#131

Josh sits down with Michael Jacober for a wide-ranging conversation about restaurant value, shifting diner behavior, and why legacy brands like Chili’s are suddenly feeling relevant again. They unpack the idea of a “K-shaped” restaurant economy, where brands increasingly feel pushed toward either premium experiences or clear-cut value, and debate whether that narrative really holds up in practice. Along the way, they dig into Chili’s surprising resurgence, how simplifying menus and tightening operations can improve both the guest experience and the business, and why restaurant nostalgia can become a powerful growth strategy when it is backed up by execution.

The conversation also veers into restaurant supply chains, with thoughts on Cisco’s acquisition of Restaurant Depot and what cash-and-carry models offer independent operators, before ending on a more personal culinary tangent: Josh’s belief that sausage is an underappreciated burger format. From Vietnamese-style pork patties to memories of Bark’s crispy pork sandwich, the episode becomes a bigger reflection on what makes food craveable, scalable, and worth coming back for.