Hospitality On The Rise

Danny Garcia, Chef and Owner of Only Goods, walked into Top Chef without knowing a single competitor and with one mindset: he was there to win. And he did, taking home Season 21 and the biggest prize in the show’s history. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Danny joins host Alice Cheng to talk about the journey behind the win, from busing tables as a kid and training with the Bocuse d’Or...

Molly Irani, Co-Founder and Chief Culture Officer of Chai Pani Restaurant Group, spent years running from the restaurant industry that raised her. Then, at 39, she jumped back in headfirst with zero professional training and a wild idea. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Molly tells host Alice Cheng how she and her husband bootstrapped one Asheville restaurant into a multi-city hospital...

Ryan Pera, Co-Owner of Agricole Hospitality and Executive Chef of Coltivare, started washing dishes at a summer job in high school and never left the kitchen. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Ryan shares how he traded an anthropology degree and archaeological dig for a culinary career that took him to Le Cirque during its four-star era, then to Houston, where he eventually built a rest...

Lina Goujjane, Co-Owner and Sommelier of Kiko and Noury, grew up running around her parents’ restaurant and always assumed she’d take over the family business one day. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Lina shares how one college course changed that plan and set her on a path through openings at The NoMad, Majordomo, and Sushi Noz before launching concepts of her own. She opens up about...

Thomas Pastuszak, VP of Sales and Hospitality at Grand Cru Selections and Founder of Empire Estate Wine, got his start with a summer job at his godfather’s Shelter Island bed and breakfast. That early experience sparked a passion for hospitality that eventually pulled him away from a medical school track. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Thomas joins host Alice Cheng to share how he di...

Daniel Boulud, Founder & Chef of The Dinex Group, left home at 14 to apprentice in Lyon’s top kitchens. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , he joins Alice Cheng to share the mentors, risks, and defining moments that shaped his global career as a chef-turned-restaurateur. He reflects on learning from legends like Paul Bocuse, proving himself at Le Cirque, and taking a major risk to ope...

Chef Suzanne Cupps, owner of Lola's, never planned on a career in kitchens. Yet she spent more than 20 years working her way from peeling potatoes during an externship in the basement of Gramercy Tavern to becoming the chef-owner of her own New York City restaurant. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Suzanne joins host Alice Cheng to share how six years at Anita Lo's Annisa taugh...

Roni Mazumdar, Founder and CEO of Unapologetic Foods—the group behind Semma, Dhamaka, Adda, and Rowdy Rooster—didn't open his first restaurant to build an empire, he opened it so his retiring father a renewed sense of purpose. On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Roni shares with host Alice Cheng how that deeply personal decision became the foundation for a restaurant group redefining...

Jen Hidinger-Kendrick, Founder and Senior Director of Individual Giving at Giving Kitchen, shares how she built a career rooted in entrepreneurship, resilience, and an unwavering belief in the power of hospitality. From selling lemonade outside the Indy 500 as a kid to building Atlanta's underground dining scene, co-founding the award-winning Staplehouse, and helping grow Giving Kitchen into a...

Miro Uskokovic, Executive Chef-Owner of Hani's Bakery + Café, reflects on his culinary journey, from grilling burgers at a McDonald's in Serbia to becoming one of New York City’s most celebrated pastry chefs. Miro recounts his formative years at The Culinary Institute of America and his rapid ascent through legendary kitchens like Jean-Georges and Gramercy Tavern, where he spent a decade h...

Ivy Mix — Co-Owner of Whoopsie Daisy and Fiasco!, Beverage Director-Partner of Titán, and Co-Founder of Speed Rack — shares how her hospitality career began. What started as bartending in Guatemala to pay off a bar tab eventually led her to New York, where she was repeatedly told she didn't "fit the image." Instead of giving up, Ivy opened her own bars and co-founded Speed Rack, the...

Chef Marcus Samuelsson—celebrated restaurateur, author, and eight-time James Beard Award winner behind Red Rooster, Hav & Mar, and a global portfolio of restaurants—traces the remarkable path that shaped his career. From selling fish with his uncles in Sweden to earning a place in a three-star Michelin kitchen in Switzerland and becoming executive chef at Aquavit at just 23, he reflects on the...

Greg Root, Partner at Defined Hospitality, shares his journey from a 13-year-old golf caddy to helping lead one of Philadelphia's most celebrated restaurant groups. He reflects on cultivating an early career at Burger King, the invaluable lessons from his 13-year tenure at STARR Restaurants, and how those experiences prepared him for restaurant ownership. Greg also discusses Defined Hospitalit...

Ochi Latjuba Vongerichten, Co-Owner of Wayan and Ma•dé, shares her journey from growing up in her mother's large-scale catering business in Indonesia to building a restaurant group spanning New York City, the Hamptons, Aspen, and Miami. After leaving an accounting path to study at The Culinary Institute of America, she built expertise in both the kitchen and front of house, shaping her people-...

Chef Erik Battes, Executive Vice President of Food and Beverage at STARR Restaurants, shares a candid look at a career built without a blueprint. From his years with the Jean-Georges group to leadership roles in venture-backed food startups, he reflects on the lessons learned from scaling businesses, raising millions in capital, and navigating a sudden company shutdown. Now leading food and bevera...

Megan Sullivan, Vice President of Operations at Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG), reflects on a career defined by intuition and deepening roots within top restaurant groups. She details her bold move from Australia to New York City just months before the pandemic and her rapid ascent from Assistant General Manager at The Modern to overseeing a portfolio of eight iconic USHG brands. Megan shar...

Bob Bennett, Executive Chef of Zingerman's Roadhouse, reflects on his decades-long journey within the Midwest food empire, from working the sandwich line to leading one of its most celebrated kitchens. He shares the challenges of balancing culinary school with the Roadhouse’s opening, the lessons that helped him move beyond the “line cook mentality,” and his evolution into a leader, educator,...

Chef Brittney “Stikxz” Williams, Culinary Director at Miss Lily's 7A and private chef, shares the unexpected turns that shaped her path from sports management student to one of the boldest voices in Jamaican cuisine. Brittney recounts the "plot twist" of leaving culinary school early to immerse herself in the industry, intentionally rotating through front-of-house roles at Red Lobste...

Greg Baxtrom, Chef and Owner of Baxtrom Hospitality Group, shares a deeply personal look at a career shaped by discipline, ambition, and self-awareness. From becoming an Eagle Scout to training under Chef Grant Achatz at Alinea and working at El Bulli, Per Se, and Blue Hill at Stone Barns, his journey includes some of the world’s most influential kitchens. Now five years sober, Greg reflects on hi...

Hunter Lewis, Editor-in-Chief of Food & Wine , shares how his journey from the kitchen line to food media shaped his perspective on leadership, storytelling, and hospitality. From his early days at Jersey Mike's Subs to cooking under Chef Jonathan Waxman at Barbuto, Hunter reflects on mentorship, teamwork, and why he chose to champion the hospitality ecosystem through media instead of beco...

Jenny Goodman, Co-Founder and CEO of TILIT, reflects on her unique hospitality journey, from being a "not great" server in high school to falling in love with restaurants at the legendary Commander's Palace in New Orleans to eventually becoming the helm of a premium hospitality workwear brand. From bootstrapping a premium brand in a commodity market to expanding into the UTILITY trad...

On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Chef Jamie Bissonnette, Founding Partner of BCB3 Hospitality, shares his journey from a punk-rock-loving teenager to a James Beard Award–winning chef. He opens up about the humbling lessons that shaped his early career and his shift from high-profile global ventures to more personal, passion-driven concepts—Somaek, Temple Records, and Zurito—where he’s...

On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Anthony Mangieri—Owner & Chef of Una Pizza Napoletana and Founder & CEO of Genio Della Pizza—shares his incredible 30-year journey in the pizza world. From a childhood obsession with pizza to opening his first pizzeria in 1996, Anthony discusses his journey of staying true to his craft while learning how to evolve with changing times, both in th...

On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , Alice Cheng is joined by Mashama Bailey, Chef and Co-Owner of Grey Spaces, which includes The Grey in Savannah and L'Arrêt in Paris. Recently named to TIME 100 Most Influential People of 2026, Mashama reflects on being a self-described “late bloomer” and the culture-shaping lessons she learned at Prune. From being fired from social work to finding h...

On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise , host Alice Cheng is joined by Rick Bayless, renowned chef, restaurateur, and television personality. Rick shares his journey from growing up in a family restaurant to becoming a pioneer of authentic Mexican cuisine in the U.S. He talks about opening Frontera Grill and Topolobampo, the challenges of introducing regional Mexican food to a new audience, an...