Shawn Walchef is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and a leading voice in the Business Creator Economy. He teaches restaurant owners, tech founders, and hospitality leaders how to thrive in the digital age through Smartphone Storytelling and his Digital Hospitality framework.
As host of Restaurant Influencers (produced by Cali BBQ Media and published by Entrepreneur Media), Shawn has built one of the most impactful shows in the hospitality industry. The podcast and video series has been viewed more than 71 million times and features top executives, operators, and innovators shaping the future of restaurants.
Shawn is also the owner of Cali BBQ, a restaurant brand in San Diego that has grown from a local hotspot into a national example of how hospitality can thrive by embracing technology and storytelling.
A keynote speaker at leading restaurant and technology shows, Shawn has partnered with Toast, Uber Eats, Pepsi, US Foods, Restaurant365, and Google to create authentic content that drives awareness and growth. His mission: help businesses stop being invisible online by teaching them to "Be The Show, Not the Commercial."
More From Shawn P. Walchef
How to Use Tech to Save Your Restaurant Money and Help Turn First-Time Patrons Into Loyal Customers
‘Emails Work!’ This Entrepreneur Says Email Marketing Is Still the Best Way to Connect and Sell. Here Are His Top Tips.
‘Don’t Be Afraid to Do Something That Nobody Understands’: How This Entrepreneur Re-Invented His Career and Found Happiness
The Philly Cheesesteak Was Invented At This Spot in 1930. Here’s Why Fans Can’t Stay Away 90 Years Later.
What Are Your Customers Watching While They Wait? Learn How To Improve Your Business’s Atmosphere.
“I Was an Awful High School Student”: How the Owner of an Award-Winning Restaurant Brand Beat the Odds and Found Success
Chef Says This Is the No. 1 Thing That Makes a Restaurant Successful or Not
How The Nourish Spot Is Building a Legacy of Healthy Eating and Community Connection
The Waitlist for This Sushi Spot Numbers in the Hundreds. Here’s the Secret Ingredient of Its Success.
Celebrity Chef Maneet Chauhan Shares Her Best Tip for Aspiring TV Chefs
24-Karat Gold Syrup Is Just One Part of This Self-Taught Chef’s Empire
The Coffee Shop Issa Rae Helped Turn Into a Community Destination
How This Chef Navigated a $80,000 Turnaround for His Business
Try This Super-Busy Restaurateur’s Recipe for Preventing Personal Burnout
How This Brewing Company Tapped Into New Revenue Streams By Putting Their Drinks In People’s Fridges
Achieving Your Goal Is Secondary. The Climb Is What Really Counts, Says the CEO of Pressed.
Why This Restaurateur Loves Confrontational Customers
She Was Named One of Food & Wine’s Best New Chefs of 2023. Here’s What She Does Inside and Outside of the Kitchen to Keep Customers Coming Back for More.
How This Franchise Founder Scored Big Success By Going Smaller
Good Leadership Is a Lot Like a Bag of Golf Clubs, According to the CEO of Hooters
You Hate Taxes. This Viral Content Creator Loves Them.
The Over-the-Top Strategy That Is Creating Lifelong Customers for This Restaurant Group
Meet the Pizza-Making Robots Churning Out 600 Pies Hourly at PizzaHQ
How the Seven Reasons Restaurant Group Won a Michelin Star by Telling a Mystical Story With Food
The CEO of Kitchen United Says This Is His Most Essential Business Tool
There Was No Twitch or OnlyFans for Chefs. Then the Founders of Kittch Cooked Up a Great Idea.
Micha Magid of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ Says Restaurants Need to Break the Mold When It Comes to Franchising. Here’s Why.
LeRoy and Lewis Barbecue Built a Community of 50K Followers. Here’s How.