Hospitality Hangout

Recent Episodes

1. Why Barcelona Wine Bar Still Feels Fresh After 30 Years

   Jul 21, 2026

   Amy Holm, COO of Barcelona Wine Bar, discusses the brand's 30-year longevity and continued freshness in the market. The episode covers her approach to building culture through psychological safety checks and development plans, her expansion into a sister concept called Corsica (Italian and French tapas), and her co-founding of LEAD, an organization focused on retaining emerging hospitality leaders aged 18-25. Holm emphasizes hiring for personality and fun, developing staff through mandatory career development plans, and maintaining the experiential party atmosphere that defines Barcelona's brand.

2. pickle puns and dad jokes

   Jul 20, 2026

   Alan, owner of a pickle company on the Lower East Side, joins the host for a casual conversation filled with dad jokes and pickle puns. The discussion covers his pickle business, his reluctance to use computers, and various humorous tangents including Star Wars references and dad jokes. Alan's pickles are available at pickledguys.com, and he personally ships every order himself.

3. Protein, Fiber & People: How Beyond Juicery Is Building a Better-For-You Brand

   Jul 14, 2026

4. Inside DRIPS by Pepsi: The Crafted Beverage Platform Built for Restaurants

   Jul 7, 2026

5. People First, Pizza Always: The Donatos Growth Playbook

   Jun 30, 2026

6. Why Multi-Unit Franchisees Are Betting on Boba Tea | Gong cha

   Jun 26, 2026

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

   Jun 23, 2026

8. The Future of Restaurant POS: AI Operations Platforms

   Jun 23, 2026

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

   Jun 16, 2026

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

    Jun 9, 2026