Fast Forward: A Podcast from QSR Magazine

Dog Haus has carved its own niche within the fast-casual restaurant industry. With a sports-bar vibe and a chef-designed menu, this brand has created an upscale, laid-back experience that's packaged in a franchise format. And while Dog Haus is expected to double in size in 2019, it's not all been smooth sailing since day one. 

The three founders of Dog Haus—Quasim Riaz, Hagop Giragossian, and Andre Vener—sit down for a conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, discussing the genesis of the business and the learning curve they've experienced while growing Dog Haus to more than 30 locations across the U.S.

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In the wake of successful brands like Five Guys and Shake Shack, America fell in love with the better-burger category, which serves high-quality beef and other upscale ingredients in a fast-casual format. Atlanta-based Farm Burger, though, strives to be a better better-burger concept. The 11-unit chain is deeply committed to local sourcing, having been launched as the fast-casual spinoff of full-service farm-to-table restaurant Farm 255 in Athens, Georgia.

In this episode, Farm Burger cofounder George Frangos sits down with QSR editor Sam Oches to talk about this upscale concept and how it's stayed true to its farm-to-table mentality while scaling operations across the country.

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Childhood friends and first-generation Greek Americans Ted Xenohristos, Ike Grigoropoulos, and Dimitri Moshovitis first opened full-service restaurant Cava Mezze in Washington, D.C., in 2006. The fast-casual spinoff, CAVA, opened in nearby Bethesda, Maryland, in 2011 and has since grown to 75 locations across the country, bringing authentic Mediterranean flavors to American consumers in markets big and small. 

In this interview with QSR editor Sam Oches, CEO Brett Schulman discusses CAVA's evolution, its big acquisition of Zoes Kitchen, and how the brand is transforming Americans' perceptions of Mediterranean flavors and ingredients.

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&pizza is a thriving fast-casual pizza shop that marches to the beat of its own drum. It designs its restaurants to reflect their local communities. Its employees get the company’s signature ampersand logo tattooed on themselves. It hosts free weddings in its shops every Pi Day (3/14).

The beating heart of this 35-unit brand is cofounder and CEO Michael Lastoria. A former advertising professional, Lastoria has carefully constructed a brand and culture that represent far more than its signature pizza options. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Lastoria explains how he’s rethinking the fast-casual narrative—and inviting other entrepreneurs to steal from his playbook.

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In 2015, Chipotle was the fast-casual restaurant industry's gold standard, with double-digit growth quarter after quarter. But with several cases of E. coli and norovirus in the fall of 2015, that all came crashing down. The company's comeback has been a bumpy ride to say the least, but new CEO Brian Niccol, who joined the company from Taco Bell in March 2018, has helped right the ship and get Chipotle back to growing again.

In this exclusive conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Niccol explains how his experience from Taco Bell has helped inform his decisions at Chipotle, how the digital revolution is making the Chipotle experience easier than ever, and how he's preparing the company for bigger things ahead.

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The last decade has witnessed an incredible rise in juice, smoothie, and açai bowl concepts, particularly as American consumers have turned their attention toward more nutritious and plant-forward dining options. Nekter Juice Bar was one of the first to capitalize on this movement, having opened its doors in 2010 and then franchising across the country.

In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Nekter cofounder and CEO Steve Schulze offers a look inside the company's rise and explains how a fresh product, convenient model, and investment in franchising have helped it expand to more than 120 locations.

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By the time he turned 30, Mike Rypka boasted a resume that chefs three decades his senior could only dream of, having served as the head chef at organizations like the World Bank, MTV, Disney, and Dell. So when he decided to open his own project in Austin, Texas, in 2006, he surprised more than a few loved ones by opting to do a taco truck. 

That taco truck, Torchy's Tacos, gradually became a beloved Austin institution, and now has more than 60 fast-casual locations, with "Damn Good Tacos" as its star. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, Rypka tells the fascinating story of how Torchy's came to be—and he explains why a passion for your product must always be priority when launching your own restaurant.

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Ally and Scott Svenson didn't need to start another business. After selling their first brand to Starbucks and then helping a second foodservice company grow to acquisition, they could have retired and enjoyed life with their four sons. But the itch to build something returned, and in 2008 they launched the fast-casual brand MOD Pizza.

What started as a "laboratory" in downtown Seattle for customized pizzas and enhanced hospitality has since become the largest fast-casual pizza chain in the world, with more than 400 locations in 70-plus markets. In this conversation with QSR editor Sam Oches, the Svensons describe the motivating factors for getting back into the foodservice industry and why they view their business as a people place, not a pizza place.

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