In this episode of Grounded, Lauren Mitchell sits down with Billy Loesch to explore the mindset, risk tolerance, and systems required to scale a modern food brand. Billy shares his journey from Wall Street to founding Baya Bar in 2016, and how he grew the concept from a single Brooklyn location to 41 locations with more in development.
Billy Loesch is the Founder and CEO of Baya Bar, one of the fastest-growing smoothie and açaí concepts in the U.S., featured in Entrepreneur Magazine’s Franchise 500.

🔑 5 Key Takeaways

1. Billy’s early entrepreneurial mindset showed up long before Baya Bar, from selling trinkets as a kid to viewing every opportunity through a risk-and-reward lens.
2. Wall Street taught him relentless sales discipline and negotiation—skills he later applied directly to franchising, leasing, and brand growth.
3. Scaling required unlearning the “do it yourself” mentality and replacing it with trust, delegation, and repeatable systems.
4. Baya Bar’s customer experience is highly intentional, from bowl design and music playlists to loyalty technology and ingredient sourcing.
5. One of the biggest blind spots in food & beverage today is bad leases—unsustainable rent can sink even great concepts before they hit their stride.

💬 Quote of the Episode

🔗 Connect with the Guest(s)

• Billy Loesch — Founder & CEO, Baya Bar
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/billy-loesch-956704122/
  • Website: https://bayabar.com/

Book Recommendation: Traction by Gino Wickman - Get a Grip on Your Business

Podcast Recommendation: The Game

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Hopdoddy Burger Bar President & CEO Jeff Chandler joins Lauren Mitchell to break down what it takes to scale a fast-casual brand without losing what makes it special. Jeff shares leadership lessons from his University of Washington football days, how Hopdoddy approaches authentic hospitality, and why quality-driven sourcing and true vendor partnerships matter—especially after COVID. If you’re building culture, driving growth, or navigating menu innovation, this episode is packed with practical insights you can steal today.
Jeff Chandler is the President & CEO of Hopdoddy Burger Bar, with more than 30 years of experience in the restaurant industry.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Precision and accountability can be taught—and enforced. Jeff shares Coach Don James’ “Timex” lesson: being “on time” meant being early, and if you missed the bus, it left without you.
2. Hopdoddy focuses on unscripted, authentic hospitality. Instead of scripting greetings, they hire for attitude and personality—then tell team members to “just be yourself.”
3. Variety and quality are core differentiators—not marketing fluff. Beyond beef, Hopdoddy offers bison, turkey, chicken, a veggie patty (“sole patty”), and a sashimi-grade ahi tuna burger that’s ground and seared to avoid the “dry filet” experience.
4. Supplier relationships are built for the long haul, not annual price shopping. Jeff describes “true partnerships,” shaped by who showed up during COVID, and annual supplier meetings where both sides share how to be better partners.
5. Growth and innovation require guardrails to protect operators. Hopdoddy balances trend-spotting (especially via social media) with operational mastery by making intentional menu updates three times a year—and measuring brand health heavily through retention and turnover.

💬 Quote of the Episode

🔗 Connect with the Guest(s)

• Jeff Chandler — President & CEO, Hopdoddy Burger Bar
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-chandler-02881545/
  • Website: https://www.hopdoddy.com/

🎧 Ways to Tune In

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Episode Overview

In this episode of Grounded, host Lauren Mitchell sits down with James Bonanno, Founder & CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group, to unpack how a kitchen dream turned into a fast-growing hospitality portfolio across Long Island—and beyond. James shares the “two weeks to open” origin story behind Tap Room, what it really takes to scale from one location to 20+, and how culture, character, and tech have helped Upstream become a Top Workplace of 2025.
James Bonanno is the Founder & CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group, whose brands include Tap Room, Bingo Bowls, and iconic seasonal waterfront venues like Salt Shack—all united by a mission to “go upstream” through originality and pushing boundaries.

5 Key Takeaways

1. Action beats perfection—especially early on. James explains how Tap Room came together fast: a vacant space, an opportunity, and the decision to jump in before feeling “ready.”
2. Scaling requires shifting from reactive to professional operations. Moving past “firefighting” meant building systems, getting visibility into numbers, and running the business like an organization—not a one-location hustle.
3. Know your numbers in near real-time. Upstream leaned into operational tech so food and liquor costs aren’t a month late—they’re visible quickly enough to actually manage.
4. Culture can scale when values are clear and lived. James highlights values like “saying yes” and quality, with examples like honoring life events and creating a great guest experience even in a parking lot during COVID.
5. Technology is a leadership advantage when it saves time and sharpens focus. James shares how ClickUp’s AI-powered executive dashboard gives him a quick snapshot of what’s on track, behind, and ahead across the leadership team.

Connect with the Guest(s)

• James Bonanno — Founder & CEO, Upstream Hospitality Group
  
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-bonanno-a5a665103/
• • Website: https://upstreamhospitality.com/

🎧 Ways to Tune In

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Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grounded/id1680909033
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