Sips & Secrets with Leticia Duarte

Leticia Duarte
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Each week, Leticia mixes up a custom drink for her guest — a bartender, chef, server, manager, or nightlife insider — and gets them to spill their wildest, rawest, and most unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From insane customer encounters and workplace drama to scandalous hookups and heartfelt moments, nothing is off-limits once the drinks start flowing. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry — or just love hearing the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of bar and restaurant life — this podcast is your new guilty pleasure. 

  1. The Reality of Retail and Hospitality Nobody Sees

    3D AGO

    The Reality of Retail and Hospitality Nobody Sees

    In this episode of Sips & Secrets, I sit down with my little cousin Ader to talk about what it’s really like working your first jobs in retail and hospitality — and why everyone should experience it at least once.From managers undermining employees in front of customers, to chaotic first serving shifts, minimum wage struggles, and the emotional impact customers and coworkers can have on your day… we unpack the realities that workers deal with behind the counter that most people never see.We also get into workplace energy, learning empathy through service jobs, crazy family dynamics, and why management should work every position before leading a team. If you’ve ever worked retail, served tables, or dealt with difficult customers — this episode will feel painfully relatable.🍸 Sips & Secrets is where hospitality workers share the unfiltered truth about the industry — the good, the bad, and the stories you only hear after hours.👇 Have you ever had a retail or restaurant horror story? Drop it in the comments. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Connect with Ader: Tiktok: https://www.tiktok.com/@aderduarte?_r=1&_t=ZP-93x41Be673OInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/aderduarte?igsh=MWlqMm9obmhpM3Rkdw==

    56 min
  2. How to Stay Positive in Hospitality (Even After 13+ Years)

    FEB 8

    How to Stay Positive in Hospitality (Even After 13+ Years)

    In this episode of Sips & Secrets, we sit down with Cornelius to talk about the real side of hospitality that nobody prepares you for. From emotionally draining customer interactions to moments that genuinely make you question humanity, this one is for anyone who’s ever worked a fast-paced service job and had to keep smiling through it. We get into what it’s really like working at Starbucks and similar high-volume environments, how constant customer demand can wear you down mentally, and the pressure of staying positive when chaos is happening right in front of you. Hospitality teaches resilience, patience, and thick skin — but it also comes with burnout, wild stories, and moments you’ll never forget. If you’ve ever worked behind a bar, a counter, or on the floor and thought “no one would believe this if I told them,” this episode is for you. Grab a drink, take a breath, and let’s talk about the side of hospitality we don’t post about. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650

    1h 33m
  3. A Small Business Built to Change Lives | Frisky Business Cat Café Story

    FEB 1

    A Small Business Built to Change Lives | Frisky Business Cat Café Story

    In this episode of Sips & Secrets, we sit down with the owner of Frisky Business Cat Café in Palm Springs, California—a business built not just for profit, but for purpose What started as a way to help his wife escape corporate burnout turned into a life-changing mission after discovering a cat café in South Carolina. Through countless city regulations, permits, and hurdles, Frisky Business finally opened its doors and quickly became a cornerstone of the community. Today, the café houses 12–15 adoptable cats, hires neurodivergent employees and individuals with troubled pasts, and gives back in ways few businesses do—from a community treasure box for families in need, to bringing cats to visit hospice patients, to becoming so meaningful that a guest’s final wish was to donate to the café instead of receiving flowers. This episode is about hospitality with heart, inclusive hiring, and how one small business can change lives—human and feline alike. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Connect with Sonny: Instagram: @sonnyvonclevelandofficial Website: https://www.sonnyvoncleveland.com/ Support Frisky Business Cat Café: Website: https://www.friskybusinesscatcafe.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FriskyBusinessPalmSpringsCatCafe/ Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/friskybusinesscatcafepsp/ #SipsAndSecrets#CatCafe#CatCafeCalifornia#CatAdoption#SmallBusinessStory#PurposeDrivenBusiness#HospitalityWithHeart#CommunityImpact#EntrepreneurPodcast#AnimalLovers

    47 min
  4. High-Volume Bartending: From Vegas to Broadway

    JAN 26

    High-Volume Bartending: From Vegas to Broadway

    In this episode of Sips & Secrets, we sit down with a seasoned high-volume bartender who’s worked everywhere from Broadway Nashville to Las Vegas. After years behind the bar and in management, we get real about the pressure to manage, the guilt that comes with stepping down, and why not everyone is meant to stay in leadership roles forever. We talk about what truly makes a great bar manager—listening to ownership and staff—why tipping systems only work when everyone pulls their weight, and how high-volume environments expose both strong and weak leadership fast. This conversation is for bartenders, servers, managers, and anyone in hospitality who’s ever felt stuck between moving up and protecting their peace. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Connect with Chyna: TikTok: Instagram: Facebook: Timestamps:00:00 – Customer Stories, Bar Culture & Tipping07:32 – Working Conditions: Nashville vs Vegas14:55 – Bartender Pay, Benefits & Perks22:10 – Social Media, Money & Industry Transparency29:17 – Bartender Management & Career Choices38:18 – The Real Realities of Restaurant Management47:59 – Staff Dynamics & Bartender Schooling53:13 – Faking Experience & Learning Behind the Bar56:36 – Regional Drink Differences & Bar Stories01:02:18 – Bartending War Stories & Drinking Culture01:13:00 – Aging in the Industry & Changing Bar Life01:23:23 – Corporate Influence & Industry Changes01:27:43 – Inside the Vegas Bar Scene & Payouts01:38:24 – Morale, Burnout & Staff Turnover01:52:52 – Restaurant Expansion & Growing Management Teams02:03:13 – Work Ethic, Hiring & Modern Industry Challenges02:14:08 – Accountability, Scheduling & Staff Changes02:21:17 – Final Thoughts & Industry Reflections #SipsAndSecrets#BartenderPodcast#BartenderLife#BroadwayNashville#HighVolumeBartending#HospitalityPodcast#ServiceIndustry#BarManagement#BartendingCareers#tippingculture

    2h 23m
  5. Leaving the Restaurant Industry: Burnout, FOMO & Life on the Other Side

    JAN 18

    Leaving the Restaurant Industry: Burnout, FOMO & Life on the Other Side

    What happens when you leave a job that felt like family — but was also burning you out? In this episode of Sips & Secrets, I sit down with Luis to talk about the emotional reality of the restaurant industry — the parts no one prepares you for and no one really talks about. We get real about restaurant burnout, the guilt of taking time off, and why leaving a restaurant job can feel harder than ending a relationship. From missing family events and holidays, to feeling FOMO after walking away from a job you loved, to realizing how deeply restaurant life shapes your identity — this episode is for anyone who’s ever worked in hospitality. We also talk about the physical and mental toll — forgetting to eat, overeating, burnout — and what it feels like to finally escape the industry and feel free for the first time. If you’ve ever worked in a restaurant, considered leaving, or are still stuck between loving the job and hating the lifestyle — this conversation will hit home. 🍸 Subscribe to Sips & Secrets for real conversations about hospitality, burnout, growth, and life after the industry. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Timestamps: 00:00 Life Devoted to the Restaurant Industry00:23 Stress, Relief & Adjusting After Leaving02:12 Work-Life Balance: Restaurant Life vs Real Life03:23 Staying Connected After Leaving a Restaurant Job04:24 Restaurant Culture, Community & Cult Followings05:15 Networking & Opportunity in the Restaurant Industry06:11 Raw Hospitality Energy vs Retail Jobs08:56 Dealing With Karens & Learning Patience09:55 Teamwork, Kitchens & Front-of-House Dynamics11:00 Bartender vs Server Tension & Teamwork15:54 Work Ethic, Generational Gaps & Hiring Struggles17:19 When Coworkers Become Family21:19 Cultural Differences in Work & Family Values25:44 Growing Up in Restaurants: Money, Spending & Regret29:03 Burnout, Staying Too Long & Knowing When to Leave33:20 Social Life Sacrifices & Missing Weekends37:44 Burnout Stories & Finally Stepping Back41:21 Life After Restaurants: New Routines & Fitness45:17 Lasting Bonds & Funny Restaurant Memories49:13 Looking Back at the Golden Era of the Team50:53 Moving On: Life After the Restaurant Industry57:01 Balancing New Careers, Fitness & Relationships01:04:47 Staying Active: Boxing vs the Gym01:08:00 Body Changes, Eating Habits & Lifestyle Shifts01:12:00 Growing Up & Planning for the Future01:18:14 Bittersweet Goodbyes & Lessons Learned01:19:01 Final Thoughts & Thank You for Watching #restaurantindustry#restaurantburnout#leavingtherestaurantindustry#hospitalityburnout#serviceindustry#restaurantlife#serverlife#bartenderlife#sipsandsecrets#hospitalitypodcast#restaurantpodcast#serviceindustrypodcast#industrytalk#realtalkpodcast

    1h 21m
  6. How Catering Set Me Up For My Future

    JAN 11

    How Catering Set Me Up For My Future

    On this episode of Sips & Secrets, we talk about how working in catering became the unexpected stepping stone that shaped my entire future. Those long shifts, last-minute changes, high-pressure events, and “make it happen” moments didn’t just teach hustle — they taught patience, compassion, leadership, and how to handle people in every situation. We get into: 🍕 how catering prepared us for real life (and the hospital hustle) 💼 learning to grind from our parents 🙄 dealing with those customers — and later, those patients ❤️ choosing compassion because you never know what someone is going through 😳 wild “patient horror stories” and what they taught us 🔥 why passion matters if you want to do anything well If you’ve ever thought your job was “just a job,” this episode might change the way you look at it. Sometimes the messy, exhausting seasons are actually preparing us for something bigger. Grab a drink, sit back, and let’s talk. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650

    1 hr

  7. JAN 5

    Hookups, Nightmares, and Customer Chaos — Real Restaurant Stories

    Ever wonder what really happens when the lights go dim, the doors swing closed, and the restaurant chaos hits full throttle? In this episode, Lou and I pull back the curtain and tell the truth — the messy, hilarious, uncomfortable, sometimes toxic truth — about life in the hospitality world. We talk about the humor that keeps us sane, the customer stereotypes that are a little too accurate, the hookups and “work-only relationships” nobody admits to, and the way this industry forces you out of your shell whether you’re ready or not. We get into fights on the floor, standing up for coworkers, annoying regulars who show up at the worst times, and the secrets behind what you should NEVER order on a busy night. We talk fast money, faster spending, “this generation is soft” moments, the sounds that haunt our nightmares, and how you have to mentally armor up just to survive a slammed shift. It’s raw. It’s chaotic. It’s painfully honest. If you think you know restaurant life — you don’t… until you’ve heard this. Welcome to Sips & Secrets — where what happens after closing time finally gets talked about. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Timestamps: #RestaurantSecrets#HospitalityLife#BartenderLife#ServerLife#RestaurantStories#BehindTheScenes#IndustryTea#ServiceIndustry#RestaurantConfessions#BarLife#KitchenConfessions#HospitalityPodcast#SipsAndSecrets#ChaosInTheKitchen#RestaurantDrama

    1h 50m

  8. 12/28/2025

    Finding Your Passion at 30: How Becoming a Chef Saved Me

    In this episode of Sips & Secrets, we talk about what nobody tells you: sometimes your passion doesn’t show up until you’re 30… and that’s totally okay. We get real about chasing dreams later in life, working for 50+ years (and how that thought alone can humble you 😅), partnerships that go sour fast, and why travel, cookbooks, and constant trial-and-error might actually be the secret sauce to figuring life out. It’s messy. It’s hilarious. It’s inspiring. And if you’ve ever felt “behind,” this one’s for you. Connect with Leticia Duarte: TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@sipssecrets.w.let Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sips.and.secrets/?igsh=dndrYTRyczU0bXNl# Watch on YouTube: www.youtube.com/@LeticiaDuartect Watch on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/28lCiWPFaDXSDEC1y5wHSp Listen on Apple: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/sips-secrets-with-leticia-duarte/id1828236650 Timestamps: 00:00 Growing Up & Family 03:00 High School, College & Basketball 07:00 First Hustles & Family Influence 13:00 Religion, Bar Mitzvahs & Family Dynamics 18:00 Dad’s Work & NYC Roots 24:00 Becoming a Chef — Career Shift 32:00 Restaurant Life, Burnout & Bold Moves 36:00 Catering Begins & West Coast Adventures 41:00 Building a Business + Celebrity Clients 47:00 Partnerships, Challenges & Big Lessons 52:00 Big Events, Clinton & Hollywood Stories 1:00:00 High-Volume Catering Hustle 1:07:00 Wild Catering Stories & Crisis Moments 1:13:00 Rock Stars, Special Events & Memories 1:20:00 Finding Passion, Advice & Final Thoughts #FindingYourPassion#LateBloomer#NeverTooLate#30AndThriving#StartOverStory#PurposeJourney#FiguringItOut#GrowthMindset#CookingJourney#HomeCookLife#CookbookObsessed#LearningToCook#TestKitchenVibes#PodcastLife#PodcastClip#StorytimePodcast#MotivationPodcast#SipsAndSecrets

    1h 29m
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About

Each week, Leticia mixes up a custom drink for her guest — a bartender, chef, server, manager, or nightlife insider — and gets them to spill their wildest, rawest, and most unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry. From insane customer encounters and workplace drama to scandalous hookups and heartfelt moments, nothing is off-limits once the drinks start flowing. If you’ve ever worked in the service industry — or just love hearing the juicy, behind-the-scenes secrets of bar and restaurant life — this podcast is your new guilty pleasure. 

Information

  • Creator
    Leticia Duarte
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    28
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Sips & Secrets with Leticia Duarte 2025

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