Tastemakers Podcast

This is a conversation with Phil Friedman, the CEO of Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill. Phil was the Chairman and CEO of McAlister's Deli, a brand he grew from 30 to over 300 locations. In 2011, he purchased the Salsarita’s brand and become the Chairman and CEO. They are now up to 80 locations in 17 states. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Randy Gier. Randy is a true giant in our industry. He was the CMO of KFC, Pizza Hut, Yum!, Dr. Pepper Snapple, Borden Dairy, and Gamestop and was also the CEO of Rave - the parent of Pie Five and Pizza Inn.  He is now running NRG, a private restaurant operating and holding company. This episode was recorded at the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit in Kentucky. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Patty Trevino, the head of marketing for the Carls Jr. brand and the SVP of Marketing at CKE. Over her career, she’s been the CMO of Bonefish Grill, the VP of Product Marketing at Outback, and the Director of Global Brand Marketing at Burger King. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Amir Hudda, the CEO at Qu. Amir is a technology entrepreneur who has started and grown 4 startups and raised over 100 million dollars. With Qu, they’ve reimagined point of sale for the unique needs of fast casual and quick service restaurants. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Gary Goodman, the founder of Yumpingo. They are a restaurant intelligence company that’s making customer feedback a more natural part of the dining experience, then sharing that feedback with operators in a more granular and actionable form. They recently launched into the US in a deal with Fridays. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Brett Schulman, the CEO of Cava. Cava Grill is one of the fastest growing restaurants in the country, and the Cava Group became one of the largest fast-casual companies in the US with their purchase of Zoe’s Kitchen last year. This was recorded at the Restaurant Technology Summit in Washington DC which is hosted by the great people at Cohn Reznick. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Jeremy Biser, the Executive Vice President of the iconic brand Roy Rogers. Jeremy came from the Dunkin Brands Group, where he held leadership positions within Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Jeremy Biser, the Executive Vice President of the iconic brand Roy Rogers. Jeremy came from the Dunkin Brands Group, where he held leadership positions within Dunkin’ Donuts and Baskin Robbins. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Adam Tabachnikoff, the SVP of Marketing for California Pizza Kitchen. Adam cut his teeth in the Burger King system working his way to Director, Global Product Marketing. He then led international marketing for Church’s Chicken before expanding his role to VP of Marketing Activation and Product Development. From there, he joined the Coffee Bean and Tea Leaf as the SVP of Global Marketing, and then joined CPK earlier this year. Enjoy!

This is a conversation with Chris Simms, the founder of Lazy Dog Restaurant & Bar. Lazy Dog was inspired by Chris’s trips to his parent's ranch in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. They are one of the fastest growing restaurants in the US. Enjoy!