Hosted by Ovation · 🇺🇸 US · EN-US · 435 episodes
Established thought leaders with verified media credentials.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise. From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.
Ovation hosts Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates, a business show with 435 episodes published.
Send us Fan Mail Sharon Arthofer, Founder and CEO of SIP Fresh Juice, joins Zack Oates to discuss building a beverage brand around fresh fruit, hospitality, and guest engagement. Sharon shares the story behind SIP Fresh
Send us Fan Mail Atul Sood, Chief Business Officer at Curry Up Now, joins Zack Oates to discuss the evolving relationship between restaurant operators and technology providers. Drawing from leadership roles at McDonald's
Send us Fan Mail Lance Salsman, SVP of Operations at Mike’s Red Tacos, joins Zack Oates to talk about scaling an experiential restaurant brand while staying obsessed with guest feedback. From his early days working at Pi
Send us Fan Mail Michael Montagano, CEO of Dog Haus, joins Zack Oates to talk about thoughtful restaurant growth, franchise alignment, and why strong hospitality starts with building the right foundation. Drawing from hi
Send us Fan Mail Adam Sanders, CFO of Killer Burger, joins Zack Oates to talk about the connection between guest experience and profitability. Coming from a finance and technology background, Adam shares how data, operat
Send us Fan Mail Derrick Hayes, founder and CEO of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks, joins Zack Oates to share the story behind one of the fastest growing brands in the country. What started as a way to honor his father has turne
Send us Fan Mail Anthony Valletta, CEO and President of bartaco, joins Zack Oates to break down what guest experience really looks like today. From managing expectations shaped online to delivering consistent in-store ex
Send us Fan Mail Jennifer Schuler, CEO of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream and former CEO of Wetzel’s Pretzels, joins Zack Oates to talk about what really drives guest experience today. She shares why people are craving in-pe
Send us Fan Mail Tom Selementi of Spread Bagelry joins Zack Oates to break down what actually drives guest loyalty in a crowded category. From premium positioning to operational discipline, Tom explains why winning in br
Send us Fan Mail Pinky Cole, founder of Slutty Vegan, joins Zack Oates to share how bold branding, authenticity, and resilience built one of the most talked about restaurant concepts in the country. From creating a name
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Melissa Doolin-Koehne of Elevate Four to talk about what actually moves the needle in today’s restaurant environment. With decades of experience across operations, data, and lea
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with David Cole of i Fratelli Pizza to talk about building a restaurant brand that lasts. With nearly four decades in the business, David shares what it takes to grow from a small fa
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Scott Shotter of Teriyaki Madness to break down what actually makes restaurant brands stand out. With experience leading iconic brands like Moe’s, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Condado
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Sterling Douglass of Chowly to talk about why AI adoption in restaurants is accelerating faster than any previous tech wave. After years of slow adoption across online ordering,
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Jeff Galletly of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to unpack what it really takes to scale a brand across both restaurants and retail. Jeff shares how the company has grown rapidly while i
Send us Fan Mail Will Stewart, Founder and CEO of RightWork, joins Zack Oates to explore how labor decisions directly shape the guest experience. With a background as a data scientist at Starbucks, Will brings a unique p
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Kevin Boehm of Boka Restaurant Group to explore the mindset behind building one of the most respected hospitality groups in the country. From early career risks to scaling multi
Send us Fan Mail David Youngberg, CEO of Stonefire Grill, and Matt Calabrese, CTO, join Zack Oates for a deep dive into what it actually takes to scale a restaurant brand without losing what makes it special. From feedin
Send us Fan Mail Jessica Serrano, CMO of Bagel Brands, joins Zack Oates to share how marketers can better understand what makes a brand truly stand out. With experience across Burger King, Taco Bell, and Dig In, Jessica
Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Steven Droulis, owner of Resto Vivaldi in Montreal, to explore how a family restaurant built an enormous online following while staying authentic to its roots. With hundreds of
Adam Sanders
country singer-songwriter · Killer Burger
1 appearance on this show
Derrick Hayes
founder and CEO · Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks
1 appearance on this show
Pinky Cole
Slutty Vegan
1 appearance on this show
David Cole
Assistant Town Planning Director · American Civil Liberties Union
1 appearance on this show
Will Stewart
Founder and CEO · Empower Core Solutions
1 appearance on this show
Kevin Boehm
James Beard Outstanding Restaurateur · Boka Restaurant Group
1 appearance on this show
Chris Gannon
founder and CEO · Bolay Restaurant Group
1 appearance on this show
Kyle Gordon
Executive Vice President - Global Sales, Marketing, & Commercial Excellence · Dillas Quesadillas
1 appearance on this show
Dylan McDonnell
Founder and CEO · Foodini
1 appearance on this show
Dan Simpson
Chief Executive Officer · Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
1 appearance on this show
Fred LeFranc
Chaos Strategist & Founding Partner · Results Through Strategy
1 appearance on this show
Chris Stevenson
Founder · National Museum of American Religion
1 appearance on this show
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Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates is hosted by Ovation. The show is categorised under business (marketing) and has published 435 episodes.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates has published 435 episodes.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates regularly covers business, marketing, arts. It sits in the business category, with a marketing focus.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates is accessible for guests with genuine business expertise. A personalised, episode-aware pitch will still outperform a generic one every time.
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates hasn't explicitly signalled guest openness in recent episodes. That doesn't rule out pitching. your hook just needs to be especially compelling and relevant to their recent content.
Episodes of Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates average 19 minutes. a focused format where a clear narrative arc and tight preparation matter most.
Our data rates Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates's guest bar at 80/100 (Premium tier). Established thought leaders with verified media credentials. Sign in to PitchCentric to see how your own Pod Score compares against this show.
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