Commercial Kitchen Chronicles

What do you do when you open a panel and roaches start crawling out like they pay rent? Or when grease has literally vacuum-sealed a fryer to the wall? Or when you realize the ice machine you’re working on should probably be condemned… and set on fire? In this episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat and Rich sit down together  in person  from South Carolina ahead of the CFESA Region 4 meetin...

n this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , Pat Finley sits down with  Dan Reese from CFESA  to break down one of the biggest technician-focused initiatives our industry has ever launched —  CFESA’s Top Tech Throwdown . This isn’t about ego. This isn’t about social media hype. This is about  skill, process, safety, and pride in the craft . The  Top Tech Throwdown  is a skills-based competit...

Welcome back to  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles — The Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast . This episode is our  official Year in Review , and it’s one of the most real conversations we’ve had all year. Pat Finley is joined by co-hosts Jason Latimer and Rich Ortega as we sit down to reflect on everything that went right, everything that went wrong, and everything we learned along the way....

What does it really take to walk away from a 28-year corporate career and start over in the skilled trades? In this powerful episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles — The Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast , host Pat Finley sits down with  Corrie Phillips , a commercial foodservice refrigeration technician who made the leap from the corporate world into HVACR and never looked back. Co...

Welcome back to Commercial Kitchen Chronicles — The Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast! Today’s guest is DJ Coblentz, the Lead Technical Trainer at Viega’s brand-new state-of-the-art Ohio facility. If you’ve ever pressed a fitting, installed MegaPress, fought with threaded gas pipe, or wondered what it’s like behind the scenes at Viega’s manufacturing and training center — THIS is the e...

This week on Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat and Jason sit down with Rhydon Atzenhoffer — the  Voice of Distribution , host of the HVAC R&D Podcast, and a guy who has lived HVAC life from the trenches to the top. Born and raised in his dad’s heating and air business in the mountains of North Carolina, Rhydon worked his way up from rough-in crews to sales, project management, and eventually...

In this powerhouse episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat sits down with industry legend  John Bettiga —a man whose career spans automotive and marine mechanics, semi-hermetic compressor rebuilding, commercial/industrial/marine refrigeration, grocery rack systems, Whataburger facilities, building controls, kitchen design, and supporting 150+ technicians across 17 states. This is one of the...

In this powerful Young Guns episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, host Pat Finley sits down with 26-year-old technician  Jacob Caira , one of the brightest rising stars in the commercial kitchen and HVAC-R trade. Jacob’s story is a blueprint for what hard work, curiosity, and dedication can produce — even at a young age. Born and raised in the countryside of Middle Tennessee, Jacob took the le...

This week on Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, we’re joined by Troy Duff—a Virginia-based tech who’s carved out his own lane in the foodservice repair world. Troy started out as an electrician before taking a leap into the industry with Hobart, working alongside his grandfather who inspired his path. From running installs across Richmond and Norfolk to handling service calls, Troy climbed through the...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , host Pat Finley and co-host Rich Ortega sit down with  John Faust , President & CEO of  Troubleshooter Mechanical Services  and  Electro Freeze of the Carolinas . John’s journey is one of grit, service, and leadership — from his days in the  U.S. Air Force avionics systems  to a career in  IT for Hilton Hotels , and eventually taking over the...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , Pat Finley is joined by returning guest  Loretta Mealor  from  Austin Mealor’s Restaurant Service Equipment Repair  — alongside cohost  Rich Ortega  of  On The Rock Services . The trio dives deep into the  CFESA Conference , Loretta’s first year serving on the  CFESA Board of Directors , her committee work with  CFESA Cares  and  Education &...

This week, Pat sits down with three incredible women who are shaping the future of the HVACR and foodservice industries —  Becca Stamey  from  Refrigeration Technologies ,  Jessica Slaughter  from  RLS , and  Megan McIntosh  from  Mechanical Environments . Fresh off their wins at the  Women in HVACR Conference , these leaders share their journeys, the meaning behind their awards, and what drives t...

Recorded live at the  CFESA Annual Conference  at  The Wigwam  in Litchfield Park, Arizona, this episode features  LeRoy Fearon  and  Eric Holder  from  UNOX . We dive into their paths into the trades, the experiences that shaped their careers, and how they found their way to their current roles at UNOX. They share insights on what drives their passion for the foodservice industry, their commitmen...

Eighteen years old, outdoorsy, and already wrenching on commercial kitchen gear like a pro — meet James McCanless. In this Young Gun Spotlight, James shares how he went from mowing grass and slinging lattes to climbing McDonald’s rooftops and fixing fryers. From being laid off by the city at 15, to landing an apprenticeship through Austin & Loretta Mealer’s program at Dyersburg State, James pr...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , Pat Finley sits down with  Jay Maiden , Director of Service at  Kolpak/RDI  and Retired Navy Chief, to cut through the noise surrounding  A2L refrigerants  in commercial refrigeration. With so much hype, fear, and misinformation out there—especially in the HVAC comfort cooling space—this conversation is all about facts, not scare tactics. Jay exp...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , we sit down with  Mike Horbach  to explore his unique journey from the fast-paced life of a chef to building a rewarding career in  foodservice equipment repair . Mike’s story proves that your  next career opportunity could be right in front of you—and you might not even realize it. Mike opens up about his years working long, grueling hours in ki...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , host Pat Finley sits down with  Mallory David from Parker Sporlan to talk all things  ZoomLock MAX  and  ZoomLock Push fittings —the game-changing press and push technology that’s transforming the HVACR and refrigeration industries. With the rise of  A2L refrigerants  (and even A3s on the horizon), technicians are quickly realizing the value of p...

In this special  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles Live Hangout , Pat Finley is back with Jason Latimer and Rich Ortega for a no-filter, laid-back conversation straight from the heart of the foodservice repair industry. 🍳🔧 This episode isn’t your typical interview—it’s an open mic where we shoot the breeze, talk about the ups and downs of being technicians, running businesses, and balancing the chao...

From starting out in a warehouse at just 18 years old to building a career that’s left a lasting mark on the HVACR and foodservice repair industry, Chris Nixon has seen it all. In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , host Pat Finley and co-host Jason Latimer sit down with Chris to unpack his incredible journey—from humble beginnings, learning the ropes in residential, to becoming a lea...

On this episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, we sit down with Scott Kline — a seasoned HVACR professional with 18 years under his belt in residential installs, commercial HVAC, and refrigeration. Texas HVACR licensed since 2013, Scott now runs his own company, Authentic HVAC, where he blends hands-on skill with the freedom of self-employment. Scott’s journey takes us from his early days in Sn...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , we sit down with Cody Robinson of AmeriServe — a rising force in the foodservice repair industry. Cody’s journey started behind the scenes as a dispatcher just four years ago, and now he’s leading the charge in operations and shaping the future of the industry through his role as co-chair of CFESA’s Young Professionals Committee. We talk about: H...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , we sit down with Stephen Smith, the force behind the  Everything HVACR  YouTube channel and a seasoned technician with over 20 years in the trade. From commercial installs to becoming a field support manager at KCC Manufacturing, Stephen has seen it all—and he’s not done yet. We dive deep into: His journey through the skilled trades and HVACR ind...

In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , we’re joined by none other than  Chris Stephens , the force behind the massively popular  HVACR Videos  channel. 🎥 From dissecting complex refrigeration issues to being a voice of honesty and transparency in the skilled trades, Chris has become one of the most respected names in the industry. Host  Pat Finley  sits down with Chris for a real and...

From Farming to Freon: The Refrigeration Journey of Jeremiah Johnson  🚛❄️ In this episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , Pat Finley sits down with Montana-based refrigeration pro  Jeremiah Johnson , who shares his inspiring journey from  residential HVAC  and  construction framing  to running his own  refrigeration business  in rural Montana. 🇺🇸 🔥 Jeremiah talks about: How the 2009 housing...

In this icy-cool episode of  Commercial Kitchen Chronicles , Pat sits down with  Stephanie Wall  from  True Refrigeration to dive into the cutting-edge world of  True Ice Machines . From R290 refrigerant and antimicrobial plastics to advanced  Time-of-Flight  sensors and near-instant harvest cycles, Stephanie reveals how True has engineered a smarter, more efficient, and technician-friendly ice ma...