From Food Truck to National Brand: Shiso Crispy’s Ronicca Whaley

On this episode of the Trending Today Podcast, host Bob Karskaden sits down with Ronicca Whaley, the powerhouse behind Tampa Bay’s beloved Japanese fusion brand Shiso Crispy.

What started as a single food truck has exploded into multiple locations, with national franchising on the horizon. Ronicca shares her wild journey—from building a 250-truck food empire in Malaysia, to surviving COVID by creating community food truck parks, to now leading one of the fastest-growing restaurant brands in Florida.

We cover it all:
🍜 How Shiso Crispy went from cold rice and trial-and-error to cult-favorite dumplings and Bang Bang Chicken
🌎 The global experiences that shaped Ronicca’s vision for food and business
🤝 Her commitment to giving back, including hurricane relief and local outreach
🤖 The futuristic kitchen tech (yes, a robot fryer named Daddy) that’s redefining the restaurant experience
📺 Her TV journey from Food Network wins to filming her own pilot cooking show

If you love food, entrepreneurship, and stories of grit and innovation, this episode is for you.

👉 Don’t forget to like, comment, and subscribe for more inspiring founder stories on the Trending Today Podcast.

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