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 astoundi

White Castle: Tradition vs. Innovation

Dec 4th, 2014 35m 35s

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 a

Hot Fast Casual Restaurant Trends

Nov 20th, 2014 21m 21s

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

Healthy Dining in Restaurants

Nov 7th, 2014 30m 57s

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

The State of Food Safety in the U.S

Oct 23rd, 2014 27m

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 il

Local Store Marketing for Restaurants

Oct 9th, 2014 26m 26s

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%

Real Estate for Restaurants

Sep 25th, 2014 33m 10s

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, locatio

Craft Cocktail Trends for Restaurants

Aug 29th, 2014 25m 49s

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 wee

Impact of Blogging for Restaurants

Aug 22nd, 2014 24m 46s

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

Reasonable Wait Time at a Restaurant

Aug 8th, 2014 20m 31s

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

How Does the World See You?

Jul 31st, 2014 38m 30s

Do you know your Fascination Advantages? Are you Power and Prestige? Or Passion and Trust? Out of the seven Advantages, everyone has a Primary, Secondary and Dormant Advantage. You can find out yours and your personality archetype on the Fascin

Marketing and Finance in Restaurants

Jul 24th, 2014 21m 36s

#046: Back to Basics

Jul 17th, 2014 28m 48s

There's just under a million restaurants in the United States and 10% of the work force is employed by the restaurant industry.Until now, no one has documented this massive industry we all interact with every day.In episode #045 of the Social R

SRP 045 Yelp for Restaurants

Jul 10th, 2014 26m 26s

Did you know every star on a Yelp review leads to a 5-9% increase in revenue for restaurants? One of the most useful tools you can utilize is Yelp for restaurants, as it increasingly affects your reputation.In episode #045 of the Social Restaur

#044- Mobile Devices and Cloud Computing

Jun 26th, 2014 33m 36s

Microsoft spent 90 percent of it's 2011 research and development budget on cloud computing strategy and products, according to Wired. Since 2011, mentions of "the cloud" have skyrocketed, along with use of mobile devices.So how will the trend o

Episode 043 - Fast Food vs Fast Causal

Jun 19th, 2014 37m 18s

2013 brought the sixth consecutive year that the fast casual segment has grown. According to a study by The NPD Group, fast casual held to an 8 percent increase in traffic compared to zero percent in the QSR segment. So what is fast food vs fas

42 Cynthia Harriman- Whole Grain Trends

Jun 4th, 2014 19m 43s

It takes one pound of flour to make a standard loaf of bread. But did you know you can get your recommended servings of whole grains from other sources by integrating whole grains like quinoa in to your diet?In episode #042 of the Social Restau

SRP41Jarrod Kelly on Craft Beer Business

May 22nd, 2014 26m

Did you know 77% of America's hops come from the state of Washington, yet most Americans live within 10 miles of a craft brewery?In episode #041 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Jarod Kelly, Chief Happiness Officer of Hopjacks, a Pen

SRP 040: Credit Card Security

May 14th, 2014 28m 27s

Have you ever eaten at a restaurant and left your copy of the receipt on the table? If so, you could be playing a risky game with your credit card data security. Javelin Strategy and Research recently found in their annual survey of identity t

#039 Peter Cancro- Point of Sale Systems

May 6th, 2014 31m 1s

It’s rumored that the Sub or ‘Submarine’ had it’s origin in Boston MA around the time of World War II. Since that time and due to large pushes by franchised systems, this deli style sandwich has become an international hit.In episode #039 of th

038-Corporate Culture in Virtual Offices

Apr 23rd, 2014 39m 20s

Forrester Research predicts that by 2016 more than 63 million Americans will be working from the comfort of their homes. But does this stat actually apply to the corporate culture of restaurant systems? My guest today is living proof that it d

37 - Using Google Glass in Restaurants

Apr 16th, 2014 35m 35s

You’ve heard us mention Google Glass a few times on the show, right? But what exactly is Google Glass? And more importantly, does it have any use cases in my restaurant system?In episode #037 of the Social Restaurant Podcast, I welcome Jason

036 - Using Social to Grow a Franchise

Apr 9th, 2014 35m 35s

In October if 2013, CNBC reported that major America private equity firms have been pouring money into an early stage restaurant industry segment that is poised for explosive growth over the next decade. If you guessed Frozen Yogurt, you are de

035 - Well-Defined Restaurant Concepts

Apr 2nd, 2014 37m 5s

A 2005 study conducted by researchers at the Ohio State University found that while a clear business plan and strategy is important, the most successful restaurant owners all had one thing in common -- a well-defined concept that not only provi

034 - The Great American Hotdog Joint

Mar 26th, 2014 37m 29s

If there’s one food that’s probably made its way into the mouths of just about everyone in America: the hotdog. A classic American food cherished by everyone from hipsters to school kids and sports fans alike, the hotdog trend has gained momen