Adam Issa is the Chief Marketing Officer of El Jannah and takes a seat at the table today to share how a single charcoal chicken shop in Granville grew into one of Australia’s most iconic quick service brands. From its Lebanese family roots in 1998 to more than 50 locations nationwide, with plans for 100 stores by 2027, Adam unpacks the strategy behind scaling a business that now produces over 20 tonnes of garlic sauce every single week.

Joining the brand when it had around 25 stores, Adam has helped lead a period of rapid expansion, modern marketing evolution and operational transformation, all while protecting the family values and community connection that built the cult following in the first place. This is a conversation about balancing speed with quality, redefining customer experience in QSR, and growing without losing the magic that made El Jannah famous.

You’ll also hear:

• Why El Jannah produces over 20 tonnes of garlic sauce every week
• How the El Jannah Way codifies Lebanese hospitality at scale
• The reality of cooking 100,000 chickens a week over charcoal
• Why loyalty has outperformed every other marketing channel
• How launching an app in three months changed the growth trajectory
• And what Adam would have done differently back in 1998

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Ramon Castillo is the CEO of Zeus Street Greek and takes a seat at the table today to share how Zeus Street Greek has grown from a single store in Drummoyne into a 45-store national brand — with ambitions to reach 150 locations in the next five years. Now CEO after rising through the ranks from Group GM to COO, Ramon reflects on leading a fast-scaling business built on heritage, heart and seriously good Greek food — all while expanding beyond the counter and onto supermarket shelves across Australia.

From balancing boardroom strategy with generational family recipes to navigating retail expansion into Woolworths, Ramon unpacks what it really takes to scale without losing authenticity. This is a conversation about growth, brand evolution, culture and protecting the spirit of the Yia Yias while building a modern food empire.

You’ll also hear:

• How Zeus found its niche in “Street Greek”
• The story behind their ready-to-eat Woolworths range
• What scaling from 20 to 45+ stores really looks like
• The risks (and rewards) of rapid expansion
• Insights from their Nick Kyrgios collaboration
• And Ramon’s secrets to cooking the perfect lamb at home

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Pong Patanan, the Director of the Thai La Ong restaurant group, takes a seat at the table today to share how a family-run Thai restaurant that opened in 1999 evolved into a growing restaurant group powered by adaptability, marketing, and mindset. From sleeping under the counter as a kid to walking away from a career in environmental consulting, Pong reveals how an MBA and two pivotal moments in class gave him the self-belief to go all in, back himself, and expand Thai La Ong beyond its original Newtown roots.

This episode is a candid look at modern restaurant growth: funding a new venue against his own home, opening just before COVID hit, repurposing staff instead of making redundancies, and discovering that visibility plus compelling offers can transform revenue. It’s a story about calculated risk, resilience and embracing change in an industry that never stands still.

You’ll also hear:

• Why Thai family meals are all about sharing
• The risky Parramatta expansion that paid off
• How opening just before COVID forced him to rethink everything
• What he learned working at Panda Express in New York
• Why combining ads and offers dramatically boosted sales

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

CEO & Founder of Johnny Gio’s Pizza, Jonathan Faro, takes a seat at the table today to share how a mobile pizza side hustle turned into Johnny Gio’s — now one of Australia’s fastest-growing pizza brands. From engineering project manager to founder and CEO of 25 stores (with 250+ locations earmarked), Jonathan unpacks the realities of scaling in hospitality, wearing two hats as creative founder and operator, navigating explosive COVID-era growth, and building a premium pizza model designed for both authenticity and scale.

Grounded in Italian heritage and driven by obsession, community and generosity, Jonathan reveals what it really takes to grow without losing your soul. From simplifying the menu to boost performance, to hosting high-energy neighbourhood launch parties, this is a conversation about commitment, culture and turning passion into process.

You’ll also hear:

• The story behind Johnny Gio’s rotating brick ovens from Italy
• Why “hospo is a beast you learn to tame”
• How social media fuels an online-first food brand
• His take on pineapple on pizza (and how to properly fold a slice)

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Nelly Robinson is the Chef Patron and owner of NEL and takes a seat at the table today from inside his Surry Hills restaurant to share how a 14-year-old pot washer from Blackburn built one of Australia’s most theatrical and innovative fine dining experiences. From failing food tech at school to cooking for the Queen, Nelly unpacks the grit, discipline and self-belief it took to open his restaurant with just $2 left in the bank, and turn it into an 11-year success story.

In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of Sydney’s dining scene, the pressure facing independent restaurants today, and why experience matters more than ever in a convenience economy. He also shares his passion for championing native Australian ingredients, building long-term team loyalty, and creating food that truly wows — not just feeds. It’s an honest, high-energy look at what it takes to survive (and thrive) in modern hospitality.

The native menu at NEL runs until the 25th of April, don't miss out:
www.nelrestaurant.com.au/menu-concepts

You’ll also hear:

• Why discipline learned as a pot washer still shapes his kitchen today
• The moment he decided to open his own restaurant after missing out on Icebergs
• How stepping away from the kitchen made him a better leader
• His philosophy on loyalty and personal service
• And his secret to the perfect crispy potato

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

Darren Hampton is the Customer & Brand Director of Nando's in ANZ and takes a seat at the table today to unpack what actually drives growth at one of the world9s most recognisable challenger brands. As Customer and Brand Director for Nandos Australia and New Zealand, Darren shares how a purpose-led, Afro-Portuguese chicken brand has scaled across 20+ countries without losing its soul. From growing up with Nandos in South Africa to leading the brand in ANZ, he reveals why experience, culture and consistency matter more than flashy marketing tactics.

This conversation goes beyond flame-grilled chicken to explore the real levers of growth: knowing your role in the community, using data without losing emotion, building loyalty through four-wall excellence, and creating brand moments worth talking about. It9s a masterclass in balancing creativity with commercial discipline 4 and why the best marketing gets other people to tell your story.

You'll also hear:

• The founding story of Nandos
• Why emotion beats rationale in restaurant marketing
• How Nandos reimagined the drive-through experience
• The philosophy behind
• And what Darren can (and can't) reveal about the Black Card!

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate Uber Eats brand-new podcast, we're giving you the chance to win a $5,000 voucher.

Every day, we'll drop a brand-new sound clue. Your challenge is to identify the mystery restaurant and its location.

Be the first to correctly name both, and the $5,000 Uber Eats voucher is yours.

Here's how to enter.

1. Click follow this podcast channel.
2. Listen to the clues.
3. Submit your guess here

One guess per person, per day.

Be quick. The first correct entry takes it all.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

To celebrate Uber Eats brand-new podcast, we're giving you the chance to win a $5,000 voucher.

Every day, we'll drop a brand-new sound clue. Your challenge is to identify the mystery restaurant and its location.

Be the first to correctly name both, and the $5,000 Uber Eats voucher is yours.

Here's how to enter.

1. Click follow this podcast channel.
2. Listen to the clues.
3. Submit your guess here

One guess per person, per day.

Be quick. The first correct entry takes it all.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.