Family Style
Series overview
Two seasons and ten restaurants, hosted by Shawn Walchef.
From viral video to IPO and everything in between.
Proof / Toast · Multi-Year Partnership
Six years, one restaurant operator turned content partner. Cali BBQ and Toast have produced a viral unboxing video, a weekly podcast published by Entrepreneur, a day on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange for the IPO, a docu-series on the road, and ongoing customer storytelling for the biggest POS in the industry.
Cali BBQ · San Diego, CA · since 2020
In 2020, Cali BBQ made the switch to Toast. Shawn Walchef and business partner Eric Olafsen filmed a simple unboxing video. Messages began pouring in to Shawn as well as the Toast team.
The numbers, from Toast's own public data.
The ROI
$10M+
Modeled estimateToast ARR generated
2020 to 2025 · Units at operators introduced through Cali BBQ Media x average ARR per location
$3M+
Modeled estimateToast CAC savings
2020 to 2025 · Same units x benchmark CAC
$48.9M+
Modeled estimateTotal LTV influence
Five-year projection · Annual ARR x 5 years
60 to 70%
Modeled estimateSales cycle reduction
2020 to 2025 · 6 to 12 months typical, against 2 to 4 months for referred operators
A 23x return on investment.
For every $1 Toast invests, Cali BBQ Media has helped to generate $18+ in ARR and save $5+ in CAC.
All financial calculations are conservative estimates based on Toast's public revenue data and industry benchmarks. Each figure represents documented Toast customer introductions and acquisitions with measurable Toast revenue impact.
Restaurant Influencers, published by Entrepreneur.
Format 01 · The Show
Created by Cali BBQ Media
Published on Entrepreneur
Sponsored by Toast
Together with Toast, we created the Restaurant Influencers podcast. Each week, host Shawn Walchef interviews some of the biggest and brightest names across the restaurant industry, including Shaquille O'Neal, at his own annual conference, on his Big Chicken restaurant franchise.
Backed by a unique partnership between Toast and Entrepreneur Media, Restaurant Influencers blends the credibility of a major business platform with the authenticity of a restaurant-owned media company. This collaboration ensures the podcast not only amplifies the voices of iconic leaders but also delivers actionable lessons for operators navigating a rapidly changing industry.
71M+ video views · 4.75M+ web page visits · 480k+ podcast downloads
Figures as of September 2025.
Episodes to start with
- Aman NarangToast co-founder and CEO, on Toast origin story
- Shaquille O'NealBig Chicken
- Giada De LaurentiisOn culinary excellence
- Emeril LagasseOn business strategy
- Rob DyrdekOn building a media empire
Family Style, a Toast docu-series on the road.
Format 02 · The Series
Toast Family Style is a YouTube docu-series that goes on the road to tell the story of restaurants as they navigate the highs and lows of running a business, while uncovering the secrets of their success.
Sombrero Mexican Food
Season 1 · San Diego
Step inside Sombrero Mexican Food, where the Correa family and their loyal team have been serving Mexican food to the San Diego community for 40 years.
San Pedro Fish Market
Season 2 · Los Angeles
Family is the heartbeat of this iconic seafood empire where tradition meets hustle. When city developers shut down their legendary waterfront spot, the Ungaros reinvented.
Tahini
Season 2 · Los Angeles
A Mediterranean restaurant rooted in culture and community, Tahini shows how operators can grow a loyal following while running a tight ship with the right technology behind them.
More episodes
- Novo BrazilSeason 1
- All Day BabySeason 1
- Hilltop Coffee & KitchenSeason 1
- Irv's BurgersSeason 1
- Taylor's TacosSeason 2
- The Wise OxSeason 2
From the C-suite to the front lines.
Format 03 · On the Record with Toast
- 01
2021 · Customer Advisory Board
A look inside the Toast Customer Advisory Board
Shawn takes you behind the scenes of Toast HQ to see the inner workings of the company, joins the Toast team for round-table discussions, and sits down with Toast CMO Kelly Esten on how Toast listens to its customers.
- 02
2021 · Toast CMO
Toast CMO Kelly Esten
Shawn sits down with Toast CMO Kelly Esten to discuss the future of Toast.
032021 · The IPO
On the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
In September 2021, Toast made history with its highly anticipated IPO, opening at a valuation of nearly $20 billion. Shawn Walchef and CFO Eric Olafsen were there to witness the milestone firsthand.
- 04
2023 · Customer stories
Toast Stories, from Toast Customers
From customer interviews to product demos to creator-driven content, Cali BBQ Media has helped Toast tell stories that resonate with restaurant operators.
- 05
2023 · Partner integrations
7shifts and Toast, connected on camera
Watch Cali BBQ Media seamlessly connect 7shifts to Toast.
- 06
2024 · Events
Industry Events & Speaking
From the National Restaurant Show to local trade shows, we help Toast keep telling its story well after the event ends.
More from the partnership
Toast product leaders, on camera.
Toast Experts
We brought Toast product leaders to Cali BBQ to talk about what they built and why it matters for restaurant operators.
What operators and Toast's own team wrote to Shawn.
In Their Words
Proof of operator-level conversions and enterprise-level deals closed because of Cali BBQ Media's influence. Each receipt represents measurable ROI and operator trust conversion.
"He has been an amazing partner for Toast for years now."
"He was even with us on Wall Street when we went public as a company."
The original unboxing posts drew 17,361, 10,956, and 2,180 views on LinkedIn.
Six years of work, from one team.
What Shipped
- 01
The unboxing
videoOne simple video at Cali BBQ in 2020, and the messages that followed it.
- 02
Restaurant Influencers
weekly podcastCreated by Cali BBQ Media, published by Entrepreneur, sponsored by Toast.
- 03
Family Style
docu-seriesTwo seasons and ten restaurants on the road for Toast, hosted by Shawn.
- 04
Customer and partner stories
videoRound tables, customer interviews, partner integrations, and product demos.
- 05
Event coverage
on locationFrom the National Restaurant Show to the floor of the New York Stock Exchange.
- 06
Built for Busy launch
campaignCali BBQ featured as a launch partner for the Built for Busy campaign.
- 07
Toast Experts series
videoToast product leaders on camera at Cali BBQ, explaining what they built and why it matters.