Brett Schulman

🌟 Grateful to Share My Experience on QSR Uncut with Danny Klein 🌟 Good Morning, LinkedIn Community! I’m honored to share that I recently had the opportunity to be a guest on the QSR Uncut podcast, hosted by the insightful Danny Klein, Editorial Director of QSR Magazine. A big thank you to Danny and the QSR team for their warm hospitality and engaging discussion! 🎧 You can listen to the episode here: The CEO Transforming Healthy Fast-Casual Dining (https://lnkd.in/e7NPDS35) https://lnkd.in/e5XrM3TQ https://lnkd.in/ehWNW3e4 In our conversation, we touched on several topics, including: - Growth Strategies: My experiences leading WOWorks and our wonderful brands like Saladworks and Garbanzo Mediterranean Fresh. - Innovation in Dining: Our efforts to reshape the fast-casual landscape with a focus on healthy options for today’s consumers. - Leadership Insights: Reflections from my time at Schlotzsky's, where I worked on repositioning the brand to drive growth. I was particularly humbled by the episode's headline: “The CEO Transforming Healthy Fast-Casual Dining.” It truly reflects the vision we are striving to achieve together. As we continue to navigate the dynamic food industry, I believe it's vital to share insights and engage in meaningful conversations about health-conscious dining. I welcome your thoughts and encourage you to tune in so we can spark a dialogue on how we can shape the future of dining together. If you find the episode valuable, please consider liking, commenting, and sharing it. Your support is greatly appreciated! #Podcast #HealthyDining #FastCasual #Leadership #Innovation #WOWorks #QSRUncut #DannyKlein #QSRMagazine #FoodIndustry #DiningTrends

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Looking forward to one of my favorite conferences of the year! With some of the most challenging times facing restaurant brands, our expertise couldn't be more timely. We create strategies to turnaround distressed restaurant chains, reinvent brands that need a new chapter, and create new growth concepts. Feel free to reach out and schedule a conversation in Las Vegas if your business falls into one of these categories. #restaurants #restaurantbusiness #restaurantturnaround #restaurantstrategy #restaurantreinvention #newrestaurantconcepts #emergingrestaurants #restaurantmenu #restaurantmarketing #restaurantchains

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Traditional fast food stocks had a promising performance in Q1, with several companies exceeding expectations and demonstrating resilience in the market. Despite challenges regarding perceptions of healthiness, these chains showcased their strengths in delivering convenience and quality offerings to consumers. Restaurant Brands International reported impressive revenue growth, outperforming analysts' expectations and showcasing its strong market position. El Pollo Loco, Inc. had an exceptional quarter, surpassing expectations across multiple metrics and experiencing a significant increase in its stock price. These positive results underscore the robustness of these fast food brands and their ability to adapt to evolving consumer preferences. Read More Here: https://lnkd.in/eGxVFsEC Branded Hospitality Ventures #innovation #venturecapital #hospitality #marketing #startup Jourdan Daleo José Cil Chris Brigleb Duncan Fulton Nick Boyle Josh Kobza Maria Hollandsworth Liz Williams Brian Carmichall Samuel Nicholas Borgese Ira Fils

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The chicken segment is one of the most dynamic and competitive among the large restaurant chains in the U.S. And while Chick-fil-A continues to dominate and Popeyes is taking over the 2nd in the rank, there has been significant movement in the rank among other mid-size leading chains over the last ten years. It goes to show that in the restaurant industry, you can never rest. Leaders are waking up to the realization that if they’re not growing fast they’re dying slowly.  Outgrowing and outsmarting your competitors requires using the power of long-term thinking. #restaurants #chicken #strategy #leadership

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I don't think anyone who follows the restaurant industry will be surprised by the statistics in this article from Restaurant Business Online (https://lnkd.in/ehcs_TFA). In short, restaurants are losing traffic to retailers - particularly supermarkets and convenience stores - which have upped their game when it comes to prepared foods. And while the focus may be on prepared foods, the reality is frozen and refrigerated prepared foods have also improved giving prepared foods overall a run for their money. The longer this situation plays out, the more fundamentally consumer behavior will change for the long-term. Their expectations from restaurants will shift, their perception of value will change, and the role restaurants play in their lives will be altered. There's no easy answer here as restaurants continue to struggle with rising costs and labor shortages. Fine dining restaurants are benefiting as they offer strong value propositions based on consistently excellent hospitality, food and beverages, but this segment can't power the foodservice industry. Ultimately, we need bold innovation not only in menu offerings but operational formats to meet consumers where they are now and where they'll be in the future. #menumatters #foodservice #restaurants #foodandbeverageindustry #consumerinsights #consumerbehavior #cpg #hospitality #trends2024 #innovation #retail

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The non-alcoholic drinks market continues to grow and grow (and mature). Check out recent insights + stats from our friends at Grüvi: March Off Premise Retail Sales: → $48.6M > Identical to February, up 23% YoY → You can see subcategory performance in the chart below. Gruvi predicts: → 30-35% of YoY NA category growth. → 25%+ in off-prem and 50%+ in on-prem. → Premium, high quality craft or import NA beers will capture most of the growth of the NA beer market. → Big bet on NA RTDs to surpass NA wines by end of year. Gruvi has some more great stats in their blog post (link in comments). I’m hearing this same type of growth from members of the Adult Non-Alcoholic Beverage Association (ANBA). There's been some questioning about the growth of the category because of the recent Chapter 11 bankruptcy by non-alc beverage retailer Boisson and the closing of their retail locations. I was going to share some thoughts on this but the Gruvi team summed it up well: “Having served as a supply partner for Boisson, and being intimately familiar with their retail locations, it became apparent that they faced challenges across their retail and e-commerce channels. Boisson positioned itself as the upscale destination for NA beverages, boasting premium locations and a curated assortment. However, despite the overall growth in the NA market, it remains predominantly composed of NA beer (80%) and NA wines/RTDs under $12 (10%). As larger retailers expanded their NA offerings to target the mainstream consumer—the 90% of the market as seen above - Boisson was left with a small addressable market. Unfortunately, the demand proved insufficient for Boisson to sustain its operations.” Andrea Hernández also has a great take on it in her most recent Snaxshot (link in the comments). The adult NA category is maturing. Brands that do not have good business models, have bad product-market, or average quality products will need to adapt or close their doors. And this is not a bad thing. Because what rises out of this are business and products that better serve the consumer. I’m always impressed by the continued release of higher and higher quality NA products, with each raising the bar for the category. And this is great for people looking to moderate or not drink alcohol for whatever reason, and in whatever situation that best suits them. The adult NA category is getting bigger and better each day. And ANBA, our members, and I are here to continue to create a world where everyone has access to great tasting adult non-alcoholic beverages to enjoy in every social situation. And that is something we can all celebrate! 🍾 🥂 🍻 You can join us in growing the category and this movement by visiting ANBA's website and signing up for a soon to launch newsletter (link in comments). And you can follow me, Marcos Salazar 🍺🍷🥃, (& click the bell under my profile banner) to get regular insights and news about NA drinks. ♻️ #Repost if you like this post :-)

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McDonald’s is cranking up the heat on the discount wars next week, as they roll out a $5 meal deal promotion aimed to draw in value-conscious customers. With economic anxiety on the rise, and our recent data showing a notable pullback in consumer spending across dining, entertainment, and retail, will the move be enough to pull customers away from competitors? Thanks again Nation's Restaurant News for featuring my article! Curious to see which chains might feel the heat and which ones are better positioned to weather the storm? Click the link below for the full insights! #restaurants #discounting #customerexperience #value #nrn

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Every restaurateur I know wants to either make 20% profit at the unit level or, if they don’t, they want to know why their restaurants don’t make a profit at that level. They have heard the overworked saying that restaurants operate on “razor-thin margins.” Of course, that saying refers to the industry as a whole, so it includes successful restaurants as well as average and unsuccessful restaurants – the good, the bad, and the ugly. Combined, all restaurants average 3-5% profit. Show me one person who started a restaurant brand because they had a dream of being average! My business is about making successful people more successful. You must have success first before you work with me. Aiming of more than just being average? Let’s make your restaurants a standout success! Read here to learn more: https://lnkd.in/gQdYgbbj #restaurateur #restaurant #success #businessadvice

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2023 saw, non-alcoholic beer, wine, and spirits sales over $565M. That’s a 35% boost in dollar sales vs. the year before—but who’s buying these options? Gen Z is leading the trend in the sense that they are opting out of drinking alcohol. However, they are not the demographic purchasing off your NA menus. So, who is buying? Mostly women ages 34-55. They are looking for products that provide inclusivity. They want to participate in celebrations and feel included in social gatherings with their friends and loved ones. According to NIQ’s 2023 Consumer Outlook, 46% of consumers identified physical or mental wellness as one of their top priorities. And, with 47% of Americans having at least one of three risk factors that contribute to heart disease, it’s no surprise that consumers are increasingly seeking beverages that do more than just quench thirst. Healthy, low sugar options are being requested. Sober October is coming. My community and I want at least 15 solid locations to send our following/customers to for low sugar, crafted non-alcoholic beverage menus. Who's in? Email me to get your menu set, products in and offerings promoted. Andrew Schools Brian Neubauer Zaneta "Zee" Peragine William Harrison George Beattie Buddy Edwards George Beattie Tish Atkins Oatis Smith Priscilla Eich

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A simple quote from Mike Tyson and one of my favorites of all time: "Everybody has a plan 'till they get punched in the mouth." It rings true in the day to day battles of business, especially in CPG. Here are some examples many CPG founders go through or ones I've personally battled: 🥴 You launch a product, did all the research for R&D, focus group testing, and reviewed the packaging thousands of times before launching, but still something went wrong either with shelf life, negative consumer/retailer feedback, or weak sales on shelf 💰 You had cash flow projections in place and expected that with X amount raised, it would last you for Y Months, but ran short of runway and were scrambling to raise more cash to keep the company going in difficult times 🤝 Formed partnerships, only disappointed to find out the partner backed out, or it wasn't the partnership you envisioned and now you are doing damage control and it's causing emotional pain to be with this person 🚛 Brought on a distributor thinking they would push the brand and it would be an estimated cost, but they didn't do their job, and the costs ended up sky-rocketing from chargebacks, thus losing money on every unit 😲You release a great product, and then a competitor comes up with a version of yours that is a lower price point and they have all the marketing dollars in the world to out-compete you. I can go on and on, but in this business, like any business, you have intentions when you go into it, and many times, it doesn't turn out the way you envisioned. What's your story of getting punched in the mouth?

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Value was the name of the game in Q3. Pizza chains that leaned into value offerings made gains, while those that didn’t faced sales declines. Not mentioned in the article is the competition fast heating up between major brands and independent pizza operators.

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"Calculate Food Cost Ratios" Knowing your food cost per dish helps you spot where your margins are highest—don’t ignore this key metric! Also known as theoretical food cost helps you understand what your margins should be.  While industry averages are directional, the margins for every restaurant varies!

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We discussed this on our latest episode of CPG Vibes, BIG BIG news from KeHE Distributors on 11/22, a new program dubbed 'AAP' (administrative allowance program). A flat 2 % off-invoice allowance for specific fees including New item intros, extra performance fees, MCBs, new item set up fees, and lumping fees. My quick thoughts: This is a step in the right direction for sure. UNFI implemented SSI which is a similar program to help brands budget for costs and fees associated with doing business with large national distributors. With all that said, these categories are pretty large and encompassing, so for all the other fees associated with Kehe that can chop down a brand's margin, will this program truly cover it? Likely not, but at least it covers some. What are your thoughts?

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Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m not aligned with any ideology and certainly not anti-government. However, reading things like this makes me wonder if anyone in charge in Washington has our best interests at heart. The US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee (DGAC) concluded that ultra-processed foods don’t make people overweight. This report comes from a group of 20 nutrition “experts” from across the country who are elected by the Departments of Health and Human Services and the US Department of Agriculture to draft new national nutrition recommendations. The study indicates obesity is mostly linked to excess caloric intake. However, the study doesn't mention that people who consume significant amounts of ultra-processed foods- cereal, potato chips, fast foods, etc.- overeat because these foods have nearly zero nutritional value. Therefore, those folks are always hungry. Do you think this study has something to do with the fact that the major food lobbyists are all companies that sell ultra-processed food? Remember that the DGAC is responsible for our nutrition labels and public health recommendations for food, such as school lunch programs. Do you trust the DGAC to tell you what’s good for you? Or do you think we should defund the US Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee? Regardless, it's essential to scrutinize food labels and make informed choices. Stay informed and make decisions that align with your health goals. #Nutrition #Health #PublicHealth #DietaryGuidelines #FoodPolicy https://lnkd.in/e-8TVef3

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The catering and food-at-work movement represents a major opportunity for restaurants looking to diversify revenue streams and reach new customers. Erle Dardick, host of "The Catering Cage" podcast, sees catering as a critical business-to-business channel that many restaurants are still struggling to fully capitalize on. While most restaurants now offer some form of catering, truly scaling and optimizing this channel requires significant investment in technology, training, and dedicated sales teams. https://lnkd.in/g6iZ5Jki

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-- Podcast Teaser Alert -- "If you want to lead the consumer, you need to be the consumer." - Eric Ryan At one point, Eric Ryan and I were "frienemies". Friends personally, competitors professionally. He was the co-founder and CEO of Method Products PBC, while I led Mrs. Meyer's Clean Day. ................ But in the real world, we were always on the same team. Our collective efforts, along with the team at 7th Generation, were revolutionizing the cleaning category. At Mrs. Meyer's, our mission was clear: 'Together, we dream of a world where the better way becomes THE way.' ................ Eric Ryan shares his insights on creating method products pbc, OLLY PBC, and Welly Bandages, along with his go-to-market approach. Stay tuned for the next drop of the CEO podcast. 🎙 You won't regret it. #cultureFIRSTleadership #ceoPodcast #ChiefEternalOptimist

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Beverage contracts and the related negotiations are complicated. Onerous contract language has cost restaurant operators millions of dollars that they didn’t have to spend (or millions they left on the negotiating table). Here is a list of eight issues that restaurant operators should be aware of when negotiating a beverage contract!

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Constellation Brands Inc. saw its stock climb during premarket trading on Thursday following an upward revision of its adjusted fiscal 2025 profit forecast, surpassing analyst predictions. The company also reported a robust fourth-quarter profit, driven by the stronger-than-anticipated performance of its beer division. CEO Bill Newlands highlighted the beer business's consistent volume growth over 56 quarters, coupled with impressive margins, although wine and spirits sales experienced a decline. https://lnkd.in/ggNU_G9r Constellation Brands Bill Newlands Branded Hospitality Ventures #Technology #Business #Innovation #AI #investing #venturecapital MarketWatch

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"What truly excites me at Clif Family is creating unforgettable wine and food experiences that connect people to each other and to our planet." Did you catch our interview with Clif Family President Linzi Gay? We are excited to feature Clif Family's delicious mixed nuts in our new Subscription "Coffee Break" Boxes, designed to help remote and hybrid teams connect through the power of food. When you work with Narrative Food and our community of small-batch makers, it shows just how much you care about people and the planet. https://lnkd.in/eqCGwHJT #supportsmallbusinesses #shopsmall #smallbusinessmatters,#bcorp #b1 #climateneutral #1percentfortheplanet #wethechange,#employeeappreciation #employeeengagement #employeeretention #teamappreciation,#giftsthatgiveback #giftwithpurpose #impactfulgiving,#sustainablefood #eatkind,#corporatewellness #workplacewellness,#remoteworkers,#corporategifting,#businessasaforceforgood #consciouscapitalism

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