Food Fighters: Food for Thought in the Fight for Food

Chas Hermann, Chief Brand Officer at Noodles & Company, shares how a menu revamp that included game-changing zucchini noodles led to a 4.6% increase in same-store sales and arguably the 457-unit chain’s turnaround.

In this episode, we talk to Jared Cohen, the data-driven and forward-thinking COO of Protein Bar and Kitchen. Jared shares how early investments in a digital strategy prepared Protein Bar to respond nimbly to the pandemic, reaching customers in the rapidly shifting locations and times of the “new normal.” We also discuss the untapped opportunity in the restaurant industry: better utilizing data to deliver personalized, relevant messages to consumers that grow both consumer loyalty and the business. Tune in to hear Jared’s insights on tackling pandemic challenges and creating growth on the other side.

In this episode, we talk to Tressie Lieberman, Chipotle’s VP of Digital and Off-Premise, and one of the restaurant industry’s leading voices on digital marketing. As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to threaten restaurants as we know them, Tressie shares how Chipotle has transformed the way it engages with its 15 million loyalty members and constantly innovates to meet their evolving needs.

In this episode, we chat with Jill Taylor, CEO of Burgerville. Tune in to hear how Jill and her team have been facing the restaurant labor shortage head-on by investing in the development and safety of their team members. Jill shares how her restaurants have fine-tuned operations to support a 5000% increase in digital orders as well as her vision of making the Pacific Northwest the healthiest region in the country.

As technology becomes more central to restaurant business strategy, Joe Tenczar shares how the role of the CIO must evolve, the growing importance of data, and what to look for in a point of sale (POS) system.