From franchisee to COO, Joseph’s 20-year career in the restaurant industry has been an exhilarating one!
In a recent episode of the Restaurant Growth Unwrapped Podcast, Brian Siemienas sits down with Joseph Unger, Brand President and Chief Operating Officer at Gosh Enterprises LLC, to discuss his journey and dive into the world of culinary innovation and hospitality excellence.
In this episode, Joseph discusses:
- Key experiences that have helped shape his career
- The importance of truly listening to your customers and understanding what their needs are
- His approach to restaurant management and marketing
- Actionable strategies from his experience to inspire and guide restaurant professionals
In this blog, we’ll cover the main points of Brian’s exciting conversation with Joseph. Follow along and listen to the podcast here.
Joseph Unger’s Career Path: From Subway To Gosh Enterprises
Joseph’s 20-year career in the restaurant industry has been an exciting one, to say the least.
He began his journey as a franchisee owner and operator at Subway, where he started full steam ahead from the get-go. As a franchisee owner, Joseph had to understand everything about the business, from the behind-the-scenes work to who they represent in their communities and who they impact in their buildings.
One of the most impactful experiences during his time at Subway was the catering piece. In 2008, his franchise started catering in a small town in Columbus, Indiana, and it was a massive hit. From there, Subway’s catering side of the business exploded, and that event inevitably became Subway’s catering model throughout the US and Canada.
His career continued at Taco Bell where he went from Area Coach to Regional Vice President.
“I had the opportunity to launch All Access with Taco Bell, which really challenged me to always look at what’s next. Not only from a tech side, but from a user experience standpoint. What do the next 5 or 10 years look like? How do we continue to grow sales in our business? It was a really amazing experience for me.” – Joseph Unger
Before taking on his role at Gosh Enterprises, Joseph was the Chief Operating Officer and Senior Vice President of REEF Technology. During that time, Joseph had the opportunity to gain extensive international experience and lead a global growth plan in the UK and Canada.
“Every opportunity in the industry shapes you and molds you into who you are and who you will become. Having international experience with REEF, in-depth customer experience with Taco Bell, and franchise operator experience with Subway are three big things that I would tell you have led me to where I am today.” – Joseph Unger
A New Beginning at Gosh Enterprises: Implementing a Customer-Centric Focus
GOSH Enterprises is a dynamic, rapidly growing company that oversees a family of brands, including:
- Charleys: A 620+ unit restaurant brand known worldwide for serving the #1 Philly Cheesesteak in the World
- Bibibop Asian Grill: An award-winning, 40+ unit Korean-inspired fast casual restaurant concept
- Lenny’s Grill and Subs: A Memphis-based 70+ unit chain serving high-quality deli subs and hot subs
- Charleys Kids: A non-profit partnering with like-minded organizations around the world to provide food, education, and mentorship to at-risk children.
- Solar Planet: A company that provides solar field advisory and installation services
Today, Gosh is moving towards over a thousand units in its portfolio.
Now one year into his role at Gosh, Joseph is reflecting on his approach to how he assessed the business in his first days on the job.
“I really focused on the customer and what the customer was telling us. Who do they think we are? And what do we need to improve on? I think listening to our customers is the most important thing when we assess any brand. I also prioritize the franchisees and the teams out there in the field. So when I assessed the brand when I came into GOSH, but more specifically into Lennys, it’s about seeing the people and understanding what we can do better, not just what we’re doing well.” – Joseph Unger
Joseph understands the importance of prioritizing the customer experience. After all, your customers are the heart and soul of your restaurant.
There are several reasons why the customer experience is so crucial in the restaurant industry:
- Building customer loyalty: Restaurants thrive on repeat business. When customers have a positive experience, from food quality to service, they are more likely to return. Loyal customers also become brand advocates, promoting the restaurant to friends, family, and through online reviews, driving further traffic.
- Differentiation in a competitive market: The restaurant industry is one of the most competitive, and with countless dining options available, customer experience is a key differentiator. Many restaurants serve similar food, but the experience—whether through exceptional service, ambiance, or personal touches—can set one establishment apart from another, making customers choose it over competitors.
- Reviews: Sometimes, it feels like all it takes is one poor review to hurt the long-term trajectory of your restaurant. Reviews on platforms like Yelp, Google, and TripAdvisor can significantly influence a restaurant’s success. Prioritizing the customer ensures that diners leave with positive experiences, leading to better reviews, which in turn attract more patrons. Word-of-mouth referrals also play a vital role in driving new customers.
- Crisis management and retention: When issues arise, prioritizing the customer ensures that problems are handled effectively. Customers who feel heard and valued, even after a mistake, are more likely to give the restaurant another chance, preserving customer relationships and minimizing churn.
- Long-term profitability: Ultimately, focusing on the customer boosts long-term profitability. Satisfied customers bring repeat business, higher sales per visit, and lower marketing costs due to word-of-mouth and organic referrals.
Battling Consumer Pushback on Price Points
The current state of pricing in the restaurant industry is facing significant challenges. In 2024, restaurant prices have continued to rise faster than the overall inflation rate, primarily due to labor shortages, increased wages, and higher food costs. Many large chains, such as Chipotle, have raised prices to counteract labor cost increases, with some hikes reaching over 7%. Consequently, this has led to a decrease in the number of meals consumers can afford, even though they are still spending more on dining out overall.
With Lenny’s Grills and Subs, Joseph wanted to be strategic about value and pricing. This ultimately led to an $8 meal deal, which includes a 5-inch sub, chip or cookie, and a drink. All that for $8? We’ll take two!
But why is value such an important part of Lenny’s? The goal of the company is to be a neighborhood sub-shop that understands the people and what the community is going through.
“People can’t be spending $15 every time they get a meal, so our value deal is important to us. It’s a win for the customer and franchise. I learned a long time ago, that a fair deal is when both the customer and the franchisees are both winning. And here we believe we’re both winning.” – Joseph Unger
Remaining Consistent in An Industry of Change
With intense competition in the restaurant industry, if your company isn’t consistently delivering remarkable customer experiences, it’s at risk.
Joseph oversees several different brands, so it’s mission-critical that each location is exhausting to the lending standards. The first step to success is to partner with great vendors.
“Our vendors help us build a standard checklist of what every franchisee should be doing. We make sure that the franchisees are adhering to those brand standards, the number one being food safety. Any establishment has to have food safety as the number one priority. Nothing else matters besides that.” – Joseph Unger
While, of course, food safety is a top priority, organizations can’t forget about operations and communication with your system, franchisees, corporation, people, and customers. What are customers saying? What can your organization do to help? These questions should shape your 2025 strategy.
From Podcast Episode to Industry Titan
Joseph’s journey from franchisee to COO has certainly been an exciting one! Listen to the full podcast episode to learn more about:
- Engaging directly with customers to help tailor restaurant offerings
- How to embrace technology and innovation to stay competitive
- Understanding the economic landscape and adjusting value offerings can help drive customer frequency
- Empowering team members leads to a better overall customer experience
Discover how restaurant groups use Nift as a cost-effective, 100% trackable net-new customer acquisition channel to lower their CPA, hit ROAS targets, and grow their database with first-party data, and request a demo with our team.
About the Author
Brian Siemienas is a seasoned marketing professional with over 25 years of experience in the restaurant, hospitality, and entertainment industries. As the Vice President of Restaurant Solutions at Nift, Brian is passionate about driving customer acquisition and enhancing restaurant traffic.
Before Nift, Brian’s tenure included leading marketing for brands like Darden, Margaritaville, and Hard Rock. Most recently, he was the CMO at IMCMV, overseeing 28 Margaritaville and Landshark Bar & Grill restaurants across the United States. Brian orchestrated a symphony of brand strategy, communications, partnerships, advertising, creative development, public relations, loyalty programs, and digital/social media in this role. Brian’s fingerprints are all over the success of these iconic establishments.
When Brian isn’t shaping marketing landscapes, he calls Orlando, FL, home. An avid theme park enthusiast, he explores local attractions, travels, and passionately follows college and NFL football. Brian holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Telecommunications and a Master’s in Mass Communications from the University of Florida.
