Hospitality & Politics with Andrew Rigie

NYC Hospitality Alliance
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Business
  • Updated Weekly

Hospitality & Politics is where the worlds of restaurants, nightlife, and policy collide. Hosted by Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, listen as he dives deep into the intersections of business, politics, and everyday life. Join Andrew as he sits down with restaurateurs, nightlife operators, elected officials, and influential thought-leaders to explore the real stories, challenges, and innovations shaping the hospitality industry and beyond.

  1. Aug 25

    From Restaurant Owner to NYC Council Speaker: Julie Menin on Small Business and City Government

    NYC Council Speaker Julie Menin has experienced city government from both sides – as a small business owner navigating its rules and now as the leader of the City Council. In this episode, she joins Andrew Rigie to discuss reopening her Lower Manhattan restaurant after 9/11, how that experience shaped her path into public service, and what running a business taught her about leadership and government. They also discuss outdoor dining reforms, reducing fines and red tape, improving the permitting process, and new efforts to address rising liability insurance costs for small businesses. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 0:38 - What Does the Speaker of the City Council Actually Do? 1:54 - Julie’s Experience Running a Small Business 7:53 - How Julie Got Into Politics 17:06 - Leadership Lessons From Working in Restaurants & City Government 20:48 - The Dynamic Between City Council and the Mayor’s Office 28:02 - How City Council Can Help NYC Small Businesses Survive 34:28 - Where Julie Likes to Go Out in the City 37:48 - What’s Next for Julie and the CIty Council 41:20 - How Julie Remains Poised and Focused #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  2. Aug 18

    How Harlem’s "Gold Coast" Became a Restaurant Hotspot

    Rose Pierre-Louis is an attorney, former Manhattan Deputy Borough President, and founder of the Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance (FDBA). In this episode, Rose dives deep into how a targeted rezoning turned Frederick Douglass Boulevard from an underutilized corridor into Harlem’s thriving "Gold Coast" and premier Restaurant Row. She shares insights on the critical role of public policy in neighborhood development, why woman-owned small businesses thrive on the boulevard, the realities of running community open street programs, and how local leaders are tackling today's commercial affordability crisis. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro0:36 - The Frederick Douglass Boulevard Alliance5:34 - Rose’s Lawyer Background 11:04 - Women Owned Businesses of Harlem14:50 - Respecting the History of Harlem While Building Its Future23:25 - Affordability for Local Businesses in Harlem28:16 - Programming of FDBA31:50 - How to Build a Successful Organization with Volunteers35:00 - Best Practices for Working with Policy Makers40:33 - What’s Next for the FDBA?42:00 - The Challenges FDBA Members Face44:30 - What’s Missing From Frederick Douglass Boulevard?48:53 - The Most Fun and Fulfilling Parts of Rose’s Job51:24 - The Importance of Haitian-Americans in the Restaurant Industry #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  3. Aug 11

    Carrying the Legacy: Max Tucci, Delmonico’s and New York Hospitality

    Max Tucci is a #1 bestselling author, restaurateur, media personality, third-generation partner of Delmonico’s, and founder of TUCCI New York. In this episode, Max shares the remarkable story of Delmonico’s, the New York institution that predates the Brooklyn Bridge, the Statue of Liberty, and public running water – and is widely regarded as America’s first fine-dining restaurant. He traces its history from the Italian-Swiss immigrant brothers who introduced European-style service and sophistication to New York in 1827 to his grandfather, Tuscan immigrant Oscar Tucci, who rescued the abandoned Delmonico’s building during Prohibition, preserved its name, recipes, and archives, and revived it for a new generation. Max also reflects on how Delmonico’s helped shape New York’s restaurant industry, fostered generations of hospitality talent, and became part of his own extraordinary upbringing inside one of the city’s most storied dining rooms. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Delmonico’s | America’s First Fine Dining Steakhouse 8:00 - Max’s experience in the restaurant business 15:50 - Max’s role at Delmonico’s and Tucci 22:14 - What does Max look for when out at other restaurants? 24:20 - Mentorship in the restaurant industry 34:00 - How to be your best self professionally 39:50 - The state of NYC restaurant industry 50:00 - The importance of immigrants in NYC restaurants #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  4. Aug 4

    Eater Editor Nadia Chaudhury on Finding the Stories Behind New York’s Restaurants

    Nadia Chaudhury is a Queens-born writer, photographer, and deputy editor of Eater New York and Eater’s Northeast region. She shares her journey from growing up around her family’s legendary New York spice shop, Kalustyan’s, to covering restaurants and food culture for more than a decade at Eater. Nadia explains how she discovers new openings, spots emerging dining trends, and finds the people and stories behind a restaurant. She also discusses how social media, influencers, and AI are changing food journalism - and why context, credibility, and authentic storytelling still matter when deciding where to eat. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 1:00 - What is Eater? 2:40 - Nadia’s connection to the food world 10:20 - What does Nadia focus on when writing? 17:15 - Nadia’s journalistic process 21:30 - The current state of food media 24:50 - How Nadia orders off a menu 28:15 - The fundamentals of a good restaurant 34:56 - Where Nadia sends people to eat in NYC 38:40 - Nadia’s favorite stories she’s written 43:23 - How to take good pictures of food 46:00 - The future of food media 50:21 - The state of NYC restaurant industry #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  5. Jul 28

    From Waiter to Empire: How Stathis Antonakopoulos is Reinventing the New York Diner

    Stathis Antonakopoulos, the founder and CEO of Carnegie Hospitality Group, joins the show to share his journey from working as a busboy in Greece and a college waiter in New York City to building a thriving hospitality empire that encompasses Carnegie Diner & Cafe, Delos, and Voco Roofbar. While historic 24-hour diners across New York City continue to close their doors, Stathis has cracked the code on modernizing the beloved NYC staple. He breaks down how Carnegie Diner delivers high-dining quality and organic ingredients at accessible prices, the operational systems needed to scale without sacrificing quality, and why putting people first is the ultimate key to retaining a 1,000+ employee team. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 0:23 - Carnegie Hospitality Group 2:00 - Stathis’ experience working in the family business 6:09 - Opening Carnegie Diner 13:06 - The Soul of a Diner 16:00 - Stathis’ approach to menu design 20:08 - Hiring and training  26:40 - Real estate and location 31:28 - The leadership traits of a restaurant owner 38:16 - Stathis’ marketing strategy 41:10 - The biggest challenges of running a restaurant 44:02 - Dealing with the government and politics in hospitality 51:50 - Where does Stathis like to eat? #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  6. Jul 21

    Celebrity Chef David Burke on The Legendary River Cafe & The Birth of American Cuisine

    David Burke is a legendary chef, restaurateur, and culinary pioneer. In this episode, Chef Burke takes us back to his formative days at the iconic River Cafe in 1985—working alongside Charlie Palmer during a time he describes as the "Lennon and McCartney" era of the culinary world. Discover how a bold, experimental crew on the Brooklyn side of the river helped ignite the birth of modern American cuisine and competed with the best view in the world. Chef Burke also pulls back the curtain on the grueling transition from being a creative force in the kitchen to managing a portfolio of acclaimed restaurants and navigating the brutal economic realities of the modern hospitality industry. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro0:38 - David’s company and restaurants4:16 - David’s experience working at the River Cafe17:27 - Mentorship in the restaurant industry20:40 - What does David look for when he’s at one of his restaurants?25:07 - Ensuring value for diners in a competitive market29:14 - David’s passion for menu development32:33 - Where does David like to go out to eat?34:42 - Work-life balance41:10 - David’s approach to building his personal brand51:51 - David ‘s volunteer and charitable work #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  7. Jul 7

    How This Brooklyn Restaurant Blazed a Trail for Caribbean Fine Dining

    Kevol and Ria Graham, the husband-and-wife team behind the authentic Caribbean and Jamaican restaurant Kokomo in Brooklyn. They join the show to discuss the state of the Caribbean restaurant scene in NYC, opening at the onset of the pandemic, and balancing their family and personal lives with running the business. In this conversation, we explore their Caribbean roots and exciting menu, how they utilized vulnerability on social media to build a passionate audience, and their plans for the future of Kokomo. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 0:30 - The vision behind Kokomo 3:35 - The Caribbean restaurant scene in NYC 7:41 - Opening Kokomo during the pandemic 15:35 - Applying lessons from other careers to the restaurant business 19:00 - Hiring for a new restaurant 21:12 - Storytelling and connecting with customers 24:00 - Balancing personal life and running a restaurant 29:16 - The biggest challenges of operating a restaurant 36:39 - Utilizing social media to share the struggles of running the business 42:00 - The state of the NYC restaurant industry 46:26 - What have Kev and Ria done most successfully at Kokomo? 48:04 - The must-haves on the Kokomo menu 51:05 - What’s next for Kokomo? #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

  8. Jun 30

    The Recipe for Reinvention: How Paulie Gee and Mrs. Gee Built a Community Around Pizza

    Paulie and Mary Ann Gee, the husband-and-wife team behind the acclaimed Paulie Gee's pizzerias, started with no professional restaurant experience and built one of New York City's most beloved pizza brands. They join the show to discuss the leap of faith that led them to open their first shop, what it's like running a business as partners in both life and work, and how they've maintained quality and culture while expanding beyond Brooklyn. In this conversation, we explore the story behind the Paulie Gee's brand, whether New York water really makes a difference, and how a neighborhood pizzeria earned a devoted following far beyond New York City. https://www.thenycalliance.org/ https://www.instagram.com/thenycalliance/  0:00 - Intro 0:30 - Paulie Gee’s Pizza origins 11:41 - What makes a good pizza? 15:13 - How to maintain consistency in the restaurant business 21:19 - Running a business as husband and wife 24:24 - The skills needed to run a restaurant 28:50 - What Paulie & Mary Ann look for when hiring 33:50 - New York water 36:20 - What do Paulie & Mary Ann look for when visiting one of their locations? 39:00 - The brand behind Paulie Gee’s 41:24 - Paulie Gee’s cookbook 45:40 - What’s been the most fulfilling part of this journey for Paulie & Mary Ann? #newyorkcity #restaurant #politics #hospital #business #smallbusiness

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Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Hospitality & Politics is where the worlds of restaurants, nightlife, and policy collide. Hosted by Andrew Rigie, Executive Director of the NYC Hospitality Alliance, listen as he dives deep into the intersections of business, politics, and everyday life. Join Andrew as he sits down with restaurateurs, nightlife operators, elected officials, and influential thought-leaders to explore the real stories, challenges, and innovations shaping the hospitality industry and beyond.

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