Barbara Sibley opened La Palapa 20 years ago, bringing authentic regional Mexican cuisine to New Yorkers who thought nachos, fajitas and burritos were what Mexican food was all about. While the menu has evolved over the years, there are many “untouchables” that she will never take off. This became especially apparent during the pandemic, when regulars were comforted by ordering the menu items they had come to love. The pandemic was just one of several crises La Palapa has endured over two decade...
Apr 07, 2022•32 min
Molly McGrath is director of culinary and operations for All Day Kitchens, a distribution platform for independent restaurants. Through its satellite kitchens in four cities, All Day puts the finishing touches on menu items and packages them for delivery. Each satellite kitchen houses 20 local brands and Chef McGrath works with every restaurant to curate and optimize their menus for delivery—whether it’s a mom-and-pop Thai spot in Los Angeles or an Ethiopian eatery in Chicago. Listen as she shar...
Mar 17, 2022•25 min
When 16” on Center opened Revival Food Hall in 2016, the collection of chef-driven eateries was an instant hit with Chicago’s downtown crowd. Like other urban food halls, the buzz died down during the pandemic as customers stayed close to home. But now Revival is gearing up for its next chapter, infused with fresh ideas and new concepts. Electric Greens, a new-age salad bar, just opened, with Chef Brad Alexander at the helm. Daytime diners are back—and so are many of the signature eateries. An e...
Mar 03, 2022•25 min
Mawa McQueen grew up in an immigrant family in France and was educated at a leading culinary school in Paris, but was only offered dishwasher jobs once she graduated. She made her way to England to work as a nanny so she could learn English and realize her dream of coming to America—a country she saw portrayed on TV as a place where Black people could excel.
Feb 17, 2022•42 min
Rohini Dey broke the Indian cuisine mold when she opened Vermilion restaurant in Chicago. The Indian-Latin independent is still going strong 18 years later, and Dey is now on a mission to break through the gastro ceiling, collaborating with other women chefs and restaurateurs to boost their businesses and impact in the industry. Last year, she launched “Let’s Talk Womxn,” banding operators together to meet the challenges of the pandemic. The initiative evolved into “Let’s Talk and Dine Together,...
Feb 03, 2022•36 min
Tara Gilad and her husband Roy were pioneers in the now trendy bowl segment, launching their superfoods café 10 years ago, before many consumers even knew how to pronounce acai. Their daughter, who was born with severe allergies, was the inspiration for the healthy concept, and the chain has since grown to 146 locations.
Jan 20, 2022•24 min
David Burke, the groundbreaking chef and restaurateur who helped pave the way for elevated American restaurant cuisine, is on a roll—despite an ongoing pandemic and several decades in the business. In the last year alone, he opened three new restaurants, expanded internationally into Saudi Arabia, partnered with Kentucky ranchers to start a Wagyu beef operation and received the 2021 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year award for New Jersey. “Resting is not for me,” says Burke, who contends...
Jan 06, 2022•28 min
CEO Graham Humphreys and Associate Director of Strategy Nikki Freihofer both stay ahead of the trends in their positions with The Culinary Edge, a food and drink innovation company. Together, they share their insights on the 2021 menu trends that have staying power and what we can expect to see emerging in 2022.
Dec 16, 2021•31 min
On this episode of "Menu Feed," listen as he describes how to craft well-balanced, flavorful and complex drinks with or without spirits and the importance of seasonality in a beverage menu.
Dec 02, 2021•31 min
Director of Menu Research and Insights Lizzy Freier reveals how the firm pinpoints the most relevant trends and why operators should pay attention to its forecast.
Nov 18, 2021•27 min
Anchal Lamda is a master franchisee with Gong Cha, a bubble tea concept that originated in Taiwan and is quickly expanding across the U.S. Lamda is just over 30, but she already operates 69 locations of Gong Cha in states ranging from New York to Texas.
Nov 03, 2021•24 min
Nate Weir developed his farm-to-table ethos early, growing up in Haiti and watching his mother shop at the local markets and cook with whatever was fresh that day.
Oct 21, 2021•37 min
As he celebrates one year as head chef at KFC, Chris Scott is poised to put his culinary stamp on new menu items and line extensions. Scott believes his customers are ready for innovation, but his philosophy is that while you can change flavor or format, you can’t change both at the same time. And you have to give people something familiar to grab onto. He’s eager to explore the wide array of Indian spices, flavors from Africa and plant-based chicken platforms, and to put his varied background i...
Oct 07, 2021•24 min
Francisco Migoya, head chef at Modernist Cuisine in Seattle, spent the last four years traveling the world on a pizza quest. He and his team visited 250 pizzerias, ate 800 pizzas on the road and baked 12,000 pies in the Modernist Cuisine Labs. The result? A three-volume tome called Modernist Pizza, making its publishing debut on Oct. 5.
Sep 16, 2021•37 min
Rob Giuliani, along with his business partner and surfing buddy, Abby Taylor, started Playa Bowls as a smoothie stand at the Jersey shore. To operate the blender, they hooked up an extension cord to Giuliani’s apartment above a pizza place. The duo offered smoothies and acai bowls as a healthier alternative to the fried foods, hot dogs and ice cream available to beach goers. They gradually opened a brick-and-mortar location, broadened the menu and generated franchise interest.
Sep 02, 2021•35 min
As vice president of brand development for Nextbite, food futurist Liz Moskow tracks trends and helps position concepts for future growth. Nextbite specializes in developing virtual restaurant brands by leveraging an operation’s unseen assets while maximizing labor and kitchen space. But these are challenging times for a food futurist. The unpredictability of COVID is trumping the emergence of major new trends, Moskow says. What she does see ahead is a deeper exploration of the trends that emerg...
Aug 19, 2021•28 min
Payal Sharma, owner and managing partner of New York City’s Baar Baar, is on a mission to change Americans’ misconceptions about Indian cuisine. The gastro bar’s menu revolves around small plates and shareables, and post-pandemic guests are embracing the experience. Baar Baar also has an extensive list of inventive cocktails infused with Indian flavors, which are popular with the dinner crowd and during the Bollywood-style brunch on weekends, when the restaurant’s outdoor patio and indoor seats ...
Aug 05, 2021•26 min
Jennifer and Michele Kaminski are sisters and cofounders of 2 Korean Girls, a ghost kitchen that opened in Miami during the pandemic. The two had been planning the virtual concept for three years, offering a menu of delivery-friendly Korean-style bowls in an area devoid of Korean restaurants. Their mom, Sunny, owns a Korean restaurant in Indiana and helped the pair develop the menu, but her daughters added modern, whimsical touches to the recipes, like a heart-shaped egg on top of their best-sel...
Jul 15, 2021•33 min
Peter Farrand, chief food and beverage innovation officer at Smokey Bones, felt that customers needed a little more variety to complement the restaurant’s signature barbecue items. So he diversified the menu, creating what he calls a “protein candy store,” where guests have the choice of many different cuts, global flavor profiles and formats. He also added more seafood choices and a veggie burger, as well as helped develop two virtual brands that provide additional platforms for experimentation...
Jul 01, 2021•31 min
Passavant Community is a senior-living complex in Zelienople, Pa., managed by Cura Hospitality, an Elior company. General Manager Barbara Ferguson, a former fine-dining chef, oversees Passavant’s dining program, which includes restaurants, retail outlets, catering and Cura’s newest initiative— Fresh at Home meal kits . Listen as she describes the impact of this initiative and many of the other innovations she’s launched at the retirement community to engage both staff and residents....
Jun 17, 2021•26 min
Piada Italian Street Food takes its name from the piada, a flatbread dough that’s baked on a stone grill and hand-rolled with a variety of fresh, authentic fillings. But Matthew Harding, senior VP and culinary director for the 38-location fast casual, has taken the menu way beyond its namesake. Chef Harding trains his teams to make sure every dish leaves the line with a “chef’s touch.” Listen as he shares how Piada is expanding into new markets with a new footprint and how he continues to innova...
Jun 03, 2021•44 min
The Melt Shop grew from a concept serving best-of-class grilled cheese sandwiches and melts to offer fried chicken, mac and cheese, and wings. Throughout the brand’s growth, new menu extensions had to fit founder and CEO Spencer Rubin’s basic criteria: How do we “Melt Shopify” it with big, bold flavors and other points of differentiation? Listen as Rubin talks about The Melt Shop’s evolution and how he is growing and positioning the concept for a post-pandemic world.
May 20, 2021•37 min
Chris Simms is founder and CEO of Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar, a casual-dining chain with 39 locations. Simms and his team strive to make Lazy Dog the “next generation of casual dining” by delivering a unique experience through its menu mix, ambience and hospitality.
May 06, 2021•37 min
Culver’s has grown from a Wisconsin chain of family-owned quick-service restaurants to an 800-unit brand with locations in 25 states. Director of Menu Development Quinn Adkins joined Culver’s in 2015, helping to drive that growth with slow but steady menu innovation. Listen as Adkins talks about Culver’s longtime mission of partnering with Wisconsin farmers and how he brings culinary flair to a quick-service menu.
Apr 15, 2021•46 min
Another Broken Egg, a breakfast, brunch and lunch chain with 75 locations, boasts a seasonally driven menu with a balance of indulgent and healthy dishes. Vice President of Culinary Jason Knoll shares his strategy for creating crowd-pleasing dishes by listening to guests and incorporating their feedback. He focuses on signatures consumers can’t easily make at home and pays equal attention to the beverage side, crafting cocktails and juices that reflect the flavors and ingredients that drive the ...
Apr 01, 2021•26 min
During the last year, Just Salad continued to prioritize menu innovation by launching warm bowls, introducing marinated chicken thighs as a protein option and creating meal kits for consumers cooking at home. Jhonny Castro, culinary director of the 42-unit fast casual, describes his culinary journey from the prep line to head chef, collaborating with the Just Salad team to set the health-focused fast casual apart from its competitors.
Mar 18, 2021•21 min
Bartaco’s Mexican beach vibe attracts a lively crowd drawn by the brand’s fresh, made-to-order drinks and authentic tacos. During the pandemic, Beverage Director Nicole Quist launched a successful cocktails-to-go program—a challenge to put in place across 20 locations in 11 states with different sets of regulations. Listen as she shares her excitement about the beverage program at Bartaco.
Mar 04, 2021•30 min
Avec has built a large following with its inspired small plates menu and welcoming vibe, or what chef Perry Hendrix refers to “as the dinner party you’d like to throw in your own home.” Hendrix transitioned the concept into a fast-casual rotisserie during the pandemic, serving up Middle Eastern-influenced roast chickens and sides. Listen as Hendrix talks about the iconic restaurant’s evolution, menu and future.
Feb 18, 2021•31 min
It’s not easy to offer authentic pit-smoked barbecue in New York City and other urban centers, but Mighty Quinn’s has found a winning formula. During the last year, the restaurants did a brisk off-premise business, and are especially busy when events like the Super Bowl are on the calendar. Listen as co-founder Christos Gourmos talks about how Mighty Quinn’s differentiates its menu with low-and-slow cooking technique and inspired side dishes, and how he is positioning the fast casual for growth....
Feb 04, 2021•28 min
The company’s dining programs have a strong focus on regionality, wellness and contemporary culinary trends, with menus that “make the healthy choice, the easy choice.” Listen as Eric Goldberg, corporate executive chef for Cura Hospitality, shares his ideas for successful senior dining and talks about how innovations that came out of the pandemic are powering the program forward. .
Jan 21, 2021•30 min
