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Take-Away with Sam Oches

Nation's Restaurant News
Franchising
Entrepreneurship
Social Media Marketing
Restaurant Industry
Influencer Marketing
Domino's Pizza
Community Engagement
Ziggi's Coffee
Customer Engagement
Marketing Strategy
Catering
Covid-19
Philly Pretzel Factory
Healthy Eating
AI and Robotics
Tony Roma's
Beverage Innovation
Customer Experience
Food Service
Hospitality

Hosted by Nation’s Restaurant News’ editor in chief, Take-Away with Sam Oches features interviews with CEOs and founders of restaurant companies big and small, sharing their stories and ideas for the future but also real, tangible insights for how to innovate in our foodservice future. Each episode of Take-Away with Sam Oches provides key take-aways from Oches’ interviews, with on-the-go observati... more

PublishesWeeklyEpisodes168Founded5 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
EntrepreneurshipBusiness

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Artwork for Take-Away

Latest Episodes

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 exe... more

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... more

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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, Hya... more

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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... more

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Recent Guests

Bernard Acoca
CEO, Zaxby's
Zaxby's
Episode: Zaxbys CEO on how growth will help it win in the chicken category
Jonathan Knudsen
Founder and CEO, Concrete Hospitality Group
Concrete Hospitality Group
Episode: Concrete Hospitality Group’s founder on lessons from hotel F&B
Scott Ford
CEO of Hawaiian Bros Island Grill
Hawaiian Bros Island Grill
Episode: Hawaiian Bros CEO on driving growth within the four walls
Rick Rosenfield
Co-founder of California Pizza Kitchen
California Pizza Kitchen
Episode: California Pizza Kitchen’s cofounder on how to build an iconic chain
Julie Fussner
CEO of Culver's
Culver's
Episode: Culver’s CEO on how the beloved chain pulled off 14% sales growth
Haley Sitek
Co-founder and co-owner of Crown Restaurant Group
Crown Restaurant Group
Episode: Crown Restaurant Group’s founders on scaling your business to a new city
Anthony Sitek
Co-founder and co-owner of Crown Restaurant Group; chef
Crown Restaurant Group
Episode: Crown Restaurant Group’s founders on scaling your business to a new city
David Karam
CEO of Sbarro
Sbarro
Episode: Sbarro’s CEO on how he’s completely reinvigorated the brand
Sean Thomas
Minnie Bird co-founder and Wendy's franchisee
Minnie Bird; Wendy's franchisee
Episode: Minnie Bird’s cofounder on following in the footsteps of his grandfather, Dave Thomas

Host

Sam Oches
Editor-in-chief at Nation's Restaurant News; hosts Take-Away with Sam Oches, focusing on interviews with restaurant CEOs and founders to extract actionable growth insights and practical takeaways.

Chart Rankings

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

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Zaxbys CEO on how growth will help it win in the chicken category
Q: What seems to work best when it comes to marketing and getting the brand message out there?
Craveable food as the hero, a balance of core items with timely LTOs, and a consistent brand campaign centered on sauces, amplified by a heavy digital and social focus to reach new audiences while supporting local store marketing.
Zaxbys CEO on how growth will help it win in the chicken category
Q: If you could tell me your best shot at what that equation is, what are those factors to selecting a market when you grow?
The decision is a multifactor process beginning with having the right asset prototype, then choosing the right franchisee with local market expertise, followed by meticulous real estate selection, and finally a strong marketing partnership to reach the market quickly and sustain performance.
California Pizza Kitchen’s cofounder on how to build an iconic chain
Q: How did you envision growth and the role of malls in expanding CPK?
We saw malls as a natural platform to reach families in upscale neighborhoods, designing the concept to be a full-service, sit-down dining experience rather than fast-food, with strategic mall placements to build a destination brand.
Culver’s CEO on how the beloved chain pulled off 14% sales growth
Q: How do you balance tradition with innovation to keep Culver's timeless while staying modern?
She emphasizes preserving core hospitality and quality while selectively adopting tech where it enhances convenience without undermining guest experience, such as order-ahead and rewards, while avoiding disruptive changes like an AI-driven drive-thru.
Culver’s CEO on how the beloved chain pulled off 14% sales growth
Q: What inspired you to pursue leadership and eventually the CEO role at Culver's?
Her early realization that marketing roles mirrored leadership responsibilities and the opportunity to lead cross-functionally eventually aligned with the CEO role, especially as she demonstrated the ability to connect teams, drive clarity, and continuously improve.

Audience Metrics

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Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
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Frequently Asked Questions About Take-Away

What is Take-Away about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show centers on high-level conversations with restaurant operators, founders, and executives about how to scale concepts, build strong brands, and navigate an evolving foodservice landscape. Episodes typically explore growth playbooks, franchising models, operational discipline, and hospitality-centric culture, often tying strategic decisions to real-world outcomes like unit economics, supply chain resilience, and guest experience. A standout trait is the consistent emphasis on people-centric leadership and practical, actionable takeaways that operators can apply to their own businesses. The format tends to pair candid founder stories with macro insights from industry leaders, making it useful for operators, franchisors, investors, and ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to Take-Away?

These podcasts share a similar audience with Take-Away:

1. Extra Serving: A restaurant industry podcast
2. A Deeper Dive
3. How I Built This with Guy Raz
4. How Leaders Lead with David Novak
5. BigDeal

How many episodes of Take-Away are there?

Take-Away launched 5 years ago and published 168 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

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What guests have appeared on Take-Away?

Recent guests on Take-Away include:

1. Bernard Acoca
2. Jonathan Knudsen
3. Scott Ford
4. Rick Rosenfield
5. Julie Fussner
6. Haley Sitek
7. Anthony Sitek
8. David Karam

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