In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy,” and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy,” are joined by guests Nick Bishop Jr, co-founder of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken, and Todd Williams, co-president and CFO of Hattie B’s Hot Chicken.

A partnership that took flight over a few rounds of golf eventually grew into the beloved Hattie B's Hot Chicken. Nick reveals his family's 50-year legacy in the restaurant business, starting with his grandfather and continuing through his father and uncles. Todd shares his transition from accountant to partner in the restaurant. Todd emphasizes the inspiring and motivating nature of working with Nick and his father, describing them as the kind of people you want to "kick the sheets off every day for.”

Key Takeaways:

• Origin of Hattie B's Name: Nick shares the importance of family and their passion for the restaurant industry. With a legacy spanning over 50 years, starting with his grandfather, the father-son duo eventually created Hattie B's, a name that honors multiple generations.
• Growing A Brand: Nick and Todd explore the power of marketing and social media. They highlight the "Shut the Cluck Up Challenge" as a fun and engaging way to involve guests. Jimmy and Shatzy attempt the challenge live, demonstrating the experiential nature of Hattie B's food and its impact on customer engagement.
• Hattie B's X-Factor: The incredible people behind Hattie B's drives its success. Their dedication to the mission and community ensures great food, dedicated service, and an overall exceptional experience. Todd highlights the importance of authenticity, deeply rooted in the traditional Nashville experience.
• Todd discusses the balance between using technology to improve operations without detracting from authenticity.
• Ambassadors of The Brand: Nick and Todd discuss the importance of making a positive impact in the communities where they operate.
• Hattie B's is rolling out its new breakfast menu at their Franklin, Tennessee location.
• Talking Back: The hosts explore what they believe the biggest restaurant tech trend will be in the next 3-5 years.

Enjoy engaging discussions like "What’s Hot and Not," a Quickfire Round that's sure to spice things up, and other fun games that will leave you hungry for more.

In today’s episode of the Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy”, and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy”, are joined by 5-time returning guest Josh Halpern, founder and CEO of Big Chicken and Beer Park.

Josh narrates how he began his business and how the relationships he has fostered with shareholders like Dr. Shaquille O’Neal has become invaluable. He also delves into what it is like to own a franchise, walks us through the mindset needed to run one, and uncovers the often forgotten demographics businesses must consider serving in pursuit of success. describes what it takes to bridge the gap between coworkers from multiple generations.

Key Takeaways:

• Breaking News: Josh Halpern’s business Big Chicken goes global with its first international location opening in the United Kingdom. Having started originally in Seattle, when Co-Op Live, Europe’s largest live music venue, opens this year, Big Chicken will be revealed. Josh shares that Big Chicken will be introduced to Canada in a similar fashion later this year. On top of this, Big Chicken will be expanding to parts of Central America where brick-and-mortar restaurants are already being built.
• Market Growth Strategy: Josh opens up about his strategic plan to expand globally and his mindset behind it. When franchising a business, Halpern says, you are not simply in the restaurant business, but also the franchise business. From the time he first dreamt of this idea to now global expansion, Josh has always made it known his sole business objective is a maniacal focus, meaning they are constantly optimizing their product and business model.
• Developing Relationships: The business relationship and friendship Josh has developed with Dr. O’Neal is one he deeply charishes and appreciates. Josh stresses the importance of finding sponsors that identify with your brand the same way Shaquille O’Neal resonated with Big Chicken, being reminded of his mother’s cooking when he was a child.
• Do Fathers Ever Get to Choose? Sit back and enjoy listening to Jimmy, Schatz, and Josh discuss who gets to pick where to eat out and why it’s never the father.
• Michael Schatzberg never fails to make guests of the podcast laugh with his playful nature and quick wit and today is no different. Enjoy as Jimmy lets him narrate Josh and his road to success with plenty of repartee to go around.
• You came for the entree, but stay to indulge in the best dessert the show can offer as Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy”, quizzes Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy”, in today’s episode of Trivia Tuesday.

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy,” and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy,” are joined by two returning guests, Christi Ravneberg, Senior Director of Media Intelligence and Custom Content for Informa Connect and Joe Donnelly, President of Media and Events at Informa Connect.

Christi and Joe dive into the Informa Connect intelligence platform, stirring the pot by surveying operator and retailer audiences. They whip up in-depth reports on technology, labor, and the major challenges operators are chewing over today. The guests dish out key trends from the Restaurant Tech Outlook report.

Key Takeaways:

· Breaking News: The release of Nation's Restaurant News' 2024 Restaurant Tech Outlook, a market leader report on the transformative tech strategies for restaurants. Ben discusses the value of the report as part of an ongoing annual effort, with plans to continue this trend with collaboration between Nation's Restaurant News and Restaurant Business, supported by the sponsor community, including QSR Automation.

· Operator Confidence in Data Utilization: Christi talks about investment trends and operator behavior. She shares that operators are increasingly confident in their use of data. Digital marketing emerges as a major area of investment, with trends leaning toward more cautious and discerning investments in technology compared to previous years.

· Focused Investments for ROI: Ben shares his insight on ROI (Return on Investment) and operator’s increasing focus on making pointed investments that provide clear ROI rather than adopting new technologies hastily.

· Importance of Key Customer Data: The discussion highlights how business growth is dependent upon understanding the guest and aiding the experienced operator in efficiency.

· Challenges and Opportunities in Tech Vendor Relationships: Christi shares data on operators' expectations for changes in their tech vendor relationships over the next year. There is a notable interest in replacing unsatisfactory tech components with better-performing ones, for example in Mergers and Acquisitions and food waste management.

· Can There Be Too Much Tech? The panel debates the restaurant industry’s growing reliance on technology. Can too much tech might overshadow the heart and soul of the business? Or, does tech and AI play an essential role across operations – from boosting kitchen efficiency and reducing errors to enhancing customer engagement.