The Restaurant Innovator

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The Restaurant Innovator

FSR magazine

97 episodes

3 weeks ago

Tony Pham, co-founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins host Sam Danley to share how a local ramen shop in Connecticut grew into a multi-state, mission-driven restaurant group. Pham walks through his unconventional path into hospitality and why telling your own story matters as concepts scale. He gets into his “Eat Justice” initiative that ties every bowl sold to community impact and explains why he’s shifting his focus inward, prioritizing team development and personal fulfillment over rapid expans...

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Entrepreneurship

All content for The Restaurant Innovator is the property of FSR magazine and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Tony Pham, co-founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins host Sam Danley to share how a local ramen shop in Connecticut grew into a multi-state, mission-driven restaurant group. Pham walks through his unconventional path into hospitality and why telling your own story matters as concepts scale. He gets into his “Eat Justice” initiative that ties every bowl sold to community impact and explains why he’s shifting his focus inward, prioritizing team development and personal fulfillment over rapid expans...

Show more...

Entrepreneurship

Episodes (20/97)

The Restaurant Innovator

Purpose Over Pace With Mecha Noodle Bar’s Tony Pham

Tony Pham, co-founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins host Sam Danley to share how a local ramen shop in Connecticut grew into a multi-state, mission-driven restaurant group. Pham walks through his unconventional path into hospitality and why telling your own story matters as concepts scale. He gets into his “Eat Justice” initiative that ties every bowl sold to community impact and explains why he’s shifting his focus inward, prioritizing team development and personal fulfillment over rapid expans...

3 weeks ago

54 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How to Flip a Struggling Restaurant Into a Success Story

Heirloom Restaurant Group founder Kevin Santiago shares his lessons on revamping and revitalizing restaurant concepts, what he looks for in acquisition opportunities, and how to systematically optimize your business. He also talks about coaching people up and building confidence, giving kitchen staff ownership stakes, and how to weather the current challenges in the economy.

4 weeks ago

51 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Resilience and Reinvention With Cloak and Petal’s Cesar Vallin

Cesar Vallin, co-founder of Michelin Guide recognized Cloak and Petal, joins host Sam Danley for a candid conversation on rebuilding a career—and a life—in hospitality. Vallin reflects on his first venture’s collapse and the hard lessons that reshaped how he approaches leadership. He opens up about addiction, recovery, and the shift from chasing status to prioritizing purpose. Plus, he gets into Cloak and Petal’s design-forward philosophy and why he’s embracing AI tools to run a smarter, more...

1 month ago

52 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Inside North Italia’s Culinary Engine With Chef Chris Curtiss

Chris Curtiss, Corporate Chef and Director of Culinary R&D at North Italia, breaks down how the modern Italian concept keeps raising the bar as it nears 50 locations nationwide. He reflects on his decades in the industry, his longtime affinity for pasta shapes, and what it takes to move beyond the chain-restaurant stigma. He also shares how he reads guest feedback in real time and keeps the menu current without losing the brand’s core identity.

1 month ago

32 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Nostalgia, Relevance, and How NORMS Stays Feisty After 76 Years, with CEO Mark Politzer

How does a legacy diner institution stay relevant after 76 years without losing its core identity? NORMS President & CEO Mark Politzer joins host Callie Evergreen to unpack a career that stretches from Michelin-star dining to leading one of Southern California’s most beloved legacy brands.

1 month ago

41 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

The Simple Math for More Sales: Popmenu Co-Founders on the Formula for Growth

Popmenu co-founders Brendan Sweeney (CEO) and Tony Roy (COO) join the show to talk about the restaurant tech company’s origin story—and why they were determined to put operators back in control of their digital presence. From ditching the static PDF menu to unlocking personalized guest marketing at scale, the duo shares how Popmenu helps more than 10,000 restaurants drive sustainable growth. They also unpack what separates restaurants that are "crushing it" from those just getting by, how AI ...

1 month ago

48 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

The Blueprint for Thoughtfully Designing Community-Centric Restaurants With Jeremy Walton

Jeremy Walton, owner and managing partner of Quest Hospitality Concepts, unpacks how he built three distinct yet community-driven restaurants along Florida’s scenic 30A. From launching The Citizen during the height of the pandemic to reviving a beloved local gathering place with Fonville Press, and now redefining the sports bar with Scout, Jeremy shares how thoughtful design, operational functionality, and a culture-first mindset shape every project.

2 months ago

52 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How Chad Offerdahl Turned a Two-Unit Diner into a Breakfast Powerhouse

Chad Offerdahl, Co-CEO of The Big Biscuit, sits down with FSR editors to share how he and his father transformed a beloved two-unit diner based outside of Kansas City, Missouri, into a 30-unit breakfast powerhouse that’s actively franchising. He unpacks how his QSR background and mindset inspired efficiency like six-minute ticket times, and how they’re scaling both company-owned and franchise units with purpose. From menu refreshes to launching third-party delivery and the value of oversized ...

2 months ago

38 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

‘Top Chef’ Competitor Manny Barella on Balancing BBQ, Fatherhood, and the Roses and Thorns of Reality TV

After trading law books for chef whites, Manny Barella’s journey from Monterrey, Mexico, to the “Top Chef” Season 21 stage has been a whirlwind. Now, the James Beard Award semifinalist and fan‑favorite contestant is channeling his heritage and hustle into his new Denver restaurant, Riot BBQ—a Texas-style barbecue concept with Mexican flavor. In this conversation, Barella opens up about the “roses and thorns” of how being on reality TV changed his life; the challenges of building a Mexican‑ins...

2 months ago

49 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How bartaco CEO Anthony Valletta Streamlined Ops With Behold Juice

While many food and beverage programs still rely on labor-intensive prep and volatile citrus prices, bartaco is taking a different approach. CEO Anthony Valletta found an unexpected innovation partner in Jiayou (Leon) Lin, a former bartender turned beverage entrepreneur. Lin is the founder of Foundry Libations and the creator of Behold Juice, a 100% natural citrus alternative that's redefining what’s possible behind the bar and the kitchen. In this episode, the two share how Behold Juice went...

3 months ago

43 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Chef Gabriela Lopez’s Journey From Cleaning Houses to Living Her Culinary Dream

Before opening Casa Gabriela in 2023, chef Gabriela Lopez raised four children, cleaned houses, and never let go of her dream to cook professionally. In this heartfelt episode, she takes FSR editors through the journey of how she turned her childhood memories in Tijuana into a full-fledged culinary career rooted in elevated Mexican cuisine at her San Diego restaurants, La Doña and Casa Gabriela.

3 months ago

45 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Adam Halberg’s Hospitality Hot Take: Why Barcelona Wine Bar is Doubling Down on People Over Tech

While many restaurant brands are cutting payroll and installing kiosks, Barcelona Wine Bar is taking a radically different path. CEO Adam Halberg is betting big on human connection—creating new roles like VP of Hospitality, maître d’s, and daytime guest services teams across all 24 locations. In this episode, Halberg shares his unfiltered hospitality hot take with the editors at FSR. At Barcelona and its newer sister concept, Corsica, there are no QR codes, no tablet ordering, no flashy tech ...

3 months ago

55 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

From ‘Chopped’ Champion to Barleymash and Beyond with Chef Kevin Templeton

Chef Kevin Templeton has come a long way since being named an FSR 40 Under 40 Rising Star in 2018. Since then, the San Diego-based chef has launched the Baja-inspired Hasta Mañana Cantina, expanded his coffee-and-bagel chain to five locations, and doubled down on sustainable sourcing across his restaurants—including Barleymash, now 13 years strong. Templeton also talks about competing on Chopped and Beat Bobby Flay, mentoring the next generation of culinary talent, and finding balance by play...

3 months ago

35 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How Passerine Is Reimagining Indian Food in New York City

What does it take to reinvent Indian cuisine in New York City? In this episode, Passerine co-owners Maneesh Goyal and Alvina Patel Buxani share how they built a seasonally driven restaurant that blends heritage, hospitality, and innovation. From finding the right executive chef to carving out space in NYC’s competitive dining scene, they explore the creative and entrepreneurial vision behind their fresh concept.

4 months ago

38 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

The Secret Sauce Behind Hawkers’ Cult Following and Savory Fund Deal with Kaleb Harrell & Andrew Smith

What happens when a cult-favorite restaurant brand and a powerhouse private equity firm join forces? In this episode, Hawkers Asian Street Food CEO and co-founder Kaleb Harrell and Savory Fund managing partner and co-founder Andrew Smith unpack the story behind Hawkers’ meteoric rise—and the strategic investment fueling its next chapter. From standout AUVs and fanatical guest loyalty to the lessons learned during Chapter 11, Kaleb shares what makes Hawkers a category-defier, while Andrew reve...

4 months ago

41 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How a New Catering Vision Reenergized a 50-Year Brand & Boosted Sales 85% in 90 Days

Laura Padrino of Padrino’s Cuban Restaurants and Sebastian Stahl of Breadth Marketing share how a bold catering initiative sparked new life into her family’s 50-year-old restaurant brand. As part of the third generation leading the South Florida-based group, Laura set out to carve her own path by transforming catering into a revenue-driving arm with its own identity. They walk us through how they built the program from the ground up—developing travel-optimized menus, systems, and execution an...

4 months ago

41 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

The Secret to Building Restaurants That Last, According to Jamey Shirah

What does it really take to build restaurant concepts with staying power? In this episode, Jamey Shirah, CEO of Revival Restaurant Group, pulls back the curtain on how he’s evolved from launching high-volume nightlife venues to leading a portfolio of elevated, story-driven restaurants across the Southeast. Jamey shares the early lessons that shaped his leadership style, the thinking behind long-running staples, and how Revival approaches new concept development.

4 months ago

45 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Lessons on Growth, Grit, and Investing in People with Hi Neighbor’s Tai Ricci

From the theater stage to San Francisco’s restaurant scene, Tai Ricci brings a unique perspective to hospitality. In this episode, the Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group co-founder shares how her theater background shaped her leadership style and taught her the value of presence, empathy, and improvisation in the dining room and beyond. Tai reflects on the pivotal decisions that defined Hi Neighbor’s culture, sharing candid lessons on how to lead with heart, build resilience in a high-pressure ind...

5 months ago

40 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

Why Daring to Do Things Differently Pays Off with Chef Jacob Stull of Rêve

From transforming an old chicken joint to a fine-dining French restaurant and breaking the mold on treating employees with the respect they deserve, chef Jacob Stull shares his candid lessons on creating Rêve—one of the first fine-dining (yet approachable) tasting-menu concept in the state of Alabama.

5 months ago

30 minutes

The Restaurant Innovator

How Chris Piro Uses Fine Dining Pop-Ups to Fund Foster Dreams

Chef Chris Piro opens up about how his unconventional journey—from growing up in the foster care system to cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens—led him to launch Again., a fine dining pop-up with a mission. In this episode, Piro shares how 100% of ticket proceeds from his intimate tasting menus go directly toward The Again. Foundation, which provides scholarships and mentorship opportunities to kids in foster care systems. He discusses the inspiration behind his story-driven menus, the power ...

5 months ago

35 minutes