Episodes

Jan. 20, 2026

Third Place Thinking: John Dillon CEO of La Madeleine on Reviving Legacy Brands and Redefining Café Culturein Hospitality

John Dillon, CEO of La Madeleine, joins Hospitality Hangout to share his expert strategies on reviving a 42-year-old legacy brand by blending tradition with modern hospitality trends. Drawing on his journey through major rest...

Jan. 13, 2026

Reviving an Icon: Nate Fowler CEO of Long John Silver’s on Brand Growth and Hospitality Innovation

Nate Fowler, CEO of Long John Silver’s, joins Hospitality Hangout live from RFDC in Las Vegas to share insider insights on revitalizing a 56-year-old restaurant brand while maintaining its core identity. This episode dives de...

Jan. 6, 2026

Scaling Dirty Soda: Alex Dunn, CEO of Swig, on Building a National Beverage Brand

Alex Dunn, CEO of Swig, shares insider insights on how Swig pioneered and scaled the dirty soda category from its Utah roots to a thriving national franchise. Explore key hospitality trends in the beverage and restaurant indu...

Dec. 30, 2025

Hospitality Industry Growth & Technology Insights from Leaders at FStech

Featuring top hospitality leaders from Groucho’s Deli, Long John Silver’s, Tiki Taco, Cowboy Chicken, Crazy Pita, and Beans & Brews Coffee House, including Mehdi Zarhloul, Brittany Mercer, Eric Knott, Deric Rosenbaum, Doug Wi...

Dec. 23, 2025

Never Feeling Like a Chain: Caleb Harrell CEO of Hawkers Asian Street Food on Culture Growth and Hands On Hospitality

Caleb Harrell, CEO and co-founder of Hawkers Asian Street Food, joins Hospitality Hangout to share hospitality insider insights on building an authentic restaurant brand rooted in Asian street food culture. Discover how under...

Dec. 16, 2025

More Than a Diner: Mark Politzer CEO of Norms Restaurants on Leadership Culture and Always On Hospitality

Mark Politzer, CEO of Norms Restaurants and a prominent figure among hospitality insiders, shares his extraordinary journey in the food service industry on Hospitality Hangout. From starting as a dishwasher to leading a belov...

Dec. 11, 2025

Building DogHaus: André Vener on Turning a Late Night Idea into a National Brand

André Vener shares the inspiring hospitality story behind DogHaus—from a late-night idea to a nationally recognized food brand. Discover industry trends in food service and hospitality strategies as André discusses the import...

Dec. 9, 2025

Purpose-Driven Hospitality Leadership: Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny’s on Feeding Communities

Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny’s and a leading hospitality insider, shares her purpose-driven leadership approach, and the powerful role hospitality plays beyond the dining room. In this special No Kid Hungry miniseries episode, ...

Dec. 2, 2025

Fresh Pressed Power: Building Wellness and Gut Health with Main Squeeze Juice CEO Jennifer Dodd

Jennifer Dodd, CEO of Main Squeeze Juice, shares her journey and insights into building an emerging brand within the food industry. Dive deep into hospitality trends around wellness-driven concepts, cold-pressed juice, and gu...

Nov. 25, 2025

Building People First: Leadership and Expansion Insights with Amy Hom of Barcelona Wine Bar

Amy Hom, COO of Barcelona Wine Bar and a recognized hospitality insider, shares her leadership journey and insights into navigating hospitality trends through talent development and brand expansion. From early experiences at ...

Nov. 18, 2025

Kimchi Magic: CEO of Bonchon Suzie Tsai on Korean Fried Chicken, Global Growth, and Flavor Innovation

Suzie Tsai, CEO of Bonchon Chicken, joins Hospitality Insiders to share captivating insights into one of the most iconic Korean fried chicken brands shaping hospitality trends worldwide. Dive into the science behind perfect t...

Nov. 11, 2025

Building BarTaco: Insights on Brand Culture and Growth in Hospitality

Scott Lawton, Co-Founder and Chairman of BarTaco, joins to share his unique journey from busboy to a leader in the food industry. In this episode, Scott offers insider insights on hospitality strategies, the importance of bra...

Nov. 4, 2025

Hospitality Leadership with Debbie Stroud: Leading Whataburger's Legacy and Future

Debbie Stroud, President and CEO of Whataburger, shares her unique hospitality leadership journey, guiding one of America's most iconic brands into a future driven by hospitality strategies and a people-first culture. In this...

Oct. 28, 2025

Building a Billion-Dollar Hospitality Brand: Leadership & Growth with Jim Bitticks of Dave’s Hot Chicken

Jim Bitticks, President and COO of Dave’s Hot Chicken, shares insider insights on building a billion-dollar hospitality brand. From a humble $900 East Hollywood pop-up to one of the fastest-growing food industry sensations, J...

Oct. 21, 2025

Fighting Summer Hunger: Hospitality Leaders Feeding Millions through Innovative Strategies

In this special episode, recorded live at the Prosper Forum, the Hospitality Hangout shines a light on how hospitality leaders are tackling childhood hunger. Featuring Anne Filipic, CEO of Share Our Strength and leader of the...

Oct. 14, 2025

It’s Bigger Than Biscuits: Roland Gonzalez, CEO of Church’s Chicken, on Expansion, Philanthropy, and Culture

Roland Gonzalez, CEO of Church’s Chicken, shares how he’s leading one of the world’s largest fried chicken brands through rapid expansion and brand evolution. He talks about growing up in Texas, his early start in food servic...

Oct. 7, 2025

Never Trust a Skinny CEO: Rob Lynch of Shake Shack on Hustle, Culture, and Community

Rob Lynch, CEO of Shake Shack, shares his journey from washing dishes at age five to leading one of the most recognizable burger brands in the world. He talks about his early roots in pizza shops, the lessons learned from wor...

Sept. 30, 2025

Rolling Forward: Scott Boatwright, CEO of Chipotle, on Growth and Fighting Childhood Hunger

Scott Boatwright, CEO of Chipotle, shares his journey from humble beginnings to leading one of America’s most recognizable brands. He reflects on his personal experience with food insecurity, Chipotle’s work with No Kid Hungr...

Sept. 23, 2025

Carving a Better Future: Barry McGowan CEO of Fogo de Chão on Leadership and Giving Back

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg (“the restaurant guy”) and Jimmy Frischling (“the finance guy”) sit down with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, as part of the No Kid Hungry CEO Pledge minise...

Sept. 16, 2025

Game Day, Every Day: Brooks Schaden, Co-Founder and CEO of Tom’s Watch Bar, on Reinventing the Sports Viewing Experience”

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, the Restaurant Guy and the Finance Guy sit down with Brooks Schaden, co-CEO and co-founder of Tom’s Watch Bar, to explore how he’s reinventing the modern sports bar. From 150+ TVs and c...

Sept. 9, 2025

Igniting Restaurant Growth: From Flames to Fame: Steve Kislow on Igniting Restaurant Growth at Firebirds Wood Fired Grill

In this sizzling episode of The Hospitality Hangout Podcast, hosts Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling sit down with Steve Kislow, CEO of Firebirds Wood Fired Grill. They delve into hospitality strategies and re...

Hospitality’s Game Plan: Insider Insights & Emerging Trends for Restaurant Success

Sept. 2, 2025