Free Daily Podcast Summary
Fast Casual Nation Restaurant Podcast: Daily Summaries Delivered
by Savor.fm
Join the #1 Restaurant Business Podcast Shaping the Future of The Restaurant Industry! Hosted by Paul Barron, industry pioneer, investor, and author of The Chipotle Effect. Co-hosted by Cherryh Cansler, the editorial force behind Fastcasual.com, this is where restaurant operators get the competitive edge. Every week, this power duo decodes the trends, strategies, and innovations transforming the restaurant business, driven by the Fast Casual mindset, redefining what's possible across all restaurant segments. With over two decades of combined expertise, Paul and Cherryh don't just report on the industry; they've helped build it. This isn't just a podcast. It's your playbook for what's next.Watch the show on YouTube!Become a Guest on the show!Advertise on the #1 Restaurant Business Podcast
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 2 days ago34 min
Mocktails are Winning
On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, host Cherryh Cansler sits down with Kelly O'Rourke, Director of Marketing at FiiZ Drinks, to talk about the explosive growth of the dirty soda category, Gen Z's shift toward non-alcoholic beverages, and what's next for the brand's national expansion, energy drink launch, and Hi-Chew partnership. Then, Tal Clark, CEO of Instant, joins to break down alarming new data on restaurant worker financial stress and how earned wage access and instant tip payouts are becoming essential retention tools for operators nationwide. #FastCasualNation #DirtySoda #RestaurantIndustry Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- 1 weeks ago33 min
The "Slutty" Empire: How Pinky Cole Turned a $100M Burger Brand Into a Religion
Slutty Vegan founder and CEO Pinky Cole Hayes joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share her journey from television producer to restaurant entrepreneur, detailing how she navigated $20 million in debt, bought her company back through an assignment for the benefit of creditors, and rebuilt the brand as a lean, franchise-first operation. She discusses her selective approach to vetting experienced franchise operators, the flexible "menu bible" that lets locations customize their offerings, using AI to run a smaller core team, and balancing her personal brand with her business as she scales toward 50 franchise locations in the next two years. #SluttyVegan #FastCasualNation #RestaurantFranchising Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- 2 weeks ago1h 0m
Winning the Fast-Casual Sandwich Wars
Mendocino Farms CMO Alicia Mowder joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-casual chain hit its 100th location while staying true to chef-driven quality, elevated hospitality, and a private-equity partnership that hasn't compromised its brand. Hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler dig into the brand's sandwich-versus-salad menu strategy, its guest-survey feedback loop, catering trends, and why the chain is intentionally slow-walking kiosks and AI ordering tech. The episode closes with Loop AI's Casey Hilder unpacking how restaurant operators can separate real AI value from industry hype. #FastCasualNation #MendocinoFarms #RestaurantIndustry Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- 3 weeks ago26 min
Growth Strategies: Shared Resources Without Diluting Brand DNA
GoTo Foods CBOs Mike Smith (Moe's Southwest Grill) and Donna Varner (Schlotzsky's) join Fast Casual Nation to discuss how a shared brand platform drives menu innovation, prototype design, loyalty data, and cautious AI adoption without eroding individual brand identity. #FastCasualNation #GoToFoods #RestaurantIndustry Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- Jun 16, 202652 min
Gamifying the Burrito: The "Rewards on Repeat" Strategy
Chipotle COO Jason Kidd joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how the 4,100-unit brand is winning and retaining the next-generation diner. From the full value equation and menu innovation to AI-powered hiring, digital order accuracy, and a major back-of-house equipment overhaul rolling out to nearly half the chain, Kidd pulls back the curtain on the operational strategies keeping Chipotle at the top of the fast casual game — and shares what real hospitality actually looks like at scale. #fastcasual #Chipotle #RestaurantIndustry Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- Jun 9, 202633 min
The "Anti-Burger" Blueprint: How Teriyaki Madness is Out-Scaling the Giants
In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Jodi Boyce, CMO of Teriyaki Madness, and John Smolen, SVP of Sales at Atmosphere TV, to explore how fast casual brands are evolving beyond burgers and into experience-driven dining. From Teriyaki Madness's explosive franchise growth and craveable bowl-forward menu to Atmosphere TV's ambient content platform that turns wait time into brand engagement, this conversation is packed with actionable insights on consumer trends, in-store experience, technology, and what it takes to build a loyal, modern restaurant brand. #FastCasual #RestaurantMarketing #TeriyakiMadness Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- May 26, 202640 min
The "Macro-Centric" Menu: Why 2026 Diners Want Stats, Not Stories
In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, host Paul Barron sits down with Chris Treloar, CEO of PLNT Burger, and Trace Miller, founder of Konala Protein Bowls, to break down what health-forward fast casual actually looks like in 2025 and beyond. From PLNT Burger's high-volume Whole Foods footprint to Konala's drive-thru protein bowl model built for busy families, the conversation covers menu strategy, the rise of nutritional literacy, GLP-1's impact on dining behavior, and why the future of fast food isn't the death of convenience — it's making healthy eating just as convenient as the golden arches. #FastCasualNation #HealthyFastFood #PlantBased Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
- May 19, 202636 min
50 Million Views Later: The Brutal Reality of Scaling a "Viral" TikTok Food Trend
In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Peter Yang, co-founder and Head of Development at Pokeworks, to explore how the 85-location poke brand turned a viral social media moment into a disciplined, founder-led growth story — covering everything from psychographic-driven site selection and hoodless real estate advantages to suburban expansion, unit economics, and why protecting AUV matters more than chasing location count. #FastCasual #Pokeworks #RestaurantBusiness Get Your Podcast Now! Are you a hospitality or restaurant industry leader looking to amplify your voice and establish yourself as a thought leader? Look no further than SavorFM, the premier podcast platform designed exclusively for hospitality visionaries like you. Take the next step in your industry leadership journey – visit https://www.savor.fm/ Capital & Advisory: Are you a fast-casual restaurant startup or a technology innovator in the food service industry? Don't miss out on the opportunity to tap into decades of expertise. Reach out to Savor Capital & Advisory now to explore how their seasoned professionals can propel your business forward. Discover if you're eligible to leverage our unparalleled knowledge in food service branding and technology and take your venture to new heights. Don't wait – amplify your voice or supercharge your startup's growth today with Savor's ecosystem of industry-leading platforms and advisory services. Visit https://www.savor.fm/capital-advisory
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About Fast Casual Nation Restaurant Podcast
Join the #1 Restaurant Business Podcast Shaping the Future of The Restaurant Industry! Hosted by Paul Barron, industry pioneer, investor, and author of The Chipotle Effect. Co-hosted by Cherryh Cansler, the editorial force behind Fastcasual.com, this is where restaurant operators get the competitive edge. Every week, this power duo decodes the trends, strategies, and innovations transforming the restaurant business, driven by the Fast Casual mindset, redefining what's possible across all restaurant segments. With over two decades of combined expertise, Paul and Cherryh don't just report on the industry; they've helped build it. This isn't just a podcast. It's your playbook for what's next.Watch the show on YouTube!Become a Guest on the show!Advertise on the #1 Restaurant Business Podcast
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