From Shark Tank to Goldbelly: The strategic expansion of Topsail Steamer

As the visionary behind Topsail Steamer, Danielle stepped into entrepreneurship with a clear purpose: connection creates meaning and growth. Her leadership…

The essential insights every Founder needs to scale with clarity, strength and intentionality

Zane Tarence shares perspectives with the speed of someone who has spent decades in the trenches and still wakes up hungry for the next challenge. He moves…

Leading with flavor, heart, vision: The Tacodeli way

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

In this episode of the Founderology Podcast, Roberto Espinosa, the Founder of Tacodeli, discusses how his taco shop has grown into one of the most authentic…

Built to be investor grade: Do you know the value of your restaurant?

In this episode of Founderology, Wayne Vacek, managing director of Founders Advisors, breaks down the one metric every Founder must track to drive growth, the…

Fueling delicious growth: Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream

In this episode of Founderology: Built to Breakthrough, we talk with Donna and Daniel Golik, Mother and Son Founders of Chill-N Nitrogen Ice Cream – craveable…

Founderology Growth Summit: The breakthrough experience Founders must attend

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

Built for Founders. Powered by Founders.

Founders' Collaborative launches as free community for restaurant entrepreneurs

September 23, 2025

A free virtual community for founders called the Founders' Collaborative launched this week, powered by industry publications FastCasual and QSRWeb and…

Founderology Growth Summit: The Breakthrough Experience Founders MUST Attend

The Founderology Growth Summit is a breakthrough experience designed for Founders who are looking to scale. Every moment, from the first conversation to the…

Power Couple Pinky Cole, Derrick Hayes to ignite Founderology Growth Summit

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

While most restaurant founders are focused on building a single successful brand, Pinky Cole and Derrick Haye have a grander goal: to build an empire, not just…

Breaking boundaries: Derrick Hayes on purpose, power, building Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

In this episode of Founderology – Built to Breakthrough, Derrick Hayes opens up about the decisions, setbacks, and breakthroughs that shaped his path. He…

From Maine to Milan: The global journey of Mason’s Famous Lobster Rolls

How do you take a Maine lobster roll and build a brand that stretches from the East Coast to the heart of Milan, Italy? That’s the kind of breakthrough story…

How Slutty Vegan Founder turned $20M in debt into a $100M comeback

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

In this episode of "Founderology – Built to Breakthrough," Pinky Cole Hayes shares her “PhD. lessons” and mindset that fueled her comeback.

Keeping the Maine thing the main thing: How 2 'Cousins' built a global brand

In this episode of Founderology: Built to Breakthrough, Sabin Lomac—co-founder of Cousins Maine Lobster—shares how one wild night idea with his cousin Jim…

How Fry the Coop founder traded everything for freedom (and fried chicken)

On this episode of Founderology: Built to Breakthrough, we sit down with Joe Fontana who went from being stuck in a cubicle to running one of the most…

From Teen Entrepreneur to Hospitality Powerhouse - Daniella Senior’s Mission to Scale the Colada Shop

This week on Founderology, I sat down with powerhouse entrepreneur Daniella Senior — the Founder and CEO of Colada Shop, Bresca, Serenata and Zumo. You’ll hear…

From Founder to franchisee: How Chronic Tacos built a Brand still breaking through

In this episode of Founderology, I sit down with Randy Wyner, Founder and franchisor of Chronic Tacos, and Caleb Walker, multi-unit franchisee and…

Crazy Pita: From $30 to scaling a legacy

by Kathleen Wood — Founder, K. Wood Partners

This week on Founderology – Built to Breaktrough, I sat down with Mehdi Zarhloul, the powerhouse Founder of Crazy Pita, Chicken Genius and Salad Madness. His…

How Red Chickz founder went from dishwasher to national brand builder

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

What if your next breakthrough idea came from a dishwasher-turned-Founder or a tech innovator who transformed chaos into a scalable business? Hear from Shawn…

From a Closet to a Scaling Franchise System: Meet Evonne and Don Varady of Clean Eatz

In this episode of Founderology, host Kathleen Wood sits down with two powerhouse founders—Don and Evonne Varady, the creators of Clean Eatz. Their story…

Bun Mee: From One Bite to Best in the World

Denise Tran’s journey from attorney to award-winning restaurateur is a masterclass in vision and resilience. On Founderology: Built to Breakthrough, she shares…