Staying Hungry

Staying Hungry gets into the side of restaurant ownership customers rarely see. Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Maria and Michael Cassano of American Beauty to talk about building restaurants from the ground up, surviving near-failure, navigating COVID, managing staff, working with your spouse, and learning when growth can actually hurt the business. Maria and Michael share ho...

Rob Cervoni of Taglio: From Pizzeria Roots to Chopped Win, Roman-Style Pizza, and Building a Long Island Brand. Rob Cervoni of Taglio joins Staying Hungry to trace his hospitality start at Center Pizza as a teen, his business degree, and running a 16 Handles franchise for years before pursuing his goal of opening a pizzeria. Inspired by Roman-style “weigh and pay” pizza in Italy and guidance from...

Staying Hungry sits down with Brandon Porcasi of Curbside Mexican Grill to break down how a restaurant that nearly ran out of runway turned a 13-inch Crunchwrap into its signature product—and a social media magnet. Brandon joins Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo to share how Curbside grew from one South Hempstead location to two stores, why COVID unexpectedly helped save the business, and how...

Staying Hungry sits down with Rob Neumann, founder of Wicked Waffles, to break down one of the smartest food truck business models we’ve seen. Rob shares how a catering-hall concept became a home-based waffle business, why he bought and rebuilt a tiny food truck from Florida, and how he moved away from unpredictable street fairs in favor of profitable private events. He also explains how low overh...

Staying Hungry is back with an episode every restaurant owner, pizza lover, and food entrepreneur should watch. This week, Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Pier Dario Carosi, owner of Dario's Pizza, to break down how a single pizza shop turned a viral Philly cheesesteak into one of Long Island's hottest menu items. From growing up in his family's bakeries in Italy to building a...

Staying Hungry is back with one of our most impactful conversations yet. In this episode, Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Randi Shubin Dresner, President & CEO of Island Harvest Food Bank, to uncover the reality of food insecurity on Long Island. From serving more than 240,000 people each year to rescuing millions of pounds of food, Randi shares how Island Harvest is t...

Staying Hungry sits down with Augie of Cardinali Bakery, the family business behind the bread served at many of Long Island's top restaurants. From supplying restaurants across Long Island and NYC to never compromising on quality, Augie shares what it takes to build a trusted wholesale bakery. The conversation covers artisan bread, customer service, family business, scaling operations, and why...

Staying Hungry is back with a story every restaurant owner needs to hear. This week, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Tarek, founder of Made by Lily's and The Dirty Cheesecake, to unpack the journey from baking with his daughter at home to building one of Long Island's fastest-growing dessert brands. From a tiny Times Square storefront to sold-out nights in Sm...

In this episode, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with John Galatoulas, the driving force behind Burgerology, to discuss how he went from washing dishes in the family business to helping build one of Long Island’s most recognizable restaurant brands before the age of 20. John shares the behind-the-scenes journey of growing Burgerology from a single location into a multi-unit r...

Staying Hungry sits down with Mike Scotto, founder of Tony’s Tacos, to talk about turning a struggling taco shop into one of Long Island’s fastest-growing restaurant brands. Hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo dive into Mike’s journey from arriving in America with just $600 to scaling multiple restaurant locations through branding, marketing, culture, and relentless hustle. The conver...

Staying Hungry welcomes Juliana Fetherman, founder of Long Island Picnics, the MAF Foundation, and the friendship app Making Authentic Friendships. Hosted by Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo, this episode dives into hospitality, entrepreneurship, autism advocacy, and how one luxury picnic business became a family-driven mission.  From building a successful service business through Instag...

Staying Hungry sits down with Melba Wilson—restaurateur, author, and owner of Melba’s in Harlem—for a masterclass in hospitality, resilience, and betting on yourself. Hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo dive into Melba’s journey from learning to cook in her grandmother’s kitchen in South Carolina to building one of New York City’s most respected soul food brands. She shares how she went f...

Staying Hungry sits down with Joe DiGangi and Artie Spinelli of Mario’s Meats, the Queens butcher shop and gourmet deli that turned a 40-year neighborhood business into a social media phenomenon. What happens when old-school craftsmanship meets modern content? In this episode, Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo talk with the team behind Mario’s Meats about building a loyal following, shipping...

Staying Hungry sits down with Katelyn Pipinou, founder of Fortunate Hand Coffee House & Tattoo Studio in Amityville, a one-of-a-kind concept that combines a handcrafted coffee shop with a tattoo studio. Hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo talk with Katelyn about building a hospitality business from scratch, the challenges of opening with limited space and resources, and what it ta...

Staying Hungry returns with an operator-to-operator conversation that’s equal parts reality check and blueprint. In Ep. 26, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Patrick O’Halloran of Park Place Restaurant & Bar to talk about what actually keeps restaurants alive: culture, staffing systems, leadership, and the grind of staying adaptable - especially when the universe throw...

Staying Hungry is back - and this one’s for restaurant owners who’ve ever stared at an invoice and asked: “If we import EVERYTHING from Italy… does the guest actually taste the difference?”Hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Saverio “Sam” Cataldo (A&S Pork Store + Saverio’s Authentic Pizza, Massapequa) to talk ingredient standards, Neapolitan discipline, and the real bus...

Staying Hungry sits down with Ryan Jones of Chubs Meats, the Long Island butcher quietly changing how people cook, shop, and think about meat at home. Hosted by Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo, this episode digs into how Chubs Meats grew from a traditional butcher shop into a trusted local brand built on craft, transparency, and customer education. Ryan breaks down what separates real quali...

Staying Hungry returns with an episode every restaurant owner, operator, and hospitality marketer should hear. This week, Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Alyssa Guidice - the force behind Dine LI - to unpack what it really takes to build a food community that doesn’t just “like” posts, but actually shows up, supports restaurants, and moves real dollars. With the perspective of...

Staying Hungry is back for Season 2 and we’re kicking it off with Luke Tesoriero of Guac Shop, the fast-casual Mexican concept that went from a family side hustle to 8 locations (7 on Long Island + their first in Florida). In this episode, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Luke to unpack what really drives sustainable restaurant growth: real estate strategy, operational di...

In this episode of Staying Hungry, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Gerard and Melanie Duffy of Broadway Gourmet in Massapequa to unpack what it really takes to run a high-volume bagel shop and catering operation for more than 30 years - from 3 a.m. starts and nonstop weekend rushes to transforming a distressed nursery into a flagship location (yes, complete with a propan...

If you’ve ever wondered how a classic Long Island diner becomes a modern-day powerhouse - packed from open to close while others shutter - this episode is your masterclass. In true Staying Hungry fashion, we sit down with Gus Tsiorvas, the operator who turned Embassy Diner into a living, breathing, hospitality machine: part Greek immigrant grit, part culinary nostalgia, part full-throttle showmans...

Staying Hungry presents “Keep It Secret, Keep It Saucy” (Ep. 119) - an inside look at how one Long Island chef built a hidden pizza empire from the ground up. This week, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Mike Vittorio - the creative force behind Mike’s Underground Pizza and Vittorio’s Italian Steakhouse . Together, they peel back the layers of what it really takes to turn...

Staying Hungry dives deep into what it really takes to grow a hospitality brand without losing your soul. In this episode, “Scaling Without Selling Out,” hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with James Bonanno, co-founder and CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group - the team behind Tap Room, Bango Bowls, Salt Shack, and more Long Island favorites. From two broke bartenders to a multi-c...

From dishwasher to nightlife king - Scottie Campbell has spent 33 years turning Long Island waterfronts into cultural landmarks. In this episode of Staying Hungry , hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with the man behind Dublin Deck , Harbor Crab , Salt Shack , and The Boatyard at Tobay Beach to unpack how a kid from Patchogue built a multi-concept hospitality empire. Scottie sha...

If Staying Hungry has a house style, it’s this: sharp knives, sharper insights. In this episode, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with DJ CHEF - the Food Network–famous chef/DJ hybrid who went from Bobby Flay’s line to building a high-margin, book-out-the-weekend experiential catering brand that restaurant owners can actually learn from. Why watch (restaurant-operator edit...