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Fast Casual Nation

Savor.fm
Fast Casual Dining
Gen Z
Franchising
Fast Casual
Catering
Fast Casual Industry
Menu Innovation
Restaurant Industry
Customer Loyalty Programs
Shake Shack
Chipotle
Marketing Strategies
Penn Station East Coast Subs
Smashburger
Starbucks
Social Media Marketing
Community Engagement
Hospitality
Technology
Millennials

Join the #1 Restaurant Business Podcast Shaping the Future of The Restaurant Industry! Hosted by Paul Barron—industry pioneer, investor, and author of The Chipotle Effect—alongside Cherryh Cansler, the editorial force behind Fastcasual.com, this is where restaurant operators get the competitive edge. Every week, this power duo decodes the trends, strategies, and innovations transforming the restau... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes222Founded7 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusiness

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Artwork for Fast Casual Nation

Latest Episodes

Fast Casual Nation goes live for the first time, recorded in front of a studio audience of restaurant operators and suppliers. Hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler start with Britney from Hire Me on hiring Gen Z, flexible scheduling, and why referra... more

How does a 100% gluten-free Brazilian café scale beyond its core demographic into a high-growth fast-casual powerhouse?

In this episode of the Fast Casual Nation Front Runners series, host Paul sits down with Pedro and Cleo Uchôa, the visionaries be... more

YouTube

Join the hosts fresh off the Fast Casual Executive Summit and Restaurant Catering Workshop as they analyze the latest trends, wild industry rumors, and growth strategies shaping the restaurant world.

In this episode, they break down why the rumored ... more

YouTube

How Biscuit Belly's CEO Turned a Cracker Barrel Exit Into a Growth Engine

What does it take for an emerging restaurant brand to scale without losing its identity? On this episode of Fast Casual Nation, hosts Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler sit down ... more

YouTube

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Recent Guests

Pedro Uchôa
TAP co-owner with a background in marketing, advertising and brand experience
TAP
Episode: How TAP Is Redefining Fast-Casual: Scaling Brazilian Flavor, AI Strategy, and Wellness Culture
Cleo Uchôa
TAP co-owner who began working in the restaurant as a dishwasher
TAP
Episode: How TAP Is Redefining Fast-Casual: Scaling Brazilian Flavor, AI Strategy, and Wellness Culture
Drew Travis
CFO of Chicken Salad Chick with experience at McDonald's, Grubhub, and Bloomin' Brands
Chicken Salad Chick
Episode: How To Scale Your Restaurant with Chicken Salad Chick CFO, Drew Travis
Chad Coulter
Founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly
Biscuit Belly
Episode: Emerging Brand Survival Kit
Claudia Lezcano
Industry veteran in marketing and brand leadership, Chief Marketing Officer at Fuku
Fuku
Episode: Real Estate Decisions That Can Make or Break a Restaurant
Ivy Mix
One of America's top bartenders and James Beard finalist; co-founder of Speed Rack
Owns multiple venues including Titane, Fiasco, Whoopsie Daisy; Speed Rack founder
Episode: The $10 Cocktail: Will It Work In Fast Casual?
Jon Asher
Chief Technology Officer at Nektar
Nektar
Episode: How to Get More Guests With Service & Hospitality Using AI
Lance Vaught
President, Penn Station
Penn Station
Episode: The Culture Wars: Gen Z Takes Over
Thomas Gilbert
Director
Curion
Episode: The Culture Wars: Gen Z Takes Over

Hosts

Paul Barron
Host of the show with industry leadership in restaurant innovation and branding
Chera Cansler
Host and editorial force behind industry coverage and guest curation
Cherryh Cansler
Editorial host and co-host/editorial force behind coverage

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Food Industry insights

    Really glad to have a show that talks to the leaders and shares great restaurant insights on operations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    I Live For Cooking
    United States4 years ago
  • Food Industry Insights

    Incredible interviews with top leaders in the industry. Very educational for those needing insight and tips on staffing an day to day operations.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Asila H
    United States4 years ago
  • High content and low calories

    New to the fast casual food business after a long hiatus (30 yrs) in the pizza busting and this podcast is loaded with information that is crucial if you are in or entering the food industry, the informal is served in a low calorie yet filling format so no need to set aside hours for tasteless boring info you can swing by for half hour or so and leave full of info . Caution it’s addictive

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Gennotti R
    United States5 years ago
  • Really great show about the fast/casual food industry.

    Podchaser
    5
    jfpodcasts
    5 years ago
  • Owner operator

    Each time I wonder when Paul will say “cool” or mention his 20 plus years of tracking industry. Just being funny. Like the podcast with duration of 30 minutes or more.. gives time to explore subjects. Keep up good work

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    gumbobaker
    United States6 years ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Praise for depth and breadth of industry insights and guest expertise.
High quality interviews with top restaurant leaders across topics like ops, branding, and tech.
Sponsorships noted as valuable for reaching decision-makers in fast casual.
Listeners appreciate concise episodes with actionable takeaways for operators and sponsors.
submitted notes show strong affinity for the show's brand and expertise.
Audience growth and consistency praised by listeners.

Chart Rankings

How this podcast ranks in the Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube charts.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

How To Scale Your Restaurant with Chicken Salad Chick CFO, Drew Travis
Q: Are you guys using any AI to help with that, or is it still a manual process?
Travis says Chicken Salad Chick uses vendor tools and AI-assisted predictive forecasting to analyze customer patterns, co-tenancy, and potential sites. These tools speed up analysis, especially when entering markets where the company has less existing data.
How To Scale Your Restaurant with Chicken Salad Chick CFO, Drew Travis
Q: What's the philosophy for you guys in terms of dealing with this new consumer that is seeking value and they're coming less often?
Travis says the company tries every option to maintain value before changing prices. Positive traffic lets operators leverage fixed costs and improve margins, while consistent service, quality, atmosphere, and a distinctive product encourage customers to return.
How TAP Is Redefining Fast-Casual: Scaling Brazilian Flavor, AI Strategy, and Wellness Culture
Q: When you think about that for other brands out there, is there anything that you guys have done or learned in your growth, that you're going, hmm, I probably should have done this a little differently in the beginning. So it's kind of like a learning lesson. Would you say anything that has helped you grow that you think would help others out there?
Cleo says he values the company's path and its lessons, and is glad TAP did not pursue viral attention as a growth strategy. He emphasizes authenticity, steady execution, service and careful attention to the restaurant environment.
How TAP Is Redefining Fast-Casual: Scaling Brazilian Flavor, AI Strategy, and Wellness Culture
Q: For some of the audience that may not necessarily know what you guys are about as a brand, you know, your website is where Brazil meets the world. And first of all, give us a breakdown of how big the brand is, where you guys are primarily located, and really a little bit about the design behind TAP.
Pedro describes TAP as a wellness-driven, 100% gluten-free Brazilian fast-casual concept with five locations at the time, four in New York and one in Miami, and says the sixth location in Coral Gables had just received permits. Its menu centers on tapioca sandwiches, açaí bowls and pão de queijo.
The $10 Cocktail: Will It Work In Fast Casual?
Q: What is one low-cost improvement a brand can make now?
Update glassware to elevate perceived quality and presentation without a large capital expense, which can noticeably raise the program's profile.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About Fast Casual Nation

What is Fast Casual Nation about and what kind of topics does it cover?

This show concentrates on fast casual and broader restaurant industry trends, with a strong focus on brand growth, franchising, technology integration (including AI, digital ordering, and hardware), and innovative guest experiences. Episodes frequently explore how operators differentiate through menu strategy, store design, partnerships, and data-driven decision making, often featuring multi-brand platforms, celebrity-backed concepts, and viral growth case studies. Notable is the consistent emphasis on practical takeaways for operators and sponsors, plus guest perspectives from founders, CXOs, and technology partners that illuminate scalable paths in a competitive landscape.

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How many listeners does Fast Casual Nation get?

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How many subscribers and views does Fast Casual Nation have?

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Which podcasts are similar to Fast Casual Nation?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Fast Casual Nation:

1. Founderology
2. How Leaders Lead with David Novak
3. QSR Uncut
4. David Senra
5. Take-Away with Sam Oches

How many episodes of Fast Casual Nation are there?

Fast Casual Nation launched 7 years ago and published 222 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact Fast Casual Nation?

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Where can I see ratings and reviews for Fast Casual Nation?

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What guests have appeared on Fast Casual Nation?

Recent guests on Fast Casual Nation include:

1. Pedro Uchôa
2. Cleo Uchôa
3. Drew Travis
4. Chad Coulter
5. Claudia Lezcano
6. Ivy Mix
7. Jon Asher
8. Lance Vaught

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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