A Deeper Dive

Hosted by Restaurant Business Magazine

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Episodes

411

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

“A Deeper Dive” is a weekly podcast from Restaurant Business dedicated to going in-depth on the most pressing challenges and opportunities restaurant operators face today. Each Wednesday, our audience will hear from restaurant industry leaders – from Chipotle to Pincho Factory and Firehouse Subs to McDonald’s. Host Jonathan Maze deep dives into hot topics, from delivery to discounting and marketing to menu, giving operators the latest information and solutions to drive their businesses. Subscribe now! Restaurant Business: https://www.restaurantbusinessonlin

Listen to episodes

60 recent

June 10, 202627 min

Giordano's is getting ready to grow again

Can Giordano’s grow faster with more thin-crust pizzas?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Nick Scarpino, the CEO of the Chicago-based pizza chain Giordano’s.This is one of a series of episodes we recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show in May. Scarpino talks about the chain’s growth, and why the company is opening more units these days. He also discusses the strategy behind that growth.He also discusses the company’s new tavern-style pizza, a much thinner crust than the chain’s popular deep dish. We also talk about industry challenges and the state of the pizza sector.We’re talking pizza this week so please check it out.

June 3, 202627 min

Why some restaurants face a leadership vacuum

Is there a leadership vacuum in the restaurant business?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Toni Ronayne, the founder of the fractional C-suite firm C Society.C Society provides experienced executives who can work with emerging and other restaurant chains, filling a need for c-level leadership. Ronayne is a longtime industry executive whose past stops have included Perkins and Freshii, among other companies. We discuss why companies need this and how these executives can help. But we also talk extensively about several other issues regarding leadership in the restaurant industry. This is the latest in a series of podcast episodes that we recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show and it’s a good one so please check it out.

May 27, 202627 min

How restaurants can handle the K-shaped economy

How can restaurants deal with the K-shaped economy?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Michelle Korsmo, the president and CEO of the National Restaurant Association.We typically interview Korsmo at the National Restaurant Association Show every year. This year, we discussed a variety of topics, including the association’s legislative priorities, how it deals with the White House, technology, industry trends and other topics.We also talk about the economy and its impact on restaurants. The economy is bifurcated. Wealthier consumers have money. Low-income consumers do not. And they are cutting back. The result is a wide gulf in performance between restaurant chains. It’s always interesting chatting with Korsmo, so check it out.Visit our website: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com

May 20, 202631 min

What is wrong with the pizza market?

Why are fast-food pizza chains struggling? This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Robert Byrne, senior director of consumer research with Technomic.Byrne and I spend the entire time discussing the state of the pizza market. Fast-food pizza chain sales declined last year, and fast-casual pizza chain sales declined even further. We look at the factors behind that decline, including the growing competition from third-party delivery, pressure on lower-income consumers and other factors. We also discuss where pizza customers are visiting instead. We’re talking pizza on A Deeper Dive so please check it out.

May 13, 202625 min

This company is taking Chinese takeout into the modern era

How does a company bring Chinese takeout into the modern era?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Angell Tsang and Min Choe, the founders of the Austin-based Tso Chinese Takeout and Delivery.You may not have heard of Tso but it is a fascinating concept that is bringing a more modern sensibility to the idea of the Chinese restaurant.Specifically they built their technology first and then added a restaurant. They discuss why they crafted a restaurant chain in reverse. They also explain why they opted for Chinese in the first place.And that leads into an interesting discussion on the phenomenal history of Chinese food in America. It's a great conversation and an interesting concept. Check it out.Want more from Jonathan Maze?https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/jonathan-mazeTik-Tok @jonathandmazehttps://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurantsSubscribe to RB newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters

May 6, 202628 min

A look at the future of Chuck E. Cheese

Where does Chuck E. Cheese grow from here?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Scott Drake, the CEO of CEC Entertainment, parent company to Chuck E. Cheese and Peter Piper Pizza.This is the first of a couple of episodes recorded at the recent Restaurant Leadership Conference and it is a phenomenal conversation.Scott was recently promoted to CEO after a couple of years as CEC’s CFO. And he has a lot to talk about.We talk about the company’s new headquarters. We talk about many of the changes it has made over the years, particularly on the technology front. We discuss how the company plans to grow in the coming years and some of the interesting concepts it is growing with. But we also talk about some of the long-term concerns the company has, notably the slowing population.We’re talking Chuck E. Cheese on A Deeper Dive so please check it out. Want more from Jonathan Maze?https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/jonathan-mazeTik-Tok @jonathandmazehttps://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurantsSubscribe to RB newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters

April 29, 202627 min

Why restaurant chain franchisees are struggling right now

Why are franchisees struggling right now?This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Austin Titus, the president of Accurate Franchising. Accurate Franchising is a consulting firm that works with franchisors and franchisees and so we talk about all kinds of things on this episode.We talk about struggles franchisees are having and why. Several franchisees have filed for bankruptcy and many are having challenges after a few difficult periods, with high costs and weak sales and traffic. We explain what’s happened and how operators can deal with it.Titus talks about red flags franchisees can look for when considering a franchise brand to invest in. He also talks about how emerging chains can get the right franchisees early in their history and why that’s important.We’re talking franchising on A Deeper Dive so please check it out. Want more from Jonathan Maze?https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/jonathan-mazeTik-Tok @jonathandmazehttps://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurantsSubscribe to RB newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters

April 23, 202629 min

Why 2025 was another tough year for restaurant chains

It was another tough year in 2025. This week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive features Joe Pawlak, the managing principal with Technomic.Pawlak provides our annual look at the data firm’s annual Top 500 Chain Restaurant Report, which provides the best look at the state of the country’s restaurant chains.That state was relatively weak. Pawlak discusses why last year proved to be so difficult. We also talk about some notable trends in the numbers. The beverage sector was big and there were some surprising numbers in that. The sandwich sector saw more shifts in market share. There was some notable movement in the Top 10 and a lot of growth was concentrated in just a few chains.We’re talking Top 500 on A Deeper Dive so please check it out. Want more from Jonathan Maze?https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/jonathan-mazeTik-Tok @jonathandmazehttps://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurantsSubscribe to RB newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters

April 15, 202626 min

How Kilwins is adapting to life under new owners

How is Kilwins adapting to life under new owners?This week’s episode of A Deeper Dive features Brian Britton, CEO of the treat chain Kilwins.Kilwins operates experiential chocolate and ice cream shops, mostly in tourist spots. It has picked up its growth in recent years and finished 2025 with 187 locations, according to data from Technomic.We wanted to talk to Brian to get a sense about how life has changed since the company was sold to Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. The private-equity firm bought Kilwins in 2023. Brian talks about everything the chain has done since then, including a lot of work to update the brand. But we also talk about the business of selling chocolate and ice cream, the company’s expansion strategies and why the experiential nature of the brand is so vital these days.It’s a sweet podcast episode this week, so please check it out. Want more from Jonathan Maze?https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/profile/jonathan-mazehttps://www.tiktok.com/@jonathandmaze?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc(Tik-Tok @jonathandmaze)https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurantsSubscribe to RB newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newsletters

April 8, 202634 min

Why consumers don’t think their restaurant visits are worth it

Most customers don’t think their last restaurant visit was worth it.That, at least, is according to Lisa Miller, a consumer insights and innovation strategist and author of The Business of Joy. She joins this week’s episode of the Restaurant Business podcast A Deeper Dive to discuss it.We talk about why consumers increasingly say they don’t think their restaurant visits are worth it. We also talk about the role technology may be playing with that, and what restaurants can do to fix it.This is a great conversation on an important topic in the restaurant business so please check it out. Read more from RB: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/Subscribe to our newsletters: https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/newslettersWant more from Jonathan Maze? https://www.tiktok.com/@jonathandmaze?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pchttps://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/article/week-restaurants