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
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.
158
Sept. 15, 2026
Tropical Smoothie Cafe’s CMO on Building Awareness, Joy and Purpose
Tropical Smoothie Cafe CMO Deborah von Kutzleben joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about growing awareness to match the brand’s 1,700-plus cafe footprint. She shares how Tropical Smoothie Cafe is building bigger brand moments through smoothies, wraps, Disney partnerships, Banana Ball, No Kid Hungry, food innovation, influencer marketing and purpose-driven growth.
157
Sept. 10, 2026
How GOODLES Made Mac and Cheese for Grown-Ups | Foodfluencers
Jen Zeszut, co-founder and CEO of GOODLES, joins Hospitality Hangout’s Foodfluencers series to talk about making boxed mac and cheese for grown-ups. From more than 100 investor nos to Ryan Reynolds, Blake Lively, bold packaging, protein, fiber, prebiotics, 21 nutrients from plants, Target, Costco, Whole Foods, Amazon, and millions of new customers, Jen shares how GOODLES is bringing adults back to the mac aisle. Mac is back, baby.
156
Sept. 8, 2026
Jo Lambert on Olo’s Big Bet to Give Restaurants Their Guests Back
Olo COO Jo Lambert joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about the future of online ordering, loyalty, guest data, and the Olo App. This episode gets into second-party ordering, commission-free orders, Spendgo, AI, personalization, ghost kitchens, drone delivery, and how Olo is helping restaurants keep control of the guest relationship.
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Recent Blog Posts
Sept. 24, 2026
Loyalty Program Payback FAQ: The Real Numbers for Restaurants in 2026
Every operator weighing a loyalty program asks the same blunt question: will it pay for itself? This FAQ answers the real loyalty program payback questions restaurants are searching in 2026 — with hard numbers, not marketing promises. It's the compa…
Sept. 24, 2026
AI for Indie Restaurants FAQ: Your Top 2026 Questions Answered
Big chains grab the AI headlines, but the fastest-growing question we hear is from single-unit and small-group operators: does any of this actually work for a restaurant my size? This FAQ answers the real questions independents are asking about AI f…
Sept. 24, 2026
Personalized Loyalty Offers: Why Generic Points Lose Guests in 2026
For a decade, the restaurant loyalty playbook was simple: buy ten, get one free. In 2026, that playbook is actively costing operators guests. Loyalty personalization — using a guest's real order history to shape what you offer them — has moved from …
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