Best Restaurant Software Podcasts (2026)

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Episode 648: Betting the Jockey: Why the Operator Matters More Than the Menu

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2h ago

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Trey Morgan and Derek Copeland of Sentinel Grove Partners pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world of restaurant real estate and private equity. The trio explores the critical importance of the landlord-tenant relationship, viewing it as a long-term partnership rather than a mere transaction, and discusses the shift toward a "landlord’s marke…

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Episode 647: Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the Year Owner Enga Stanfield Shares the Mattenga's Pizzeria Story 1:09:45

1d ago1:09:45

1:09:45

Wil peaks with Enga Stanfield, co-owner of Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the year, multi-location Mattenga's Pizzeria in San Antonio, and Head of Community at Owner.com. Enga, an Iranian-born former engineer with no prior restaurant experience, shares how she and her husband Matt transitioned from engineering to restaurant ownership in 2014 by pur…

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Episode 646: More Than a Meal: Cultivating Community Through Culture and Cuisine with Israel Jiles of Po Boy Riche 1:32:30

22h ago1:32:30

1:32:30

Israel Jiles reflects on his evolution from managing elite, high-volume establishments like Catch NYC and partnering with Montclair Hospitality Group (Ani Ramen) to founding his passion project, Po Boy Riche. The episode captures the pivotal moment around the one-hour mark where Jiles discusses the decision to leave the security of established hosp…

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Episode 645: From Electrician to James Beard Nominee: The Jacob Sessoms Story 1:19:40

2d ago1:19:40

1:19:40

Asheville-based restaurateur Jacob Sessoms shares his 26-year journey from a trade-focused background in electrical work to becoming a James Beard-nominated chef. Sessoms details how his early experience in construction provided a unique "unfair advantage" in the restaurant world, allowing him to maintain his own facilities and stay resilient durin…

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Episode 25: The Fast Casual Formula for Catering Growth with Erin Childs 38:46

13d ago38:46

38:46

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Erin Childs, restaurant consultant, coach, and long-time catering operator who cut her teeth in Boston's fast casual scene. From pounding the pavement with samples in hand to building systems for national brands like Beloco and Fresh City, Erin shares her journey from boot…

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Episode 644: Chaos and Hospitality Coexisting in a Beautiful Way: Sue Straughan's 40-Year Hospitality Journey 1:16:18

8d ago1:16:18

1:16:18

Sue Straughan, a tenured hospitality specialist and Corporate Director of Business Solutions for the food distributor Ben E. Keith, shares her remarkable 40+ year journey in the industry, detailing how a necessity job at Baskin Robbins evolved into a profound passion. The discussion centers on her pivotal experience working for Houston's restaurant…

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Open Source Outside the Box 25:24

8d ago25:24

25:24

Open source has always played a big role at 37signals. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why they’re drawn to working in the open, and how that mindset carries into their newest product, Fizzy. Key Takeaways 00:12 – Why open source continues to matter at 37signals 05:12 – Sharing work publicly pushes quality higher 09:55 – H…

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Episode 643: The Soul of Service: Betting on Human Connection with Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality 52:34

10d ago52:34

52:34

This episode features Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality, a James Beard Award-winning Chicago restaurateur, discussing the paramount importance of human connection, service, and soul in hospitality. Madia shares his origin story, starting as a bartender who learned to view himself as an "independent contractor" focused on cultivating customer rela…

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Episode 642: Asheville N.C. Chef & Restaurant Owner Eric Scheffer on Optimism and the Road Ahead for Restaurants 53:22

12d ago53:22

53:22

This episode of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" features a conversation with Eric Scheffer, owner of The Scheffer Group in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric provides an update on his successful concepts (Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian Restaurant, Jettie Ray's Oyster House, Gan Shan, and a fifth on the way) and shares a harrowing account of the 2024 Hurri…

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When is enough, enough? 17:34

15d ago17:34

17:34

There’s a moment in every product where you have to stop tweaking and actually launch. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson reflect on how 37signals decides when a product is truly ready for its first release. They share how they think about simplifying, sharpening, and ultimately knowing when it’s time to ship. Key Takeaways 00:12 –…

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Episode 641: The Godfather of Hot Wings: D’bo’s 35-Year Journey from Food Truck to Franchise 1:10:59

17d ago1:10:59

1:10:59

Julian Boyd, CEO of D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings & Seafood, shares the incredible story of the Memphis-born brand, pioneered by his parents, David and Latisha Boyd, starting with a food truck in 1990. Built on faith and the philosophy of "People, Service, Profits," D'bo's became known as the "godfather of hot wings" in Memphis. Following a personal trag…

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Episode 640: $3 Million Lost: The Crypto Catastrophe That Forced a Retirement U-Turn 1:04:04

20d ago1:04:04

1:04:04

Brandon Laroque. Brandon, who owns The Goat Bar in Raleigh, NC, details his extensive career in the hospitality industry, starting from a country club to bartending at a renowned comedy club, which eventually led him to open six of his own bars, primarily using a "flipping" strategy. The core of the discussion revolves around the challenging decisi…

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Episode 639: Servant Leadership in a Fast-Casual World: The Story of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen 58:52

22d ago58:52

58:52

In this episode, Chris Gannon, co-founder of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, shares his journey in the restaurant industry, influenced by his family's legacy in hospitality. He discusses the unique culinary experience Bolay offers, emphasizing health-conscious choices and community dining. The conversation explores the challenges of supply chain manageme…

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Episode 24: Inside Primo Partners' Off-Premise Playbook with COO Phillip Scotton 38:55

22d ago38:55

38:55

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Phillip Scotton, President & COO of Primo Partners—one of the most successful multi-unit, multi-brand franchise operators in the Ben & Jerry's system, and a rapidly growing partner within the Starbucks licensed store network. Phillip shares his remarkable journey from unpaid int…

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Picking Pricing 35:12

22d ago35:12

35:12

How do you land on the right price for a product? This week, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson pull back the curtain on the pricing choices they’ve made over the years, including the options the public never saw. They talk about why chasing giant enterprise deals isn’t for them, and why simple, steady pricing beats clev…

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Episode 638: The Zillow for Franchising: How Franzy is Disrupting Franchise Brokerage 45:19

23d ago45:19

45:19

Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the development of his franchise marketplace platform. Franzy is described as the "Zillow for franchising," using an AI engine to match prospective franchise buyers with suitable brands based on their background, net worth, and goals. Alex's journey began with a …

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Episode 637: Closing the Decision Loop: How Lola Beans Wins on People 1:03:55

24d ago1:03:55

1:03:55

Wil talks with Donny Bradley, founder and CEO of Lola Beans, a drive-through “fun beverage” coffee brand based in Chattanooga that’s now franchising. Donny traces his hospitality instincts to moving often as an Air Force kid and appreciating people who made him feel welcome, plus big family gatherings rooted in New Orleans/Biloxi culture. A six-mon…

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Episode 636: Restaurant Owners Uncorked: A Community Update and the Future of the Platform 9:05

27d ago9:05

9:05

Wil provides a special update on the evolution of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" from a podcast, started in 2010, into a comprehensive community featuring articles, books, films, and eventually a subscription-based forum for restaurant owners to share advice and solve problems. Brawley emphasizes the community’s commitment to celebrating successful o…

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Episode 635: Saving Lives and Saving Money: The Business Case for Investing In Staff Wellness with Kimberly Flear 54:27

29d ago54:27

54:27

Meet Kimberly Fleer, an industry veteran and mental wellness advocate. Kimberly shares her personal story of entering the hospitality world at age 15 to find financial support and a sense of family that was absent at home, rapidly excelling in roles from server to sommelier. While the industry provided valuable skills and camaraderie, it also becam…

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Episode 634: On Our Shoulders: Carrying a Community Through Hospitality with Uptown Hospitality Owner Keith Benjamin 1:00:32

30d ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Keith Benjamin, co-founder of Uptown Hospitality Group in Charleston, tells the story of how throwing massive Penn State tailgates set him on a 20-year path from NYC bartender to operator of six concepts—while raising three kids under five. After buying small equity stakes in New York bars and becoming an operating partner at 29, he felt pulled to …

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Episode 633: From Bourbon Street to Benefits: Keith Santangelo on Serving Restaurants in a New Way 1:15:27

1M ago1:15:27

1:15:27

Keith Santangelo joins Wil in-studio to trace his journey from growing up in a Cajun-Italian butcher/grocery family in Baton Rouge to owning New York City restaurants, leading major restaurant groups, and now serving independents through AccessWave. They reminisce about Keith being one of Schedulefly’s earliest customers, talk about the magic of in…

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What working on David Bowie’s yacht taught Boost founder Janine Allis 29:18

1M ago29:18

29:18

Growing up, Janine Allis never thought about starting her own business. “I didn’t even know what an entrepreneur was,” she says. But after spotting a gap in the market, there was no stopping the founder of a now-global smoothie company that’s worth hundreds of millions of dollars. On the final episode of season five of How I Made It, Rich List edit…

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Episode 632: From No English and No Money to Slava Cafe Opening Day: A Ukrainian Immigrant’s Hospitality Dream 44:33

1M ago44:33

44:33

In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil sits down with Asheville-based caterer and soon-to-be café owner Svitlana Eadie, whose journey from a small Ukrainian village to launching Slava, her café bakery on Wall Street in downtown Asheville, is nothing short of inspiring. She shares how growing up on a self-sustaining farm shaped…

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Episode 631: Hope Through Hospitality: Inside Four Generations of Jack Stack Barbecue 57:17

1M ago57:17

57:17

Fourth-generation leader Taylor Dorman, EVP of Operations at Kansas City’s Jack Stack Barbecue, shares how his family has grown a simple 1950s Hickory-smoked BBQ joint into six high-volume restaurants, a catering division, nationwide shipping, and a retail production facility—while staying true to the values that built the business. He explains the…

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Episode 23: Scrappy, Smart & Scaling — Catering Growth with Amanda Quinn of Viva Chicken 34:03

1M ago34:03

34:03

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias sits down with Amanda Quinn, Director of Catering at Viva Chicken—one of the fastest-growing Peruvian rotisserie brands in the U.S. Amanda brings years of experience building off-premise programs across hotels, franchise concepts, and now a multi-unit restaurant group. She shares how Viv…

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Out of Office, Together 29:48

1M ago29:48

29:48

Twice a year, the entire 37signals team meets up in person. This week, co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson talk about how these gatherings work, what they’re really for, and why the structure is intentionally loose. They share how the mix of optional hangouts and focused work sessions helps their fully remote team reconnect, rechar…

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Episode 630: Old-School Hospitality in a Smartphone World: The Story of the Legendary Halls Chophouse 1:10:57

1M ago1:10:57

1:10:57

This episode features brothers Billy and Tommy Hall of Halls Chophouse, sharing how their late father’s “service before self” philosophy, honed in luxury hotels, became the backbone of a family-run steakhouse that launched in 2009 on a rough stretch of King Street in Charleston during the Great Recession and slowly grew into a 10-restaurant hospita…

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Ghost Kitchen - Pain Points 8:31

1M ago8:31

8:31

Send us your Questions or Comments. Ghost kitchens were promised as the low-cost revolution of the restaurant industry, yet over 60% fail within their first year. Why is a business model designed for efficiency collapsing at such a high rate? In this episode, we pull back the curtain on the "technological landmines" that no one warns you about. Bas…

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‘It's the Mount Everest of careers’: How Fleet’s CEO built an $800m company 33:17

2M ago33:17

33:17

Since she was a little girl, Flavia Tata Nardini was obsessed with space. The Italian-born rocket scientist began her career at the European Space Agency but moved to Adelaide in her 20s, where she found herself confronted with a lack of industry. Left with no other choice, she started her own business. On this week's episode of How I Made It, Rich…

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Episode 629: How Feast Bistro Turned Word-of-Mouth into a Growth Engine, with Owner Nicholas Wickes 1:01:28

1M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Wil and Nicholas open by talking about “flowing like water” and how that mindset shows up in hospitality: staying adaptable, humble, and open. Nicholas traces his path from teaching skiing to unexpectedly building a career in enterprise software and QA with major pharma and tech companies, then starting a nonprofit, and finally helping open Feast B…

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Soft openings aren't just for restaurants 14:48

2M ago14:48

14:48

This week, the team shares a behind-the-scenes look at how they bring in outside beta testers before a product launch. Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share how they invite early users into the mix, what they’re looking for, and how it all shapes the final version. It’s a rare peek into the “guests are coming over” phase of building Fizzy.…

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Episode 628: Cracking the Code: How Tiffin Box Makes Indian Food Fast, Fresh, and Mainstream 1:05:43

1M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

In this lively Restaurant Owners Uncorked chat, Anesh Bodasing, founder of fast-casual Indian concept Tiffin Box, traces a 30-year hospitality journey that began with an audacious “give me 60 days” pitch to Hard Rock Café in Cape Town, winds through Canada, South Africa, the UK, and South Florida, and culminates in launching Tiffin Box in 2019 (rig…

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Episode 627: From Alinea to AI: How Branden McRill Builds Restaurants and Forecasts the Future 1:19:38

1M ago1:19:38

1:19:38

Summary Branden McRill, Detroit-raised restaurateur, operator, and Michelin-star winner, traces a career from dish pits to Alinea and stints with Danny Meyer, Jean-Georges, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Samuelsson, and more, before cofounding acclaimed NYC spots Pearl & Ash and Rebelle (earning a Michelin star within months). He then expanded to Philadelph…

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A scam set WA’s fertiliser king on a path to a $5b fortune 29:14

2M ago29:14

29:14

Vikas Rambal came to Australia from India on a prospective business trip in 2000. But the project he was looking into was not what it seemed. It was a moment on his five-day trip that would prove to be pivotal. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda Redrup finds out how a scam and a chance encounter set about the Perdaman…

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Episode 626: Partners, Not Pace: How Vicious Biscuit Scales Without Selling Its Soul 1:21:29

2M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

Wil sits down with George and Amanda of Vicious Biscuit for a follow-up on their whirlwind year since they last joined Restaurant Owners Uncorked a year ago. Franchise growth, a disciplined “partners not franchisees” approach, and a tech stack that supports (but doesn’t replace) hospitality. They unpack a loyalty + first-party app launched Aug 12 t…

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Episode 22: Listening, Leadership & Luxury Events with Lauren Laurent at Levy Restaurants 44:52

2M ago44:52

44:52

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Lauren Laurent, the powerhouse Director of Catering Sales & Marketing at Levy Restaurants — based at the Greater Columbus Convention Center. With 15+ years in hospitality, Lauren brings a rare blend of operational excellence and heartfelt hospitality to some of the nation's larg…

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Episode 625: Scaling Scratch-Made Nostalgia: The Story of Jeff's Bagel Run 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Wil talks with Jeff Perera, founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, to unpack a quintessentially scrappy entrepreneurial tale: laid off in 2019, Jeff stayed home with his kids while his wife returned to work, and, prompted by her longing for authentic New York-style bagels, he taught himself to bake from scratch in their kitchen, turning a novice’s sticky-fin…

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The itch for a new version 23:08

2M ago23:08

23:08

In software development, there are updates, and then there are complete overhauls. This week, Jason Fried joins Kimberly Rhodes to talk about how the team decides when it’s time to rebuild from the ground up. They dig into the transition between versions, how customer feedback fits in, and even drop a few hints about what’s coming in Basecamp 5. Ke…

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Episode 624: From Brač Island to NC Smoke: Kristina & David Garrison’s 5-Suitcase BBQ Reboot 48:53

2M ago48:53

48:53

Kristina Garrison, a Ukrainian-raised San Franciscan turned globetrotting mom of two, and her classically trained chef husband David Garrison have just soft-opened Grub Smokehouse in a coworking-space kitchen in Youngsville/Wake Forest, NC—their non-traditional barbecue haven born from a hole-in-the-wall California burger joint shut by COVID, four-…

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How a former IBM executive redefined Australia’s restaurant scene 22:16

2M ago22:16

22:16

Chris Lucas grew up in the world of hospitality, often spending time in his dad’s pub in Geelong. But it wasn’t until his mid-30s that one of the country’s top restaurateurs entered the industry himself. On this week’s episode of How I Made It, host Lauren Sams finds out how working at IBM as a sales and marketing executive inspired Lucas to become…

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Episode 623: Grandfather's Recipes to Drive-Thru Dreams: Dimitri Syros and The Breakfast Company's Growth Story 47:22

2M ago47:22

47:22

Dimitri Syros, a Greek-American former teacher and law school graduate, launched The Breakfast Company with his mother in Sarasota, Florida, in October 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, transforming her dream of a small coffee shop-bakery into a full-service breakfast-and-lunch concept that exploded from day one. The family leveraged their multi-genera…

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Fizzy Q's and A's 26:36

2M ago26:36

26:36

With the launch of Fizzy getting closer, 37signals co-founders Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson use this episode to answer listener questions about the upcoming product. They talk about how Fizzy and Basecamp will coexist, why aesthetic design choices matter, and which AI features are actually worth using. Key Takeaways 00:11 – Fizzy and Ba…

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He could’ve been Qantas CEO. Instead Bruce Buchanan started a $7.2b company 35:27

2M ago35:27

35:27

Leading Australia’s largest airline is by all accounts a dream job. But in 2012, Bruce Buchanan – who was on track to become chief executive of Qantas – walked away from the national carrier. He now runs one of the world’s hottest tech companies: $7.2 billion e-commerce marketing tech firm Rokt. This week on How I Made It, Rich List editor Yolanda …

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Episode 21: Leadership That Lasts with Christin Marvin, Founder of Solutions by Christin 40:50

2M ago40:50

40:50

In this episode of Restaurant Catering Smarts, Michael Attias welcomes Christin Marvin, founder and CEO of Solutions by Christin. With over 20 years in the hospitality trenches—from line cook to multi-unit operator—Christin now helps restaurant owners and leaders create sustainable success without burning out in the process. They dive into what it …

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Episode 622: 28 Inches of Simple: How PIE.ZAA Scales by Doing Less 1:02:19

2M ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Wil hosts Tyler Kotch, founder of PIE.ZAA (Asheville & Charlotte), for a candid chat about spotting late-night demand, building a hyper-focused high-margin pizza concept (five-item menu, 28" pies or 12" slices), surviving COVID, navigating a painful partner split, and scaling methodically toward franchising. Tyler shares lessons on location strateg…

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Revisiting the good old days 16:27

2M ago16:27

16:27

Time has a way of reshaping what we believe, and sometimes, what we’ve published. In this week’s episode, CEO and co-founder Jason Fried chats with Kimberly Rhodes to explore one particular chapter of REWORK that no longer rings true. Jason reflects on their current stance on having multiple products vs. just one, what company's should consider bef…

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Episode 621: Lean, Profitable, and Operator-First: The GoTab Way with CEO Tim McLaughlin 1:36:20

2M ago1:36:20

1:36:20

Wil sits down in-person with Tim McLaughlin, technologist-turned-operator who founded GoTab after opening two Caboose breweries and confronting real service-model pain (giant spaces, staffing constraints). Years before COVID, Tim taped QRs to tables and proved guests will change behavior to avoid pain (lines), which pushed GoTab to build not just o…

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Trinny Woodall, What Not To Wear and a multimillion-dollar company 28:52

2M ago28:52

28:52

Trinny Woodall first became a household name as one half of the dynamic duo, Trinny and Susannah. Together the pair built a career issuing fashion advice to women on their long-running BBC series, What Not to Wear. But at the age of 53 Woodall decided it was time to step out on her own, launching eponymous beauty brand Trinny London. On this week’s…

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Episode 620: Raise the Bar: Heidi Whitcomb's Mission to Bring Heart Back to Hospitality 50:10

2M ago50:10

50:10

Episode Summary In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, host Wil chats with Heidi Whitcomb a passionate and deeply committed independent restaurant owner in Florida. With nearly 40 years in hospitality, Heidi embodies service, gratitude, and resilience. She shares her journey from early jobs at Subway and Kmart to bartending, truck…

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Traditional marketing doesn't work for us 30:09

3M ago30:09

30:09

For 37signals, flashy ad campaigns and traditional brand promos have never been the way to go. This week, Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson share why traditional marketing methods like billboards, paid social media posts, and keyword ads don’t give them results. They talk about how meaningful marketing comes from genuine support and real con…