The Late Night Restaurant Podcast Show

Jay and Domenic sit down late at night with Chef Michael Guerrieri for a raw, funny, and heartfelt conversation about life in the kitchen. Chef Michael opens up about growing up in a family of bakers, why he chose cooking over baking, and how simplicity and culture shape the food he makes today. They dive into bread traditions from Italy and Portugal, the art of olive oil, and why some old‑school...

On this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , Jay and Domenic sit down with Karisa Marra from Square to dig into how modern POS systems are changing the game for restaurants. Karisa shares her journey from working the floor in busy dining rooms to leading Square’s Canadian sales team, and she breaks down how today’s tech can give operators back entire days of their lives. They talk about...

This episode of The Late Night Restaurant Show is pure gold for anyone in foodservice. Jay, Dom, and Beck welcome Alton Watts, from Sysco Food Services, and the conversation swings from hilarious stories to hard‑earned lessons. Alton talks about growing up as the youngest of ten in Jamaica, learning to cook at his mother’s side, and eventually moving to Canada. He shares how he stumbled into the k...

LIVE Reading from an article from Ashton Media, The Late Night Restaurant Podcast.

In this late-night deep dive, Jay and Beck jam on the chaos and promise of tech in the restaurant world from AI tools to SaaS fatigue to why operators are craving clarity more than ever. They get candid about social media noise, future industry trends, and share practical tips you can use tomorrow. Whether you’re running a single shop or a growing group, you’ll hear insights that hit home. ✅ 3 Ke...

The Late night gets loud when John Di Domenico rolls into the studio. He’s an actor, comedian, and impression machine who can flip from Trump to Guy Fieri to Dr. Phil without breaking a sweat or a martini glass. He tells us how he went from a kid with a speech problem to a guy who’s been on Howard Stern more times than some staffers, why he thinks Guy Fieri might hunt him down, and what really hap...

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , we sit down with Antonio Cinaflone from FastTab , the Winnipeg-based company quietly transforming dine-in operations across North America. From cutting table turn times in half to increasing average checks by 22%, FastTab is giving operators a low-lift, high-impact solution that customers actually want to use. We talk about what it takes to bu...

In this episode, we sit down with Craig Milliken-Smith from Calgary’s Grey Eagle Resort & Casino to talk about what it really takes to lead a massive food and beverage operations in the casino. From managing over 200 staff to promoting one of the best Indigenous restaurants in the country, Craig shares his real-world take on leadership, culture, and staying grounded in the chaos. We get into e...

What happens when you mix 25 years of kitchen grit, a dream restaurant in Medicine Hat, and dinner domes you can’t eat in? You get Josh Bennett and this week’s episode is a full pour of what it really takes to run one of Alberta’s most impressive independent restaurants. From Earl’s days and the talk about Jay's butter-basted wings to the magic of a pickle pizza, we talk culture, menus, mayhem...

This week on The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , we sit down with one of Canada's most respected hospitality icons: Doug Stephen , founder of WOW Hospitality Group . From early dreams of becoming a doctor to finding his true calling in restaurants, Doug shares his incredible journey from pizza cook at 15 to industry legend and Hall of Famer. With nearly five decades in the business, he opens u...

What happens when a seasoned U.S. restaurateur and coach moves to Calgary and starts helping Canadian operators rethink everything? You get a smart, funny, and totally unfiltered episode of The Late Night Restaurant Show . In this episode, Jay, Dom, and Beck welcome Kevin Morrison a restaurant owner-turned-coach who brings decades of real-world experience to the mic. From the truth about coaching...

This one’s for the folks who can make a perfect risotto but panic when it’s time to open a spreadsheet. In this episode, Jay and Dom sit down with Bruce Nelson, restaurant operator turned fractional CFO, for a real talk about the money side of the business. No fluff, no jargon, just stories, insight and honest advice from someone who’s helped countless operators move from barely surviving to build...

This week on The Late Night Restaurant Podcast we sit down with Jamil Bhuya, the mastermind behind Burgers n’ Fries Forever (BFF), to dig into what it really takes to build a standout burger brand in Canada. From his early days navigating Amsterdam’s late-night eats to opening his first location at just 22, Jamil walks us through his journey, sharing lessons on entrepreneurship, halal sourcing, ma...

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , we’re joined by Joanna and Melissa from Taste the City, the duo shaking up how locals (not tourists!) experience the best food neighborhoods in Canada and beyond. We go deep into how their tech-meets-food tour concept is making it easier (and way more fun) to support local restaurants, one mystery dish at a time. From building an MVP with $25k...

What happens when a global tech leader walks into a late-night restaurant podcast ? You get a power-packed conversation with Brian Klinger , a key voice at Comcast Business, who’s not only transforming QSR and enterprise restaurant brands with cutting-edge tech, but doing it all with purpose. Jay and Dom go deep into: The real reason why AI might actually save the restaurant industry (hint: it’s n...

On this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , we sit down with Nick Scaccio , COO of Paris Baguette North America , to talk croissants, culture, and how a 4,000-location global brand stays consistent, innovative, and joy-driven. From training centers to trademark packaging, this isn’t just a bakery—it’s a masterclass in hospitality excellence. Plus, some wild ideas get tossed around (yes,...

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , host Jay Ashton welcomes Maxim Atanassov —entrepreneur, investor, and founding partner of Future Ventures—for a powerful, free-flowing conversation that covers everything from natural wine to venture studios to the emotional side of leadership. Maxim shares his journey from Bulgaria to Canada, launching multiple businesses, and why mentorship...

In this powerful episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , Jay sits down with Ryan Handel , founder of FIXE , the innovative bookkeeping platform created by restaurant pros, for restaurant pros. They dive deep into the real financial challenges operators face every day — from cash flow crunches and POS headaches to why so many restaurants are still using outdated systems that don’t scale. Rya...

In this unforgettable episode of The Late Night Restaurant Show , the crew welcomes Sasha Rajamani, the founder of Pokko Chips — a bold, South Asian–inspired snack brand built from rice, chickpeas, and sheer determination. Sasha shares his unfiltered journey from milking goats in Alberta and scraping pig fat in a Toronto slaughterhouse to launching a breakout brand that’s now found in cafes, airpo...

In this special episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , Jay and Dom go behind the scenes with Kandrix Foong, the co-founder of NEXT Food Expo, set to take Western Canada by storm this September 8–9 at the BMO Centre in Calgary. From Comic Expo origins to chef parades, vendor sleepovers, and why shag carpet still sparks debate, this conversation is packed with laughs, inspiration, and a fres...

In this hilariously insightful episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , Jay, Dom, and Beck welcome guest Scott Carruthers — a former chef turned restaurant bookkeeper and coach — who takes us on a wild ride from mustard-making in London, Ontario to modern-day financial strategy for hospitality businesses. Packed with gut-busting laughs, dad jokes, and real-talk on budgeting, waste, menu engi...

In this dynamic episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , Jay Ashton sits down with Domenic Pedulla, one of the founders of the brand-new NEXT Food Expo — launching this September in Calgary. Alongside his co-founder Kandrix Foong, Domenic is on a mission to build a completely different kind of foodservice event, focused on affordability, innovation, and community. Jay and Domenic explore why...

“Mic Checks & Mayhem – The LinkedIn Live Disaster (That Turned Out Kind of Amazing)” What happens when you try to do a live podcast on LinkedIn and everything that could go wrong... does? You get this episode. No-show guest? Check. Blown-out microphones? Oh yeah. Three hosts spiraling into chaos with a cold Noni in hand? Absolutely. But buried inside the madness — real talk about staffing stru...

What happens when three Canadian hospitality geeks crack open non-alcoholic craft beers live on air and discover their new post-treadmill obsession? You get one of the funniest, most insightful episodes of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast yet. In this episode, Jay, Dom, and Beck welcome Lane, co-founder of Nonny , a bold and badass non-alcoholic beer company based in Vancouver. The boys sip, tast...

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast , we sit down with Tony Roy, CEO and Co-Founder of Popmenu — one of the most innovative all-in-one platforms changing the game for restaurants. Broadcasting live from Vegas, we dig deep into how Popmenu is helping independent and multi-unit restaurants use automation, first-party data, and AI-driven marketing to crush their revenue goals without...