On this episode of Emerging Brands, Nicole Di Pietro, vice president of Jeremiah's Italian Ice talks about brand standards, franchising, and maintaining a strong local presence. Di Pietro, who started in hospitality when she was thirteen years old at a local bakery, says even though she worked there all four years of high school, she never thought that her long-term career would end up in the hospitality industry. She went to college and got a job at Tijuana Flats, where she continued...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Andy Wiederhorn, chief executive officer of FAT Brands talks about the impact of the pandemic on FAT Brands, partnering with third party delivery, and the benefits of becoming a franchisee.  Wiederhorn shares with us the impact the pandemic had on FAT Brands saying, “The impact of the pandemic on FAT Brands was really challenging because we have multiple categories of restaurant companies, we have QSR brands, we have fast casual brands, we have casual...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Michele Waits, Vice President Marketing of illycaffè North America, Inc., talks about the brand's history, new real estate opportunities, and direct to consumer trends. Waits shares the long history of illycaffè, saying “The history of Illy is relatively long I think for many coffee companies. It was founded in 1933 in Trieste Italy which is an important port city for europe and in a place where all coffee comes into Europe and it's a family company so we...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Micha Magid, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque talks about his transition to foodservice from mergers and acquisitions and how Mighty Quinn’s Barbeque is building a brand. Magid shares how the brand started with his stepbrother Hugh Mangum’s pop-up version of Mighty Quinn's Barbeque at weekend food markets in Brooklyn. The success of the pop-ups led the three partners Mangum, Gourmos, and Magid to bring this concept to...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Lionel Ladouceur, CEO of LE DUFF Americas, the parent company of la Madeleine, talks about his early beginning as a fast food executive with Mcdonalds in Canada and then moving on to Burger King. Ladouceur met Louis Le Duff during his time in manufacturing and eventually joined the Le Duff team as chief executive officer. In 1983 the original founder of la Madeleine moved from France to Dallas, not able to find french pastries in a place known for...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Matt Ensero, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Wing It On! talks about his motivation to open a wing concept restaurant and why he opened in his hometown of Waterbury, Connecticut. Plus, he shares his pillars for achieving national success and what a franchisee can expect from Wing It On! as a partner. Ensero says, there are three factors in order to get that authentic buffalo wing, they are the crispiness of the wings, the sauce itself and the...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Mark Setterington, President and Chief Executive Officer of Island Fin Poke Company talks about taking a leap of faith, creating a restaurant brand from scratch, and the importance of feeling welcomed like family at his restaurants. Setterington shares how he met Paul Reas at Bahama Breeze fifteen years ago and how their friendship would bring them together to create Island Fin Poke Company. He tells the story of Paul quitting his job, heading to meet...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Ross Mackay, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of Daring Foods, talks about how becoming a vegan athlete, his competitive background and his devotion to a healthy lifestyle contributed to the launch of Daring Foods in 2018.  Mackay wanted to create a plant-based protein that mimics the real taste, texture and macro nutrients as chicken.  He was determined to crack the code on a better-for-you plant-based chicken and his drive was to positively impact...

Anthony Russo, founder and Chief Executive Officer of Russo’s New York Pizzeria and Italian Kitchen talks about how he got started in the restaurant business, his family’s influence, and developing an international brand. Russo shares how he opened his first restaurant in Texas, it was a small little pizzeria, five hundred square feet with a pizza oven, dough mixer, and two tables. He had a dream to start a franchise business and teach people how to make pizza and pasta. After several years...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Andy Howard, President and Chief Executive Officer of Huey Magoo’s Chicken Tenders talks about thirty-five years ago when he got his start as a marketing director in the restaurant industry. Howard explains why his career choices have earned him the name chicken expert. First chicken stop started with Kenny Rogers Roasters, which was the whole chicken, then moved to the chicken breast at Ranch One a small chain in New York at that time. Howard’s third stop...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Sandra Noonan, Chief Sustainability Officer at Just Salad, home of the world’s largest restaurant reusable program, talks about the Just Salad concept with a mission to make everyday health and everyday sustainability possible. Just Salad is a restaurant chain founded in 2006 in New York City and their cause empowers customers to eat with a purpose. When it comes to leading the brand, prioritizing sustainability is at the top of Noonan’s list. Just Salad...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Carl Howard, Chief Executive Officer of Fazoli’s shares his restaurant and franchise experience, Fazoli’s double-digit growth and the brand's significant expansion plans. Howard takes us back to his humble beginning as a busboy at Bill Knapps when he was sixteen. He had various roles at restaurants and at age twenty Howard got his first management position at The Elephant Bar. Next he became the general manager at one of his father-in-law’s italian...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Kelly Roddy, President and Chief Executive Officer of WOWorks, talks about the early beginning of his career at Walmart. Roddy worked up through the ranks and learned leadership and business skills. He moved to Scholastic Books and then back to the retail segment with HEB, a large retail grocer out of Texas. Roddy’s first restaurant job was CEO at Schlotzsky’s under the FOCUS Brands umbrella.  In 2019 Roddy started at SaladWorks as the Chief Executive...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Anita Adams, Chief Executive Officer of Black Bear Diner, talks about her unusual path from being a certified public accountant to landing in the restaurant industry. Adams shares her transition from Chief Financial Officer and her commitment to fiercely protect the brand that is one of the fastest-growing franchises in the country. Adams took over as Chief Operating Officer shortly before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, which had a dramatic impact on...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Ashley Morris, Chief Executive Officer of Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop and the newly acquired Wing Zone, talks about growing up in Las Vegas, Nevada, and going to school for finance. Morris shares how his best friend introduced him to Capriotti’s Sandwich Shop when he came home from school. Ashley Morris was born in Los Angeles and grew up in Las Vegas. He went to school for finance and he started early in his career in financial services and portfolio...

On this episode of Emerging Brands, Andrew Pudalov, founder and CEO of Rush Bowls, talks about the trigger and emotion that drove him from New York City to Boulder, Colorado and the need to create a healthy meal.

In this episode, Akash Kapoor, Co-Founder, CEO, and self-described “Chief Troublemaker” at Curry Up Now, shares the biggest challenges he’s encountered growing the company, if he thinks ethnic fast-casual restaurants face a different set of roadblocks than more traditional offerings do, and why the restaurant-bar duel concept is becoming a key part of their brand.

In this podcast episode, Charlie Guzzetta, chief brand development officer at BurgerFi, shares how BurgerFi keeps customers coming back with their NAE (no antibiotics ever) beef, how they’re expanding into nontraditional spaces such as airports and military bases, and why offering plant-based options is an essential part of their business model.

As they drove from Los Angeles to Phoenix for a bike race, Field Failing and a group of his cyclist friends grew hungrier by the minute, and frustrated with the lack of healthy offerings they had on the road. Eventually stopping at a Subway, Failing wondered why there weren’t more accessible options for him to get lean protein, whole grains, and fresh vegetables to fuel his long rides. So, he started Fields Good Chicken in 2014, focusing on the protein he’d been obsessed with for most of...

Learn about Gauthier’s background, the differences between lunch and dinner customers, and switching Mulberry & Vine to cashless service!

Learn about the chain’s sustainability efforts, commitment to reviewing and adjusting to customer feedback, and how Firebirds gives back to its community.

Learn more about the Modern Market ethos, the restaurant’s investment in innovation and local supply chains, and what lies ahead for the brand.

The market is oversaturated, and differentiating your restaurant from similar concepts can be complicated and time-consuming. Cowboy Chicken seems to have unearthed the right recipe. The chain specializes in all-natural, wood-fired rotisserie chicken—unlike most chains, which offer fried chicken—paired with a wide variety of homestyle sides. Check out this episode to hear more about how Cowboy Chicken is confronting the current challenges in the industry head-on, and what lies ahead for the...