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! 🚀
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
144
July 14, 2026
Protein, Fiber & People: How Beyond Juicery Is Building a Better-For-You Brand
Protein got the attention. Fiber is getting the follow-up. Beyond Juicery + Eatery CEO Jasmine Miller explains how functional food, better ingredients, and a people-first culture are shaping the next phase of better-for-you fast casual. From smoothies and cold-pressed juice to restaurant hiring, leadership, and franchise growth, this is the Beyond Juicery growth playbook.
145
July 7, 2026
Inside DRIPS by Pepsi: The Crafted Beverage Platform Built for Restaurants
At what point do dirty soda, cold foam, popping boba, and custom drinks become more than a trend and start functioning as a real restaurant growth strategy? PepsiCo’s Scott Finlow and Alison Dempsey explain how DRIPS by Pepsi is bringing crafted, personalized beverages to restaurants, theaters, and QSRs, and why the next restaurant growth opportunity may be sitting in the cup.
143
June 30, 2026
People First, Pizza Always: The Donatos Growth Playbook
Donatos Pizza President and CEO Kevin King joins Hospitality Hangout to share the people-first growth playbook behind one of America’s most enduring pizza brands. From 100 pieces of pepperoni on every large pizza to sauce automation, employee retention, restaurant technology, and scaling a legacy brand without losing its identity, this episode explores what it takes to keep people first and pizza always.
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.
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.
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.
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Recent Blog Posts
July 16, 2026
Restaurant Menu Pricing FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered
Restaurant menu pricing is the question operators are asking most often in a year when traffic is down and every point of margin is contested. Below are the questions searchers are actually typing, answered with data from this year. This is the comp…
July 16, 2026
Personalized Rewards FAQ: What Restaurant Operators Ask Most
Personalized rewards are the most-asked-about topic in restaurant marketing right now — and the most misunderstood. Below are the questions operators and C-suite leaders are actually searching, answered with the 2026 data. This is the companio…
July 16, 2026
QSR Value Strategy in 2026: Winning Traffic Without Wrecking Margin
Fifteen of the last sixteen months have delivered a net decline in restaurant customer traffic. That single fact is reshaping every pricing conversation in the industry — and it is pushing a lot of brands toward the most expensive reflex in th…
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