Take-Away with Sam Oches Nation's Restaurant News

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam shares two interviews that he recently conducted in person at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Both of these leaders are marketers with emerging restaurant businesses looking to make impact for their teams and their brands. First up is Nico Nieto, chief marketing officer at Naf Naf Middle Eastern Grill, a restaurant marketing veteran who is tasked with spreading the word about fast-casual franchise Naf Naf. He shares some tips on marketing an emerging restaurant concept, particularly one with a cuisine that is still fairly unfamiliar to many Americans. After that Sam chats with Jade Hedgeman-Chioke, VP of sales and marketing for Primo Partners, a Ben & Jerry’s franchise in the Southeast. Jade shares more about Primo Partners mission to develop strong business leaders in its pipeline, particularly Black entrepreneurs, and how the company connects that mission to its community. 
 
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 chef Robert Irvine, host of the TV show “Restaurant Impossible,” owner of multiple restaurant concepts, and all-around food entrepreneur and innovator. Robert and Sam sat down at the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago to discuss his leadership style, his thoughts on the state of the foodservice industry, and his recent investments in restaurant technology.
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
A strict but empathetic leadership style creates a productive, loyal working environment You’ll get better results when you drop your ego and listen to people Technology solutions allow operators to reallocate their spend on labor Consumer adoption of technology gives restaurants permission to innovate Once inflation cools, the restaurant industry should be able to springboard into the future
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 Scott Isaacs, president of Brixx Wood Fired Pizza, a 20-unit, full-service pizza concept out of Charlotte, N.C. Scott is a restaurant industry veteran, including 25 years spent at Darden, and he’s been tasked with bringing new energy and momentum to this 26-year-old concept. Scott joined the podcast to talk about the state of full-service pizza and how Brixx leans into food, service, and atmosphere as part of its value equation.  
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
Smart operations plus healthy finances equal a strong brand All we’re going to talk about this year is value, value, valueYou should raise prices because you have to, not because you canThe next generation might have a different definition of value and you need to adaptFood, service, and atmosphere are three critical ingredients to loyalty
 Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam first talks with Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian BBQ, and then Beto Guajardo, CEO of Blaze Pizza, in person at the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix. These two CEOs get to the heart of what it takes to be the leader of a restaurant brand at a time when the challenges are many and the change is frequent, and they share their strategies for capitalizing on opportunities in the marketplace. 
In this conversation, you’ll find out why:
Global flavor profiles are on the rise Leaders of franchise businesses live to fulfil others’ American dreamsYou need to find a balance between the bells and whistles and the things customers loved you for in the first place Expect fast-casual pizza to be a big player in the value warsThere is opportunity in leaning into your headwinds
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 Dan Bejmuk, CEO and cofounder of the marketing firm Dreambox, and Lena Katz, principal creative with Variable Content. Dan and Lena each work closely with social media influencers, and Dan shares some thoughts on why restaurants should consider influencer marketing, plus some do’s and don’ts in building a campaign, then Lena gets really in the weeds on how business owners can construct an influencer campaign. 
Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at sam.oches@informa.com. 

In this special episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, NRN’s editor-in-chief talks with Tom Cindric, president of the National Restaurant Association Show. This year’s Show is held at Chicago’s McCormick Place this May 18-21, and Tom shares more about why restaurant leaders should attend this annual event, what’s new at the Show this year, how attendees can optimize their time in Chicago, and much more.