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QSR Uncut

QSR magazine

QSR Uncut is a podcast from the editors of QSR magazine—the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators—that discusses the current state and future of the fast-food restaurant industry. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders, each episode candidly shares expert advice from some of the industry's most insightful leaders.

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21 episodes
weekly
Avg 38 min
English

Episodes 21

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S1 · E247
Thursday · 36 min
Talking GLP-1s, Wellness, and Crisp & Green’s Next Growth Chapter, with Steele Smiley
Cofounder and executive chairman Steele Smiley returns to QSR Uncut to share his thoughts on why wellness and fitness remain major whitespace opportunities within the restaurant industry. We discuss how Crisp & Green is tapping in from an authentic angle, and what some brands are getting right and wrong about how America really wants to eat. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E246
August 20 · 35 min
The ROI of Restaurant Conferences: There Has to Be a Better Way, with Michael Sien
Industry vet Michael Sien joins QSR Uncut this week to talk about a recent leap—starting faSHOW, a specialist consultancy dedicated to helping organizers, exhibitors, and operators get more out of their industry events. We’ll explore what’s going wrong with the current model and how partners, leaders, and everyone in between can improve ROI while attending in-person experiences (including September’s QSR Evolution Conference).
S1 · E245
August 14 · 32 min
Huey Magoo’s and the Rise of a Chicken Powerhouse, with CEO Andy Howard
At just about 90 locations open across 12 states and 230 signed for development in the coming years, the fast casual tenders focused brand is hitting the growth lever. Andy Howard, known as the “Chicken Guy,” has had stops from Kenny Rogers Roasters to Ranch One to Wingstop before taking on this corner of the category. What’s ahead, how is Huey Magoo’s winning over customers and franchisees—we get into all of it as we explore the future of a surging chicken contender. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E244
August 6 · 44 min
Can AI Make You a Better Leader? with Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator Jon Harmeling
Chick-fil-A owner-operator Jon Harmeling, a former West Point instructor in systems engineering, joins QSR Uncut to chat about his journey with the category leader, but also to break down how he’s developed 10 AI systems that run inside his store. From forecasting to hiring to becoming a better leader, Harmeling continues to test and refine the homemade approach to thrive under margin pressure. We talk about real-life examples, where it’s failed, how it’s made a massive difference in culture and recognition, and where it all goes from here. It’s an episode with actionable insights you won’t want to miss. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E243
July 30 · 37 min
The Rise of AI and Location Intelligence in QSR, with Gladys Kong
Gladys Kong, CEO of Azira, joins QSR Uncut this week to break down some rising technologies and how restaurant brands can better understand their customers, optimize operations, and compete in a market where consumer behavior is quickly changing. Is it time to move beyond basic foot traffic reporting and into predictive, data-driven decision making? Should you worry about privacy regulations? A lot to get into as innovation continues to flood the foodservice world. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E242
July 23 · 31 min
Cinnabon Makes a Big Beverage Move, with Chief Brand Officer Urvi Patel
One of the country’s most-iconic treat chains recently rolled out Seattle’s Best Coffee as it looks to compete more aggressively for high-frequency beverage occasions and evolve beyond traditional indulgence moments. We’ll explore what that means for Cinnabon, how it’s innovating overall to meet the customer where they are, and what’s next for a chain that added more than 300 stores nationwide last year. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E241
July 16 · 46 min
QSR Tech and Drive-Thru Expectations: What Do Customers Really Want?
Andy Grindstaff, Director, Enterprise Restaurant Product, Global Payments, joins QSR Uncut this week for a wide-ranging discussion as we roll around the tech landscape. Let's talk AI. Drive-thru (does speed matter as much as it used to?). How customers are reacting to innovation, and what the true after-shock of COVID is on the innovation debate. We get into all of it, backed by data, and take a look at what could be coming next. This episode is supported by our partners at Global Payments.
S1 · E240
July 9 · 38 min
Welcome to Moe’s! … for Late-Night? With Chief Brand Officer Mike Smith
Moe’s Southwest Grill is in the midst of a new, three-part strategy to drive incremental gains. It includes extended hours to serve unmet demand, a Gen Z menu play, a deeper dive into delivery, and more as the category icon readies for what’s next. Chief brand officer Mike Smith joins QSR Uncut this week to unpack what brands are missing with late-night, how snacking behavior is shaping trends, and how Moe’s plans to find growth in one of the most competitive categories there is. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E239
July 2 · 38 min
How Your Kitchen Can Solve Margin Pressure, with Kelli Jenkins and Derek Clayton
Kelli Jenkins, senior product manager at Vitamix, and Derek Clayton, the company’s corporate chef, join QSR Uncut for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from back-of-the-house foodservice trends to the skill gap in restaurants to understanding why a piece of equipment built to last can make all the difference. We roll through pressing realities and where you can turn to get ahead of what’s coming next. This episode is brought to you by our partners at Vitamix.
S1 · E238
June 25 · 48 min
The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill Preps for Lift-Off, with President Bob Andersen
Recently named a Top 3 emerging restaurant chain in the U.S. by Datassential, The Great Greek Mediterranean Grill is fast approaching 100 units and $150 million in systemwide sales. President Bob Andersen joins QSR Uncut to discuss life growing a concept in a red-hot Mediterranean category and what it takes to win on the AI, menu, and franchising fronts. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E237
June 18 · 45 min
Lessons on Leadership from One of the Industry’s Most Important B2B Companies
Alissa Partee is stepping into the role of CEO at Restaurant Technologies, a company she joined in 2020 before becoming COO. Partee has worked at leading brands such as Buffalo Wild Wings and Caribou Coffee and has picked up no shortage of lessons along the way. She joins QSR Uncut to discuss her journey to the CEO spot, what it takes to lead with clarity, and how restaurants can find back-of-the-house solutions to improve their hospitality and stand out during a challenging time. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E236
June 11 · 40 min
A Conversation on Franchising, Growth, and the State of Restaurants, with Fransmart CEO Dan Rowe
Dan Rowe, CEO and founder of Fransmart, and 35-plus-year-industry vet, joins QSR Uncut this week for a special episode exploring what it takes to grow, the state of concept creation, how franchising is evolving, and much more. We explore some of the stories behind CAVA, Five Guys, QDOBA, and what founders and emerging brands should look for before deciding it's time to expand. How is regulation affecting the industry? Where is the consumer taking us? How can founders check the right boxes? All that and more in this deep dive into the state of QSR. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E235
June 4 · 44 min
The Journey of Beignet Spot, with CEO and Cofounder Fabrice Alce
Can a brand based around beignets scale? We step into the unique concept with its cofounder and CEO, Fabrice Alce, to explore developing a fast casual from the roots, what it takes to start looking ahead, and how leadership changes from the early days to the evolution. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E234
May 28 · 32 min
Winning the Value Customer, with Cici's President Jeff Hetsel
The legacy pizza buffet has posted a strong year despite the odds, leaning into a fresh approach of value-based branding and promotions. From a record-breaking loyalty launch that turned back the clock on pricing, with sales jumping nearly 30 percent in two days, to how Cicis is evolving its voice, Hestel shares why tapping into your roots and adjusting strategy along the way can lead to gains in a challenging consumer climate. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E233
May 21 · 45 min
A New Way for Franchisees to Find Capital, with Zack Fishman and Jimmy Frischling
Back in March, F&B Capital, a new capital markets firm focused on advising and supporting concepts across the franchise ecosystem, emerged into the space. This isn’t your average vehicle. Zack Fishman and Jimmy Frischling, who you may best know, respectively, from Fishman PR and Branded Hospitality, joined forces to fill a need they identified. We’ll get into this venture and how it plans to tap into longstanding entrepreneurial and investment experience, along with a long-term approach to building enduring businesses in the franchising sector. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E232
May 14 · 41 min
What’s Next for Potbelly After RaceTrac Sale, with Jennifer Durham
Jennifer Durham, SVP of franchising and development at Potbelly, joins QSR Uncut to discuss the sandwich chain’s next act after its blockbuster $566 million deal to RaceTrac. One of the most-intriguing deals in recent quick-service memory brought a cult-favorite fast casual into the network of a retail giant. What does that mean for future development? Integration? Durham shares her perspective and how Potbelly will strategically scale while staying true to its brand experience. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E232
May 7 · 35 min
Revealing the Growth Potential of Secret Burger Kitchen, with CEO Paul Sandhu
Beginning inside a Holiday Inn hotel kitchen in Tacoma, Washington, Secret Burger Kitchen has taken a fervent following and developed a brand ready to scale. CEO and cofounder Paul Sandhu joins QSR Uncut to share how the upstart concept teamed with some of the industry’s top minds to formulate a blueprint for expansion, what it’s doing to win over guests in a burger category full of competitors, and why you might just be looking at the next big thing in franchising. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E231
April 30 · 44 min
The State of Restaurant Media, with Brian Lowe
BML Public Relations president and CEO Brian Lowe returns to QSR Uncut after one of our most-listened to episodes to unpack what restaurants need to know about today’s mainstream media landscape. Learn why big, stunty creative engineered for national coverage is OUT. Why spokesperson-driven tips and hyper-local promotions are IN. The power of human-interest stories. How to make a brand splash in an attention-strapped world. The benefit of earned media with AI optimization. Consumer versus FranDev agencies—what’s the difference and why it matters. And much more as we explore key traffic drivers, the answer to opening your restaurant with momentum, and how to keep that buzz going. This episode was brought to you by our partners at BML PR.
S1 · E230
April 23 · 48 min
The State of Digital in Fast Food and Fast Casual: Revisited (2026 Edition)
Last year, in what’s become an annual tradition here on QSR Uncut, Qu CMO Jen Kern broke down restaurant operators' thoughts on technology for the year ahead. Jen now returns to unravel the latest report, which unpacks how the industry appears to have moved from experimentation to execution, defined by operational stability, intelligent decision-making, and a unified guest experience. Is AI really here? How are kiosks coming along? What matters most to restaurants and what's starting to slide? We get into all of it. Here's a link to the full report: https://stateofdigital.qubeyond.com/ The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.
S1 · E229
April 16 · 33 min
Staying a Step Above, with Velvet Taco's New CEO Chris Schultz
With more than 30 years of industry experience, including serving as CEO of Voodoo Doughnut and SVP of operations at MOD Pizza, Chris Schultz brought a wealth of insight to Velvet Taco when he joined the fast casual late last year. He's now turning his attentions to growth and guarding some of the unique traits of a taco chain that's never blended into the pack, from LTOs every week to some of the most unique flavor combinations in the category. Schultz joins QSR Uncut to talk about the role so far and what he has in store for the future.

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