As VP of culinary innovation at Untamed Brands, the parent company of fast-casual Taim Mediterranean Kitchen and Hot Chicken Takeover, Avi Szapiro brings years of fine-dining experience to the job.
He grew up in Bogota, Colombia, and thought he’d become a lawyer. But he caught the cooking bug as a teenager and never looked back.
Szapiro graduated from the CIA; worked in top restaurants and hotels in Latin America, Europe and California; operated his own highly rated restaurant in New Haven, Conn.; and cooked in volume for a nonprofit in India. Now, he’s excited about playing with the rich, varied flavors of the Eastern Mediterranean in developing craveable menus for 13-unit Taim and creating fresh, bold items for Hot Chicken Takeover.
Sustainability is the three-pillar foundation of both concepts, with environmental, social and economic components all having equal weight in Szapiro’s vision. Listen as he talks about his menu mission, why he’s laser-focused on the guest experience and where Untamed may be going next as the company expands its fast-casual footprint.
How restaurant trends are impacting dining in senior living
How Corner Bakery stays on top of the trends as consumer needs change
How Spanish tapas restaurant Boqueria is evolving its menu as it grows
How senior living menus are shifting
How Ocean Prime is changing up the menu to meet today’s dining style
What food trends are on tap for 2020?
How Galit’s seasonal menu expands diners’ vision of Middle Eastern food
How fast casual Antique Taco found success with catering
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free
50 Tastes Of Gray
Walk-In Talk Podcast
The Recipe with Kenji and Deb
Black Beauty
The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn
Gastropod
Christopher Kimball’s Milk Street Radio