Danny Klein, the editorial director for QSR and FSR magazines, shares his background and how he got involved in the restaurant industry. He discusses the challenges the industry is currently facing, such as inflation, labor costs, and access to capital. He also highlights the opportunities for innovation and managing the value equation. Examples in…

Juan Orrego, co-founder of Cuboh, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the story behind Cuboh's acquisition by ChowNow. Cuboh helps restaurants integrate their online orders into their point of sale system, while ChowNow is a direct online ordering platform. The acquisition allows ChowNow to offer both third-party integration and direct ordering …

Scott Porter, founder and CEO of San Diablo Artisan Churros, shares his unconventional career path and the origin story of his churro business. He discusses the importance of customer and brand experience in creating a thriving brand and marketing strategy. Scott talks about how he secured partnerships with stadiums and event centers by winning the…

Andrew Smith, the managing director and co-founder of Savory Fund, shares his journey in the restaurant industry and how he helps small local concepts scale and grow. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on the underbelly of a business, which includes leadership, systems, and people. Marketing should be inside-out, with a strong emphasis on exe…

Summary Andrew Nikash, co-founder and CEO of FIRST, discusses the challenges and opportunities of third-party delivery for restaurants. He highlights the importance of restaurants maintaining a direct relationship with their customers and offers strategies to reduce the cost of delivery while maximizing profits. Andrew emphasizes the need for resta…

Summary Eric Cacciatore, founder and host of the Restaurant Unstoppable Movement and podcast, shares his background and journey in the restaurant industry. He emphasizes the importance of four walls marketing and creating a great in-store experience. Eric also discusses the challenges and opportunities in the restaurant industry, including rising l…

Steve Smyth, the director of restaurant technology for Taco John's International, shares his experiences of implementing technology in the restaurant industry. Taco John's, a legacy brand known for its tacos and burritos, has been using technology to enhance the guest experience and improve communication. They have implemented mobile ordering, loya…

David Doty, owner of Lehigh Bakery, shares his journey in the restaurant industry and the growth of his bakery. He discusses his background in finance and law and how he transitioned into the food industry. David emphasizes the importance of customer experience and engagement in driving sales and growth. He shares strategies such as saying yes to c…

Sterling Douglass, co-founder and CEO of Chowley, shares insights and tactics for restaurant marketing. He discusses the importance of point-of-sale integration and the value of digital marketing tools for SMB restaurants. Douglass emphasizes the need to focus on both generating demand and creating repeat orders. He highlights the significance of m…

Jeff McFadden, founder of The Smoked Taco and Wallabies Smokehouse, shares his experiences in building successful restaurant brands. He emphasizes the importance of finding a unique niche and creating something that stands out from the competition. Jeff also discusses the challenges of scaling a business and the need to address operational issues a…

On this special episode of Restaurant Rocket Fuel Shane Murphy is a guest on Smart Pizza Marketing Podcast with Bruce Irving. Welcome to another episode of Smart Pizza Marketing! In this episode, our host Bruce sits down with special guest Shane, the founder of Boostly.com. Boostly offers a fast and efficient text marketing service that allows pizz…

Matt Doka, co-founder and CTO of Five Stars, shares the story of how Five Stars started and the importance of loyalty programs for small businesses. He discusses the shift from just having a loyalty program to creating a comprehensive life cycle communication platform that turns transactions into relationships. Matt emphasizes the effectiveness of …

Jerry Hancock, founder of SubZero Ice Cream, shares the story behind the unique ice cream concept and the process of using liquid nitrogen to create custom-made ice cream. He discusses the challenges of starting a franchise business and the impact of appearing on Shark Tank. Hancock emphasizes the importance of community involvement and grassroots …

Sean Walchef shares his journey as a restaurant owner and media creator, emphasizing the importance of storytelling and digital presence. He discusses the shift from 'if you build it, they will come' to the reality of needing to tell your own story. He highlights the significance of the 'orange tree story' and the power of repetition in storytellin…

Brett Linkletter, founder and CEO of DineLine, shares his expertise in restaurant marketing. He discusses the importance of tracking ROI and offers various methods for restaurants to track their success, such as using QR codes, store visits, and credit card swipes. Linkletter emphasizes the need for restaurants to focus on both customer acquisition…

Mike Norton, an expert in restaurant marketing, shares insights on the importance of data collection and utilization in the restaurant industry. He emphasizes the need for restaurants to have a cohesive system to collect customer data and highlights the value of tools like reviews and feedback solutions. Norton discusses the challenges faced by the…

Sean Huntington, former owner of Sweet Cakes Cafe, shares the story behind the bakery and cafe and how it developed over time. The business gained recognition after being featured on TLC's Best Food Ever TV series. Sean discusses the impact of the TV appearance on their sales and the challenges they faced in sustaining that momentum. He emphasizes …

Summary Bennett Maxwell, founder of Dirty Dough, shares his journey of building a successful gourmet cookie franchise. He discusses the importance of mental health and mindset in finding joy and fulfillment in life. Bennett highlights the key strategies that have contributed to the rapid growth of Dirty Dough, including leveraging word-of-mouth mar…

Andy Gartz, founder of Slab Pizza, shares the origin story of his successful pizzeria and the strategies he used to build a cult-like following. The key to Slab's success was focusing on high-quality pizza and letting the product speak for itself. They didn't rely on traditional marketing methods but instead relied on word-of-mouth and customer ref…

Our first episode and its a good one! Shane Murphy our host of Restaurant Rocket Fuel interviews Bruce Irving, founder of Smart Pizza Marketing, shares his expertise on marketing for SMB restaurants. He discusses his background in the pizza industry and how he started the Smart Pizza Marketing podcast. Bruce highlights the challenges he faced in ma…

Episode Overview: In this initial episode of the Restaurant Rocket Fuel podcast, host Shane Murphy, founder and CEO of Boostly, the leading SMS marketing provider for the restaurant industry, sets the stage for what listeners can expect from this valuable resource. Shane shares his vision for the podcast, which is to empower restaurant owners and o…

"A humble ramen shop coming to Logan Square in 2023" by the one and only Ramen Lord. This shop could be the most anticipated ramen shop of our lifetime. In this episode, I candidly chat with friend, fellow ramen freak, and soon to be King of ramen in Chicago. Be prepared for a long episode. No edits, no cuts, just raw Ramen Lord cooked to perfectio…

Today's guests are Chef Daisuke Watanabe of Ramen Feel in Tokyo, Japan and Chef Erik Bentz of Cafe Mochiko in Cincinnati, OH with a special appearance by everyone's favorite apprentice, Jeffrey The Wang. On January 8, 2023, two incredible ramen chefs from two completely different backgrounds came together through the power of ramen and made our ram…

Today's guest is Chef Esther Choi, Owner and Executive Chef of Mökbar, a Korean-inspired ramen shop in New York City. Esther has appeared on several TV shows such as Iron Chef, Beat Bobby Flay, and Chopped. In this episode she provides insight on navigating a successful women-owned and operated ramen shop in the city while also pushing her own bra…

Bibios, Heather Flies, Hawthorn Flies, Blossom Flies, Love Bugs - you name it. An interesting critter that .. for some reason seems more popular in Europe rather than the US. Whazzup with that?

Recently I’ve had a few past guests reach out to me asking if they can be on the podcast again. I feel like that’s a great thing because who doesn’t love a “where are they now” update. Our first guest in this series is Kyle Humphreys better known as @thekylemachine who went from ramen school in episode 16 to now shoyu shop Indy. Follow Kyle Humphre…

An episode that really needs no introduction. Mike Satinover aka the Ramen Lord joins the podcast to talk about the brand new noodle machine that has taken residency in his cush Chicago apartment. Mike and I have been friends for years now and it's always a pleasure to listen to him talk about ramen in such a brain-stimulating way. Unedited and una…

In this episode I interview my good friend Tak Abe from Kodaiko Ramen in Sacramento, CA. Tak and I met in Tokyo during my Bassanova days and I have been one of his biggest supporters ever since. As a hapa (half Japanese-half American) he approaches ramen with respect from two cultures and loves to create new bowls without boundaries. A great conver…

On this episode, we spend time looking back on our brief 10-month residency at Ramen Shack in San Juan Capistrano, CA. Joined by four key members of the kitchen staff, I also discuss my health issues that led to our decision to close. Please take a listen and laugh with us as we keep things positive and reminisce about the good times. Follow Jeffre…

On today's episode, I welcome Steven Pursely from Menya Rui in St. Louis, Missouri. You may not know this but Steven has been studying ramen for close to a decade and has patiently weaved his way of ramen-making into one of the most anticipated shop openings of 2022. Menya Rui is a serious "craft" ramen shop where everything, including noodles, is …

Back in 2019 when Ramen Shack had an opportunity to do a pop-up at New York City's oldest ramen shop--Rai Rai Ken, I was lucky to have 5 of my closest ramen friends join me. In this episode, we reminisce about that time and reflect upon the last three years of hardship and the joys of owning our own ramen shop. The pop-up was a celebration of First…

Follow Keizo on instagram: https://instagram.com/goramen Music by Ariel Loh https://lohmusic.com The Way of Ramen podcast is back with a brand new host! In this episode, our new host Keizo Shimamoto interviews me, Ryan. In this episode, I pass the torch to Keizo who will take over podcast duties. We cover where I've been, why I disappeared, and our…

Hey all - all about Quill Gordons and Theodore Gordon. Hope you enjoy it!By Eric Frohmberg

Hey Folks, I'm back! And here with an episode mostly about moths. Yep. Moths as they relate to fly fishing. Check it out, I think you will be surprised.By Eric Frohmberg

In today's episode I sit down with TJ Valderrama who also goes by Valderamen online and we have a very fun discussion about making ramen in the Philippines as well as his ramen journey. TJ is an interesting guy because I didn't know this before we started recording, he's actually a professional actor / talent whos on TV in the Philippines all the t…

In this episode I sit down with one of the OGs of the ramen community, David Chan who is also known online as Nichijou ramen. David is a fantastic ramen cook who at the time we recorded this episode had just won the contest to become Top Ramen's chief noodle officer. In this episode he goes over what that experience was like and then we get into wh…

Hi folks! Sorry for the delay, but we're back in the saddle with an episode about Blue Winged Olives ... which are kind of complicated and confusing - but I make it 100% clear. I think. I hope.

Just wanted to share this conversation! Please let me know what you think because I have other ones with people like Keizo Shimamoto that I feel would be a waste if I'm the only one who gets to hear it. --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/wayoframen/support

Well, we did it boys, on this episode, I sit down with the legend himself, Keizo Shimamoto. To many aspiring ramen chefs, Keizo is considered one of, if not the best ramen chef in America. His passion for ramen is unrivaled and his dedication to the pursuit of ramen is truly inspiring. Many outside of the world of ramen know him as the creator of t…

Hey folks - yep - worms. Surprisingly interesting and entertaining even if the patterns are pretty mundane. That said, don't forget to check out the blog to see the patterns I've posted.

In today's episode I sit down with Jake vo, the general manager and head chef of Yume wo Katare in Boston Masechusetts. Yume wo katare is a dream workshop, a place where people can come and declare their dreams publicly while also eating a huge bowl of Yume ramen. In this episode, which is very different than other episodes of this podcast, Jake sh…

in today's episode, I sit down with the man the myth the legend himself of the ramen community, Preston Landers. Preston, who is often just referred to by his first name by long-time ramen nerds, is an incredibly talented and thoughtful chef who is known for blurring the lines of eastern and western cooking when making ramen. His ramen challenges t…

On today's episode, we have a man that really needs no introduction, the one and only ramen lord back on the podcast to share his hot takes on many popular topics and talking points that get floated around the ramen world. Mike and I have been talking about these kinds of things regularly through Instagram etc but there was never a place where he j…

on today's show, we have the one and only Sho Spaeth, our favorite ramen loving contributor to the mega-popular food website serious eats. Follow Sho on Instagram (@shospaeth) Sho's work on serious eats: https://www.seriouseats.com/editors/sho-spaeth Follow me on Instagram: https://instagram.com/wayoframen Support the Show on Patreon: https://patre…

In today's episode, I sit down with Jamie MacAulay the Chef and co-owner of CODA ramen in Halifax nova scotia. Jamie has been making ramen for a very long time both at home and professionally. He fell in love with ramen while living and working in kitchens in Vancouver, and later when he moved back to Halifax learned to make it with a mentor throug…

On today's episode I sit down with Professor Ken Alabala, A food historian from the University of the Pacific. Ken has written 25 books on the history of food, one of which was completely dedicated to noodle soups. Ken came onto my radar when I was doing research for my homemade katsuobushi project. Elivin in the discord server pointed me to Ken's …

In this episode, I sit down with Tim and Erik, two ramen heads who both work at ramen shops here in the US. Tim who is much better known online as Hella ramen works at Neighborhood ramen a craft ramen shop in Philadelphia Pennsylvania, and Erik Chiodo works at Yume wo katare, a Jiro-inspired ramen shop in Cambridge Massachusetts that also has locat…

In May of this year, Ernie was a sushi chef who had just begun selling ramen kits to supplement his income due to his hours being cut by Covid-19. Fast forward 5 months later, he is in the final stages of opening Modesto's first craft ramen shop. In this episode, I wanted to catch up with Ernie and see how he's gone from kits to his own shop in suc…

On today’s episode I sit down with Alex Ryutaro Aramaki who runs a shop in Vancouver British Columbia called gyopara. Alex is actually a 3rd generation ramen chef, with his grandfather actually operating a ramen shop in post war Japan in the 1950s which I thought was quite rare. After he helped open a few ramen franchises in the BC area, namely Jin…

In today’s episode I still down with one of the OGs of the little internet ramen community. Alex park, who also goes by @darth.gastrameny on Instagram, is a traditionally trained chef who has been the ramen scene for around 10 years. With 17 years working in professional kitchens, Alex has skills that many of us home ramen cooks are pretty far from…