In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with legendary bar designer and hospitality innovator Tobin Ellis, founder of Studio Barmagic and one of the most influential thinkers in modern bar design. With more than three decades in hospitality and decades designing bars around the world, Tobin shares how smart design, workflow, and ergonomics directly impact profitability, staff performance, and guest experience. From designing cocktail stations to consulting on luxury venues and high-volume operations, Tobin’s philosophy is simple: great bar design isn’t decoration — it’s operational strategy.🧠 What You’ll Learn• Tobin’s journey from bartender to one of the industry’s leading bar design specialists• Why bar design should start with workflow, ergonomics, and staff efficiency before aesthetics• The biggest mistakes operators make when building or renovating bars• How equipment, layout, and design influence speed of service, guest interaction, and profitability• Live Q&A: building bars for modern cocktail programs, staff health, and long-term operational success⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)• 00:02:30 – Tobin’s background and the evolution from bartender to bar designer• 00:14:00 – Why modern bar design must prioritize ergonomics and workflow• 00:28:00 – The intersection of design, profitability, and guest experience• 00:42:00 – Live Q&A: renovation tips, layout mistakes, and operational strategy• 00:58:00+ – The future of bar design: innovation, equipment, and evolving guest expectations🎯 Who It’s ForBar owners, restaurateurs, beverage directors, architects, designers, and operators planning new builds or renovations who want bars that look great but also perform at the highest level operationally.✅ If You Loved This Episode• Hit Like• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 for more conversations with hospitality innovators• Drop your biggest bar design takeaway or question in the comments• Share this episode with your team, partners, or anyone planning a bar build

In this episode, Shawn Soole sits down with Christin Marvin — hospitality leadership coach, author, and founder of Solutions by Christin — to unpack the realities of leadership in modern restaurants and bars. From opening multiple venues to coaching multi-unit operators, Christin shares hard-earned lessons on how leaders grow, how teams scale, and why burnout is often a leadership systems issue rather than a personal failing.

This conversation dives into what it actually takes to lead people well in hospitality today — from self-awareness and communication to building teams that can thrive beyond the founder.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• Christin’s journey from starting as a line cook at 15 to opening multiple restaurants and becoming a leadership coach.

• Why many hospitality leaders struggle with burnout — and the systems that can prevent it.

• The leadership mindset needed to scale teams and multi-unit operations successfully.

• Why communication, self-awareness, and boundaries are critical leadership skills.

• Live Q&A: leadership development, training frameworks, and navigating industry change.

⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)

• 00:02:30 – Christin’s origin story and early hospitality career

• 00:14:00 – The leadership gap in hospitality training

• 00:28:00 – Burnout, boundaries, and sustainable leadership

• 00:42:00 – Live Q&A: managing teams and scaling operations

• 00:58:00+ – The future of hospitality leadership and personal growth

🎯 Who It’s For

Restaurant owners, bar operators, general managers, and hospitality leaders who want to build stronger teams, reduce burnout, and lead with clarity rather than chaos.

✅ If You Loved This Episode

• Hit Like

• Subscribe and tap the 🔔 for more conversations about leadership, culture, and hospitality business

• Share your biggest takeaway or leadership challenge in the comments

• Share this episode with your managers, partners, or anyone leading teams in hospitality

In this Post Shift Shot crossover with the Bread & Butter Collective Podcast — a series created by restaurateurs Sam Jones and Calen McNeil to share the real, non-scripted side of running hospitality businesses — Shawn Soole sits down with the hosts to dig into what it really takes to build, grow, sustain, and lead in this industry.

From cash flow realities to brand identity, team development to strategic decision-making, this is hospitality business talk without the hype — rooted in experience, accountability, and real-world frameworks.

The Bread & Butter Collective Podcast pulls back the curtain on hospitality business secrets — from financing and licensing to culture and community building.

🧠 What You’ll Learn

• The foundational business principles every hospitality operator must understand

• Lessons on building a business that can endure staffing swings, market fluctuations, and consumer behaviour shifts

• Why survival isn’t strategy — and what strategic sustainability actually looks like

• How community-driven brands (like Big Wheel Burger and 2% Jazz) are rethinking performance, culture, and purpose

• Practical business tools and mindset tweaks that separate operators who survive from those who thrive

⏱ Timestamp Highlights (Approximate)

• 00:02:30 – Introduction: why hospitality business talk still matters

• 00:10:45 – The basics of business fundamentals — cash flow, margins, and runway

• 00:23:00 – Culture as currency: hiring, retaining, and defining values

• 00:36:15 – Strategy over hustle: building systems that scale

• 00:48:30+ – Live Q&A: real business scenarios, pitfalls to avoid, and leadership takeaways

🎯 Who It’s For

Operators, owners, general managers, beverage directors, and hospitality leaders at any stage of “business thinking” — from concept validation to multi-unit scaling. This isn’t theory: it’s grounded in lived experience.

✅ If You Loved This Episode

• Smash the Like

• Subscribe and ring the 🔔 for more real discussions on hospitality business and culture

• Drop a comment with your biggest business takeaway — or your toughest question for operators right now

• Share this episode with your team, partners, or anyone building in hospitality

About Bread & Butter Collective: A peer-driven podcast and community led by restaurateurs Sam Jones (2% Jazz) and Calen McNeil (Big Wheel Burger), focused on sharing the honest realities of hospitality business ownership, from financing and licensing to culture, collaboration, and long-term sustainability.