QSR Uncut – Details, episodes & analysis

Nate Hedtke, VP of innovation & customer engagement at the American Egg Board, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to explain the state of avian influenza and what restaurants need to understand to navigate the situation. From how it's affecting prices to ways you can get creative on menus with eggs, we'll lay out the roadmap and where to go from here. This episode was sponsored by our partners at AEB. To learn more, please reach out to Nate at nhedtke@aeb.org or visit www.incredibleegg.org/fso for additional resources.

Brandon Knudsen, CEO and cofounder of Ziggi’s Coffee, convinced his wife to drop out of college to give this idea a shot. From working multiple jobs to raising a baby in the restaurant, it was hardly easy out of the gates. But once Ziggi’s hit its stride, it fast-tracked toward triple-digit locations—store No. 100 opened in 2024, 20 years after the brand’s founding. Knudsen joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the journey, how growth is about to ramp up, and what it was like launching franchising just 12 years into the business. 

CMO Anne Pritz and VP of Operations Patric Knapp join QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay set out to break the fast casual mold, from culinary innovation to service. The brand is ramping up franchise development as it hits its stride, striking a balance between customer experience, convenience, and all the while, staying true to the vision of its famous namesake.

What's coming to a soda fountain near you in 2023? Kevin Sherman, CEO of Tractor Beverage Co., predicts innovation will shake up the conventional fountain machine that has remained stagnant for decades. Sherman joins QSR editor Danny Klein to talk about how consumer demand for better-for-you choices (particularly from Gen Z), fast casual powerhouses like Chipotle, Burger King, and newcomer Hart House have made organic, sustainable, and plant-based food options affordable and accessible to all. And why now is the time for the soda fountain to catch up before it fizzes out.

The always-outspoken star of “Bar Rescue" joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to introduce the first concept with his name on it, and one Taffer believes represents the future of the casual-dining world. Also, we’ll talk his new bourbon, thoughts about the state of the industry, what operators are getting right and wrong in today’s inflationary climate, and where it all goes from here. This is a can't-miss conversation with one of foodservice's boldest personalities.

Watch on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m2xEXefTFuo

CEO MJ Riva rejoins the QSR team to share an exciting update from one of the category’s fastest-rising brands. The franchise is leading with a culture-first mindset as it prepares to hit the accelerator like never before.

The Melt CEO Ralph Bower joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to share the inside story behind one of the industry’s most impressive turnaround stories. Thanks to enhanced menu items and a new company vision inspired by a Yelp review, the fast casual's average-unit volumes has grown from $700,000 to $3.5 million. And that’s just the start.

Benjamin Kool, CEO of Solutions 4 Delivery, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to tackle one of the sector’s most-pressing (and not going away) challenges. Can an omnichannel solution fix what’s ailing the delivery sector? One thing is certain: the food delivery sector is in need of a major transformation.

Former NFL athlete and current Dunkin’ operator Damon Dunn has come a long way since growing up in dire straits. He joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to share one of QSR Uncut’s most remarkable stories yet, from tips to inspire to how to run a thriving franchise operation and win the labor battle. This is one you won’t want to miss.

Kellie Zimmerman, the president and CRO of customer data platform Brightloom, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the state of the industry and what data is really telling us about the consumer mindset as we near a potential recession. How is data science transforming restaurant menus? What are some of the top restaurant leaders in the space highlighting as their biggest concerns? We get into that and much, much more in this week’s wide-ranging discussion.