/Fast Casual Nation

Fast Casual Nation

Join the longest-running and most influential podcast in the fast-casual restaurant industry. Hosted by Paul Barron, the founder of fastcasual.com, the Top 100, and the Fast Casual Executive Summit. Joining him as Co-Host is Cherryh Cansler, Sr. Editor of Fastcasual.com. This team has reunited after over a decade to deliver unparalleled insights into the trends and future direction of the fast-casual sector.

Each week, they will share their deep knowledge gained from over two decades as a leading voices in this dynamic segment of the restaurant business. Paul literally wrote the book on fast casual, "The Chipotle Effect" " along with the documentary Fast Casual Nation, and Cherryh has been a driving force for the growth of Fastcasual.com over the past decade.

Sobre

186

Episódios

English

Idioma

Inscritos

Reproduções

Episódios25

Inverter ordem de reprodução

Smashburger's Strategic Comeback: A Conversation with Tom Ryan and Jim Sullivan

Dec 10, 2025·—

—

Smashburger founder Tom Ryan and CEO Jim Sullivan join Fast Casual Nation to reveal their bold strategy to reclaim the brand's position in the better burger category. Discover how their new "Belief is in the bite"...

FiiZ: Beverage Empire Blueprint

Nov 26, 2025·—

—

Scott Ball, President of FiiZ Drinks, joins Fast Casual Nation to break down how the fastest-growing specialty soda franchise went from 50 to 70+ locations and sold over 200 units in just one year. The former Dunkin'...

Macro Trends and Expert Insights on the Future of Fast Casual Dining with Brian Choi

Nov 19, 2025·—

—

Join host Cherryh Cansler as she sits down with Brian Choi, CEO of The Food Institute, to tackle the biggest challenges facing restaurants in 2026. With consumer sentiment at 50-year lows and economic uncertainty...

Chipotle's Gen Z Recovery and Fast Casual URGENT Market Update

Nov 12, 2025·—

—

Join Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they sit down with Stephanie Perdue, VP of Brand Marketing at Chipotle Mexican Grill, to discuss how the fast casual leader is navigating industry...

Shake Shack's Bold Expansion: Formats, Tech, and Global Growth

Nov 5, 2025·—

—

Andrew McCaughan, Chief Development Officer at Shake Shack, joins Fast Casual Nation to discuss the iconic burger brand's ambitious journey from 3 locations to a goal of 1,500 U.S. restaurants. McCaughan shares insights...

Building a Burger Brand from Scratch

Oct 29, 2025·—

—

Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler interview Billal Jaber, founder of SMASHED, a chef-driven burger concept navigating the challenges of startup life in the crowded fast casual burger space. Jaber...

Building a Fast Casual Empire: How Dillas Quesadillas Grew from College Dream to 11-Unit Concept

Oct 22, 2025·—

—

Kyle and Maggie Gordon share how they grew Dillas Quesadillas from a college road trip idea to an 11-unit concept generating $2M+ in average unit volumes. In this episode of Fast Casual Nation, the husband-and-wife team...

Winning Gen Z and Millennials In Economic Uncertainty

Oct 20, 2025·—

—

Join hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler at the Fast Casual Executive Summit 2025 as they interview marketing experts Kayla Dillon (Fractional CMO, Common Table Services) and Shoshannah DiDomenico (Senior Marketing...

Blaze Pizza's HR Strategy: Building Culture in a Competitive Fast-Casual Landscape

Oct 15, 2025·—

—

Stacey Gelber, VP of Human Resources at Blaze Pizza, joins hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler live from the Fast Casual Executive Summit to discuss the evolving challenges of building teams in today's restaurant...

BRIX Holdings CEO Shares Vision for Multi-Brand Growth and Digital Transformation

Oct 9, 2025·—

—

BRIX Holdings CEO Sherif Mityas joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to discuss managing eight restaurant brands including Friendly's, Red Mango, and Orange Leaf. Learn how BRIX is using AI for...

Multi-Brand Mastery Meets AI Innovation

Oct 1, 2025·—

—

Norman Wu of Conscious Hospitality Group reveals how he manages nine fast-casual brands across the Pacific Northwest, from Just Poke's 40 franchise locations to community-focused concepts like Haps burgers. Wu discusses...

Building the World's Largest Mobile Empire: Tony Lamb's Blueprint for Multi-Brand Success

Sep 25, 2025·—

—

Tony Lamb, CEO and founder of Kona Ice, reveals how he built the world's largest mobile food empire with 2,200 franchise trucks across three brands: Kona Ice, Traveling Tom's, and Beverly Ann's. In this Fast Casual...

Fast Casual Growth Playbook: How Chicken Salad Chick Built a 309-Unit Empire

Sep 17, 2025·—

—

Discover how Chicken Salad Chick CEO Scott Deviney transformed a 32-location startup into a 309-unit fast-casual empire in under a decade. In this Fast Casual Nation episode, Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler dive deep...

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill's Strategic Revival: Menu Innovation and Market Expansion

Sep 10, 2025·—

—

Lime Fresh Mexican Grill CEO Patrick Fore joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to discuss the brand's dramatic transformation, including a 30% menu overhaul, innovative partnerships with...

Longboards Wraps and Bowls: Kansas City's Authentic Fast-Casual Success Story

Sep 3, 2025·—

—

Kansas City's Longboards Wraps and Bowls joins Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler to share their incredible growth story from startup to 8 locations and 130 employees. Founder Gilbert Macapagal...

Graze Craze: Bringing Hospitality Back to Fast-Casual Through Charcuterie Innovation

Aug 28, 2025·—

—

Cory Hibbard, President of Graze Craze, reveals how his charcuterie-focused fast-casual brand achieved 14 consecutive quarters of same-store sales growth while QSR giants struggle. Operating from small 500-1,000 sq ft...

From Family Pizzeria to Fast-Casual Success: Joey Cioffi's Journey with The Salad House

Aug 20, 2025·—

—

This episode is brought to you by KRAFT Philadelphia Cream Cheese Visit Join Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they sit down with Joey Cioffi, founder and CEO of The Salad House, to explore his...

How la Madeline Cracked the Growth Code

Aug 13, 2025·—

—

This episode is brought to you by KRAFT Philadelphia Cream Cheese Visit La Madeleine French Bakery & Café CEO John Dillon joins Fast Casual Nation to discuss the 43-year-old brand's strategic renaissance, including...

The Fast Casual Taco Boom: Building The Perfect Brand 🌮

Aug 12, 2025·—

—

Why are tacos taking over America's fast-casual scene? From corner food trucks to billion-dollar chains, the taco industry is exploding—and there's no sign of slowing down. In this episode, we sit down with Brooke...

Dining Trends Are Reshaping Menu Strategy and Marketing

Jul 30, 2025·—

—

DIG's CMO Jessica Serrano reveals how the chef-driven fast-casual chain rebuilt its brand identity, scaled from Manhattan to suburban markets, and leveraged AI for better customer insights. Learn about their hyper-local...

Self Service Trends in Fast Casual Restaurants

Jul 23, 2025·—

—

The self-service kiosk industry is exploding from $12 billion to $21 billion by 2027, and Don McCoole from Infi USA reveals how restaurants are seeing 40% sales increases through AI-powered upselling. From food trucks...

Building a Billion-Dollar Brand from Philadelphia Roots

Jul 16, 2025·—

—

Derrick Hayes, CEO of Big Dave's Cheesesteaks, shares his incredible journey from a postal worker to building a fast-casual empire in this inspiring Fast Casual Nation episode. Named after his late father, Big Dave's...

Why This Restaurant Is Perfect for Franchising

Jul 9, 2025·—

—

Join Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they interview Lorena Cantarovici, founder and CEO of Maria Empanada, who transformed $300 into a thriving multi-unit fast-casual empire. From her...

Cali Coffee: Taking On Big Coffee

Jul 2, 2025·—

—

Join Fast Casual Nation host Paul Barron as he interviews Craig Avera, founder and CEO of Cali Coffee, a Florida-based drive-thru coffee chain that's doubled from 13 to 20+ locations by focusing on exceptional customer...

From Marines to Biscuits

Jun 25, 2025·—

—

Join Fast Casual Nation hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler as they interview Amanda Kahalehoe, COO of Vicious Biscuit, who shares how her Marine Corps background shaped the rapid growth of this unique breakfast...