Restaurant Influencers
Entrepreneur Media
Are you SICK and TIRED of scrolling through your social media feeds and not seeing your business anywhere? On the new Restaurant Influencers podcast, top leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industries share their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling and showing up where your customers are spending time online. The weekly digital series is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef and presented by Entrepreneur Media, Yelp, and the Restaurant Point of Sale company Toast.
Episodes
Mentioned books
Nov 25, 2025 • 39min
He Turned One Small Store Into One of America’s Fastest-Growing Salad Chains
Nick Kenner, Founder and CEO of Just Salad, is reshaping fast casual dining with a focus on sustainability and smart growth. His mission-driven approach has taken the brand from one Manhattan shop to more than 100 locations nationwide.
Listen now to learn about scaling Just Salad from one small Manhattan shop to 100 locations, the lessons behind sustainable operations, and what it takes to build a brand with purpose.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 18, 2025 • 40min
His Restaurants Won Awards. His Shoes Changed the Industry. Here’s How He Did Both
Daniel Shemtob, winner of Food Network’s Great Food Truck Race and founder of The Lime Truck and Snibbs, has built a career that bridges hospitality and innovation. From food trucks to footwear, he’s turned real kitchen experience into products and businesses that serve the people behind the line.
Listen now to learn about building The Lime Truck from the ground up, turning a kitchen injury into innovation, and finding purpose in helping others rebuild.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 11, 2025 • 44min
What Happens When AI Thinks Like a Restaurant Operator? Toast IQ Is Showing Us.
Jehad Affoneh, Chief Design Officer at Toast, is one of the creative minds behind Toast IQ, the company’s new conversational AI assistant that helps restaurants turn data into action. From identifying top-performing menu items to providing insights across sales and labor, Toast IQ helps give operators the clarity to run smarter, more efficient businesses.
Listen now to learn about turning data into decisions, designing technology that feels human, and the future of restaurant intelligence.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Nov 4, 2025 • 32min
He Signed the First Business Deal on His Honeymoon. Now, His Coffee Brand Has 15 Locations
Darren Spicer, co-founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar, built his company on the belief that great branding wins loyalty. Every part of the Clutch experience, from the drive-thru to the community events, is designed to make people feel connected.
Listen now to learn about scaling without franchising, creating unforgettable brand experiences, and the mindset that turned risk into reward.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 28, 2025 • 32min
She Dropped a Sharpie in the Fryer on Opening Night — and Her Restaurant Became One of New York City’s Best.
Yara Herrera, chef and partner at Hellbender in Queens in NYC, has earned acclaim from The New York Times, Esquire, and StarChefs. Drawing from her Mexican-American roots and years in some of the country’s toughest kitchens, she’s created a restaurant that celebrates confidence and creativity.
Listen now to learn about surviving opening night disasters, finding identity through food, and turning pressure into privilege.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 21, 2025 • 41min
A Restaurant Sign So Famous the Texas Governor Got Involved. El Arroyo’s Playbook for Building a Brand
Ellis Winstanley, co-owner of Austin’s El Arroyo and CEO of Axial Shift, turned a quirky restaurant sign into a cultural phenomenon while also building software to solve operators’ biggest headaches.
Listen now to learn about turning a restaurant sign into a media brand, pulling off a statewide April Fool’s prank, and building tech that helps operators stay focused on hospitality.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 14, 2025 • 46min
He Hid on a Keg During His Pub’s Opening Day. Now He Runs 27 Restaurants in Oklahoma and Arkansas
Elliot Nelson, founder and CEO of McNellie’s Group, expanded a single Tulsa pub into 27 restaurants in Oklahoma and Arkansas. As a restaurateur and developer, he built spaces that anchor neighborhoods and showcase the spirit of Oklahoma hospitality.
Listen now to learn about surviving a St. Patrick’s Day disaster, the challenge of building a neighborhood around a pub, and how Oklahoma hospitality turned into 27 restaurants.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Oct 7, 2025 • 37min
He Spends $300k a Year to Fry in Beef Tallow. That Made Fry the Coop Into a Hot Chicken Sensation.
Joe Fontana, founder of Fry the Coop, turned a love for Nashville hot chicken into one of Chicago’s fastest-growing restaurant brands. Known for bold risks, storytelling, and a $300,000-a-year commitment to frying in beef tallow.
Listen now to learn about the leap from cubicle to hot chicken, the marketing stunt with a full chicken costume, and the rise of Fry the Coop across Chicago.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 30, 2025 • 24min
This Former Simpsons Showrunner Ate 200 Foods in 24 Hours. Then Bill Oakley Came Back For More.
Bill Oakley, former Simpsons writer/producer turned “professional food enthusiast,” spotlights the hidden gems of American food. From rabbit in Arkansas to “Secret” hot sauce in Portland, he uses humor and storytelling to connect beloved regional brands with a wider audience.
Listen now to learn about his hunt for regional flavors, the stories behind unexpected finds, and why he keeps shining a spotlight on small producers.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Sep 23, 2025 • 16min
He Lost $100 Million — But Now Calls It the Best Investment of His Life
David Meltzer, entrepreneur, mentor, and chairman of the Napoleon Hill Institute, teaches that empty seats don’t mean empty impact. Through his stage theory, he shows how content captured anywhere can be amplified everywhere.
Listen now to learn why he calls losing $100 million an investment, how stage theory multiplies impact, and what he’s building in public.
Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
