Restaurant Owners Uncorked

Chrissy Pasquale-Urso owns five bars and restaurants (all within one block of each other) in Binghamton, New York. She shares her origin story of buying a university bar at age 21 through seller financing after bartending there for two years, then growing into a portfolio that includes a sushi restaurant, a pizzeria, and more, eventually buying the building itself. Now splitting her time between Soho, Montauk, and Binghamton while raising two young kids with her husband and business partner Andrew, Chrissy offers candid insight into the modern challenges facing operators: declining alcohol consumption among Gen Z, the impact of GLP-1...

This episode features Christian Williams, owner of Sugo Italian Restaurant in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a Ben E. Keith team member with a background spanning serving, food distribution sales at Sysco, and over a decade leading digital marketing for a global manufacturer. Christian traces his path from a $4.25/hour Subway job through eight years of serving to opening Sugo three years ago, and he's refreshingly candid about how little he understood restaurant ownership until he was "behind the checkbook" himself. The conversation digs into what actually separates surviving restaurants from failing ones today: ruthlessly protecting your time by automating the...

Wil sits down with 30-year restaurant veteran and author Lance Reynolds for a candid conversation about the realities of independent restaurant ownership. Lance shares his unlikely origin story, going from janitor to owner of the very same restaurant, and opens up about nearly losing everything when he overextended on a fourth location, plus the vulnerability it took to ask for help and turn things around. The two dig into what actually drives restaurant success: putting employees first, delivering genuine hospitality, telling your story, and embracing technology and AI to free up time for the human connection that makes local...

Dave Chicane, chef and owner of Artusi in Eggertsville, New York, to discuss the deeply personal motivations behind his 30-year career in hospitality. Chicane shares his journey from an investment broker to a seasoned restaurateur, detailing how a chance reunion with a past love brought him back to Buffalo to open a unique, neighborhood-focused "piega" shop during the post-COVID era. The conversation explores the "80/20" reality of restaurant ownership, where 80% of the day involves managing crises like gas outages or rising food costs, while the remaining 20% provides the "nourishment" and human connection that fuel his passion. Dave emphasize the importance...

Tammy Henderson and her son Garrett, co-owners of Sweet Southern Comfort Restaurant in DeFuniak Springs, Florida. Tammy shares her winding journey into the restaurant industry — from a career in real estate, to brief stints with a boutique restaurant, a gas station deli, and a music venue, before finally landing in their current sit-down restaurant in a historic district. After a chaotic opening and a staffing crisis, she found her solution in J1 Jamaican workers who have since become a loyal, long-term kitchen team. Garrett, who joined intending to stay only a year, discovered a passion for the business and no...

Brandon McCraney, the owner and master blender of Old Raleigh Distillery in Zebulon, North Carolina. Brandon details his diverse career journey. from working in hospitality during college to serving as an Air Force officer and a corporate executive—before a pivotal "failure" to secure a VP role led him to pursue his passion for bourbon. He describes the grueling four-year process of opening his distillery, which involved navigating the intense regulations of the spirits industry, facing twelve bank rejections, and eventually emptying his 401k to open during the COVID-19 pandemic. Central to Brandon's leadership philosophy is the concept of "Ex...

Jeremy Rhodes and Ali Chetkof Rhodes discuss the rapid growth of their business, Moonrise Bagels. The couple shares the story of how a pandemic-era experiment with "stuffing" a bagel with pizza ingredients evolved from a home-kitchen project into a multi-unit operation with a flagship location in New York City’s Greenwich Village. Jeremy and Ali detail their transition from established corporate careers to full-time entrepreneurship, highlighting the operational challenges of moving from a small-town shop to the competitive Manhattan market. The conversation explores their unique product, which reimagines the bagel as a complete, handheld meal, and their focus on ma...

David Bessinger shares the multi-generational history of Melvin’s BBQ, a business built on a secret mustard-based sauce invented by his grandfather in 1933. Bessinger details the evolution of the brand from its origins during the Great Depression to its current status as a Charleston staple, emphasizing the transition from gas-assisted pits to traditional all-wood smoking methods. Throughout the conversation, he underscores the foundational principles inherited from his father: maintaining debt-free operations by owning land, prioritizing customer and employee respect, and the "sacred" decision to remain closed on Sundays for family and rest. Bessinger also offers a candid look at mo...

Koji Kanematsu, the founder of Onigilly Japanese Kitchen, who shares his nearly 20-year journey of introducing Japanese rice balls to the American market. Transitioning from a background in tech startups, Koji applied a systems-oriented approach to transform a 2008 street cart into a growing franchise brand. The conversation covers his early challenges securing funding as an immigrant, the strategic pivot from urban business districts to suburban shopping centers during the pandemic, and his "Panda Express" vision for making onigiri a mainstream, healthy fast-food staple. Koji emphasizes the importance of balancing data-driven tools with human instinct and selecting franchisees who are...

John Ahrendt, the head of franchise relations for Keke’s Breakfast Cafe, talks about the unique operational DNA that drives the brand's success. Arendt, a 40-year industry veteran with roots in the Outback Steakhouse system, discusses how Keke’s maintains its "founder-inspired" magic—characterized by massive portions and "elevated American classics"—while scaling under the corporate umbrella of Denny’s. The conversation delves into the tactical "rhythm" of the breakfast model, including the importance of "throughput" during peak weekend hours, the strategic use of Denny’s franchisee network for national expansion, and the philosophy of keeping systems simple enough that they re...

Chef Jeremy Conner is a hospitality veteran who shares his nearly 32-year journey in the industry. Jeremy details his diverse experiences, ranging from his early "hustle" starting at age 15 to navigating the complexities of SBA loans, shipping container setups, and transitioning from outdoor pop-up pizza ventures to brick-and-mortar ramen shops. The conversation delves into the cultural influences of Jeremy’s background in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast, while emphasizing a business philosophy centered on authentic human connection rather than technological "stickiness" or exit strategies. Ultimately, Jeremy advocates for building a business that one can be proud of every day, fo...

Dominick D'Aleo, the Chief Operating Officer of IGC Hospitality, discuses the nuances of managing a large-scale hospitality group in New York City. Dominick shares his transition from a financial analyst to a seasoned hospitality leader, emphasizing IGC’s core "Four H's" philosophy: Human being, Hospitality, Humble, and Hungry. The conversation explores how IGC leverages data through platforms like SevenRooms to provide "unreasonable hospitality" and personalized guest experiences, while also navigating modern challenges such as a shifting labor market, rising costs, and changing alcohol consumption trends. Ultimately, Dominick underscores the importance of "extreme ownership," authentic leadership, and continuous learning as th...

Wil chats with Tessa Yost and Samantha Bratten of Coffee Rush, a family-owned drive-through coffee chain started in 1992 in Oregon by Tessa's parents amid the early coffee boom, pioneering convenience over sit-down spots like Starbucks. They discuss expanding to South Florida in 2023, driven by Tessa's post-abroad entrepreneurial shift and Samantha's ops skills, focusing on quality brews, genuine customer interactions in under 2 minutes, small dual-drive footprints in parking lots, and family ownership to avoid franchising dilution. Topics include hiring for personality to build connections, using a custom app for 50-60% sales while keeping orders face-to-face, competing via word-of-mouth and TikTok...

Jason Berkowitz, a veteran restaurant operator and the founder of Arrow Up Training. Berkowitz shares his "origin story" rooted in a four-generation family of funeral directors, which taught him that true hospitality is about shifting one’s ego to support others during their most vulnerable moments. The conversation explores the critical balance between technology and humanity, with Berkowitz arguing that tools like digital scheduling should be used to automate "crappy" tasks so leaders can spend more time on the floor engaging with their teams and guests. He also offers practical advice for independent owners, emphasizing that "organized people work in...

Jeremy and Angie Walton talk about their journey of launching a hospitality company in Alys Beach, Florida. Jeremy, a veteran of luxury hospitality brands like Montage and Sea Island, and Angie, who transitioned from a career in social work, share how they navigated the immense challenges of opening their first restaurant, Citizen, amidst the global pandemic . The conversation explores their "yin and yang" dynamic, where Jeremy’s creative obsession with detail is balanced by Angie’s focus on human resources and operational problem-solving . Central to their philosophy is the idea that they are not just selling food but are "resp...

Jay Rushin, who left a 20-year finance career to become the CEO of the iconic H&H Bagels in 2014. details the brand's tumultuous history—including multiple bankruptcies and a famous split in ownership—before explaining how he modernized the legacy business by rebuilding its infrastructure and implementing formal systems. A major focus of the conversation is Jay’s innovative approach to scaling: by "par-baking" and freezing bagels in a central 20,000-square-foot facility in Queens, H&H can provide authentic New York bagels to franchise locations worldwide without the prohibitive costs of on-site boiling and mixing equipment. The episode concludes with J...

Isaac Lee Collins, the founder and CEO of Fifth & Emery Frozen Yogurt and Chocolate, shares his journey from managing a chocolate shop at age 22 to owning five locations in Kansas City that combine frozen yogurt with gourmet chocolates and caramel apples. The conversation explores the "philosophy of hospitality," the evolving work ethic of Gen Z employees, and the practical financial strategies, such as choosing between SBA and traditional bank loans, that Collins used to scale his business while maintaining 100% independence.

10 Key Takeaways

The Power of Hospitality Systems: Collins credits his time...

Peter Waters, owner of T/aco in Boulder, Colorado, discusses the state of the industry as we enter 2026. Peter candidly reflects on a difficult 2025, noting that rising operational costs and shifting socialization patterns among college students and remote workers have made for a less profitable year. However, the conversation pivots to a deeply inspiring story of community support: T/aco donated $50,000 in gift cards to 50 local families facing food insecurity. This "fire hose" approach to marketing not only provided these families with a "T/aco rich" experience where they could dine without financial worry, but it also rejuvenated the...

Keith Paul of Good Egg Dining discusses the challenges and strategies of navigating the modern hospitality landscape, particularly in the Tulsa and Oklahoma City markets. Keith shares insights on the resilience of the restaurant industry, his philosophy of hands-on coaching and management, and the necessity of prioritizing human connection over "clunky" AI and automation in service. They also examine the economic pressures facing the industry, from minimum wage hikes in California to the rising Consumer Price Index (CPI), emphasizing that slow, intentional growth and a picky hiring process are key to long-term stability.

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Deric Rosenbaum, President and CTO of Groucho's Deli, a legendary brand celebrating 85 years in business, shares his journey from a commercial construction background to leading the brand's growth and technological evolution, emphasizing a philosophy of "adapt, not change" to modernize systems while preserving the core essence of community and hospitality. He discusses the strategic decision to prioritize controlled, concentric growth through franchising, the importance of fostering human connection in an increasingly digital world, and how leveraging data and a robust tech stack (including Square for restaurants, Ovation, and Bikky) helps optimize operations and enhance customer loyalty without sacrificing the...

This episode features Jason Ingermanson, President and CEO of JRI Hospitality. Based in Salina, Kansas, Ingermanson oversees a diverse multi-concept portfolio that includes Mokas Coffee & Eatery, Chompie’s, and a massive franchise footprint as one of the nation’s largest Freddy’s Frozen Custard & Steakburgers operators. The conversation explores Ingermanson's journey from his early days at Burger King to managing high-growth brands across multiple states, emphasizing his philosophy of developing people, leveraging data for site selection, and maintaining a competitive edge through personal discipline and organizational alignment.

10 Takeaways

In this episode of the Restaurant Owners Uncorked podcast, Wil  interviews Trace Miller, the founder and CEO of Konala, a health-focused fast-casual brand. Miller shares the incredible personal story that anchors his business: his own childhood battle with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, a severe form of epilepsy that began at age three. While doctors predicted he would be brain dead by age 13, Miller credits his mother with being the "desperate" researcher who refused to give up, eventually finding the medical professionals and the strict nutritional protocol that cured him. This life-altering experience with the power of food, combined with Miller’s mil...

Trey Morgan and Derek Copeland of Sentinel Grove Partners pull back the curtain on the high-stakes world of restaurant real estate and private equity. The trio explores the critical importance of the landlord-tenant relationship, viewing it as a long-term partnership rather than a mere transaction, and discusses the shift toward a "landlord’s market" in high-growth regions like the Sunbelt. Beyond the numbers, Trey and Derek emphasize that successful investing is about "betting the jockey, not the horse," highlighting how exceptional leadership, staff retention, and clear succession planning are the true indicators of a concept's longevity in an unpredictable econ...

Wil peaks with Enga Stanfield, co-owner of Pizza Today's 2025 Pizzeria of the year, multi-location Mattenga's Pizzeria in San Antonio, and Head of Community at Owner.com. Enga, an Iranian-born former engineer with no prior restaurant experience, shares how she and her husband Matt transitioned from engineering to restaurant ownership in 2014 by purchasing a struggling pizzeria, initially losing significant money due to inexperience. Through relentless grassroots marketing, obsessive cost control, data-driven location selection, and frugal self-funded growth, they turned the business around, expanded to multiple locations, achieved consistent strong sales growth, and built a profitable family-oriented operation that prioritizes community...

Israel Jiles reflects on his evolution from managing elite, high-volume establishments like Catch NYC and partnering with Montclair Hospitality Group (Ani Ramen) to founding his passion project, Po Boy Riche. The episode captures the pivotal moment around the one-hour mark where Jiles discusses the decision to leave the security of established hospitality groups to build something deeply personal.

The discussion centers on the "uncompromising pursuit of authenticity"—from shipping legendary Leidenheimer bread directly from New Orleans to ensuring his beignets rival those of Café Du Monde. Jiles explains that Po Boy Riche isn’t just a res...

Asheville-based restaurateur Jacob Sessoms shares his 26-year journey from a trade-focused background in electrical work to becoming a James Beard-nominated chef. Sessoms details how his early experience in construction provided a unique "unfair advantage" in the restaurant world, allowing him to maintain his own facilities and stay resilient during lean times. He discusses the difficult transition from being a passionate cook to a disciplined business owner, highlighting the shift from sole proprietorship to a sophisticated investment model that allows for shared risk and growth. Throughout the conversation, Sessoms advocates for "running into the storm" like a bison, viewing failures...

Sue Straughan, a tenured hospitality specialist and Corporate Director of Business Solutions for the food distributor Ben E. Keith, shares her remarkable 40+ year journey in the industry, detailing how a necessity job at Baskin Robbins evolved into a profound passion. The discussion centers on her pivotal experience working for Houston's restaurant, where she learned that "chaos and hospitality could coexist in a way that was beautiful", and how she applied these high standards to help turn around the struggling James Coney Island chain. This success was achieved not by raising prices, but by relentlessly focusing on systems, consistency, team...

This episode features Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality, a James Beard Award-winning Chicago restaurateur, discussing the paramount importance of human connection, service, and soul in hospitality. Madia shares his origin story, starting as a bartender who learned to view himself as an "independent contractor" focused on cultivating customer relationships. He critiques modern distractions, calling mobile phones the "contraption" that destroys in-person dialogue. While he supports using AI for administrative tasks, he strongly opposes its intrusion into service roles, citing a machine that folds napkins as an example of soul-destroying automation. Finally, Madia highlights his support for The Giving...

This episode of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" features a conversation with Eric Scheffer, owner of The Scheffer Group in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric provides an update on his successful concepts (Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian Restaurant, Jettie Ray's Oyster House, Gan Shan, and a fifth on the way) and shares a harrowing account of the 2024 Hurricane Helene flood. This 1,000-year disaster crippled Asheville, leaving the city without power and water for months.

Eric and his team immediately pivoted, mobilizing their four dark kitchens to feed the community, eventually serving nearly 50,000 meals in partnership with World Central Kitchen. The...

Julian Boyd, CEO of D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings & Seafood, shares the incredible story of the Memphis-born brand, pioneered by his parents, David and Latisha Boyd, starting with a food truck in 1990. Built on faith and the philosophy of "People, Service, Profits," D'bo's became known as the "godfather of hot wings" in Memphis. Following a personal tragedy, Julian earned his MBA to strategically guide the company's franchising expansion. The concept continually evolves—adding daiquiris and seafood—and successfully adapted to post-COVID challenges through on-site experiences and smart tech integration. D'bo's is now focused on intentional growth across the Southeast and Midw...

Brandon Laroque. Brandon, who owns The Goat Bar in Raleigh, NC, details his extensive career in the hospitality industry, starting from a country club to bartending at a renowned comedy club, which eventually led him to open six of his own bars, primarily using a "flipping" strategy. The core of the discussion revolves around the challenging decision to retire and close his successful, long-standing bar due to mounting stress from employee issues and the difficulty of verifying increasingly sophisticated fake IDs, which led to legal problems with alcohol law enforcement (ALE). However, his retirement was abruptly cut short when...

In this episode, Chris Gannon, co-founder of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, shares his journey in the restaurant industry, influenced by his family's legacy in hospitality. He discusses the unique culinary experience Bolay offers, emphasizing health-conscious choices and community dining. The conversation explores the challenges of supply chain management, labor issues, and the importance of hospitality in creating memorable dining experiences. Gannon advocates for encouraging youth to join the hospitality industry, highlighting the valuable life skills it imparts. The episode concludes with a discussion on growth strategies, particularly the benefits of joint ventures over franchising.

Takeaways

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Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the development of his franchise marketplace platform. Franzy is described as the "Zillow for franchising," using an AI engine to match prospective franchise buyers with suitable brands based on their background, net worth, and goals. Alex's journey began with a profitable college laundry and dry-cleaning service, inspired by his entrepreneurial father's advice to either work for himself or have people work for him. After an unfulfilling stint in consulting at Ernst & Young, he started 2U Laundry, raising $33 million in VC and eventually verticalizing by building physical laundromats...

Wil talks with Donny Bradley, founder and CEO of Lola Beans, a drive-through “fun beverage” coffee brand based in Chattanooga that’s now franchising. Donny traces his hospitality instincts to moving often as an Air Force kid and appreciating people who made him feel welcome, plus big family gatherings rooted in New Orleans/Biloxi culture. A six-month stint in Soldotna, Alaska during his medical-device sales career sparked the business idea: a small coffee shack where barista Jenna built genuine relationships, not transactional service. Donny returned home, scraped a house on a C-minus property, opened the first Lola Beans in Septem...

Wil provides  a special update on the evolution of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" from a podcast, started in 2010, into a comprehensive community featuring articles, books, films, and eventually a subscription-based forum for restaurant owners to share advice and solve problems. Brawley emphasizes the community’s commitment to celebrating successful operators and carefully vetting partners, specifically highlighting Restaurant Systems Pro, led by CEO Fred Langley, as a trusted resource for improving restaurant margins and efficiency. He differentiates this recommended company from others that lack adequate customer service, underscoring the importance of reliable service and transparent contracts within the industry.

Meet Kimberly Fleer, an industry veteran and mental wellness advocate. Kimberly shares her personal story of entering the hospitality world at age 15 to find financial support and a sense of family that was absent at home, rapidly excelling in roles from server to sommelier. While the industry provided valuable skills and camaraderie, it also became a means to mask and ignore childhood trauma, eventually leading to severe substance abuse. After achieving sobriety in 2020and losing a close friend to overdose, Kimberly recognized a critical gap in the industry's system of care: a lack of resources, education, and open conversation...

Keith Benjamin, co-founder of Uptown Hospitality Group in Charleston, tells the story of how throwing massive Penn State tailgates set him on a 20-year path from NYC bartender to operator of six concepts—while raising three kids under five. After buying small equity stakes in New York bars and becoming an operating partner at 29, he felt pulled to Charleston and went all-in on a $5M buildout of Uptown Social, a 10,000 sq. ft. sports bar and nightlife hub inside a 1915 building. He recalls surviving COVID—shutting down 48 hours after his wedding—then creating Bodega, a New York-style breakfast sandwich brand that g...

Keith Santangelo joins Wil in-studio to trace his journey from growing up in a Cajun-Italian butcher/grocery family in Baton Rouge to owning New York City restaurants, leading major restaurant groups, and now serving independents through AccessWave. They reminisce about Keith being one of Schedulefly’s earliest customers, talk about the magic of independent restaurants as “third places” (with Seinfeld’s diner as a touchstone), and unpack how the industry’s resilience showed up during COVID. Keith walks through selling his Hell’s Kitchen spots before the pandemic, stewarding scratch-kitchen concept Jose Tejas/Border Café through the shutdowns, then running opera...

In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil sits down with Asheville-based caterer and soon-to-be café owner Svitlana Eadie, whose journey from a small Ukrainian village to launching Slava, her café bakery on Wall Street in downtown Asheville, is nothing short of inspiring. She shares how growing up on a self-sustaining farm shaped her love for food and community, how immigrating to the U.S. with no English and no money forced her to adapt and work tirelessly, and how years in kitchens, bakeries, and hospitality strengthened her passion for sharing culture through food. Through setbacks, delays, construction ch...

Fourth-generation leader Taylor Dorman, EVP of Operations at Kansas City’s Jack Stack Barbecue, shares how his family has grown a simple 1950s Hickory-smoked BBQ joint into six high-volume restaurants, a catering division, nationwide shipping, and a retail production facility—while staying true to the values that built the business. He explains the family rule that every next-generation member must work elsewhere and earn a promotion before returning, and why he chose to start back in the kitchen before stepping into leadership. Taylor breaks down their core “Hope Through Hospitality” values—Humility, Optimism, Passion, Engagement—which guide hiring, coaching, and daily ex...