Take-Away with Sam Oches

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Maggie Gordon, president and cofounder of Dillas Quesadillas, a Texas based fast casual with 11 locations that is doubling down on growth through franchising. Maggie’s husband and cofounder Kyle Gordon got the vision for Dillas all the way back in college, and spent several years working in Raising Cane’s management before launching his dream concept in 2013. He and Maggie have spent the past 13 years refining the concept and now are confident it’s in a position for “hockey stick” growth. Maggie joined the podcast to talk about that refinement process and how she and Kyle strategically positioned Dillas to be a 100-unit brand long before they even had more than one. In this conversation, you’ll find out why:When opening a new concept, don’t start with a blank playbookStay laser-focused on your vision — even if it means saying no to customers Punch above your weight from day one because customers will notice If growth is your goal, make every decision with scale in mindRecognize your blind spots as a founder or leader and hire to fill itHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected]

In this episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches, Sam talks with Gregory Galy, the founder and CEO of Riviera Dining Group, a Miami-based organization with four concepts in its portfolio. That includes two restaurants — MILA and CASA NEOS — that are in the top 10 highest grossing independent restaurants in the country, according to the Top 100 Independents report publishing this month by our partners at Restaurant Business magazine. CASA NEOS clocks in at No. 10 with about $33 million in sales last year, while MILA is the No. 2 highest grossing indie with $53 million. Gregory is originally from the French Riviera, and 20 years ago moved to New York City to take on an internship with Fig & Olive, where he eventually rose to president before leaving for Miami in 2017. MILA opened in 2020, and now Riviera Dining Group is developing a number of luxury hospitality concepts in South Florida. Gregory joined the podcast to talk about the influences he brought from the French Riviera, what it takes to build a restaurant that can achieve more than $50 million in sales in one year, and how to train your team to create unforgettable hospitality experiences.In this conversation, you’ll find out why:The sensory details of your restaurant should create a cohesive, coherent experienceA soft launch gives you an opportunity to test and refine your conceptThere may be opportunity in finding brands within your brandPersonalized experiences can unlock big salesFriendly competitions among your team could incentivize great customer serviceCulture should be established before you decide to scale beyond your first marketYour most loyal guests can help drive demand through scarcityHave feedback or ideas for Take-Away? Email Sam at [email protected] more about Made in Restaurants at www.madeinrestaurants.com

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]