Fast Casual Nation Ranked a No. 1 Restaurant Business Podcast of 2025 by Xcelcast
The longest-running podcast in fast casual ties The Dave Chang Show for the top spot, with a perfect 5.0 Universal Rating
FORT LAUDERDALE, FL — January 15, 2026 — Fast Casual Nation, the Savor.fm podcast co-hosted by Paul Barron and Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, has been ranked a No. 1 restaurant business podcast of 2025 by Xcelcast. In The Ultimate Guide to Top Restaurant Business Podcasts: Xcelcast's 2025 Rankings, published October 16, 2025, Fast Casual Nation tied The Dave Chang Show for the top spot with a perfect 5.0 Universal Rating, and Xcelcast called it "the most influential podcast in restaurant business."
Fast Casual Nation is the longest-running podcast in the fast-casual restaurant industry. Each episode features the founders, executives and brands defining the future of fast casual, covering menu strategy, growth, operations, technology and the guest experience. Recent episodes include scaling with Chicken Salad Chick CFO Drew Travis, an emerging brand survival kit, the real estate decisions that make or break a restaurant, and whether a $10 cocktail can work in fast casual.
Barron and Cansler co-host the show together (read FastCasual's co-host announcement). Xcelcast credited the pair's complementary expertise and conversational style, and noted the reach of the SavorFM network behind the show. See the full Xcelcast ranking and data →
The show is part of Savor's podcast network, which began in 2007 with the restaurant industry's first podcast and has produced more than 12,000 episodes across nearly 20 years. Fast Casual Nation is also the media home of Fast Casual Frontrunners, Savor's series spotlighting the next breakout restaurant concepts, with featured brands appearing across the podcast, FastCasual.com and Savor.fm.
"This recognition belongs to the founders and operators who come on the show and tell the truth about building a restaurant brand. Fast Casual Nation has always been about the people doing the work, and 2025 proved how much the industry wants those stories," said Paul Barron, co-host of Fast Casual Nation and founder of Savor.
Barron is an investor, journalist, author and media entrepreneur; founder of Fastcasual.com, Rever Networks and Paul Barron Network; and author of The Chipotle Effect. Cansler is the publisher of FastCasual.com.
Fast Casual Nation is available on YouTube through the Savor.fm channel and at savor.fm/podcasts.
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About Savor
Savor delivers restaurant and hospitality intelligence from over 15 years of data analysis and industry insight. Coupled with the largest foodservice podcast network, SavorAI brand analysis and strategic advisory. Savor's shows include Fast Casual Nation, the longest-running podcast in the fast-casual restaurant industry. Savor also produces the Savor AI 50: The 2026 Restaurant AI Awards.
Paul Barron is an investor, journalist, author and media entrepreneur; founder of Fastcasual.com, Rever Networks and Paul Barron Network; and author of The Chipotle Effect.
Media contact
Savor Media Relations
media@savor.fm
Media assets
Free to use with coverage of this announcement. Credit: Savor.fm
