#110. In this special meez podcast feature, Amy Guittard of the namesake chocolate brand leads a discussion with acclaimed chefs Suzanne Goin and Michael Mina, and hospitality tech founders Ryan Handel and Josh Sharkey, on the intersection of creativity and profitability—where inspiration meets the realities of running a business. They explore the unique challenges and rewarding experiences of running independent restaurants. Key topics include balancing passion with profitability, fost...

#109. Join Josh as he moderates a compelling discussion with Eric Bromberg, co-founder of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, and John Karangis, executive chef at Shake Shack, exploring the fascinating intersection between fine dining and food at scale. This engaging conversation reveals the mutual lessons these two culinary worlds can teach each other, diving deep into the critical importance of precision, consistency, and innovation that drives success across both restaurant segments. The trio examine...

#108. Josh sits down with Blake Hudelson, founder of BoomPop, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the event planning and hospitality landscape. Blake shares his journey from architecture to product design and how it shaped his approach to building BoomPop as a comprehensive platform that simplifies event management through technology while maintaining the personal service that makes events truly memorable. They examine the power of design thinking in understanding guest nee...

#107. Josh sits down with Jesse Stein, founder of Hermetic AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming hospitality management and customer engagement in the restaurant industry. Stein shares his vision for making AI interactions feel genuinely human while helping restaurants streamline event management and build stronger customer relationships through personalized experiences and strategic follow-up. The conversation covers the evolving role of technology in hospitality, from t...

#106. Josh sits down with Eli Feldman, founder of Elided Opinions and Shy Bird, to explore the rapidly changing dynamics of restaurant management and hospitality. Feldman shares insights on how restaurants must evolve beyond traditional dining models to survive in today's competitive landscape, emphasizing the critical need to monetize customer attention for higher-margin revenue streams. The conversation covers the transformative impact of technology on operations, from AI-powered customer i...

#105. Josh sits down with Britney Ziegler, Founder and CEO of Panso, to explore the innovative world of restaurant technology and hospitality management. Britney shares her entrepreneurial journey of launching a comprehensive restaurant technology platform that streamlines multiple tools into one unified system. She reveals how her team's industry experience has been crucial in reducing onboarding friction, particularly through hiring people directly from restaurants who understand the unique...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uoE6VJ-R7LU&t=108s Today, we’re highlighting Josh's appearance on Restaurant Unstoppable with host Eric Cacciatore. This insightful repost episode explores the critical foundations of successful restaurant operations. Josh breaks down the essential elements of running a restaurant from pre-sale planning through post-sale execution, emphasizing how consistency in food preparation and explicit recipe communication can make or break an establishment's success....

#104. In this episode, Josh sits down with chefs Shawn Aoki and Ryan Harris to explore their journey from working in hotels to running a successful culinary consultancy in Dubai's dynamic food scene. They dive into the unique challenges of menu development, ingredient sourcing, and the competitive nature of the culinary community in Dubai. Throughout the conversation, Shawn, Ryan, and Josh discuss the importance of understanding client needs while developing new culinary concepts, emphasizing...

#103. Join Josh as he sits down with the innovative duo behind Tilit, Alex McCrery and Jenny Goodman, to explore how they've revolutionized chef workwear through community-driven design and authentic hospitality connections. The founders share their formative experiences working within the hospitality industry, including pivotal moments at Commander's Palace and culinary adventures throughout New Orleans that shaped their understanding of what chefs truly need from their workwear. They reveal...

#102. In this episode, Josh sits down with Gavin Kaysen—the award-winning chef and founder of Soigné Hospitality Group in Minneapolis. Gavin reflects on his upbringing, his mentors like Daniel Boulud and Thomas Keller, and how their examples—especially around discipline and curiosity—shaped not only his cooking but his approach to business and people. Whether it’s developing young talent, opening new concepts, or coaching Team USA at the Bocuse d’Or, Gavin shares what drives him: a deep belie...

#101. Josh sits down with chef Dan Kluger (Loring Place, Greywind) for a candid conversation about the evolving dynamics of professional kitchens, and what it really takes to lead with both creativity and clarity. Drawing from decades of experience at restaurants like Tabla, ABC Kitchen, and beyond, Dan shares hard-earned insights into how kitchen culture has shifted and why communication, structure, and empathy are more important than ever. The discussion dives deep into the ways social medi...

#100. In this episode, Josh sits down with acclaimed chef and pastry talent Shawn Gawle—owner of the newly opened restaurant, Camaraderie, in Houston. Josh and Shawn delve into the complex dynamics of leadership in high-pressure kitchens, exploring how early culinary experiences influence career paths, the role of mentorship in professional growth, and the creative challenges of transitioning from savory cooking to pastry. Throughout the conversation, Shawn shares what inspired hi...

#99. In this episode, Josh sits down with Chad Brauze, Culinary Director at Sweetgreen, to unpack the complex world of culinary leadership in the fast-casual space. Chad shares fascinating insights into Sweetgreen's collaborative recipe development process—from initial concept ideation to rigorous testing and market launches. Listeners will get an exclusive glimpse into how culinary teams navigate the tension between boundless creativity and real-world operational constraints, with Chad revea...

#98. Fred Castellucci, CEO of Castellucci Hospitality Group, joins Josh on The meez Podcast to share the extraordinary journey from his family’s modest beginnings to building one of the most celebrated restaurant groups in Atlanta. In this episode, Fred opens up about growing up in his father’s restaurant, the devastating loss that led his family to start over in Georgia, and how those early challenges shaped his approach to leadership and hospitality. He shares lessons from turning around fa...

#97. In this deep-dive episode, Josh sits down with Alex Sambvani to explore how AI is revolutionizing customer experiences in the restaurant industry. Alex shares valuable insights from his work at Slang and draws parallels to his time at Spotify, highlighting how personalization drives engagement across different sectors. They delve into the distinction between conversational and agentic AI, with Alex dispelling common misconceptions while emphasizing that well-implemented AI enhances rathe...

#96. This week on The meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey sits down with Rachael Nemeth, CEO and co-founder of Opus, for a candid and insightful conversation that challenges outdated ideas about restaurant training and explores what truly drives team performance, profitability, and sustainable business growth. Drawing on her early experiences in bakeries, fine dining, and building an ESL training tool for restaurants, Rachael shares how these foundations led to Opus’s broader mission: empow...

#95. In this episode of The meez Podcast, Josh Sharkey sits down with Ben Pryor, a former restaurant operator turned tech leader at Fourtop, to explore the real-world impact of AI in the hospitality industry—and why it should empower teams, not replace them. With more than 30 years of experience running restaurants like Noodles & Co., Brinker, and Dewey’s, Ben brings a sharp operator-first perspective to restaurant innovation. He unpacks his concept of “augmented intuition”—a rebrand of A...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR1hMlmuFNA&t=1s Today, we’re highlighting Josh's appearance on a standout episode of Digital Hospitality with host Shawn Walchef. They explore the power of storytelling in business, the surprising ROI of podcasting, and the evolving world of restaurant tech. From menu engineering to system integration, the conversation dives deep into the real-world challenges restaurant owners face—including the lessons that only come through failure. Josh also speaks can...

#94. In this powerful episode, we sit down with Josh Kopel, restaurateur, consultant, speaker, and former President of the California Restaurant Association, whose story is one of transformation, from building a multimillion-dollar restaurant empire in Los Angeles to rethinking the way hospitality businesses are built and run. Kopel is best known for founding a Hollywood bar that became a local legend, launching a Michelin-awarded fine dining restaurant, and building an award-winning fast-cas...

#93. In this episode, we explore how hospitality is evolving at the intersection of tradition and technology—through the lens of one of the industry’s most influential entrepreneurs. Ben Leventhal, Co-Founder of Eater and Resy and now Founder of Blackbird Labs, shares his journey from media to tech and the lessons he’s learned along the way. He reflects on the importance of brand identity, the power of storytelling, and the real challenges restaurants face in marketing, management, and ...