Ron Cardwell is the Director of Commodity Strategy at Restaurant Technologies, where he oversees cooking oil sourcing, pricing, and risk management for foodservice operators across the country. With more than two decades in agriculture, energy, and vegetable oil markets, he has managed global corn oil and biodiesel trading, logistics, and policy engagement at ADM and other major firms. Ron now helps restaurants navigate everything from flavor profiles and performance to sustainability and cost savings, including how to get the most out of every pound of cooking oil.

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!

-

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://www.rti-inc.com

Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Randy Hines joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 4th, 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!

Randy Hines is the CEO and owner of The Kolache Shoppe, a beloved Houston bakery that has been serving made-from-scratch kolaches since 1970. A former CPA and consultant, Randy fell in love with authentic Texas kolaches while growing up in the state's "Czech belt," and later became a devoted customer of the original Kolache Shoppe on Richmond Avenue. In 2006 he approached founder Erwin Ahrens with a simple request—to learn how to bake—sparking an eight-year mentorship that ultimately led Ahrens to pass the business to Randy and his wife, Lucy, in 2014.

Since taking the reins, Randy has honored the shop's Czech roots and all‑butter dough recipe while thoughtfully modernizing the brand, adding new locations, drive‑thru convenience, and collaborations with top Houston chefs. Under his leadership, The Kolache Shoppe has expanded its menu beyond classic fruit and sausage fillings to inventive offerings like brisket, boudin, and seasonal specials, and is now growing through carefully selected franchise partners who share his people‑first, community‑minded vision.

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

Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!

Christian Wiens joins the Restaurant Unstoppable Network for a live Q+A on May 5th, 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!

Christian Wiens is the Founder and CEO of Loman AI, a leading voice AI platform built specifically for restaurants that answers every call, takes orders, and helps operators capture missed revenue while easing front-of-house labor pressure. Since launching the Austin-based company in 2024, he has scaled Loman AI to serve restaurants nationwide, processing tens of millions of dollars in order volume and millions of phone calls as brands use the technology to boost sales by up to 22% and cut labor costs by as much as 17%.

Before Loman AI, Christian spent a decade in B2B SaaS marketing and go-to-market leadership roles at companies like MixMode, Anchore, and AutoVitals, where he helped build and scale revenue engines in fast-growing tech businesses. Drawing on that background and thousands of conversations with restaurant operators, he's now focused on using AI to turn the restaurant phone from a bottleneck into a growth channel and to help operators run more resilient, profitable businesses.

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

Thanks for listening! Rate the podcast, subscribe, and share!