Restaurant Influencers

Hosted by Entrepreneur Media

Business Entrepreneurship

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Episodes

232

Latest episode

Jun 2026

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About the show

Are you SICK and TIRED of scrolling through your social media feeds and not seeing your business anywhere? On the new Restaurant Influencers podcast, top leaders in the restaurant and hospitality industries share their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling and showing up where your customers are spending time online. The weekly digital series is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef and presented by Entrepreneur Media, Yelp, and the Restaurant Point of Sale company Toast.

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60 recent

June 16, 202640 min

He Bet on Baltimore Before Anyone Else — Now His Restaurant Group Is Transforming Cities Across America

Alex Smith, founder and CEO of Atlas Restaurant Group, helped transform Baltimore’s Harbor East into a dining destination while building a rapidly expanding hospitality company known for luxury restaurants, disciplined operations, and team-first culture. Watch now to learn how Alex Smith built Atlas Restaurant Group, transformed Harbor East, and used lacrosse principles to scale team culture. Restaurant Influencers is sponsored by: • Toast All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://entm.ag/ToastRI • PepsiCo Foodservice: https://entm.ag/RIPepsico Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 9, 202625 min

This Restaurant Owner Was Secretly Cleaning Airbnb’s to Pay Rent — Now Her Investors Want To Open More Locations

Emily Brown, owner of Eebee’s Corner Bar in Washington, DC, built one of the city’s most talked about neighborhood bars around old-school hospitality and community. Before opening Eebee’s, Brown spent years bartending, running beverage programs, and hustling through side jobs while developing her vision for a corner bar. Watch now to learn about the leap of faith behind Eebee’s Corner Bar, the seven-hour wait times that followed, and how Emily Brown turned a corner bar into one of DC’s hottest spots. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

June 2, 202639 min

Most Restaurants Ignore the Most Profitable Part of the Business, This Bar Expert Says

Tobin Ellis, founder and principal of Studio Barmagic, has spent nearly 30 years designing and operating bars around the world. Through his new book Bar Design Essentials, Ellis shares why workflow, hospitality, and beverage strategy matter more than ever in the modern restaurant business. Watch now to learn why most bars are designed backward, how hospitality is changing as people drink less, and why great service still drives the restaurant business. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 26, 202636 min

This Restaurant Operator Thinks Hospitality Stigma Is ‘Total BS’ — And He’s Challenging Students to Think Bigger

Seth Gerber is the co-owner of MIDA Restaurant Group in Boston and a hospitality professor at Boston University. As a restaurateur, operator, and educator, he’s built a career focused on neighborhood restaurants, mentorship, and challenging the way the hospitality industry views itself. Watch now to learn how Seth Gerber saved a struggling restaurant, scaled MIDA, and is reframing hospitality careers. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 19, 202624 min

This Restaurateur Crashed on a Friend’s Floor to Make It to Pizza Expo — Now Operators Line Up to Listen

Mike Bausch, founder of Andolini’s Pizza and Andolini’s Worldwide, uses storytelling and social media to help restaurants build stronger brands and customer loyalty. As a restaurateur, speaker, and content creator, he blends hospitality with media and restaurant education. Watch now to learn how Mike Bausch built his personal brand, why he believes storytelling beats discounts, and the operator mindset behind the growth of Andolini’s Worldwide. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 12, 202644 min

He Didn’t Know He Had a YouTube Channel — Now He Has 1 Million Subscribers and a Packed Dining Room

Steven Droulis, co-owner of Vivaldi Restaurant in Montreal, has grown a YouTube audience of 1 million subscribers by documenting life in his kitchen. As a chef, operator, and content creator, he’s turned a neighborhood restaurant into a destination. Watch now to learn how a restaurant owner built 1 million YouTube subscribers, turned content into real customers, and transformed a local spot into a global destination. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

May 5, 202649 min

How Andrew Zimmern Broke Through With an Exorcism and a Tonight Show Call

Andrew Zimmern, a four-time James Beard Award-winning chef and host of Bizarre Foods, built a career through curiosity. As a chef, storyteller, and TV personality, he turned adventurous travel, an exorcism in Ecuador, and a call from Jay Leno’s team into one of food media’s most recognizable brands. Watch now to learn about the wild moment that helped Bizarre Foods break through, the surprise call from Jay Leno’s team, and how Andrew Zimmern built a global brand. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 28, 202622 min

He Joined a 90-Year-Old Texas Donut Brand With Barely Any Tech. Now It’s Racing Toward 750 Stores by 2030

Kerry Leo, Vice President of Technology at Shipley Do-Nuts, is helping modernize one of America’s most established donut brands. By blending frontline listening with smart technology, he’s helping turn a nearly 90-year-old company into a scalable business built for growth. Watch now to learn how a 90-year-old brand is scaling fast, why listening in the shops drives better tech decisions, and how Shipley is building for its next era of growth. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 21, 202622 min

He Started as “QSR Guy” on X — Then Used Anonymous Posts to Build Relationships That Shaped His 35-Restaurant Business

Ryan Feghali, known as “QSR Guy” on X, is a multi-unit franchisee of Little Caesars and Jersey Mike’s and co-founder of CoCo Playa. He uses honest posts to share the realities of operating restaurants at scale and turn insights into real business opportunities. Watch now to learn how Ryan Feghali uses X to build real relationships, why telling the truth creates leverage, and how anonymous posts turned into business growth. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

April 14, 202626 min

He Turned a $22,000 Restaurant Into 235 Locations Across the U.S.

Eddie Flores Jr., co-founder of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, built a 235-location restaurant brand by staying rooted in Hawaiian culture. As an entrepreneur and franchise pioneer, he turned one restaurant into a national concept through authenticity and community. Watch now to learn about the power of Hawaiian identity, creating opportunity through franchising, and leading through family. Sponsored by: • TOAST - All-In-1 Restaurant POS: https://bit.ly/3vpeVsc Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices