Hosted By
This week on the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News’ Last Bite Network, NRN editors Holly Petre, Sam Oches and Joanna Fantozzi discussed the news that came out of the recent virtual ICR conference.
Companies like Shake Shack, Domino’s, El Pollo Loco, Chuy’s, Dutch Bros and more pre-reported their latest quarter earnings during the conference. Fast-casual Shake Shak saw quarterly earnings exceed pre-pandemic levels for the first time since 2019 in the fourth quarter despite sales in the chain’s hometown of New York City shrinking by 20%. The team discusses why that is and what Shake Shack could do to change the trends.
Also, the team discusses the labor crisis and how its impacted restaurant finances. This is the first quarter where both the labor crisis and the supply chain crisis have impacted restaurants financially, so the team analyzes what it means looking ahead.
Plus, Fantozzi speaks with the CEO of Checkers and Rally’s, Frances Allen. The two discuss how the chain is improving its technology and using AI to step up to the plate.
Field Failing founded Field’s Good Kitchen in 2014 as a way to provide healthy and filling food at the speed of a quick-service restaurant. An athlete himself, he wanted to ensure the meal had oritein and nutrition at a reasonable price. As the brand expanded to its current six units across the New York metropolitan area, business shifted. Many locations were in office hubs in Manhattan, benefitting from the lunch rush and catering of large gatherings at the many high-rises dotting the skyline. Coronavirus hit that booming business and halted Field’s Good Chicken in its tracks. The emerging brand was forced to close all locations and it’s growing catering business, but that didn’t stop the team from thinking. “At the end of the day, people need to eat, and the population in the United States is growing. So, I think it’s safe to say there will be growth in the restaurant space over the next 2-3 years…restaurants will grow, and the show will go on,” said Failing. Beginning with family packs (Failing and his wife actually had their second child in the early weeks of the pandemic), the business soon pivoted to selling whole chickens with sides in the style of supermarkets to feed the entire family. And while rent on six NYC restaurants is a lot, it doesn’t seem like it will be the case for much longer as Fields is looking to expand into ghost kitchens. But the pandemic has brought out a side of the industry that he’s grateful for. “It’s been cool to see the heart and the soul of the industry come out. It’s a gritty, gutsy industry and it’s a gritty, gutsy group of people, which is part ...
Rob McColgan, CEO of Modern Restaurant Concepts, discusses how the recent joining of the two brands helped them stay open and prepare for franchising and possible acquisitions over the next few years. ...
This week on a special Women’s Foodservice Forum-themed edition of the Extra Serving podcast, a production of Nation’s Restaurant News, NRN editors Holly Petre, Leigh Anne Zinsmeister, and Sam Oches discussed their key takeaways from the WFF leadership conference held last week in Dallas. A few of those takeaways include an increased focus on mental health and self-care, the importance and celebration of the return of networking, and how to grow talent from within to wind up with more female representation in the C-suite. The three editors attended the conference and recorded several podcasts at the NRN podcast lounge. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks for even more WFF content. This week on the pod, hear from Dr. James Pogue on what men can do to increase gender equity, CEO of WFF Therese Gearhart on what the conference means to her, and Yum Brands chief operating officer and chief people officer Tracy Skeans on what inspires her. ...
