The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast

Michael Schatzberg & Jimmy Frischling - Hospitality Insiders | Expert Strategies & Trends.', Hosts: Michael Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling | Branded Hospitality Media, Hospitality Insiders | Michael Schatzberg & Jimmy Frischling | Branded Hospitality
  • 5.0 (14)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

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.

  1. 3d ago

    Why Busy Restaurants Still Fail: Bruce Nelson on the Math Behind Profit

    Bruce Nelson has seen the restaurant business from almost every angle: dishwasher, cook, chef instructor, restaurant owner, operator, author, and fractional CFO. On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Bruce joins the show live from SpotOn Studios at the National Restaurant Association Show to talk about the financial side of hospitality and why great food, great service, and a busy dining room are not always enough to build a profitable restaurant. Bruce shares how he opened his first restaurant at 22, copied a competitor’s menu, priced everything one dollar cheaper, and learned the hard way that restaurant math matters. He also discusses the failure that shaped his book, Restaurant Management: The Myth, the Magic, the Math, and why many operators understand the magic of hospitality before they fully understand the math behind profit. The conversation explores menu pricing, restaurant profitability, debt restructuring, cash flow, POS systems, cloud-based restaurant technology, AI analytics, and the role of a fractional CFO in helping restaurants make better decisions. Bruce also explains why AI can be powerful for reporting, auditing, and analytics, but should never get between the operator and the guest. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Why Busy Restaurants Still Fail: Bruce Nelson on the Math Behind Profit

  2. Aug 11

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

    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 MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

  3. Aug 4

    How The Mudpuppy Used AI Menu Engineering to Grow Restaurant Sales

    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 MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    How The Mudpuppy Used AI Menu Engineering to Grow Restaurant Sales

  4. Jul 28

    How Rickey Booker Built Breakfast Brothers From the Ground Up

    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 MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    How Rickey Booker Built Breakfast Brothers From the Ground Up

  5. Jul 21

    Why Barcelona Wine Bar Still Feels Fresh After 30 Years

    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 MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Why Barcelona Wine Bar Still Feels Fresh After 30 Years

  6. Jul 14

    Protein, Fiber & People: How Beyond Juicery Is Building a Better-For-You Brand

    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 also explains why the strongest brands are not built around trends alone. They are built by hiring the right people, creating space for thinking and creativity, developing future leaders, and giving team members a path to grow inside the business. The conversation explores Jasmine’s own journey from dishwasher and contractor to CEO, the leadership lessons she brought from coaching, the importance of core values in hiring, and why one of her favorite interview questions has nothing to do with work. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Protein, Fiber & People: How Beyond Juicery Is Building a Better-For-You Brand

  7. Jul 7

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

    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 MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

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

  8. Jun 30

    People First, Pizza Always: The Donatos Growth Playbook

    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 approaches employee retention and guest experience, and why great technology should remove repetitive work instead of replacing the human side of hospitality. Kevin also shares how Donatos uses automation and robotics to improve pizza consistency, including a machine that applies sauce in seven seconds, its long-running pepperoni innovation, and a fully automated pizza kitchen. Plus, he discusses why the brand puts 100 pieces of pepperoni on every large pizza, its Red Robin partnership, and what it takes for a pizza brand to scale without losing what made it special. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Creativewww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    People First, Pizza Always: The Donatos Growth Playbook
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5
out of 5
14 Ratings

About

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.

Information

  • Creator
    Michael Schatzberg & Jimmy Frischling - Hospitality Insiders | Expert Strategies & Trends.', Hosts: Michael Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling | Branded Hospitality Media, Hospitality Insiders | Michael Schatzberg & Jimmy Frischling | Branded Hospitality
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    308
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © A Branded Media Experience
  • Show Website
    The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast

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