Staying Hungry

Vinny & Mike of Premier Payroll Solutions

Staying Hungry goes behind the scenes of Long Island’s restaurant industry, tackling the real challenges of hospitality—staffing, compliance, costs, marketing, and more. Hosted by Vinny Pappalardo and Michael D’Onofrio of Premier Payroll Solutions, this podcast dives into the business behind the restaurant with chefs, owners, and industry pros. Whether you run a restaurant or just love the business of food, Staying Hungry keeps you informed, inspired, and—most importantly—hungry for success. 👉 Subscribe now!

  1. 3h ago

    He Built a Cold Brew Brand on $2,000 and No Investors | Chris Vetter | Sail Away Coffee

    Chris Vetter built Sail Away Coffee in Deer Park on $2,000 of savings, no investors, and nitro cold brew on tap before most of Long Island knew what cold brew was. This is Staying Hungry. A tour through Central America turned a touring guitarist into a coffee obsessive. Ten years later Sail Away roasts in Yaphank, ships out of Deer Park, and sells mostly across the tri-state through distributors, with a team that has run anywhere from three to ten people. Chris gets into cans versus kegs, why one coffee tap opens up a bar's whole beverage program, why he still hasn't opened a store, the Beachball tea line at 4 grams of sugar, and why Starbucks did him a favor. Run a bar or restaurant? Watch the coffee-on-tap section at 16:39 before your next menu change. Subscribe for a new Long Island operator every other Monday. Chris Vetter / Sail Away Coffee Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sailawaycoffee/ LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/sail-away-coffee Staying Hungry Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stayinghungrypodcast/ All links: https://linktr.ee/stayinghungrypodcast Timestamps: 00:00 | Chris Vetter and Sail Away Coffee 00:50 | From Touring Musician to Coffee 05:33 | What Cold Brew Actually Is 06:56 | Farmers Markets to Cans 08:29 | Where the Name Came From 12:06 | Lean Team, Big Reach 16:39 | Cans vs. Kegs and Coffee on Tap 20:45 | The Non-Alc Opportunity 22:56 | How Big Is Cold Brew? 24:11 | Instagram and Growing a Community 26:46 | Flavors, Lattes and Roasting In-House 29:54 | Why No Storefront (Yet) 32:25 | Bootstrapped From $2,000 35:57 | Beachball Cold Brewed Tea 40:34 | The Next Five Years 45:15 | Stepping Away Makes It Better 48:52 | Dunkin', Starbucks and the Gateway 55:50 | Expensive Lessons

    He Built a Cold Brew Brand on $2,000 and No Investors | Chris Vetter | Sail Away Coffee

  2. Oct 26

    From a Small Family Deli to a Chicken Finger Empire | Vinny Grosso | Dom's Deli

    Welcome to Staying Hungry! What started as a small family deli in New Hyde Park has grown into one of Long Island's most talked-about chicken finger businesses. But behind Dom's Famous Chicken Fingers is a story of hard work, family values, and over 30 years of building customer loyalty. In this episode, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Vinny Grosso of Dom's Deli and Dom's Famous Chicken Fingers to discuss how his father's original chicken finger recipe became a local sensation, growing from just 80 pounds of chicken a week to a staggering 10,000 pounds for the Super Bowl. Vinny shares the secrets behind their signature honey mustard, how word-of-mouth marketing built a loyal following without traditional advertising, and the challenges of expanding from a neighborhood deli into a standalone chicken finger concept in Plainview. They also discuss managing employees, running food trucks, maintaining food quality, and the possibility of turning Dom's into a national franchise. For restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs, this episode is a reminder that great food gets customers through the door, but exceptional hospitality keeps them coming back. Timestamps: 00:00 | Introduction to Vinny Grosso and Dom's Famous Chicken Fingers  00:53 | How Dom's Deli Started in 1995 3:23 | Growing Up in the Family Restaurant Business 11:10 | The Secret Behind Dom's Famous Chicken Fingers 12:15 | From 80 Pounds to 10,000 Pounds of Chicken 16:35 | Building a Business Through Word of Mouth 20:23 | The Signature Honey Mustard Recipe 23:10 | Expanding to Plainview and Beyond 26:24 | Using Social Media to Grow the Brand 29:46 | How Community Loyalty Helped Save the Business 36:46 | Managing Staff and Maintaining Customer Experience 41:30 | Why a Simple Menu Works 46:01 | The Reality of Working 70–80 Hours a Week 53:27 | Food Trucks, Catering, and Franchise Opportunities 55:34 | Vinny's Vision for National Expansion

    From a Small Family Deli to a Chicken Finger Empire | Vinny Grosso | Dom's Deli

  3. Oct 13

    Nobody Was Going to Outwork This Restaurant Owner | Marcello Erickson - No Good Burger Joint

    Staying Hungry is back with another episode! Hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Marcello Erickson, the owner of No Good Burger Joint, to talk about the relentless work ethic, discipline, and determination behind building a successful Long Island restaurant brand. From starting as a busboy at 13 to building a family-run burger business with multiple locations and five food trucks, Marcello shares how he turned his passion for hospitality into a growing operation. He breaks down the challenges of managing food trucks, handling high-volume festivals, expanding into new markets, and maintaining consistency as the business grows. The conversation also covers how No Good Burger Joint survived COVID through community support, why Marcello refuses to franchise, how he uses ChatGPT for restaurant design, and why social media popularity means nothing without great food and service. For restaurant owners and entrepreneurs, this episode delivers a valuable lesson: success isn't about who gets the most attention. It's about who puts in the work when nobody's watching. 00:00 – Introduction to Marcello Erickson 0:54 – From Busboy to Restaurant Owner 5:35 – The Story Behind No Good Burger Joint 10:16 – Building a Family-Owned Burger Business 13:01 – Surviving COVID and Supporting the Community 17:47 – Expanding Into Five Food Trucks 20:10 – The Challenges of Food Truck Operations 23:40 – Why Consistent Revenue Matters 27:53 – Running Food Operations at Major Festivals 32:00 – Why Marcello Refuses to Franchise 37:33 – Using ChatGPT to Design a New Restaurant 44:00 – The Importance of Hospitality and Leadership 50:03 – Why Nobody Was Going to Outwork Him 53:01 – Balancing Marriage and Restaurant Ownership 58:32 – Why Social Media Hype Isn't Enough 60:31 – Building a Brand That Stands on Its Own

    Nobody Was Going to Outwork This Restaurant Owner | Marcello Erickson - No Good Burger Joint

  4. Sep 28

    What Nobody Tells You About Owning a Restaurant | Maria & Michael Cassano | American Beauty

    Staying Hungry gets into the side of restaurant ownership customers rarely see. Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Maria and Michael Cassano of American Beauty to talk about building restaurants from the ground up, surviving near-failure, navigating COVID, managing staff, working with your spouse, and learning when growth can actually hurt the business. Maria and Michael share how American Beauty went from struggling to keep the lights on to becoming a successful local concept—and why great food alone isn’t enough. They break down the importance of service, social media, customer retention, hands-on ownership, and knowing when you’re stretched too thin. For restaurant owners and hospitality professionals, this episode is a look at the pressure, mistakes, wins, and resilience behind running an independent restaurant. Timestamps: 00:00 – Maria & Michael Cassano of American Beauty 04:00 – Michael’s path into the restaurant business 11:00 – Building American Beauty from the ground up 17:00 – Nearly closing the restaurant 21:00 – Pivoting during COVID 27:00 – Expansion, partnerships & costly lessons 36:00 – The reality of being a restaurant owner 41:00 – Working with your spouse 49:00 – Why restaurant management is so difficult 55:00 – Great service vs. great food 1:03:00 – Social media & restaurant marketing 1:14:00 – Why expansion can hurt your business 1:24:00 – Rising restaurant costs & shrinking margins 1:32:00 – The emotional side of restaurant ownership 1:37:00 – Advice for restaurant owners

    What Nobody Tells You About Owning a Restaurant | Maria & Michael Cassano | American Beauty

  5. Sep 14

    Chopped Champion and Pizza Innovator: Rob Cervoni's Story | Taglio Pizza

    Rob Cervoni of Taglio: From Pizzeria Roots to Chopped Win, Roman-Style Pizza, and Building a Long Island Brand. Rob Cervoni of Taglio joins Staying Hungry to trace his hospitality start at Center Pizza as a teen, his business degree, and running a 16 Handles franchise for years before pursuing his goal of opening a pizzeria. Inspired by Roman-style “weigh and pay” pizza in Italy and guidance from consultants, he adapted the concept for Long Island by offering an eight-slice half-tray “pie” format and adding New York-style slices to meet local expectations, helping Taglio survive the 2018 Roman pizza boom.  He explains how a Chopped DM led to a 2023 win that boosted business and pushed him into on-camera social content, including the viral “spatula mic.” Rob discusses expansion to Massapequa Park, adding a bar for margins and seating, industry learning via expos, debates around bromated/bleached flour and fermentation, using AI for recipes/marketing, competition, collabs, and the pressures of an online persona. 00:00 Meet Rob Cervoni 00:12 First Pizzeria Job 01:30 Falling for Pizza 03:27 College and Business Lessons 04:41 Frozen Yogurt Franchise Era 07:14 Roman Pizza Inspiration 09:13 Making Roman Work Here 11:52 Chopped Breakthrough 14:53 Social Media and Spatula Mic 17:45 Expansion and Bar Strategy 26:20 Pizza Mentors and Expos 29:41 Flour Bromate Debate 32:22 Why Ingredients Matter 33:18 Athlete Pizza Testimony 34:36 Marketing and Persona 36:02 Respecting Pizza Legends 38:13 Bromate Choice Argument 41:28 Bagels and Fermentation 43:18 Dough Prep and Waste 44:42 AI and Pizza Tech 47:45 Twirly Hands Storytime 49:50 Expansion and Competition 55:24 Collabs and Detroit Style 58:32 Pizza Wars and Publicity 01:00:21 Kids and Pizza Life 01:01:50 Underrated Overrated Bits 01:02:12 Montauk vs Upstate 01:02:56 Wife and the Business 01:04:53 Haters and Real Life 01:07:47 Pizza Wars Goes Dark 01:08:46 Chasing the High 01:10:42 Instagram Persona Explained 01:17:25 Competition and Expansion 01:23:00 Pizza Truck Plans 01:26:08 Final Thoughts and Invite

    Chopped Champion and Pizza Innovator: Rob Cervoni's Story | Taglio Pizza

  6. Sep 1

    How a 13 Inch Crunchwrap Became Their Secret Weapon | Brandon Porcasi | Curbside Mexican Grill

    Staying Hungry sits down with Brandon Porcasi of Curbside Mexican Grill to break down how a restaurant that nearly ran out of runway turned a 13-inch Crunchwrap into its signature product—and a social media magnet. Brandon joins Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo to share how Curbside grew from one South Hempstead location to two stores, why COVID unexpectedly helped save the business, and how Crunchwraps went from an off-menu special to one of the brand’s biggest draws. Their oversized 13-inch version became especially valuable on social media, where Brandon saw its potential to grab attention and bring new customers through the door. They also get into the less glamorous side of restaurant ownership: food costs, labor, third-party delivery fees, menu engineering, catering, and the challenge of scaling a concept without making operations too complicated. Brandon even explains how he’s using AI to track changing ingredient costs and build his own point-of-sale system.For restaurant owners, this episode is a practical look at turning a standout menu item into a marketing weapon while still keeping an eye on margins, operations, and repeat business. Timestamps: 00:00 – Brandon Porcasi & Curbside Mexican Grill 04:00 – Starting a restaurant with friends and family 09:00 – Why they chose Mexican food 13:00 – How COVID helped save Curbside 20:00 – Opening the second location 25:00 – The 13-inch Crunchwrap becomes a secret weapon 30:00 – Restaurant influencers and social media marketing 35:00 – Menu engineering and the Curbside food challenge 40:00 – Third-party delivery and converting customers direct 47:00 – Why a bigger menu makes scaling harder 55:00 – Labor costs, food costs, and pricing mistakes 1:00:00 – Using AI to monitor restaurant costs 1:08:00 – Building a custom restaurant POS system 1:18:00 – The realities of restaurant ownership 1:25:00 – What’s next for Brandon and Curbside

    How a 13 Inch Crunchwrap Became Their Secret Weapon | Brandon Porcasi | Curbside Mexican Grill

  7. Aug 17

    The Smartest Food Truck Business Model We've Ever Seen | Rob Neumann - Wicked Waffles

    Staying Hungry sits down with Rob Neumann, founder of Wicked Waffles, to break down one of the smartest food truck business models we’ve seen. Rob shares how a catering-hall concept became a home-based waffle business, why he bought and rebuilt a tiny food truck from Florida, and how he moved away from unpredictable street fairs in favor of profitable private events. He also explains how low overhead, minimal labor, limited waste, social media marketing, and a specialty product helped Wicked Waffles grow organically. For restaurant owners and food entrepreneurs, this episode is a practical look at food truck costs, private-event catering, work-life balance, influencer marketing, menu development, and knowing when not to open a brick-and-mortar location. Timestamps 00:00 – Rob’s motivation for changing his career 01:05 – From culinary school to executive chef 07:40 – How the Wicked Waffles idea started 13:20 – Selling the first waffle boxes 17:15 – Buying a food truck through Facebook Marketplace 22:10 – Why public food truck events were not profitable 27:05 – Switching to private parties and corporate events 33:20 – Building a low-labor, low-waste business model 39:15 – Why a storefront may not be the right next step 45:10 – Growing through Instagram, Facebook, and food influencers 51:30 – Weddings, minimum bookings, and seasonal demand 58:10 – What makes Liege waffles different 1:04:20 – Wicked Waffles’ most popular flavors 1:10:05 – Family, work-life balance, and future growth 1:16:15 – Advice for aspiring chefs and food truck owners

    The Smartest Food Truck Business Model We've Ever Seen | Rob Neumann - Wicked Waffles

  8. Aug 3

    How One Pizza Shop Turned Cheesesteak Into A Phenomenon | Dario Carosi - Dario's Pizza

    Staying Hungry is back with an episode every restaurant owner, pizza lover, and food entrepreneur should watch. This week, Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Pier Dario Carosi, owner of Dario's Pizza, to break down how a single pizza shop turned a viral Philly cheesesteak into one of Long Island's hottest menu items. From growing up in his family's bakeries in Italy to building a cult following through quality ingredients, social media, and relentless consistency, Dario shares what it really takes to scale a restaurant without sacrificing the product that got you there. The conversation dives into sourdough fermentation, premium ingredients, building repeat customers, managing food costs, opening a second location, and why great restaurants are built on systems - not shortcuts. Whether you're a restaurant owner, aspiring operator, or just obsessed with great pizza, this episode is packed with practical lessons. Timestamps: 00:00 – Introduction 01:30 – From Italy to Long Island 06:15 – Why ingredient quality always wins 12:10 – The bromate debate and modern pizza 19:40 – How a cheesesteak became a viral sensation 27:15 – Social media vs. product quality 34:00 – Opening a second Dario's location 41:45 – Managing consistency across multiple stores 49:30 – Sourdough, fermentation & pizza science 59:20 – Scaling without losing authenticity 1:09:10 – Technology, AI & restaurant operations 1:18:00 – Viral marketing, Portnoy & Good Morning America 1:28:20 – Building a restaurant brand for the future 1:39:30 – Final thoughts

    How One Pizza Shop Turned Cheesesteak Into A Phenomenon | Dario Carosi - Dario's Pizza
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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
5 Ratings

About

Staying Hungry goes behind the scenes of Long Island’s restaurant industry, tackling the real challenges of hospitality—staffing, compliance, costs, marketing, and more. Hosted by Vinny Pappalardo and Michael D’Onofrio of Premier Payroll Solutions, this podcast dives into the business behind the restaurant with chefs, owners, and industry pros. Whether you run a restaurant or just love the business of food, Staying Hungry keeps you informed, inspired, and—most importantly—hungry for success. 👉 Subscribe now!

Information

  • Creator
    Vinny & Mike of Premier Payroll Solutions
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    43
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Vinny & Mike of Premier Payroll Solutions
  • Show Website
    Staying Hungry

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