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668: Krista Kintop Phillips and Caitlin Kintop Fletcher on Sharing Passion

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Release Date: 11/18/2019

1264: David T. Denney and Chelsea Masters, Partners and Denney Law Firm show art 1264: David T. Denney and Chelsea Masters, Partners and Denney Law Firm

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Today's guests join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 27th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! David T. Denney is the founder of Denney Law Group, a Dallas-based firm that counsels startups and growing companies on corporate transactions, business litigation, real estate, franchising, and beverage alcohol licensing, with a particular focus on the food,...

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1263: Eric Reed, Chief Development Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers show art 1263: Eric Reed, Chief Development Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Eric Reed and Natalie Hurley (also of Layne's) join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 20th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Eric Reed is the Chief Development Officer at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where he leads the brand’s aggressive growth and real estate strategy as the company scales its footprint across existing and new markets. With more than two...

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1262: Natalie Hurley, VP of Marketing at Layne’s Chicken Fingers show art 1262: Natalie Hurley, VP of Marketing at Layne’s Chicken Fingers

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Natalie Hurley and Eric Reed (also of Layne's) join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 20th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Natalie Hurley is the Vice President of Marketing at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where she leads brand strategy and growth for the “Soon to be Famous” chicken finger franchise as it expands nationwide. With nearly 20 years of...

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1261: Alex Camp & Cuyler Esposito, VP of Operations Services, VP of Culture Operations at Layne's Chicken Fingers show art 1261: Alex Camp & Cuyler Esposito, VP of Operations Services, VP of Culture Operations at Layne's Chicken Fingers

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Alex Camp and Cuyler Esposito join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 13th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Alex Camp is the vice president of operations services at Layne’s Chicken Fingers, where he serves as the “central nervous system” of the brand’s rapidly growing franchise system. After joining Layne’s in 2024 as senior director of...

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1260: Albert Sanchez, Co-Founder of Beto’s Mexican Restaurant show art 1260: Albert Sanchez, Co-Founder of Beto’s Mexican Restaurant

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Albert Sanchez and Chris Schultz join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 6th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Albert Sanchez is the co‑founder and owner of Beto’s Mexican Restaurant, a family‑owned Mexican restaurant based in Grand Prairie, Texas, that has been serving the community since 1993. A lifelong Grand Prairie resident and graduate of South...

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1259: Chris Schultz, CEO of Velvet Taco show art 1259: Chris Schultz, CEO of Velvet Taco

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Chris Schultz joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on April 6th, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chris Schultz is the CEO of , a fast-casual taco brand known for its globally inspired, chef-driven tacos and cult-favorite Weekly Taco Feature program. He brings more than 30 years of restaurant leadership experience to the role and is focused on leading Velvet...

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1258: Jo Irizarry, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor at Barbs-B-Q and Thorn & Bred show art 1258: Jo Irizarry, Serial Entrepreneur and Investor at Barbs-B-Q and Thorn & Bred

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Jo Irizarry and Skeeter Miller join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 23rd, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Jo Irizarry is an investor and mentor in the modern Texas barbecue scene, best known for backing nationally acclaimed concepts like Barbs-B-Q and butcher shop and restaurant Thorn & Bred. As an early believer in Barbs-B-Q, Jo helped support...

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1257: John Russ, Chef/Owner of Clementine show art 1257: John Russ, Chef/Owner of Clementine

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

John Russ and Kim Beechner join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 30th, 2026 at 11AM EST.  To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Chef John Russ is the chef-owner of , a celebrated neighborhood restaurant in San Antonio known for its seasonally driven menus and warm, family-centered hospitality. A New Orleans native and 2023 James Beard Award finalist for Best Chef: Texas,...

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1256: Kim Beechner, CEO of Embark Marketing show art 1256: Kim Beechner, CEO of Embark Marketing

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Kim Beechner joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 30th, 2026 at 11AM EST.  To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Kim Beechner is the CEO and founder of Embark Marketing, a boutique digital agency specializing in the food and beverage and hospitality industries. Drawing on more than a decade in marketing and many years in the restaurant and bar world, she helps...

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1255: Skeeter Miller, Owner and President of The County Line Bar-B-Q Restaurant Group show art 1255: Skeeter Miller, Owner and President of The County Line Bar-B-Q Restaurant Group

Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Skeeter Miller joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 23rd, 2026 at 11AM EST. To join us and engage with all our guests and events, go to restaurantunstoppable.com/live -OR- to just catch today's guest, head over to restaurantunstoppable.com/cwe and we will get you a link to join that specific event for FREE! Don “Skeeter” Miller is the longtime owner and president of The County Line, the iconic Texas barbecue institution he helped launch in Austin in 1975. Starting as the restaurant’s first dishwasher, he worked every job in the house before being invited into...

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More Episodes

The Cheese Board in Reno, NV was founded in 1981 by Debbie Branby. Nearly 40 years later, in 2017, after about a decade of working at the Cheese Board for Debbie, sisters Krista Kintop Phillips and Caitlin Kintop Fletcher purchased their place of employment. The transition from employee to owner hasn't been easy, but they have handled it with grace.

Show notes…

Favorite success quote or mantra:

  • "What if you fall? What if you fly?"
  • There is no elevator for success; you have to take the stairs."

In today's episode with Krista Kintop Phillips and Caitlin Kintop Fletcher we will discuss:

  • Focus on best-case-scenario
  • Slow road to success
  • Women pioneers in the restaurant industry
  • Transformative relationships with your staff
  • Debbie Branby opening the restaurant back ion 1981 and its evolutions
  • Evolving with the market
  • Surviving recessions
  • The importance of inventory management
  • Insurance policies
  • "Oh shit" money and the need for it
  • Navigating emotional connections to your business
  • Partnerships/family partnerships
  • Lawyers and legality of buying a business

Today's sponsor:

BentoBox empowers restaurants to own their presence, profits and relationships. The hospitality platform disrupts third-party services that come between the restaurant and the guest. BentoBox puts the restaurant first and offers tools that drive high-margin revenue directly through the restaurant’s website. BentoBox is trusted and loved by over 5,000 restaurants worldwide including Union Square Hospitality Group, Eleven Madison Park, Gramercy Tavern, Lilia and more.

Restaurant365 is a cloud-based, all-in-one, restaurant-specific accounting and back-office platform that seamlessly integrates with POS systems, payroll providers, food and beverage vendors. It generates accurate real-time reporting and analysis in user-friendly dashboards, facilitating immediate, data-driven decision making. Restaurant365 eliminates manual, error-prone processes and is designed to help restaurant businesses grow with functionality that helps optimize labor costs, reduce food costs and increase revenue.

 

Knowledge bombs

  1. Which "it factor" habit, trait, or characteristic you believe most contributes to your success?
    • Hard work
  2. What is your biggest weakness?
    • Relinquishing control
  3. What's one question you ask or thing you look for during an interview?
    • "If you could anything from anywhere in the world, what would it be?" Looking for an authentic, interesting answer.
  4. What's a current challenge? How are you dealing with it?
    • SOPs - standard operating procedures
  5. Share one code of conduct or behavior you teach your team.
    • Respect each other
  6. What is one uncommon standard of service you teach your staff?
    • Humor, safe place
  7. What's one book we must read to become a better person or restaurant owner?
  8. What's the one thing you feel restaurateurs don't know well enough or do often enough?
    • Know their costs, watch their costs; avoid mistakes
  9. What's one piece of technology you've adopted within your four walls restaurant and how has it influence operations?
  10. If you got the news that you'd be leaving this world tomorrow and all memories of you, your work, and your restaurants would be lost with your departure with the exception of 3 pieces of wisdom you could leave behind for the good of humanity, what would they be?
    • Don't take yourself too seriously
    • Be authentic
    • All you need is love.

Contact info:

Website: www.cheeseboardcatering.com

Check out Krista and Caitlin's podcast The Good, The Bad, & The Drinking

Thanks for listening!

Thanks so much for joining today! Have some feedback you’d like to share? Leave a note in the comment section below!

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Huge thanks to Krista Kintop Phillips and Caitlin Kintop Fletcher for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

 

Restaurant Unstoppable is a free podcast. One of the ways I'm able to make it free is by earning a commission when sharing certain products with you. I've made it a core value to only share tools, resources, and services my guest mentors have recommend, first. If you're finding value in my podcast, please use my links!