QSR Uncut

Hosted by QSR magazine

Business Management Arts FoodInterviews guests

Website RSS feed

Episodes

380

Latest episode

Aug 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

QSR Uncut is a podcast from the editors of QSR magazine—the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators—that discusses the current state and future of the fast-food restaurant industry. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, consumers, and leaders, each episode candidly shares expert advice from some of the industry's most insightful leaders.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 3, 2026Episode 24853 min

Restaurant Development Trends, from Two Ex-Raising Cane’s Operators

College roommates Eric Ongaro and Matt Salts joined forces at RCO Limited, the first Raising Cane’s franchise partner. Together, they helped grow the company to nearly 50 Ohio locations and $200 million in annual sales before Raising Cane’s bought back the enterprise in late 2021. While scaling RCO, however, the two kept running into development challenges, leading to the creation of an inside operation that ultimately became OLIO Development Group. Today, OLIO works with brands like Cane’s, Panda Express, 7 Brew, CAVA, Shake Shack, and more. Ongaro and Salts joined QSR Uncut to discuss their journey and what the state of development looks like for restaurants today. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

August 27, 2026Episode 24736 min

Talking GLP-1s, Wellness, and Crisp & Green’s Next Growth Chapter, with Steele Smiley

Cofounder and executive chairman Steele Smiley returns to QSR Uncut to share his thoughts on why wellness and fitness remain major whitespace opportunities within the restaurant industry. We discuss how Crisp & Green is tapping in from an authentic angle, and what some brands are getting right and wrong about how America really wants to eat. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

August 20, 2026Episode 24635 min

The ROI of Restaurant Conferences: There Has to Be a Better Way, with Michael Sien

Industry vet Michael Sien joins QSR Uncut this week to talk about a recent leap—starting faSHOW, a specialist consultancy dedicated to helping organizers, exhibitors, and operators get more out of their industry events. We’ll explore what’s going wrong with the current model and how partners, leaders, and everyone in between can improve ROI while attending in-person experiences (including September’s QSR Evolution Conference ).

August 14, 2026Episode 24532 min

Huey Magoo’s and the Rise of a Chicken Powerhouse, with CEO Andy Howard

At just about 90 locations open across 12 states and 230 signed for development in the coming years, the fast casual tenders focused brand is hitting the growth lever. Andy Howard, known as the “Chicken Guy,” has had stops from Kenny Rogers Roasters to Ranch One to Wingstop before taking on this corner of the category. What’s ahead, how is Huey Magoo’s winning over customers and franchisees—we get into all of it as we explore the future of a surging chicken contender. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

August 6, 2026Episode 24444 min

Can AI Make You a Better Leader? with Chick-fil-A Owner-Operator Jon Harmeling

Chick-fil-A owner-operator Jon Harmeling, a former West Point instructor in systems engineering, joins QSR Uncut to chat about his journey with the category leader, but also to break down how he’s developed 10 AI systems that run inside his store. From forecasting to hiring to becoming a better leader, Harmeling continues to test and refine the homemade approach to thrive under margin pressure. We talk about real-life examples, where it’s failed, how it’s made a massive difference in culture and recognition, and where it all goes from here. It’s an episode with actionable insights you won’t want to miss. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

July 30, 2026Episode 24337 min

The Rise of AI and Location Intelligence in QSR, with Gladys Kong

Gladys Kong, CEO of Azira, joins QSR Uncut this week to break down some rising technologies and how restaurant brands can better understand their customers, optimize operations, and compete in a market where consumer behavior is quickly changing. Is it time to move beyond basic foot traffic reporting and into predictive, data-driven decision making? Should you worry about privacy regulations? A lot to get into as innovation continues to flood the foodservice world. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

July 23, 2026Episode 24231 min

Cinnabon Makes a Big Beverage Move, with Chief Brand Officer Urvi Patel

One of the country’s most-iconic treat chains recently rolled out Seattle’s Best Coffee as it looks to compete more aggressively for high-frequency beverage occasions and evolve beyond traditional indulgence moments. We’ll explore what that means for Cinnabon, how it’s innovating overall to meet the customer where they are, and what’s next for a chain that added more than 300 stores nationwide last year . The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

July 16, 2026Episode 24146 min

QSR Tech and Drive-Thru Expectations: What Do Customers Really Want?

Andy Grindstaff, Director, Enterprise Restaurant Product, Global Payments, joins QSR Uncut this week for a wide-ranging discussion as we roll around the tech landscape. Let's talk AI. Drive-thru (does speed matter as much as it used to?). How customers are reacting to innovation, and what the true after-shock of COVID is on the innovation debate. We get into all of it, backed by data, and take a look at what could be coming next. This episode is supported by our partners at Global Payments .

July 9, 2026Episode 24038 min

Welcome to Moe’s! … for Late-Night? With Chief Brand Officer Mike Smith

Moe’s Southwest Grill is in the midst of a new, three-part strategy to drive incremental gains. It includes extended hours to serve unmet demand, a Gen Z menu play, a deeper dive into delivery, and more as the category icon readies for what’s next. Chief brand officer Mike Smith joins QSR Uncut this week to unpack what brands are missing with late-night, how snacking behavior is shaping trends, and how Moe’s plans to find growth in one of the most competitive categories there is. The QSR Evolution Conference is just weeks away. Register here today to secure your spot to network and learn from the top restaurant brands in the country, from Chick-fil-A to White Castle to Shake Shack, Burger King, Texas Roadhouse, and many, many more.

July 2, 2026Episode 23938 min

How Your Kitchen Can Solve Margin Pressure, with Kelli Jenkins and Derek Clayton

Kelli Jenkins, senior product manager at Vitamix, and Derek Clayton, the company’s corporate chef, join QSR Uncut for a wide-ranging discussion covering everything from back-of-the-house foodservice trends to the skill gap in restaurants to understanding why a piece of equipment built to last can make all the difference. We roll through pressing realities and where you can turn to get ahead of what’s coming next. This episode is brought to you by our partners at Vitamix .