Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls says a random Shark Tank moment changed everything. At 21, he saw an entrepreneur with everything on the line and decided he wanted that energy, that momentum, and that founder life. #HospitalityHangout #MidDaySquares #JakeKarls #SharkTank
Ray Blanchette has no time for hot dog sandwich theory. The TGI Fridays CEO says a hamburger is a hamburger, a hot dog is a hot dog, and a sandwich is a sandwich. But when French dips, pastrami on rye, split-top buns, and Fenway Franks enter the chat, the debate…
Mid-Day Squares co-founder Jake Karls says food brands are sleeping on LinkedIn. Forget just chasing TikTok and Instagram. For CPG brands, LinkedIn might be the sleeper app, the growth hack, and the platform where founder-led storytelling can still break through. #HospitalityHangout #MidDaySquares #LinkedIn #CPGMarketing
Taylor Swift’s engagement ring broke the internet, and TGI Fridays saw a potato skin opportunity. Ray Blanchette explains how Fridays turned the Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce engagement moment into a social post by replacing her diamond with one of the brand’s classic loaded potato skins. #HospitalityHangout #TGIFridays #TaylorSwift #TravisKelce
The TGI Fridays comeback is not about nostalgia or going back to 1989. Ray Blanchette says the next chapter is about rebuilding the menu, moving away from freezer-to-fryer food, bringing hospitality back, and making Fridays feel like Fridays again. #HospitalityHangout #TGIFridays #RayBlanchette #RestaurantComeback
Guess the price of this Max Brenner chocolate pizza: fudge crust, marshmallows, Oreos, roasted hazelnuts, ice cream, and hot chocolate. Jake Karls plays Price Is Right rules, but would you pay $28 for chocolate pizza? #HospitalityHangout #MidDaySquares #JakeKarls #ChocolatePizza
Ray Blanchette joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about capturing the Friday Feeling and rebuilding TGI Fridays for its next chapter. From potato skins and Jack Daniel’s ribs to menu upgrades, bar flair, off-premise, Olo, social media, mocktails, global growth, and the return of casual dining, this is the TGI Fridays…
Scott Lawton built bartaco while raising kids, then ended up with a real-life Brady Bunch. Five kids, a blended family, and somehow Schatzy turns the whole thing into a joke about why his wife picked him. #HospitalityHangout #bartaco #ScottLawton #FamilyStory
Scott Lawton thought he was out of bartaco. Then L Catterton called, the culture conversation started, and suddenly it became a full Godfather moment: they pulled him back in. #HospitalityHangout #bartaco #ScottLawton #RestaurantBusiness
What would a Nike x Mid-Day Squares sneaker look like? Jake Karls says his dream brand collaboration is Nike: wellness, storytelling, Mid-Day Squares colors, and a chocolate brand sneaker that could actually be hot. #HospitalityHangout #MidDaySquares #JakeKarls #Nike
Jake Karls of Mid-Day Squares joins Hospitality Hangout to talk about the chocolate bar built for the 2 p.m. crash and the content strategy that made the brand impossible to ignore. From a condo kitchen to thousands of grocery stores, Jake shares how Mid-Day Squares used storytelling, social media, founder…
Why does everyone suddenly love Kansas City? Suzie Tsai says Bonchon fans keep asking for Kansas City, and somehow the conversation turns into Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce, red and white, and Chiefs fever. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #TaylorSwift #KansasCity
Are you tipping your Uber driver? Suzie Tsai says her 5.0 Uber rating might have something to do with being a good tipper, even if the finance team has questions. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #UberRating #Tipping
Why is Sonic ice so good? John Kelly confirms people love Sonic’s famous ice so much they buy it by the bag. Nugget ice, pellet ice, hospital ice, whatever you call it, Sonic ice has a real following. #HospitalityHangout #SonicDriveIn #SonicIce #FastFood
Why is Bonchon chicken so crispy? Suzie Tsai tells the story of founder Jinduk Seo, the double-fried chicken method, the signature sauces, and why every piece gets hand-brushed instead of drowned in sauce. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #KoreanFriedChicken #CrispyChicken
Sonic has over 1 million drink combos, carhops at every order, made-to-order Smashers, and 3,500 drive-ins across America. John Kelly explains why Sonic still feels different from regular fast food, and why crazy drinks are still one of the brand’s biggest superpowers. #HospitalityHangout #SonicDriveIn #SonicDrinks #FastFood
SONIC Brand President John Kelly joins Hospitality Hangout to talk custom drinks, dirty soda, drive-in culture, SONIC ice, tots, loyalty, AI, and why SONIC still feels different after more than 70 years. This one is about nostalgia, weirdness, beverages, and building a QSR brand that knows exactly what it is.
800 Bonchon restaurants in America? Suzie Tsai says Bonchon’s latest U.S. study shows room for major growth, with more Korean fried chicken restaurants planned in markets that still do not have Bonchon yet. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #KoreanFriedChicken #RestaurantGrowth
Is kimchi replacing Ozempic? Absolutely not. Suzie Tsai of Bonchon jokes about the “Bonchon Kimchi Diet”: bacon kimchi bowls, kimchi and water, three kids, and apparently no Peloton or Pilates required. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #Kimchi #Ozempic
Branded Cocktails & Connections at Prosper 2026 — Fireworks, Live Band & the Best Night in Hospitality
Kimchi and bacon over rice or noodles, stir-fried and topped with a fried egg? Suzie Tsai of Bonchon explains the bacon kimchi combo that sounds dangerous in the best way. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #Kimchi #KoreanFood
Would you dip fries in a Frosty? Bruce Nelson plays Hot or Not with Spam, mocktails, protein everything, pickle-flavored everything, private dining clubs, music festivals turning into food festivals, cloud-based POS, and fractional CFOs writing books. #HospitalityHangout #HotOrNot #FrostyFries #FoodTrends
Viral food trends on TikTok and Instagram do not last forever. Suzie Tsai of Bonchon says the K-food trend is exciting, but the real foundation is still Korean fried chicken, Korean dishes, and a core menu that delivers every day. #HospitalityHangout #Bonchon #KoreanFriedChicken #FoodTrends
