In this episode of the Restaurantology Podcast , host Andrew sits down with Daniel Estrada, co-founder of 86 Repairs, to uncover how this innovative solution is transforming the restaurant industry. They discuss the challenges operators face with repairs and maintenance (R&M), the costs of reactive management, and the critical need for streamlined processes as brands scale. Daniel shares insights about the importance of proactive data management, staff retention through stress reduction, and...
Nov 13, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 16
In this episode, we sit down with Cassie Ghaffar and Sandy Nguyen, co-founders of Saigon Hustle, to discuss how they built one of Houston’s most exciting new food brands. They share their story of turning a college friendship into a successful partnership, tackling the challenges of opening a restaurant during COVID-19, and scaling their authentic Vietnamese concept into a fast-casual drive-thru model. Discover the inspiration behind their menu, their approach to maintaining authenticity while m...
Oct 23, 2024•54 min•Season 1Ep. 15
In this episode of the Restaurantology Podcast, we dive deep into the heart of R&R BBQ's success with two of our greatest leaders Emery Winward and Nathan Breneman Join us as we explore the strategies behind fostering a strong company culture, maintaining high retention rates, and the crucial role of accountability in driving performance. Our guests share insights from their own leadership journeys, including how they've navigated the challenges of the pandemic, the evolution of their Lux Ca...
Aug 21, 2024•1 hr 3 min•Season 1Ep. 14
In this week’s episode of Restaurantology, we dive deep into the story behind SWIG, the revolutionary drink brand that’s taken the industry by storm. Join us as we sit down with Nicole Tanner, the Queen of Dirty Soda, to explore her journey from a single shop in St. George, Utah to becoming a national brand. Nicole shares her experiences in creating an iconic brand, the challenges of standing out in a crowded market, and the power of maintaining a strong culture. Discover how SWIG’s unique custo...
Jun 26, 2024•1 hr 7 min•Season 1Ep. 13
In this episode of Restaurantology, we dive deep into the essential details that make or break restaurant success. Join us as we explore how refining the small aspects of your business can lead to significant profits, featuring insights from Taylor Dehart and Jessica Moyer of Savory. From managing prime costs to building customer trust, we cover it all. Learn how to create efficiencies in your labor model and menu design, understand the importance of consistent customer experiences, and discover...
Jun 05, 2024•1 hr 4 min•Season 1Ep. 12
In this enlightening episode, Andrew delves into the heart and soul behind Mo' Bettahs, a restaurant that has taken the essence of Hawaiian cuisine and culture to create a dining experience unlike any other. Join us as we sit down with Rob Ertmann, a pivotal figure in Mo' Bettahs journey, to explore the foundational principles that have propelled this brand to new heights. From backyard grilling to leading a rapidly expanding restaurant empire, discover the blend of authentic culinary delights, ...
Apr 03, 2024•57 min•Season 1Ep. 11
In this episode of Restaurantology Amir Mostafavi shares his fascinating entrepreneurial journey, from the inception of South Block to its triumphant growth in the competitive food and beverage industry. Amir's story is filled with personal anecdotes of challenges faced, lessons learned, and the importance of community involvement in business growth. He discusses the strategic decisions that propelled South Block's success, emphasizing the role of product quality, customer engagement, and a stro...
Mar 13, 2024•57 min•Season 2Ep. 10
The story behind the founding of Mo’Betttahs Hawaiian Style – currently a 35 unit fast casual restaurant brand with more than 30 in development across the country. Kimo and Kalani Mack, founded Mo’Bettahs in Bountiful, UT in 2008 – in the midst of one of the worst recessions the U.S. economy had experienced. Born and raised in the islands of Hawaii, Kimo and Kalani wanted to share a piece of their culture by serving the one-plate meal to their guests. Now with more than $1.25M in revenue per wee...
Aug 24, 2022•51 min
How should I finance the future growth of my company? What options are available to me and how do I know which ones to pursuit? Are investors going to be interested in my business? These are questions that founders ask regularly. Having assessed nearly 1,000 restaurant brands in the last three years, Taylor DeHart, Principal at the Savory Fund and Andrew K. Smith, Managing Director, discuss the options available to restaurateurs to finance their business and how to sift through them to find the ...
Aug 07, 2022•53 min
Founders Brandon Hunt of Austin-based Via 313 Pizzeria and Otto Othman of Miami-based Pincho Burgers & Kebabs discuss how the landed their $20M of growth funding for each of their businesses. They discuss details with Andrew about how they prepared, negotiated and closed the funding – their feelings pre and post transaction – and what the future of their brands is going to be in the coming years. Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information....
Apr 25, 2022•1 hr 6 min
External pressures making you feel like your head is in a vice? A conversation with Savory's Vice President of Food & Beverage, Maryam Chaney, and Chief Executive Officer, Shauna Smith, about external pressures, how it affects your menu, food costs and supply chain. Figuring out how to manage it all from the best! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
Mar 11, 2022•39 min
It’s a new year and we all need great employees to support our existing and new restaurants. Jessica Moyer, VP of Learning and Development, Dan Pena, Director of Operations of The Crack Shack and Chase Wardrop, President of Swig discuss how executing a new employee’s first day onboarding process is the most effective retention techniques. And most of us fail at this miserably. Hear some tips and tricks on how to make this more effective today! Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more info...
Jan 14, 2022•41 min
Josh Boshard, COO of Savory’s seven portfolio brands, and Alonso Castaneda, VP of Brand Development & Strategy for Savory, discuss with Andrew the overwhelming pressure to level up your tech stack in the restaurant industry. There is so much tech being pitched at every restaurant owner, every day. And the question is: Which ones do you need now, or later? The reality is, not all tech and F&B services are required to operate successfully or competitively at different points of the journey...
Sep 28, 2021•52 min
Clay Dover is scaling Velvet Taco – and he is doing it fast. But only after years of putting in the time to build a tribal culture of devout team members. Clay and Andrew talk about the importance of creating a culture that is ‘sticky’ and one that retains talent, provides career opportunities and upward mobility. A culture that promotes scale and growth as a reality. But only after it has been established. One fact they discuss openly: it’s hard. It is VERY hard to be successful at creating a c...
Sep 28, 2021•43 min
Chris Shultz is living the restaurant dream with Voodoo. One of the most recognizable brands in the industry, Chris is laying the foundation for mind-bending growth….of 1-2 units per year. This is a 180 degree change from his past with brands like Starbucks and Mod Pizza, two of the fastest growing restaurant brands in the industry. In this episode, Andrew and Chris talk about the fallacy that having the ‘fastest scale’ in this industry is not always the best model to create long term value for ...
Sep 23, 2021•46 min
Shauna Smith, CEO of Savory’s seven Portfolio Brands, and Andrew K. Smith, Managing Director of Savory’s $200M F&B Fund visit with James Park, Operating Partner of Savory Fund as they introduce Restaurantology, The Journey from 2-20 Unit. Hear as to why Savory decided to start this podcast, what Restaurantology means, the introduction of the annual Restaurantology Summit for restaurateurs only. Learn how Shauna, Andrew and James got into the F&B industry, how they have grown, scaled and ...
Sep 18, 2021•56 min
