What happens when two middle school friends go from slinging burgers in a knock-off Greek restaurant to running one of Arizona’s most dynamic food empires? You get the wild, flavor-packed story of Kyle Hollenbeck, co-founder of AZ Lemonade Stand, Aioli Burger, BLT Kitchens, and a whole fleet of fast-growing brands. In this episode, Kyle sits down with Tyler Jorgenson to unpack how a food truck side hustle exploded into a multi-brand, multi-location culinary business—with a few chaotic pivots and pandemic plot twists along the way.
Kyle shares the scrappy beginnings of door-to-door flyer businesses, outsmarting corporate non-competes, and tricking his Food Network-winning chef friend into launching a burger truck. From ghost kitchens and prepaid catering to moving top tenants into horse tracks (yes, seriously), Kyle has turned adaptability into a superpower—and shares what every founder needs to survive in the food game.
We also get the inside scoop on Kyle’s proudest brand success, AZ Lemonade Stand, now stocked in over 1,000 locations and prepping for national takeover. He breaks down why short meetings beat long ones, how to scale smarter with the right team, and the personal dream he’s chasing next (hint: it involves giant balloons and a cold New York hotel room). This episode is packed with hustle, heart, and plenty of inspiration.
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