officer at Ingest and take a deep dive into restaurant data. Meth talks about his education saying, “I wanted to be a doctor and so I went to college a little bit later in life double majored in molecular biology biochemistry and cell biology neuroscience. Not because I was so smart but I found out that if you double major in science. It's typically a conversation stopper.” Meth shares that he started tutoring and eventually growing an academic services business. Frischling asks Meth if he could share how he has seen the shift in operators who now understand the numbers are the data. Meth says, “Getting people to understand that data isn't this you know, what's historically been this esoteric concept right? It's all of these things that they've already been paying attention to, just better contextualized so it can paint a more complete picture of what's going on in their business.” Adding, “We need to put this incredibly complex information into a more relevant, easily digestible format and language for the operators so they can better understand it. Meth says what they are trying to do is improve the viability, sustainability and profitability of the business.  Ingest helps operators look at the data from all areas including point of sale system, reservation management system, cogs data coming out of purchasing tools, guest sentiment, marketing and loyalty. Meth says that Ingest asks three questions, what happened, why did it happen, and what would happen if. He says, Ingest fully contextualizes the entire data story. Meth talks about what's next for Ingest, he says they are focused on growing the team on all fronts, they are actively growing Ingest's footprint in fast-casual and QSR space, and working towards telling better stories with data. To hear how Covid has accelerated the Ingest road map, and how Ingest can use the data to forecast for operators check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Executive Chef Jeremy Shelton of Verde, located at the Pérez Art Museum Miami, to discuss his early passion for comfort food, menu innovation, and a new recipe that is a fresh take on an old classic.When Pepe asks Shelton why he decided to cook for a living, he shares that cooking is important to him and it's something that he has always wanted to do. He talks about spending a lot of time as a child in the kitchen, watching the great cooks in his family preparing dishes and enjoying meals together. He says, “I think food has always been something that's been a value to me, that kind of helps to bring people together and I think that's incredibly important and it's just something that I was always drawn to.”Shelton talks about his Southern roots and growing up in Florida. He shares fond memories of comfort foods like Grandpa's pancakes on Sunday mornings, and a favorite stew, pinto beans and Ham Hocks served with butter and horseradish. He says, “For some reason it's like one of the most comforting things in the world to me. He adds that he still makes the dish from time to time, although not as often as he'd like to.Pepe and Shelton chat about his culinary training and experience. Shelton reveals that he actually started in the industry at 16 years old as a dishwasher and slowly worked his way up to line cook. After turning 18 and completing high school, Shelton tells Pepe that he moved to Miami and attended Johnson & Wales. He talks about the years following culinary school being filled with a wide range of opportunities, and working at several prominent restaurants in the Miami area. He talks about a short stint in DC, which he recalls was, “a nice chance of pace”, before returning to Florida, initially to Palm Beach, where he helped run several high volume operations and partnered in a fast casual concept before landing back in Miami, joining the Constellation Culinary team and running Verde at the Pérez Art Museum Miami.When asked about the menu offerings at Verde, Shelton talks about using seasonal ingredients and working with local farmers and distributors whenever possible. He shares that the restaurant recently decided to do what he calls, “a major overhaul of the menu”, by changing about 75% of the dishes. He says that while the new menu “took a more Mediterranean approach”, he is also quick to point out that the menu features treasured dishes from the previous menus as well. He says, “There are certain things that are on our menu that will never change based on, you know, the history of the restaurant and its relationship with the museum.” He adds, “There's certain things that are ‘the untouchables' so to speak. But those are all very, very good dishes. So, it's not really something that needs to change.”To hear Shelton talk about the importance of being able to pivot, solving labor shortages, and the positive change happening due to Covid, check out the episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at iTunes Now!

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road and live at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, where they chat with Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart, about the show, the benefits of multi-unit franchises, and the importance of landscape when considering new brands. Fransmart CEO, Dan Rowe and the guys chat about how Rowe got started in the industry. He talks about deciding as a teenager that he wasn't going to go the traditional route and attend college to find his career path. He says that he wanted to figure out how to become successful, and while at a motivational seminar, he was faced with the question, “What do you want to do with your life?” His answer was, “I want to get wealthy helping people get wealthy.” He shares that his goal for attaining riches was not to be at the expense of others, and that's something that drew him to the franchise space. He says, “What I like about franchising is that basically the model is that, you know the franchisors only make money if the franchisees are making money, franchisees are only making money if they've got a good team and their people are making money.” He adds, “Honestly, I find a lot of joy in this space. It's the kind of job that even if I wasn't getting paid, this is exactly what I'd be doing.”Rowe, who was also a successful multi-unit franchisee, shares his insights on why it's better to invest in multi-unit franchises rather than just buying a single unit. He talks about the Fransmart formula for success, that includes finding the right emerging franchise opportunities, which are less expensive to build and are more likely to be able to leverage conversions. He says, “It's the ultimate wealth builder to me, when you get into a brand when they're young, they're just less expensive to build, you get your money back fast and then you roll that into another store, and at some point those self-fund multiple locations, making millions of dollars.” He adds, “You've got an asset now that you can sell for a life changing amount of money. Frischling provides some data, sharing that Fransmart has sold over 5,000 franchises worldwide.Schatzberg talks about the company's current restaurant portfolio which includes, The Halal Guys, Brooklyn Dumpling Shop and Savannah Seafood Shack. He asks Rowe what Fransmart looks for when considering an emerging brand. Rowe shares that it involves a lot of unit economics, because high volume indicates that customers like the restaurant. He says, “High volume tells you customers like the concept, you know customers vote with their wallets. So if they've got really, really good sales, that's a good indication.” Rowe talks about the importance of landscape and the tremendous success of The Halal Guys, largely due to the huge opportunity he saw there. He shares that while opening more that 50 American brands in the Middle East, he found himself falling in love with the local Mediterranean street food, and he realized that no big brand in America was offering this concept. He says, “It dawned on me. You've got a billion and a half Muslims, Middle Eastern food, Mediterranean food is amazing and I just saw there's a huge opportunity if somebody gets this right, you're going to have a monster on your hand, and that's exactly what we did.” He adds that the chain is already at 100 units and on its way to 500.To hear more from Rowe's chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Shares of Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. CMG, -5.23% shed 5.23% to $1,252.89 Wednesday. Chipotle Mexican Grill Inc. closed $705.66 short of its 52-week high ($1,958.55), which the company achieved on September 23rd.The stock underperformed when compared to some of its competitors Wednesday, as McDonald's Corp. MCD, -4.38% fell 4.38% to $231.05, Yum! Brands Inc. YUM, -2.68% fell 2.68% to $109.46, and Domino's Pizza Inc. DPZ, -2.51% fell 2.51% to $328.02. Trading volume (306,196) eclipsed its 50-day average volume of 267,893.Chipotle Hiring IssuesA recent report, titled “Unequal Opportunity: Uncovering Discrimination in Hiring at Chipotle Mexican Grill” reached disturbing conclusions, according to experts. Specifically, of the applications submitted in 37 states over a three-week period in February, white applicants heard back from recruiters about “significantly” more jobs than Black applicants, the report found.Pricing Starting to Affect SentimentFinance chief Jack Hartung said the chain has raised prices by about 10% for the 12 months through Q1 compared to 2% in a typical year all at the same time Chipotle continues to see falling consumer satisfaction. Foodable Labs reported the third quarter in a row with falling brand sentiment specifically related to order accuracy and the lack of food quality. Current Q2 has the brand's overall sentiment rating at 76.98 the lowest in the history of the brand.Overall SentimentFood Quality 75.91 (Down YOY)Food Value 73.71 (Down YOY)Food Accuracy 72.06 (Down YOY)Source - Foodable LabsHartung isn't certain that the current leveling off signals a full reprieve. “I'd love it to be that inflation continues to pause and that our ingredient costs are stable here on out and I'd love to be able to say six months from now that we've not increased our prices,” Hartung said. “But we'll see. It all just depends on the inflationary environment.”

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Bryan Solar, Restaurants GM at Square, to discuss his unique journey into the industry, the rebranding of Square, and the importance of POS innovations.When asked about his start in the industry, Solar talks about his background and coming from a family of restaurateurs. He tells the guys about his journey to working at a strategy consulting firm that helped really big companies turn around in the recession. He shares that during that time frame, he learned that his aunt's restaurant was struggling. He says, “One day my aunt called me and she said “hey you know the family restaurant is struggling,” and I thought to myself, if we can do this for really big companies, why can't we do it for restaurants?” Solar decided to start a nonprofit to help restaurants turn their businesses around. He adds, “Working with those restaurant owners, I mean it felt like working with family.”  Solar shares that he decided to attend business school and started a new business with the goal of helping restaurants. Google soon took notice and partnered with Solar, which led to the development of Reserve with Google. Other companies were also starting to take notice of Solar's work as well. He talks about receiving a call from Square, a company that he deeply admired, and being offered a job with them. He says, “They said, “hey do you want this job” and I was like, you know I would absolutely love that job because in my mind you know the point of sale is the future.” He adds, “For me, this is the dream job, I get to help all the folks that you know, look like my aunts, uncles and cousins.”Frischling asks Solar why Square recently decided to change their name to Block. Solar shares that the name change was derived from several different components. He shares that the name Square became synonymous with walking into a store and interacting with a payment system. The change to Block acknowledges the company's growth, considering new things like bitcoin, and the company adding Cash App and TIDAL, the name change creates room for further growth. Solar adds, “Having the name Block kind of captures the 3-dimensional aspect of like what Square is trying to do.”The guys chat about the relevance of POS. Solar, who recently spoke on a panel to discuss POS being its own ecosystem, talks about the importance of building really important technologies and the need to constantly make updates on a weekly or sometimes even daily basis. He says, “I actually think the kitchen is the heart of the restaurant. I mean everything flows in and out of the kitchen, that's how the business runs. The POS is the brain. It is the thing that directs everything, makes it better, faster.”To hear Solar's thoughts on labor costs, the future of technology, and more from his chat with Schatzberg and Frischling, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes! This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Woworks acquired Barberitos Southwestern Grille and Cantina, a 54-unit fast casual chain, and Zoup Eatery, a 68-unit fast casual chain, in a press release this past Thursday. Zoup will continue to be run separately by Eric Ersher, founder and previous CEO of Zoup Systems. With these acquisitions, Woworks will own six brands and over 400 restaurant locations.Since its birth in 2020, Woworks, the parent company of Saladworks, has focused on adding healthy fast casual brands to its portfolio. The company acquired Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh and Frutta Bowls in 2020 and The Simple Greek last year. Woworks has also targeted expansion, adding 60 restaurant units last year and signing 28 new franchise agreements, which represented 112 new units.The company may be buying these chains in consumer distress - with a consistent downtrend in consumer sentiment in all but one of the transactions. Garbanzo, Frutta and Simple Greek were in dire consumer downtrends at the date of the sale. Zoup however has been a solid performer on overall sentiment and Barberitos was also a falling knife of consumer dissatisfaction according to Foodable Labs sentiment data.Barberitos and Zoup could also grow using Woworks' network of nontraditional locations, including ghost kitchens through partnerships with Ghost Kitchens and Combo Kitchens, as well as grocery stores, airports, colleges, and universities.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, Pepe chats with Lori Cominsky, Vice President at Mongolian Concepts, about driving growth strategy, labor shortages and menu innovation. When asked about her 20 plus years of experience in restaurant operations, Cominsky shares that she began working in the industry at KFC when she was a teenager. She talks about landing her first restaurant management job right out of college and how she learned a great deal about systems, new restaurant openings and how a company grows. She shares that the company grew from 15 units to 200 during her 9 years with them. Cominsky talks about growing a Chicago based Mediterranean fast casual brand and opening several locations under her leadership. She shares that she went on to serve as Vice President of Operations at a healthy quick service restaurant before taking on the role of Vice President at Mongolian Concepts.Cominsky talks about why she decided to join the Mongolian Concepts team. She shares that Mongolian Concepts is the parent company of three casual dining, stir-fry brands and how she welcomed the strong challenge of taking three unique brands, making them successful, aligning them with their systems and training, while allowing each of them to have their own culture and identity. She adds, “I also firmly believe that Mongolian Concepts has the ability to grow exponentially and become the best stir-fry concept in their respective markets.”Pepe and Cominsky discuss the importance of improving communication, labor shortages, and recruiting new talent. Cominsky shares that she had a 30-60-90 day plan laid out when she joined the company, and that her number one goal was improving communication across the board, which resulted in improved trust and bond within the team. She talks about the company's two-pronged, digital and hands-on training technique for new hires to make certain that they feel empowered and supported. When it comes to recruiting new talent, Cominsky shares that the brand takes a multifaceted checks and balances approach to ensure that teammates want to stick around. She adds, "It's something that we talk about every day. We talk about how we can become better staffed and what we can do better to keep our team and to get the best people and to make sure that they're happy.”Pepe asks Cominsky what we can expect to see from Mongolian Concepts in the coming months. Cominsky is excited to share that in addition to remodeling some of their existing units, they recently opened a new Genghis Grill location. She talks about the pride the team felt regarding the roll out of a new menu at the brand's concept, bd's Mongolian Grill, which will feature chef-curated dishes as well as some signature cocktails. Cominsky mentions the importance of menu innovation and shares that the company's concept, Flattop Grill, is introducing new dishes including Ramen and Poke bowls. She says, “Innovation with this menu allows for significant growth in dining room sales. So, we're planning to drive our business there and also to drive off-premise and third-party sales to a bigger percentage of our overall sales.”To hear more from Cominsky about the brand's new menu items, third-party delivery relationships, and the company's ghost kitchen concept, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts. Produced by Lisa Pepe

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” were on the road and live at Food On Demand in Las Vegas, where they chat with Laura Michaels, Editor in Chief at Franchise Times, Alyssa Abraham, Digital Innovation Manager at Cargill, April Rogers, Director of Off-Premise and Guest Relations at Ruby Tuesday, and Maia Tekle, Co-Founder of Dispatch Goods about the conference, strategies for increasing off-premises efficiency and the tremendous growth within the virtual brand space.Franchise Times Editor in Chief, Laura Michaels stops by to discuss being a moderator on several panels at the conference. She shares that the big topic driving a lot of conversations is how operators are navigating their approach to improving accessibility for customers, whether that means through delivery, adjustments to their physical store footprints with pickup windows, introducing AI technology within drive-thru service, and geofencing so restaurants can better anticipate guest arrivals to create a better customer experience. She says, “There are an entirely different set of considerations for what sort of interactions consumers want to have with their restaurants right now.”Abraham stops by to talk about the exciting innovations happening at Cargill and attending Food On Demand live for the first time, where she was able to hear directly from operators and see first-hand interactions with the different start-ups. She shares that her two key takeaways from the conference panel discussions are focus and problem-solving. She talks about the importance of operators using technology to solve both problems and enhance user experience. She says, “What I'm hearing more about is focus and problem first. It's hearing them really refreshing and thinking, ‘Hey, we're not just gonna push technology to push technology, let's again figure out what we're doing to make the guest experience better, make the employee experience better and drive that forward.' ”Ruby Tuesday Director of Off-Premise and Guest Relations, April Rogers stops by to chat with the guys about launching new virtual brands, ghost kitchens, and embracing the latest technology and innovation. Schatzberg asks Rogers which innovations she's most excited about. She says, “For me, it's the virtual brands, I love the impact they're having on restaurants, especially restaurants with some additional kitchen capacity. And just the fact that everybody's kind of going out and doing some different things and really thinking outside the box. It's very new, very fresh.”Dispatch Goods Co-Founder, Maia Tekle, and the guys chat about her panel, “Packaging Up A Better Experience”, focusing on transporting food from the in-dining experience to the at-home consumer. She says, “I've been amazed to see how much innovation and thought is going into packaging, as well as the thoughtfulness for their own circulatory.” They talk about reusable packaging, and what is new at Dispatch Goods. “Our east-coast partners are bringing this drive for change.” She says, “If there is a better and newer system, we want it, and we want it now.”To hear more from all of the guests that stopped by to chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at Food On Demand in Las Vegas, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe chats with Chef Kaytlin Dangaran about her unique path to becoming a Chef, her passion for Italian food and her commitment to using the freshest, local ingredients. When asked about her passion for cooking, Dangaran says, “I can't remember a time that I didn't want to cook.” She shares that even when she was very young she loved cooking and actually had the goal of attending culinary school following high school but instead she decided to follow her parent's advice to attend college where she studied cultural anthropology. She shares that her studies led to her becoming even more passionate about food. She says, “That kind of reinforced my love of food, of how different cultures eat and how food is the central thing that brings people together.” Dangaran talks about her time working with a nonprofit in South America, and shares that she continuously felt another calling, the drive to cook, which led to her moving to New York, enrolling into culinary school and finding a mentor. She says, “I went to the French Culinary Institute in New York, and I found this wonderful Chef who taught me everything there was to know about Italian food which is my passion for sure.”Pepe asks Dangaran how she ended up at Bistro in Sarasota, Florida, and Dangaran shares that after her time in New York she wanted to see different things, and considering she had always been on the East Coast, she decided to check out the West Coast and ended up in San Francisco. She talks about working at a few high end venues and finding an appreciation for fresh produce during her time there. She talks about missing New York and returning there for a short time before moving back home to Florida where she worked at Pérez Art Museum until joining the team at Bistro.Dangaran talks about her experience working predominantly in Italian restaurants, her love for cooking and the importance of using fresh ingredients. She says, “That's what I love about Italian cooking is the honesty of the ingredients.” She adds, “I didn't realize that as much until I moved to San Francisco and I found that love for produce and ingredients and how important those things are in a dish.”When asked about her culinary point of view, Dangaran shares that her focus is on staying hyper local and hyper seasonal. “In Sarasota, specifically at Bistro, I've probably had the most local ingredients that I've ever had at any of my restaurants.” She talks about sourcing ingredients like milk and honey locally and the excitement she feels when getting to use new ingredients as the produce changes seasonally. She adds, “I want to make beautiful dishes but I want the ingredients to be in season because nothing's better than when you're in season.”To hear Dangaran talk more about seasonal ingredients, offering cooking classes and the importance of mentorship, check out this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!

Today I breakdown Reef Kitchens as they seek an ownership stake in 800 Degrees Go, a joint venture between restaurant chain 800 Degrees and robotics company Piestro, 800 Degrees Go announced Thursday. Reef will also open 500 800 Degrees Go locations through 2027, and Kenneth Rourke, Reef's EVP of kitchens and brands, has joined 800 Degrees Go's board.800 Degrees Go currently operates out of 40 Reef locations in 13 markets and expect to open 100 more units this year, according to the press release. Reef initially announced a deal with 800 Degrees eight months ago to operate 500 mobile units by 2026. These plans and Reef's current deal with 800 Degrees Go are one and the same, 800 Degrees CEO Tommy Lee wrote in an email to Restaurant Dive.This past Thursday the House of Representatives passed The Relief for Restaurants and Other Hard Hit Small Businesses Act of 2022 (H.R. 3807), which would add $42 billion into The Restaurant Revitalization Fund. The bill, which will soon face the Senate, would also allocate $13 billion for other businesses with less than 200 employees that were hurt by the pandemic environment.If H.R. 3807 passes the Senate, the 177,000 restaurants that were approved for RRF grants but did not receive funding before the portal closed are already in a queue to receive grants, legislators said on a media call hosted by the Independent Restaurant Coalition on Thursday afternoon. About 20% of the industry will be eligible and will be asked by the SBA to sign a form confirming their businesses are either open or will reopen in the next sixth months. No additional application requirements will be necessary.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Tony Smith, CEO and Co-Founder of Restaurant365, to discuss rising food costs, labor shortages and how his company is using technology to combat both of those challenges within the industry.Smith co-founded Restaurant365 over ten years ago and works with over thirty thousand businesses. The restaurant management software developed by Restaurant365 allows operators to experience the only cloud-based, all-in-one restaurant accounting, payroll and HR, inventory, scheduling and reporting software that can also seamlessly integrate to their POS, vendors, and banking partners.When asked about launching Restaurant365, and how he got his start in software development, Smith shares that he never had any intention of going into the field and that he actually didn't even have a computer in his home growing up. Smith also shares that he was rather intimidated by them. He talks about his time at college and deciding that he should probably become familiar with computers, as he assumed he might be working with them at some point in his career, this led to him studying both business management and information systems. He says, “My first job out of college was working in software and I was doing that with a couple of other guys, John Moody and Morgan Harris, and the 3 of us were the ones that eventually decided to start Restaurant365 together.”The guys chat about the importance of operators embracing technology but how that can lead to tech fatigue. Smith shares that from day one, the goal at Restaurant365 was to make connecting restaurants with the best technology as simple as possible. He says, “We really wanted to solve that for restaurants. We looked at this huge industry, and there were so many tools, it was crazy for a restaurateur to be buying 10 tools to run their business because they're not tech people, so they didn't really understand how to connect them together. And so that was really the goal for us, was to make this simple and make data immediately accessible, and so in order to do that, you need all your data in one place.”Frischling asks Smith about upcoming industry conferences and which subjects he thinks will be the hot topics. Smith shares that unfortunately the issues of food costs and labor shortages continue to drive conversations. He shares that while he's seen restaurant sales up 10%, he has also noticed food costs up 12% and labor up by 10%.Smith shares some insights on how Restaurant365 can provide some relief for such challenges with the company's software forecasting feature. He says, “You've got to be able to forecast what you're going to be doing in your restaurant in the coming days, weeks, by daypart.” He adds. “You want to know those things and the better the forecast, the more accurately you can shoot for your employee schedule as well as the menu items you're going to be selling. When you get down to honing in on those order quantities, getting suggested quantities because you're forecasted, you're gonna keep that food cost low, you're gonna have less waste and the same thing on the labor side, and those are things that we help restaurants squarely within our tool.”To hear Smith's thoughts on the company's culture, his predictions on future technology, and more from his chat with Schatzberg and Frischling, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, Pepe chats with Craig Erlich, President and CEO of Friendly's Restaurants, about Friendly's Cafe, labor shortages, and technology.Erlich talks about his background in the industry. He shares that he got his start in the restaurant business as a teenager and worked his way up through a variety of positions. He says, “I actually started my career in the restaurant business as an early teen and worked probably in every position, dishwasher, prep cook, line cook, cook, barback, waiter, manager.” He talks about leaving the industry and going into retail leadership for 25 years, before returning to his restaurant roots, and joining the team at Friendly's Restaurants.Pepe and Erlich chat about how dining habits have changed over the past two and a half years, particularly due to Covid. Erlich shares that it created a strong push towards off-premise dining and third party delivery models. He says, “When covid hit you know, many, many restaurants, the ones that survived, were the ones that embraced the off-premise third party business.  And, I think you know when you look at how restaurants are performing today, that fast casual balance of convenience, and also can enjoy your favorite restaurant anywhere, anyhow, is really popular.”Erlich drops the exciting news that Friendly's is launching a new fast casual concept called Friendly's Cafe. He shares that the new concept will have a more modern design than the traditional Friendly's Restaurants. He talks about the menu innovations, and shares that the new dishes were created through a collaboration with customers, employees and franchisees. Erlich tells Pepe a few of the new menu offerings while also ensuring her that the brand is committed to keeping fan favorites as well. When Pepe asks Erlich about supply chain issues and labor shortages, he talks about how those challenges shape how they are continuing to run and open  restaurants. Erlich shares that they also lean into technology to drive efficiencies and with third party delivery, but he is quick to add that the one thing technology won't replace is the Friendly's family. He says, “So I will tell you that tech is never going to be a substitute for human interaction, at least not in Friendly's.”To hear more from Erlich about the restaurant's new concept, his thoughts on ghost kitchens, and what the company has planned for virtual brands, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.Produced by Lisa Pepe

Shares of the California-based chain crashed over 5% in the afternoon trading session, more than doubling the decline of the S&P 500 Restaurants index.The decline could certainly be correlated with the anticipated earnings release, which is leaning in to some uncertainty as inflation impacts on margins have promoted price increases across products. According to Keybanc, prices have increased by 5-6% in a survey of over 1,500 locations. The bank noted that prices are now 3.3% higher for Steak/Barbacoa, 3.1% higher for Carnitas, and 2.4% higher for Chicken/Sofritas/Veggie entrees. These price hikes add to a spike in avocado prices to the highest level seen in nearly 25 years.Wedbush still shows as a buy"While CMG is not immune to incremental food cost inflation, we believe it remains relatively well-positioned to offset the incremental inflation with price increases remains relatively well-positioned to offset the incremental inflation with price increases," said a Wedbush note to investors.In comparison to other chains our own Foodable Labs data has been tracking overall sentiment for the past eight years and Chipotle has taken a bit of a hit this past quarter.Chipotle Overall SentimentThis time last year - 82.3 vs 77.2 in March 2022 and a fall of 5.1 points the largest we have seen in a YOY over the past four years.Panera Overall SentimentThis time last year - 79.2 vs 78.4 in March 2022 (Down 1.2 Points)Mod Pizza Overall SentimentThis time last year - 73.2 vs 79.4 in March 2022 (Up 5.8 Points)SweetgreenThis time last year - 80.3 vs 74.1 in March 2022 (Down 6 points)

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next-generation consumer. In this podcast, we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Corporate Executive Chef Dewey LoSasso of Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production, to discuss his early start in the industry, why it's important to be a lifelong learner, and the latest innovations in catering menus. LoSasso talks about growing up in New Jersey, along the Jersey Shore, and his early start in the restaurant industry. He shares that his first job was as a dishwasher at the age of 13, and how he immediately fell in love with the business. By the age of 14, he had decided that he wanted to become a Chef. LoSasso talks about how his very supportive father, a master plumber, would bring home used restaurant equipment in order to create a kitchen in the family's basement for the young chef to practice with. He talks about cooking with his mother and father, their discussions about food and ingredients, making memorable holiday meals together, and how that shaped him during his childhood. He says, “I think it was something that definitely influenced me as I got older.”When asked about his education, LoSasso shares that he continued to work in restaurants throughout high school, then right after graduation, he enrolled in the Culinary Institute of America. He talks about working his way through culinary school and traveling from New York to Miami while sampling a variety of dishes, and learning along the way. He says “It was always about hospitality and culinary, and just the whole business whether it's construction, wine lists, dining room elements, the whole thing for me has been a case study in life. In a way and still to this day, I mean, I'm always learning.” Pepe and LoSasso chat about a few of his career highlights. He talks about being hired at The Forge, one of the oldest restaurants in Miami, then relaunching the brand around 2009, and both the challenges and joys that came along with recreating a menu that paid homage to the dishes of the past while embracing new concepts as well. LoSasso reflects on his time working with Micki Wolfson and the Wolfsonian Museum which enabled him to travel every summer to places like Switzerland, France and Australia. He recalls that timeframe was like an experimental kitchen that was a big influence on him. He talks about his journey leading up to opening his first restaurant and working with ‘farm to table' decades before it was trending. In addition to launching several other restaurant concepts, LoSasso was a private chef for numerous celebrities, before deciding to join the team at Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production in 2016. LoSasso talks about working with Bill Hansen Catering & Event Production over the past five years and how they have been expanding the brand and bringing a restaurant sensibility to a catering environment. He says, “Bill Hansen, who's been around for over 42 years, is an iconic man, he actually wrote the book on catering.” LoSasso shares some key insights regarding catering menu development and why incorporating new options, such as vegan dishes are important because plant-based foods are becoming more and more relevant. He adds, “We feel that if you're reactive to what's in the marketplace, we can do a great vegan menu without using a lot of processed plant-based food. And I think the trends are showing, for us, plant-based food is here to stay.”Tune in to the podcast to learn more from LoSasso about plant-based catering, future predictions, and his thoughts regarding Covid takeaways, on Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen on iTunes Now!

Supreet Raju and her husband & co-founder, Gaurav Gupta are huge food and travel enthusiasts, exploring the blockchain industry together since 2017. While working and researching projects in the market, they noticed a consistent failure in making blockchain products truly accessible to general audiences. Even simple products were made to sound complex, which attracted no one except developers and tech-geeks. With increasing global interest in crypto & blockchain, they felt the need to create something simple, educational & user-friendly to onboard the next wave of adoption - which culminated into OneRare.The future of technology and consumer adoption is leaning more and more into the evolution of blockchain and how NFT's, the Metaverse, and more will play a bigger role in the future of restaurants, food supply chain as well as consumer adoption, and pop culture. We dive deep into this podcast in a way that will explode your mind with our special interview.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, Pepe chats with Graham Humphreys, Chief Executive Officer, and Haley Kabus, Associate Director of Strategy at The Culinary Edge, about creating new fast casual concepts, launching virtual brands and how cryptocurrency can impact a restaurant's bottom line.Humphreys brings an extensive design experience background to The Culinary Edge. He talks about creating branding that not only engages the user's sense of sight, touch and sound, but smell and taste as well. He talks about the diverse team at the company that he collaborates with everyday from design experts, anthropologists, researchers and MICHELIN Star Chefs. He says, “We're an innovation agency for the food and food service industries.” He adds, “If you haven't heard our name, you've probably tasted our food.”Kabus talks about her history working with big brands in the advertising and marketing space and how her real love and passion for working in the food and beverage industry led her to The Culinary Edge. She talks about driving food to the forefront of culture. She shares that this is definitely an area that has been propelled by COVID because it brought people back into the kitchens or into the kitchen for the first time, igniting a new passion for cooking. She says, “For the vast majority of us, our relationship with food has never been more personal or more fun and engaging.”When Pepe asks Humphreys about the advantages and disadvantages of trying new concepts versus tried and true mainstream brands, Humphrey shares that the company actually spends a lot of time on both. He talks about how virtual brands and ghost kitchens have given brands more direct access to the market than ever before and can therefore scale more quickly. He provides an example with MRBEAST BURGER,  a virtual brand that was able to open out of the back line of an existing restaurant and it managed to scale to over 1000 locations within 18 months. He says, “That kind of growth, scale and reach, it might have been possible before, but it certainly didn't happen very much. But it's all being facilitated now by big changes in what makes a restaurant a restaurant.”Pepe asks Kabus about what she has seen with regard to cryptocurrency and the restaurant industry. Kabus shares that crypto is becoming another way that people are looking at what it means to be a restaurant, and what payment looks like today. She shares that according to Yahoo Finance almost 50% of people aged between 24-40, already own cryptocurrency. Major mainstream companies like Yum Brands, Taco Bell and KFC are starting to accept these payments. She says, “But for the most part what we love about embracing crypto is really the signal it sends to your customers about your brand being modern and adaptable and built for the future.”To hear more from Humphreys and Kabus about cryptocurrency, how TikTok is shaping user experience, and what's next for The Culinary Edge, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe chats with Chef Jose Garces about growing up around fantastic Ecuadorian cuisine, why he started developing plant-based foods and launching his latest concept.When asked about becoming a chef, Garces talks about growing up and watching fantastic cooks, his Mother and Grandmother, preparing foods revolving around the cuisine of Ecuador. Garces talks about attending cooking school in Chicago at Kendall, moving to Spain and working at the local eateries and hotels. He talks about moving to New York, where he worked under mentors at the Four Seasons and the Rainbow Room. He says, “I'd say that part of my career is where I really learned how to cook, how to become a Chef. I would say it was my heaviest training there.” Garces moved from New York to Philadelphia in 2000. He shares that the next part of his career involved leaning into ownership and entrepreneurial opportunities. He opened his first restaurant, Amada, named after his Grandmother, in 2005. He talks about competing on ‘The Next Iron Chef',  becoming an ‘Iron Chef', and appearing on 5 seasons of the show. He says, “I have quite a few battles under my belt.”Pepe and Garces discuss why he started developing plant-based foods. He shares that there were a few factors in the decision. He tells Pepe that a colleague had reached out to him and asked if he would be interested in collaborating on a project to create Latin inspired plant-based meals. Garces says that around the same time-frame, his daughter was having gluten allergies as well as lactose intolerance, and they found that a plant-based diet worked better for her. Garces says, “I was challenged to create these plant-based foods and I took it on wholeheartedly.” He says the result was the launch of Casa Verde.Pepe asks Garces about his most recent endeavor, a Mexican fast casual concept. Garces is excited to talk about the opening of Buena Onda, which means ‘Good Vibes'. The restaurant, a Baja Taqueria, was inspired by the spirit of Mexico's Baja Peninsula. Garces talks about how the restaurant is scaling in both units and with new franchising opportunities. He adds, “This should be a national brand within this year.”To hear Garces talk more about plant-based foods, virtual brands, and the Garces Foundation, check out this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!Produced by Lisa Pepe

Mobile payment app Strike has partnered with Shopify, alternative payment provider Blackhawk Network, and point-of-sale supplier NCR to create a new US payment system that allows merchants to quickly receive payments in dollars after people pay with crypto.My Latest Video on this announcement.The Lightning Network-based system will work with online purchases from merchants using Shopify, as well as point-of-sale transactions at many large chain stores. All of this made operational in conjunction with Cash App.What this means for companies like a Starbucks whose sales are $24.6 B and over 43% in card payments could save the chain as much as $800 Million a year in fees. Multiply that by the 4 Trillion restaurant industry globally and you end up with an addressable market of approximately $9 Billion in savings.Block, formerly known as Square, is integrating the Lightning Network into its popular Cash App, a move first promised in 2019. The company said the feature should be available to all U.S. Cash App users, except those in New York State, in the coming weeks.The integration of the network will allow Cash app customers in the U.S. to send bitcoin for free within seconds to anybody in the world.The Lightning integration is made possible by the Lightning Development Kit created by Spiral, which is funded by Block.Cash App customers will also be able to send bitcoin to any compatible wallet that accepts Lightning Network payments, without being charged fees.Almost three years ago, Block CEO Jack Dorsey, who's also an investor in Lightning Labs, said there were plans underway to integrate the scaling technology with Square's Cash App.

Foodservice added 250K jobs in the first 3 months of 2022Employment in the sector still lags behind February 2020 levels by about 820,000 jobs, but this is the smallest gap to date between pre-pandemic and current job levels.Restaurants and foodservice businesses added 61,000 jobs in March 2022, marking the 15th consecutive month of job growth in the sector, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. But sectoral employment lags about 819,000 jobs behind February 2020, the closest the sector has come to close the gap between pre-pandemic employment and current job levels.Drone Delivery BeginsBrinker International has expanded its partnership with drone delivery company Flytrex, which now offers its service in Granbury, Texas, outside of Dallas-Fort Worth via press release.Drones will offer five-minute delivery of Brinker's brands, including two virtual brands It's Just Wings and Maggianno's Italian Classics.The expansion into Texas follows Flytrex's domestic debut in North Carolina in September 2020. Since then, the drone company has expanded into two additional North Carolina markets, including a delivery station in Holly Springs Towne Center, where the company delivers from Brinker's It's Just Wings brand.Robot Invasion - Four Companies to watchStarship Technologies offers autonomous robots for stores, restaurants, and campuses. Starship robots can carry items within a 4-mile radius. Starship's robots weigh no more than 100 pounds, move at pedestrian speed, and navigate around objects and people.Nuro produces custom autonomous delivery vehicles for neighborhoods. Its main vehicle, the R2, features 360° cameras, Lidar, short and long-range radar, and ultrasonic sensors. Nuro has formed several partnerships in Houston: Domino's for pizza deliveries, CVS for prescription deliveries, and Walmart for grocery deliveries. Postmates is a food delivery app and service owned by Uber. Its Serve robot is designed for safe, autonomous navigation on urban sidewalks. Serve navigates using Lidar and communicates with customers through an interactive touchscreen.Amazon Scout is an electric delivery system designed to get packages to customers safely using autonomous delivery devices. Scout bots are the size of a small cooler and roll along sidewalks at a walking pace. Scout initially launched testing to a neighborhood in Snohomish County, Washington. The autonomous delivery system has since expanded to Atlanta, Georgia, and Franklin, Tennessee.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, Pepe chats with Alan Nathan, Co-Founder and CEO at Sweetfin about his start in the industry, moving into the fast casual space and 94 million poke bowl combinations.Nathan shares how he got started in the hospitality industry over 30 years ago. He had a nightlife and entertainment company that opened nightclubs, hotels and created fine casual restaurants over the years. Nathan talks about his next endeavor which involves him moving into the fast casual concepts segment.Nathan talks about how he got involved with Sweetfin. He was approached by a friend of the family who wanted to discuss a concept for fast casual poke bowls. Nathan shares that the timing was great because he was already looking to expand into the fast casual markets. Nathan decided to review the idea with Dakota Weiss, his head chef at the time. After discussing the concept and their vision for creating a poke bowl that was “a touch above what the Hawaiian soul food was all about”, Nathan shares that Chef Weiss developed recipes with California born inspiration and accents of Japanese sauces. Nathan talks about agreeing to the partnership in 2013, and immediately starting the search for great locations. Nathan talks about the process taking 2 years and ultimately deciding on Santa Monica to launch the first Sweetfin. Nathan talks about the instant impact in the sector, resulting in lines outside of the restaurant for the first 3 months and demand so high that the staff would need to close the restaurant between lunch and dinner to try and keep up. Nathan says, “It was quite an amazing experience, just for the demand of what we created. I would say that we pioneered the poke space and I think that we've continued to be the premium product of the sector.”Nathan shares more about the uniqueness of Sweetfin. He says, ”I'd say we're unique because we're not just what I feel is a premium product in the poke sector, but we're a lifestyle brand that integrates with collaboration with other chefs with other artists. I would say that that's one of our biggest awareness campaigns. We're not just coming up with everything ourselves. It's almost like an open forum.”Nathan talks about the wide variety of bowl choices at Sweetfin. He says that there are over 94 million combinations where you can build a bowl and that 70% of all their orders are build your own bowl, not the signature bowl. He adds, “People truly want to customize their bowl.” Nathan says that's why they decided to do things differently by collaborating with other chefs, artists and musicians; it truly sets Sweetfin apart for the pack. He says, “I think that sharing the canvas for other artists to paint on and other chefs and other musical inspirations and lifestyle inspirations makes us very different to just kind of offering a poke bowl.”To hear more about what Sweetfin has planned for menu updates, future strategies and what Poke House is, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Josh Chanin, Energy Efficiency Consultant for California Instant Rebates to discuss how the California Instant Rebates Program works, why it is beneficial to commercial foodservice customers and their business, and who can qualify for these rebates. Chanin talks about working with utilities across the nation to help them run energy efficiency programs. He explains that utilities actually want their customers to save energy because it also saves the utility companies money in the long run since they don't have to build as much infrastructure to serve a growing customer base. Chanin shares that a lot of utilities are mandated by their public utilities commission to save energy. He says, “We help them do that by running things like rebate programs”.Chanin shares that the California foodservice instant rebates program is a California statewide program targeted specifically at commercial foodservice customers by allowing them to get rebates when purchasing any high efficiency, commercial foodservice equipment such as high efficiency fryers, convection ovens and steamers. Chanin talks about how the program works. Chanin shares that when commercial foodservice customers buy high efficiency, commercial foodservice equipment from their local or national food service equipment dealer or supplier, they are able to get pretty impactful rebates. Chanin shares that the rebates are offered at the time of purchase, making it an instant rebate as opposed to other standard rebate programs that arrive via mail and can take months to reach the customer. He says, “The instant rebates program is great because it allows you to get those rebates as a discount, and have a lower upfront cost when purchasing high efficiency equipment.”Chanin talks about how commercial customers can easily learn what products qualify for rebates and which California residents are eligible for rebates based on their zip code. Chanin says, “We cover almost all of the State of California.” Chanin shares that customers can visit the company's website, featuring a user-friendly search tab to look for equipment by name, manufacturer, model number or they can work directly with their equipment dealer to find the right products for them and check eligibility.Chanin talks about the benefits of high efficiency equipment. He says, “High efficiency equipment has a lot of benefits, especially for the small and medium sized businesses, not only do you get these great rebates, and you're able to save money on the purchase and save energy, which means saving money on your utility bills over the lifetime of your products.” Chanin talks about additional benefits of high efficiency equipment. Chanin shares that often those models have lower recovery times, which means that they can recover faster, such as when frozen food goes in the fryer, or when refrigerator doors are opened and closed again, they're able to get back to temperature faster than other models. Chanin adds, “High efficiency equipment is often name brand products that are higher quality and longer lasting.”Tune into the podcast to learn more from Chanin about the California Instant Rebates Program, on Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at iTunes Now!Produced by Lisa Pepe

After more than a year of a bear market in innovation stocks that are not part of broad-based public equity benchmarks, we believe Instacart's move marks the first major publicly announced valuation cut by a private startup. One of its public competitors, DoorDash, DASH on the NYSE, also has dropped roughly 40% since March 2021. Instacart still could be overvalued relative to DASH, however, as its revenue growth, last year was less than a third of DoorDash's, 21% versus 69%, while its price-to-sales ratio is more than 50% higher at 13x compared to DASH's 7.5x.Meanwhile, data from private secondary markets also suggest that startup valuations are responding to the drawdown in public markets. Secondary marketplace Forge reported that prices for companies that traded on its platform both in the fourth quarter and in February declined roughly 10%, and that the percent of indications of interest (IOI's) on the sell side was 60%, the highest level since the depths of the coronavirus crisis during the first quarter of 2020 and a stark reversal from the 60% of buyer IOI's in 2021. Fast Casual Drive-Thru?Sweetgreen will open its first drive-thru pickup window, or "Sweetlane," in Schaumburg, Illinois, within the next year, the chain announced Wednesday. The unit's opening date and hours of operation have yet to be determined.Sweetgreen has been eyeing drive-thrus for several years, but the pandemic helped accelerate its plans. The chain's urban locations largely struggled during the pandemic, pushing Sweetgreen to build out its presence in suburban markets, where drive-thrus are a natural fit. In 2021, the fast casual chain opened 31 units, with 18 in suburban and residential communities, Neman said. Sweetgreen ended 2021 with 150 locations. Will this move continue to help the stock price?Foodable Labs Sentiment: 78.64 Down 3.12 Points in the past 90 daysWage WarsNusr-et Miami — an upscale steakhouse in Miami owned by celebrity chef Nusret Gokce, also known as "Salt Bae" — did not violate the Fair Labor Standards Act by using an 18% "service charge" added to customers' bills to help meet its minimum and overtime wage obligations, the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled March 18 in Compere v. Nusret Miami (No. 20-12422 (11th Cir. March 18, 2022)).Filed by a total of 24 tipped employees at Nusr-et, the class-action lawsuit alleged that from Nov. 1, 2017, through Jan. 18, 2019, the restaurant "paid them less than the required federal minimum and overtime wages and forced them to participate in an illegal tip pool with non-tipped employees." The plaintiffs' case argued that the 18% service charge should be treated as a tip.The 11th Circuit determined that the service charge was not a tip because it was mandatory; the payment was not a "gift" and the amount was not, as the legal definition of "tip" states, "determined solely by the customer."Make sure to check out all of our amazing podcasts here on Foodable Network!

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Rick Petralia, Culinary Director at Fazoli's to discuss his jumpstart to becoming a Chef, his Culinary point of view and why he's passionate about approachable, authentic Italian food.Petralia talks about his unique journey towards becoming a Chef. He shares that while attending college to become a math major, he was working at a local restaurant as a server. During his shift one evening the cook called out and the manager asked him if he would be interested in learning how to cook. Petralia replied, “Sure I'll try it.” He adds, “I really enjoyed that and I transitioned from serving to cooking at the restaurant.” Petralia shares that this opportunity led to him changing course from being a math major to going to Culinary school. Petralia talks about the 15 years following Culinary school and how he held a variety of positions in the industry, none of which had him utilizing his culinary experience. He talks about a position becoming available at Fazoli's that would allow to get back into the culinary side of things. He says, “I thought, hey that'd be great to get back into a culinary more creative type of role.” He adds, “Italian is my background and you know it just really seemed like an exciting opportunity.”Petralia shares his culinary point of view and how he approaches recipe development particularly when it comes to QSR and Fast Casual. He talks about having over 200 locations that serve over 700000 meals per week and how being able to replicate every recipe with consistency is key. He says, “First and foremost, that's in the back of my mind every time I develop a recipe, is how is this going to happen 700000 times a week in the same way.” Tune into the podcast to learn more on how Petralia feels about developing recipes including [Fazoli's Breadstick Panzanella (Bread Salad)], what he has to say about upcoming culinary trends, and his thoughts on supply chain issues on this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!Produced by Lisa Pepe

The next generation of culinary artisans are changing up the industry. These artisans have a whole new approach to reaching and satisfying the next generation consumer. In this podcast we will explore chefs and artisans from around the world diving into their story and passion. In this episode of Chef AF, Pepe talks with Rick Petralia, Culinary Director at Fazoli's to discuss his jumpstart to becoming a Chef, his Culinary point of view and why he's passionate about approachable, authentic Italian food.Petralia talks about his unique journey towards becoming a Chef. He shares that while attending college to become a math major, he was working at a local restaurant as a server. During his shift one evening the cook called out and the manager asked him if he would be interested in learning how to cook. Petralia replied, “Sure I'll try it.” He adds, “I really enjoyed that and I transitioned from serving to cooking at the restaurant.” Petralia shares that this opportunity led to him changing course from being a math major to going to Culinary school. Petralia talks about the 15 years following Culinary school and how he held a variety of positions in the industry, none of which had him utilizing his culinary experience. He talks about a position becoming available at Fazoli's that would allow to get back into the culinary side of things. He says, “I thought, hey that'd be great to get back into a culinary more creative type of role.” He adds, “Italian is my background and you know it just really seemed like an exciting opportunity.”Petralia shares his culinary point of view and how he approaches recipe development particularly when it comes to QSR and Fast Casual. He talks about having over 200 locations that serve over 700000 meals per week and how being able to replicate every recipe with consistency is key. He says, “First and foremost, that's in the back of my mind every time I develop a recipe, is how is this going to happen 700000 times a week in the same way.”Tune into the podcast to learn more on how Petralia feels about developing recipes including Fazoli's Breadstick Panzanella (Bread Salad), what he has to say about upcoming culinary trends, and his thoughts on supply chain issues on this episode of Chef AF “It's All Food” or you can listen at Spotify!Produced by Lisa Pepe

Crypto Impact on RestaurantsRestaurant Revitalization Fund is dropped from omnibus spending bill as hope for relief dwindles. The second round of restaurant relief will not be included in the omnibus spending bill expected to be voted on by Friday. The rallying cry for a last-ditch effort to include another round of the Restaurant Revitalization Fund in President Biden's spending package was led by Senate Small Business chair Sen. Benjamin Cardin (D-Maryland) and Sen. Roger Wicker (R-Miss.) in February. Torchy's Tacos founder Mike Rypka is back as CEO, the company said Thursday.Fresh Mex Moves with Torchy'sRypka was serving as interim CEO for the Austin, Texas-based chain following the retirement of former CEO GJ Hart, which was announced in November. Before launching Torchy's, Rypka was a corporate chef for several fortune 500 organizations MTV Studios, Disney Animation, and Dell. The chain took on a new group of new investors in 2020 that included private-equity firm General Atlantic, as well as D1 Capital Partners, T. Rowe Price, Lone Pine Capital and XN.Chippy ChipotleChipotle has recruited a mechanical employee to take the weight off the hard-working humans. The new recruit is called Chippy and has been given the all-important task of making the Mexican food chain's tortilla chips. Chippy will be helping with staff shortages and combating inflation as we see more and more tech use with fast-casual concepts.Chippy's first shift at Chiptole will take place in its test center in Irving, California. Chippy is a product of Miso Robotics, whose other business partners include the aforementioned Buffalo Wild Wings and the Dodgers baseball franchise. Chipotle, they gave their own reasonings behind their new hire: “We are always exploring opportunities to enhance our employee and guest experience. Our goal is to drive efficiencies through collaborative robotics that will enable Chipotle's crew members to focus on other tasks in the restaurant.”McD Goes All-In On PodcastsPodcast growth has led to increased attention to and investment in podcast networks that can better connect advertisers with diverse creators to reach these audiences. SiriusXM this month signed an exclusive deal with reVolver Podcasts, a network that specializes in Spanish-language podcasts. Earlier this year, Pod Digital Media, a full-service agency for multicultural podcasters, signed a three-year, eight-figure ad deal with McDonald's as the QSR giant seeks to invest in diverse media partners.In 2022, 51% of the population has listened to a podcast and roughly 78% are familiar with the medium.Podcast listeners increased by 29.5% from 2018 to 2021.Over one-third (104 million) of Americans listen to podcasts regularly.According to Edison Research, 41% (116 million) listened to a podcast in the last month.28% (80 million) of Americans are weekly podcast listeners.

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, Pepe chats with Karl Goodhew, Chief Technology Officer at BurgerFi about the latest restaurant technology, labor shortage solutions, and Patty the Robot.Goodhew shares how he got started in the industry and restaurant technology, he says that his background was originally in big box retail where he was responsible for both the customer-facing e-commerce platforms and the in-store experience. Goodhew says that the way BurgerFi was approaching both online and in store experience just made sense to him, so he decided to transition from retail to the restaurant industry by joining the team at BurgerFi.Goodhew talks about the other key reason he decided to join BurgerFi, he says, “They have a really great product.” He adds, “I really enjoy working for a company that I love the product.” He also enjoys a really great burger, just one of many items on the company's menu created with Chef Paul Griffin, chief culinary officer at BurgerFi. Goodhew says that because they offer a diverse variety of food options, he is able to take his wife, a vegetarian and whole family to the restaurant and everyone is able to have a meal that they really enjoy.Goodhew talks about labor shortages and how technology can help in this regard by supplementing and supporting both front and back of house staff. He says that ensuring systems stay up and running, streamlining POS and making sure innovation is helping staff is key. “There's nothing worse than having a room full of customers and maybe the POS goes down. That's not acceptable. I believe technology partners have to help our staff and an example of that might be as simple as making sure that the systems are always up and running. Things like that just help.”Goodhew shares news of the latest addition to the BurgerFi team, Patty the Robot. Goodhew says that Patty the Robot is not intended to replace anyone but instead, she is there to assist the team and solve daily challenges. Goodhew says “I think we should focus on how can technology help solve problems that exist today.” Patty the Robot supports employees by helping to serve meals to tables, returning trays to the kitchen and by interacting with guests. Goodhew ads, “It's extremely important that technology is driving that growth at BurgerFi and also the solutions.”To hear more about how BurgerFi will be utilizing the latest technology to implement touchless QR codes, game changing drive-thrus, and how your next car might be able to order your burger for you, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.Produced by Lisa Pepe

Starship Tech a sidewalk robotic company is raising 100 Million in a flashStarship robots are revolutionizing food and package deliveries, offering people convenient new services that improve everyday life. Their ability to harness technology combined with experience providing services to millions of people makes this a reality today.Google accused of 'deceptive' online ordering practices by a restaurant groupA class-action lawsuit has been filed against Google alleging the tech giant infringed on restaurants' intellectual property rights and interfered with their customer relationships by using "deceptive online ordering practices." The suit was filed on behalf of Left Field Holdings, which operates several Lime Fresh Mexican Grill restaurants.Chains Longterm Impact From Russian ExitsStarbucks and McDonald's announced Tuesday that they are halting business activity in Russia following the country's invasion of Ukraine. Neither company has forecasted when their Russian stores could reopen. The Golden Arches has 850 restaurants and 62,000 workers in Russia and 84% of its Russian restaurants are company-owned. Starbucks has 130 total restaurants in Russia, all of which are licensed by but not owned by the company, according to data published by the Yale Chief Executive Leadership Institute on Tuesday.Welcome to the NFT Restaurant BoomChefs like Tom Colicchio are minting NFT pizzas, recipes, and even limited-edition gin bottles. But is the rest of the food world along for the ride?This episode sponsored by California Energy Wise & Dawn Professional®

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I chat with Abe Ng, founder and chief executive officer of Sushi Maki about brand development, innovation and growth over two decades. Ng, a lifelong restaurateur, has been in the industry for many years, he says since birth. His parents had Chinese restaurants and Ng worked in them as he grew up. After university Ng spent some time in public accounting but his love for hospitality brought him back. He founded a fast casual burrito chain but transitioned to Sushi Maki in 2000. Twenty-two years later Sushi Maki is still a family business and today operates twenty-five restaurants. I asked Ng about the Sushi Maki concept and he says, it started as a neighborhood sushi bar. He took into consideration what the area had already and what it needed. Ng says, “Hard to believe that in the early 2000 where we were in South Miami and in Coral Gables Florida there weren't a lot of sushi bars.” He adds, “I actually spent some time in California at the California Sushi Academy to get some basic understanding and respect for the cuisine. I went to a hospitality school and had a rudimentary understanding of restaurants and commercial kitchens.” Ng talks about seeing the importance off-premise could have to the business early after opening, and began selling wholesale sushi to country clubs and hotels. Sushi Maki today does all of the sushi for Whole Foods Market in Miami Dade, Broward, and Palm Beach counties. You can also find Sushi Maki locations at universities in South Florida. Polished fast casual restaurants is a concept Ng says he started dabbling in a few years ago and feels it is the future of his concept. Sushi Maki Las Olas introduced the 2,500-square-foot new concept for the brand and it represents the company's first stand-alone location in Broward County. The restaurant differs from the traditional fast casual by including real glassware and plates rather than disposable options. To hear Ng talk about the Sushi Maki tech stack and the brand's marketing approach, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.

Foodservice Tech Sell-Off - Affect on your restaurant?Lots of technology news this week and also a seismic shift in what we could be dealing with very soon if we see a potential recession and seven dollar a gallon gas. The landscape has erie similarities to an era when old school POS was displaced in early 2000. DoorDash buys Bbot to beef up in-store digital ordering capabilitiesDoorDash is acquiring Bbot, a hospitality technology startup that simplifies digital orders and payments processes, the company announced Tuesday. The terms of the deal were not disclosed.The deal will expand DoorDash's suite of first-party platform services, such as DoorDash Drive and DoorDash Storefront, to meet increased demand for integrated and simplified solutions. The aggregator also claims Bbot's technology will increase partner restaurant sales and reduce diner wait times to order and pay.I see this as an early validation that Bbot did not want to go the IPO route with the battering of foodservice tech companies that have fallen as much as two-thirds in less than a year with the likes of OLO and Toast.Next up is Toast - as CFO Elana Gomez states they are looking for tactical investments for market share growth. In my opinion, this is a bad strategy under the current economic overpriced landscape that is on the verge of a major hit as well as a shift from web 2 to web 3 that is clearly underway.The company is staying its course amid a broader sell-off in the cloud-computing sector since November and volatility in the broader markets in the wake of Russia's invasion of Ukraine and lower margins. Toast's shares are now in the $20 range, down from the $40 level in September that made it one of the largest IPOs of the year in restaurant technology.Paul's Take: This is a problem that we are facing right now in the tech sector with foodservice and one that will not be realized until 2024-25 which will then be too late. A caution in investing in this sector right now due to the fact we could see an early disruption of an industry that was forced into growth before they and the technology advancements of the future were ready. There are clear changes beginning to shift the tech landscape once again and the COVID bandaid of tech companies that have been thrust into these uncertain times wreaks of a bad situation brewing.This episode is Sponsored by Popmenu

The Fast Casual Nation Podcast offers exclusive interviews with experts ranging from top chefs and brand makers to executives and restaurants who work in one of the fastest-growing segments of the restaurant industry. In this episode, I talk with Massimo Noja De Marco, chief executive officer and co-founder of Piestro about his extensive background as an entrepreneur in the restaurant industry and an emerging leader in kitchen automation. Noja De Marco was born and raised in the hospitality industry, he is part of a seven-generation family in hotels and restaurants. He tells me that his mom was a fabulous chef and his grandparents and great grandparents ran hotels in Italy on the north side of Milan on the Swiss border. He says, “So I was born, I was literally born in the hotel just like my father and my grandfather were so you know I just fell in love with the hospitality from a very very young age. You know, when I was a little kid I asked my grandfather to promise me that when I would turn five years old he would teach me how to make cappuccino in the hotel and you know by the time five years old came around I already knew how to do it.” When Noja De Marco moved to New York in his twenties, he opened restaurants, a few Italian and one French restaurant. He talks about hospitality and says, “I really embrace that the hospitality, the ability to change people's perspective on life on any given day by just being excited by serving them something delicious and just making them feel like they were your best friends that you hadn't seen for a lifetime.” Noja De Marco moved to California and opened restaurants there too. He worked for the Ritz-Carlton as well as Wolfgang Puck Catering and did events including the Oscars. Noja De Marco launched Kitchen United and drove all aspects of design with a focus on setting up a better way for off-premise business for restaurants. Kitchen United which was the first ghost kitchen space in the United States was about optimizing the space for the restaurants. He says, “I really wanted to optimize the entire space and since I had already started working with robotics probably about a year and a half earlier with Miso Robotics which you know the parent company of Flippy, I got super excited. I'm like what if I can bring that into the ghost kitchen space but what if I can bring that automation into the restaurants.” We chatted about Piestro, which Noja De Marco calls his favorite thing and he has been dreaming about it for years. Piestro has designed robots that make pizza at a fraction of the cost. It eliminates the retail footprint and labor costs, making pizzas using high-quality ingredients for less. To hear more of Noja De Marco's insights for restaurant brands and Piestro's partnership with 800 Degrees Pizza, listen to this episode of Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts.