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
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.
Running a Profitable Restaurant Is Not Easy. But Coach Chip Klose Has a Plan for You.
Devin Eichler of Crafty Cow Explains How to Use Your Personal Brand to Boost Your Business
How Restaurant365 CEO Tony Smith Uses Data to Make Better Decisions
Sara Finnegan of Edley’s Restaurant Group Shares the Key Ingredient for Restaurant Success
Zack Oates of Ovation on Building Business Connections through Digital Storytelling
Gregg Majewski of Craveworthy Brands on the Advantages of Being #2
Elizabeth Chambers of BIRD Bakery on How to Expand in Business with Authenticity
Jon Taffer of Bar Rescue on Succeeding in the Reaction Business