How do you turn a street food concept into a global brand with nearly 400 locations? On this episode of Behind the Numbers, hosts Rich Sweeney and Marc Cohen interview the financial architects behind Dave’s Hot Chicken: CFO James McGehee and SVP of Finance Scott Putman.

They discuss the brand's explosion from a parking lot to an international sensation, utilizing a lean team and powerful tech stack to support hundreds of franchisees. James and Scott break down the numbers, revealing how they process 25 million pounds of chicken annually and why "extra large birds" are critical to their craveable product. Plus, hear about their new partnership with the largest restaurant owner in the world and what’s coming next with "Dave's After Dark".

In this episode:

• Operational Excellence: Moving from 3.8 to 4.7 stars on Yelp/Google.
• Franchise Economics: AUVs of $3M and strong ROIC.
• Menu Innovation: The success of "Cauliflower" and secret menu hacks.

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Black Rock Coffee Bar has doubled its footprint since 2020 and now ships over 26,000 pounds of beans per week to fuel more than 162 locations. But according to VP of Learning and Operations Services Heather Kulzak, the secret isn’t the coffee—it’s the people.

In this episode of Behind the Numbers, Heather joins Marc Cohen and Rich Sweeney to discuss how Black Rock trains 2,500+ employees, maintains drink consistency across states, manages rapid expansion, and leverages Restaurant365 for accurate inventory, smarter ordering, and profit-driving business acumen.

A conversation about culture, scalability, and the numbers behind a fast-growing national coffee brand.

Connect with the Heather & Black Rock Coffee

Connect with Heather Kluzak on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/heather-beutel/

Visit Black Rock Coffee Website: https://www.br.coffee/

Follow Black Rock Coffee on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blackrockcoffeebar/

Follow Black Rock Coffee on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/blackrockcoffeebar

Follow Black Rock Coffee on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@blackrockcoffeeofficial

Taziki’s Mediterranean Café has grown to 108 locations by holding tightly to one belief: hospitality still matters. But scaling that belief required clarity.

In this episode, we sit down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s, and Jean Silva from Square to explore how the partnership between Taziki’s, Square, and Restaurant365 reshaped the company’s entire operational approach.

They break down how unified data unlocked visibility they never had before, why guest frequency at 3.5 visits became a breakthrough insight, how actual vs theoretical food cost exposed hidden waste, and why the future of restaurant tech depends on both simplicity and partnership.

• Visit Taziki's Website: https://www.tazikis.com/
• Visit Square: https://squareup.com
• Visit Restaurant365: https://www.restaurant365.com/