On the Line is a conversation series with the independent restaurant operators who keep Iowa fed. Host Victor Hatungimana sits down inside their dining rooms, kitchens, and bars to hear how the place actually got built: the opening that almost did not happen, the recipe that took three years to get right, the vendor call that changed everything, the staff who became family.
No rankings. No reviews. No pitch. Just operators talking honestly about the work, in their own rooms, in their own words.
New episodes run 20 to 30 minutes. Filmed on location across Des Moines, Iowa City, Ames, Cedar Rapids, and everywhere in between.
Episode 9: Inside Mullets: Breakfast Burritos, Bloody Marys and Franchising
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John Royar talks about building Mullets from a single Des Moines restaurant into five locations across Iowa, plus a franchised brand and a bottled Bloody Mary mix now sold in more than a thousand locations. He walks through his start cutting meat for Fareway and selling for Farner Bocken and Martin Brothers, how the Full Court Press group gave him his shot at Mullets, and what it took to open locations in Ankeny, Okoboji, Norwalk and now Waukee.
He gets specific on the numbers: what it costs to open a Mullets, how many burritos one location sells in a year, how much of the original menu he has kept over twelve years, and how he decides what to cut. He also talks through community events like the Waukee tailgate, his relationship with mentor Bruno, and his plan to keep franchising before eventually selling the company.
This is On The Line, operator to operator conversations about running restaurants and bars.
12 Oct 2026
Episode 8: The Station’s Secret Weapon: Jessica Rice, Top 40 Nominee
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Most restaurant shows talk to owners. This one sits down with the person who actually runs the room.
Jessica Rice is the Director of both The Station locations in Des Moines, on Ingersoll and on 86th, and a nominee for the Iowa Restaurant Association’s 40 Women to Watch. We filmed inside The Station on Ingersoll to talk about how she got into hospitality, what it takes to keep two crews running like one bar, what a college football Saturday looks like from behind the scenes, and what it means to lead in a space people still call a guy’s world.
If you work in this industry, you’ll recognize yourself in this one.
On the Line 515 is an on location interview series with Iowa restaurant operators, telling the stories behind the places we eat and drink.
👉 Subscribe for a new operator story every episode 👉 Follow @ontheline515 on Instagram, TikTok and Facebook 👉 Visit ontheline515.com (http://ontheline515.com)
#OnTheLine515 #DesMoines #DSMEats #IowaRestaurants #TheStationDSM #Ingersoll #WomenInHospitality #RestaurantLife #IowaFood
5 Oct 2026
Episode 7: From Quiznos Worker to COO | How Kayla Edidin Built Red Door Brands
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Kayla Edidin started out working shifts at one Quiznos. Today she is COO and majority partner at Red Door Brands, a multi-brand franchise group running close to 20 restaurants across the Carolinas, Georgia and Texas, including McAlister's Deli, Little Caesars, Arby's and Main Squeeze Juice Co. In this episode of On the Line 515, Kayla walks through how she went from employee to owner, what it took to grow from one store to multiple units, the jump into corporate leadership, and what running several franchise brands really looks like day to day. She also shares the hardest lessons from scaling and the plan to reach 100 units by 2028. If you're a restaurant owner, a franchisee, or someone working your way up in the industry, this conversation is for you. 🔔 Subscribe for more real conversations with the operators behind the line.
21 Sept 2026
Episode 6: 14 Restaurants, One City: Jeff Bruning on Royal mile, El Bait Shop and Fong's Pizza
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Jeff Bruning is a partner in Full court Press, the Des Moines group behind The Royal Mile, El Bait Shop, High Life Lounge, Hessen Haus, Fong's pizza, Iowa Taproom, Lucky Horse and more. He sat down with us on location to talk about building concepts that last, what it actually takes to run more than a dozen rooms at once, and the decisions most people never see from the other side of the bar. On the Line 515 goes inside iowa restaurants with the operators who run them. New episodes every week. Follow @ontheline515 and hit the link in bio for the full episode.
24 Aug 2026
Episode 5: Running a Scratch Kitchen and Bakery in Cedar Rapids, with Melanie Abu Nameh
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Melanie Abu Nameh runs Feedwell Kitchen and Bakery in Cedar Rapids, Iowa, where a full scratch kitchen and a working bakery operate under one roof. In this episode she walks through what that actually looks like day to day, the decisions behind the menu, and what she has learned building a place people keep coming back to. On the Line is a series where I sit down with Iowa restaurant operators inside their own rooms and let them tell the story in their own words. No script, no polish, just the people who run these places. Subscribe for new episodes and follow @ontheline515 so you catch the next operator.
17 Aug 2026
Episode 4: 13 Years of Craft Beer in Des Moines. RJ Tursi Holds Nothing Back.
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On this episode of On the Line 515 we sit down inside Exile Brewing Company in Des MoiOn this episode of On the Line 515 we sit down inside Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines with owner RJ Tursi. Exile is one of Iowa's most recognized craft breweries, and RJ has spent years building it from a single taproom into an operation that doubled its own capacity. Growth came with a cost most customers never seen with owner RJ Tursi. Exile is one of Iowa's most recognized craft breweries, and RJ has spent years building it from a single taproom into an operation that doubled its own capacity. Growth came with a cost most customers never see.On this episode of On the Line 515 we sit down inside Exile Brewing Company in Des Moines with owner RJ Tursi. Exile is one of Iowa's most recognized craft breweries, and RJ has spent years building it from a single taproom into an operation that doubled its own capacity. Growth came with a cost most customers never see.Follow On the Line 515 for more real conversations with the operators behind Iowa's best restaurants, bars, and breweries. New episode every week.
10 Aug 2026
Episode 3: Inside T12 Distillery in Valley Junction
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He is a construction engineer who broke his T12 vertebra falling over a six foot retaining wall, then named a distillery after it. T12 runs out of The Foundry in West Des Moines, bought from Templeton Rye founder Scott Bush. The long game is a silo distillery, hotel and entertainment district in Bondurant, and it will be the first fully accessible distillery in America.
4 Aug 2026
Episode 2: Bubba says the quiet part out loud
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On episode 2 on the line, no agenda, no script. Just two people talking about the work, the road that got him to where he is. Grab a drink, Grab a seat. 🎙 On the Line. Real people, real conversations.
New episodes regularly. Subscribe so you do not miss one.
29 Jul 2026
Episode 1: 20 Years, Zero Shortcuts: Inside Iowa City’s DeLuxe Bakery
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Jamie Powers has run DeLuxe Cakes and Pastries in Iowa City for over 20 years. James Beard named it a semifinalist for Outstanding Bakery. She still shows up before dawn. In this episode of On the Line, Jamie tells the story most people never hear. What it actually costs to keep a bakery alive for two decades, the decisions that almost ended it, and why she never chased the growth everyone told her to chase. No fluff. Just an operator telling the truth about the business.
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