The Prep List

Open Pantry Co.
  • 5.0 (2)
  • MANAGEMENT
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Start your week with a sharper mindset and a better plan. Hosted by Shaun de Vries from Open Pantry Co., The Prep List is your under 10-minute Monday hit of hospitality insights, made for venue owners, operators, and team leaders who don’t have time to scroll or sit through an hour-long podcast. Each week, you’ll get: – One trend to watch – One tool to test – One real-world operator move – One smart question for your team If you run a venue, manage a crew, or just want your week to feel a little less chaotic, this is your mise en place for the mind.

  1. Episode 33: The Second-Site Moment

    26 APR

    Episode 33: The Second-Site Moment

    Location isn't a day-one problem you solve and forget, it's a slow-moving leadership horizon, and the operators who treat it that way end up with more options, more leverage, and more resilience. This episode closes the series with three location-level questions every venue leader should be able to answer: what this location has actually taught you, what your relationship is with the neighbourhood, and what you'd need to know before ever opening another one. This week's actions: 1. Sit down for thirty minutes with a blank page and write down everything this location has taught you — what it rewards, what it punishes, what's changed. 2. Name one concrete way you could be more embedded in your neighbourhood in the next ninety days. 3. Identify the one thing about your current location you know you should improve but haven't — and honestly ask why. Location touches almost every other ingredient in the business — brand, money, menu, team, systems. If a structured read on what your location is really doing for your business sounds useful, reach out to us via the email below. Next series: Space — how the room itself shapes the operation. See you there. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    5 min
  2. Episode 32: Making the Most of Where You Are

    26 APR

    Episode 32: Making the Most of Where You Are

    Most venues are getting less out of their location than they could, not because of where it is, but because of how they're using it. This episode is about the three access points of a modern location: how guests find you, how they arrive, and how they experience the space once inside. Because your location isn't just physical anymore. It's digital, spatial, and every layer is something you can either design or ignore. This week's actions: 1. Walk into your own venue as a first-time guest — park where they'd park, approach how they'd approach, and notice what greets you. 2. Sit in three different seats across the room and pay attention to what's loud, awkward, generous, or tight. 3. Identify one underused part of your space and one change that would turn it from leftover into a feature. Location and space sit close together in a Pantry Review because the line between them is thinner than most operators realise. If you'd like help seeing what the room is quietly asking for, reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: Location as a long-term decision — the second-site moment, and why location is a leadership horizon, not a one-off call. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    4 min
  3. Episode 31: The Rent Review Nobody Modelled

    26 APR

    Episode 31: The Rent Review Nobody Modelled

    Once the lease is signed, most of your location decisions are already made, and rent catching up to revenue is the tightest margin squeeze showing up on P&Ls right now. This episode walks through a four-question pre-lease checklist: realistic rent-to-revenue ratio, review terms, fit-out reality, and exit conditions. Because the most expensive decisions in hospitality are the ones you make without knowing what they actually cost. This week's actions: 1. Pull out your current lease and read it properly — know your next review date, your make-good, and your assignment clauses. 2. Calculate your current rent-to-revenue ratio and map where it lands across the next two review cycles. 3. Identify one clause you'd negotiate differently if you were signing today. The lease decision is one of the places we spend the most time in a Pantry Review. If you want another set of eyes on the economics before your next review, reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: Making the most of where you already are — because most venues are leaving revenue on the table in the space they've already got. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    5 min
  4. Episode 30: The Address Didn't Change. Everything Around It Did.

    26 APR

    Episode 30: The Address Didn't Change. Everything Around It Did.

    Location isn't a fixed asset; it's a promise you make to a specific kind of guest, and suburbs change faster than most venues notice. This episode introduces the three-layer location read: your catchment, your real competition set, and the promise your venue can credibly make. Because the address on your lease hasn't changed, but the context around it almost certainly has. This week's actions: 1. Stand outside your venue at three different times of day and watch for fifteen minutes — note who's walking past and where they're going. 2. Pull basic demographic data for a fifteen-minute radius and compare it to who you think your regulars are. 3. Identify one way your suburb has changed in the last two years that your operation hasn't caught up to. Location is one of the eight ingredients we use to assess venue health. If a structured look at your location fit sounds useful, reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: The lease. What to actually assess before you sign, and the questions most operators wish they'd asked. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    4 min
  5. Episode 29 - When You Know Your Numbers, the Decisions Get Obvious

    12 APR

    Episode 29 - When You Know Your Numbers, the Decisions Get Obvious

    Financial stress in hospitality usually isn't about the numbers themselves; it's about the uncertainty around them. This final episode in the Money series brings it back to one question: if you had to describe the financial health of your venue in one sentence right now, what would you say? The gap between where you are and being able to answer that clearly, is the work. This week's actions: Answer the one-sentence financial health question honestly — and notice whether your answer is clear, vague, or anxious.Ask your team: what would we do differently if we were completely clear on our financial position?Identify one decision you've been avoiding that financial clarity might make obvious. Money is one of the eight ingredients we use to assess venue health — and it never operates in isolation. If a whole-picture review sounds useful, reach out to us via the email below. Next series: Location — see you there. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    5 min
  6. Episode 28 - The Wrong Cuts Cost More

    12 APR

    Episode 28 - The Wrong Cuts Cost More

    When revenue dips, the reflex is to cut whatever is visible and easy, not what's actually causing the problem. This episode is about financial decision-making under pressure: what to protect, what to question, and why undisciplined cost-cutting often costs more in the long run than the problem it was trying to solve. This week's actions: Before your next cost decision under pressure, run it through the three-question filter from this episode: guest experience, team capability, and whether it's actually a revenue problem in disguise.Have the conversation with your team before you need it: when we're under financial pressure, what do we protect and why?Audit one recent cut — was it targeting the cause, or just the most visible cost? Financial resilience is about the decisions behind the numbers, not just the numbers themselves. The Pantry Review helps you build both. Reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: The final episode in the Money series, how financial clarity changes the way you lead, not just the way you manage money. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    6 min
  7. Episode 27 - Busy Isn't the Same as Healthy

    12 APR

    Episode 27 - Busy Isn't the Same as Healthy

    Revenue is visible, measurable, and feels like control, but you can grow your top line and shrink your profitability at the same time. This episode unpacks the contribution margin lens: a simple way to identify which parts of your operation actually make money, and which parts just feel like they do. This week's actions: Pick one revenue stream, a menu section, a service period, or an event, and map its real cost, including labour, time, and complexity.Ask your team: if we could only keep the parts of what we do that actually work, what would we keep?Identify one thing you're currently running that might be generating revenue but not return. The Pantry Review helps you understand not just what your venue makes, but what it actually keeps. Reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: Money under pressure - what your financial decisions in tough moments reveal about the kind of operation you're running. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    5 min
  8. Episode 26 - Your Numbers Are Lying to You (But Not How You Think)

    12 APR

    Episode 26 - Your Numbers Are Lying to You (But Not How You Think)

    Your financial position isn't a picture of today; it's a record of decisions you made weeks or months ago. This episode introduces the three financial signals every venue leader should be reading weekly: cost of goods, wage-to-revenue ratio, and net cash position. Because you can't fix what you're not looking at. This week's actions: Pull your cost of goods, wage ratio, and end-of-week cash position — and look at them together, not in isolation.Ask yourself: which of these three have you been checking reactively rather than routinely?Identify one operational decision from the past month that you now see reflected in the numbers. The Pantry Review is where we start. Reach out to us via the email below. Next episode: The revenue trap — why busy isn't the same as healthy, and why chasing the top line might be costing you more than you think. How to connect with Open Pantry Co. Reach out to us here: connect@openpantryco.com Subscribe to the 🥪Sandwich Press Newsletter: Link Open Pantry Co. Website: Link Open Pantry Co. Instagram: Link Open Pantry Co. YouTube: Link Open Pantry Co. LinkedIn: Link Open Pantry Co. Linktree: Link

    5 min
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Start your week with a sharper mindset and a better plan. Hosted by Shaun de Vries from Open Pantry Co., The Prep List is your under 10-minute Monday hit of hospitality insights, made for venue owners, operators, and team leaders who don’t have time to scroll or sit through an hour-long podcast. Each week, you’ll get: – One trend to watch – One tool to test – One real-world operator move – One smart question for your team If you run a venue, manage a crew, or just want your week to feel a little less chaotic, this is your mise en place for the mind.

Information

  • Creator
    Open Pantry Co.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    33
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Copyright 2026 Open Pantry Co.
  • Show Website
    The Prep List