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Running Restaurants

Running Restaurants

RunningRestaurants.com 273 Episodes Sep 24, 2026

Running Restaurants is a podcast dedicated to helping restaurant owners improve their businesses. It offers actionable tips, valuable resources, and insights on making food ventures more profitable and appealing. The show features discussions with industry experts, business gurus, and food professionals. Topics cover various restaurant types, from casual dining to fine dining and food bars.

Episodes

From Franchisee to Franchisor: Aaron Anderson on Building Sunrise Social
From Franchisee to Franchisor: Aaron Anderson on Building Sunrise Social Sep 24, 2026 1431 In this episode of the Running Restaurants podcast, host Jaime Oikle interviews Aaron Anderson, founder of Sunrise Social. Aaron shares his restaurant journey, from buying franchises like The Original Hot Dog Factory (which opened during COVID-19) to experimenting with ghost kitchens. He discusses creating his own breakfast, brunch, and lunch concept, Sunrise Social, now operating two franchise lo
Bootstrapped: Brianna Keefe on Toastique's Path to 65+ Locations
Bootstrapped: Brianna Keefe on Toastique's Path to 65+ Locations Sep 10, 2026 2099 In this episode, host Jaime Oikle interviews Brianna Keefe, founder and CEO of Toastique, a fast casual wellness cafe with over 65 locations across 25 states. Brianna shares how her background as a college athlete inspired the concept, how she bootstrapped the first location in Washington D.C., and how organic customer demand led to franchising. The conversation covers franchise partner selection,
Scrappy, Smart and Data-Driven: Inside the Growth of Teriyaki Madness With CMO Jodi Boyce
Scrappy, Smart and Data-Driven: Inside the Growth of Teriyaki Madness With CMO Jodi Boyce Sep 2, 2026 1582 In this episode of the Running Restaurants podcast, host Jaime Oikle interviews Jodi Boyce, CMO of Teriyaki Madness. Jodi shares her unique career journey, from driving the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to leading marketing at major restaurant brands. She discusses Teriyaki Madness's rapid growth to 215 locations across 41 states, their data-driven marketing approach, and loyalty program of 1.2 million
From Failure to Eight Restaurants: What Dan Simons Learned Building Founding Farmers
From Failure to Eight Restaurants: What Dan Simons Learned Building Founding Farmers Aug 26, 2026 3189 Dan Simons, co-founder of Founding Farmers, a farmer-owned restaurant group generating $100 million in annual sales across eight locations, joins Jaime Oikle, show host and RunningRestaurants.com founder. Dan candidly shares his journey from early failures, bankruptcy, and mental health struggles to building a thriving, values-driven business. He discusses Founding Farmers' unique farmer-equity mo
Why Restaurant Employees Stay - and Why They Leave: With Rushi Patel
Why Restaurant Employees Stay - and Why They Leave: With Rushi Patel Aug 19, 2026 2207 Rushi Patel, co-founder of Homebase joins Running Restaurants founder & show host, Jaime Oikle, to talk about managing restaurant staff effectively. Drawing from a workplace survey of over 3.5 million hourly workers, Rushi reveals that while pay attracts employees, community, culture, and strong management drive retention. He highlights how AI is increasingly helping operators streamline sched
Lessons on Leadership, Growth and the Exit: Darren Spicer of 110 Ventures
Lessons on Leadership, Growth and the Exit: Darren Spicer of 110 Ventures Aug 13, 2026 2401 RunningRestaurants.com founder and podcast host Jaime Oikle interviews Darren Spicer, founder of Clutch Coffee Bar and 110 Ventures. Darren shares his journey from working at Dutch Bros at 18 to building and selling Clutch Coffee Bar back to Dutch Bros. Through seven impactful quotes from Kobe Bryant, Mark Cuban, Simon Sinek, Gary Vaynerchuk, and Ray Lewis, Darren discusses leadership, work ethic,
What Restaurant Employees Really Want in 2026 - With Jordan Boesch
What Restaurant Employees Really Want in 2026 - With Jordan Boesch Aug 6, 2026 1769 We welcome back Jordan Boesch, CEO of 7Shifts, to discuss their 2026 report "What Restaurant Employees Want". Key findings reveal that understaffing remains the top employee stressor, great coworkers matter more than pay, and offered benefits often mismatch what employees actually value. Jordan emphasizes the power of manager recognition and strong team culture in driving retention. The conversati
Strategies to Strengthen Your Restaurant Leadership Team
Strategies to Strengthen Your Restaurant Leadership Team Jul 23, 2026 2202 In this episode of the Running Restaurants podcast, host Jaime Oikle sits down with Alison Anne (Restaurant Revolution) and Darren Denington (Service with Style), co-presenters of the Restaurant Management 201 and 301 workshop series. Together, they share practical strategies for strengthening restaurant leadership teams, including building clear org charts, defining roles and responsibilities, es
The New Era of Restaurant Marketing Is Built on Hospitality, AI, and Guest Data
The New Era of Restaurant Marketing Is Built on Hospitality, AI, and Guest Data Jul 14, 2026 3831 Guest Brett Linkletter, CEO of Dishio speaks with RunningRestaurants.com founder Jaime Oikle about how AI and data-driven marketing are transforming the restaurant industry. Brett explains how restaurants can prove marketing ROI using Google and Meta advertising, collect first-party customer data through QR codes, and leverage automation for personalized outreach. He also discusses Dishio's upcomi
How a Mutiny Transformed My Leadership With Geoffrey Toffetti
How a Mutiny Transformed My Leadership With Geoffrey Toffetti Jun 29, 2026 2736 RR host Jaime Oikle sits down with Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, to explore seven impactful quotes shaping his leadership philosophy. Jeffrey shares insights from his career in hospitality, discussing themes of loyalty, commitment, trust, and long-term thinking. He reflects on early career struggles, including a team mutiny that transformed his leadership approach. The con
AI, Ordering, and Customer Relationships: Tips for Restaurant Operators
AI, Ordering, and Customer Relationships: Tips for Restaurant Operators Jun 11, 2026 1593 Running Restaurants Founder Jaime Oikle speaks with Stephen Klein, co-founder and CEO of Saivory, about how AI is transforming the restaurant industry. Stephen explains how Saivory helps restaurants reduce reliance on costly third-party platforms like DoorDash by improving first-party ordering experiences through natural language AI prompts. The conversation covers the importance of owning custome
Roger Beaudoin: Seven Leadership & Life Lessons
Roger Beaudoin: Seven Leadership & Life Lessons Apr 22, 2026 3195 Jaime interviews Roger Beaudoin, a veteran hospitality entrepreneur and host of the podcast Restaurant Rockstars. The conversation explores Roger's journey from aspiring pilot to restaurant leader, focusing on seven quotes that shaped his life and leadership. Roger shares personal stories about overcoming setbacks, embracing risk, empowering teams, and balancing work with family and passions. The

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