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Zack Oates sits down with John F. Maggio of JM Enterprises to explore what it really takes to build enduring consumer brands. From co-founding Boulder Canyon Chips to working with brands like Justin’s, Duke’s Smoked Meats, Bigs Seeds, Jackson’s, Good Day Chocolate, and Cocktail Squad, John shares lessons from decades in CPG.

They discuss how restaurant brands should evaluate entering retail, why timing and category momentum matter, and the four pillars John uses to determine whether a brand is truly investable. He also explains why flavor ultimately wins and how “return on luck” plays a role in long term success.

Zack and John discuss:

• What makes a CPG brand scalable
• When restaurants should enter retail
• The role of timing and luck
• Why flavor always matters
• Brand, market, team, and capital alignment

Thanks, John!

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-f-maggio-b98b593/
https://www.instagram.com/cocktailsquad/?hl=en

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Brandon Batt, Founder and CEO of The Tabletop Group, joins Zack Oates to break down why guest experience always starts with people. After spending more than a decade leading people strategy at Savory Fund, Brandon shares what he has learned about hiring leaders, investing time in the right team members, and building consistency that guests trust.

Zack and Brandon discuss:

• Why guest experience is the employee experience in public
• Where leaders should invest their time
• How consistency builds trust with guests
• Focusing on strengths instead of only fixing problems
• Why people drive the last foot of the guest experience

Thanks, Brandon!

Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-c-batt/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tabletop-group/
https://thetabletopgroup.com/

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Zack Oates sits down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, fear, and building a truly people centered restaurant brand. Dan shares his unconventional path from founding a tech company to leading a growing hospitality brand and explains why technology should exist to remove friction, not replace human connection.

They discuss how fear can serve as a signal instead of a blocker, why consistency has become the new luxury for guests, and how listening to feedback at scale helps operators fix broken processes instead of blaming people.

Zack and Dan discuss:

• Fear as a leadership signal
• Why consistency builds trust
• Using technology to amplify hospitality
• Listening to every guest
• Fixing systems instead of people

Thanks, Dan!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-simpson-8aa1bb3/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/taziki's-mediterranean-cafe/
https://www.tazikis.com/