The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast

The Hospitality Hangout is where the restaurant industry gets real. Hosted by Schatzy, the Restaurant Guy, and Jimmy, the Finance Guy, this funny, unfiltered hospitality podcast dives into restaurant trends, food service innovation, hospitality technology, and the investment strategies shaping the future of the industry. With decades of hands-on experience operating restaurants and structuring capital markets deals, these two bring real-world insight from the kitchen to the boardroom. They connect the biggest operators, boldest founders, and sharpest investors in hospitality for conversations you won’t hear anywhere else. Each week you’ll hear from C-suite restaurant executives, franchise leaders, emerging brand founders, hospitality tech innovators, and private equity investors who are building the next era of food and hospitality. Expect insider stories, sharp opinions, real numbers, and plenty of laughs. No fluff. No corporate spin. Just honest conversations about what is actually happening in restaurants and food service. If you care about scaling restaurants, raising capital, building brands, or staying ahead of hospitality trends, this is your show. Grab a drink, pull up a chair, and let’s talk shop. Welcome to The Hospitality Hangout.

The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast is a arts podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 308 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast, a arts show with 308 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

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  Episode #149

  Maui Roots, San Diego Hustle: The Kalei’s Kitchenette Story

  Aug 11, 202632 min

  Kalei’s Kitchenette started at a farmers market table and grew into one of San Diego’s beloved Hawaiian-inspired restaurant and catering brands. On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Khara Mangiduyos, co-founder of Kalei’s Kitchenette, joins the show live from SpotOn Studios at the National Restaurant Association Show to share the story behind the family-owned concept she built with her husband, Chef Andy Mangiduyos. From Huli Huli chicken and Kalua pork to Spam musubi, Hawaiian-style mac salad, Filipino hospitality, San Diego community events, and the power of solving real customer problems, this episode is a hometown hero story about food, family, technology, and aloha. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling Producer: Julie Zucker Creative Director: Adam Levine Show Runner: Drewe Raimi Post Production: Three Cheers Creative www.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #148

  How The Mudpuppy Used AI Menu Engineering to Grow Restaurant Sales

  Aug 4, 202631 min

  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 Menu Mind, an AI-powered menu optimization tool trained on menu psychology research. Instead of raising prices, The Mudpuppy used AI to rethink menu layout, item placement, descriptions, visual presentation, and ordering behavior. According to Amir, the result was a major year-over-year sales lift with similar guest counts, proving that better menu design can have a real impact on restaurant performance. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling Producer: Julie Zucker Creative Director: Adam Levine Show Runner: Drewe Raimi Post Production: Three Cheers Creative www.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #147

  How Rickey Booker Built Breakfast Brothers From the Ground Up

  Jul 28, 202630 min

  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 the city helped him realize people were not just showing up for the party. They were showing up for the food. This episode also gets into the operational side of building a restaurant brand. Rickey shares how technology, POS systems, reporting, QR codes, and the right partner helped him move from working in the business to working on the business. For operators trying to grow beyond one location, his story is a reminder that great food gets people in the door, but systems are what help a restaurant scale. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling Producer: Julie Zucker Creative Director: Adam Levine Show Runner: Drewe Raimi Post Production: Three Cheers Creative www.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #146

  Why Barcelona Wine Bar Still Feels Fresh After 30 Years

  Jul 21, 202636 min

  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 their teams, and why every employee needs a development plan. She also explains how better training, stronger career paths, and emotional intelligence can reduce turnover and help restaurants scale without losing the human side of hospitality. The conversation also explores Barcelona Wine Bar’s chef-driven model, its Spanish tapas and small plates experience, the strength of its wine program, the growth of Corsica Wine Bar, and why concepts built around sharing, connection, and flexible dining are especially relevant right now. From tapas and wine flights to private dining, GLP-1 dining behavior, small plates, restaurant culture, and the future of hospitality careers, this episode is a look at how one of the industry’s most respected operators thinks about growth, fun, standards, and the people who make restaurants work. Featuring Amy Hom, COO of Barcelona Wine Bar, on Hospitality Hangout. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling Producer: Julie Zucker Creative Director: Adam Levine Show Runner: Drewe Raimi Post Production: Three Cheers Creative www.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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  Episode #145

  Inside DRIPS by Pepsi: The Crafted Beverage Platform Built for Restaurants

  Jul 7, 202630 min

  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 from social media and restaurant menus into larger consumer behavior, and why beverage innovation has become more than a side category for operators. Scott and Alison share how PepsiCo developed DRIPS by Pepsi around flavor, texture, color, customization, and “little luxury” moments. They also go inside the operational side of the platform, including recipe development, team training, point-of-sale integration, menu strategy, marketing support, and the challenge of making a highly crafted drink experience consistent at scale. From the launch of DRIPS at Saucy! by KFC to its expansion through Regal cinemas, this episode looks at how restaurants can use premium beverages to create a stronger guest experience, stand out on social media, and build a more meaningful beverage business. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling Producer: Julie Zucker Creative Director: Adam Levine Show Runner: Drewe Raimi Post Production: Three Cheers Creative www.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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