QSR Uncut is a podcast from the editors of QSR magazine—the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators—that discusses the current state and future of the fast-food restaurant industry as it recovers from the COVID-19 pandemic. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders, each episode candidly shares expert advice from some of the industry's most insightful leaders.
Lola Beans founder Donny Bradley joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein as we break down the story and potential of the Tennessee-based emerging brand. How is it standing out in a drive-thru coffee and beverage category as competitive as any in foodservice? What’s ahead for its new franchise program? We get into all that and more as we explore one of the segment’s rising stars.
White Castle VP Jamie Richardson and Marigold Head of Loyalty CoE Roger Williams join QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat about how one of the country’s most-iconic restaurant chains is connecting and speaking to customers in ways it never has before. The brand’s Craver Nation Rewards program adopts a “Quests” approach to redemption and has ignited engagement across the system. We’ll also explore the overall state of loyalty, the pitfalls some brands run into, and what you...
Tim Koch, COO of Franchise FastLane, began his restaurant career in supply chain at Hardee’s and Carl’s Jr. owner CKE Restaurants. Now, he’s leading a top franchise development firm. Tim joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to talk about the state of franchising, growth, and offers his firsthand look at how different sides of the industry impact success, and what that means for the future.
Nathan Louer, chief brand officer of GoTo Foods’ concept Jamba, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the iconic chain’s groundbreaking new “Hello Sunshine” prototype, how Jamba is balancing customer-centric design with operational efficiencies, and why the new look and approach reflects a larger effort to modernize the brand while staying true to what’s fueled it over the years. We get into strategy and vision, franchisee profitability, and how digital integration can enhance the ...
Former Dutch Bros executive May Han joined Pacific Northwest icon Burgerville as Chief Development Officer in September. She came onboard as Burgerville prepares to more than double the number of existing locations in the coming years. Han joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein on this episode to discuss her 25-plus year track record in scaling brands and how that experience is going to take Burgerville to the next level.
This past summer, Dan Smith took the helm at Rusty Taco with more than two decades of executive experience. He's now leading a fast casual celebrating its 15th anniversary and plotting major plans, from growth to a refreshed menu to a loyalty program and more. Today, the brand operates 35 locations across 12 states and continues to find its niche in one of the most competitive segments in all of foodservice.
Costa Vida president Wade Allen, promoted to the role last June, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss his career journey, the brand’s potential, and his evolving role atop a fast casual with growth designs. Allen explores past lessons learned directing tech at Brinker to how he’s now shifted focus to guiding teams and empowering those around him to morph an emerging brand into a powerhouse.
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...
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 launc...
Somia Farid Silber in October stepped into the top spot at Edible. At just 31 years old, she’s now leading the parent company of Edible Arrangements, a business her father, Tariq Farid, began when she was 6 years old. After serving as president for the past two years, she’s now on a mission to continue redefining Edible as a top-tier hybrid retail experience. She has big plans to target a coming generation of consumers and grow Edible’s market present through a variety of ways. She joins QSR edi...
In this episode of QSR’s CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter series, we step into the burgeoning world of drive-thru beverages. Few segments, if any, are as hot as this one—brands like Dutch Bros have climbed above 1,000 units , and even McDonald’s and Taco Bell ( CosMc’s and Live Mas Café , respectively), launched offshoots to capture demand. We brought together Darren Spicer and Donny Bradley, leaders of the emerging brands Clutch Coffee Bar and Lola Beans, to fill us in on what life is like naviga...
Last year, in what’s become an annual tradition, restaurant operators shared their key priorities and initiatives in Qu’s fifth-annual State of Digital report. Now, CMO Jen Kern joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein once again to discuss the findings of the sixth edition, which explored everything from the race to holistic, integrated tech to the state of investments to continued kiosk growth to why loyalty doesn’t always work (without the right approach). Just like last year (and the year be...
Founded in 1994 in College Station, the original Layne’s Chicken Fingers became a Texas A&M cult-favorite known for its small-town charm, friendly service, iconic chicken fingers, and secret sauce. The brand has since grown past 20 stores, seen same-store sales jump 9 percent, and guest counts 7 percent. With corporate development continuing, franchising is entering the picture, too. Reed joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the rapid development and how Layne’s is thriving in...
Can drones solve some of the age-old issues with delivery? Naturally, there isn’t one answer and it’s a wide world of possibilities to explore. Tim Ridgely, VP of online ordering at Paytronix, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to paint a potential vision of the future and why some of these solutions might be closer to reality than operators realize.
Brian Lowe, CEO of BML, works with the some of the biggest brands in quick service and fast casual but also smaller brands. A common dominator across all, whether it’s multi-unit franchisees or even a restauranteur/entrepreneur opening one location? They want to slay their grand openings. Brian joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how brands, of all sizes, should approach this with their franchisees and the lasting impression a solid strategy has on building a following and affini...
Clutch Coffee cofounder and CEO Darren Spicer joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to chart the journey of one of the drive-thru coffee segment’s hottest brands—how it got started, what it took to become successful, and where growth is now taking the fast casual. We also get into the overall state of coffee and technology in this corner of the industry and what lessons can be learned from consumers, competitors, and everything in between.
Self-ordering and automation solutions company GRUBBRR recently announced a “Guarantee” initiative that puts its money where its tech is. During any month where the solutions don’t generate an ROI, GRUBBRR will waive its SaaS fee. Why is it doing this? What does it say about the state of tech and the future? We’ll get into all of it with Parrish Chapman, chief revenue officer, as well as take a look at where the industry is headed.
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.
In our second episode of CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter, Pepper Lunch executive Troy Hooper and Cherry Bounce’s Scott Taylor quiz each other on scaling differentiated brands and what it’s like to build up emerging restaurants for long-term growth, and some other fun and candid insights along the way. Check out the first episode, with Big Chicken’s Josh Halper and Wow Bao’s Geoff Alexander, here ....
Charles Miller, RVP at Biscuitville, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to explore the story and culture of the category icon. How does the brand continue to win on labor and retention? How is it navigating the balance between hospitality and technology? We get into that and a whole lot more.
Chad Coulter, founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, a growing fast casual franchise out of Kentucky, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how he went from a Doctorate in Pharmacy at the University of Georgia to launching a paint-and-sip business to eventually creating Biscuit Belly with his wife, Lauren Coulter. The brand’s single-shift mode has allowed for greater profitability and reinvestment into the business, along with being more attractive to top talent in a tight labor market....
Jacob Karnes, founder of Waves Business Coaching and the author of Master Your First Job, spent more than a decade with Chick-fil-A—both in-restaurant and at the corporate level. He joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss lessons in leadership he picked up along the way, as well as how to nurture culture and outperform expectations, in all aspects of restaurant life.
Jim Balis, partner, Strategic Operations Group at CapitalSpring, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the state of restaurants as 2025 gets going and why more closures could be on the way. What about tech, expansion, and other trends? Let’s take a look into the crystal ball.
In the inaugural episode of QSR’s new series, CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter, Wow Bao’s Geoff Alexander and Big Chicken’s Josh Halpern quiz each other on what it’s like to run a restaurant in today’s landscape, how you build teams, pick the right technology, inspire employees, and way more in a candid, unfiltered back-and-forth between two of the industry’s most-respected CEOs. The episode kicks off what’s going to be a new content series here at QSR magazine and QSR Uncut, where we gather leade...
Zunzi’s + Zunzibar CEO Chris Smith joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the journey behind the fast-casual restaurant and beach bar concept Smith grew from its roots in Savannah to multiple locations across Georgia and South Carolina. He acquired the brand in 2014 and is now preparing for significant growth. Under Smith's leadership, Zunzi’s has earned accolades like “The 33 Best Sandwiches in America” by Thrillist and Yelp’s “Top Places to Drink” in Savannah. What makes Smith's j...
Carl Comeaux, the CEO of Crust Pizza Co., joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the growth and journey of the rising franchise as it prepares for a banner year. Crust plans to invest in its people and infrastructure as it looks to triple unit sales—a possibility empowered by a decision to bring technology operations in-house by the end of Q1. From control of the customer experience to operational efficiency and data-driven decision making, learn how Crust Pizza Co. is forging its o...
Doug Taylor, founder and CEO of Taylor Chip, a dessert experience company based in Pennsylvania, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how a business that started with a $50 mixer on Facebook Marketplace has evolved into a growth-ready concept with a $25 million valuation. How can you grow a company without investors, debt, or start-up capital? What’s the future of the snack industry? We get into that and a whole lot more.
Megan Hastings, head of customer insight strategy at Quantum Metric, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss Chick-fil-A’s recent decision to get into the engagement game and, more broadly, how mobile platforms and devices are paving way for QSRs to foster innovative digital experiences with customers.
Bryan Ketelhut, National Director of Non-Traditional and Development Services at Little Caesars, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how the iconic pizza brand is diversifying its growth strategy, from markets to models, as it expands across the country. Little Caesars has found success everywhere from college campuses to New York City. We’ll get into those steps in the journey, how technology and value is helping, and where it all goes from here.
Noodles & Company is entering a new phase of its strategic menu transformation in collaboration with The Culinary Edge. Scott Davis, Noodles & Company's chief concept officer, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to share insights on the creative process behind these new dishes, the collaboration with TCE, and what’s next for Noodles in 2025 as the legacy brand continues to lead with innovation.
