18 DEC 2014 · I recently came across a Harvard Business School case study which analyzed Starbucks and their successes. Part of the study looked at the differences between a "satisfied customer" and a "highly satisfied customer" and the results were astounding. The satisfied customers stayed loyal for an average of 4.4 years and spent $921.78 over that time span. In contrast, the highly satisfied customers were loyal for an average of 8.3 years and spent a whopping $3,169.67. This week's guest understand's just how important providing great restaurant service is. She has been in the industry for over 30 years and has served the likes of President Bill Clinton and the Rolling Stones. In episode #058 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Diane Warren, Owner of Katzinger's Delicatessen which is located in the historic German Village near downtown Columbus, OH. Diane graduated from The Ohio State University with a degree in History but soon after discovered her passion for the restaurant industry and delivering top-notch service. She stopped by the studio to share her story and philosophy of servant leadership. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to or watch episode #058 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

4 DEC 2014 · Burgers. You love them. I love them. We all love them. There are over 50,000 burger joints in the U.S. and Americans consume 14 billion burgers per year. In total, the burger market is a $73 billion/year business. This week's guest is not only an accomplished executive in the industry, but she hails from the family that started it all, over 90 years ago. She stopped by to give us the story of her company and discuss how they approach balancing tradition vs. innovation in business. In episode #057 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Lisa Ingram, President and COO of White Castle, one of America's most iconic restaurant brands. Lisa is a 4th generation family member of co-founder Edgar Waldo "Billy" Ingram. Lisa earned her Masters in Operations and Consulting from The Ohio State University in 2000, began working for White Castle shortly after and was promoted to President last year. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #057 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

20 NOV 2014 · Last month I had the pleasure of attending the 9th annual Fast Casual Executive Summit in Denver. During this event top-level executives from the industry converge to share ideas, inspiration and discussion on the latest happenings in the fast casual segment. We met this week's guest at the Fast Casual Executive Summit. She is an expert in uncovering and analyzing trends, tracking food safety and monitoring government movement in the industry. In episode #056 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Suzy Badaracco, President of Culinary Tides, Inc. which tracks the movement of 23 industries to forecast upcoming influences on food, flavor and health trends. Suzy has a fascinating background that blends culinary arts and criminology. She is a toxicologist, a certified chef, a registered dietician and has vast professional experience having worked for Mintel, the USDA, T. Marzetti Company and Nestle. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #056 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

7 NOV 2014 · According to a recent study released by the U.S. Department of Agriculture, working age adults consumed an average of 118 calories less per day than the previous four years studied. While America is still not where it should be from an overall health standpoint - this is certainly a sign that consumers are taking a proactive approach to healthy dining in the restaurant industry. Our guest this week is a longtime pro in the healthy dining and will discuss the state of healthy dining in the restaurant industry, tips for restaurants looking to improve healthy options and upcoming legislative changes in the industry. In episode #055 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Erica Bohm, VP and Director of Strategic Partnerships at Healthy Dining - the leading provider of nutrition related marketing and consulting services for restaurants. Right out of college, Erica gained experience with helping seniors and she noticed great disparities in their physical conditions - this sparked her passion for learning about healthy dining. Erica returned to college and received her Masters in Community Health Education. Since then, she has amassed over 20 years in the healthy dining realm and has become a tremendous resource on the subject. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #055 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

23 OCT 2014 · According to the CDC, each year foodborne illness impacts roughly 1-6 americans which translates to about 48 million people who are affected. Over 128,000 people are hospitalized annually and over 3,000 people die from some type of foodborne illness. Food safety in the U.S. is a major issue and should be top of mind for the restaurant industry. We had the pleasure of meeting this week's guest at the latest National Restaurant Association show. Our guest will discuss his experience with food safety and some of the research that he has done in the area. In episode #054 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Kevin Roberts Associate Professor & Director of the Undergraduate Program in Hospitality Management at Kansas State University. Kevin has over 12 years of experience in the restaurant industry and has been teaching at Kansas State for 13 school years. Dr. Roberts is an expert in food safety research and training and focuses specifically on overcoming employee barriers to food safety implementation in the commercial foodservice setting. He is the Director of the Center for Excellence for Food Safety Research in Children Nutrition Programs at Kansas State and member of numerous industry organizations including the International Association of Food Protection, the National Restaurant Association and the Foodservice Management Education Council. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #054 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

9 OCT 2014 · For a franchisee, local store marketing can be an important but somewhat ambiguous focal point. According to localvox.com, a majority of marketing executives at franchise firms believe marketing is critical for the franchise's success, but 64% of franchisees are disappointed with the support they receive from franchisors. Our guest this week will shed some light on the importance of local store marketing for restaurants and how franchisors can work with franchisees to create successful marketing strategies. In episode #053 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Stephanie Krause, Vice President of Marketing at HuHot Mongolian Grill which has over 50 locations across 19 states. HuHot has been ranked among the top 500 franchises by Entrepreneur the last three years and was included in Inc.'s 5,000 Fastest Growing Companies. Stephanie has a terrific background in restaurant marketing and has helped create strategies for both Panera and Quiznos. She has helped HuHot double in size and is a guru in assisting single-unit owners with implementing local marketing strategies. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #053 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

25 SEP 2014 · There are hundreds of thousands of restaurant locations in the U.S. forming a massive $680+ billion industry. One topic we haven't hit on too much in the past goes back to that tried-and-true phrase that we all know: location, location, location. This week we will take a look at the role real estate plays in the restaurant industry. Our guest this week is a true foodie at heart and has combined his love for high quality cuisine with his expertise in finance and analytics. He has taken his expertise in real estate analytics and utilized it to help his company find top-notch locations during their period of massive expansion rates. In episode #052 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Greg Thornburn, Vice President of Real Estate at Luna Grill, a fast casual Mediterranean restaurant with a passion for quality ingredients and service. Luna Grill was recently named in the top 10 for 2014's Top 100 Fast Casual Movers and Shakers. Greg has over 8 eight years in the real estate space and truly has a pulse on effective restaurant real estate best practices. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #052 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

29 AUG 2014 · The first ever "cocktail party" was allegedly thrown by Mrs. Julia S. Walsh Jr. of St. Louis Missouri in May of 1917. Since then cocktails have continued to grow in popularity and are now ingrained in America's social culture. Our guest this week has earned perhaps the highest accolades you can in the cocktail/mixology field and is at the forefront of craft cocktail trends. He is the winner of a James Beard Award for "Outstanding Bar Program" and was recently dubbed 2014's best bartender in the world - that's right folks, #1 on the planet. In episode #051 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Charles Joly, co-founder of Crafthouse Cocktails, Principal at The Spirit Smith LLC beverage consultancy and current Beverage Director at The Aviary in Chicago. Charles has worked in the industry for over 17 years and has truly separated himself from the pack when it comes to mastering the art of creating and delivering craft cocktails. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #051 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

22 AUG 2014 · Did you know that there are over 3,000 breweries in the United States and that this figure is the highest it has been since prohibition? But what does this mean for the restaurant industry? Our guest on tap for this week hails from Columbus and is considered one of the foremost craft beer experts and consultants in the area. In episode #050 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Cheryl Harrison, president of speechbubble which focuses on connecting craft beer businesses with consumers. Cheryl is also the editor of Drink Up Columbus which delivers the latest scoop on imbibing in central Ohio. Cheryl has been in the industry for more than three years now and has helped to build both halves of the bridge between craft beer businesses and consumers. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #50 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!

8 AUG 2014 · Did you know restaurants have wait lists an average of 6.6 hours per week, with the average wait time being 23 minutes. Is that a reasonable wait time at a restaurant? Our guest this week wants to lower that number significantly- so he named his startup NoWait. NoWait is a technology assistant for restaurants, and allows hostesses to send patrons text messages when their table is ready. In episode #049 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Luke Panza, Co-founder and Director of Marketing for NoWait. NoWait is a revolutionary product that allows consumers to spend more time at the table and less time waiting. Luke brought his international restaurant experience to Pittsburgh to change what is considered a reasonable wait time at a restaurant- and thus NoWait was born. Go ahead, turn up the speakers, click play and listen to episode #049 of the Social Restaurant Podcast!