In this episode of Back to Basics, Rachael Nemeth sits down with Suzie Tsai, CEO of Bonchon, who brings a rare and refreshing perspective to restaurant leadership, with over 25 years of experience in brand and marketing at companies like Chili’s, On the Border, and Brinker International.

Now leading Bonchon through explosive growth—from 150 to 500 locations—Suzie shares how marketing instincts helped her zero in on what actually separates great restaurants from average ones: execution. And that starts with training.

They delve into how Bonchon utilizes Opus to ensure consistency across its global, multilingual workforce, why community engagement is a make-or-break metric for franchise success, and how training is more than an operational tool—it’s a brand strategy.

This episode explores the overlap between brand integrity, guest experience, and leadership development—and why in Suzie's view, marketers can’t afford to ignore what’s happening inside the four walls of the restaurant.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Suzie Tsai and Bonchon
01:50 Rapid Expansion and Challenges in Restaurant Growth
03:38 Understanding Brand Identity and Market Positioning
05:35 Riding the Wave of Korean Culture
09:11 The Importance of Training in Restaurant Success
12:53 Marketing and Customer Experience
15:47 Challenges in the Restaurant Industry
18:23 Building Community and Local Engagement
21:20 Franchisee Empowerment and Operational Flexibility
23:50 Leadership Development and Team Dynamics
27:34 Curiosity vs. Willingness to Learn
31:33 Creating a Culture of Learning and Trust
35:05 Final Thoughts and Lightning Round

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode, we sit down with Anthony Fassio, Chief Retail and Operations Officer at Verve Coffee Roasters—a 14-unit third-wave coffee brand based in Santa Cruz, known for its relationships with growers, surf-town roots, and quality-first approach.

Anthony’s specialty is taking craft brands from cult-favorite to national name without losing their “soul”. From Shake Shack to Salt & Straw to now Verve, he’s led the operational growth of beloved brands by building the systems and team development strategies they need to scale.

He shares:

• How Verve is preparing for East Coast expansion
• Why “the checklist” isn’t always just a checklist
• How his early days growing up on a farm shaped his leadership style.

From launching task forces to rolling out training platforms, Anthony offers a practical, people-first approach to operations that’s built to last.

This conversation is a deep dive into what it takes to grow a values-driven business—from identifying sacred elements of a brand to making change stick across regions. Anthony opens up about building trust with founders, what most leaders get wrong during early scale, and why being “number two” is where he thrives most.

Chapters

00:00 Introduction to Anthony Fassio and Verve Coffee Roasters
02:31 Understanding Third Wave Coffee
06:45 Assessing Brand Culture and Team Dynamics
09:34 Balancing Tradition and Evolution in Brand Systems
12:32 The Importance of Task Forces in Brand Development
14:39 Indicators of Readiness for Brand Expansion
16:44 Early Wins in Communication Strategies
19:50 Learning from Misjudgments in Operations
23:08 The Shift in Training Leadership Roles
24:54 The Evolution of Content Creation
25:52 Finding Your Niche in the Food Industry
27:15 The Role of a Number Two
28:35 Building Trust in Teams
31:01 Identifying Builders vs. Optimizers
32:46 The Importance of Passion in Hiring
34:43 Curiosity as a Key Indicator
36:34 Training as a Priority for Growth
40:43 Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode of Back to Basics, we sit down with Aaron Noveshen, Founder and CEO of Starbird Chicken, and one of the leading innovators in fast casual dining.

Aaron shares how Starbird is rethinking people development in one of the most competitive hiring markets—from building an internal leadership pipeline, to implementing transparent pay bands, to offering unique education and ownership opportunities for team members.

With a career that spans founding The Culinary Edge and co-founding Pacific Catch and World Wrapps, Aaron brings a rare blend of culinary creativity and operational excellence to the conversation.

Chapters
00:00 The Journey of Aaron Noveshen
04:46 Innovating People Development in Restaurants
09:37 Attracting and Retaining Talent
13:13 Transparency and Economic Mobility
18:45 The Role of Technology in Modern Restaurants
23:10 Investing in People Development
26:37 Lessons from Early Career Experiences

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode, we sit down with Blake Buchanan, Founder and CEO of Bahama Buck’s—a 100+ unit Midwest-based franchise known for its tropical shaved ice and culture-first approach. Blake started the business as a college student in a 240-square-foot snow shack, and by store #2, he was already franchising—a bold move that sparked what’s now a 35+ year legacy.

Blake shares how Bahama Buck’s has sustained growth by investing in people development over product hype. From hiring in competitive cities like Austin and Phoenix to building a leadership pipeline from within, he walks us through the systems that keep their culture strong across every location.

This conversation is a rare deep dive into how a long-running family business has created lasting values, governance structures, and innovation without losing its identity. Blake opens up about everything from establishing transparent pay bands and offering family-first benefits to the unexpected leadership lesson he learned from his 13-year-old son.

Chapters

00:00
The Journey of Bahama Bucks

11:26
Core Principles and Values

15:13
Creating Mini Vacations for Guests

19:51
Innovation and Adaptation in Business

23:18
The Heartbreak of Flavor Rotation

24:24
Unlocking Leadership Potential

26:55
Empowering Others for Growth

28:22
Authenticity in Mission and Values

30:18
The Role of Feedback in Leadership

32:40
Learning from Family and Mentors

34:15
Navigating Family Dynamics in Business

37:25
The Importance of Family in Business

39:23
Lightning Round: Quickfire Questions

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode, we sit down with Andy Hooper, restaurant industry leader and former CEO of Hart House, to talk about how people development drives long-term success in hospitality. With experience scaling mission-driven brands and advising operators across the country, Andy offers a clear-eyed look at what it really takes to build teams that deliver consistently excellent service.

Hear Andy’s take on navigating leadership transitions, the future of hospitality, and how brands can maintain consistency as they scale. He shares what curiosity reveals in emerging leaders, why training programs should be built around business metrics, and how social dining is reshaping guest expectations.

From the value of frontline development to the operational metrics L&D teams should be tracking, Andy breaks down the systems and behaviors behind sustainable hospitality leadership.

Tune in to hear why understanding your employees’ lived experience is key to building loyalty — and how investing in people leads to real, measurable results.

Chapters
00:00 Navigating Change in Leadership
02:55 The Importance of People Development
05:54 Trends and Challenges in the Restaurant Industry
08:53 The Future of Hospitality
11:53 Optimism in Social Dining
14:54 The Value of Exceptional Hospitality
20:21 The Power of Consistency in Hospitality
25:32 Training and Development Challenges in Restaurants
30:00 Linking Training Success to Business Metrics
32:10 Spotting Potential Leaders: The Role of Curiosity
38:35 Leadership Lessons and Personal Growth

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode, we sit down with Darren Spicer, Co-Founder and CEO of Clutch Coffee Bar, to explore how his brand is revolutionizing the drive-thru coffee experience. With a focus on speed, service, and personal connections, Clutch Coffee has grown to 15 locations across the Carolinas, with plans to double by 2025.

Darren shares his journey from barista to CEO, the operational strategies behind Clutch’s rapid success, and why human interaction is the key to standing out in the competitive coffee space. Tune in to hear how Clutch Coffee is generating $1.1M+ per location annually while keeping customer relationships at the heart of its business.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction to Clutch Coffee and Its Mission

01:46 The Importance of Customer Experience in Drive-Through Coffee

07:31 Creating Meaningful Connections in Quick Service

13:07 The Future of Drive-Through Coffee

15:46 Training and Developing a Gen Z Workforce

21:49 Community Engagement and Building Relationships

24:27 Using Opus for efficient and effective training

26:52 Lightning Round: Quick Insights from Darren Spicer

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!

In this episode of Back to Basics, we explore the findings of the 2025 Hospitality Training 360 Report, focusing on the current state of learning and development (L&D) in the hospitality industry.

To practice what we preach, we leveraged Google's NotebookLM to transform our written report into an audio format (yes, these speakers are AI-generated!) to demonstrate our commitment to accessibility and efficient content delivery. Hopefully, this allows us to reach more of our audience while showcasing how AI tools can enhance content adaptability without compromising quality. We hope you enjoy this episode.

Download the full report here: https://www.opus.so/hospitality-training-360-report-2025

Celton talks about his leadership journey from store manager to CEO at CC’s coffee, the importance of maintaining a people-first culture (a la southern hospitality + mentions to qualities he looks for in candidates), and the challenges of training and developing employees in the service industry.

Celton shares insights from his recent store visits, emphasizing the need for effective training and the value of listening to employees.

Timestamps:

Chapters
00:00 Introduction to CC's Coffee House and Leadership Journey
05:03 The Importance of Community and Guest Service
05:04 The want for more training
08:07 Why Celton chose Opus
08:36 Jam Session - example
10:40 Identifying people-first leaders
11:45 Aspirational Leadership and Legacy Building
12:32 The Power of Continual Improvement
16:12 Learning from Failures and Accountability
16:31 Lightning Round: Personal Insights and Favorites
21:01 Power of learning a new skill

About Us
Opus is the hospitality training platform purpose-built for the frontline. Train 100% of your team in 101 languages on the job to quickly get them up the productivity curve. With full visibility across your workforce, you get the frontline business intelligence needed to drive your business.

Have an idea or experience you'd like to share? Keep the conversation going with us on LinkedIn!