QSR Uncut
QSR Uncut is a podcast from the editors of QSR magazine—the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators—that discusses the current state and future of the fast-food restaurant industry. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders, each episode candidly shares expert advice from some of the industry's most insightful leaders.
Episodes
385 episodes
Smalls Sliders Plans a Big Leap, with Founder Brandon Landry
Brandon Landry joins QSR Uncut this week to discuss what’s ahead for Smalls Sliders, a brand that leapt onto the scene and appears ready to hit its growth stride. We discuss what’s next, what’s driving consumer interest these days, and also tak...
Tiki Bagel Joins the Bagel Surge, with Founder PJ Powell
All of sudden, bagels are one of the hottest categories in QSR. Let’s meet Tiki Bagel, a St. Pete-based brand that endured early craziness (what else is new in foodservice?) to emerge stronger on the other side. Now, it’s targeting growth via f...
Why Mike's Red Tacos Could Be the Next Big Thing, with CDO Patrick Cunningham
Few restaurant brands have generated as much buzz in recent months as Mike's Red Tacos, a San Diego-founded concept that has hundreds of units lined up through franchising agreements. CDO Patrick Cunningham joins QSR Uncut this week to discuss ...
Solving Restaurant Tech Fatigue: Turning Friction Into Flow
Tim Busa and Brian Herr of Crunchtime join QSR Uncut this week as we tackle some of the industry’s most-pressing technology topics, from fragmented bloat to why surface-level API integrations haven’t solved the problem yet. We’ll introduce a ne...
Restaurant Development Trends, from Two Ex-Raising Cane’s Operators
College roommates Eric Ongaro and Matt Salts joined forces at RCO Limited, the first Raising Cane’s franchise partner. Together, they helped grow the company to nearly 50 Ohio locations and $200 million in annual sales before Raising Cane’s bou...
Talking GLP-1s, Wellness, and Crisp & Green’s Next Growth Chapter, with Steele Smiley
Cofounder and executive chairman Steele Smiley returns to QSR Uncut to share his thoughts on why wellness and fitness remain major whitespace opportunities within the restaurant industry. We discuss how Crisp & Green is tapping in from an a...
The ROI of Restaurant Conferences: There Has to Be a Better Way, with Michael Sien
Industry vet Michael Sien joins QSR Uncut this week to talk about a recent leap—starting faSHOW, a specialist consultancy dedicated to helping organizers, exhibitors, and operators get more out of their industry events. We’ll explore what’s goi...
Huey Magoo’s and the Rise of a Chicken Powerhouse, with CEO Andy Howard
At just about 90 locations open across 12 states and 230 signed for development in the coming years, the fast casual tenders focused brand is hitting the growth lever. Andy Howard, known as the “Chicken Guy,” has had stops from Kenny Rogers Roa...
Can AI Make You a Better Leader? with Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator Jon Harmeling
Chick-fil-A owner-operator Jon Harmeling, a former West Point instructor in systems engineering, joins QSR Uncut to chat about his journey with the category leader, but also to break down how he’s developed 10 AI systems that run inside his sto...
The Rise of AI and Location Intelligence in QSR, with Gladys Kong
Gladys Kong, CEO of Azira, joins QSR Uncut this week to break down some rising technologies and how restaurant brands can better understand their customers, optimize operations, and compete in a market where consumer behavior is quickly changin...
Cinnabon Makes a Big Beverage Move, with Chief Brand Officer Urvi Patel
One of the country’s most-iconic treat chains recently rolled out Seattle’s Best Coffee as it looks to compete more aggressively for high-frequency beverage occasions and evolve beyond traditional indulgence moments. We’ll explore what that mea...
QSR Tech and Drive-Thru Expectations: What Do Customers Really Want?
Andy Grindstaff, Director, Enterprise Restaurant Product, Global Payments, joins QSR Uncut this week for a wide-ranging discussion as we roll around the tech landscape. Let's talk AI. Drive-thru (does speed matter as much as it used to?). How c...
Welcome to Moe’s! … for Late-Night? With Chief Brand Officer Mike Smith
Moe’s Southwest Grill is in the midst of a new, three-part strategy to drive incremental gains. It includes extended hours to serve unmet demand, a Gen Z menu play, a deeper dive into delivery, and more as the category icon readies for what’s n...
How Your Kitchen Can Solve Margin Pressure, with Kelli Jenkins and Derek Clayton
Kelli Jenkins, senior product manager at Vitamix, and Derek Clayton, the company’s corporate chef, join QSR Uncut for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from back-of-the-house foodservice trends to the skill gap in restaurants to und...
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Preps for Lift-Off, with President Bob Andersen
Recently named a Top 3 emerging restaurant chain in the U.S. by Datassential, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is fast approaching 100 units and $150 million in systemwide sales. President Bob Andersen joins QSR Uncut to discuss life growing...
Lessons on Leadership from One of the Industry’s Most Important B2B Companies
Alissa Partee is stepping into the role of CEO at Restaurant Technologies, a company she joined in 2020 before becoming COO. Partee has worked at leading brands such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Caribou Coffe...
A Conversation on Franchising, Growth, and the State of Restaurants, with Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe
Dan Rowe, CEO and founder of Fransmart, and 35-plus-year-industry vet, joins QSR Uncut this week for a special episode exploring what it takes to grow, the state of concept creation, how franchising is evolving, and much more. We explore some o...
The Journey of Beignet Spot, with CEO and Cofounder Fabrice Alce
Can a brand based around beignets scale? We step into the unique concept with its cofounder and CEO, Fabrice Alce, to explore developing a fast casual from the roots, what it takes to start looking ahead, and how leadership changes from the ear...
Winning the Value Customer, with Cici's President Jeff Hetsel
The legacy pizza buffet has posted a strong year despite the odds, leaning into a fresh approach of value-based branding and promotions. From a record-breaking loyalty launch that turned back the clock on pricing, with sales jumping nearly 30 p...
A New Way for Franchisees to Find Capital, with Zack Fishman and Jimmy Frischling
Back in March, F&B Capital, a new capital markets firm focused on advising and supporting concepts across t...
What’s Next for Potbelly After RaceTrac Sale, with Jennifer Durham
Jennifer Durham, SVP of franchising and development at Potbelly, joins QSR Uncut to discuss the sandwich chain’s next act after its blockbuster $566 million deal to RaceTrac. One of the most-intriguing deals in recent quick-service memory broug...
Revealing the Growth Potential of Secret Burger Kitchen, with CEO Paul Sandhu
Beginning inside a Holiday Inn hotel kitchen in Tacoma, Washington, Secret Burger Kitchen has taken a fervent following and developed a brand ready to scale. CEO and cofounder Paul Sandhu joins QSR Uncut to share how the upstart concept teamed ...
The State of Restaurant Media, with Brian Lowe
BML Public Relations president and CEO Brian Lowe returns to QSR Uncut after one of our most-listened to episodes to unpack what restaurants need to ...
The State of Digital in Fast Food and Fast Casual: Revisited (2026 Edition)
Last year, in what’s become an annual tradition here on QSR Uncut, Qu CMO Jen Kern broke down restaurant operators' thoughts on technology for the year ahead. Jen now returns to unravel the latest report, which unpacks how the industry appears ...
Staying a Step Above, with Velvet Taco's New CEO Chris Schultz
With more than 30 years of industry experience, including serving as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut and SVP of operations at MOD Pizza, Chris Schultz brought a wealth of insight to Velvet Taco when he joined the fast casual late last year. He's now tur...