Informa Podcast Network

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Kanal • 5 program

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Dagliga nyheter

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4 mars

The secret behind the success of Dave's Hot Chicken

What makes Dave’s Hot Chicken tick? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Jim Bitticks, the CEO of Dave’s Hot Chicken. This is a great conversation with the chief executive of one of the country’s hottest brands, literally and figuratively. Bitticks was recently promoted to the role and we ask him about that. We talk with him about what makes the brand tick, how things are going under new owner Roark Capital and whether anything will change. We asked Bitticks about the company’s superfast growth and how it combats the potential pratfalls of such growth. And we talk about the chain’s unique strategy of having top executives as operators and how that works. We’re talking hot chicken on A Deeper Dive, so please check it out.

4 mars

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31 min
2025-11-19

How AI may, or may not, change the drive-thru

AI is coming for your drive-thru. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive continues our look at the impact of AI in the restaurant industry. This week, we look at the most visible use of AI in the industry, voice-activated drive-thru ordering. A lot of restaurant chains are already using the technology to take orders in the drive-thru and a lot of executives swear by it, saying that it eases tasks for workers and increases sales through suggestive selling. The biggest fast-food chains in the U.S. are looking at the technology in some form or another. But it also has its challenges, and there are at least some indications that drive-thru AI isn’t quite ready for a national rollout. We’re talking drive-thru AI on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

2025-11-19

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30 min
27 maj

How restaurants can handle the K-shaped economy

How can restaurants deal with the K-shaped economy? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michelle Korsmo, the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association. We typically interview Korsmo at the National Restaurant Association Show every year. This year, we discussed a variety of topics, including the association’s legislative priorities, how it deals with the White House, technology, industry trends and other topics. We also talk about the economy and its impact on restaurants. The economy is bifurcated. Wealthier consumers have money. Low-income consumers do not. And they are cutting back. The result is a wide gulf in performance between restaurant chains. It’s always interesting chatting with Korsmo, so check it out. Visit our website: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com

27 maj

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27 min
25 feb.

Five Guys is making some changes

Five Guys is making some changes. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Molly Catalano, the chief marketing officer for the Washington, D.C.-based fast-casual burger chain. We are talking with Catalano about a lot of things, notably its move into catering. We talk about why the company is now offering catering, how it’s doing that and how it works. We talk about a number of other things the company is doing. Five Guys is marketing more than it’s ever done before. That’s a big change for the company. It is also looking at things like combos and maybe even some different types of menu items. Catalano also discusses the company’s unique culture and the important role the chain’s founding family plays in keeping its quality at the forefront. We’re talking Five Guys on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

25 feb.

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27 min
2025-03-18

A closer look at spring's menu makeovers and fruity flavors

Menu Talk hosts Pat Cobe, senior menu editor of Restaurant Business, and Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, agree that restaurants are pushing out spring flavors earlier than ever. It’s also the season for menu makeovers at several restaurant chains. After identifying “team mom” as a core customer, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux introduced a number of new, female-friendly dishes, less sugary cocktails and higher-end wines. And Noodles & Company launched nine new menu items—an overhaul two years in the making—which you’ll hear more about next week. But this week, we are spotlighting Matt King, president and COO of Legal Sea Foods, as our guest. He chats about the recent menu makeover at the Boston-based casual-dining chain. While the restaurants’ signatures will never be taken off the menu—we’re talking about the best-selling lobster roll and fish and chips—King shares Legal Sea Foods’ journey toward customization. Guests can now create their own flavor profiles, choosing the protein they prefer, along with a sauce or rub, cooking technique and sides. For the indecisive, there are also plenty of chef-curated dishes featuring seasonal, sustainable seafood. Listen as King, the brand’s former head chef, describes Legal Sea Food’s new culinary direction and what’s next.

2025-03-18

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30 min
2025-12-10

How AI is helping restaurants with their marketing

AI is already having a big influence on restaurant marketing. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive continues our examination of the impact artificial intelligence is having on restaurant marketing. The technology is having an impact on marketing for everything from local restaurants to major chains. Senior Tech Editor Joe Guszkowski speaks with Khara Mangiduyos, who uses AI to help her restaurant, Kalei’s Kitchenette. He spoke with Bikky cofounder Abhinav Kapur and Presto cofounder Krishna Gupta, who each talk about their AI-based technology. Guszkowski also talks with former Sonic executive Craig Miller about how these can work with a big chain. We’re talking AI in marketing on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

2025-12-10

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17 min
2025-12-17

How AI will reshape restaurants

How will AI truly change the way restaurants do business? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive concludes our series on the impact of AI on the restaurant industry with a discussion of exactly where the technology will be felt the most. Over the past five weeks, we’ve looked at how AI is affecting fast-food restaurants in the drive-thru, how it’s influencing menu and marketing along with back-of-house tasks. We discuss which of these areas the impact will be felt the most, and where we’re more skeptical. We also talk about what areas surprised us, and how all this will change the industry over the next five years.

2025-12-17

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29 min
2025-01-07

2025 menu predictions and Dry January news

Welcome to a new year of Menu Talk. On this week’s podcast, Bret Thorn, senior food & beverage editor of Nation’s Restaurant News and Restaurant Hospitality, and Pat Cobe, senior menu editor at Restaurant Business, talk trends. New Year’s Day marks the start of Dry January, which seems to be motivation for people to moderate alcohol consumption for a while, even if they fall off the wagon before the month is out. Pat has tried it and stuck with it twice, but this year, she’s going with “Damp” January instead, cutting back without completely abstaining. However Dry January shakes out, the hosts are in agreement that the quantity and quality of mocktails at restaurants and bars is much improved. Bret recently wrote about how the complexity and craftsmanship of spirit-free options offers non-drinking guests an experience that’s not at all diminished. In fact, spirit-free pairings or smaller pours with a tasting menu can actually enhance rather than dull the experience. Aside from the spirit-free trend, which Pat and Bret see continuing, we chatted about the abundance of food and drink predictions that have landed in our inboxes. Will the sweet-heat or “swicy” flavor trend move into 2025, and what will be the “it” cuisine this year? And what’s with all the brown sugar and espresso on the beverage side? Plus, what happened to all the healthy menu items that usually launch in January? Tune in to find out the latest, plus Pat shares an interview with Nathan Louer, chief brand officer at Jamba. He discusses how Jamba has evolved from a juice and smoothie concept to a destination for meal replacements and snacks that balance health and indulgence. Louer and his team are focusing innovation on the core menu, introducing new categories including bowls, blended coffees and bites. Give a listen.

2025-01-07

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33 min
2025-01-14

Trends in coffee and ranch dressing, plus Wingstop's multicultural new sauce

This new year, there has been a lot of buzz about how short-lived most people’s commitment to their resolutions are. Pat and Bret discussed that trend, and the fact that restaurants don’t pile on the better-for-you limited-time offers in early January the way they used to. Instead, they start rolling out later in the month, possibly in anticipation of slimming-down efforts that are renewed in the spring. They rounded out the podcast with an interview Bret conducted with Yara Herrera, chef and partner at Hellbender in the Queens, New York, neighborhood of Ridgewood, who discussed the changing role of women chefs, her sourcing strategy and some of her favorite dishes. Give a listen.

2025-01-14

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38 min
2023-07-13

How True Food Kitchen reimagined its menu with a focus on hyper-seasonality and comfort

Matthew Padilla, culinary director for True Food Kitchen, joined the full-service restaurant group last year and quickly started innovating the menu. This spring, he introduced over 30 new dishes, incorporating hyper-seasonal ingredients and inventive global flavors, with an updated summer menu close behind. To appeal to a broader audience, he transformed comfort-food favorites like burgers, pizza and pasta with healthier twists. Padilla also refreshed menu staples, including bowls, salads and desserts, to be in sync with the seasons—all the while staying true to True Food’s original wellness, sustainability and ethical sourcing mission. Listen as the chef relates his fine-dining culinary journey, shares his menu innovation strategy and talks about what’s next for 43-location True Food Kitchen.

2023-07-13

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22 min

Covering restaurants, grocery, food service, and convenience stores.