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
  • 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. 4d ago

    White Castle: The Burger People Plan Road Trips Around

    Some people stop at White Castle for lunch. Others plan the trip around it. Recorded at QSR Evolution in Atlanta, this episode of Hospitality Hangout brings White Castle Chief Marketing Officer Jamie Richardson together with Schatzy and Jimmy for a conversation about the small burgers that inspire some very big feelings. Jamie shares how interviews with a psychologist helped shape “It’s What You Crave,” why staying family-owned matters, and what White Castle learned when it said yes to Undercover Boss. He also explains how employee suggestions became the Crave Case and how the company brings its sliders from its own bakeries and production plants to grocery-store freezers. Along the way, the conversation gets into late-night White Castle runs, the difference between devoted regulars and curious newcomers, and why celebrating the past can become a problem if you stop listening to customers today. Plus, Jamie reveals his personal White Castle order, explains why the Impossible Slider left the menu, and takes his turn in Hot or Not. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    White Castle: The Burger People Plan Road Trips Around

  2. Nov 5

    The Foodfluencers: Dana’s Bakery Started With a Craving for Birthday Cake Macarons

    Dana Pollack wasn’t setting out to change gluten-free baking. She wanted French macarons that tasted like birthday cake, red velvet and s’mores. But when customers told her how much it meant to find a gluten-free dessert they actually loved, that became something worth building on. The founder and CEO of Dana’s Bakery joins Schatzy and Jimmy at Amazon Business Studios in New York City for The Foodfluencers, a miniseries from Hospitality Hangout. Dana shares the late-night moment that convinced her to leave magazine publishing, how her photography background helped sell desserts through a screen, and why starting without a storefront turned out to be an advantage. Along the way, a chipped macaron becomes a Mookie, a classic black-and-white cookie gets a rainbow center, and customer feedback inspires her second cookbook, Bake It Gluten Free. Dana also takes us behind the scenes of a cookbook shoot that took over her house, right down to the cover cake photographed in her laundry room. Her standard for all of it is simple: you should want another bite, whether you eat gluten or not. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Foodfluencers: Dana’s Bakery Started With a Craving for Birthday Cake Macarons

  3. Nov 3

    Einstein Bros., Bruegger’s, Noah’s and Manhattan: Four Takes on the Morning Bagel

    You could spend years getting breakfast at Einstein Bros. and Bruegger’s without realizing the two are family. At Bruegger’s, the draw is a traditional New York bagel. At Einstein Bros., as Adam Modzel puts it, “we play with our food.” As chief operating officer of Bagel Brands, Adam helps run both, along with Noah’s New York Bagels and Manhattan Bagel. Schatzy and Jimmy catch up with Adam at the QSR Evolution Conference in Atlanta. He started as a Starbucks barista, and he still remembers standing behind the counter wishing someone would ask what would make his shift easier. Now he’s the one walking into bakeries and asking. He explains why the company trimmed its menus, how a breakfast shift lets people get home for dinner, and what customers told him when he asked them to define a New York bagel. Then Schatzy makes the mistake of assuming he knows which bagel sells best at Einstein Bros. Jimmy might want to take this one. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Einstein Bros., Bruegger’s, Noah’s and Manhattan: Four Takes on the Morning Bagel

  4. Oct 29

    The Foodfluencers: One Trick Pony on Becoming Your Favorite Peanut Butter

    Lucy Dana went to Argentina for a family wedding and found peanut butter she couldn’t stop thinking about. Back home, Call Your Mother, the bagel shop owned by Lucy’s brother and sister-in-law, needed a new peanut butter supplier. Her brother offered to become her first customer, and One Trick Pony had its opening. On this episode of The Foodfluencers, a miniseries from Hospitality Hangout, Schatzy and Jimmy sit down with One Trick Pony’s co-founder and CEO at Pepsi Studios in New York City. Lucy shares how Argentinian peanuts became the foundation of the brand, why customer complaints led to an upside-down jar, and what happened when TikTok creators started posting taste tests without being paid to do it. There are bagels, restaurant collaborations, peanut butter popcorn and some strong opinions about food trends along the way. Through it all, Lucy keeps coming back to the same goal: make something people want to buy again. As she puts it, “We’re here for the repeat buys, not the shock factor.” Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Foodfluencers: One Trick Pony on Becoming Your Favorite Peanut Butter

  5. Oct 27

    Mellow Mushroom Refuses to Be Just Another Pizza Chain

    Psychedelic art, Holy Shiitake pizza and restaurants with personalities of their own. Mellow Mushroom has spent more than five decades giving people plenty to talk about over a pie. Now it’s adding new ways to order, visit and eventually earn rewards. This episode of Hospitality Hangout features Ahsan Jiva, Executive Vice President of Strategy and Transformation at Mellow Mushroom. He joins Schatzy and Jimmy to share how college pizza nights at Auburn helped lead him from consulting to the restaurant business. The conversation covers Mellow’s return to counter service, plans for Mellow Mushroom Rewards, and the kitchen technology helping teams give customers more accurate wait times. Ahsan also explains why art, merchandise and local personality matter, and why shared ghost kitchens don’t fit the experience he wants guests to have. Plus, the guys taste Mellow Rollz, debate pineapple on pizza and discover Ahsan’s go-to order: Holy Shiitake with steak. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Mellow Mushroom Refuses to Be Just Another Pizza Chain

  6. Oct 22

    The Foodfluencers: Gato Dates Went From Shabbat Dinner to Erewhon

    Tonya Reznikovich kept asking her friend Gabriella “Gabi” Labi for more of the chocolate-covered dates she made for Shabbat dinner. Eventually, asking for another batch turned into writing a business plan. The founders of Gato Dates join Schatzy and Jimmy for The Foodfluencers, a Hospitality Hangout miniseries, to share how that homemade dessert became a brand built around Medjool dates, creamy nut butters and dark chocolate. Gabi and Tonya trace their journey through Los Angeles farmers markets, collaborations with brands including Seed + Mill and Coconut Cult, and the samples that got Erewhon’s attention. They explain why taste comes first, how they found their earliest customers without paid advertising, and why getting people together in person still matters. The conversation also gets into peanut butter dates versus Snickers, the staying power of Dubai chocolate, and their ambitions to bring Gato into more cafés, hotels and gifting occasions. Plus, a plan to win over Bethenny Frankel, a dream Goop Kitchen collaboration, and a little friendly disagreement over Instagram versus TikTok. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Foodfluencers: Gato Dates Went From Shabbat Dinner to Erewhon

  7. Oct 20

    Farrelli’s Pizza and Why People Come Back for More Than the Pizza

    Clayton Krueger started washing dishes at Farrelli’s Pizza when he was 16. Today, he’s the Chief Marketing Officer—and he still isn’t above jumping back into the dish pit. Recorded on location at the QSR conference in Atlanta, this episode of Hospitality Hangout brings Clayton together with Schatzy and Jimmy to talk about the family-run Washington pizza company where his career began. Clayton explains what makes Farrelli’s Northwest-style pizza different: a thicker rise, a slower bake and enough toppings to make a meal of it. The conversation covers honey cream cheese finishers, a Pizza of the Month competition between kitchen leaders, and why an attention-grabbing pizza can bring someone through the door—even when they end up ordering pepperoni. They also get into the people behind the brand, growing a family business, and choosing restaurant technology that makes the guest experience better. Plus: Hot or Not, Clayton’s must-order pizzas, and a Pizzawich that gives Jimmy another sandwich argument to deal with. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    Farrelli’s Pizza and Why People Come Back for More Than the Pizza

  8. Oct 15

    The Foodfluencers: Why Alice Mushrooms Wants You to Eat Chocolate Every Day

    Most wellness routines begin with a pill, powder, gummy or bitter tincture. Alice Mushrooms began with a different question: what if the supplement were the part of your day you actually looked forward to? On this episode of Hospitality Hangout’s Foodfluencers series, Charlotte Cruze, co-founder of Alice Mushrooms, joins Jimmy and Schatzy to talk about turning functional mushrooms into decadent daily chocolate supplements. Charlotte shares how her background in media, branded storytelling and food studies eventually brought her together with co-founder Lindsay Goodstein, a former pharmaceutical executive searching for more approachable alternatives to traditional supplements. The two met during the pandemic, worked together across the country for months before meeting in person and began developing Alice around a simple insight: if something is unpleasant to take, people are unlikely to make it part of their routine. Episode Credits: Produced by: Branded Hospitality MediaHosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy FrischlingProducer: Julie ZuckerCreative Director: Adam LevineShow Runner: Drewe RaimiPost Production: Three Cheers Mediawww.thehospitalityhangout.com Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

    The Foodfluencers: Why Alice Mushrooms Wants You to Eat Chocolate Every Day
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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
    331
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © A Branded Media Experience
  • Show Website
    The Hospitality Hangout | Hospitality Podcast

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