No company is immune from an “oh-no!” moment, Deborah Nitka, senior manager of cybersecurity and privacy at Cohn Reznick, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Nitka sits down with BI’s Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to discuss how data security concerns affect consumer behavior and could slow the shift to one-to-one marketing. She also comments on vulnerability points, third-party risk and cybersecurity insurance. See omnystudio.co...
Jun 01, 2023•50 min
If Portillo’s can prove that its iconic and unique menu is accepted outside of its home market of Illinois it may deserve the fattest multiple in the restaurant industry, Michael Osanloo, Portillo’s CEO, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Osanloo sits down with BI’s Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to discuss the chain’s impressive unit economics and expansion into Arizona, Florida and Texas. He also comments on beef inflation, lev...
May 18, 2023•42 min
Restaurant success is all about the employees, Fred LeFranc, Results Thru Strategy founder, managing partner and chaos strategist says. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, LeFranc sits down with Bloomberg Intelligence Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to discuss his approach to empowering employees to turn around struggling, mature brands and help emerging ones supercharge their growth. He also comments on the importance of culture, using the right technology and...
Apr 25, 2023•43 min
The market for restaurant mergers and acquisitions is rough seas right now, Mike Gottlieb Managing Director of National Hospitality Advisory at CohnReznick explains to Bloomberg Intelligence. In this podcast episode of Choppin’ It Up, Gottlieb sits down with BI Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to discuss the headwinds for private equity investors, opportunities for strategic acquirers and what chains can do to prepare themselves for a transaction once the market loosens up...
Apr 11, 2023•29 min
Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux has avoided staffing issues due to a strong culture that emphasizes team over the individual, CEO Scott Taylor explains to Bloomberg Intelligence. In this podcast episode of Choppin’ It Up, Taylor sits down with BI Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to talk about the company’s underdog mentality, unique menu, technology upgrades and strong growth plans. The chain of sports bars differentiates itself with scratch cooking and Cajun menu items that hel...
Mar 31, 2023•39 min
The collapse of Silicon Valley Bank could make venture debt more expensive and harder to get for restaurant tech startups, Jimmy Frischling and Michael Shatzberg, Managing Partners and Co-Founders of Branded Hospitality Ventures, explain to Bloomberg Intelligence. In this podcast episode of Choppin’ It Up, Frischling and Shatzberg sit down with BI Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to talk about some cutting-edge restaurant tech startups that aim to eliminate pain points and...
Mar 21, 2023•1 hr 3 min
Food consistency, superior service and employee training are critical to success in the restaurant market, Marvin Alballi, Chief Operating Officer of Franchise Global Brands and author of “Restaurant Excellence: The Ultimate Guide to Success in the Food and Beverage Industry,” explains to Bloomberg Intelligence. In this podcast episode of Choppin’ It Up, Alballi sits down with BI Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst Michael Halen to talk about running great restaurants. He also comments on ...
Mar 10, 2023•33 min
Noah Glass, Founder and CEO at Olo, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the company’s culture, product suite and growth strategy. Olo’s online ordering and delivery solutions have been invaluable to its restaurant clients and the company continues to innovate to achieve its goal of digitizing every transaction, including in-restaurant and drive-thru occasions. This is a massive opportunity; only 6% of US restaurant transactions are...
Feb 03, 2023•36 min
Joe Kefauver, Founding Partner of Align Public Strategies, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the US political climate following the mid-term elections. Kefauver explains what a split Congress means for the restaurant industry, gives an update on the FAST Act in California, discusses the progress made by labor unions and outlines what the industry should be lobbying for in 2023. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information....
Jan 26, 2023•42 min
Rich Reyes, CEO and Co-Founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the chain’s strong commitment to giving back to the communities in which it operates. Mecha’s full-service restaurants serve pho, ramen and cocktails to ‘90s hip hop, but what really sets the chain apart is its commitment to charitable giving. Each month Mecha donates 50 cents from every bowl sold to a charity chosen by its staff, doing good whi...
Jan 26, 2023•25 min
Matthew de Gruyter, CEO and Co-Founder of Next Level Burger, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the plant-based burger chain’s menu, mission and development plans. Next Level Burger is America’s first 100% plant-based burger joint committed to giving customers a healthier option to traditional fast food by serving vegan, organic and non-GMO foods. Sustainability, living wages, an investment by Whole Foods Market and why Next Level...
Jan 26, 2023•52 min
Riley Lagesen, Shareholder and Chair of the Global Restaurant Industry Group at GreenbergTraurig, and Jonathan Sack, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig, join Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the impact of unionization on the restaurant industry. Restaurant employees have historically been opposed to it, but unions see an opportunity with US approval of labor unions at a 57-year high. The organization efforts at Starbucks and Chipotle as ...
Jan 26, 2023•27 min
Riley Lagesen, Shareholder and Chair of the Global Restaurant Industry Group at GreenbergTraurig, and Jonathan Sack, Shareholder at GreenbergTraurig, join Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss California's passage of the Fast Act. The legislation will increase costs for fast food chains, including a potential 47% jump in hourly wages to $22. Menu price hikes, automation and potential challenges to the legislation are some of the topics cov...
Jan 26, 2023•20 min
Michael Lukianoff, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Extropy 360, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss a more localized, data-driven approach to implementing menu price increases. Dynamic pricing, the return of discounting, slowing summer sales and the health of the US consumer are some of the topics covered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2023•36 min
Atul Sood, Chief Business Officer at Kitchen United, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the future of food delivery and ghost kitchens. Kitchen United's omnichannel approach, virtual brands, third-party economics and autonomous delivery are some of the topics covered. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2023•33 min
Alice Elliot, Founder and CEO of The Elliot Group, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss leadership and human capital. Hiring trends, including C-suite and restaurant-level turnover, as well as hybrid work and diversity are some of the topics discussed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 26, 2023•33 min
Gregory Francfort, Senior Restaurant Analyst at Guggenheim Partners, joins Michael Halen, Senior Restaurant and Foodservice Analyst at Bloomberg Intelligence, to discuss the industry. Deteriorating sales trends, Wall Street's lofty 2022 margin assumptions and the prospects for individual companies including McDonald's and Yum! Brands are discussed. See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
Jan 24, 2023•29 min
