Your Bridge to Local is the podcast that connects you with the people, products, and ideas driving local foodservice success. From delivering products to uncovering opportunities in local markets, Affinity Group offers insights and strategies to help you succeed. Let’s get to work.
A New Era of Disruption: How Affinity Group Is Redefining What’s Possible in the Food Industry
Mindy Kopacz interviews Neil Gladstone, Matt Ward, and George Monahan about Affinity Group's acquisition of Mascari NXT, highlighting innovation and growth in the food industry.
17 Nov 2025
LTOs: Limited Time, Unlimited Potential
Host Mindy Kopacz interviews Jim Binner and Alan Britz about limited-time offers in the foodservice industry, exploring successful and less successful examples like the McRib and Shamrock Shake.
20 Oct 2025
The Leadership Gap: Elevating Women in Foodservice
Mindy Kopacz interviews Nicole Strohman, Amy Garrard, and Morgan Agba about the leadership gap for women in the foodservice industry, exploring opportunities for growth and mentorship.
15 Sept 2025
Feed the Feed: Why Social Media Matters in Foodservice
Mindy Kopacz interviews Jim Martin, Chef Michael Ponzio, and Sharon Ponti about how social media builds visibility and drives trust for foodservice brands.
18 Aug 2025
Beyond the Fryer: Inspiring the Next Generation to Build Foodservice Careers
Host Mindy Kopacz interviews industry veterans Erik Baylis and Mike Schwartz about inspiring the next generation to build foodservice careers by adapting leadership and training.
21 Jul 2025
Stirring the Pot: How Culinary Selling Is Changing the Game
Host Mindy Kopacz interviews Jim Binner, Derrick Tung, and Jamie Trainis about the increasing importance of culinary expertise in foodservice sales, emphasizing flavor and chef connections.
16 Jun 2025
Order Up: What Drives Operator Decisions Today
Host Mindy Kopacz interviews Ben Wexler from Custom Culinary and Joe Sefton from Affinity Group about the operator path to purchase, highlighting the roles of manufacturers and sales agencies.
19 May 2025
Click to Cart: How E-Commerce Is Reshaping the Foodservice Path to Purchase
E-commerce is transforming foodservice, changing how operators discover, evaluate, and purchase products. In this episode, Affinity Group’s Mindy Kopacz and Neil Gladstone are joined by Andrew Van Bark from Pepper and Sara Hagen with FoodMix Marketing Communications. Together, they explore how manufacturers, distributors, and sales agencies are leveraging digital platforms to boost efficiency and profitability. Learn about key trends, challenges, and strategies to maximize revenue growth and ...
21 Apr 2025
Tapping Into Non-Commercial Foodservice: The Untapped Powerhouse
In this episode, Affinity Group’s Mindy Kopacz and Kai Horn talk with Terrell Jones with Bush Bros. and Kelley Fechner with Datassential to explore why non-commercial foodservice has such high-potential for food manufacturers. Representing nearly 30% of the total U.S. foodservice market, non-commercial channels like healthcare, K-12, colleges, and corporate dining are ripe with opportunity. We break down where the growth is happening and how operators differ from their commercial counterparts...
17 Mar 2025
Unlocking Business Intelligence and Turning Data into Action
In this episode, Affinity Group’s Mindy Kopacz and Neil Gladstone talk with Chelsea Rosengarten from McCormick & Company and Matt Wopperer from TELUS Agriculture & Consumer Goods, to explore the power of business intelligence—what it is, how to use it, and why it’s essential for foodservice success. Learn how manufacturers, operators, and sales agents are leveraging data to work smarter, not harder, and uncover key opportunities to humanize insights into actionable steps. By unlocking...
17 Feb 2025
Feeding the Future: Emerging Trends and Strategies in K12
In this episode, Affinity Group’s Alex Culin talks with Jodi Batten from Red Gold® Foodservice, Megan Flynn from Gaia K12 and Benita Gingerella with FoodService Director to explore the latest trends shaping school lunches across the country. From culturally diverse menus and student engagement strategies to battling rising food costs and policy changes, the panel discusses how everyone can work together to create healthy, more inclusive, and forward-thinking dining programs in our schools. Wh...
15 Jan 2025
Something To Write Home About: Emerging Trends and Insights on Today’s College Campuses
With 42% of College and University foodservice operators using their dining halls as a recruitment tool for incoming students*, it’s no surprise that today’s campus dining halls have upped their culinary game. There’s no better time for manufacturers to collaborate with college and universities to deliver everything their customers are looking for: Diverse menu offerings, greater social responsibility and customization. In this episode, Affinity Group’s Mindy Kopacz and Amanda Colgan talk to ...
Who has been a guest on Your Bridge to Local
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Neil Gladstone
Matt Ward
George Monahan
Jim Binner
Alan Britz
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
2 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 14 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
16
Social presence
0
YouTube
0
Engagement
32
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Guest appearances
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