Restaurant Unstoppable with Eric Cacciatore

Taylor 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. 
Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary
Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live
Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve
Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable
Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/
Today's sponsors:
-
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.
-
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
Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Jody Fiess is the COO of Cerboni Financial Services, HQ'd in Houston, Texas. Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Cerboni Services was formed in 2017 to help independent restaurants manage their financials and lower costs through performance based metrics. Today, Cerboni helps around 800 restaurants nationwide. 
Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary
Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live
Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve
Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable
Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/
Today's sponsors:
-
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!
-
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.
-
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.
-
Guest contact info: 
Website: https://cerboniservices.com
Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Pete Mora 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!
Pedro "Pete" Mora is the founder and CEO of Fajita Pete's, a Houston-based Tex-Mex concept built around catering, delivery, and a streamlined fajita-focused menu. Born in Colombia and raised with an entrepreneurial push from his family, he opened his first full-service Mexican restaurant, Poblano's, at age 23 in 2002, discovering that guests were most excited about fajitas and off-premise catering. In 2008 he closed that restaurant and launched Fajita Pete's, reimagining the business as a compact, catering first brand that delivers fresh fajitas, tacos, and flautas directly to homes, offices, and events.
A graduate of the University of Houston's entrepreneurship program, Mora has grown Fajita Pete's from a single Houston location into a fast-growing franchise recognized on lists of top emerging franchise brands, all while keeping the model intentionally simple and hospitality-driven. On this episode, Pete shares how he went from crafting tables in his garage to building a scalable restaurant system, why he believes hospitality matters more than square footage, and what he's learned about grit, franchising, and "achieving the American dream one fajita at a time."
Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary
Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live
Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve
Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable
Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/
Today's sponsors:
-
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!
-
Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof. Call (281) 888-2413 and mention Restaurant Unstoppable to get 20% off your first month of service.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Guest contact info: 
Email: [email protected]
Website: https://fajitapetes.com/
Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Joshua Santana is the co-founder of Cerboni Services, an outsourced accounting and financial consulting firm dedicated to helping restaurant and hospitality operators turn numbers into smarter decisions. A Houston native and graduate of the University of Houston with a degree in Accounting, Joshua has spent more than 15 years specializing in tax strategy, compliance, and financial planning for both individuals and businesses through his work with Santana & Associates, Cerboni's sister tax firm. At Cerboni, he combines deep tax expertise with industry-specific financial insight to build forecasting, budgeting, and reporting systems that help owners improve profitability, control costs, and reach their long-term growth goals. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Joshua partners closely with operators nationwide to demystify their financials and give them the clarity and confidence to run more resilient, profitable restaurants.
Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary
Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live
Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve
Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable
Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/
Today's sponsors:
-
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!
-
Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof. Call (281) 888-2413 and mention Restaurant Unstoppable to get 20% off your first month of service.
-
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.
-
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.
-
Guest contact info: 
Website: https://cerboniservices.com
Email: [email protected]
Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Sam Caucci joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on March 9th, 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!
Sam Caucci is the founder and CEO of 1Huddle, a workforce technology company that helps organizations find, train, and retain workers using science-backed, quick-burst mobile games. A global keynote speaker, workforce policy advisor, and bestselling author, Sam has helped hundreds of brands—from the U.S. Air Force and UEFA to Loews Hotels, ESPN, Audible, Novartis, and Madison Square Garden—rethink how they onboard and upskill their people. His work on employee engagement and the future of work has been featured in outlets including The Wall Street Journal, CNN, CNBC, Fox Business, Bloomberg, Yahoo Finance, Forbes, and The Huffington Post.
On the policy side, Sam has served on workforce innovation and economic policy committees, including for the Biden-Harris Presidential Campaign and the City of Newark's Workforce Development Board, bringing a frontline worker perspective into national and local conversations about jobs and skills. He is the author of the forthcoming book Wasted Talent: How the Promise of the Future of Work Failed Workers and a Plan to Fix It, where he lays out a roadmap to fix broken training systems and ensure every worker has a fair shot.
Join RULibrary: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/RULibrary
Join RULive: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/live
Set Up your RUEvolve 1:1: www.restaurantunstoppable.com/evolve
Subscribe on YouTube: https://youtube.com/restaurantunstoppable
Subscribe to our email newsletter: https://www.restaurantunstoppable.com/
Today's sponsors:
-
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!
-
Cerboni - Cerboni is an all-in-one financial solution for restaurants. Reliable tax preparation & Business incorporation. Seamless Payroll and compliance report. Strategic CFO Services That Drive Business Growth. Detailed, custom reporting for complete financial clarity. Dedicated support for restaurants & Multi-location businesses. End-to-end financial management under one roof.
-
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.
-
Guest contact info: 
Website: 1huddle.co
Get the book on Amazon
Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!