Podcast: Download

Featuring Food Industry Leaders

Click Here to View All Show Photos! 

Matt Andrew/Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint Franchise System
Founder, Chairman, President & Chief Pizza Maker

Matt Andrew founded Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint in March 2008, and serves as the companys Chairman, President & Chief Pizza Maker. Prior to founding Uncle Maddios, Andrew served as the Moes Southwest Grill President. Andrew was one of the original five founding members of Moes Southwest Grill having joined the company ten months after the concept was launched.

About Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint. With more than 1,000 Pizza Makers making more than 2,000,000 gourmet pizzas a year, Uncle Maddio’s Pizza Joint is category leader of the create-your-own premium fast casual pizza restaurants, operating 34 locations in 14 states. With 225 units in development, Uncle Maddio’s earned a 300 percent growth rate over the last three years and is projected to double in size in 2015. Uncle Maddio’s pizzas are customizable, made-to-order, and served up fast for under about $7. With four pizza sizes; three types of crusts, including gluten-free; six sauces and 48 fresh toppings, many vegan, organic, and hormone-free, Uncle Maddio’s has the freshest and largest menu in the category. The restaurant’s unique fast bake ovens offer the most throughput in the industry and can produce 200 pizzas per hour. Uncle Maddio’s also serves toasted paninis and gourmet salads – all prepared with locally sourced ingredients (when available) and salad dressings and 30 other menu items that are made on-site daily. Uncle Maddio’s ‘Served with Love’ philosophy and restaurant is for everyone -children and families, college students, the young and the young at heart – and serves the guests and communities it is a part of. Based in Atlanta, the Uncle Maddio’s management team has 50 years combined experienced in the fast casual category. Markets are available nationwide for franchise partner development including Florida, Ohio, and Massachusetts.

Andrew was responsible for running the company, overseeing operations, marketing, financial, franchise support, customer service and training departments. He has held various positions within the company acquiring skills and providing leadership. Since 2004, Andrew held the position of Senior Vice President of Corporate Strategy & Services for Raving Brands Holdings, which included Moes, Mama Fus, Doc Greens, Boneheads and Monkey Joes. Andrew was responsible for managing the financial, legal, human resources and corporate administration functions for Raving Brands. Prior to this position, Andrew held the position of Vice President, Finance and Corporate Services for Moes. He provided leadership in building these departments from their inception.

Andrew earned an undergraduate degree from University of Florida. Matt enjoys traveling, fishing, golfing, mountain biking and studying American history. Matt lives in Atlanta with his wife, Esther.

www.UncleMaddios.com | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

Jim Silverman/Vienna Beef Ltd
Director Multi – Unit & Foodservice Sales, East

 

Jim is a Foodservice Industry veteran working in Restaurant operations, Franchise Sales and Foodservice Sales. Jim started his career at 14 years old as a part-time dishwasher at a Howard Johnson’s in Philadelphia. Since this time, he has never left the Foodservice Industry.

www.ViennaBeef.com | LinkedIn | Twitter | Twitter (Jim) | Facebook

 

 

Melissa Bunnen/Piece Of Cake Inc
Owner

Melissa Bunnen started Piece of Cake Inc. when she moved back to Atlanta from New York City in 1985, and found herself without a job. When living in NYC,Bunnen remembered reading an article that stated, More and more things will be delivered to homes and office instead of just Chinese food. Melissa Bunnen remembered this article and decided delivering cakes to offices would be a successful business. Bunnen and her business partner, Helen Cleveland, started with $500 and threw a launch party. The two women made cakes and delivered them one at a time, out of Bunnens tiny Atlanta apartment. After a year, Bunnen and Cleveland bought a storefront location in Howell Mill. Since then, Piece of Cake Inc. has expanded to 10 locations in the Atlanta area, including one in the airport. Bunnen has always taken pride in encouraging women leadership and the development of young women. Piece of Cake Inc. has won Atlanta Magazine’s, Best Of Atlanta many times and has been featured on CNN, TBS and Atlanta Business Chronicle.

www.PieceofCakeInc.com | Twitter | Facebook

 

Helen Cleveland/Piece of Cake Inc
Co Founder

Since 1985, Piece of Cake has been baking gourmet cakes from scratch, wrapping them beautifully, and delivering them to our customers’ doors. Over the years, we’ve delivered tens of thousands of mouth-watering cakes all across the country. We’ve delivered to birthday parties, office parties and holiday parties. We’ve baked for clients, family and friends. And each cake is carefully made from scratch with only the finest, all-natural ingredients, just like you’d use at home.  And that’s when we got to thinking. If we can make delicious homemade cakes, what about delicious homemade cookies? And sumptuous cheese straws? And what about cupcakes? The rest is baking history.

www.PieceofCakeInc.com | Twitter | Facebook

 

 

Denise Romeo/Atlanta Food Bloggers’ Society
President

Denise Romeo is the founding editor and primary author of the award-winning blog: We Like To Cook! Five years ago, Denise and her husband started chronicling all the recipes and tricks they used in their home kitchen for their boys to have when they were grown; making memories and creating traditions with their own families. Needless to say the project snowballed.

Known in the Atlanta area for her communications skills, Denise has turned her attentions to the Atlanta Food Bloggers Society for whom she serves as President with the goal of promoting all things food in the city of Atlanta.

Speaker At TECHmunch Atlanta; Voted “Best Atlanta Food Tweeter” By Creative Loafing readers; New member of the Atlanta Press Club; serve as occassional Food Editor for the Virginia-Highland Civic Association.

AtlantaFoodBloggerSociety.com | Twitter | Facebook | Instagram |Pintrest

 

 

 

 

Click Here to View All Show Photos!