The Hospitality Hangout
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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The Hospitality Hangout

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

150
Aug. 18, 2026

Why Busy Restaurants Still Fail: Bruce Nelson on the Math Behind Profit

Bruce Nelson, founder of Tempo Hospitality Group and author of Restaurant Management: The Myth, the Magic, the Math, explains why busy restaurants can still fail if the math does not work. From menu pricing and cash flow to POS data, AI analytics, fractional CFO services, and restaurant profitability, this episode breaks down what operators need to know to manage profit, not just expenses.
149
Aug. 11, 2026

Maui Roots, San Diego Hustle: The Kalei’s Kitchenette Story

Kalei’s Kitchenette grew from a farmers market table into a San Diego Hawaiian food and catering brand rooted in Maui flavors, Filipino hospitality, and family-owned grit. Co-founder Khara Mangiduyos shares how she and Chef Andy built Kalei’s around Huli Huli chicken, Spam musubi, Kalua pork, catering, community, and the aloha spirit, while using technology to help a small restaurant operate like a bigger brand.
148
Aug. 4, 2026

How The Mudpuppy Used AI Menu Engineering to Grow Restaurant Sales

Is your restaurant menu leaving money on the table? Amir Harpaz of The Mudpuppy explains how a seasonal dockside restaurant on Tellico Lake used AI menu engineering, menu psychology, POS data, and smarter restaurant technology to improve sales without simply raising prices. From Menu Mind to SpotOn integrations, this conversation looks at how independent operators can use AI and better systems to grow.
147
July 28, 2026

How Rickey Booker Built Breakfast Brothers From the Ground Up

Breakfast Brothers started with a food trailer behind a Dallas nightclub. Then the city shut it down, and Rickey Booker realized people were not just coming for the party. They were coming for the food. On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Rickey shares how he built Breakfast Brothers into a Dallas breakfast and soul food brand with restaurants, a food truck, catering, chicken and waffles, and a story rooted in hustle, systems, and real hospitality.
146
July 21, 2026

Why Barcelona Wine Bar Still Feels Fresh After 30 Years

What makes Barcelona Wine Bar still feel fresh after 30 years? COO Amy Hom joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about the people-first culture behind the tapas and wine bar brand, why she “hires for the fun,” how heart checks and development plans support retention, and why small plates, Spanish wine, and experiential dining continue to resonate with today’s guests.
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.

Recent Blog Posts

Aug. 20, 2026

Voice AI Accuracy 2026 FAQ: What Restaurant Operators Ask

Before an operator signs off on an ordering agent, one question comes up more than any other: can it actually get the order right? This voice AI accuracy 2026 FAQ tackles that question and the practical ones around it — a companion to our overview o…
Aug. 20, 2026

Restaurant CRM 2026 FAQ: Your Top Loyalty and Guest Data Questions Answered

Guest data has become the most valuable asset a restaurant owns, and a restaurant CRM is how you put it to work. This restaurant CRM 2026 FAQ answers the questions operators are actually searching this year — a companion to our deeper look at guest …
Aug. 20, 2026

Agentic AI Restaurants: The Invisible Shift Reshaping 2026 Operations

The story of AI in restaurants used to be a single headline: a voice bot taking drive-thru orders. In 2026 that story got bigger and quieter at the same time. The frontier is no longer one flashy feature — it is a fleet of coordinated software agent…