Principle of Hospitality

Episode 37 - Darren from PerformHR on the importance of making sure staff are paid correctly PerformHR bring innovative thinking and hands-on assistance to your organisation to help you get the best out of your people – and your business. Their HR outsourcing offerings enable businesses to access best-practice people strategy, where and when they need it. In this episode, I talk to Darren Fogarty,...

Episode 36 - Cargo Crew  Led by originality and fashion design heritage, Cargo Crew have taken a fresh approach to uniform design that delivers style together with functionality. Cargo Crew believes good design puts functionality at its heart, which is why they obsess over every detail, every button, every seam, to ensure our uniforms not only look the part, but are high-performing . Led by t...

In this episode we catch up with Jemma from the burger truck Notorious E.A.T again after 18 months and see how she has developed her food truck business in the Gold Coast, Australia. We cover how she has built it since, how catering has played a major role in her growth, her thoughts on the food truck and craft brewery scene and most importantly how she remains happy every. I hope you enjoy the ep...

Episode 34 - How Balwyn Canteen became one of the best burger shops in Melbourne by working with food influencers I feel so lucky to have DJ Richards finally on a podcast after years of asking.  He and his wife Adela have built one of the best burger/donut businesses in Melbourne and in this podcast, we go through step by step in how they built it. Working as a chef for many years, he wanted...

Episode 33 - Joshua Kopel and how his southern charm and cuisine has taken over the LA restaurant and bar scene  In this laughter packed episode I have the pleasure of talking to Joshua Kopel, owner of Preux and Proper, South City Fried Chicken and Five0Four Hollywood.  We talk about how he came up through the industry from working in some of the busiest bars in the south to owning a Fin...

Episode 32 - Sash Fernando from Principle Design In this episode of the Open Pantry Podcast I talk with the Sash Fernando founder of the prominent Melbourne creative studio, Principle Design. Principle Design specialises in Design Strategy, Branding & Graphic Design to name but a few which allows us to have an in-depth discussion about the role that branding plays in any successful hospitality...

Episode 31 - Doug Koob from Circle Alliances: How to build a strong hospitality brand with Starbucks Strategy In this episode I talk with Doug Koob, the founder of hospitality consulting brand Circle Alliances in the USA.  They help clients build brands, create memorable experiences and deliver on outstanding financial results. Doug has been in the hospitality industry from an early age, star...

In this episode I am lucky to talk to the ‘Sweet Assassin’, Adriano Zumbo. We talk about how he got his start in the industry, how he developed his first bakery in Balmain, Sydney, the story behind his first appearance on Masterchef and he talks openly about his challenges of the last few years. In this very honest interview we discuss where the industry could go next and what he hopes to do next...

Episode 29 - Jared Merlino from Bartolo, Surry Hills, Sydney Since opening in November 2018, it was always Jared’s vision to create a venue where patrons could feel at home, whilst settling in to enjoy the incredible food and drinks on offer. During this time an application was submitted for a PSA (Primary Service Authorisation), which would allow guests to drink without dining. With the approval...

Episode 28 - How to make your restaurant the 'comeback story' In this episode I talk with the amazing restaurant owner Sylvie Gabriele of Love and Salt LA. Since the opening in late 2014, Love & Salt has garnered critical attention for the reinvention, as well as the restaurant’s SoCal interpretation of Italian cuisine, including recognition as one of Los Angeles Magazine's top ten new restaur...

Episode 27 - How to build the best restaurant staff culture and pay them correctly to enhance productivity   How do you recruit and train the right people into your business?  And when you hire them into your brand how do you make sure they are paid correctly so that they are satisfied and you are making money as the business owner? All these topics are covered in this week's great podca...

Episode 26 - How to develop of restaurant culture of humility and care  Episode 26 - In this episode we start the first of many conversations with great international brands carving a path in the world of hospitality. Today I talk to Dina Samson and Hans Luttman from San Julian Hospitality which has the portfolio of Rossoblu and Superfine Pizza in Downtown L.A. Hans Luttmann is the Managing P...

Episode 25 finds me talking to Matt Hale and Braden Johnston from Rising Tide Financial. They are based in Melbourne and have great experience in financial lending and planning. They have been in the business for over 10 years and really know the hospitality industry well. In todays episode we cover: -What the biggest mistakes people make when they start their first hospitality business -The maxim...

Episode 24 - How to develop leadership within your restaurant teams with Alan Borges  It was great to catch up with Alan for the second time on the podcast to talk about all things restaurant leadership.  Alan has a very successful restaurant coaching business and in the 18 months since we have last talked to him he has developed even more insights. In this episode we discuss: -Is leader...

Episode 23 - How to grow an established food brand with Daniel Grundmann from Hooked Fish and Chipper. In this episode we talk with my great friend Daniel Grundmann who is a co-owner of Hooked Fish and Chipper which has three locations in Melbourne. I ask him about: -How he started out in the hospitality industry in the UK -Why he bought an established brand and how they evolved it -Why Fish and C...

Episode 22- How to understand your lease and not over capitalise with Frank Wilden. It was great to catch up with my good friend Frank Wilden and discuss leasing in the hospitality industry. On this podcast we discuss: -Why the people get into bad leasing deals -How much to spend on a lease as a percentage -Whether high street or shopping centres are better for branding -Why some venues look profi...

Episode 21 - How to make social media work for your food venue with Paul Zervos from Project Eats It was great to have Paul on this episode because he really understands both the marketing and hospitality industry.  He grew up with his mother owning a cafe and realising how great the hospitality industry is.   Now he owns the up-and-coming graphic design and digital hospitality-focused a...

Episode 20 - Jane Kou from ‘Bring Me Home’ App Jane Kou is a young entrepreneur who wanted to do something to change the amount of food that is thrown out of food venues across the country.   1 in 5 meals gets binned just because it's unsold. Bring Me Home's app lets you buy and pick up discounted surplus food from cafes and restaurants, which would otherwise be binned. Since mid 2018 the Bri...

Episode 19 - How Shaun built his career in hospitality. I definitely flipped the script on this one and got someone I truly respect and trust, Jason Titus, to interview me on my career in the hospitality industry. The wins and losses and how my experiences have shaped what is important to me.

Episode 18: How to build an amazing looking venue whilst controlling your costs. Dan Cox and Christian Bright from DCB Developments. This is an exciting podcast as Dan and Christian give a great description of their shopfitting business operates to such a great standard, how their business partnership of 11 years has added to their friendship of over 30 years, and their tips for saving money durin...

Episode 17- Sustainability is growing in momentum in the hospitality industry. Sustainability is critical to the success of talented people and to the supply chain which delivers the amazing product. In the latest episode of the Open Pantry Podcast powered by Kounta, we chatted to three ladies leading very different initiatives, with one common goal - a more sustainable future for hospitality. Kai...

Episode 16 - 100 Burgers Group Daragh Kan, founder of 100 burgers group, and Jackie Doran, their pubs & bars marketing manager took us to the roots of the 100 burgers empire. The 100 Burgers journey started with a venue that couldn’t prepare food, to a burger truck that didn’t fit in the door, to now, 17 sites, and a handful of viral Australian brands. Here are a few of the secrets to their su...

Continuing in our second season of the Open Pantry Podcast, I have partnered with Kounta to bring the industry's top authority's together to chat and give honest opinions on hot topics set to move the industry forward. In this episode, episode 15, we talk about the landscape of emerging technologies are shaping the customer experience. Will we know our customers even more? Will it make the custome...

In our second season, we've partnered with Kounta to bring the industry's top authority's together to chat, shred, and jam on hot topics set to move the industry forward. In this episode, we set our sites on the future of tipping. Are the conditions ripe for tipping in Australian to become the new norm? Or will we stay the current course. To answer these questions, we assembled a panel of experts...

Episode 13 - This is another great episode, this time with the hospitality gentleman and legend Frank Wilden. Frank is a 'serial restauranteur'. He has owned highly acclaimed restaurants in both Melbourne and Sydney and also works with some great food and entertainment brands. He now goes by the title of 'Retail Food Strategist', which in simple terms means that he advises brands on thinking diffe...