Food Fighters: Food for Thought in the Fight for Food – Details, episodes & analysis

In this episode, we chat with Kathie Niven, CEO of Biscuitville. Tune in to hear why Kathie and her team bucked industry trends and decided to forego third-party delivery. Kathie shares how she led Biscuitville through a complete refresh of their brand and optimized her locations for a growing drive-thru channel.

In this episode, we chat with Jill Taylor, CEO of Burgerville. Tune in to hear how Jill and her team have been facing the restaurant labor shortage head-on by investing in the development and safety of their team members. Jill shares how her restaurants have fine-tuned operations to support a 5000% increase in digital orders as well as her vision of making the Pacific Northwest the healthiest region in the country. 

In this episode, we talk to Jared Cohen, the data-driven and forward-thinking COO of Protein Bar and Kitchen. Jared shares how early investments in a digital strategy prepared Protein Bar to respond nimbly to the pandemic, reaching customers in the rapidly shifting locations and times of the “new normal.”  We also discuss the untapped opportunity in the restaurant industry: better utilizing data to deliver personalized, relevant messages to consumers that grow both consumer loyalty and the business. Tune in to hear Jared’s insights on tackling pandemic challenges and creating growth on the other side.

In this episode, we talk to Tressie Lieberman, Chipotle’s VP of Digital and Off-Premise, and one of the restaurant industry’s leading voices on digital marketing. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten restaurants as we know them, Tressie shares how Chipotle has transformed the way it engages with its 15 million loyalty members and constantly innovates to meet their evolving needs.

COVID-19 continues to wreak havoc on the restaurant industry. In this episode, we talk to Jason Morgan, CEO of bellagreen and Original ChopShop, about why they are training customers to order directly and creating incentives for them to do so, and why they are taking delivery in-house.

With most restaurant sales down more than 70% as a result of the COVID-19 crisis, it’s nice to finally hear some positive news. In this episode, we talk to Otto Othman, CEO & Founder of PINCHO about how a close relationship with customers, first-party digital ordering, and creative marketing campaigns have helped drive positive YoY sales growth despite the crisis.

COVID-19 continues to put massive strain on the restaurant industry. In this episode, we talk to Seth Cohen, Partner & Co-founder of Sweetfin, about the decision to stay open, why his team is working on the creation of a “ghost” brand operating out of their existing kitchens and their plans for reopening dining rooms.

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the U.S. restaurant industry. In this episode, we talk to Stacie Colburn Hayes, Chief Marketing Officer of Oath Pizza, about how her team’s quick response to the crisis and strong digital infrastructure helped them minimize the crisis’ impact. You will hear about their overnight pivot to an 100% off-premises model and be inspired by their rapid innovations including a touch-less food truck and pizza kit care-packages now available nationwide.

COVID-19 has dramatically impacted the U.S. restaurant industry in just a few weeks. We sat down with Greg Golkin of Kitchen Fund and Jim Balis of CapitalSpring to understand how restaurant investors & their portfolio brands are weathering the storm, narrowing their focus, and how some restaurants are defining new visions of what it means to be a restaurant.

“Experiences happen inside of the four walls of Punch Bowl Social.” Robert Thompson, Founder & CEO of Punch Bowl Social, credits the brand’s success to experiential food & beverage. Listen in as he discusses where they’ve seen success, and where they’re continuing to define the world of eatertainment.