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A Deeper Dive

Latest episodes

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Jan 19, 2022 • 32min

A former McDonald’s franchisee looks back at her long career

Tracy Johnstone wanted to go into academics. Instead she found plenty of teaching opportunities with McDonald’s. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features the now-former, longtime McDonald’s franchisee, who discusses her more than 30 years in the business.
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Jan 12, 2022 • 26min

How Biggby Coffee works to compete with its giant competitors

How does a small, Midwestern coffee chain compete with the big giants? Bob Fish, the co-CEO and cofounder of Biggby Coffee, joins the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” this week to discuss the chain’s growth strategy. Biggby is a 260-unit chain based in Lansing, Mich. The company has plans for some enormous growth in the near future after largely making it through the pandemic unscathed. It is doing this largely through a franchising model. Fish talks about that growth. He also talks about the need to constantly change in a market where new trends come and go quickly. And he talks about the need for convenience—and why coffee chains could not survive on customers hanging out in cafes alone.
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Jan 5, 2022 • 33min

How ghost kitchens and virtual brands could change the restaurant industry

Virtual brands and ghost kitchens have been hugely popular since the outset of the pandemic. But just how big will they be? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Denny Marie Post, the former Red Robin CEO who is now an advisor to the virtual brand operator Nextbite, among other roles.
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Dec 22, 2021 • 27min

The biggest stories of 2021

This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features staff editors, all discussing their takes on the year’s biggest stories. Editor At Large Peter Romeo, Technology Editor Joe Guszkowski, Independents Editor Heather Lalley and Menu Editor Pat Cobe join me in discussing issues related to labor, technology, the plight of independents, finance and menu trends.
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Dec 15, 2021 • 32min

What is the future of restaurant mergers and acquisitions?

Will high labor costs derail restaurant industry mergers and acquisitions? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Nick Cole, head of restaurant finance for the Mitsubishi UFJ Financial Group, or MUFG.
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Dec 8, 2021 • 30min

Should restaurants worry about the omicron variant?

The omicron variant is spreading. Will it cause problems for restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Roslyn Stone, chief operating officer of Zero Hour Health, who talks about this new variant and what it means for restaurants.
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Dec 1, 2021 • 31min

Can a salad chain become the next big thing in the restaurant business?

Will people eat enough salads to fuel Sweetgreen’s potential growth? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive” features Nancy Kruse, RB’s new menu trends columnist.
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Nov 17, 2021 • 27min

How operators can navigate twin inflationary waves

A Deeper Dive: Jim Balis, managing director with CapitalSpring, joins this week’s episode to talk about overcoming labor and commodity inflation.
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Nov 10, 2021 • 27min

How Andy Wiederhorn plans to pay for all his new chains

How is Andy Wiederhorn doing it? In this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast “A Deeper Dive,” the CEO of Fatburger and Johnny Rockets owner Fat Brands discusses his company’s latest deal, a $130 million acquisition of Fazoli’s. It is the fourth major deal in 14 months, starting with Johnny Rockets, then Global Franchise Group and then Twin Peaks. All told, Wiederhorn’s company has made or announced more than $900 million worth of deals in that period.
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Nov 3, 2021 • 31min

A debate on the long-term impact of the labor challenge on restaurants

Just how bad is the labor shortage? In this episode of the RB podcast “A Deeper Dive,” I debate with Editor-at-Large Peter Romeo about that very topic. Restaurants have been dealing with one of the worst shortages of labor in history, with many locations shortening hours or reducing services because they do not have enough workers. Operators are paying much higher wage rates and they’re paying more for benefits than they ever had. Romeo in a recent column argued that these challenges will ultimately prove worse than the pandemic on the industry, citing the closures and a potential long-term loss of workers. Yet I argue that the issue will ultimately prove better for the industry by forcing it to improve efficiency and employee retention, which will improve operations in the long-term. Who is right? Check out this week’s episode and find out.

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