• Church’s Texas Chicken CEO on Driving Traffic
    Oct 19 2026

    Value has always been in the DNA of Church’s Texas Chicken, CEO Roland Gonzalez tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Gonzalez sits down with BI senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss how the chain is driving positive traffic for the third consecutive year. He explores improved operations, franchisee support, remodels and how product mix has allowed the company to refrain from price hikes.

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    30 min
  • Northeastern’s Muscolino on Investing in Markets
    Sep 28 2026

    Failure to investigate short interest and earnings quality are two of the most frequent mistakes investors make, Vincent Muscolino, senior lecturer of finance at Northeastern University and former portfolio manager, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Muscolino sits down with BI senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss how analysts, portfolio managers and investors can improve their processes and returns on investment. He also comments on analyzing liquidity, institutional holdings, options and volatility before making investment decisions.

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    1 ora e 6 min
  • Dutch Bros’ Barone on Driving Strong Sales Gains
    Sep 8 2026

    The great ideas in the restaurant industry are typically the ones your customers and teams are already asking for, Dutch Bros CEO Christine Barone tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Barone sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss how the chain’s food expansion and limited-time offer platform will contribute to same-store sales gains. She also comments on the company’s store-development plans, talent pipeline, unit economics and vibe-check scorecard.

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    32 min
  • Hershey’s Rothman on Re-Skilling the Workforce
    Aug 20 2026

    This is a really exciting time to be in HR as we figure out how to re-skill employees so they can use new tools and fit into new roles, Hershey Chief Human Resources Officer Natalie Rothman tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Rothman sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss how the company’s HR department is using AI to re-train employees, shorten the hiring process, help with scheduling and even interview candidates. She also comments on Hershey’s fun culture, attracting talent, employee engagement and the qualities of the company’s best leaders.

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    24 min
  • McWin Capital Partners on Investing in Europe
    Aug 4 2026

    Europe is a complex market, so the cookie-cutter approach to international expansion doesn’t work, Vaibhav Juneja, a principal at McWin Capital Partners, tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Juneja sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst, Michael Halen, to discuss how McWin analyzes potential investments and the do’s and don’ts of expanding a restaurant brand into new markets. He also comments on Subway’s prospects outside the US, the M&A market in Europe, and why Spain, Poland and Central Europe are more attractive target markets than Germany and France.

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    27 min
  • TGI Friday CEO’s Plans for Top-Line Growth
    Jul 16 2026

    TGI Friday’s is eliminating busy work from their general manager’s plates, allowing them to focus on the team members, Sugarloaf Holdings Founder and CEO Ray Blanchette tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Blanchette sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss TGI Friday’s focus on four-wall execution, hospitality and food quality to boost US same-store sales. Blanchette also comments on value, international store development, Middle East sales and the impact of gasoline prices on restaurant spending.

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    32 min
  • Fooda’s CEO on Its Asset-Light Foodservice Model
    Jul 7 2026

    Employers are increasingly paying for more and more food to boost recruitment, productivity, retention and “earn the commute” of their workers, Fooda Founder and CEO Orazio Buzza tells Bloomberg Intelligence. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Buzza sits down with BI’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst Michael Halen to discuss the foodservice company’s unique, asset-light business model. He also comments on workplace attendance trends, catering growth and the benefits of owning their own tech stack.

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    32 min
  • Quality, Portions Feed Handel’s Ice Cream Sales
    Jun 15 2026

    If you do something well with consistency and discipline in the food business, guests will come back, according to Handel’s Ice Cream CEO Jennifer Schuler. In this episode of the Choppin’ It Up podcast, Schuler and Chief Marketing Officer Hillary Frei sit down with Bloomberg Intelligence’s senior restaurant and foodservice analyst, Michael Halen, to discuss the chain’s strong top-line growth. They also comment on product sourcing, innovation and training, as well as their three corporate values: craftsmanship, generosity and community.

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    32 min