The Hospitality Hangout
Join Michael Schatzberg aka Schatzy (The Restaurant Guy) and Jimmy Frischling (The Finance Guy) on The Hospitality Hangout as they explore hospitality, food service, and investment trends while connecting with industry leaders. Each week, receive insider insights and funny stories that shape the hospitality landscape. They live at the intersection of hospitality, food service, technology, and investment, connecting the biggest players and boldest ideas shaping the industry. Each week, they serve up funny, informative, and wildly entertaining conversations with the insiders who are leading a new era of hospitality. From emerging brands and breakthrough tech to industry trends and restaurant success stories, no topic is off the table. It’s where the who’s who of hospitality hangs out – packed with expert insights, laugh-out-loud moments, and must-know trends that keep you ahead of the game. 🍽️ Tune in, grab a drink, and let’s talk shop! 🚀
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Welcome to the Hospitality Hangout
Join Michael Schatzberg (The Restaurant Guy) and Jimmy Frischling (The Finance Guy) on The Hospitality Hangout for bold, hilarious, and insight-packed conversations with the power players redefining hospitality. From hot trends and tech breakthroughs to behind-the-scenes stories, no topic is off the table.
Recent Episodes
166
Oct. 13, 2026
No Child Should Go Hungry: Billy Shore on Building Something Bigger Than Yourself
Billy Shore, founder and executive chair of Share Our Strength, joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about building the No Kid Hungry movement and why the restaurant industry can play such a powerful role in ending childhood hunger. Billy shares how Share Our Strength grew from a $2,000 credit card advance into a national movement, why chefs have more power to create change than they often realize, and previews the upcoming Restaurant Week for Kids initiative.
165
Oct. 8, 2026
The Foodfluencers: Free the Hummus With Little Sesame’s Nick Wiseman
Nick Wiseman, co-founder of Little Sesame, joins The Foodfluencers to talk about turning a 500-square-foot D.C. basement pop-up into a hummus brand sold in roughly 4,000 stores. The episode gets into Whole Foods, Sprouts, Sweetgreen, regenerative farming, food science, CPG growth, Yellowbird, Fly By Jing, truffle hummus and why Nick wants everyone to Free the Hummus.
163
Oct. 6, 2026
Greg Zamfotis on Community, Coffee and Gregorys’ Next Chapter
Greg Zamfotis, founder and CEO of Gregorys Coffee, returns to Hospitality Hangout live from Prosper Forum to talk about taking a New York coffee brand national. Greg gets into specialty coffee, matcha, protein, drive-thrus, Olo, customer data, social-media hype and why community still matters as Gregorys grows beyond 50 locations.
164
Oct. 1, 2026
The Foodfluencers: Before Food Influencers Had a Name | Jackie Gebel of No Leftovers
Jackie Gebel was recommending restaurants before “food influencer” was really a job. On The Foodfluencers, the creator behind No Leftovers talks about the early days of food Instagram, Foursquare, restaurant PR, brand deals, comped meals, authenticity and how she has stayed trusted after more than a decade in the space.
162
Sept. 29, 2026
IHOP Is 68 Years Young: Lawrence Kim on Evolving an American Icon
IHOP President Lawrence Kim joins Hospitality Hangout live from Prosper Forum to talk about evolving one of America’s most iconic restaurant brands. Lawrence shares why IHOP is “68 years young,” what he learned working inside the restaurants, his anonymous visits to more than 150 locations, the $6 Value Menu, Dubai Chocolate Pancakes, loyalty, catering and why IHOP’s next chapter starts with understanding what guests already love.
161
Sept. 24, 2026
The Foodfluencers: The Foodie Magician on What’s Actually Worth the Hype
Josh Beckerman does not cook. He has been eating at restaurants almost every day for more than two decades. On The Foodfluencers, the Foodie Magician talks New York restaurants, viral food trends, restaurant influencers, Taylor Swift, paid versus organic recommendations and how algorithms are changing where people eat. Then he puts his restaurant-themed mentalism to the test live in the studio.
Recent Blog Posts
Oct. 13, 2026
GOODLES Mac and Cheese for Grown-Ups: Jen Zeszut's Story
Can boxed mac and cheese be good for grown-ups—and still taste great? On The Foodfluencers series of The Hospitality Hangout, Jen Zeszut, co-founder and CEO of GOODLES, shares how she built GOODLES mac and cheese and brought adults back to the mac a…
Oct. 13, 2026
Tropical Smoothie Cafe's CMO on Building Awareness, Joy and Purpose
How do you grow brand awareness fast enough to match an exploding footprint? On The Hospitality Hangout, Deborah von Kutzleben, CMO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe, explains how the brand is building bigger moments to match more than 1,700 cafes. Who is …
Oct. 13, 2026
Cassie Yeung on the Carrot Ribbon Salad, Viral Food and Reinvention
How does a recipe you almost didn't post become a viral phenomenon? On The Foodfluencers series of The Hospitality Hangout, Cassie Yeung—who went from professional dancer to viral food creator, Gordon Ramsay competitor and New York Times bestselling…
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