The restaurant industry is changing fast. Sometimes it can feel overwhelming as a restaurant owner to keep abreast of the latest and greatest while maintaining a successful business.
Busy people who like to multitask are turning to a popular channel to soak up new knowledge about their industry: restaurant podcasts. If you’re looking for a convenient way to get advice from industry experts, new trends in food, and the latest stories about other restaurateurs like you – here are six addictive podcasts you should be listening to … like right now.
What Makes a Good Restaurant Podcast?
Restaurant Podcasts are a good way to stay on top of industry trends, with insight into handy tools you can use to make it easier to run your restaurant. Similar to your favorite Netflix show, podcasts should be entertaining, enjoyable, and captivating. Usually, the podcast producer submits their show to channels like Spotify, iTunes, Stitcher, or another channel to make sure they can reach and build a wide audience.
The best part about podcasts is you can listen on the go, no matter if you are washing dishes, commuting, or just taking time to learn some new knowledge. They allow us to discover new ideas and learn from other people’s experiences to inspire our own success. Here are some of our favorite podcasts to check out!
Our Favorite Restaurant Business Podcasts:
1. Restaurant Unstoppable Podcast – A Restaurant Coach Podcast
Hosted by Eric Cacciatore, Restaurant Unstoppable features new learnings and advice from proven restaurant industry professionals. With just over 300 podcasts, no two are the same. His episodes speak to a variety of popular industry topics, smart technology, marketing, menu optimization, and everything in between – so get listening! You’ll enjoy new ideas, good energy, and the latest recommendations from proven successful restaurateurs.
Our favorite podcast episode: How to Attract New Customers and Turn Them into Raving Fans with Nick Fosberg
What you’ll learn: In this episode, you’ll learn restaurant marketing tips from a pro! You’ll discover the RIGHT way to market and promote your restaurant with new technology, food techniques, and good insight.
Why we loved it: It’s a deep dive into restaurant marketing. Fosberg gets into the details of advertising, service culture, customer service, and the importance of an email list. Nick is an authoritative speaker on restaurants and bar marketing. He restaurant marketing show can help take your business to the next level.
2. Just Forking Around Podcast
Described as a series for restaurateurs, creative chefs, kick-ass servers, wicked cool winemakers, and fresh farmers, the Just Forking Around podcast has something for everybody who plays a part in the restaurant industry.
Our favorite podcast episode: Sailing into the Future of Food Service with Wendy Tuttle
What you’ll learn: Get a glimpse into what it takes to be a restaurant manager, the importance of leadership skills, and what the future holds for the restaurant industry at large.
Why we loved it: We love hearing from people in the trenches of the restaurant industry, and Wendy offers years of expertise she’s gained from overseeing countless venues and all of their inner-workings at length. This podcast episode is nothing short of inspirational.
3. Restaurant Rockstars Podcast
If you’re looking for real-time tips from industry vets, the Restaurant Rockstars podcast is for you. Covering a range of topics, like customer service, marketing, and financial best practices, the Restaurant Rockstars podcast is made to help you implement better business practices.
Our favorite podcast episode: Kill It or Get Killed – 25 Actionable Ideas for Your Restaurant
What you’ll learn: In this episode, you’ll discover 25 tips that will help you sell more product, make more money, lower your turnover, build your dream staff, and – last but not least – have more fun in your free time.
Why we loved it: We LOVE actionable tips (duh), but especially ones you could implement today that will help blow your competition out of the water tomorrow.
4. The Restaurant Growth Podcast
The Restaurant Growth Podcast was launched by the popular restaurant scheduling software 7shifts. In each 15-20 minute episode, you’ll hear the stories of leaders from all corners of the restaurant and hospitality industry. With guests ranging from Danny Meyer of the Union Square Hospitality Group to Hopdoddy Burger Bar’s VP of People Kelly McCutcheon, each listen will leave you with practical tips, new insight, and tactics to help you grow your restaurant business.
Our favorite podcast episode: Danny Meyer on his career, hiring the right people, the state of the restaurant industry,
What you’ll learn: If you’ve ever picked up Danny’s groundbreaking business book, Setting the Table, you’ll know that he has some incredible insights on how to hire the right people and run a successful team. In this episode, he dives even deeper into his hiring philosophy, including what he calls “The Hospitality Quotient” – a list of six “soft skills” that can’t be taught, but that every new hire should have.
Why we loved it: Daniel Meyer is one of the most successful restaurateurs and his career offers a wealth of insight into how to build an empire from the ground up. We especially loved Danny’s take on how restaurant technology has evolved and the state of the industry today.
5. The Resilient Restaurant Marketing Podcast
Launched by the leading inventory-management software MarketMan, The Resilient Restaurant podcast showcases some of the challenges restaurants are facing in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Featuring stories from restaurateurs and industry experts, each podcast episode offers real-world insights, industry tips, and actionable strategies to help restaurants adapt to a changing industry landscape.
Our favorite podcast episode: Dealing with Adversity: Making Tough Decisions, Quick Pivots, and Pandemic Partnerships
What you’ll learn: The story of how Desi Saran, Founder of Sweetberry Bowls, was able to pivot during the pandemic, and why restaurants need to invest in technology like online ordering and loyalty programs to adapt to changing consumer behavior.
Why we loved it: The restaurant industry has been hit hard by the pandemic and we loved hearing how real restaurateurs have been able to adapt and even thrive in trying times.
6. Secret Sauce – A Marketing Podcast for Restaurants
Known as one of the most popular Restaurant Marketing podcasts, Secret Sauce covers all aspects of restaurant marketing ideas, strategies, and plans of action, all in the name of helping restaurant industry professionals around the world create a new (and repeat) customer base.
Our favorite podcast episode: 9 Common Reasons Restaurants Fail
What you’ll learn: Dig into nine areas of restaurant failure that may have never crossed your mind – and make sure they don’t happen to you.
Why we loved it: Instead of just speaking to restaurant failure, the unique angle this podcast takes by looking to management and the reasons why failure can happen stood out to us – like cash flow mismanagement, burnout, and lack of concept.
This is just a taste of the awesome podcasts available to those looking to better themselves in the restaurant industry. So what are you waiting for? Kick back, subscribe to restaurant industry podcasts, and get listening!
Jackie was a Content Marketing Specialist and Social Media strategist at TouchBistro before moving into business development role. She covered the latest food, dining, and technology trends for the restaurant industry. A lover of all things coffee, Jackie’s hobbies include breakfast, lunch and dinner.
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