Barcelona Wine Bar has built its reputation on tapas, Spanish wine, small plates, and a dining room that feels more like a party than a traditional restaurant. But according to COO Amy Hom, the real engine behind the brand is people.

Live from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Amy returns to Hospitality Hangout to talk about hospitality culture, employee development, restaurant leadership, and how Barcelona Wine Bar keeps its experience fresh after 30 years.

Amy shares why the company “hires for the fun,” how heart checks help leaders understand what is really happening with their teams, and why every employee needs a development plan. She also explains how better training, stronger career paths, and emotional intelligence can reduce turnover and help restaurants scale without losing the human side of hospitality.

The conversation also explores Barcelona Wine Bar’s chef-driven model, its Spanish tapas and small plates experience, the strength of its wine program, the growth of Corsica Wine Bar, and why concepts built around sharing, connection, and flexible dining are especially relevant right now.

From tapas and wine flights to private dining, GLP-1 dining behavior, small plates, restaurant culture, and the future of hospitality careers, this episode is a look at how one of the industry’s most respected operators thinks about growth, fun, standards, and the people who make restaurants work.

Featuring Amy Hom, COO of Barcelona Wine Bar, on Hospitality Hangout.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Protein got the attention. Fiber is getting the follow-up. But Beyond Juicery + Eatery CEO Jasmine Miller believes the real foundation of a better-for-you restaurant brand is people.

Live from the National Restaurant Association Show, Jasmine joins Hospitality Hangout to discuss the growth playbook behind Beyond Juicery + Eatery: functional food, smoothies, cold-pressed juice, protein, fiber, menu innovation, restaurant culture, and a people-first approach to leadership.

Jasmine shares how Beyond is responding to changing guest expectations around healthier fast-casual food, from protein-packed smoothies and functional beverages to fiber-forward menu development, wraps, wellness shots, and better ingredients. She also explains why the strongest brands are not built around trends alone. They are built by hiring the right people, creating space for thinking and creativity, developing future leaders, and giving team members a path to grow inside the business.

The conversation explores Jasmine’s own journey from dishwasher and contractor to CEO, the leadership lessons she brought from coaching, the importance of core values in hiring, and why one of her favorite interview questions has nothing to do with work.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Dirty soda is no longer just a viral drink trend. Custom beverages, cold foam, popping boba, layered flavors, and social-ready drink experiences are becoming a bigger part of how restaurants drive traffic, premium pricing, and repeat visits.

Scott Finlow, Chief Marketing Officer, PepsiCo Away from Home, and Alison Dempsey Senior Director of Innovation at PepsiCo join Hospitality Hangout to break down DRIPS by Pepsi, PepsiCo’s crafted beverage platform built to help restaurant operators create more personalized drink experiences.

The conversation explores why Gen Z consumers are gravitating toward customizable drinks, how foodservice trends move from social media and restaurant menus into larger consumer behavior, and why beverage innovation has become more than a side category for operators.

Scott and Alison share how PepsiCo developed DRIPS by Pepsi around flavor, texture, color, customization, and “little luxury” moments. They also go inside the operational side of the platform, including recipe development, team training, point-of-sale integration, menu strategy, marketing support, and the challenge of making a highly crafted drink experience consistent at scale.

From the launch of DRIPS at Saucy! by KFC to its expansion through Regal cinemas, this episode looks at how restaurants can use premium beverages to create a stronger guest experience, stand out on social media, and build a more meaningful beverage business.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Donatos Pizza President and CEO Kevin King joins Hospitality Hangout to share the growth playbook behind a legacy pizza brand built on culture, consistency, and a people-first approach to hospitality.

From starting as a dishwasher at 14 to leading one of America’s most recognizable pizza brands, Kevin explains how Donatos has stayed relevant while staying true to its values. He breaks down the company’s Agape Capitalism philosophy: lead with love, follow the Golden Rule, and do the right thing.

The conversation explores what restaurant growth looks like when people come before systems, how Donatos approaches employee retention and guest experience, and why great technology should remove repetitive work instead of replacing the human side of hospitality.

Kevin also shares how Donatos uses automation and robotics to improve pizza consistency, including a machine that applies sauce in seven seconds, its long-running pepperoni innovation, and a fully automated pizza kitchen. Plus, he discusses why the brand puts 100 pieces of pepperoni on every large pizza, its Red Robin partnership, and what it takes for a pizza brand to scale without losing what made it special.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Chris Noffze, Director of Direct Franchising and Operations at Gong cha Americas, takes us inside Gong cha’s franchise growth strategy, simplified operations, and Gong cha 2.0 including Super Wu, the beverage automation system designed to build highly customized drinks faster and more consistently while allowing team members to spend more time with guests. From self-order kiosks and QR-driven drink production to training, retention, supply chain efficiency, K-pop collaborations, and the human side of hospitality, this conversation looks at what it takes to turn a global tea brand into a scalable restaurant platform.

Is boba tea a fad? Chris explains why the category is here to stay — and why great operations, great people, and a consistent product matter as much as the drink itself.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, Hospitality Hangout sits down with M.J. Worsham, Vice President of Technology at Five Guys, to discuss AI in restaurants, automation, loyalty programs, restaurant operations, POS systems, labor optimization, guest experience, and the technology trends shaping the future of hospitality.

M.J. shares how Five Guys evaluates emerging restaurant technology, why AI vendors must prove real operational value, how automation can improve restaurant management, and why the best technology solutions help employees rather than replace them.

The conversation also dives into restaurant loyalty, direct-to-consumer marketing, premium restaurant positioning, POS evolution, restaurant data strategy, workforce technology, and the future of AI-powered restaurant operations.

If you're a restaurant operator, franchise executive, hospitality leader, technology provider, or investor focused on restaurant innovation, this episode delivers valuable insights from one of the industry's leading technology executives.

Hospitality Hangout is the restaurant industry podcast featuring conversations with restaurant executives, franchise leaders, hospitality innovators, technology founders, and operators shaping the future of foodservice.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

On this episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Jimmy Frischling and Michael Schatzberg sit down with Cathy Chavenet to discuss the remarkable growth of Paris Baguette. Kathy shares her journey from classically trained pastry chef and bakery owner to leading marketing, culinary innovation, and brand strategy for one of the fastest-growing bakery café concepts in North America.

Cathy shares her journey from pastry chef and bakery owner to leading marketing, culinary innovation, and growth for one of the fastest-growing bakery café concepts in North America. The conversation dives into what makes Paris Baguette stand out in a crowded restaurant landscape, from baking fresh in every café and creating highly shareable products to balancing global scale with a neighborhood feel.

The episode also explores emerging food trends, the rise of croissant innovation, protein-forward menu development, the importance of frontline talent, and how hospitality brands can build authentic guest connections while expanding rapidly. Cathy gives a preview of what's next for Paris Baguette and reveals some of the products helping fuel the brand's remarkable growth.

Plus, hear the story behind the Supreme Croissant, Croissant Crisps, and why fresh-baked products continue to resonate with consumers around the world.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Rock & Brews CEO Adam Goldberg joins Hospitality Hangout live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona, for a conversation about the future of restaurants, experiential dining, restaurant traffic, and why food alone is no longer enough to win guests.

In this Hospitality Hangout Short, Adam Goldberg talks with Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling about how Rock & Brews, the rock-and-roll restaurant brand co-founded by KISS legends Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley, is built around more than a meal. The brand combines great food, hospitality, live music, sports, big screens, concert-quality sound, rock videos, beer, entertainment, and guest experience to create a restaurant concept that gives people a reason to dine in.

As restaurant operators continue competing with delivery, grocery stores, changing consumer habits, labor challenges, and lower dine-in traffic, Rock & Brews is leaning into experiential hospitality. From casino restaurants and sports bar energy to live entertainment and rock-and-roll branding, Adam shares why the next generation of restaurant growth depends on creating places where guests feel connected, entertained, and excited to show up.

This clip is for restaurant owners, restaurant operators, hospitality leaders, foodservice brands, franchise groups, casino operators, sports bar concepts, and anyone watching the future of the restaurant industry.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.