Take-Away with Sam Oches Nation's Restaurant News

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Mike Ungaro, the CEO and co-owner of San Pedro Fish Market, an iconic restaurant on the San Pedro waterfront south of Los Angeles. Mike is part of the third generation to lead San Pedro Fish Market, and he helped the restaurant launch a hit online TV series, “Kings of Fi$h.” He joined the podcast to share how San Pedro Fish Market has capitalized on its status as a Southern California icon and how it’s seized control of its narrative to the betterment of the business.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
You should pay attention to how your guests are engaging with youIt’s never been easier to turn your brand into a showContent is king, so make it a priority Any part of your story you leave blank, customers will fill in
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Andy Howard, president and CEO of Huey Magoo’s. This chicken-tender fast casual based in Florida recently opened its 66th location and is quickly franchising around the country. Andy was a part of the team that took Wingstop from about 80 stores to 600 before he discovered and bought Huey Magoo’s, and he joined the podcast to share the story of Huey Magoo’s incredible success and what it takes to stand out in the very busy and very popular chicken category.
 
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
A killer tagline can help you stand tall among competitorsNew store prototypes can unlock access to new potential franchiseesTo excel in this industry, you need to be good student of itJust like Goldilocks, your menu shouldn’t be too simple or too difficult, but just right
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Chris Doody and Matt Harding, the CEO and chief creative officer, respectively, for Piada Italian Street Food, a fast-casual Italian brand that is approaching 60 locations across six states. Having launched in 2010, Piada was a part of fast casual’s first big wave, and Chris and Matt joined the podcast to explain why the brand has finally earned the right to grow through outside capital.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
A strong dinner daypart is critical to fast casual successYou don’t have to charge an arm and a leg for high-quality fast-casual foodAchieving a 2.5:1 sales-to-investment ratio is when you deserve to growYou shouldn’t emphasize growth until you’ve earned brand awareness in your existing marketsItalian food is harder than it looksCustomers should know who is in charge of your restaurants
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with John Meyers, the COO at Marco’s Pizza. The fifth-largest pizza chains in America had one of the best years among the pizza chains last year, according to the Technomic Top 500, enjoying 7.6% sales growth and 7.2% unit growth. John has been with the brand for about 4 years, but only recently stepped into the role as COO. He joined the podcast to share how his past experience working at Disney taught him how to manage the operational complexities of a national system such as Marco’s.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
Your employees should be empowered to enhance the guest experienceOperational empathy will improve your path as a leaderThe better the experience you create, the better your sales becomeYou can’t afford to not have a deep bench of leaders
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam re-shares a conversation he had with Maria Rivera, CEO of Smalls Sliders, on a visit to her office in Atlanta last summer. Smalls has enjoyed incredible success since this interview first aired, and NRN is excited to announce that Maria will join Smalls and Walk-On's founder Brandon Landry, as well as Morven Groves of 10 Point Capital, for the keynote conversation at NRN's Investment Summit this Oct. 8-9 in Nashville.
If you're the founder or leader of an emerging restaurant chain looking for capital resources to grow, join us at the Investment Summit and CREATE in Nashville by registering for free at create.nrn.com.
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Heath Nielsen, president of HTeaO, an iced tea franchise that is enjoying incredible growth in its home state of Texas and beyond. HTeaO showed up for the first time on this year’s Technomic Top 500, growing its unit count by 47% in 2023 to 103 locations and climbing to spot No. 442 on the Top 500. Heath joined the podcast to talk about how this upstart tea franchise first got his attention and why he thinks it has so much upside at a time when coffee seems to be king.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
Self-service could be a game-changer for the booming beverage categoryDrive-thru-only is not the only growth opportunity for beverageThe PM side of the road is just as important as the AM sideLine extensions are a great way to support franchisees and enter retail spaceEfficiency, innovation the name of the game in beverage — but cost considerations crucial
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com.