PODCAST

Corner Booth Podcast

Chris Tripoli

Candid Conversations with Today’s Restaurant Entrepreneurs

business entrepreneurship

All Episodes

40:48

Episode 104: Brian Mills with CHOP5

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2025/02/11

Brian Mills and his business partners researched dining trends and successful restaurant concepts before creating CHOP5. “We chose health, freshness, and quality at a reasonable price as the basis of our concept as we saw those items as being most important to today’s dining consumer," says Mills. CHOP5 now operates restaurants in Ohio, Florida, and Colorado with plans for franchise growth.CHOP5 offers fresh-made salads, soups, rice bowls, and sandwiches at 2,000 square-foot counter-service units

49:01

Episode 103: George Tinsley with Tinsley Family...

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2025/01/29

From playing professional basketball to owning a successful multi-unit foodservice management company, George Tinsley is committed to excellence. “Life was difficult for me as a child growing up in Louisville, KY. My stepmother died when I was 13 and I was having a difficult time in school. One teacher recommended I quit but it was another very special instructor that mentored me and introduced me to sports that turned my life around.”Standing at 6’5’’, Tinsley was a basketball standout in high

49:19

Episode 102: Lance Vaught with Penn Station East...

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2025/01/15

Penn Station East Coast Subs celebrates its 40th anniversary this year! Lance Vaught joined founder Jeffrey Osterfeld in 2002 as a franchise adviser charged with improving unit performance. “I really connected with the challenges and concerns of small business operators and saw our franchisees more as brand ambassadors," Lance tells us. What started in 1985 as a small bagel shop and delicatessen in Dayton Ohio has grown into a 320-unit group of businesses located in 14 states."I like to think our

49:31

Episode 101: Troy Guard with TAG Restaurant Group

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/12/31

At 21, Troy Guard left community college in San Diego to return to Hawaii, his birthplace, where he mentored under Roy Yamaguchi, celebrity chef. Guard recounts, “I started in the pantry, worked my way through the kitchen, and over the next eight years opened restaurants with him [Yamaguchi] in Tokyo and New York City.”At 38, Guard opened his first restaurant in Denver. “I knew the culinary side of the business pretty well,” says Guard, “but I had to quickly learn financial management and people

39:24

Episode 100: Michelle Korsmo with the National...

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/12/17

“My family had a farm in North Dakota,” says Michelle Korsmo, CEO of the National Restaurant Association. “I was raised knowing that helping each other was the best way to help ourselves and that together people really can make a difference.” Korsmo gained early restaurant experience working at TGI Fridays before becoming a state government lobbyist. From there she transitioned to CEO positions with the American Land and Title Association, the National Wine and Spirits Association, and eventually

42:02

Episode 99: Peter Yang with Pokeworks

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/12/03

When Peter Yang’s parents immigrated to San Diego from China, they did not aspire for their children to be employed in food service. “My parents were trained designers in China, and had always hoped their children would graduate college and choose professional careers,” says Yang. Nevertheless, he grew up in the family restaurant and went on to develop Pokeworks, the world's largest fast-casual, premium Poke brand with 70 locations nationwide.After earning a degree in engineering and a brief

55:21

Episode 98: Adam Romo with Eatzi’s Market & Bakery

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/11/19

Eatzi’s Market & Bakery (Eatzi’s) was created by award-winning concept developer Phil Romano in 1996 as a joint venture with casual dining restaurant company Brinker International, Inc. Soon after its launch, Adam Romo joined Eatzi’s as the company’s first CFO. "The initial acceptance was way above expectations," says Romo, adding, "The concept successfully offered something new and different, restaurant-quality cooking in a European market setting." With multiple open kitchens, the aroma of

39:33

Episode 97: Emily Hunt Turner with All Square Cafe

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/11/05

Emily Hunt Turner is the founder and CEO of All Square Enterprises, a Minnesota non-profit organization. A former civil rights attorney, she created a restaurant and food truck business that provides a fresh start for people with a criminal record. Says Emily, “By investing in those recently released [from prison] and those with criminal records and trying to move forward, we provide a sense of purpose and appreciation while receiving a loyal hard-working family of staff members.” The organization’s

45:06

Episode 96: Jackie & Jessica Rodriguez with Grupo Lorena

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/10/23

Sisters Jackie and Jessica Rodriguez started working in the family restaurant business as teenagers. With time and hard work, they have grown into leadership positions in this successful multi-concept hospitality company in El Salvador. What started as a San Salvadorian bakery created by their grandparents, grew into a 20-unit chain under the leadership of their father. Sixteen years ago, the family jumped at the opportunity to purchase a small hotel and their concept diversification plan was

43:14

Episode 95: Cameron Gerber with Pebbles Family Buffet

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/10/08

In 2014, Cameron Gerber bought a hotel and restaurant near his home outside Varney, a small community in Ottawa, Canada. After trying to sell the real estate, he and his brother Andrew opened a casual full-service concept on the property, with no restaurant experience. Their first restaurant struggled until they renovated it into Pebbles Family Buffet, which became a local hit. The success of the buffet, fresh bakery, and gift shop required the brothers to develop operating systems and procedures

50:57

Episode 94: Alex Eagle with Freebirds World Burrito

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/09/24

Alex Eagle was general counsel for Austin, Texas-based fast-casual concept Freebirds World Burrito before becoming its chief executive officer in 2018. Albeit his hands-on restaurant experience was limited, he forged ahead with plans for the concept’s improvement, leaning on his attention to detail and ability to motivate others.Quoting Jim Sullivan, CEO and founder of leadership and development training site Sullivision.com, Eagle says, "Good leaders may not have all the right answers, but they

38:12

Episode 93: Tom O’Keefe with Southern Classic Chicken

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/09/10

Tom O’Keefe is managing director of the 17-unit Louisiana and Texas family-style concept Southern Classic Chicken. O’Keefe says that he was initially drawn to the company by its 35-year customer following that he describes as "cult-like." Says O’Keefe, "Brothers Howard and Leon Fanning had just taken over operations and were placing emphasis on growth when I decided to join. The combination of qualified people, a popular product line, established operating procedures, and great unit-level economics

43:14

Episode 92: Olga Sagan with Piroshky Piroshky Bakery

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/08/27

As immigrants from the Soviet Union and speaking little English, Piroshky Piroshky Bakery’s founders launched the business 32 years ago in a 350-sq.-ft. space at Seattle’s Pikes Peak Market. In this episode, owner Olga Sagan tells how her grandparents created an Eastern European pastry business that is now a nationally recognized brand."Quality never goes out of style," says Olga. "We use the finest ingredients and follow the same traditional family recipes every day when making our sweet and

48:41

Episode 91: Celeste Deal with ARF Financial

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/08/13

Getting "money, money, money" to finance their businesses is always a hot topic of interest for restaurant owners and operators. Meet Celeste Deal, chief sales officer with ARF Financial. She has 24 years of funding experience and has provided more than $120 million in 12,000 different transactions with small-business operators. Here, Celeste shares her knowledge to help us secure funding, manage debt, achieve a return on investment, and prepare for succession planning. In this interview, we can

45:31

Episode 90: Mike Stasko with Sunny Street Café

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/07/30

Mike Stasko, president of Columbia, Ohio-based Sunny Street Café, was influenced by his father’s career in the restaurant equipment and supply business. He eventually went to work with his father at Rise & Dine, a breakfast and lunch concept where Mike learned how to manage its operations and business development. Mike rebranded Rise & Dine to Sunny Street and opened the first of what would become eight Columbus locations. In this episode, we learn what makes Mike’s full-service breakfast

49:45

Episode 89: Giorgia Caporuscio with Don Antonio Pizza

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/07/16

Giorgia Caporuscio was born in the small town of Terracina, Italy, an hour from Naples. In her youth, she dreamed of becoming a flight attendant to pursue her love of travel. At 19, she moved to New York City to work in her father’s pizza restaurant.The experience changed her direction. “It was love at first bite,” says Giorgia, adding “I became intrigued with the process of authentic pizza making and wanted to master the art.” Giorgia traveled back to Italy to study under master pizza maker

37:24

Episode 88: Benson Lau with Fluffy Fluffy Dessert Café

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/07/02

Fuwa Fuwa is Japanese for Fluffy Fluffy, which, in this case, also translates to a successful, fast-growing soufflé pancake concept. Benson Lau started in 2018 with one small cafe in Toronto and has quickly grown his business to 40 locations throughout Canada, the United Kingdom, and the United States. During the summer of 2024, Benson and his team opened their newest unit in Orange County, California.“It's incredible to experience this. I am overwhelmed by the acceptance of our unique soufflé

42:57

Episode 87: Darren Spicer with Clutch Coffee Bar

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/06/19

Business school graduate Darren Spicer studied the success factors of the growing regional coffee sector while managing a unit of drive-thru coffee chain Dutch Bros. He and his two co-founders developed the drive-thru specialty beverage concept Clutch Coffee Bar, which was launched in 2018 in a second-generation drive-thru location in Mooresville, North Carolina.“We succeed because of our commitment to offering quality and a well-trained staff that remains focused on the guest,” says Darren

48:27

Episode 86: Sarah Johnston with Fat Cat Creamery

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/06/04

As a child, Sarah Johnston, founder of Houston’s Fat Cat Creamery, hand-cranked creative homemade ice creams for family and friends. Following a career as a commercial real estate marketer, she leased space in a neighborhood strip mall to turn her childhood love of craft ice cream into a successful business. Fat Cat Creamery offers quality uniquely flavored frozen desserts and baked goods. “I started working with alcoholic beverages in some of my ice cream creations and it soon became my

54:28

Episode 85: Garrett Reed with Layne's Chicken Fingers

Corner Booth Podcast ·

2024/05/21

Garrett Reed, CEO of Layne's Chicken Fingers, said he fell in love with the Texas-headquartered concept as a student at Texas A&M University. The original College Station, Texas unit began operations in 1994. In 2015, Garrett approached the concept's owner to express his interest in expanding the brand. He became the concept's owner two years later.In this episode, Garrett tells how he leveraged his passion for the company's products and his respect for its culture with standardization of

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