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Fast Casual Nation: 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—alongside 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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.
Latest Episodes
The most recent episodes — sign up to get AI-powered summaries of each one.
- 5 days ago41 min
How to Get More Guests With Service & Hospitality Using AI
Nékter Juice Bar CTO Jon Asher joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to break down how AI is reshaping guest personalization, loyalty, and data strategy at the 200+ unit juice bar chain — plus why clean first-party data matters more than any single AI tool.#FastCasual #RestaurantTech #AIinRestaurants #NekterJuiceBar #LoyaltyMarketing #RestaurantIndustry #GuestExperienceBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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 ago39 min
The Culture Wars: Gen Z Takes Over
Penn Station President Lance Vaught and Curion's Thomas Gilbert join Fast Casual Nation to break down how the 40-year-old sandwich brand is winning over Gen Z customers and employees through local authenticity, digital training, AI-driven personalization, and a rejection of old-school discount marketing.SPONSOR:Curion - We connect brands to people. Visit https://curioninsights.com#FastCasualNation #PennStation #GenZ #RestaurantIndustry #Franchising #FastCasual #RestaurantMarketing #QSRBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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 ago47 min
Why Restaurant Real Estate Is Being Rewritten — And What Operators Need to Know
On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Daniel Ceniceros, Founder & CEO of Connect Media, to unpack how commercial real estate is reshaping the restaurant industry. Daniel breaks down why "treasure hunting" retailers like Ross and TJ Maxx are becoming smart anchor tenants, how secondary markets are opening new opportunities for fast casual growth, why shrinking restaurant footprints are the new normal, and why operators no longer need to sign themselves into decade-long leases. The conversation also dives into what's really happening with distressed office and retail properties, the future of vacant malls and big-box space, and what it takes to win a coveted location against bigger national brands.#FastCasualNation #CommercialRealEstate #RestaurantIndustryBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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 ago37 min
Dave's Hot Chicken Does Marketing in an AI Age
Dave's Hot Chicken CMO Brandon Rhoten joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fast-growing chicken chain uses AI on the back end for customer data and financial analysis while deliberately keeping it out of creative and content production. Rhoten, who previously helped shape Wendy's irreverent social media era, discusses why Gen Z brand loyalty is disappearing, how Dave's uses its seven spice levels to create personalization within a small menu, and why he believes brands that let AI make decisions instead of humans will struggle as the crowded chicken category faces a shakeout.#FastCasualNation #DavesHotChicken #RestaurantMarketingBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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
- Aug 18, 202651 min
AI Winners in 2026 in Restaurant & Hospitality
Bonchon CEO Suzie Tsai joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to talk candidly about the Korean fried chicken brand's AI journey, from admitting its tech stack needed work to building smarter supply chain forecasting, localized marketing, kiosk ordering, and data-privacy safeguards. Tsai shares her wishlist for AI's next frontier in guest connection and third-party delivery, plus a peek at Bonchon's global growth. The episode wraps with the announcement of Fast Casual Nation's 2026 Restaurant AI Awards, now open for nominations.#FastCasualNation #RestaurantAI #BonchonBecome a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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
- Aug 11, 202637 min
The Secret Strategy Behind L&L Hawaiian Barbecue’s Massive Expansion
What does it take to scale a beloved regional icon into a fast-casual powerhouse with over 240 locations?In this episode, hosts Paul and Cherryh sit down with Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, to unpack the strategy, culture, and operational savvy behind one of fast casual's biggest success stories. Elisia shares how the rich, multicultural history of Hawaii’s iconic "plate lunch" translates into new markets across Texas, the West Coast, and now Canada.The conversation dives deep into the delicate dance between maintaining core brand identity and giving franchisees the freedom to express their own entrepreneurial spirit. Elisia breaks down how L&L tackles real-world economic challenges, leverages restaurant technology and loyalty programs to drive customer retention, and uses hyper-local marketing to build lasting community trust.=======================Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.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
- Jul 30, 202634 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
- Jul 21, 202633 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
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About Fast Casual Nation
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—alongside 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.Become a supporter of this podcast: https://www.spreaker.com/podcast/fast-casual-nation--3598490/support.
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