The Hospitality Hangout
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! 🚀
Choose your favorite podcast player
The Hospitality Hangout

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

Boba Isn’t a Fad: How Gong cha Is Scaling Bubble Tea With Automation
142
June 23, 2026

Boba Isn’t a Fad: How Gong cha Is Scaling Bubble Tea With Automation

Boba is no longer a niche menu item. On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Chris Noffze, Director of Direct Franchising and Operations at Gong cha Americas, joins Jimmy and Schatzy to break down how Gong cha is scaling bubble tea in a cold, customizable beverage market that continues to pull in younger consumers.
Five Guys on AI, Automation, Loyalty and the Future of Restaurants
141
June 16, 2026

Five Guys on AI, Automation, Loyalty and the Future of Restaurants

What does the future of restaurant technology really look like? For Five Guys VP of Technology M.J. Worsham, it’s not about chasing the newest shiny tool, it’s about finding tech that actually works for operators, improves the guest experience, and makes life easier for restaurant teams.
Paris Baguette Isn’t From Paris: How a Korean Bakery Café Went Global
140
June 9, 2026

Paris Baguette Isn’t From Paris: How a Korean Bakery Café Went Global

Paris Baguette may sound French, but its story begins in South Korea. On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Jimmy Frischling and Michael Schatzberg sit down with Cathy Chavenet to explore how a Korean-born, French-inspired bakery café brand grew into a global powerhouse with more than 4,000 locations worldwide.
Rock & Brews CEO on the Future of Restaurants and the Power of Experience
139
June 2, 2026

Rock & Brews CEO on the Future of Restaurants and the Power of Experience

Rock & Brews CEO Adam Goldberg joins Hospitality Hangout at the Restaurant Leadership Conference to talk about how restaurants are competing for traffic with music, sports, big screens, live entertainment, hospitality, and a reason for guests to actually show up.
Boozy Brunch, Protein Pancakes & the Rise of Snooze Eatery
138
May 26, 2026

Boozy Brunch, Protein Pancakes & the Rise of Snooze Eatery

Breakfast is no longer just breakfast. Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, Josh Kern joins the Hospitality Hangout Podcast to break down why brunch culture, protein trends, social media, and hospitality are reshaping the restaurant business. From protein pancakes and breakfast burritos to brunch cocktails, loyalty, restaurant marketing, influencer culture, and why younger diners are changing the way America eats, this conversation dives deep into one of the hottest categories in food
Inside Chuck E. Cheese’s Evolution Into a Modern Entertainment Brand
137
May 19, 2026

Inside Chuck E. Cheese’s Evolution Into a Modern Entertainment Brand

Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, the Hospitality Hangout team sits down with Scott Drake to talk about how Chuck E. Cheese has evolved with a new generation of families, kids, and consumers. Scott shares how the brand modernized the Chuck E. Cheese experience through digital interactive environments, active play concepts, memberships, media content, loyalty programs, and experiential entertainment while still keeping the nostalgia and emotional connection generations

Recent Blog Posts

Bigger Baskets, Fewer Visits: How Restaurants Are Growing Sales in 2026
June 25, 2026

Bigger Baskets, Fewer Visits: How Restaurants Are Growing Sales in 2026

The defining number in the restaurant business right now isn't a sales record or a viral menu item. It's a quiet contradiction: traffic is down, yet sales are up. QSR traffic declined 1.6% year-over-year in May 2026 — a step back from April's …
Why Your Restaurant Is Invisible in AI Search (and How to Get Recommended in 2026)
June 25, 2026

Why Your Restaurant Is Invisible in AI Search (and How to Get Recommended in 2026)

A diner opens ChatGPT and types, "best Mexican spot for a quick lunch near me." The assistant names four restaurants and stops. If yours isn't one of the four, you didn't lose the sale to a competitor with a better location or a lower price. You los…
Beyond the Bubble: Why Boba Tea is a Lasting Trend, Not a Fad
June 23, 2026

Beyond the Bubble: Why Boba Tea is a Lasting Trend, Not a Fad

Welcome back to the blog, everyone! In our latest podcast episode, "Boba Isn’t a Fad: How Gong cha Is Scaling Bubble Tea With Automation," we dove deep into the fascinating world of bubble tea and why it's far more than just a passing craze. T…

Sponsors

Olo
Foodbuy
DailyPay
DoorDash
DIRECTV For Business
Pepsi
Toast POS