The Casual Comeback | Barry McGowan, Kaleb Harrell, Christine Magrann, Jeff Chandler

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Restaurantology

Andrew Smith

22 episodes

6 days ago

Hosted by Savory Managing Director Andrew K. Smith, and the executive team of Savory Restaurant Fund, Restaurantology: The Journey from 2-10 units - will feature discussions among Founders, Senior Level Executives and CEOs of restaurant companies that are working through their journey of scaling.

The difference: Everyone speaking is working within a restaurant company, every day, and talking from first-hand experience. Each week, Restaurantology with Andrew K. Smith, or one of his restaurant veteran partners, will discuss a trending topic with others within the F&B industry and discuss it unscripted, with no pre-prepared questions. It will be as if you are sitting with all guests at lunch – discussing the truth behind each topic of discussion.

And the truth is – it isn’t what you are hearing in most interviews. The black box has officially been broken open. We are discussing the good, bad, and ugly that we all must deal with, and how we are all pressing forward, despite constant shifts, changes, and headwinds within the industry.

This is the study of Restaurants. This is Restaurantology.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneurship

Business

RSS

All content for Restaurantology is the property of Andrew Smith and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Entrepreneurship

Business

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The Casual Comeback | Barry McGowan, Kaleb Harrell, Christine Magrann, Jeff Chandler

Restaurantology

43 minutes 23 seconds

3 weeks ago

The Casual Comeback | Barry McGowan, Kaleb Harrell, Christine Magrann, Jeff Chandler

Is casual dining just surviving or thriving? In this dynamic roundtable from The Depot in Salt Lake City, Barry McGowan (Fogo de Chao) leads a conversation with Kaleb Harrell (Hawkers), Christine Magrann (FB Society), and Jeff Chandler (Hopdoddy) to explore why many believe casual dining is in the midst of a renaissance.

Together, they unpack how operators are innovating without losing hospitality’s soul, why experiential dining is driving growth, and how culture remains the foundation for sustainable expansion. From pricing strategies and tech adoption to guest connection and brand integrity, this panel delivers actionable insights for restaurateurs, founders, and foodservice investors alike.

⏱️ Chapters

00:00 | Intro: The Casual Dining Renaissance

03:01 | Hawkers: Origin Story & Why Casual Lasts

07:01 | Guests Want Approachable Excellence

10:45 | Hospitality Is Human Connection

15:11 | Scaling Culture Without Losing the Soul

18:45 | Balancing Tech with Leadership Intuition

21:28 | Owning and Nourishing Company Culture

26:00 | Innovation Done Thoughtfully

27:34 | Guests Crave Experiences & Shared Moments

29:23 | Experimenting with Craveable Value

32:15 | Team Input & Operational Reality Checks

34:05 | Pricing Strategy: Art Meets Science

39:33 | The Promise & Pitfall of Technology

42:52 | Final Thoughts & Mic Drop Moments

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.