Jodi Boyce joined Teriyaki Madness 4 years ago as the EVP of Marketing. Since then, this irreverent and fun brand has experienced 3x growth and is still opening new locations through the pandemic. Hear Jodi's secrets to success - from simplicity, value, and menu innovation to technology upgrades, data collection, and thriving on a limited budget. But paramount to her success is her sharp focus on "getting more bowls in people's hands" and driving franchisee profitability. Jod...
Sep 11, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast Andy Hooper, the President of &Pizza , talks about all the unique ways this iconic and beloved DC-based pizza brand builds loyalty & trust with their tribes, communities, and customers . Andy also talks about how they're accelerating their growth plans during the pandemic and doubling-down on digital. As one of the first all-in restaurants to stand up text messaging, their "do the right thing" people-first philosophy is paying dividends, as evidenced by 600% increase in di...
Sep 05, 2020•1 hr•Transcript available on Metacast For Brian Hipsher, being a “marketing outsider” served as an advantage. When he first started in the restaurant industry, his curiosity didn’t only help him get the job done — it helped him land the job in the first place. “That's probably why I sounded so different because I didn't know, and I asked lots of questions. I was really curious and I knew I could figure things out if given the opportunity. I think I approached the business differently as a result of that,” says Brian, VP of...
Aug 28, 2020•37 min•Transcript available on Metacast Hear how Dunkin’ is brewing its digital and delivery strategy during a global pandemic (hint: It's not a light roast) with the original off-prem diva, Brandy Blackwell. Jen Kern talks with Brandy about her restaurant marketing journey—how she went from an early off-prem pioneer at a local tex-mex chain to driving delivery and key digital strategies at global coffee/breakfast icon. Brandy explains how Dunkin’ is adapting its business model to fit the changing needs of customers during a glob...
Aug 21, 2020•51 min•Transcript available on Metacast The plan was for Donna Josephson to be a stay-at-home mom. But when Chick-fil-A recruited her for a grassroots marketing and training role that plan quickly dissipated. Now, five restaurant brands later, she’s the Chief Marketing Officer of Corner Bakery. In this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern interviews Donna about her atypical entry into the industry, the lessons she’s learned about teamwork, and how Corner Bakery is adapting its business model to facilitate good customer experien...
Aug 14, 2020•48 min•Transcript available on Metacast How this executive pastry chef, turned creamery expert, launched a CBD Vegan Ice Cream business during the pandemic. The Nashville-based entrepreneur, Lokelani Alabanza , discusses reinvention and finding her own identity by mixing nostalgia with her roots to create a new kind of ice cream legacy. With inspiration from black-authored cookbooks, she shares her love of storytelling by weaving the past into the future through photos, recipes, and now pop-up tents selling out of her ice cream. Key L...
Aug 07, 2020•54 min•Transcript available on Metacast In this episode, Jen talks with Jessica Smith , the Marketing Director at Groundwork Coffee LLC . Celebrating its 30th Anniversary , Groundwork is staying afloat during the pandemic by employing a multi-channel strategy that includes selling its organic coffees in grocery, e-commerce, many foodservice outlets, and in its cafes on the West Coast. Jessica highlights her journey in the restaurant industry, which started in early childhood with lots of nostalgic experiences, at Veggie Grill, and up ...
Aug 02, 2020•41 min•Transcript available on Metacast Jen Kern talks with Steph Hoppe, a two-time CMO at Bar Louie and LYFE Kitchen who most recently served as 7-Eleven’s VP of Marketing. Steph outlines her path from dishwasher to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and all the stops in-between, sharing how she’s kept a focus on innovation and transformation for restaurant brands. Steph currently provides fractional CMO services for clients, helping them grow brand performance, engagement and revenue. Check out Qu's Annual State of Digital for Enter...
Jul 23, 2020•40 min•Transcript available on Metacast During this podcast episode, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, talks with Rachel Layton. Rachel is the Vice President of Marketing and Growth at Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe. Taziki’s is a fast-casual, Mediterranean concept that has elevated your typical fast-casual experience by bringing food to your table, focusing on guest services and providing a “scratch kitchen” where over a hundred items are made from scratch each day. The conversation featured Rachel’s perspectives on handling ...
Jul 16, 2020•45 min•Transcript available on Metacast During this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, chats with Mark Mears, the Interim CMO at Saladworks. The podcast draws from Mark’s lengthy experience in the restaurant industry, with leadership positions at the Cheesecake Factory, Pizza Hut and Noodles & Co. Mark discusses the importance of building teams that are aligned and where everyone is focused on the “North Star.” Mark also takes a deeper dive into some of the guest programs created to sup...
Jul 09, 2020•55 min•Transcript available on Metacast During this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, chats with Matt Smith, the Chief Marketing Officer of The Madera Group. During the episode, Matt talks about his experience transitioning from agencies to an in-house marketing team. He dives into the innovative fast casual experience created with the various brands offered by the Madera Group and discusses the creativity involved with a lot of the efforts made by his marketing team. Check out Qu's A...
Jun 24, 2020•35 min•Transcript available on Metacast As the former Head of Marketing at Halal Guys, Justin Bartek has a knack for helping emerging brands drive international growth and expansion. Now at Ramen-favorite JINYA Holdings, hear how he's building strong franchisee/operator relationships and designing creative marketing campaigns for JINYA's four different brand concepts. From working with influencers at the MMA to performing artists, Justin provides sound advice to marketers based on his many years of strategic and tactical mar...
Jun 11, 2020•49 min•Transcript available on Metacast 
