Fast Casual Nation Podcast

Join the hosts fresh off the Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Catering Workshop as they analyze the latest trends, wild industry rumors, and growth strategies shaping the restaurant world.

In this episode, they break down why the rumored Starbucks and Chipotle deal was a false start, discuss how top brands are navigating traffic slumps without gutting margi...

How Biscuit Belly's CEO Turned a Cracker Barrel Exit Into a Growth Engine

What does it take for an emerging restaurant brand to scale without losing its identity? On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down with Chad Coulter, founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, for a practical survival kit for founders.

Coulter shares...

On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler talk with Claudia Lezcano, CEO of Fuku, about how the David Chang chicken brand is growing through stadiums, airports and college campuses before it franchises. Lezcano covers the economics of "quick culinary," the lessons from Fuku's corporate restaurants in West Palm Beach and Coral Gables, and how she nego...

Bartender and James Beard nominee Ivy Leyenda joins Fast Casual Nation to break down whether cocktails belong on the fast casual menu. She talks batching for consistency, realistic price points ($12–$15), why she's skeptical of automated pour systems and pricey mocktails, and which accessible spirit brands can add a "craft" signal without wrecking your pour cost. Plus: a first l...