Restaurant Influencers

Hosted by Entrepreneur Media

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Episodes

242

Latest episode

Aug 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.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

August 25, 202618 min

Restaurants Use 5,000-Pound Cars to Deliver 5-Pound Bags of Food. These Founders Asked Why — Then Built a Different Solution

Melissa Fahs, Vice President of Enterprise Partnerships at Coco Robotics, shares how autonomous delivery is changing the way restaurants get food to their customers. With Coco already completing thousands of deliveries, Fahs believes robot delivery can lower costs, protect food quality and fit seamlessly into restaurant operations. Watch now to learn how autonomous delivery can lower costs, protect food quality and fit seamlessly into restaurant operations. 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

August 18, 202654 min

They've Baked More Than 1.5 Million Bagels. Going ‘Full Bagel' Helped This Franchise Bring in Serious Dough.

Jeff Perera, co-founder of Jeff's Bagel Run, shares how a layoff and a homemade bagel turned into one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing brands. He explains why building in public, sharing the journey and never sacrificing quality have fueled the company's growth. Watch now to learn how storytelling, consistency and transparency helped turn a homemade bagel into one of the restaurant industry's fastest-growing brands. 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

August 11, 202624 min

He Made One SEO Adjustment. Two Weeks Later, His Restaurant Had $10,000 in Catering Orders

Kevin Walker, operator of El Famous Burrito and Extract Juicery, shares how technology is helping him grow his businesses, reach new customers and stay competitive. He explains why working closely with partners like Popmenu has become an important part of building for the future. Watch now to learn how restaurant technology can drive growth, improve online visibility and help operators build stronger connections with their customers. 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

August 4, 202625 min

Most Restaurants Buy Technology First. An Amazon Web Services Exec Says That's Backwards.

Deborah Matteliano, Global Restaurant Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services, believes technology should make hospitality more personal. After helping restaurants navigate online ordering at Uber Eats, she now helps brands create better guest experiences through technology at AWS. Watch now to learn what digital hospitality means, why first-party data matters and how technology can strengthen the guest experience. 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

July 28, 202639 min

"They're Selling Things Other Than Food on a Plate" — Why One Founder Believes Restaurants Are Changing Forever

Ben Leventhal, founder and CEO of Blackbird, believes restaurants are entering a new golden age. After helping reshape hospitality with Eater and Resy, he's now focused on helping restaurants build stronger guest relationships and long-term loyalty. Watch now to learn why Ben Leventhal believes restaurants are entering a new golden age, how loyalty is evolving and why guest relationships matter. 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

July 21, 202620 min

This London Restaurant Grew Its Social Media 333% by Keeping It ‘Scrappy, Not Spielberg.'

Will Murray, co-founder of Fallow, didn't set out to become a content creator. He wanted more people to discover the restaurant. Four years later, Fallow's social media has grown 333%, helping transform the London restaurant into one of YouTube's biggest hospitality success stories. Watch now to learn how Will Murray used storytelling to grow Fallow, why "scrappy, not Spielberg" became the team's content philosophy and how authentic videos turned viewers into guests. 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

July 14, 202632 min

He Asked Instagram Where to Eat. It led to a 13-Location Burger Brand

Neen Williams, professional skateboarder and co-founder of NADC Burger, never planned to build a restaurant company. An Instagram post asking where to eat in Austin led to a partnership with chef Phillip Frankland Lee and a burger brand that has grown to 13 locations. Watch now to learn why authenticity beats algorithms, how community creates opportunity and what it takes to build a restaurant brand people believe in. 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

July 7, 202622 min

They Automated the 'Impossible' Restaurant Invoice and Now They Process 290,000 a Week

Bo Davis, CEO and co-founder of MarginEdge, turned years of operating restaurants into a technology platform built for restaurant owners. After struggling to understand whether his own restaurants were truly profitable, he created MarginEdge to give operators better visibility into their business every day. Watch now to learn about restaurant profitability, automating invoices, and why Bo Davis believes great technology should feel like great service. 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 30, 202639 min

He Built a Drone Delivery Network That Can Reach 10 Times More Customers — And Restaurants Are Taking Notice

Keller Cliffton, co-founder and CEO of Zipline, is helping transform delivery through autonomous drone technology. What started with delivering life-saving medical supplies in Rwanda has expanded into restaurant delivery, helping operators reach more customers faster. Watch now to learn about autonomous delivery, reaching customers farther away, and the future of restaurant logistics. 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 23, 202634 min

Tacotarian Built a Vegan Restaurant Business Chasing the ‘Other 97%’ Instead of Preaching to the Choir

Kristen Corral, co-founder of Tacotarian, has helped grow the plant-based Mexican restaurant brand into a six-location company through creator-driven marketing, founder-led storytelling, and community-focused content designed to reach far beyond the traditional vegan audience. Watch now to learn how Tacotarian built a vegan brand for the other 97%, why “cringe” content works, and how Kristen Corral uses storytelling to make customers feel like they belong. 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