Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands, and Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken, break down one of the most talked-about moves in hospitality—Craveworthy Brands’ acquisition by Big Chicken!

Key Takeaways

Can’t Just Build It and Expect Them to Come
Building in Public—Vulnerability as a Growth Strategy
Lose the Ego, Gain the Audience

Filmed at the site of the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, IL., Gregg Majewski sits down with Shawn Walchef—the podcast king of the restaurant industry, owner of Cali BBQ in San Diego, and founder of Cali BBQ Media. Shawn shares his journey from struggling barbecue joint to industry influencer, highlighting how building in public, embracing social media, and staying curious can transform a brand. This episode dives deep into why storytelling matters, the importance of community, and how even big names like Shaquille O’Neal rely on authentic relationships to grow successful restaurant brands. Tune in to discover actionable insights on leadership, growth, and making an impact in today’s restaurant landscape.

You Can't Just Build It and Expect People to Come

In the restaurant industry, simply having a great product isn’t enough—you need to actively draw people in. As Shawn put it, “I thought if we made great barbecue in a tough location in San Diego, people would come. And the true reality is you can serve great barbecue, but you also have to use the tools that are available. The technology that's at our fingertips that a lot of us take for granted, I just started using because I would have gone out of business if I didn't otherwise.”

Instead, restaurateurs must embrace marketing, storytelling, and community building to bring guests through the door. This means investing in social media, podcasts, and videos, even if it feels uncomfortable at first. Shawn emphasized, “You can have all the social media in the world... but if we have terrible barbecue, if we can’t make great brisket... then all of that doesn’t matter.” Excellence in product and storytelling go hand in hand.

Building in Public—Vulnerability as a Growth Strategy

One of Shawn’s biggest lessons was learning to embrace vulnerability by sharing his journey publicly. He said, “I believe a rising tide lifts all ships... We’re looking for other ships, other leaders that are willing to look stupid, sound stupid, do the work, and then as they do the work, build in public.”

This concept—building in public—helps create trust and authenticity in a crowded marketplace. It shows that success doesn’t happen overnight and that even the best stumble along the way. Shawn’s advice is to “remove the ego and say, you know, I don’t know the answers. That’s why I reach out to you.”
By being transparent about challenges and wins, leaders inspire their teams and peers to grow together.

Lose the Ego, Gain the Audience

Stepping into the public eye as a restaurant leader can be intimidating, but it’s a crucial step to building trust and brand loyalty. As Shawn Walchelf put it: “You have to remove the ego. Who cares? Because the 76th view...what if it's the one person that has 50 restaurants that wants to partner with Craveworthy Brands.”

By dropping the fear of “looking stupid” and embracing platforms like TikTok and YouTube, leaders can create authentic connections with their audience. Gregg Majewski underscores this by saying, “We never use this to sell our brand... It's just to get the traffic going so people know that we're an industry leader... and that is all part of that storytelling moment that you've made sort of famous.” Removing ego allows leaders to build trust, attract partners, and position themselves as the safe home for growth and opportunity in the restaurant industry.

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ABOUT SHAWN WALCHEF

Shawn P. Walchef is the founder of Cali BBQ Media, a podcast host, business coach, and proud dad. Since opening Cali BBQ in 2008, his family-run restaurant and media company in San Diego has generated over $30 million in sales. As a restaurateur who started during the Great Recession, Shawn mastered using digital tools and innovative ideas to stay afloat. During the pandemic, he and his team developed a scalable plan that tripled the profitability of the traditional full-service restaurant model.

Shawn hosts two weekly video podcast series: Digital Hospitality and Restaurant Influencers. These podcasts are part of his growing media empire, which also includes content creation, consulting, and digital services to help others with their smartphone storytelling. His strategies have garnered attention from major media outlets like Amazon Prime TV, Bloomberg TV, Entrepreneur, Inc., Eater, ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox News. Committed to helping others succeed, Shawn is dedicated to guiding businesses to the right digital tools and social media strategies to unlock endless opportunities.

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About Gregg Majewski

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.

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Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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Shawn Walchef is Building Community & Storytelling in the Restaurant Industry