Are Mass Closures Coming? And What's Ahead for Restaurants in 2025

In our second episode of CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter, Pepper Lunch executive Troy Hooper and Cherry Bounce’s Scott Taylor quiz each other on scaling differentiated brands and what it’s like to build up emerging restaurants for long-term growth, and some other fun and candid insights along the way.Check out the first episode, with Big Chicken’s Josh Halper and Wow Bao’s Geoff Alexander, here.

Charles Miller, RVP at Biscuitville, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to explore the story and culture of the category icon. How does the brand continue to win on labor and retention? How is it navigating the balance between hospitality and technology? We get into that and a whole lot more.

Chad Coulter, founder and CEO of Biscuit Belly, a growing fast casual franchise out of Kentucky, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how he went from a Doctorate in Pharmacy at the University of Georgia to launching a paint-and-sip business to eventually creating Biscuit Belly with his wife, Lauren Coulter. The brand’s single-shift mode has allowed for greater profitability and reinvestment into the business, along with being more attractive to top talent in a tight labor market. But there’s a lot more to this story. 

Jacob Karnes, founder of Waves Business Coaching and the author of Master Your First Job, spent more than a decade with Chick-fil-A—both in-restaurant and at the corporate level. He joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss lessons in leadership he picked up along the way, as well as how to nurture culture and outperform expectations, in all aspects of restaurant life.

Jim Balis, partner, Strategic Operations Group at CapitalSpring, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the state of restaurants as 2025 gets going and why more closures could be on the way. What about tech, expansion, and other trends? Let’s take a look into the crystal ball.

In the inaugural episode of QSR’s new series, CEO to CEO: Behind the Counter, Wow Bao’s Geoff Alexander and Big Chicken’s Josh Halpern quiz each other on what it’s like to run a restaurant in today’s landscape, how you build teams, pick the right technology, inspire employees, and way more in a candid, unfiltered back-and-forth between two of the industry’s most-respected CEOs.The episode kicks off what’s going to be a new content series here at QSR magazine and QSR Uncut, where we gather leaders like Alexander and Halpern to dish on what life is like running a restaurant brand. No editors. No holds-barred. Watch the video here: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/introducing-ceo-to-ceo-behind-the-counter-a-new-video-series-from-qsr/

Zunzi’s + Zunzibar CEO Chris Smith joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the journey behind the fast-casual restaurant and beach bar concept Smith grew from its roots in Savannah to multiple locations across Georgia and South Carolina. He acquired the brand in 2014 and is now preparing for significant growth. Under Smith's leadership, Zunzi’s has earned accolades like “The 33 Best Sandwiches in America” by Thrillist and Yelp’s “Top Places to Drink” in Savannah. What makes Smith's journey unique is his business strategy, which combines Zunzi's purpose into every aspect of the culture and expansion strategy.

Carl Comeaux, the CEO of Crust Pizza Co., joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss the growth and journey of the rising franchise as it prepares for a banner year. Crust plans to invest in its people and infrastructure as it looks to triple unit sales—a possibility empowered by a decision to bring technology operations in-house by the end of Q1. From control of the customer experience to operational efficiency and data-driven decision making, learn how Crust Pizza Co. is forging its own path in one of quick-service’s most crowded segments.

Doug Taylor, founder and CEO of Taylor Chip, a dessert experience company based in Pennsylvania, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss how a business that started with a $50 mixer on Facebook Marketplace has evolved into a growth-ready concept with a $25 million valuation. How can you grow a company without investors, debt, or start-up capital? What’s the future of the snack industry? We get into that and a whole lot more.

Megan Hastings, head of customer insight strategy at Quantum Metric, joins QSR editorial director Danny Klein to discuss Chick-fil-A’s recent decision to get into the engagement game and, more broadly, how mobile platforms and devices are paving way for QSRs to foster innovative digital experiences with customers.