The meez Podcast

Josh Sharkey
  • 5.0 (44)
  • Entrepreneurship
  • Updated Weekly

Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.

  1. 1d ago

    Acclaimed actress, Tony award winner and Iron Chef judge Julie White chopping it up with Josh on all things food TV and the best food movies

    #134 Josh sits down with Tony Award-winning actress Julie White for a wildly entertaining deep dive into the evolution of food television, from the chaotic brilliance of Iron Chef Japan to Chef’s Table, Top Chef, and the modern reality-TV era of cooking competitions. Julie shares behind-the-scenes stories from judging Iron Chef America, competing on Chopped, auditioning to play Julia Child, and her obsession with Great British Baking Show. Along the way, the two unpack why chefs became celebrities, how food media shifted from education to entertainment, and why Anthony Bourdain changed the entire genre forever. The conversation spirals into hilarious territory as they debate food movies like Big Night and The Menu, reminisce about Martha Stewart, Jamie Oliver, and Bobby Flay, and brainstorm a future travel-and-food series involving bourbon trails, crab feasts, and roadside American food pilgrimages. It’s a funny, nostalgic, and surprisingly thoughtful conversation about cooking, culture, competition, television, and the strange magic that happens when food becomes entertainment. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Julie White on IMDb: http://imdb.com/name/nm0925033/ Watch Iron Chef America: https://www.foodnetwork.com/shows/iron-chef-america Watch Somebody Feed Phil: https://www.netflix.com/title/80146601 Timestamps 1:26 Julie’s Iron Chef Backstory 8:44 How Food TV Became Entertainment 14:09 Julia Child, Jacques Pépin & Great British Bake Off 20:09 Julie Competes On Chopped 28:48 Anthony Bourdain & The Rise Of Food Travel Shows 34:44 Martha Stewart, Ina Garten & Lifestyle Food TV 40:48 Celebrity Chefs, Top Chef & David Chang 49:13 Favorite Food Movies & Chef Culture On Screen 57:53 Food As Entertainment & The Future Of Cooking Shows 1:27:24 Talking Crabs, Cooking Shows & What Comes Next

    1h 30m

  2. May 26

    Greg Baxtrom on his first cookbook, sobriety, the reality of chef driven restaurants, and the babysitter math of dining out decisions

    #133 Josh sits down with chef Greg Baxtrom fora a conversation about his newly released book, Nothing Matters but Delicious: A Radically Honest Cookbook released this week.  Greg dives into his thoughts on ambition, addiction, mental health, and what success actually looks like after the accolades arrive. Greg reflects on his rise through some of the world’s most influential kitchens including Alinea, Per Se, Blue Hill at Stone Barns, and his breakout success with Olmsted in Brooklyn. He opens up about how achieving the dream of critical acclaim and industry recognition did not bring the fulfillment he expected, and how sobriety, therapy, and years of self-work forced him to reevaluate his relationship with restaurants, creativity, and himself. Along the way, the two discuss restaurant economics, burnout, ego, jealousy, friendship in the industry, and why so many chefs quietly wonder how they’ll ever afford to grow old in this business. Greg shares some deeply personal experiences that shaped the cookbook, including cooking through rehab and recovery, navigating bipolar diagnoses, and rediscovering joy through simpler food. Greg explains why he wanted the book to feel practical rather than precious, shares stories from his days working for Grant Achatz and Dan Barber, and reflects on the pressure of opening acclaimed restaurants in Brooklyn. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Greg on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/gregbaxtrom/ Follow Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-baxtrom-8a897814/ Visit Five Acres: https://www.fiveacresnyc.com/ Visit Olmsted: https://www.olmstednyc.com/ Get Greg’s cookbook: Nothing Matters But Delicious Timestamps 00:00 Greg Baxtrom on retirement anxiety in the restaurant industry 01:16 Greg’s plans for a cookbook, Chicago, and international projects 05:52 Why success and accolades did not bring fulfillment 13:47 Sobriety, therapy, and learning to rebuild life outside of restaurants 17:17 The realities of running restaurants in Brooklyn and losing Olmsted 23:36 Why Greg wants to open restaurants outside the United States 27:02 The economics of chef-driven restaurants and burnout 41:49 Greg’s new cookbook and cooking through recovery 51:24 The pressure of recognition, success, and finding balance 01:05:28 Wild Bouley and Danube kitchen stories involving pigs, knives, and chaos

    1h 3m

  3. May 19

    Is your restaurant you're favorite place to be? Plus authentic is a construct, working with your life partner, and wild stories of pigs in walk-ins

    #132 Josh and Mike sit down with Todd Duplechan, chef and co-owner behind Lenoir, Dovetail Pizza, and the newly opened Bonnie’s, for a wide-ranging conversation that blends wild kitchen stories with deeper reflections on what it actually means to build a restaurant you love. Todd shares what it’s like to operate multiple concepts on the same block in Austin, the lessons learned from opening a bar for the first time, and how redefining roles, expectations, and service can make a restaurant both more sustainable and more enjoyable to run. The conversation dives into the realities of working alongside a spouse for over a decade, the importance of constant iteration, and how small mindset shifts—like designing a space you personally want to spend time in—can fundamentally change a business. The episode also explores the bigger philosophical questions around food: what “authenticity” really means, how history shapes cuisine, and why tradition is often more fluid than we think. Todd breaks down the evolution of Texas food through migration, climate, and culture, challenging the idea that any dish can be frozen in time. Along the way, the conversation touches on restaurant design, sustainability, leadership, and the grind of the industry—before ending with unforgettable (and chaotic) stories from their time working under Chef David Bouley in New York. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Todd Duplechan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/todd-duplechan-175644134/ Follow Todd Duplechan on Instagram: @duplechananigans Visit Lenoir: https://www.lenoirrestaurant.com Visit Dovetail Pizza: https://www.dovetailpizza.com Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/ Follow Michael: @michaeljacober Timestamps 01:01 Introduction and setting the stage for the episode 03:24 The wild reality of NYC food truck licensing and restaurant builds 08:52 Opening Bonnie’s and learning how different bar operations really are 12:23 Rethinking service, roles, and making restaurants easier to work in 18:20 Building restaurants you personally want to spend time in 22:15 Working with your spouse as both life and business partner 27:29 The myth of “authenticity” in food and why it’s always evolving 33:24 Texas food history and how culture shapes cuisine 41:24 Designing restaurants around sustainability and local context 01:05:28 Legendary Bouley kitchen stories and lessons from chaos

    1h 20m

  4. May 12

    How Chili's Got Hot Again and the K-Shaped Economy Debate

    #131 Josh sits down with Michael Jacober for a wide-ranging conversation about restaurant value, shifting diner behavior, and why legacy brands like Chili’s are suddenly feeling relevant again. They unpack the idea of a “K-shaped” restaurant economy, where brands increasingly feel pushed toward either premium experiences or clear-cut value, and debate whether that narrative really holds up in practice. Along the way, they dig into Chili’s surprising resurgence, how simplifying menus and tightening operations can improve both the guest experience and the business, and why restaurant nostalgia can become a powerful growth strategy when it is backed up by execution. The conversation also veers into restaurant supply chains, with thoughts on Sysco’s acquisition of Restaurant Depot and what cash-and-carry models offer independent operators, before ending on a more personal culinary tangent: Josh’s belief that sausage is an underappreciated burger format. From Vietnamese-style pork patties to memories of Bark’s crispy pork sandwich, the episode becomes a bigger reflection on what makes food craveable, scalable, and worth coming back for. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Michael on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/michael-jacober-713104124/ Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/ Follow Michael: @michaeljacober Timestamps 03:00 Knowledge bases, agents, and workflow automation 08:12 The K-shaped restaurant economy explained 20:58 Is the middle of the market really disappearing? 21:18 Why Chili’s is back and what changed operationally 29:58 Sysco acquires Restaurant Depot 35:45 Why Restaurant Depot works for independents 41:18 Josh’s argument for sausage as a better burger 46:18 How Bark’s crispy pork sandwich worked so well 53:39 Gladys update and what might happen next

    56 min

  5. May 5

    In the Ai weeds with Sterling Douglass. And "Build or Buy?" is now a decision every restaurant can make with their tech stack.

    #130 Josh sits down with Sterling Douglass, CEO and co-founder of Chowly, alongside Michael Jacober, for a deep dive into how AI is reshaping the restaurant and technology landscape in real time. What starts as a conversation about building versus buying quickly evolves into a broader discussion on how even independent operators now have access to tools that were once reserved for enterprise-level brands. Sterling shares how AI is accelerating product development, empowering teams across disciplines, and fundamentally changing how companies think about adoption, efficiency, and innovation. The conversation expands into the future of SaaS, where traditional competitive advantages are rapidly eroding and being replaced by new forms of leverage like distribution, integrations, and execution speed. They explore the shift from static “systems of record” to dynamic “systems of action,” the risks of relying on subsidized AI infrastructure, and how companies can stay relevant as technology cycles compress from years to months. Along the way, they reflect on the cultural impact of AI, from how teams work to how leaders think, offering a candid look at what it takes to build and adapt in a world where everything is changing faster than ever. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Sterling on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlingddouglass/ Follow Sterling on Instagram: @sterdb Visit Chowly: https://chowly.com/ Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/ Follow Michael: @michaeljacober Do Follow: aiforrestaurants.ai Timestamps 01:10 Introduction to Sterling Douglass and AI-focused discussion 04:20 Why AI is dominating restaurant tech conversations 07:35 Real-world AI use cases for restaurants 11:50 Adoption vs efficiency: what matters most right now 15:30 Token costs, infrastructure, and AI economics 19:40 The shift from systems of record to systems of action 24:10 How AI is changing SaaS and product development 28:45 New competitive moats in an AI-driven world 33:20 Build vs buy decisions for independent restaurants 38:00 Closing thoughts on the future of AI in restaurants

    1h 14m

  6. Apr 28

    Tony Aiazzi on bootrapping, Over Easy Office, and bespoke chef knives.  Plus Ai as the last mile and singing Chef David Burke's praise.

    #129 Josh sits down with Tony Aiazzi for a wide-ranging conversation about restaurant tech, bootstrapping, and the hidden operational work that keeps hospitality businesses running. Tony shares his path from the Culinary Institute of America and Charlie Palmer’s kitchens to co-founding Shoebox, Over Easy Office, and Veteranized, explaining how one of the most frustrating parts of restaurant life became the foundation for an entirely new career. They dig into why invoice processing is still far messier than most people realize, how overseas teams in the Philippines and Colombia support modern restaurant back offices, and why the real promise of AI is not replacing craftsmanship but freeing people to spend more time on the work they actually love. It is a thoughtful look at what happens when restaurant operators build tools for the problems they know firsthand. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Tony on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-aiazzi-0366b5108/ Follow Tony on Instagram: @ynotaiazzi Visit Over Easy Office: https://www.overeasyoffice.com/ Follow Michael: @michaeljacober Timestamps 00:48 Intro to Tony Aiazzi and his restaurant-tech journey. 03:18 From CIA and Charlie Palmer to leaving kitchens behind. 06:08 Learning to fly in South Africa and resetting his career. 07:51 Why invoice processing became the problem worth solving. 10:17 Building Shoebox and creating a team in the Philippines. 14:55 How Shoebox evolved into Over Easy Office and service work. 24:45 Why Tony chose to bootstrap instead of raise venture capital. 31:20 What restaurant invoice automation can and cannot fully solve. 51:53 Veteranized, knife-making, and staying connected to craft.

    1h 4m

  7. Apr 21

    Free Money and explaining GPOs with Rich Kemp of Buyer's Edge, plus will Ai actually make things cheaper?

    #128 This episode starts with a practical look at one of the least understood parts of the restaurant business: group purchasing organizations. Josh, Matt, and Mike are joined by Rich Kemp, whose background in food distribution and work at Buyers Edge gives him a deep view into how operators actually buy, price, and negotiate food. Together they unpack what a GPO really is, how rebates and price deviations work, why distributors participate, and how procurement teams can use better data and manufacturer relationships to reduce costs. The conversation also pushes on a bigger question that has come up repeatedly on the show: if supply chains, AI, and purchasing systems get more efficient, will restaurants ever truly see those savings on their invoices. In the back half, the conversation shifts from economics to culture, as the hosts react to the latest reporting around Noma and René Redzepi. What follows is a candid discussion about abuse in professional kitchens, the way destructive behavior has been normalized for generations, and the difference between demanding excellence and tolerating harm. It is a sharp, emotional, and deeply personal exchange about leadership, accountability, and whether the industry is finally ready to confront the systems that allowed this behavior to thrive for so long. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Richard on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/richard-kemp-2a447412/ Follow Richard: @kemprk Follow Consolidated Concepts on Instagram: @consolidatedconcepts Follow Michael: @michaeljacober Follow Matthew: @conbeazie Timestamps 00:53 Josh introduces Rich Kemp and the GPO conversation. 03:14 Rich explains what a GPO is and how it works. 08:24 The economics of rebates, distributors, and savings. 14:47 Will AI and efficiency actually lower restaurant costs? 21:14 Produce procurement, direct grower pricing, and savings. 27:00 Who captures the margin when systems get more efficient? 31:14 Matt argues invoices rarely come back down. 40:55 The hosts revisit pricing, margin, and distribution power.

    1h 10m

  8. Apr 14

    QuickFire: Chef Vojtech Vegh

    #127 Josh sits down with Chef Vojtech Vegh for a quickfire episode packed with eye-opening zero waste cooking ideas, from turning avocado seeds into tea to transforming banana peels into something that tastes like pulled pork. Vojtech shares how his work has evolved since launching his zero waste mission, what he’s teaching chefs around the world, and why reducing food waste is often less about learning new techniques and more about seeing ingredients differently. Along the way, the two also swap parenting stories, non-traditional birthday “cakes,” and the strange but delicious food habits kids develop. The conversation then dives into the ingredients that are most often wasted in professional kitchens, including watermelon rinds, pineapple skins, bread, rice, potato peels, and more. Vojtech explains how chefs can rethink scraps as real ingredients, where the line is between useful and unsafe, and why some of the most nutritious parts of fruits and vegetables are the ones we usually throw away. It’s a practical, surprising, and very fun look at how creativity in the kitchen can dramatically cut waste without sacrificing flavor. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Vojtech on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vojtechvegh/  Follow Vojtech on Instagram:  @vojtechvegh Visit Surplus Food Studio: https://www.surplusfoodstudio.com/ Timestamps 00:48 Vojtech’s Quickfire Return And Life On The Road 02:00 Fruit Cakes, Sourdough Cakes, And Birthday Food For Kids 06:59 How Vojtech Helps Chefs Reduce Waste Around The World 11:44 Slovakia’s Version Of Grilled Cheese And Childhood Comfort Foods 17:56 The Kitchen Phrase That Should Be Banned Forever 18:53 Vojtech’s Wildest Kitchen Disaster Story 24:32 The World’s Most Wasted Ingredients: Watermelon Rinds, Pineapple Skins, Bread, And Rice 35:51 Banana Peels, Potato Skins, And Other Scraps You Should Be Cooking 45:52 Where Zero Waste Stops: What’s Worth Using And What Isn’t

    50 min
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5
out of 5
44 Ratings

About

Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.

Information

  • Creator
    Josh Sharkey
  • Years Active
    2023 - 2026
  • Episodes
    143
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 2026 The meez Podcast
  • Show Website
    The meez Podcast

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