Take-Away with Sam Oches

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Alex Melillo and Joe Cervasio, two of the founders behind Mama Hospitality, the restaurant group behind the West Palm Beach cocktail lounge Mary Lou’s as well as a number of other projects in development around the country. Alex and Joe were childhood friends in New York who grew up with deep connections to the hospitality and events industries. Their paths eventually reconnected and now — together with Joe’s wife Dottie and her brother Topher Grubb — they’re taking the nightlife scene to another level by throwing back to the era of Mary Lou’s namesake: Alex’s grandmother. Alex and Joe joined the podcast to talk about the keys to a great restaurant and bar experience and why they say they’re building culture at Mama Hospitality, not concepts. In this conversation, you’ll find out why:Consider designing your experience before anything elseBe obsessive about the littlest detailsGreat experiences are those that evoke emotion You’ll get the best results when your team buys into your systemGreat operators build great teams by leading by exampleHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected]

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Tim Hackbardt, the chief marketing officer at Playa Bowls, a New Jersey based acai bowl concept that has grown to around 400 locations in 12 years. Tim is a veteran foodservice marketing executive who has worked or collaborated with literally dozens of restaurant concepts, most notably Arby’s, Del Taco, BJ’s, and Johnny Rockets. He’s spent a lot of time leveraging menu innovation for his marketing strategies, particularly as it relates to limited time offers. In fact, Tim is such an expert on the art of the LTO that he’s serving as an executive producer on the upcoming ABC show “Limited Time Offer,” in which participating restaurants and retailers develop and present LTOs to a panel of judges, with the winners serving their dishes at their locations the day after the episode airs. Tim joined the podcast to talk about how restaurant leaders can leverage limited-time offers to boost sales and drive profitability — and how he’s doing that at Playa Bowls.Want to participate in the ABC show “Limited Time Offer”? Connect with Tim here.In this conversation, you’ll find out why:Menu sets the tone for your marketingLTOs are an increasingly important piece to the traffic puzzlePopularity, profitability, and efficiency are key marks of a successful LTOPoor execution will sink even the trendiest LTOsHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected]

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Bernard Acoca, the CEO of Zaxbys, the Georgia based chicken-finger chain that has grown to more than 1,000 U.S. locations bringing in nearly $3 billion in sales. Bernard was in New York City last week to help open Zaxbys newest location there, ushering in the Big Apple as its latest growth market. Zaxbys is very much in growth mode, and while it had a presence in 16 states when Bernard joined the company in 2022, by next year it will be in 25 states and continuing a push to the north and west. Zaxbys calls this its “Grow to Win” strategy, chasing a strong leadership position in the ever-crowded chicken category through smart unit growth. Bernard joined the podcast to talk about that strategy and how Zaxbys plans to drive AUVs higher even as it aggressively adds new stores. In this conversation, you’ll find out why:Restaurants in new markets must be tailored to the local customerFigure out your differentiating characteristic and then shout it to the rooftopsDevelop new items with the intention of selling outYou cannot have successful unit growth without first acing the fundamentals Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected]

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Jonathan Knudsen, founder and CEO of Concrete Hospitality Group, a New York City based hospitality management group that develops and operates restaurants for hotel brands like Marriott, Hyatt, and more. Jonathan got his start at Starwood Hotels and Resorts after graduating from Johnson & Wales in Rhode Island, and he’s worked in the hotel space ever since. As you’ll hear from this conversation, there’s been an incredible evolution in hotel F&B over the past 20 years, and today many hotel brands are looking to their foodservice as opportunities to differentiate from competitors. Jonathan joined the podcast to talk about that opportunity and about how Concrete is building unique experiences to capture hotel guests. In this conversation, you’ll find out why:More people today choose hotels for how they make them feel — and that’s usually achieved through F&BA great guest experience is a foundation upon which to innovate Hotels and restaurants offer each other mutual credibility To create a great experience, know your limitations Think beyond your F&B to capture local guestsRestaurants and hotels can be the meeting spaces people need in the age of AI Have feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Scott Ford, the president and CEO of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill, a Kansas City based fast casual franchise serving the signature plate lunch of the Hawaiian islands at more than 80 locations. Scott was a veteran of chains like Applebee’s and Boston Market before joining Hawaiian Bros when it had just three locations, coming alongside the brother founders Tyler and Cameron McNie to maximize the potential of the concept serving chicken and rice in island themed storefronts all throughout the Midwest and South. These days, Scott’s biggest focus is maximizing potential within the four walls, with the goal of boosting average unit volumes from $2.5 million today to $3.5 million. Scott joined the podcast to talk about getting more sales out of each restaurant and about the operational improvements Hawaiian Bros has made to meet increasing demand. In this conversation, you’ll find out why:Customers today want something outside the routinePositive attitudes lead to positive outcomes You must get scrappy in your marketing to win guestsOperational excellence can unlock better AUVsInvite everyone to your party — then have capacity that outpace demandThere is no honeymoon period for your new restaurantHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected].