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! 🚀
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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
163
Oct. 6, 2026
Greg Zamfotis on Community, Coffee and Gregorys’ Next Chapter
Greg Zamfotis, founder and CEO of Gregorys Coffee, returns to Hospitality Hangout live from Prosper Forum to talk about taking a New York coffee brand national. Greg gets into specialty coffee, matcha, protein, drive-thrus, Olo, customer data, social-media hype and why community still matters as Gregorys grows beyond 50 locations.
164
Oct. 1, 2026
The Foodfluencers: Before Food Influencers Had a Name | Jackie Gebel of No Leftovers
Jackie Gebel was recommending restaurants before “food influencer” was really a job. On The Foodfluencers, the creator behind No Leftovers talks about the early days of food Instagram, Foursquare, restaurant PR, brand deals, comped meals, authenticity and how she has stayed trusted after more than a decade in the space.
162
Sept. 29, 2026
IHOP Is 68 Years Young: Lawrence Kim on Evolving an American Icon
IHOP President Lawrence Kim joins Hospitality Hangout live from Prosper Forum to talk about evolving one of America’s most iconic restaurant brands. Lawrence shares why IHOP is “68 years young,” what he learned working inside the restaurants, his anonymous visits to more than 150 locations, the $6 Value Menu, Dubai Chocolate Pancakes, loyalty, catering and why IHOP’s next chapter starts with understanding what guests already love.
161
Sept. 24, 2026
The Foodfluencers: The Foodie Magician on What’s Actually Worth the Hype
Josh Beckerman does not cook. He has been eating at restaurants almost every day for more than two decades. On The Foodfluencers, the Foodie Magician talks New York restaurants, viral food trends, restaurant influencers, Taylor Swift, paid versus organic recommendations and how algorithms are changing where people eat. Then he puts his restaurant-themed mentalism to the test live in the studio.
160
Sept. 22, 2026
Inside Yum! Brands: How Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Run at Global Scale
Nigel Henry, Global Director of Operations at Yum! Brands, joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about what it takes to operate restaurant brands like Taco Bell, KFC and Habit Burger & Grill at global scale. Nigel gets into guest recovery, digital ordering, restaurant technology, operational data, team-member experience, cross-brand collaboration, Pizza Hut’s transition and why the best operations strategy still comes down to what happens with one guest in one restaurant.
159
Sept. 17, 2026
The Foodfluencers: Cassie Yeung on Viral Food, Gordon Ramsay and Reinvention
Cassie Yeung went from professional dancer to viral food creator, Gordon Ramsay competitor, and New York Times bestselling author. On Foodfluencers, she shares how a recipe she almost didn’t post became the viral carrot ribbon salad, why simple recipes win, and how social media is changing what all of us eat.
Recent Blog Posts
Oct. 6, 2026
Guest Churn FAQ: What Restaurant Operators Are Asking in 2026
Guest churn — the rate at which your regulars quietly defect to another brand — is the number behind the 2026 retention crisis. Operators keep asking the same practical questions about it, so here are clear answers backed by this year's data. (For t…
Oct. 6, 2026
Unified Tech Stack FAQ: Your Top Questions Answered for 2026
A unified tech stack is the goal behind the tech stack consolidation push sweeping the restaurant industry in 2026. But operators have a lot of practical questions before they start ripping systems out. Below are the questions restaurant leaders are…
Oct. 6, 2026
Customer Retention in 2026: Why Restaurants Are Losing Their Regulars
The regular — the guest who shows up every Tuesday without a coupon — has always been the most profitable seat in the house. In 2026, that seat is emptying faster than at any point in recent memory. Customer retention has quietly become the industry…
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