Food & Beverage

  The restaurant industry has been hit the hardest during the pandemic. According to the National Restaurant Association, 110,000+ food and beverage establishments in the U.S. temporarily or permanently closed for business.  How did local restaurants stay afloat? What creative pivots did they embrace? Were the changes temporary or here to stay?  If you’re a marketer or salesperson in the restaurant industry, you need to know how independent operators tick. Listen to this conversation with the co-owner of a local Vietnamese restaurant to better understand the needs and challenges independents face.   About Chris Nguyen  Chris Nguyen is the co-owner of Superior Pho Vietnamese Restaurant. Under his leadership, the small, ethnic, mom-and-pop restaurant has become a local household name. In fact, Superior Pho has received accolades and recognition from national media outlets such as Food Network Magazine, The Travel Channel, Esquire Magazine, Buzzfeed and more. Chris is dedicated to serving under-resourced and underrepresented communities. He’s used his position at Superior Pho to employ and empower a variety of underrepresented people from various communities and teach leadership through service. 

  Independent restaurant owners face many challenges that are unique to those of large chains. If you work in sales or marketing for the food service industry, you must understand these differences to successfully communicate with Independents.  The best way to learn? Hear the struggles and needs of restaurant owners first-hand. Listen to industry veteran, Laurie Torres, share the ups and downs of restaurant ownership on this episode of the Lead(er) Generation podcast.   About Laurie Torres: Laurie Torres is the Owner of Mallorca, a fine-dining experience in Cleveland, Ohio. She manages the operational and strategic vision of the restaurant, which has been serving Spanish and Portuguese cuisine for 20+ years.  Laurie is instrumental in identifying emerging trends in the food industry. She serves as the President of Cleveland Independents. Plus, she’s won multiple industry accolades, including the 2021 Rising Star Award by the Ohio Restaurant Association.

Our inaugural episode was streamed live, Thursday, 12/12 at 12 pm PT. Tessa's guest is Linda Owens, Digital & Ecommerce Marketing Manager at Nestlé Professional.