Burgoo Restaurant's Justin Joyce on 24 Years of Comfort Food & Vancouver's Evolving Food Scene

We had an amazing conversation with Justin, owner of the four Burgoo restaurant locations in Vancouver, who joined us despite dealing with a power outage and a sick dog. What started as a discussion about his restaurants quickly evolved into a deep dive about the challenges facing independent operators in today's market.

We learned how Justin's path to restaurants began with a detour from university. Originally headed to study English literature at the University of Alberta, he stopped in Calgary and met a mentor who offered to lend him money to open a restaurant in Vancouver. At 21, with no stress and plenty of optimism, he made the leap and opened the Funky Armadillo in the early '90s before eventually developing the Burgoo concept in 2001.

What struck us was how Burgoo started as purely comfort food - originally serving only soups and stews in two sizes: "giant and enormous." They didn't even have plates when they first opened, serving everything in bowls. No sandwiches, no appetizers, just 10 soups and 15 stews. The menu has evolved dramatically over 24 years, finally adding french fries just this past year after resisting for over two decades.

Check out Burgoo here: https://www.burgoo.ca/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Food Fraud and Authenticity Testing with Deleo De Leonardis, CEO of Purity IQ

In this eye-opening conversation, Kenny and Phil sit down with Deleo De Leonardis, CEO and co-founder of Purity IQ, to discuss a critical issue that affects every consumer: food fraud and adulteration.

Deleo shares her unexpected journey from 20 years in retail (including VP of Private Label at Sobeys) to becoming an entrepreneur in the science-based world of authenticity testing. Despite not being a scientist herself, she and her co-founders identified a massive gap in the industry - while labs routinely test for identity (is echinacea actually present?), they often miss adulteration, dilution, and substitution.

Key Topics Covered:

• Why standard identity testing isn't enough to catch food fraud
• The difference between targeted vs. untargeted testing methods
• Real examples of adulteration in honey, olive oil, spices, and supplements
• How economic pressures and supply chain disruptions create opportunities for fraudsters
• The shocking reality that less than 1% of imported products are actually inspected
• Why "Product of Italy" doesn't guarantee authentic olive oil
• The innovative QR-enabled certification system that educates consumers in real-time

Sobering Statistics:

• Some botanical supplements contain over 80% maltodextrin filler instead of active ingredients
• Food fraud has existed since ancient Rome and flourishes during economic uncertainty
• Most labs focus on facility audits (GMP) rather than actual product testing

This conversation will change how you think about the products on grocery store shelves and highlights why consumers, brands, and retailers need to ask better questions about authenticity testing. As Deleo puts it: "You may think you're doing all the right things - you're missing a really big component."

Find Purity IQ here: https://purity-iq.com/

Find Deleo here: https://www.linkedin.com/in/delsue28/

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast: https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Automating Food Safety with Normex

In this episode, we sit down with Tanguy Etoga, founder and CEO of Normex, to dive into the often overlooked but critically important world of food safety management.

Tanguy shares his fascinating journey from a childhood in Cameroon—where a conversation with his father about preserving mangoes year-round sparked his passion—to becoming a food safety consultant and tech entrepreneur revolutionizing how small and medium food businesses handle compliance.

What We Discovered:

• Why our industry is traditionally slow to adopt new technology (spoiler: we're too busy making food!)
• How AI and IoT sensors are transforming tedious paperwork into streamlined digital processes
• Real examples of companies saving $60,000+ in six months through automation
• The hidden costs of manual food safety processes that most of us don't realize we're paying
• Why even small food businesses with just 2 employees need proper food safety systems
• How one ice cream company freed up 3 quality employees to move into production

My Key Takeaways: From temperature monitoring that used to require hourly manual checks to AI-powered corrective action plans, Tanguy shows us practical applications of technology that actually work—not just buzzword solutions. This isn't about replacing people; it's about eliminating the mundane tasks so our teams can focus on what matters: making great food safely.

Whether you're a food processor, manufacturer, restaurant, or anywhere in our supply chain, this conversation offers valuable insights into protecting your business, your customers, and your reputation. I'll admit, food safety isn't the sexiest topic we've covered, but it might be one of the most essential.

Connect with Normex at normex.ca or follow their educational content on LinkedIn for weekly food safety insights.

Find Tanguy at https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanguyetoga/?originalSubdomain=ca

Thank you to Field Agent Canada for sponsoring the podcast : https://www.fieldagentcanada.com/

Thank you to LeBeauExcel for sponsoring this episode: https://lebeauexcel.com/