The Bottom Line- Real Stories Behind Restaurants
The Bottom Line: The Real Stories Behind Restaurants is a straight-to-the-point, 50 minute podcast where restaurant operators and industry leaders share their biggest wins and toughest challenges. Each episode dives into real, unfiltered stories about what it takes to run a successful restaurant, from scaling operations to overcoming financial struggles. Whether it’s a breakthrough strategy or a hard-earned lesson, this podcast gives listeners actionable insights they can apply to their own businesses. It’s about the reality of the restaurant industry—not just the highlights, but the hard work behind the success.
The Bottom Line- Real Stories Behind Restaurants
Mission-Driven Burgers: How Grassburger Is Changing Fast Casual
In this episode of The Bottom Line, Naki Soyturk sits down with Jessie and Ed Kileen, the husband-and-wife duo behind Grassburger, a growing fast casual brand that fuses sustainability, values-driven leadership, and operational discipline. The Kileen’s share their journey building a burger concept with a conscience.
They source 100% grass-fed, U.S.-raised beef from regenerative, humane ranches—never grain-fed, no antibiotics or synthetic hormones. Their philosophy: “grass-fed cattle live a happy and active life on pasture (as nature intended)”—and the ranch practices are kinder to animals and better for the planet.
They’ve earned acclaim as serving award-winning burgers and fries. The concept began with Jessie and Ed’s desire to feed their family allergy-friendly, nutritious food—an ethic eflected in their family- and allergy-friendly menu
They unpack the challenges of staying true to their mission while scaling a business in a competitive space. We cover everything from team culture, cost controls, and sourcing integrity, to why owning your brand narrative matters more than ever in today’s market.
Jessie & Ed’s Links:
Website: https://www.eatgrassburger.com
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grassburger
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grassburger
What You’ll Learn
• How to build a mission-driven brand in fast casual
• Why sourcing integrity can be a competitive advantage
• How to manage costs without compromising values
• How to build company culture in a multi-unit setting
• The realities of expanding in small markets
• Why it’s hard—but necessary—to lead with authenticity
• How the Kileens used purpose to weather tough seasons
• 00:00 – Intro & Meet the Kileens
• 03:30 – Grassburger’s Origin Story
• 07:00 – Building a Values-Driven Fast Casual Brand
• 11:00 – The Role of Supply Chain & Sourcing
• 15:30 – Leading a Team with Purpose
• 19:00 – Managing Growth Without Compromising Integrity
• 23:30 – Culture, Turnover, and Hiring with Heart
• 27:00 – Operational Discipline with Soul
• 31:00 – Scaling Infrastructure & Expansion Hurdles
• 35:00 – What’s Next for Grassburger
• 39:00 – Final Advice for Operators
Welcome to The Bottom Line – the real talk podcast about restaurant profit and growth. Each episode, we explore the decisions, systems, and stories behind the most successful food businesses out there in the market. No fluff. No hype. Just real operators, real challenges, and real advice from people who know how to get results. Let's get to The Bottom Line.
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Connect with Naki on Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ufuksoyturk/