Corner Booth Podcast
Food
About
Candid Conversations with Today’s Restaurant Entrepreneurs
Episodes
- Episode 136: Allison Balfour with Southerleigh Hospitality Group
Chris Tripoli interviews Allison Balfour, cofounder of Southerleigh Hospitality Group, about the challenges and strategies of managing multiple distinct restaurant concepts. The discussion highlights the importance of internal leadership d…
- Episode 135: Mark Greenblatt with Barry Bagels
Mark Greenblatt, COO of Barry Bagels, shares with Chris Tripoli on Corner Booth how the bakery evolved into a franchise brand by prioritizing operational discipline, gradual expansion from strong markets, and adapting its business model to…
- Episode 134: Otto Othman and Adrian Sanchez with Pincho
Pincho cofounders Otto Othman and Adrian Sanchez share their experience scaling their fast-casual restaurant brand from one location to multiple markets. They discuss navigating growth challenges, implementing systems, and making strategic…
- Episode 133: Tina Nielsen editor FCSI
Host Chris Tripoli speaks with Tina Nielsen, editor of Foodservice Consultant magazine, about the changing perception of value in the restaurant industry. They discuss how operators are adapting to generational expectations, the rise of of…
- Episode 132: Heather Neary with Tacos John's
Heather Neary, CEO of Taco John’s, shares insights on growing a quick-service restaurant brand, franchise management, operational systems, and brand refresh initiatives. The discussion covers strategies for scaling, maintaining standards,…
- Episode 131: Doug Willmarth with Beans and Brews Coffeehouse
The Corner Booth podcast dives into the fast-growing specialty coffee and beverage market with guest Doug Willmarth, CEO of Beans & Brews Coffeehouse. Host Chris Tripoli explores how this regional favorite evolved from a single Salt Lake C…
- Episode 130: Jamie Adams and Leonardo Moura
In this Corner Booth podcast episode, host Chris Tripoli sits down with seasoned restaurateurs Jamie Adams and Leonardo Moura to explore the art and challenges of managing multiple restaurant concepts. From their humble beginnings in the h…
- Episode 129: Kendall Ware a Restaurant Franchise Specialist
In this episode of Corner Booth , Chris Tripoli interviews Kendall Ware, a seasoned restaurant industry leader and franchise consultant. Kendall shares his journey from bussing tables at age 16 to becoming CEO of major brands like Cinnabon…
- Episode 128: Bryan Caswell with Latuli
Ready to learn what it really takes to open a successful restaurant in today’s market? In this episode of Corner Booth , host Chris Tripoli sits down with acclaimed chef and restaurateur Bryan Caswell to unpack the entire opening process o…
- Episode 127: Utkarsh Yadav with Sigri Indian Barbecue
This Corner Booth podcast by RestaurantOwner.com is a leading resource for independent restaurant operators seeking strategies to engage teams, delight guests, and grow their business. In this episode, host Chris Tripoli interviews Utkarsh…
- Episode 126: Raffi Yousefian with The Fork CPA's
This episode of Corner Booth dives deep into the world of restaurant accounting and financial management for independent restaurant operators. Hosted by Chris Tripoli of RestaurantOwner.com, the discussion features Raffi Yousefian, founder…
- Episode 125: Chris Gannon with Bolay
In this episode of Corner Booth, hosted by Chris Tripoli, we explore the latest restaurant industry trends and best practices for independent operators. In this episode, Chris interviews Chris Gannon, co-founder and CEO of Bolay, a fast-ca…
- Episode 124: Shawn Lalehzarian with Red Chickz
In this Corner Booth episode, host Chris Tripoli interviews Shawn Lalehzarian, founder and CEO of Red Chickz, a fast casual restaurant concept specializing in Nashville hot chicken. Shawn shares his journey from dishwasher to entrepreneur,…
- Episode 123: Carol Irwin with Buttermilk Cafe
After operating her tea house for 15 years in the Gruene, a historic community located within the city limits of New Braunfels, Texas, Carol Irwin decided it was time to think bigger. Irwin explored the larger New Braunfels market. And the…
- Episode 122: Billy Downs with Ford's Garage
Billy Downs learned the meaning of hospitality from his grandmother. “With 30 grandchildren, Grandma Betty was always ready to entertain,” he recalls, adding, “She was welcoming and appreciative of the chance to serve others.” Downs began…
- Episode 121: Dan Sidner with Black Shoe Hospitality
A Cornell University School of Hotel Administration graduate, Dan Sidner worked in country clubs, mastering the art of service and enology before leaving to spend a few years working throughout France. Upon his return to the U.S., Sidner e…
- Episode 120: Aaron Anderson with Sunrise Social
Aaron Anderson’s restaurant career began as a five-unit franchisee of The Hot Dog Factory in Philadelphia prior to creating his own concept. "I felt there was a void in the casual breakfast-brunch market segment in the Northeast and decide…
- Episode 119: Jeff Mauro a Food Network Celebrity Chef
Jeff Mauro's influence on hospitality started at a very young age. "My family always entertained. Our house was the place to be for good food and fun with family and friends." Mauro graduated from Le Cordon Bleu culinary school and worked…
- Episode 118: John Young with Young's Jersey Dairy
John Young is CEO of Young's Jersey Dairy, a 120-acre family-owned and operated Yellow Springs, Ohio, hospitality destination established 156 years ago. As its name suggests, the business began as a dairy in 1869. It added a bakery later.…
- Episode 117: Bryan Lockwood with Artistry Restaurants
Growing up in Peoria, Bryan Lockwood’s first job in the restaurant business was working with his mother at a diner. Fast forward to his first industry career position as a manager at Bonanza Steakhouse. He enjoyed the work and was promoted…
- Episode 116: Troy Hooper with Pepper Lunch
In 2022, Troy Hooper was introduced to the private equity owner of Pepper Lunch. He had assumed they would be discussing a short-term consulting position; however, it became a full-time position as CEO of the global quick-casual brand with…
- Episode 115: Shahpour Nejad with Pizza Guys
While in college studying mechanical engineering in the ‘80s, Shahpour Nejad worked part-time making and delivering pizzas. "It stuck with me. I am still loving the pizza business." After moving from Cleveland to Sacramento, Nejad opened t…
- Episode 114: George McLaughlin with Vicious Biscuit
George McLaughlin had been a successful McAlister's Deli franchisee prior to selling his interest in 2007. "Being out of the business was tough on me," he recalls. "I really missed the guest interaction and working with the staff.” So, 10…
- Episode 113: Jose Salazar with Safi Wine Bar, Salazars, & more
Award-winning Chef Jose Salazar was born in Colombia and raised in Queens, New York. His career includes working with Jean George Vongerichten, Thomas Keller, and other culinary luminaries. In 2008, he and his family moved to Cincinnati, w…
- Episode 112: Nelson Monteith with Honest Mary's
Inspired by the trend of healthy menu options in quick-service dining, Nelson Monteith, founder and CEO of Austin, TX-based Honest Mary's, left the oil and gas industry to become a restaurant entrepreneur. Monteith’s confidence in Honest M…
- Episode 111: Sam Ballas & Sammy Gianopoulos with Sammy's Sliders
Sam Ballas grew up in a restaurant family, but he chose a career in finance upon graduation from college. However, 19 years later, he met Chef Sammy Gianopoulos, a Johnson & Wales University graduate with acclaimed culinary success at mult…
- Episode 110: Kacie Dancy with Pop's Beef
Pop’s Italian Beef & Sausage (“Pop’s Beef”) has been a Chicagoland favorite for more than 45 years. The original Pop’s Beef store, located at 7153 W 127th Street in Palos Heights, IL, was opened March 24th, 1980, as a small family-run sand…
- Episode 109: Hamp Lindsey with Wade’s Restaurant
Hamp Lindsey's parents founded a small neighborhood grocery store 77 years ago. Today, it is a landmark restaurant in Spartanburg, SC. “My father was always an entrepreneur,” says Lindsey. “He added a dining room to the store in 1949 and W…
- Episode 108: Ford Fry with Rocket Farm Restaurants
As a youngster traveling and dining out with his grandparents, William “Ford” Fry developed an interest in restaurants. "I wasn’t a very good student in school and didn’t do well working restaurant front-of-house positions, but when I atte…
- Episode 107: Federico Castellucci III with Castellucci Hospitality Group
Knowing full well the challenges of the restaurant business as a line cook at his family’s Atlanta restaurant, Federico Castellucci chose to study finance at Cornell University. However, he switched to the university’s hotel administration…
- Episode 106: Jacob Monty, Immigration Attorney
“There is a lack of information and some actual misinformation regarding current immigration policies to deal with today,” says immigration attorney Jacob Monty, a partner with Texas law firm Monty & Ramirez, LLP. Monty serves on both the…
- Episode 105: Sarah Lieberman and JC Ricks with Dandelion Cafe
Long Before Sarah Lieberman and J.C. Ricks were awarded “Best Chicken & Waffles” in the country by Good Morning America in 2023, they were running Dandelion Cafe, their 40-seat breakfast and brunch concept in Bellaire, TX. As a teen, Liebe…
- Episode 104: Brian Mills with CHOP5
Brian Mills and his business partners researched dining trends and successful restaurant concepts before creating CHOP5. “We chose health, freshness, and quality at a reasonable price as the basis of our concept as we saw those items as be…
- Episode 103: George Tinsley with Tinsley Family Concessions
From playing professional basketball to owning a successful multi-unit foodservice management company, George Tinsley is committed to excellence. “Life was difficult for me as a child growing up in Louisville, KY. My stepmother died when I…
- Episode 102: Lance Vaught with Penn Station East Coast Subs
Penn Station East Coast Subs celebrates its 40th anniversary this year! Lance Vaught joined founder Jeffrey Osterfeld in 2002 as a franchise adviser charged with improving unit performance. “I really connected with the challenges and conce…
- Episode 101: Troy Guard with TAG Restaurant Group
At 21, Troy Guard left community college in San Diego to return to Hawaii, his birthplace, where he mentored under Roy Yamaguchi, celebrity chef. Guard recounts, “I started in the pantry, worked my way through the kitchen, and over the nex…
- Episode 100: Michelle Korsmo with the National Restaurant Association
“My family had a farm in North Dakota,” says Michelle Korsmo, CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “I was raised knowing that helping each other was the best way to help ourselves and that together people really can make a differenc…
- Episode 99: Peter Yang with Pokeworks
When Peter Yang’s parents immigrated to San Diego from China, they did not aspire for their children to be employed in food service. “My parents were trained designers in China, and had always hoped their children would graduate college an…
- Episode 98: Adam Romo with Eatzi’s Market & Bakery
Eatzi’s Market & Bakery (Eatzi’s) was created by award-winning concept developer Phil Romano in 1996 as a joint venture with casual dining restaurant company Brinker International, Inc. Soon after its launch, Adam Romo joined Eatzi’s as th…
- Episode 97: Emily Hunt Turner with All Square Cafe
Emily Hunt Turner is the founder and CEO of All Square Enterprises, a Minnesota non-profit organization. A former civil rights attorney, she created a restaurant and food truck business that provides a fresh start for people with a crimina…
- Episode 96: Jackie & Jessica Rodriguez with Grupo Lorena
Sisters Jackie and Jessica Rodriguez started working in the family restaurant business as teenagers. With time and hard work, they have grown into leadership positions in this successful multi-concept hospitality company in El Salvador. Wh…
- Episode 95: Cameron Gerber with Pebbles Family Buffet
In 2014, Cameron Gerber bought a hotel and restaurant near his home outside Varney, a small community in Ottawa, Canada. After trying to sell the real estate, he and his brother Andrew opened a casual full-service concept on the property,…
- Episode 94: Alex Eagle with Freebirds World Burrito
Alex Eagle was general counsel for Austin, Texas-based fast-casual concept Freebirds World Burrito before becoming its chief executive officer in 2018. Albeit his hands-on restaurant experience was limited, he forged ahead with plans for t…
- Episode 93: Tom O’Keefe with Southern Classic Chicken
Tom O’Keefe is managing director of the 17-unit Louisiana and Texas family-style concept Southern Classic Chicken. O’Keefe says that he was initially drawn to the company by its 35-year customer following that he describes as "cult-like."…
- Episode 92: Olga Sagan with Piroshky Piroshky Bakery
As immigrants from the Soviet Union and speaking little English, Piroshky Piroshky Bakery’s founders launched the business 32 years ago in a 350-sq.-ft. space at Seattle’s Pikes Peak Market. In this episode, owner Olga Sagan tells how her…
- Episode 91: Celeste Deal with ARF Financial
Getting "money, money, money" to finance their businesses is always a hot topic of interest for restaurant owners and operators. Meet Celeste Deal, chief sales officer with ARF Financial. She has 24 years of funding experience and has prov…
- Episode 90: Mike Stasko with Sunny Street Café
Mike Stasko, president of Columbia, Ohio-based Sunny Street Café, was influenced by his father’s career in the restaurant equipment and supply business. He eventually went to work with his father at Rise & Dine, a breakfast and lunch conce…
- Episode 89: Giorgia Caporuscio with Don Antonio Pizza
Giorgia Caporuscio was born in the small town of Terracina, Italy, an hour from Naples. In her youth, she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant to pursue her love of travel. At 19, she moved to New York City to work in her father’s pizza…
- Episode 88: Benson Lau with Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Café
Fuwa Fuwa is Japanese for Fluffy Fluffy, which, in this case, also translates to a successful, fast-growing soufflé pancake concept. Benson Lau started in 2018 with one small cafe in Toronto and has quickly grown his business to 40 locatio…
- Episode 87: Darren Spicer with Clutch Coffee Bar
Business school graduate Darren Spicer studied the success factors of the growing regional coffee sector while managing a unit of drive-thru coffee chain Dutch Bros. He and his two co-founders developed the drive-thru specialty beverage co…