1253: Taylor Swenning, Owner of Darlin's Diner
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Release Date: 02/16/2026
Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 24th, 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! Kathy Terry co-founded with her husband, Patrick Terry, in 2005, opening the first location in Austin, Texas. Known as the company’s guiding conscience, she helped shape the brand’s mission around quality food, exceptional service, and community-minded...
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Robert Sloop is the CEO of , a consulting firm that helps restaurant operators improve financial performance, operations, and tech stack implementation. With over 30 years in foodservice, he has served as CFO for leading multi‑concept restaurant groups and now advises owners on data‑driven systems and continuous improvement. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email newsletter: Today's sponsors: - - Private event leads die in inboxes every day. Mia fixes that. She's an AI agent that responds within seconds,...
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Mike Bausch is an industry leader whose restaurant, Andolini's Pizzeria, is a top ten pizzeria in the US, as named by Trip Advisor, BuzzFeed, CNN and USA Today. Andolini's began in 2005 and has grown to five pizzerias, two gelaterias, two food-hall concepts, a food truck, and a fine dining restaurant by 2020. He's a World Pizza Champion, a Guinness Book world record holder, and a writer for Pizza Today, and the author of Unsliced: How to Stay Whole in the Pizzeria Business. Join RULibrary: Join RULive: Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: Subscribe on YouTube: Subscribe to our email...
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Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! 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 Grand Prairie High School,...
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Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 10th, 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! Peter and Martha Pollay are the cofounders of Mandara Hospitality Group, the Asheville restaurant group behind Posana and other hospitality-driven concepts. Built around a philosophy of local ingredients, sustainability, and intentional service, their work...
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Today's guest will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on August 3rd, 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! Molly Irani is the cofounder and chief culture officer of the James Beard Award-winning Chai Pani Restaurant Group in Asheville, North Carolina. She has helped shape the company’s celebrated hospitality, community-minded culture, and people-first management...
info_outlineRestaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Jeff Tonidandel and Jamie Brown are the husband-and-wife team behind Tonidandel-Brown Restaurant Group, one of Charlotte’s most distinctive hospitality groups. After leaving corporate life to travel through Europe, they returned home inspired to open a...
info_outlineRestaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
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! Dan Simons is the co-founder and co-owner of Founding Farmers Restaurant Group, a mission-driven hospitality company built around sustainable food, responsible business practices, and support for American family farmers. Along with his partner Michael Vucurevich, he helped grow Founding Farmers into one of the most recognized restaurant groups in the Washington,...
info_outlineRestaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Chef Mike Cordero is the chef and owner of Cordero Hospitality, bringing more than four decades of experience in the hospitality industry to some of Northern Virginia’s most recognizable restaurants. Known for his creativity, entrepreneurial drive, and...
info_outlineRestaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore
Today's guests will join the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on July 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! Greg Casten is a veteran restaurateur and co-owner of Fish & Fire Food Group, with more than four decades of experience in the fish and seafood industry. He has helped create, develop, and build standout concepts including Ivy City Smokehouse and Tavern,...
info_outlineTaylor Swenning joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 16th, 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!
Taylor Swenning is the creative force and owner behind Darlin’s Diner, a modern small-town spot known for its nostalgic charm and scratch-made comfort food. A Texas A&M graduate who studied Construction Science, Taylor first tested her entrepreneurial chops with a food trailer called Donut Darlin’ before growing it into the full-fledged diner brand locals love today. From managing build-outs and menus to cultivating community events and partnerships, she blends a hands-on work ethic with a genuine heart for hospitality. On this episode, Taylor shares her journey from student side hustle to restaurant ownership, the lessons she’s learned building Darlin’s Diner, and what it really takes to create a place people want to come back to again and again.
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Today's sponsors:
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Restaurant Technologies — the leader in automated cooking oil management. Their Total Oil Management solution is an end-to-end closed loop automated system that delivers, monitors, filters, collects, and recycles your cooking oil eliminating one of the dirtiest jobs in the kitchen.. Automate your oil and elevate your kitchen by visiting rti-inc.com or call 888-779-5314 to get started!
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Restaurant Systems Pro - Lower your prime cost by $1,000, and get paid $1,000 with the Restaurant Systems Pro 30-Day Prime Cost Challenge. If you successfully improve your prime cost by $1,000 or more compared to the same 30-day period last year, Restaurant Systems Pro will pay you $1,000. It's a "reverse guarantee."
Let’s make 2026 the year your restaurant thrives.
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US Foods®. Running a restaurant takes MORE than great food—it takes reliable deliveries, quality products, and smart tools. US Foods® helps you make it. Ready to level up?
Visit: usfoods.com/expectmore.
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Guest contact info:
- Website: https://www.darlinsdiner.com
- Instagram: @darlins.diner
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