The Restaurant Innovator
The Restaurant Innovator is a podcast from the editors of FSR magazine—the leading publication for full-service restaurants—that dives into the world of running restaurants and explores the latest trends, strategies, and technologies being used by today's NextGen operators. Each episode features insightful conversations with trailblazing restaurateurs who are leading the charge in creating new and memorable experiences. From cutting-edge menu design and front-of-house operations to back-of-house efficiencies and sustainability initiatives, The Restaurant Innovator offers listeners a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to stay ahead of the curve in an ever-evolving industry. Whether you're a seasoned operator or just getting started in the business, this podcast is a must-listen for anyone looking to stay on top of the latest trends and best practices.
Episodes
97 episodes
Purpose Over Pace With Mecha Noodle Bar’s Tony Pham
Tony Pham, co-founder of Mecha Noodle Bar, joins host Sam Danley to share how a local ramen shop in Connecticut grew into a multi-state, mission-driven restaurant group. Pham walks through his unconventional path into hospitality and why tellin...
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Season 1
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Episode 97
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54:10
How to Flip a Struggling Restaurant Into a Success Story
Heirloom Restaurant Group founder Kevin Santiago shares his lessons on revamping and revitalizing restaurant concepts, what he looks for in acquisition opportunities, and how to systematically optimize your business. He also talks about coachin...
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Season 1
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Episode 96
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51:51
Resilience and Reinvention With Cloak and Petal’s Cesar Vallin
Cesar Vallin, co-founder of Michelin Guide recognized Cloak and Petal, joins host Sam Danley for a candid conversation on rebuilding a career—and a life—in hospitality. Vallin reflects on his first venture’s collapse and the hard lessons that r...
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Season 1
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Episode 95
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52:09
Inside North Italia’s Culinary Engine With Chef Chris Curtiss
Chris Curtiss, Corporate Chef and Director of Culinary R&D at North Italia, breaks down how the modern Italian concept keeps raising the bar as it nears 50 locations nationwide. He reflects on his decades in the industry, his longtime affin...
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Season 1
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Episode 94
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32:37
Nostalgia, Relevance, and How NORMS Stays Feisty After 76 Years, with CEO Mark Politzer
How does a legacy diner institution stay relevant after 76 years without losing its core identity? NORMS President & CEO Mark Politzer joins host Callie Evergreen to unpack a career that stretches from Michelin-star dining to leading one of...
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Season 1
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Episode 93
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41:09
The Simple Math for More Sales: Popmenu Co-Founders on the Formula for Growth
Popmenu co-founders Brendan Sweeney (CEO) and Tony Roy (COO) join the show to talk about the restaurant tech company’s origin story—and why they were determined to put operators back in control of their digital presence. From ditching the stati...
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Season 1
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Episode 92
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48:59
The Blueprint for Thoughtfully Designing Community-Centric Restaurants With Jeremy Walton
Jeremy Walton, owner and managing partner of Quest Hospitality Concepts, unpacks how he built three distinct yet community-driven restaurants along Florida’s scenic 30A. From launching The Citizen during the height of the pandemic to reviving a...
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Season 1
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Episode 91
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52:33
How Chad Offerdahl Turned a Two-Unit Diner into a Breakfast Powerhouse
Chad Offerdahl, Co-CEO of The Big Biscuit, sits down with FSR editors to share how he and his father transformed a beloved two-unit diner based outside of Kansas City, Missouri, into a 30-unit breakfast powerhouse that’s actively franchising. H...
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Season 1
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Episode 90
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38:59
‘Top Chef’ Competitor Manny Barella on Balancing BBQ, Fatherhood, and the Roses and Thorns of Reality TV
After trading law books for chef whites, Manny Barella’s journey from Monterrey, Mexico, to the “Top Chef” Season 21 stage has been a whirlwind. Now, the James Beard Award semifinalist and fan‑favorite contestant is channeling his heritage and ...
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Season 1
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Episode 89
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49:26
How bartaco CEO Anthony Valletta Streamlined Ops With Behold Juice
While many food and beverage programs still rely on labor-intensive prep and volatile citrus prices, bartaco is taking a different approach. CEO Anthony Valletta found an unexpected innovation partner in Jiayou (Leon) Lin, a former bartender tu...
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Season 1
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Episode 88
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43:59
Chef Gabriela Lopez’s Journey From Cleaning Houses to Living Her Culinary Dream
Before opening Casa Gabriela in 2023, chef Gabriela Lopez raised four children, cleaned houses, and never let go of her dream to cook professionally. In this heartfelt episode, she takes FSR editors through the journey of how she turned her chi...
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Season 1
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Episode 87
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45:31
Adam Halberg’s Hospitality Hot Take: Why Barcelona Wine Bar is Doubling Down on People Over Tech
While many restaurant brands are cutting payroll and installing kiosks, Barcelona Wine Bar is taking a radically different path. CEO Adam Halberg is betting big on human connection—creating new roles like VP of Hospitality, maître d’s, and dayt...
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Season 1
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Episode 86
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55:48
From ‘Chopped’ Champion to Barleymash and Beyond with Chef Kevin Templeton
Chef Kevin Templeton has come a long way since being named an FSR 40 Under 40 Rising Star in 2018. Since then, the San Diego-based chef has launched the Baja-inspired Hasta Mañana Cantina, expanded his coffee-and-bagel chain to five lo...
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Season 1
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Episode 85
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35:41
How Passerine Is Reimagining Indian Food in New York City
What does it take to reinvent Indian cuisine in New York City? In this episode, Passerine co-owners Maneesh Goyal and Alvina Patel Buxani share how they built a seasonally driven restaurant that blends heritage, hospitality, and innovation. Fro...
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Season 1
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Episode 84
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38:11
The Secret Sauce Behind Hawkers’ Cult Following and Savory Fund Deal with Kaleb Harrell & Andrew Smith
What happens when a cult-favorite restaurant brand and a powerhouse private equity firm join forces? In this episode, Hawkers Asian Street Food CEO and co-founder Kaleb Harrell and Savory Fund managing partner and co-founder Andrew Smith unpack...
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Season 1
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Episode 83
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41:45
How a New Catering Vision Reenergized a 50-Year Brand & Boosted Sales 85% in 90 Days
Laura Padrino of Padrino’s Cuban Restaurants and Sebastian Stahl of Breadth Marketing share how a bold catering initiative sparked new life into her family’s 50-year-old restaurant brand. As part of the third generation leading the South Florid...
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Season 1
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Episode 82
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41:55
The Secret to Building Restaurants That Last, According to Jamey Shirah
What does it really take to build restaurant concepts with staying power? In this episode, Jamey Shirah, CEO of Revival Restaurant Group, pulls back the curtain on how he’s evolved from launching high-volume nightlife venues to leading a portfo...
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Season 1
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Episode 81
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45:46
Lessons on Growth, Grit, and Investing in People with Hi Neighbor’s Tai Ricci
From the theater stage to San Francisco’s restaurant scene, Tai Ricci brings a unique perspective to hospitality. In this episode, the Hi Neighbor Hospitality Group co-founder shares how her theater background shaped her leadership style and ta...
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Season 1
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Episode 80
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40:08
Why Daring to Do Things Differently Pays Off with Chef Jacob Stull of Rêve
From transforming an old chicken joint to a fine-dining French restaurant and breaking the mold on treating employees with the respect they deserve, chef Jacob Stull shares his candid lessons on creating Rêve—one of the first fine-dining (yet a...
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Season 1
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Episode 79
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30:21
How Chris Piro Uses Fine Dining Pop-Ups to Fund Foster Dreams
Chef Chris Piro opens up about how his unconventional journey—from growing up in the foster care system to cooking in Michelin-starred kitchens—led him to launch Again., a fine dining pop-up with a mission. In this episode, Piro shares how 100%...
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Season 1
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Episode 78
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35:23
What Happens When a Finance Pro and a Chef Reimagine Italian Dining
What happens when a Goldman Sachs alum and a New Orleans-trained chef team up to launch a fine dining restaurant in Lexington, Kentucky? Meet Dallas Rose and Chef Alex Green of Mileta. In this episode, they share how they built a globally inspi...
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Episode 77
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40:04
Why Chef Chaz Brown Is Betting Big on Afro-Caribbean Food in D.C.
Chef Chaz Brown opens up about his journey from fine dining and reality TV to launching The Oxtail Exchange in D.C.—his most personal project yet. Blending two decades of experience with Caribbean roots and a clear mission, he shares why he’s d...
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Season 1
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Episode 76
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44:42
The Secrets of Seasonal Menu Transformation with Joel Reynders
Joel Reynders, the new VP of culinary and corporate executive chef at Another Broken Egg Cafe, shares his strategy for crafting daytime menus that balance creativity and consistency—and why operations and data play a key role in successful LTO ...
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Season 1
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Episode 75
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40:55
Top Chef’s Rasika Venkatesa on Breaking the Mold While Honoring Her Roots
Rasika Venkatesa, a recent cheftestant on Season 21 of “Top Chef” and owner of progressive South Indian concept Mythily, chats with FSR editors about blending heritage with innovation, redefining Tamil cuisine through a modern lens, the emotion...
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Season 1
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Episode 74
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40:10
Taking the Pulse of Culture and Wellness in Restaurants with Steve Palmer
The Indigo Road Hospitality Group Founder Steve Palmer joins FSR editors to talk about the current state of economics, labor, and mental health in the restaurant industry; the evolving definition of wellness in dining and hotels; and h...
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Season 1
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Episode 73
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42:09