Vitality Bowls exec Tara Gilad joins QSR editor Danny Klein to discuss standing out in one of the industry&apos;s fastest-growing (and crowded) categories, surviving COVID, and why the future is full of expansion potential for the 10-year-old fast casual.

QSR Magazine's Fast Forward

Vitality Bowls and the Rise of the Superfood Movement

On a special, bonus episode of QSR Uncut, the entire QSR magazine editorial team breaks down one of our biggest reports of the year: The 40/40 List, which recognizes the country&apos;s hottest fast casuals with 40 of fewer locations. Now in its sixth year, the list has become of the industry&apos;s most-anticipated features, and the perfect place to find the next big thing in foodservice. Plus, Shaq is in this year&apos;s group.

Meet America's 40 Hottest Fast Casuals: Part 1

A new category has emerged for restaurants, one that promises to challenge everyone from the biggest fast-food chains to the most polished sit-down concepts. And Finney&apos;s Crafthouse out of California is the perfect poster child. Executive Brad Finefrock joins the QSR team to chat about the emerging restaurant chain&apos;s history, future, and how the category as a whole has changed for good.

Introducing NextGen Casual and Finney's Crafthouse

Fred Minnick, best-selling author, bourbon curator, and taster, and one of the country’s leading voices on America’s native spirit, joins QSR Editorial Director Danny Klein for a wide-ranging chat that covers everything from restaurant menus to rebottling fraud to tasting 101 for bourbon drinkers. Why is it so hard to find Buffalo Trace? Is it worth it? What’s it really like to write and talk about bourbon? How did he pick the top 100? All that and much more as we dive into the limitless world of bourbon.

Talking Bourbon with Spirits Guru Fred Minnick

Restaurants are battling shortages and rocketing prices across the supply chain as 2022 kicks into gear. Avanti CEO Mark Rossi joins the QSR team to talk about best practices and tactics, what&apos;s coming next, and how to manage one of the greatest disruptions in recent operating history.

How to Survive the Great Supply Chain Crisis

Dr. James Pogue joins the QSR team to share tips and advice for executives and restaurant professionals on how to keep the conversation around unconscious bias, diversity and inclusion, and multigenerational intelligence going.

Diversity from The Top Down, with Dr. James Pogue

The owner of Fatburger, Fazoli&apos;s, and 15 other restaurant brands, spent nearly a $1 billion on acquisitions in 2021. And it could have been more. From bidding on Del Taco to an inside look at last year&apos;s deals, CEO Andy Wiederhorn chats with the QSR team about arguably the biggest storyline of this past year, and what an encore looks like.

FAT Brands CEO Andy Wiederhorn on a Buying Spree for the Record Books

The Culinary Edge, visionaries behind fast-growing Starbird Chicken, chat with the QSR team on concept creation, trends, and how to tell fact from fiction when it comes to the next big thing in restaurants. 

How to Create a Restaurant Concept from Scratch

CEO Zaid Ayoub is an electrical engineer turned restaurateur. And it shows in the continued evolution of SaJJ Mediterranean, a 15-unit fast casual from the Bay Area ready to hit its stride coming out of COVID. Ayoub joins the QSR team to discuss the concept’s innovative growth and how it hopes to go mainstream.

Meet the Next Big Mediterranean Chain

On a special Thanksgiving week episode of QSR uncut, the team chats with Smashburger president Carl Bachmann for an inside look at what’s made the fast casual thrive over the years and during COVID-19, from menu innovation to technology to store design, and more. Also, what Thanksgiving foods are overrated, and what’s the best way to cook a turkey? Let&apos;s dive in.

Smashburger's Secret to Better-Burger Success

As restaurants rebound from the pandemic, the opportunity to lean on customer data has never been greater. But how do you listen, and what really matters? Nihal Advani, CEO and founder of QualSights, joins the QSR team to talk about the future of foodservice, and why reviews don&apos;t begin and end with Yelp.

Finding the Post-COVID Restaurant Consumer: Tips from a Tech CEO

QSR editor Danny Klein catches up with industry innovator and change-marker Alex Canter, the CEO of Nextbite, to chat about all things virtual brands, and why COVID ushered in a digital era for restaurants that&apos;s just getting started.

Ghost Kitchens, Virtual Brands, and the Power of Wiz Khalifa

A&W CEO Kevin Bazner discusses the biggest crisis facing restaurants today—where to find labor and how to keep employees from leaving.  Also, cheese curds, the brand&apos;s famous root beer, and how the 102-year-old chain charted one of the most impressive turnarounds in fast-food history.

A&W CEO on Surviving the Labor Shortage, Root Beer, and a Comeback of Epic Proportions

OneDine CEO and industry thought leader Rom Krupp joins the QSR magazine team this week to talk all things digital, and how COVID-19 ushered in a decade of innovation in 19 months. From QR codes  to the real dangers of third-party delivery to a rash of IPOs,  we take an unscripted look at the hottest topic in the restaurant industry&apos;s evolution today. Plus, Wendy&apos;s is roasting McDonald&apos;s (again).

A Digital Pioneer on the Future of Restaurant Tech

In this week’s episode of QSR Uncut,  QSR magazine editors Danny Klein and Ben Coley are joined by Joseph Szala, managing director of Vigor and author and marketing expert, to talk about everything from virtual restaurants—are there too many?—to brand relevance, marketing to employees amid a labor shortage, the return of the McRib, Golden Corral, Jersey Mike&apos;s, and Portillo&apos;s, and whether or not tater tots should be considered French fries (they shouldn’t). We answer reader’s questions, share some of the best fast-food deals from the week, and scroll through social media to find the craziest tweets.

Is The Virtual Restaurant Bubble About to Burst?

QSR Magazine's Fast Forward, a podcast from the editors of the leading publication for foodservice owners and operators, discusses the future of the fast food restaurant industry. Made for restaurant executives, entrepreneurs, and leaders, each episode features an interview with fast-casual founders and visionaries who discuss the ongoing successes and challenges of building a restaurant company from scratch.

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QSR Magazine's Fast Forward

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