Greg Dollarhyde knew he didn't want to build restaurant concepts from scratch, but he also had the skill set necessary to taking brands from potential to profit. After bouncing around to several restaurant-industry leadership positions, he struck gold with Baja Fresh, a fast-casual burrito joint that he grew to nearly 300 locations before selling to Wendy's in 2002 for $275 million. Since then, he's served as the CEO of both Zoes Kitchen and Veggie Grill, two concepts that he helped set up for m...
Aug 30, 2019•46 min
It didn't take long for Souvla to make a name for itself in the fast-casual industry. Launched in San Francisco in 2014, the brand quickly became a favorite among those looking to spot future top performers across the category. How did it become such a cult favorite? Credit goes to founder and CEO Charles Bililies, whose fine-dining pedigree extended to Souvla, from its chef-forward menu to its all-Greek beverage menu and its elevated hospitality program. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam...
Aug 22, 2019•1 hr 12 min
The cradle of fast food is... Wichita, Kansas? Indeed, the breeding ground for both White Castle and Pizza Hut is also the hometown for one of the most exciting fast-casual burger concepts around: Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. The brand, launched in 2002 by Bill and Randy Simon and Scott Redler, was only supposed to be a family-friendly one-off in Wichita, but it quickly became a smash franchise success and has since grown to around 350 locations and nearly half a billion dollars i...
Aug 13, 2019•20 min
There may be bigger fast-casual pizza brands, but only Your Pie can claim to be the first in the category. The Athens, Georgia–based brand opened its first location in April 2008, when founder Drew French was just 23 years old and had recently graduated from the University of Georgia. In 11 years, Your Pie has grown to around 70 locations in 19 states, becoming an embedded fixture in its communities with Italian-inspired recipes, alcohol service, and a laid-back ambiance. In this conversation wi...
Aug 05, 2019•46 min
Cousins Subs has been a Wisconsin staple for 47 years. Now the Milwaukee-based sandwich chain is ready to expand its footprint, and has been in the middle of a years-long brand refresh that's setting it up for growth—including its recent opening in downtown Chicago. Justin McCoy is one of leaders responsible for the rebrand, which has included everything from store remodels and logo updates to new ordering platforms and systems upgrades. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Cousins' v...
Jul 29, 2019•22 min
The Asian fast-casual category is ripe for growth. Panda Express stands alone as the sole national chain, even as Americans fall more in love with Asian cuisines. But today, several emerging Asian fast casuals are expanding quickly across the U.S., serving a range of menus that showcase Asia's incredible food diversity. One such brand is Teriyaki Madness, a Seattle-style teriyaki concept based in Denver. The fast casual projects to have 80 locations open by the end of the year, with potentially ...
Jul 26, 2019•30 min
The food-truck trend that raced to popularity a decade ago had many exciting characteristics for foodservice entrepreneurs, among them the ability to enter the space at a relatively low cost and the opportunity to try out innovative menu ideas. That was exactly what appealed to Roz Edison and Kamala Saxton. The business partners, inspired by chef Roy Choi and his Kogi BBQ truck in L.A., developed the idea for their own food truck at a dinner party in February 2009, and by June had hit the street...
Jul 23, 2019•32 min
Ally and Scott Svenson didn't need to start another business. After selling their first brand to Starbucks and then helping a second foodservice company grow to acquisition, they could have retired and enjoyed life with their four sons. But the itch to build something returned, and in 2008 they launched the fast-casual brand MOD Pizza. What started as a "laboratory" in downtown Seattle for customized pizzas and enhanced hospitality has since become the largest fast-casual pizza chain in the worl...
Jul 08, 2019•1 hr 1 min
By the time he turned 30, Mike Rypka boasted a resume that chefs three decades his senior could only dream of, having served as the head chef at organizations like the World Bank, MTV, Disney, and Dell. So when he decided to open his own project in Austin, Texas, in 2006, he surprised more than a few loved ones by opting to do a taco truck. That taco truck, Torchy's Tacos, gradually became a beloved Austin institution, and now has more than 60 fast-casual locations, with "Damn Good Tacos" as its...
Jun 07, 2019•1 hr 6 min
We're continuing with "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. On today's episode, we're sharing another conversation from the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Firehouse Subs CEO Don Fox sat down with QSR editor Sam Oches to discuss how the nearly-1,20...
May 31, 2019•1 hr 6 min
We're continuing with "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. On today's episode, we're sharing another conversation from the recent National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. Tropical Smoothie Cafe CEO Charles Watson sat down with QSR editor Sam Oches to discuss his ...
May 28, 2019•25 min
Introducing "Freeze Frame," a series within "Fast Forward" where we'll share conversations with restaurant leaders and executives who may not have built their companies from the ground up, but nevertheless have plenty to say when it comes to industry innovation and challenges. We're kicking things off with our interviews from the National Restaurant Association Show, held recently at McCormick Place in Chicago. In this first conversation, Corner Bakery CEO Frank Paci sits down with QSR editor Sa...
May 24, 2019•32 min
The last decade has witnessed an incredible rise in juice, smoothie, and açai bowl concepts, particularly as American consumers have turned their attention toward more nutritious and plant-forward dining options. Nekter Juice Bar was one of the first to capitalize on this movement, having opened its doors in 2010 and then franchising across the country. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Nekter cofounder and CEO Steve Schulze offers a look inside the company's rise and explains how ...
May 15, 2019•1 hr
In 2015, Chipotle was the fast-casual restaurant industry's gold standard, with double-digit growth quarter after quarter. But with several cases of E. coli and norovirus in the fall of 2015, that all came crashing down. The company's comeback has been a bumpy ride to say the least, but new CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company from Taco Bell in March 2018, has helped right the ship and get Chipotle back to growing again. In this exclusive conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Niccol explai...
May 01, 2019•36 min
&pizza is a thriving fast-casual pizza shop that marches to the beat of its own drum. It designs its restaurants to reflect their local communities. Its employees get the company’s signature ampersand logo tattooed on themselves. It hosts free weddings in its shops every Pi Day (3/14). The beating heart of this 35-unit brand is cofounder and CEO Michael Lastoria. A former advertising professional, Lastoria has carefully constructed a brand and culture that represent far more than its signatu...
Apr 10, 2019•59 min
Childhood friends and first-generation Greek Americans Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Dimitri Moshovitis first opened full-service restaurant Cava Mezze in Washington, D.C., in 2006. The fast-casual spinoff, CAVA, opened in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, in 2011 and has since grown to 75 locations across the country, bringing authentic Mediterranean flavors to American consumers in markets big and small. In this interview with QSR editor Sam Oches, CEO Brett Schulman discusses CAVA's evolut...
Mar 19, 2019•41 min
In the wake of successful brands like Five Guys and Shake Shack, America fell in love with the better-burger category, which serves high-quality beef and other upscale ingredients in a fast-casual format. Atlanta-based Farm Burger, though, strives to be a better better-burger concept. The 11-unit chain is deeply committed to local sourcing, having been launched as the fast-casual spinoff of full-service farm-to-table restaurant Farm 255 in Athens, Georgia. In this episode, Farm Burger cofounder ...
Feb 19, 2019•40 min
Dog Haus has carved its own niche within the fast-casual restaurant industry. With a sports-bar vibe and a chef-designed menu, this brand has created an upscale, laid-back experience that's packaged in a franchise format. And while Dog Haus is expected to double in size in 2019, it's not all been smooth sailing since day one. The three founders of Dog Haus—Quasim Riaz, Hagop Giragossian, and Andre Vener—sit down for a conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, discussing the genesis of the business...
Jan 30, 2019•55 min
Blaze Pizza started as a business plan scribbled on a Chipotle napkin back in 2011. At the time, Rick and Elise Wetzel were founders of the successful snack brand Wetzel's Pretzels, but they recognized an opportunity in the booming fast-casual model to turn pizza into a more personalized, lunch-driven category. Eight years later, Blaze Pizza has more than 300 locations and has been called the fastest-growing restaurant chain ever. In this conversation with QSR magazine editor Sam Oches, the Wetz...
Jan 02, 2019•53 min
