The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast

Amir Harpaz, owner of The Mudpuppy at Cherokee Outdoor Resort, joins Hospitality Hangout live from SpotOn Studios at the National Restaurant Association Show to share how a seasonal lakeside restaurant in Tennessee became a real-world case study in restaurant AI, menu engineering, and operational efficiency. The Mudpuppy is a dockside restaurant on Tellico Lake known for hot food, cold drinks, live music, boat-friendly dining, seafood, burgers, cocktails, and a laid-back lakefront experience. But behind the fun is a highly data-driven operator using technology to improve the business. Amir explains how he and his team built...

Rickey Booker, co-founder of Breakfast Brothers, joins Hospitality Hangout to share the real story behind the Dallas breakfast and soul food brand. Rickey talks about growing up in Oklahoma City, starting in restaurants at 15, learning the business from the ground level, and eventually building a menu around chicken and waffles, catfish, wings, pork chops, breakfast favorites, and comfort food people kept coming back for. The conversation follows the Breakfast Brothers journey from the original “Black Shack” trailer to nightclub kitchens, food trucks, restaurant locations, catering, and stadium work. Rickey also explains how getting shut down by t...

Barcelona Wine Bar has built its reputation on tapas, Spanish wine, small plates, and a dining room that feels more like a party than a traditional restaurant. But according to COO Amy Hom, the real engine behind the brand is people. Live from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Amy returns to Hospitality Hangout to talk about hospitality culture, employee development, restaurant leadership, and how Barcelona Wine Bar keeps its experience fresh after 30 years. Amy shares why the company “hires for the fun,” how heart checks help leaders understand what is really happening with thei...

Protein got the attention. Fiber is getting the follow-up. But Beyond Juicery + Eatery CEO Jasmine Miller believes the real foundation of a better-for-you restaurant brand is people. Live from the National Restaurant Association Show, Jasmine joins Hospitality Hangout to discuss the growth playbook behind Beyond Juicery + Eatery: functional food, smoothies, cold-pressed juice, protein, fiber, menu innovation, restaurant culture, and a people-first approach to leadership. Jasmine shares how Beyond is responding to changing guest expectations around healthier fast-casual food, from protein-packed smoothies and functional beverages to fiber-forward menu development, wraps, wellness shots, and better ingredients. She...

Dirty soda is no longer just a viral drink trend. Custom beverages, cold foam, popping boba, layered flavors, and social-ready drink experiences are becoming a bigger part of how restaurants drive traffic, premium pricing, and repeat visits. Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Away from Home, and Alison Dempsey Senior Director of Innovation at PepsiCo join Hospitality Hangout to break down DRIPS by Pepsi, PepsiCo’s crafted beverage platform built to help restaurant operators create more personalized drink experiences. The conversation explores why Gen Z consumers are gravitating toward customizable drinks, how foodservice trends move fr...

Donatos Pizza President and CEO Kevin King joins Hospitality Hangout to share the growth playbook behind a legacy pizza brand built on culture, consistency, and a people-first approach to hospitality. From starting as a dishwasher at 14 to leading one of America’s most recognizable pizza brands, Kevin explains how Donatos has stayed relevant while staying true to its values. He breaks down the company’s Agape Capitalism philosophy: lead with love, follow the Golden Rule, and do the right thing. The conversation explores what restaurant growth looks like when people come before systems, how Donatos appr...

Chris Noffze, Director of Direct Franchising and Operations at Gong cha Americas, takes us inside Gong cha’s franchise growth strategy, simplified operations, and Gong cha 2.0 including Super Wu, the beverage automation system designed to build highly customized drinks faster and more consistently while allowing team members to spend more time with guests. From self-order kiosks and QR-driven drink production to training, retention, supply chain efficiency, K-pop collaborations, and the human side of hospitality, this conversation looks at what it takes to turn a global tea brand into a scalable restaurant platform. Is boba tea a fad? Ch...

Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, Hospitality Hangout sits down with M.J. Worsham, Vice President of Technology at Five Guys, to discuss AI in restaurants, automation, loyalty programs, restaurant operations, POS systems, labor optimization, guest experience, and the technology trends shaping the future of hospitality. M.J. shares how Five Guys evaluates emerging restaurant technology, why AI vendors must prove real operational value, how automation can improve restaurant management, and why the best technology solutions help employees rather than replace them. The conversation also dives into restaurant loyalty, direct-to-consumer marketing, premium restaurant positioning, POS...

On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Jimmy Frischling and Michael Schatzberg sit down with Cathy Chavenet to discuss the remarkable growth of Paris Baguette. Kathy shares her journey from classically trained pastry chef and bakery owner to leading marketing, culinary innovation, and brand strategy for one of the fastest-growing bakery café concepts in North America. Cathy shares her journey from pastry chef and bakery owner to leading marketing, culinary innovation, and growth for one of the fastest-growing bakery café concepts in North America. The conversation dives into what makes Paris Baguette stand out in a crowded re...

Rock & Brews CEO Adam Goldberg joins Hospitality Hangout live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a conversation about the future of restaurants, experiential dining, restaurant traffic, and why food alone is no longer enough to win guests. In this Hospitality Hangout Short, Adam Goldberg talks with Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling about how Rock & Brews, the rock-and-roll restaurant brand co-founded by KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, is built around more than a meal. The brand combines great food, hospitality, live music, sports, big screens, concert-quality sound, rock videos, beer, entertainment, and gues...

Breakfast is no longer just breakfast. Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, Josh Kern joins the Hospitality Hangout Podcast to break down why brunch culture, protein trends, social media, and hospitality are reshaping the restaurant business. From protein pancakes and breakfast burritos to brunch cocktails, loyalty, restaurant marketing, influencer culture, and why younger diners are changing the way America eats, this conversation dives deep into one of the hottest categories in foodservice right now. Josh also talks about growing Snooze Eatery, fixing restaurant culture, creating authentic hospitality experiences, why restaurants are leaning into...

Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, the Hospitality Hangout team sits down with Scott Drake to talk about how Chuck E. Cheese has evolved with a new generation of families, kids, and consumers. Scott shares how the brand modernized the Chuck E. Cheese experience through digital interactive environments, active play concepts, memberships, media content, loyalty programs, and experiential entertainment while still keeping the nostalgia and emotional connection generations grew up with. The conversation dives into the future of family entertainment, restaurant memberships, employee culture, experiential dining, Peter Piper Pizza, Adventure World, modern hospitality trends, and...

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling sit down with Neel Patel, CEO of Quiznos and Rego Restaurant Group, to discuss one of the most fascinating comeback stories in the restaurant industry. Once a 5,000-unit sandwich giant, Quiznos has spent the last decade rebuilding after bankruptcy and massive contraction. Neel shares how the brand is finding new momentum through franchise innovation, modular restaurant development, menu strategy, loyalty-driven growth, and a renewed focus on what made Quiznos iconic in the first place. The conversation dives into: • The emotional connection consum...

Sterling Douglas returns to Hospitality Hangout to break down how AI is rapidly reshaping the restaurant industry and why operators are adopting technology faster than ever before. As the CEO of Chowly, Sterling shares how the platform has evolved from third-party marketplace integrations into a full-suite solution powering everything outside the four walls of the restaurant, including marketing, websites, and digital guest interactions. The conversation dives into how AI is quietly becoming embedded in restaurant operations, the shift from SEO to generative search, and why independent operators may now have a real advantage over large enterprise brands...

Every year, the National Restaurant Association Show takes over Chicago — and for anyone in hospitality, it’s more than just a convention. It’s where the industry shows up, shows off, and looks ahead. In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Schatzy sits down with David Henkes and Lisa Malikow from Technomic to break down everything you need to know about the NRA Show. They get into how long “The Show” has been running, why it still matters, what trends are emerging this year, and how operators, brands, and suppliers can actually get value from attending. If y...

Former Greg Creed joins Hospitality Hangout for a masterclass in leadership, branding, and restaurant growth. Greg shares how he helped transform Taco Bell into one of the most recognizable brands in the world, from responding to a headline-making lawsuit to launching Doritos Locos Tacos and building Mountain Dew Baja Blast into a billion-dollar success story. The conversation also dives into company culture, developing leaders, standing out in a crowded market, and why hospitality remains one of the most overlooked career paths today. For restaurant operators, marketers, founders, and anyone building a brand, this episode is packed with...

Tory Bartlett joins the conversation to break down the rise of PopUp Bagels and what it takes to turn a simple product into a cultural phenomenon. From washing dishes at Hooters to leading one of the fastest-growing brands in hospitality, he shares the journey behind building a business rooted in energy, simplicity, and experience. The discussion explores how PopUp Bagels disrupted a legacy category by focusing on a limited menu, operational efficiency, and a highly engaging in-store experience. From long lines that feel like part of the product to organic growth fueled by collaborations and community, Tory...

Eric Skae joins the conversation to break down what it really takes to build and scale a food brand, drawing from his experience growing Rao’s and now leading Carbone Fine Foods into a new era of rapid expansion. From identifying untapped potential to driving exponential growth, he unpacks the fundamentals behind turning strong products into nationally recognized brands. The discussion explores the key differences between restaurant success and retail success, and why so many operators struggle when making the jump into CPG. From distribution and data to brand awareness and consumer behavior, Eric shares how Carbone sc...

Bagel Bosses of NYC come together to break down what really makes a great bagel, and why New York continues to set the standard. From the role of water and technique to the importance of process, they unpack the fundamentals behind a product that sits at the intersection of food, culture, and hospitality. The conversation explores how bagel shops are balancing tradition with innovation, from evolving customer preferences to the growing influence of social media and hospitality trends on foot traffic and brand visibility. They also discuss the rise of catering, expansion into airports, and the push...

In this episode of The Hospitality Hangout, we dive deep into the incredible story of Pinky Cole, Founder and CEO of Slutty Vegan, and her journey in the hospitality industry. Learn how Pinky, a dynamic restaurant CEO, built a $100M hospitality business, experienced a major setback, and then successfully rebuilt smarter with Slutty Vegan 2.0. Pinky shares critical hospitality insider insights on why experience can matter more than the food itself, the challenges and opportunities she faced during rapid franchising growth, and strategies for sustainable restaurant growth. As a leader in hospitality leadership, she also discusses how she’s...