HUNGRY.

Dan Pope
  • 4.4 (109)
  • ENTREPRENEURSHIP
  • UPDATED TWICE WEEKLY

HUNGRY is the podcast for Challenger Food and Drink brands wanting to pour gasoline on their growth. Fancy being kind? Want to feel warm inside? Please hit the Subscribe button. You’d really, really make my week. 

  1. Ivan Ramen: New York's Best Ramen Restaurant, Conquering Tokyo, Heartbreak, Japanese Literature & Art

    6 HR AGO

    Ivan Ramen: New York's Best Ramen Restaurant, Conquering Tokyo, Heartbreak, Japanese Literature & Art

    Ivan Orkin is one of the most unlikely success stories in the world of food. A Jewish kid from New York moves to Tokyo, opens a tiny ramen shop in the suburbs, and somehow ends up becoming one of the most respected ramen chefs in Japan — a country famously protective of its culinary traditions. In this conversation, Dan sits down with the founder of Ivan Ramen to unpack how that happened. Ivan talks about teaching himself ramen, opening his first shop in Japan with barely any money, and the moment a single influential ramen critic changed the trajectory of his business overnight. He explains why ramen is one of the most creative foods in Japanese cuisine, why “authentic” is often the wrong word to use, and how breaking rules is sometimes the only way to find your voice. Along the way they dive into the realities of running restaurants across different cities — from Tokyo to New York to Las Vegas — the difference between destination dining and foot-traffic restaurants, and the constant tension between creativity and the brutal economics of hospitality. It’s a conversation about stubbornness, identity, and what it really takes to build something original in a culture that isn’t your own. ON THE MENU:00:00:00 Intro00:02:08 Japanese Literature and Murakami00:04:23 Why Ivan Studied Japanese at University00:11:05 The Genesis of Ivan Ramen - $60k to get started00:12:26 Foreigner in Japan’s Ramen Scene00:14:02 Fixing the Hospitality Problem in Ramen Shops (Lessons form Lutece)00:25:33 What makes a good Ramen?00:36:12 Taking Advantage of the Gaijin Card00:40:05 How Tokyo Became an International Food City00:40:12 Pizza & Wine - Tokyo Rivals the Best of the World00:41:11 Ivan’s Favorite NYC Pizza Spots00:44:06 Why the Pizza Scene Exploded in New York00:47:50 Why Ivan Doesn’t Fear Recipe Copying00:51:02 Ray Kroc and No-Nonsense Business Advice01:01:52 How the USA is Killing its Small Businesses01:06:08 What Most Restaurant Business Plans Miss01:07:08 Why "Authentic" is a Terrible Word01:07:52 The Moment Ivan Decided He Could Go For It01:12:21 The Best Sandwiches in NYC01:15:47 Ivan on London’s Food Scene01:17:16 Ivan on British Tea (PG Tips vs Fancy Tea)   ==============================================  ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲  ============================================== 🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================  A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​ ►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk) 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)  This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

    1h 40m

  2. 4 DAYS AGO

    Espresso: Tom Kerridge - How to Put Your Personality Into Your Brand

    HUNGRY.

    11 min
  3. Sat Bains - Surviving a Deadly Heart Attack, Banning Caviar & Truffle, Winning 2 Michelin Stars, The Behavioural Science Wine List that Makes £1000's

    6 DAYS AGO

    Sat Bains - Surviving a Deadly Heart Attack, Banning Caviar & Truffle, Winning 2 Michelin Stars, The Behavioural Science Wine List that Makes £1000's

    A masterclass in the nuts and bolts of running a world-class restaurant. In this episode, Dan sits down with one of Britain’s most uncompromising chefs to talk about building a two-Michelin-star restaurant in the least glamorous location imaginable — a strange little oasis tucked under a Nottingham flyover, surrounded by graffiti, traffic, and the occasional burning car. But that’s exactly the point. Sat explains why great restaurants aren’t just about food — they’re about theatre, emotion, risk, and creating something so memorable that people will travel across the world to experience it. From the philosophy behind Restaurant Sat Bains to the psychology of hospitality, the conversation dives into why authenticity beats polish, why imperfection can be powerful, and why chasing Michelin stars is often the least interesting part of running a restaurant. Along the way they explore Sat’s unconventional ideas — like the now-famous “Sat’s Gamble” wine lottery — the realities of attracting true traveling food lovers, and what it actually takes to build a restaurant that people obsess over. This is a conversation about vision, stubbornness, and why sometimes the best restaurants in the world are built in the most unlikely places. *If you noticed any issues with ads playing under the audio of this episode, please refresh the feed and re-download the episode to fix.  Thank you for listening! 00:00 Gastronomic Narnia00:03:30 Your Restaurant is a Breathing Organism00:05:50 The Secret Behind the Perfect Dish00:9:26 Secret Scallop Techniques and What 30yrs in Kitchens Teaches You00:14:30 The REAL difference w/ Sat Bains and Other Michelin Restaurants00:17:45 How to Mix Complacency, Naivety, and Relentless Drive00:19:35 More on Sat Bains' Scallop Technique 00:21:30 How Sat Bains Treats His Staff00:22:42 Acidity Explored00:24:45 Why Makes Sat Different? (Mentoring New Chefs)00:31:50 Cooking vs Actually Running a Restaurant00:33:45 You've Got to Allow Your Guests to Spend Money00:35:30 The Marketing Genius Behind Sat Bains' Menu Structure00:47:00 Why Freedom Beats Mentors in Creativity00:57:00 Your Restaurant is NOT a Dentist Office01:00:00 Lessons From Growing Up in a Shop01:04:00 Creativity Means Nothing Without Business01:14:00 The £50 Two-Michelin-Star Breakfast Idea01:26:00 The Little Things Matter (How to Match Customer Expectations)01:35:30 Staring Death in the Eye (Sat's Heart Attack) 01:39:00 Why Honesty Beats Perfect Social Media01:40:00 Sat’s Gamble Wine Lottery Explained01:58:05 Sat Gets Kicked Out of the House at 18yrs old 02:02:00 Turning Art Into Michelin-Star Dishes02:17:00 How Creative Ideas Become Real Plates02:25:31 The Biggest Mistake Chefs Make  ==============================================  ♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲  ============================================== 🌟 HUNGRY's Absolutely Bloody Marvellous Sponsors🌟 ==============================================  A massive shoutout to our incredible sponsors who make HUNGRY possible: ​ ►North Star: (www.northstarbc.co.uk) 🤝 Let's Connect! ►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) ►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

    2h 28m

  4. 5 MAR

    Espresso: Rory Sutherland How to Take a Dick Pic in 1987

    HUNGRY.

    2 min
  5. How I Built the UK's First Indian Street Food Chain (it was easier than you think) - Nisha Katona, Mowgli

    2 MAR

    How I Built the UK's First Indian Street Food Chain (it was easier than you think) - Nisha Katona, Mowgli

    From bricks through the window in 1960s Skelmersdale to queues around the block in Liverpool, this is a story of immigrant hunger, insecurity, obsession with standards — and building something that blesses a city. Dan sits down with Nisha Katona — founder of Mowgli Street Food — the woman who turned authentic Indian home cooking into the first national Indian street food chain in Britain.  Nisha breaks down why Mowgli was never meant to be a “curry house,” why Hindu home cooking avoids garlic and onion at lunch, and how sitting outside Greggs watching men in high-vis jackets shaped her pricing strategy. We talk about scale, magic, heart, delivery, Empire, authenticity, Nando’s, Greggs, and why growth should never be something you’re ashamed of. This is a masterclass in building a restaurant brand with soul — and keeping that soul intact across 27 sites. If you care about food, cities, entrepreneurship, culture — or how to turn anxiety into momentum — this one’s special. ON THE MENU:00:00 Intro00:54 Is Nisha a Workaholic?02:54 Does Scale Kill Magic in Restaurants?03:13 Treating Every Restaurant Like Your Child04:26 Why She Decorated Mowgli to Fail07:29 The First National Indian Street Food Chain08:44 Curry House vs Authentic Indian Home Cooking11:54 The Four Pillars of Building a Restaurant Brand25:47 Researching Demand Before Opening a Restaurant26:33 Pricing for Men in High-Vis Jackets27:14 Chicken Tikka Masala & Britain’s National Dish32:27 Why Mowgli Finally Launched Delivery35:28 Temple Daal: Authentic Indian Home Food41:40 Why Scale Doesn’t Kill Magic43:18 Why She Backed Uber Eats in the North44:46 Why Restaurant & Delivery Can Coexist45:51 Restaurants Are Like Cinema for Your Tastebuds59:45 Immigrant Parents, £2 in Their Pocket01:00:50 Growing Up With Racism in 1960s Britain01:27:00 Why She Refuses to Overbuild01:30:48 The £35k vs £285k London Rent Decision

    1h 33m

  6. 26 FEB

    Espresso: Rory Sutherland EXPLAINS "Bottleneck Theory" and how it impacts your business

    HUNGRY.

    8 min
  7. 14 Guerrilla Marketing & Storytelling Strategies To Go Viral  for FREE - SULT founders

    23 FEB

    14 Guerrilla Marketing & Storytelling Strategies To Go Viral  for FREE - SULT founders

    This week on Hungry, the founders behind SULT — the electrolyte brand turning “unhinged luxury” into a cultural movement. From building a status-driven brand that people actually want to post on Instagram, to rewriting the rules of marketing in the age of TikTok and YouTube, this is a masterclass in modern brand-building. We get into why unpredictability creates obsession, why most brands overcomplicate business, and how SULT uses storytelling, sex appeal, humor, and world-building to stand out in a saturated wellness market. We talk Better & Wetter campaigns, Margot Robbie-style bath content, Hailey Bieber’s Rhode, Vivienne Westwood fashion shows, F1 boxes, Michelin-star storytelling hooks — and why the first three seconds of your content might be everything. If you’re building a brand, running a food or drink business, or trying to crack YouTube, this episode is packed with practical insight and uncomfortable truths. This isn’t just about electrolytes. It’s about status, culture, identity — and making something people feel part of. ===========ON THE MENU=========== The Wellness Culture BacklashMaking Electrolytes SexyConsistency vs Quality on SocialSocial Media Is Your CVWhat Is “Unhinged Luxury”?Unpredictability Creates ObsessionThe £15K Acoustics LessonThe Iceberg of Content CreationWhy We Can’t Crack YouTubeFrom Empty Restaurant to Michelin HookThe Hardest Thing: Having a Point of ViewWhy Status Beats Shelf SpaceDo You Fit at Vivienne Westwood or F1?Why Rhode (Hailey Bieber) WinsBusiness Is Just X to YMake Brands Simple AgainThe 3-Second Attention EconomyIgnore Traditional Marketing Rules00:00 Intro00:01 Milly’s Eating Disorder & Recovery00:05 Toxic Wellness & Running Culture00:09 SULT’s "Not That Deep" Philosophy00:14 Netflix-ification of Brand Building00:19 Ignoring Experts & Taking Risks00:24 "Unhinged Luxury" & Storytelling00:30 Scaling in Public vs Building in Public00:34 The Whiteboard Content Strategy00:42 How to Write Viral Hooks00:46 Organic Growth vs Paid Ads00:56 The Brooklyn Beckham Story01:00 Choosing Brand Colors & Standing Out01:06 Why They Ignore Business Advice01:08 The Power of Anti-Selling01:13 Building a Tribe & Status01:15 Learning from Rhode & Anti-Trends01:17 Dealing with Copycats01:20 Embracing Chaos in Business01:22 Co-Founder Dynamics & Conflict01:28 The Simon Squibb Story01:33 Simplifying Business & Branding01:37 How the Co-Founders Met01:39 Why Launch an Electrolyte Brand?01:45 The 4 Pillars of Marketing01:53 Launching in Boots & Retail Strategy01:58 Financial Transparency & Investors   🔥10x creativity beats 10x budget. Want a life changing HUNGRY Creative Workshop for your team? DM brother

    2h 3m

  8. 19 FEB

    Espresso: Tony’s Chocolonely’s Global Marketing Strategy in 16 Minutes

    Most companies bet everything on one big launch.Doug Lamont thinks that’s how you kill growth. In this clip, the former CEO of Tony's Chocolonely and Innocent Drinks breaks down a radically different way to scale — one built on rolling innovation, layered bets, and removing fear from failure. Instead of over-researching, over-launching, and over-spending, Doug explains why the smartest brands: - test cheaply- back winners late- kill losers fast and never rely on a single “big idea” to carry the business From product launches to international expansion, this is a masterclass in how real growth actually happens — especially from £100m → £500m+. ===============📱 ON THE MENU=============== 🎯 Why “the one big thing” strategy usually fails🔥 Rolling innovation vs over-researched launches🧠 Removing fear from failure inside big organisations📦 Why marketing can’t save products that don’t sell🌍 How country expansion really works (3–5 year bets)💰 When to actually turn on the marketing spend⚖️ Small and medium bets vs betting the house

    17 min
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Trailers

4.4
out of 5
109 Ratings

About

HUNGRY is the podcast for Challenger Food and Drink brands wanting to pour gasoline on their growth. Fancy being kind? Want to feel warm inside? Please hit the Subscribe button. You’d really, really make my week. 

Information

  • Creator
    Dan Pope
  • Years Active
    2020 - 2026
  • Episodes
    378
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2025 HUNGRY.
  • Show Website
    HUNGRY.

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