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Los Angeles is getting yet another top restaurant as Seoul’s top BBQ restaurant Daedo is coming to town and they’re bringing a lot of their amazing ingredients with them. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur talk about Daedo’s history -- starting next to Seoul’s meat market in 1964, what makes the Hanu beef they use so special, recreating that taste in America, and the different ingredients Daedo will be exporting. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss Daedo: Daedo was established in 1964 in Majang-Dong, Seoul’s meat market Daedo specifically uses Hanu beef, known for its more complex flavor and richness However, since Hanu beef is rarely exported outside of South Korea, Daedo will be using prime-grade beef wet-aged directly on the premises, giving a similar taste Daedo’s new LA location will feature items exported from South Korea like umami soybean paste from Chiri Mountain and cubed kkakdugi Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Eater - Seoul’s most celebrated barbeque restaurant, Daedo, has arrived in Koreatown Eater - 12 best Korean barbeque spots in Los Angeles Wikipedia - Hanwoo Lone Mountain Wagyu - Intro to wet-aged vs. dry-aged beef Korean Bapsang - Kkakdugi recipe Daedo Sikdang - Website We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

Airports aren’t often known for their high-class food and luxurious accommodations. But one company is looking to change that, bringing world-class food and even a way to expedite your TSA screening. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington talk about The Salon lounge opening at LAX and what parent company PS is aiming to do. Nyesha and Philip talk about some of the services customers can expect at The Salon, as well as what type of food and drinks could appear on the menu. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss airport lounges: PS is an exclusive offsite terminal at LAX at $4,000 per visit to stay in a private suite Each visit to PS includes in-suite massages and facials, haircuts, complimentary airport parking and car detailing, and gourmet snacks PS is opening a new luxury airport lounge at LAX called “The Salon” Visits to The Salon will only cost $695 per person The Salon still offers perks like expedited TSA screening, car detailing, and a personal drive to your aircraft’s door on the tarmac The Salon will have a rotating cocktail list and a food menu inspired by California and the Mediterranean thanks to LA’s H.Wood Group Co-CEO Joshua Gausman believes people are looking to make travel more of an experience, especially coming out of the coronavirus pandemic Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Travel + Leisure - LAX is about to open what may be the most luxurious lounge a US airport has ever seen ReservePS - Website Robb Report - This exclusive new lounge at LAX is so luxe it lets you skip those long security lines We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

While many cities around the country have created temporary delivery fee caps for third-party food delivery apps during the coronavirus pandemic, San Francisco is going a step further and it’s angered two food-delivery app giants. DoorDash and Grubhub are going after San Francisco after the city made its delivery fee cap permanent. Citing the move as “unconstitutional,” the food-delivery apps are fighting back against a cap of 15%. Listen as restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington discuss third-part food-delivery apps, the delivery fee cap, and what it all means for those working in the hospitality industry. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss San Francisco’s delivery fee cap: In April 2020, many cities enacted temporary delivery fee caps to relieve some pressure from struggling restaurants at the start of the pandemic The caps were usually around 15% of the food order and were meant to be a temporary solution until restrictions lifted and restaurants could resume 100% of their normal capacity Prior to these caps, fees could range from 20%-40% Third-party food delivery apps rely on fees charged to customers and restaurants to cover things like credit card processing, driver pay, and marketing campaigns San Francisco’s Board of Supervisors unanimously voted to make the fee cap permanent in June, earning the praise of the Golden Gate Restaurant Association, though San Francisco Mayor London Breed chose to not sign it DoorDash says they aren’t able to cover driver pay, operations, credit card fees, and marketing costs while fees are capped at 15% To make up the difference, new fees are popping up for consumers DoorDash and Grubhub filed a joint complaint against San Francisco to the U.S. District Court, alleging the delivery fee cap to be “unconstitutional” and a “dangerous overreach” of local government power Grubhub and DoorDash are suing the city for damages and to put a stop to the delivery fee cap Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Restaurant Business - DoorDash and Grubhub sue San Francisco over delivery fee cap Restaurant Business - San Francisco to permanently cap third-party delivery fees Restaurant Business - DoorDash says delivery fee caps are hurting order volumes Restaurant Business - DoorDash unveils tiered pricing plan for restaurants We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

It’s Meatless Monday and Panda Express is making one of their classics without meat. That’s right, the orange chicken can now be ordered without the chicken! Panda Express has teamed up with the Beyond Meat team to bring a plant-based twist on their classic orange chicken dish. Listen as chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino give you a little history lesson on Panda Express’ orange chicken, Beyond Meat’s foray into chicken, and how this new plant-based dish might stack up to the original. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss orange chicken: Panda Express chef Andy Kao created the famous orange chicken dish in 1987, four years after the first store opened Panda Express has served more than 80 million pounds of orange chicken since 2016 alone Panda Express chef Jimmy Wong spent more than a year working with Beyond Meat to develop the product It will have the same size, taste, and texture of the original orange chicken Beyond Meat recently launched plant-based chicken tenders nationwide Beyond Meat’s plant-based chicken tenders are made with fava beans and peas and have 14 grams of protein per serving The dish is only available for a limited time in select locations in New York City and southern California Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Restaurant Business Online - Panda Express transforms its signature original orange chicken into a plant-based dish Restaurant Business Online - Beyond Chicken Tenders launches on restaurant menus nationwide Panda Express - Our family story We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

Pasta can save the environment! No, really. The world is turning away from single-use plastics as people start recognizing their environmental impact. Plastic drinking straws are among the worst offenders, with millions littering U.S. shorelines alone. But several companies believe pasta could be the perfect answer and products are hitting store shelves near you. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino talk about pasta straws. Philip and Nyesha cover the environmental impact plastic straws have had, their more eco-friendly alternatives, and how pasta straws could offer the sustainability people want without the hassles that come with metal and paper straws. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss pasta straws: Bans on plastic straws have gained a lot of traction in recent years, seeing several states and cities phasing them out Companies like Starbucks and Disney World have banned plastic straws company-wide Recycling machines can’t process single-use plastic straws, seeing them wind up in the ocean as trash About 18 billion pounds of plastic ends up in the ocean every year and plastic straws are one of the top-10 contributors During a 5-year clean-up project, researchers found almost 7.5 million plastic straws on U.S. shorelines Scientists estimate plastic straws can take 450 years to break down with some remaining forever Paper straws take 30-60 days to properly decompose but some people have found they can disintegrate a little too easily in their drinks Metal straws are a good alternative since they are reusable but the energy needed to make a metal straw is equivalent to 150 plastic straws Pasta straws have begun popping up in restaurants around the country, including Primi and Popina in New York You can find gluten-free pasta straws made from rice and tapioca flour from brands like Pasta Life Pasta straws still dissolve after about 45 minutes but can last longer than paper straws Pasta straws are also a little pricier, coming in at about double the cost of paper straws Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram New York Magazine - Restaurants from Popina to Bar Primi use these nifty straws made of pasta National Geographic - Forever is a long time Our Last Straw - Facts and figures Pasta Life - Gluten-free pasta straws We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

While it’s easy to mix up the restaurants you dine at, it’s not so easy to switch up the restaurants you work at. That is, until President Biden signed orders giving restaurant workers more freedom to change between jobs. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino explain what a poaching clause is and discuss Biden’s hopes that targeting these restrictions will help boost market competition. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss poaching clauses: Biden is specifically targeting anti-poaching agreements. A new executive order will allow restaurant workers to take on certain jobs without being as restricted, allowing employees to change jobs more freely. The government will be limiting how much a restaurant or other employers can restrict their workers legally from hopping over to a competitor. Biden is hoping to boost competition in the market. The White House also declared that eliminating the non-competes and anti-poaching clauses were a top priority of the bill. This bill comes as one of 72 policy changes that Biden has made in order to foster greater competition and drive prices down. Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Photo Credits Restaurant Business - President Biden Takes Aim At Anti-Poaching Agreements We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

Do you love a good Big Mac or some McNuggets? We’ve got great news for you! McDonald’s is officially launching a loyalty program, My McDonald’s Rewards, where you can earn points and rewards from your orders. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington discuss McDonald’s new loyalty program, what it entails, and how it compares to the other loyalty programs in the industry. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss My McDonald’s Rewards: At the beginning of July, McDonald’s launched the My McDonald’s Rewards. Their competition in this space includes Starbucks, Dunkin’, Wendy's and more. Over half of Starbucks’s transactions at company-owned locations are members of the program. Panera Bread’s loyalty program has 40 million members with over half of their transactions from those members. Papa John’s program has 20 million loyalty members with almost half of their transactions from the program. Wendy’s launched a program last year that has already gained 13 million members. Currently, McDonald’s sees about 20 million people using their app. McDonald’s tests of this program have been met with great success. The app can earn points for free food, allow you to order and skip the line, and creates overall efficiency. Before the pandemic, 70% of McDonald’s customers used the drive-thru but since the pandemic, that number has risen to 90%. Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Restaurant Business - McDonald’s Has Big Hopes for it’s Loyalty Program We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

You don’t need a dedicated storefront to make great food. With the rise of virtual brands and ghost kitchens, companies are producing and delivering food out of underutilized kitchens and making a killing. Owners of virtual brands like Umami Burger, C3 is partnering with companies to expand into even more locations. They’ve recently raised $80 million in a Series B funding round to help boost their expansion efforts as they utilize ghost kitchens. Join restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington as they take a closer look at what hospitality companies like C3 are doing and the boom of ghost kitchens and virtual brands on your favorite food delivery apps. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss C3: C3, known as Creating Culinary Communities, recently raised $80 million in a Series B funding round C3 is a food tech company that has several virtual restaurant brands, including Umami Burger, Krispy Rice, and Sam’s Crispy Fried Chicken in ghost kitchens C3 recently partnered with the point-of-sale integration company Chowly, giving more than 10,000 partners access to C3’s virtual brands This allows partners to create additional revenue streams by allowing C3’s virtual brands to work out of their kitchens C3 is looking to expand to 12,000 locations by 2021, leasing an assortment of hospitality and retail spaces to open food halls and physical locations for its virtual restaurants They plan to open a 40,000 sq/ft food hall at Brookfield Manhattan West in NYC They also agreed to acquire a 24,000 sq/ft food hall in Atlanta by 2022 C3 recently started their Citizens Go app, allowing customers to order from multiple virtual brands in one order Dickey’s Barbeque Pit recently announced plans to add 100 ghost kitchens to its operations via a partnership with Combo Kitchen In a deal with Nathan’s Famous, Franklin Junction will operate Arthur Treacher’s also out of 100 ghost kitchens before 2022 Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Restaurant Dive - C3 raises $80M to grow virtual brand footprint Restaurant Dive - Dickey’s to add 100 ghost kitchens through Combo Kitchen partnership Restaurant Dive - C3, Chowly partner to bring virtual brands to 10K restaurants C3 - Website We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

With the Restaurant Revitalization Fund leaving more than a quarter-million applicants unfilled, states are beginning to step up and help out the hospitality industry. Several states have created their own restaurant funds to help with things like lost revenue, equipment, and worker shortages. On this episode of the Happy Mouth Podcast, chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino break down the various states that have created their own restaurant funds. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss state-created restaurant funds: The SBA shut down the RRF on July 14 265,000 applicants didn’t receive money The National Restaurant Association asked governors, mayors, and other state officials to launch state-based funding New York’s 2021 budget includes $25 million dedicated to the New York Restaurant Resiliency Grant Program and $35 million for the Restaurant Return-to-Work Tax Credit The Restaurant Resiliency Grant awards funds to restaurants that give meals to under-represented communities The Return-to-Work Tax Credit allows restaurants that lost at least 40% of their revenue to receive a $5,000 tax credit for each worker they rehire Businesses can apply for 10 workers rehired, with a maximum of $50,000 for tax credits New Jersey Governor Phil Murphy signed 6 bills that give additional help to small businesses in the state, including a relief package for $30 million dedicated to bars and restaurants $20 million is set aside for grants for restaurants and operators with the other $10 million given to entities that purchased in-bulk restaurant meals for those in need There’s a $25 million fund for new restaurants, retailers, and other service providers to help restore storefronts empty as a result of COVID-19 Ohio has set aside $100 million for a restaurant grant fund Restaurants, bars, coffee shops, food, trucks, cafeterias, and other businesses can apply for grants of $10,000, $20,000, and $30,000; depending on revenue losses Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Happy Mouth Podcast - July 12, 2021: SBA Shutting Down The RRF Restaurant Dive - Tracking 2021 state restaurant aid Restaurant Dive - NRA urges states to offer grants as RRF runs dry Restaurant Dive - NY passes budget that includes $60M in restaurant relief We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

Happy Fun Friday, Happy Mouth! It’s the end of the work week so let’s talk about where people are working. With remote work becoming more common, people are working in all different places. One such place is NYC restaurant Kindred, which has converted it’s outdoor dining area into a workspace. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington discuss Kindred and what their workspace entails. They also delve into the benefits of this space both for the customer and the restaurant. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss Kindred’s new CoWorking space : After the pandemic hit them hard, a wine bar called Kindred has converted some of its outdoor space into a remote workplace where workers can rent a table for the day. Guests can rent a table from 10am-4pm for just $25. The space offers free drip coffee, Wi-Fi, full bathroom access all day, as well as options to order lunch and beverages or stay through Happy Hour. Every table comes with a charging station. This space now accounts for about 10% of their sales. By the end of May, Kindred saw around 230 unique guests and by the end of June, their numbers were around 300 unique guests. A Tik Tok feature has also drawn traffic and attention to this CoWorking space. Social media has a large influence in the restaurant industry. Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram CNBC Tech to Table - NYC’s Kindred pivots during Covid, turning its restaurant by day into remote office space Kindred We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook  

If you don’t eat meat or are just craving a breakfast patty then you’re in luck! What if we told you your breakfast patty could be made from fungus? With plant-based food on the rise, Nature’s Fynd is a Chicago-based food/tech start-up exploring using fungus as a meat alternative. On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast chef Nyesha Arrington and restaurateur Philip Camino discuss the specifics of Nature’s Fynd and their products, who is investing, and the health and sustainability benefits of their meat alternative, Fy. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss Nature’s Fynd and their fungus meat alternative: Investors include Jeff Bezos, Bill Gates and Al Gore. Plant-based food sales have increased by 43% in the past 2 years and in 2020, plant-based food sales surpassed $7 billion, which is up by 27% from 2019. Fungi based proteins are high in protein, fiber, amino acids and also are low in saturated fat. Founder Mark Kozubal discovered a microbe called ​​Fusarium strain flavolapis and fermented it to create the protein ingredient Fy. Founded in 2012, Nature’s Fynd recently raised $158 million and plans to have their patties and dairy free cream cheese in stores this year. As a representative of the Food Sustainability Movement, one of their missions is promoting sustainability and reducing our global carbon footprint. Fy has 50% more protein than tofu and only 10% of the fat ground beef has. Taste tests have been met with very positive reviews. Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram CNBC Tech to Table - Bezos, Gates back fake meat and dairy made from fungus as next big alt-protein Nature’s Fynd Plant Based Foods Association - Retail Sales Data Sprouts Farmers Market - Survey by Sprouts Looks into New Year Eating Habits, Reveals Young Americans are Likely to Shift Away from Meat We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp  The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook

Not one, not two, but SIX restaurant chains are being sold right now. With a lot of market activity occurring around chain restaurants, what better time to take a look at how this will affect the industry than now? On this episode of the Happy Mouth podcast, restaurateur Philip Camino and chef Nyesha Arrington delve into the recent buying of these chains and what factors likely led to these purchases. They also discuss the impacts this may bring about for the industry. Listen to Philip and Nyesha discuss the recent buying of chain restaurants: Since SweetGreen and Krispy Kreme deals, 6 more deals have been announced. June 24th: Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken is being sold to Artemis Lane Partners. June 25th: BBQ Holdings plans to purchase Village Inn and Bakers Square for $13.5 million. Fat Brands plans to acquire Global Franchise Group for $442.5 million. June 30th: Panera will sell Au Bon Pain to the Ampex Brands Family of Companies. July 1st: The largest franchisee of Jack in the Box will buy Taco Cabana for $85 million. July 2nd: Logan’s RoadHouse will buy J. Alexander’s and sister concepts for $220 million. Causes: Operator fatigue, increased sales, long-time deals, and low interest rates. Links: Happy Mouth Podcast Instagram Restaurant Business - Everybody is Buying Chains Right Now Restaurant Business - Logan’s Roadhouse Parent Agrees to Buy J. Alexander’s for $220M Restaurant Business - Jack In The Box’s Largest Franchisee Agrees to Buy Taco Cabana for $85M Restaurant Business - Panera Bread Sella Au Bon Pan to a Yum Brands Franchisee Restaurant Business  - Johnny Rockets Owner Is Buying Global Franchise Group for $442.5M Restaurant Business - Lee’s Famous Recipe Chicken to be Sold to Artemis Lane Partners Restaurant Business - Famous Dave’s Parent is Buying Village Inn and Bakers Square We have a lot more content coming your way! Be sure to check out our other shows: Full Comp The Happy Mouth Morning Show Restaurant Marketing School The Playbook