Episode #158
Episode 146: Kyle Gardner with Currito and CityBird
Kyle Gardner has spent the past 16 years growing with Currito, rising from assistant general manager to Vice President of Operations for Thunderdome Restaurant Group's fast-casual brands, Currito and CityBird. Along the way, he's gained a front-row view of what it takes to build strong restaurant teams, develop future leaders, and support growth across multiple locations. In this episode, he shares the lessons he's learned about leadership development and why investing in people remains one of the most important responsibilities of any operator. One of the biggest challenges growing restaurants face is building a reliable leadership pipeline without losing the culture that made the business successful in the first place. Gardner explains how his team approaches promote from within opportunities, why they restructured the assistant general manager role, and how exposing rising leaders to different stores and teams helps prepare them for greater responsibility. The conversation offers a practical look at developing managers before they reach the general manager level instead of waiting until a position opens. The discussion also explores the difference between managing tasks and leading people. Gardner shares why consistent coaching, structured management training systems, and ongoing training and development have become central to the company's success. For operators focused on employee development, stronger manager retention, and creating sustainable growth, this episode provides an honest look at the systems and leadership habits that help teams perform at a higher level. Empower your managers to understand the latest regulatory requirements by getting ServSafe trained. Learn More. RestaurantOwner.com members receive a special discount when signing up through the RestaurantOwner Marketplace .
