A Deeper Dive

Can a salad chain thrive in the ever-changing world of healthy eating?
Steele Smiley is betting on it. The founder and executive chairman of the Minneapolis-based salad chain Crisp & Green joins the Restaurant Business podcast to talk about his brand’s strategies. 
Crisp & Green has 52 locations and dozens more under development in the U.S. Smiley talks about the brand’s founding, and how he never envisioned becoming a restaurant operator. 
Smiley started the chain after a career in the fitness industry and he talks about the learning curve that comes with running a restaurant. 
We also talk about the changing demands of what is considered healthy and how a salad chain can compete in a world of protein. We discuss the company’s recent introduction of sandwiches and its supply chain as well as the brand’s future plans. 
We’re talking with another growth chain on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

Why are restaurants having another tough year?
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features RJ Hottovy, the head of analytical research for the traffic tracking firm Placer.ai.
This is the last in a series of episodes from the National Restaurant Association Show in May. 
Hottovy is a regular guest on the podcast and we talk with him about the current state of restaurant traffic, something that Placer.ai tracks extensively. 
We talk with him about the impact gas prices have had and why some consumers are spending but others are not. We also talk about what really is driving weak traffic at many restaurants and how companies can break out of it.

Can Giordano’s grow faster with more thin-crust pizzas?
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Nick Scarpino, the CEO of the Chicago-based pizza chain Giordano’s.
This is one of a series of episodes we recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show in May. 
Scarpino talks about the chain’s growth, and why the company is opening more units these days. He also discusses the strategy behind that growth.
He also discusses the company’s new tavern-style pizza, a much thinner crust than the chain’s popular deep dish. 
We also talk about industry challenges and the state of the pizza sector.
We’re talking pizza this week so please check it out.

Is there a leadership vacuum in the restaurant business?
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Toni Ronayne, the founder of the fractional C-suite firm C Society.
C Society provides experienced executives who can work with emerging and other restaurant chains, filling a need for c-level leadership. Ronayne is a longtime industry executive whose past stops have included Perkins and Freshii, among other companies. 
We discuss why companies need this and how these executives can help. But we also talk extensively about several other issues regarding leadership in the restaurant industry. 
This is the latest in a series of podcast episodes that we recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show and it’s a good one so please check it out.

How can restaurants deal with the K-shaped economy?
This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michelle Korsmo, the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.
We typically interview Korsmo at the National Restaurant Association Show every year. This year, we discussed a variety of topics, including the association’s legislative priorities, how it deals with the White House, technology, industry trends and other topics.
We also talk about the economy and its impact on restaurants. The economy is bifurcated. Wealthier consumers have money. Low-income consumers do not. And they are cutting back. The result is a wide gulf in performance between restaurant chains. 
It’s always interesting chatting with Korsmo, so check it out.

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