QSR Uncut

RSE Ventures founder and “Shark Tank” guest Matt Higgins has created a multi-billion-dollar investment portfolio of leading fine-dining and fast-casual concepts, including iconic eateries like NYC’s Magnolia Bakery, David Chang’s Momofuku, Milk Bar, &pizza, and Bluestone Lane. He joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss all of that, plus sharing his philosophy on leadership and achieving your potential, as well as stories from his NFL days, and a whole lot more. This might just be the most off-kilter, enlightening, and revealing conversation we’ve ever had on QSR Uncut.

Dustin Portillo joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss a journey unlike any other we’ve had here on QSR Uncut. From becoming the third-youngest person in Ringling's 147-year history to being promoted to “Boss Clown” to portraying Ronald McDonald at The Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade to leading community relations at one of the top McDonald’s franchises in America, Portillo has traveled one of the most unique roads in the industry. And he’s now sharing with the world why it’s more than OK to be an IDIOT (we’ll explain).

Few restaurant brands, if any, have stayed at the forefront of innovation like Wow Bao, a concept that began as a small Chicago storefront and has now spread to more than 700 “dark kitchens” across the country. Also, Wow Bao recently rolled into thousands of CPG outlets and is plotting a future in web3 that could change the game as we know it. CEO Geoff Alexander joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss it all, what’s next, and how you lead from the cutting edge during one of the most vivid paradigm shifts on record.

Penn Station East Coast Subs chief operating officer Craig Dunaway joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat on the challenger brand's history and why it's poised for growth. How do you guard a brand's differentiators as you franchise? Where is the sandwich sector headed next? We get into that and a whole lot more.

Gong cha president Geoff Henry, who assumed the international bubble tea brand's top U.S. role last March, has 20 years of experience as a leader in the quick service and CPG beverage industries. He joins the podcast to discuss the factors driving the growth of the bubble tea industry and how it's capturing the Gen-Z and Gen-Alpha market and helping turn new generations into tea consumers.

Jeff Hetsel, president of Cicis Pizza, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to share insight into what all restaurants search for in this business—brand longevity. For the famed pizza buffet chain, it all starts within (Hetsel began with Cicis as a GM 30 years ago), and a culture that promotes franchise development through generations. Hetsel talks about what’s ahead for the brand, as well as the industry, as value kicks into gear in 2024.

Nekter Juice Bar CEO Steve Schulze joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the story and journey of one of the category’s true icons. Plus, we’ll get into the state of franchising and the future of the segment from the frontlines of one of the hottest arenas in fast casual.

CEO Greg Willman has Naf Naf Grill poised and ready to hit the growth lever this coming year. He joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss how his background as a franchisee has provided real-life insight into how the Middle Eastern concept should expand, where it goes next, and why it continues to resonate in new and legacy markets alike.

Honey Baked Ham CMO Tripp McLaughlin joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to talk about the evolution of the legacy brand. For generations, Honey Baked has played a role in family holiday traditions, and now, it’s taking those core equities, differentiated food, and bringing them to fresh audiences through a reenergized marketing campaign and plan to get in front of guests across multiple occasions, no matter the time of year.

Three Jersey Mike’s leaders—Kevin Loughran, Field Training and Development Specialist, Amanda Vrabel, Manager of Business Management Systems, and Brian Deeth, Area Director for New England—join QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat on how one of the hottest brands in America is staying ahead of the competition by using tech solutions to drive operational excellence. The IT, Operations, and Training leaders will share best practices and discuss the impact these solutions have on their business. This episode is sponsored by Crunchtime.

Nate Hybl is an ex-NFL quarterback-turned CEO of Atlanta-born gusto!, a fresh bowls and wraps brand with 12 restaurants and counting. It’s been one wild journey from funding his dream to growing a fast casual, with no shortage of lessons and revelations along the way. And it’s a story that’s only getting started, with a focus on company culture and running a brand built to last.

Brad Laport, the CEO of WinCup, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the topic of greenwashing and the challenges it creates for restaurant operators. With so many options, from those hotly debated paper straws to more, how can restaurants know they’re making product decisions that are not only good for the planet, but decisions customers will appreciate.

Sherri Kimes, Emeritus Professor at Hotel School at Cornell, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to break down one of the hottest and most-debated topics in the restaurant industry today. Should we even call it dynamic pricing? How do you master pricing and revenue management for your restaurant? We get into all those topics, and a lot more thanks to one of the category's leading minds.

Austin Capoferi, the president of Next Brands, the family-owned strategic manager and growth accelerator of Beef-a-Roo and Blenderz, is charging forward with an innovative modular container location concept. The approach is designed to spearhead rapid franchise expansion by using low-cost shipping containers to help quickly open complete, fully operating restaurant locations, and cut development time by half. All for a price of $200,000.

Darden Coors, heiress of the Miller Coors company, also known as the CEO of Salad Collective, has decided to enter the world of franchising. Recently, she started Salad Collective where she acquired multiple brands, one being MAD Greens. And now, expansion is on the table in a wellness food market projected to reach $1 trillion by 2026.

One of the plant-based category's true pioneers recently had to shut down 12 locations. Cofounder and CEO, T.K. Pillan, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the difficult decision, why it was necessary, and how it allows Veggie Grill to be laser-focused on its founding mission. Also, where the category is headed, and what Veggie Grill's menu-driven plan to separate from the pack will look like.

GroundTruth CMO Brandon Rhoten joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat on how the job of today’s restaurant marketer has changed. What data matters? Can you turn engagement into visits? And where does it all go from here? Rhoten is a digital marketing veteran who’s led campaigns for some of the industry’s most recognizable brands including CMO positions at Papa Johns and Potbelly. As VP of Marketing, he was also instrumental in developing Wendy's award-winning snarky social media strategy. 

Sisters and mompreneurs, Heather Golden Ray and Jenny Engel, are the authors of two cookbooks (Zooey Deschanel is a fan), and chefs and owners of Spork Foods, a renowned Los Angeles-based vegan food company and cooking school, where they taught vegan cooking classes for more than 15 years. Now, they’re running a fast casual, Hey, Sunshine Kitchen, which just opened in Culver City, California, and has big plans to shake up the food scene. Learn how they got started, what it took to staff the store, and how the early foundations of growth are being laid down.

NFL legend Drew Brees, along with founder Brandon Landry, join QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to discuss the sizzling growth of Smalls Sliders, a rising fast casual that’s building an all-star team ready to scale. We’ll also get into Brees’ history in restaurant franchising, where it all started and where it goes from here, and why Smalls has the potential to hit it big.

Ryan Thorman, founder and CEO of Bango Bowls, joins QSR editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley to talk about how the brand is satisfying demand for healthy food options and building a growth-ready franchise primed for sustained expansion. Founded in 2017 in Long Island, New York, Bango Bowls offers a diverse menu that includes salads, warm grain bowls, poke bowl, acai bowls, flaninis, and avocado toasts.