How do you bring a legacy restaurant brand back to life?
Not with buzzwords. Not with gimmicks. But by giving people food they actually crave (and making sure your team can execute it flawlessly).
Chef Mike Gieseman has spent two decades building craveable, profitable menu items for brands like Qdoba, Quiznos, and Taco Del Mar. As VP of Culinary & Innovation for REGO Restaurant Group, he led Quiznos’ comeback—reviving an iconic brand through smart menu design, operational discipline, and an obsession with flavor.
In this episode of ‘Restaurant Reset,’ host Andy Grindstaff digs into:
• The playbook for brand turnarounds and why it starts in the kitchen, not marketing• Why "approachability" beats novelty• The LTO formula that makes franchisees love innovation (and drives higher margins)• The story behind the Burnt Ends Sandwich and Bison Reuben that brought Quiznos back into the spotlight• The truth about plant-based proteins and what's next for sustainable innovation• Why outsourcing culinary is killing originality in restaurants• How to keep innovation craveable and operationally achievable
Mike’s approach blends chef creativity with business pragmatism: simplify the kitchen, respect your brand DNA, and make food that guests can’t stop talking about.
Chapters:
00:00 — The hidden world of culinary R&D
03:00 — Why testing too much can kill innovation
07:30 — The profitability formula behind LTOs
14:00 — How to innovate inside a turnaround brand
19:30 — Nostalgia vs. novelty: getting guests to try something new
24:30 — Overhyped trends (sorry, Nashville Hot Chicken)
29:00 — Why outsourcing culinary is killing creativity
36:00 — The future of plant-based proteins
40:30 — How to revive a tired brand without losing your identity