Building Brands and Breaking Norms: Joseph Unger’s Restaurant Industry Journey
In this episode, Joseph Unger shares his journey as a Subway franchise to leading at Taco Bell, Reef, and growing multiple brands at GOSH Enterprises, including Charleys, Bibibop Asian Grill, Lenny’s Grill and Subs. He discusses entrepreneurship, leadership, ghost kitchens, and the future of personalized dining.
Joseph Unger
President & COO, GOSH Enterprises
Joseph Unger is a dynamic restaurant industry leader with 20+ years of experience driving growth and innovation. From launching Subway’s national catering model to leading digital transformation at Taco Bell and scaling global operations at REEF Technology, he now serves as President & COO at GOSH Enterprises—shaping the future of restaurant brands through strategic vision, technology, and purposeful leadership.
In this episode of Restrocast, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Joseph Unger, President and COO of GOSH Enterprises, to trace his inspiring journey through the restaurant industry. From starting as a sandwich artist at Subway to leading 100+ corporate restaurants at Taco Bell, Joe shares how his early exposure to entrepreneurship shaped his career. He discusses the leadership lessons learned from mentors at Yum Brands and his shift to innovation-driven roles at Reef Technology during the rise of ghost kitchens.
Joe discusses the realities of aligning teams with a shared vision, building quickly in founder-led environments, and the challenges and opportunities of non-traditional restaurant formats. Now at GOSH Enterprises, Joe is focused on scaling brands like Lenny’s Grill & Subs and Charlie’s Cheesesteaks while driving tech-led personalization across the guest journey.