Forktales – Details, episodes & analysis

Kenny Morrison is a cannabis industry pioneer and the founder of VCC Brands and CQ Drinks. With a background in documentary filmmaking and early cannabis retail, Kenny has been instrumental in shaping the cannabis-infused beverage category since 2008.

VCC Brands, originally Venice Cookie Company, is a legacy cannabis company focused exclusively on beverages since 2020. Its flagship brand, CQ (Cannabis Quencher), creates micro- and macro-dose drinks designed to be approachable, flavorful and stigma-free.

Founded in Venice Beach, VCC Brands embodies the area’s countercultural spirit with a refined, modern twist. CQ was born partly in response to early San Francisco regulations requiring “cannabis” to appear prominently on product labels. Today, the brand operates in seven states (soon to be eight) through a mix of licensing partnerships and hemp distribution, aiming to normalize cannabis consumption with clean branding, fast-acting nanoemulsification technology, and a lifestyle-oriented appeal.

Kenny got into the cannabis industry by helping friends transition from underground cultivation to legal retail, ultimately co-founding one of LA’s first dispensaries.

VCC Brands began as a baked goods company but pivoted fully to beverages to focus on “the future of drinking.”

CQ Drinks emphasizes approachability by avoiding stereotypical stoner branding and designing products with women and first-time consumers in mind. 

Kenny compares CQ’s brand positioning to “the Corona of cannabis” — a laid-back, beachy vibe grounded in authenticity.

Nanoemulsification helps cannabis beverages hit faster, making them more comparable to alcohol and easing consumer adoption.

Despite being a cannabis entrepreneur, Kenny uses the product less than most of his family and believes in freedom of choice across alcohol and cannabis.

He stresses honesty, reliability, and customer service as keys to building trust in the cannabis space, especially for new users.

Regional product tweaks — like adding seasonal flavors in Massachusetts — have helped CQ Drinks grow in both the dispensary and hemp markets.

“Visiting one of these early stores, it was almost like an anthropological experiment for me, which really just means that I’m a thrill seeker.” (Kenny)

“Ever since I was a little kid, my father never hid his cannabis use from me. Even when I was nine, he’d say, ‘Hey Kenny, I’m going to go get some grass, want to come with me?'” (Kenny)

“We’re basically, you know, the original prohibition cannabis beverage brand… the things we’ve been through to keep this thing alive, it’s a frickin’ novel.” (Kenny)

“The goal is to get to a place where we can really tell that story in sort of a deep, profound way.” (Kenny)

“My theory has just been, look, if girls like to drink it, guys are going to drink it.” (Kenny)

“We’re all trying to target the alcohol consumer looking to moderate their alcohol consumption… and when a cannabis drink affects you as quick as an alcoholic drink does, that’s going to increase consumership.” (Kenny)

“Cannabis should be perceived as a benefit to be promoted rather than a harm to be tolerated.” (Kenny)

“Something that makes cannabis very different than alcohol is because cannabis is non-toxic… tolerances vary far greater than people’s tolerance for alcohol.” (Kenny)

“You’ve got to have great customer service and you’ve got to be honest. Especially in cannabis.” (Kenny)

“We’re gathering a ton of information based on the success of those products in their territories… then we can release the greatest hits in our hemp lineup.” (Kenny)

“I just think we’re in this season where the general knowledge of cannabis is slowly, gradually building up.” (Kenny)

Laurel Orley is the founder and CEO of Daily Crunch Snacks and a mission-driven entrepreneur with a background in advertising. After more than a decade building major brands like Dove at Unilever, she transitioned to launch her own company focused on health, flavor, and impact.

Daily Crunch Snacks is a women-owned snack brand offering sprouted, air-dried almonds and other nut blends with bold, innovative flavors. Rooted in a family recipe and a mission to support mental health, the brand emphasizes clean ingredients, sustainability, and crave-worthy crunch.

Laurel launched Daily Crunch with her aunt Diane, who developed the unique sprouting process after studying brain health in India.

The brand debuted in March 2020—days before the COVID-19 shutdown—and adapted its launch strategy for a digital-first world.

Daily Crunch has since expanded into 6,000+ stores and was named the 13th fastest-growing food and beverage company by Inc.

Laurel is a board member of the Upcycled Food Association and a member of EY’s Entrepreneurial Winning Women Class of 2024.

The brand’s mental health mission is personal: Laurel’s cousin lost his life to bipolar disorder, inspiring her family to create The Support Network, which Daily Crunch supports financially and publicly.

Laurel’s experience on Dove’s Real Beauty campaign taught her the power of mission-driven marketing and authenticity.

The sprouting process transforms the texture of almonds, making them crisp and chip-like while improving digestibility.

Product innovation stems from a blend of trend reports, consumer feedback, and Laurel’s own flavor instincts—like turmeric & sea salt or Nashville Hot.

Collaborations, like their Fly By Jing partnership, are a strategic focus for driving awareness and reaching new audiences.

Upcycling ingredients—such as pickle ends from Cleveland Kitchen—helps reduce waste and differentiate flavor profiles.

Daily Crunch doesn’t lead with its mission, but invites consumers to discover its mental health advocacy as they dig deeper into the brand.

“I wanted to launch a brand with a mission that I believed in. Our mission is actually mental health awareness.” (Laurel)

“Soaking nuts removes phytic acid, an anti-nutrient, making them more bioavailable, easier to digest and more nutrient dense.” (Laurel)

“The crunch is what gets people in. It’s lighter, airier, crunchier. Honestly, it’s like a chip.” (Laurel)

“You’re always going to have setbacks. My motto is always two steps forward, one step back.” (Laurel)

“We had to throw out 20,000 pounds of almonds and I didn’t have the right insurance for it. I almost threw in the towel.” (Laurel)

“There’s a fine balance between mental and physical health. It all ladders back up to brain health.” (Laurel)

“When you see someone in the wild buying your product, it’s the best feeling. I was hiding behind a pillar at the airport.” (Laurel)

“The savory-sweet combo is really resonating right now. Our last two launches were savory, but you can definitely do both.” (Laurel)

The Golden Steer Steakhouse, established in 1958, is Las Vegas’s oldest continuously operating steakhouse. It has been a favored dining spot for numerous celebrities, including Frank Sinatra, Elvis Presley, and Marilyn Monroe. The restaurant is renowned for its classic ambiance, featuring red leather booths named after its famous patrons, tuxedoed servers, and tableside preparations of Caesar salads and flambéed desserts.

One diner once said, “The Golden Steer feels like the soul of Las Vegas.” 

Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli are the managing partners of the Golden Steer. Nick & Amanda took over as managing partners in 2018. Amanda’s father, Dr. Michael Signorelli, purchased the Golden Steer in 2001. 

Nick has spent his career building companies in both the technology and food industries. Amanda’s background is in the tech industry.

Nick and Amanda created a mail order offering called Goldbelly in 2020 as a way to offset the impact of lost sales during COVID. The online sales continue today with a variety of high end seasonings and compound butters.

Customer service and hospitality is a key part of the Golden Steer brand and they live that philosophy every day. It includes simple things like answering phones with a human voice, which Golden Steer has hired staff members to do.  

The Golden Steer has worked hard to build its social media presence, becoming one of the most viewed steakhouses on TikTok and using the channel to create offers that drive traffic to the restaurant. 

00:01.94

vigorbranding

Hello, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m Michael Pavone, and we’re really excited about this episode. This is gonna be a fun story. There’s a list, obviously, of truly legendary restaurants right in in the United States, but the Golden Steer in Las Vegas is one of those restaurants. it’s It’s the oldest continually operating steakhouse in Las Vegas, and our guests today are Nick McMillan and Amanda Signorelli. I’m Italian, so I got that right, right?

00:29.18

Nick _ Amanda

Nailed it.

00:29.73

vigorbranding

yeah Okay. So the managing partners, the Golden Steer, the Golden Steer is a steak house that became a regular stop of Fr

Sam has played a major role in the creative outputs at Vigor, but that’s not the only part of his story. Sam has served as a spirits critic for major magazines, a bartender for reputable bars, and even wrote a book that seeks to capture the hearts of everyone born in or near the 90’s. In this episode, we cover many bases on the state of the beverage industry, what’s trending, and great ideas. We also have a lot of laughs.

Take a look at Sam’s book on Bookshop.org: Are You Afraid of the Dark Rum?: And Other Cocktails for ’90s Kids

Support the good people at Utz and their yummy cheeseballs.

Hey all you hungry people out there. We’re gearing up to launch Forktales in a few weeks. Forktales will be a podcast and vidcast focused on bringing food, beverage, and hospitality leaders to the forefront of the conversation. We’ll be covering all sorts of topics from trends, forecasting, and challenges facing the industry. Every other week, a new Forktales episode will go live for you to enjoy.

Currently in the line up is Sam Slaugther, copywriter at Vigor, Kelli Valade, President of Black Box Intelligence, Betsy Hamm, COO of Duck Donuts, and many more. So, please subscribe to the podcast service of your choice as well as our YouTube channel, and get ready to dig into some tasty content!

Anand is the Founder and Managing Partner of Gala Capital Partners, a diversified investment and holding company with interests in chain restaurants, software & technology, real estate development, franchising and public equities investment. He has spent the past 35 years in various executive capacities within the Software, Real Estate & Restaurant Industries.

Gala Capital Partners invests in (among other things) restaurants. The current portfolio includes CiCi’s Pizza, Famous Dave’s Barbeque, Rusty Taco and MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes.

Anand grew up in the restaurant industry. His mother was an early franchisee with Jack in the Box. 

Anand’s parents knew the restaurant industry was a difficult career path, so they encouraged Anand to pursue other careers. He graduated from USC with a degree in biology, but he was drawn back into the family business and fell in love with it all over again. 

When it comes to restaurants to invest in, Gala Capital Partners focuses on five key categories: burgers, chicken, tacos/Mexican, pizza and coffee. 

The brands that Gala Capital Partners focus on are between 25-350 units. They call those “adolescent brands.”  

When evaluating successful franchises, Anand starts with the quality of the food. Focusing on quality and taste is the easiest way for a restaurant to stand out from the competition. 

“(The restaurant industry) is usually the first job for many young adults and teenagers. It teaches them work ethic, it teaches them responsibility.” (Anand)

“When I returned to the (restaurant) business after university, I realized I could learn about finance, I could learn about accounting, I could learn about marketing, I could learn about HR, I could learn about IT, I could get into real estate. It was so multi-dimensional. It was remarkable and it just captivated me.” (Anand) 

“There were many, many humbling experiences. When you’re 25 you have a great deal of confidence and bravado. I had a couple lessons that I learned the hard way and I think I’m far better off for it today.” (Anand) 

“I’d encourage each and every (restaurant) executive to go work a week and do that every single year. You don’t know what a franchisee goes through and you don’t know what a store manager goes through until you’ve done it.” (Anand)

“Each and every one of our restaurant brands plays a significant role in how you serve the customer.” (Anand) 

“Our typical franchisee and the ideal profile is somebody who is new to franchising and really wants to get into the business and work in the business and be hands on in the stores. Or it’s going to be someone in a smaller market of the family business and they’ve got anywhere from 3 to 30 locations and they really love being hands on and involved.” (Anand) 

“We want very active and hands on operators. People who want to be there and build relationships with their leadership teams, with their managers, with their employees. They want to participate and support their local communities. Those are the folks we’re looking for.” (Anand) 

00:01.44

vigorbranding

Hello, everyone. Today’s guest is Anand Gala of Gala Capital Partners. Put simply, Anand is an investor, and one of those investments is restaurants. But I’ve known him for quite a while, and I’m always blown away by his stories, his growth, and and everything in between. So this will be a great conversation. Anand, welcome to Fork Tales. Thanks for doing this program.

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Andy is president of Gellert Global Group. The company imports more than 5,500 unique food items from more than 60 countries and is one of the largest food importers in the world. Gellert Global Group is home to 12 companies, led by Atalanta, the largest privately-held food importer in the U.S.

Gellert Global is a third-generation family-run business. The Gellert Global Group comprises many of the leading North American food-importing companies and has been importing food products for over 100 years. The combined revenues of the Group exceed $1.7 billion.

The Gellert Global family includes Andy’s sister, brother and cousin. Andy’s father and uncle are also part of the company. Andy’s father, George, was recently inducted into the New Jersey business hall of fame. 

Gellert Global’s goal is to be a part of every food and beverage experience. 

Andy and his team use a variety of factors to determine which products and brands to partner with, including trends and the needs of customers.

“Some of these family businesses and you hear about fighting and people not getting along. I think we’re successful because we keep growing and there’s enough things for everyone to do and for everyone to bring value.” (Andy) 

“You want (joining the family business) to happen organically. It’s a fun business. There’s opportunities for (family) to join if they want. There’s no obligation to come in. We’d like them to come in, but we don’t want to make a rule that they have to come in.” (Andy) 

“Network is important to my father. I learned that from him early on. Being a part of YPO (Young President’s Organization), I love leveraging my network. I like investing in early-stage CPG’s and helping and leading them to other opportunities.” (Andy) 

“We don’t want to lose direction. We’re very big and we’re happy where we are but we’re not in a rush to get to two billion. We’re going to get there smart. If it means pairing down and doing SKU rationalization to be more profitable, all the better.” (Andy) 

“It’s really all about efficiency. As you get bigger you can be more efficient, but you have to be diligent.” (Andy) 

“We’re an importer of products so our products are expensive already. We’re always looking for ways to (save). You always have to turn over rocks to look for more opportunities.” (Andy) 

“I love eating. I love food experiences. I love being surprised. I like going to a chef and saying ‘Just surprise me. Just give me what you do best.’” (Andy) 

00:00.45

Andy Gellert

Bye.

00:01.87

vigorbranding

Hey there, welcome to Fork Tales. I’m ah Michael Pavone, and I’m happy to really get a chance to talk to a good friend of mine. ah Today we have Andy Gellert here. He’s a good friend I’ve known for and respected for a long, long time. Andy’s the president of Gellert Global Group, one of the largest food importers in the world. ah They import more than 2,500 product lines from more than 60 countries. Andy, thank you so much for being here.

00:27.05

Andy Gellert

Mike, always a pleasure, always great seeing you, and nice seeing your smiling face, and I love hanging out with you. We’re always having a lot of fun together.

00:34.39

vigorbranding

Yeah, absolutely. You know, if they if they have music for this in the beginning, you know, I was going to, I was going to change up our, our forktails music and have a little.

00:41.1

Shannon is VP of Marketing for Rubix Foods. Rubix bills itself as “a premier culinary and food science-focused provider of flavor and functional ingredients, offering up insight-driven concepts and breakthrough food solutions for industry leading restaurants, retailers and manufacturers in the United States.”

Rubix works with about 70% of the top QSR and FSR chains with a focus on sauces, glazes and spreads. Rubix has a full R&D team that works on new flavors and processes to help with shelf life and other factors. 

Consumers today demand specific flavors from specific parts of the world. 

The quick-service restaurant (QSR) industry faces unique challenges in product development. Scaling products to meet operational demands, managing supply chains, and maintaining cost-effectiveness are all critical. 

Products must also maintain consistent taste, shelf stability, and not require refrigeration, adding to the complexity. This differs from fine dining, where chefs can source fresh ingredients from farmers’ markets and prepare them on-site. The technicalities involved in QSR make the development process much more intricate and demanding compared to traditional restaurant models.

Rubix Foods created the NEXT Flavor Network, an insight generator comprised of an exclusive group of social influencers who have joined the Rubix team to bring Gen Z-approved concepts to restaurant menus.

“What really sets (Rubix Foods) apart is the market research and consumer insights, which plays a huge role in what we do, and also speed-to-market. Because of our size and the team members that we have here we are able to be much more nimble and agile.” (Shannon) 

“We’re able to help restaurants capitalize on (flavor trends) at the peak of their virality and take advantage of trends much faster than (competitors).” (Shannon) 

“Gen Z is the most diverse demographic in history and they’re really excited about trying new flavors. Social media is a part of that.” (Shannon) 

“We’re seeing a lot of really exciting flavor profiles entering the marketplace. Like Korean flavors and Korean barbeque, Hawaiian flavors, a lot of spins on tropical and Caribbean flavors. It’s been really exciting. Not much is off limits right now.” (Shannon) 

“We all eat food. We all have our own unique food experiences. So it’s extremely interesting and nuanced and novel to see how other people are experiencing food. Food influencers have really tapped into that.” (Shannon) 

“There are very few companies that can allow brands to take advantage of social trends at the peak of their virality and actually get them on a menu while consumers still care about it. That is what brands need to do if they want to win with Gen Z.” (Shannon)

Renfro Foods is a privately owned, award-winning food producer of salsas, sauces and relishes, including 30 Mrs. Renfro’s products, located in Fort Worth, Texas. 

Founded in 1940, Renfro Foods is owned and managed by the second and third generations of the Renfro family. Its products are sold in the United States, the Caribbean, Canada and the U.K.

As president of Renfro Foods, Doug works closely with his cousins Becky and James to run the company. In particular, Doug focuses on research and development, private label and contract packing, quality assurance, sales and marketing, legal, information technology and a dozen other areas 

Doug and his cousins strive for family harmony in managing the company and don’t make any major decisions without a unanimous vote of support. 

For Doug, one of the benefits of working with family is the ability to be brutally honest with each other and still maintain a civil and professional relationship.  

The team at Renfro Foods pays close attention to flavor trends to identify new salsa flavors. 

“When I got out of college, if I had come to work here I would have been chopping cabbage. The executive positions were filled by my dad and my uncle.” (Doug)

“When I came (to Renfro Foods) I had been in charge of corporate accounting for a billion dollar company. My uncle was still doing pricing on a legal pad with his desk calculator. I said, ‘Here’s a spreadsheet. It’s going to instantaneously recalculate the cost of thousands of items in a millisecond.’ He saw what that did and he said, ‘Can you do that every 90 days from now on?’” (Doug) 

“If you don’t demand as much of your ego to be around, one of the secrets I tell (people) is get somebody without your last name to suggest the same idea you’ve been suggesting that’s been ridiculed and suddenly it’s a great idea.” (Doug)

“If you take business things personally, that screws (family) relationships up.” (Doug) 

“I think we lost money on every jar of Raspberry Chipotle we sold last year. Thankfully we didn’t sell many.” (Doug)

“I want everything on the label to be tasteable but you can’t always afford to do that without losing money,” (Doug) 

00:01.23

vigorbranding

All right, hey there, Fork Tales listeners and viewers. I am really happy to be joined today by a good friend of mine, Doug Renfro. Doug is president of Renfro Foods. And I had to say it like 25 times because somehow the word foods after Renfro, I mean, foods in Renfro is easy.

00:13.93

Doug Renfro

sorry

00:15.18

vigorbranding

Renfro Foods, I just struggled. But anyway, ah he is the the the president of Mrs. Renfro’s Salsa. ah Not only are they a family owned company, which always is interesting, but they’re one of the most innovative companies I know. Doug, welcome and thank you very much for joining us and for your time.

00:32.73

Doug Renfro

Thanks, happy to be here.

00:34.60

vigorbranding

So ah you know I’m going to start off by pointing out i’ve I’ve been very fortunate to know you and to ah have your product. And it’s phenomenal. And I’m not just saying that. ah Case in point, I have three jars behind me that were supposed to be props for this presentation. There w

Burney Jennings is the CEO and president of Biscuitville. Burney took over the leadership reins from his father and founder of Biscuitville Maurice Jennings in 1996. Burney’s bold leadership, vision and keen sense of knowing what customers want has contributed to the company’s growth and success. 

Headquartered in Greensboro, North Carolina, Biscuitville Fresh Southern is a family-owned company serving authentic Southern food made fresh daily from locally sourced ingredients. Known as the Home of the Biscuit Window Since 1966, Biscuitville serves scratch-made biscuits baked fresh every 15 minutes. 

Biscuitville employs over 2,400 people and operates more than 70 restaurants in North Carolina, Virginia and South Carolina. In July 2023, Biscuitville was voted the nation’s Best Fast Food Breakfast & Best Regional Fast Food restaurant in the 2023 USA Today Readers’ Choice 10Best contest. 

Burney’s father inherited his mother’s famous biscuit recipe after his ailing mother gave him a choice of his inheritance – the recipe or the farm. Burney’s father chose the recipe and the rest is history. 

Biscuitville has stood out from the competition for not working with food delivery services like Uber Eats and GrubHub. According to Burney, the decision was based on several factors including the inability to accommodate to-go orders because the restaurant is so busy. 

Biscuitville has made headlines with its “Life After 2” program in which each of its locations close at 2pm each day. The program allows employees to pursue other interests and spend more time with their families. 

“(My grandmother) gave my dad – since he was the oldest – the choice: My biscuit recipe or the farm. He chose the biscuit recipe.” (Burney)

“The key to a good biscuit is love.” (Burney)

“Growing up, my dad was fascinated by chain restaurants. My dad told me, ‘We all know how to make a McDonald’s hamburger. We know the ingredients. It’s not about the burger, it’s how they do it. It’s the system they put in place. It’s the marketing, it’s the brand, it’s the people, it’s the execution.’” (Burney)

“We started closing at 2pm. Our food quality went up, our food costs went down and our employees are much happier. Now of course, you need to be a morning person. If you’re not a morning person, we’re not a good place for you.” (Burney) 

“We really strive to work with local companies first, and if we can’t be local, we work with family businesses.” (Burney) 

“We’ve been able to differentiate ourselves in the breakfast space because we close at 2pm. People know breakfast is our focus.” (Burney) 

00:00.01

Burney Jennings

I can, this is not too close.

00:04.65

vigorbranding

No, ye you’re perfect.

00:05.35

Burney Jennings

No video? Okay.

00:06.54

vigorbranding

Yep. Okay. You ready to roll?

00:08.75

Burney Jennings

Now I’m ready to roll.

00:10.09

vigorbranding

All right. Welcome, Fork Tales fans. The best biscuits in the world are made in the South, of course. And the best place to buy those biscuits is a restaurant called Biscuitville. Today’s guest is the chairman of bisop but Biscuitville, Bernie Jennings, and we’re going to talk about biscuits, fam