How Andrew Zimmern Broke Through With an Exorcism and a Tonight Show Call

Andrew Zimmern, a four-time James Beard Award-winning chef and host of Bizarre Foods, built a career through curiosity. As a chef, storyteller, and TV personality, he turned adventurous travel, an exorcism in Ecuador, and a call from Jay Leno’s team into one of food media’s most recognizable brands.

Watch now to learn about the wild moment that helped Bizarre Foods break through, the surprise call from Jay Leno’s team, and how Andrew Zimmern built a global brand.

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• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[10:03] - Pitching Bizarre Foods

[17:12] - Filming With a Small Crew

[23:35] - The Ecuador Exorcism

[29:46] - The Jay Leno Phone Call

[41:18] - Why Curiosity Still Wins

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RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

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Key Takeaways:

Curiosity Creates Opportunity: What looked like a random detour in Ecuador became the defining segment of season one. Andrew Zimmern shows that staying curious and exploring the unexpected can open doors no strategy deck could predict.

Great Content Comes From Commitment: The exorcism scene was chaotic, uncomfortable, and impossible to fake. Zimmern’s willingness to fully commit to the moment created unforgettable television that helped Bizarre Foods stand out in a crowded media landscape.

One Break Can Change Everything: Early ratings were shaky and the future of the show was uncertain. Then a call from The Tonight Show with Jay Leno introduced the series to a bigger audience and helped shift its trajectory.

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ANDREW ZIMMERN —

Andrew Zimmern is an Emmy- and four-time James Beard Award- winning TV personality, chef, writer and social justice advocate. As the creator, executive producer of PBS’ “Hope in The Water” and host of the "Bizarre Foods" franchise, "Andrew Zimmern’s Driven by Food, " MSNBC’s "What’s Eating America, " Magnolia Network’s Emmy-nominated "Family Dinner, " and the Emmy-winning "The Zimmern List, " Andrew has devoted his life to exploring and promoting cultural acceptance, tolerance and understanding through food.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media