What does the Technomic Top 500 tell us about the restaurant industry right now? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Pawlak, managing principal with Technomic. And we talk all about the report and the trends that it reveals. The Top 500 is essentially data on the chain restaurant industry, since that data makes up the vast majority of chain sales. Restaurant sales increased more than 8% last year, but that was due entirely to prices and some unit growth, rather than traffic. We talk about some chains on that Top 500, including the chicken business, specifically Popeyes and KFC, and why one of those chains has been able to thrive in a changing market for chicken. We also talk about how top heavy the Top 500 is getting, given performance of chains high up on the list. We talk about which sectors are doing the best and get into a discussion on the beverage business. And we talk about what chains have the most potential to hit the Top 10.

How is Pinstripes upgrading the bowling experience? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Dale Schwartz, the CEO of the growing eatertainment concept Pinstripes. Dale joined us at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in April. We talk about, well, Pinstripes, a concept that combines bowling and bocce with a restaurant. It is part of the fast-growing eatertainment sector led by such concepts as Top Golf. Schwartz talks about the chain’s history and what makes his concept different than others. He also explains its heavy reliance on events for much of the chain’s sales, and how those events help the brand. We also talk about what makes the brand different than other bowling alleys. We also talk about the need to have a great experience and great food, given the growing competition in the eatertainment space these days. And we talk about the chain’s decision to go public via special purpose acquisition company, or SPAC. We’re talking bowling and bocce on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Who is winning the chicken wars? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features a discussion on recent earnings with RB Executive Editor Lisa Jennings. A huge number of earnings have come in and many of them are head-scratchers. While a lot of chains have done really well, like Wingstop and its 22% same-store sales number, others have not, such as KFC and its sales decline. We discuss that issue, and what the first quarter means for the chicken market in general, including Popeyes and Chick-fil-A. We also contrast the performance of Chipotle and Starbucks, and why one chain can do well despite concerns about prices, while another cannot. We’re talking earnings on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

What’s coming to this year’s National Restaurant Association Show? More seats, for one thing. This special episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Tom Cindric, the president of exhibitions for Informa Connect Foodservice, which operates the show and is also a sister company of Restaurant Business. We will be attending the Show this year, and will do a few podcasts from the event, which runs from May 18 through May 21. But we wanted to talk with Cindric to get a better idea of what to look for. Cindric expects a big event this year, which may or may not be indicative of the state of the industry right now: People are looking for solutions to the operating issues they’re dealing with. We talk about technology, which is a huge focus of the show, as is equipment. We talk about menu issues and changes at this year’s event, including more benches for people tired of walking. We’re talking about the National Restaurant Association Show on A Deeper Dive so check it out.

Convenience stores are upping their food game and one concept is taking advantage of it. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Norberg, the CEO of the convenience-store chicken concept Krispy Krunchy Chicken. We had Jim on largely because convenience stores are getting a lot of foodservice business right now. Traffic at convenience stores is up 17% since before the pandemic, compared with 5% at quick-service restaurants—meaning that some of the lost traffic at restaurants is heading to the local gas station. One reason is the higher quality food c-stores are putting out now. Krispy Krunchy is taking advantage of that. Norberg is a former executive with McDonald’s, and he is bringing a restaurant mentality to the concept. The brand is getting into third-party delivery and recently hired its first chief marketing officer in Alice Crowder. We talk with Jim about the company’s rapid growth and how many locations it expects to go into this year alone. We talk about how that program works and what’s driving interest in c-stores. We also talk about Krispy Krunchy’s new marketing program and how it can market a concept located in other businesses. We’re talking convenience-store chicken on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

How do you tailor your real estate strategies to an uncertain market? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Stephen Cohen, an attorney who specializes in real estate for restaurants and retailers. A lot of restaurants want to expand right now and are doing everything they can to do so. But the cost of expansion is higher than ever. Construction costs are up. Interest rates are high. And lease rates are also high because of intense competition. Cohen discusses these issues and talks about how companies can balance the need to grow with the need to ensure that they don’t wreck their unit economics. We talk about what companies can do to remain competitive for good sites. Cohen also talks about the biggest mistakes restaurants make with their real estate strategies. It’s a real estate podcast this week so please check it out.

What is the future of virtual restaurants? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robbie Earl, the co-founder of Virtual Dining Concepts. The company is now the largest operator of digital-only brands, which operate inside other restaurants, ghost kitchens and other facilities. They typically do not have a traditional storefront. Virtual brands were all the rage during the pandemic but for various reasons they have slowed coming out of it. Some of them have been quite successful and others not so much. We talk about how virtual brands can ensure the restaurants they work with produce quality food. We discuss whether they should open more brick-and-mortar locations. We ask about Virtual Dining Concepts’ relationship with MrBeast Burger, currently embroiled in litigation. And we talk about what makes a good virtual brand partnership and whether anything has changed more recently. This is a fascinating discussion about a fascinating topic so please check it out.

What happens when you combine high-tech miniature golf and food? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Vrankin, the CEO of the fast-growing eatertainment concept Puttshack. Puttshack is an 18-unit chain that combines a full-service restaurant with an indoor game of minigolf—neither of which is all that standard. The minigolf features innovative games featuring a high-tech ball and the food is much better than traditional eatertainment fare. We talk with Vrankin about the concept, the games and the food. We chat about consumers’ higher expectations for food and why a company like Puttshack cannot overlook the menu. We talk about real estate, and an awful lot about minigolf, and where the chain is going from here. It’s a fascinating conversation about food and minigolf, so please check it out.

What is happening at the Restaurant Leadership Conference this year? We decided to demand that Chris Keating, the EVP of Conferences for Informa Connect, RB’s parent company, talk about the conference, which runs April 14-17. And he was happy to oblige. We ask about what’s happening at the event and the strategy behind it. We also chat about Martha Stewart, and Chris tells us some of his sports interview stories. And we also talk about whether the conference itself reflects the state of the restaurant business. We’re talking RLC on a special edition of A Deeper Dive.

How did Wingstop fix its cost problem? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michael Skipworth, the chicken chain's CEO. Wingstop is hitting on all cylinders right now, thanks to the popularity of chicken wings and takeout but also because of its new line of chicken sandwiches, which have helped lure new customers in during different times of day. But it has also helped the chain with food costs. Chicken wings are the most volatile commodity, certainly among proteins. One year they could hit record prices and the next year they come down considerably. It has given plenty of executives massive headaches trying to deal with them. But Wingstop’s move into boneless options, like the chicken sandwich, has helped change things. Skipworth talks all about it. He also discusses technology, delivery and Wingstop’s plan to build its own tech stack and reach its goal of 100% digital transactions. We’re talking chicken on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.