QSR Uncut QSR magazine

Kristen Hartman, the president of Specialty Brands at GoTo Foods (formerly Focus Brands)—the parent company of Auntie Anne's, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister's Deli, Moe's Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s—takes us inside the mashup everybody’s talking about. Is co-branding making a comeback? Should we call it something else? We’ll get into that and a lot more.

The food-cart-to-global-franchise brand has expansion on the mind once again as it prepares to take its iconic concept to new markets. Meanwhile, CEO Ahmed Abouelenein continues to position the fast casual for the future while paying homage to its past—a balance that’s constantly preparing The Halal Guys for whatever comes next.

Jason Brooks has spent more than 30 years in the restaurant industry with six of the top 100 brands. He joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to share some of that wisdom and how he coaches leaders to drive culture and manage teams from all levels of the organization. If you want to want to dive in deeper, Jason’s new book is now available here: https://www.jasonebrooks.com/book

Viral Nation cofounder and CEO Joe Gagliese joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss what’s fast become one of the most successful marketing realms of quick service. McDonald’s Famous Orders. MrBeast Burger. What do these stories have in common? They found a way to tap into the audiences that matter most to today’s consumers.

Farmer Boys COO and president Joseph Ortiz joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to take us inside a 40-plus-year-old brand that continues to chart its own path, and share what it’s like to run and grow a California-based brand these days. We get into everything from sourcing to menu innovation to how to handle the labor challenge, and much more.

Diana Geseking, General Counsel at Restaurant Technologies, joins QSR Editorial Director Danny Klein to dive into the ever-evolving topic of sustainability and how operators and partners can work together to make a lasting impact, and improve kitchen operations while they’re at it. This episode was sponsored by Restaurant Technologies