Wil speaks with longtime Schedulefly customer and Chicago restaurateur Pat Fowler. The conversation covers Pat’s unexpected path into hospitality, the risks he took to buy his first restaurant, and the challenges and opportunities facing independent restaurants today. They discuss economic pressures like rising costs, changing consumer habits, and competition from large chains, but also highlight the enduring value of authentic hospitality, community connection, and innovation. Fowler shares how his frozen pizza line became an unexpected new revenue stream and how social media and storytelling are now key to connecting with guests. Wil and Pat reflect on the realities of entrepreneurship, the importance of caring staff, and the resilience required to thrive in a difficult industry.

Key Takeaways

• Industry Inspiration – Listening to fellow restaurateurs’ stories can provide therapy, motivation, and a reminder that no one is alone in facing industry challenges.
  
  
• Pat’s Origin Story – He pivoted from a failed finance/insurance career to hospitality, fell in love with the business, and ultimately bought his first restaurant using a credit card cash advance.
  
  
• Entrepreneurial DNA – Owning a restaurant requires risk-taking, thick skin, and comfort with constant problem-solving; outsiders often underestimate the difficulty.
  
  
• Economic Pressures – Rising food and labor costs, consumer belt-tightening, and shrinking margins make survival harder, especially against well-capitalized chains.
  
  
• Community & Hospitality – Independent restaurants remain vital because they provide authentic human connection and serve as anchors in their communities.
  
  
• Frozen Pizza Pivot – During COVID, Pat turned his restaurant’s signature pizza into a frozen product, which grew into a wholesale business and new revenue stream.
  
  
• Tech: Double-Edged Sword – Some tools (like text-based marketing or Schedulefly) are genuinely helpful; others, often pushed by outsiders, miss the mark.
  
  
• Social Media Storytelling – Sharing authentic stories and featuring staff builds customer loyalty and emotional connection to the restaurant.
  
  
• Staff Culture – Today’s workforce needs a strong “why” and meaningful engagement; great service still drives repeat business even more than food or atmosphere.
  
  
• Resilience & Adaptability – The restaurant business always faces cycles of challenge; those who keep innovating and focusing on guest experience endure.
  
  
• The Future of Service – As automation grows in fast food, demand will rise for intentional, human-centered full-service dining experiences.
  
  

Wil has a great conversation with Ross Davis, a longtime restaurant professional and operator in Oklahoma City. Ross shares his 29-year journey in restaurants, from waiting tables to management, and reflects on the evolution of restaurant culture, from high-stress, Gordon Ramsay–style management to today’s more intentional, people-centered leadership. They discuss generational shifts in alcohol consumption, the rise of cannabis culture, coping with soaring food costs, and strategies for sustainable growth without sacrificing hospitality. Ross emphasizes that great restaurants thrive on culture, consistency, and caring people—not just money or expansion.

Key Takeaways

1. Hospitality DNA – Successful restaurant people thrive under pressure, love the chaos, and have hospitality “in their DNA.”
   
   
2. Mentorship Matters – Both Ross and Wil credit early managers with shaping their careers through lessons about speed, efficiency, and professionalism.
   
   
3. Cultural Evolution – Old-school yelling and screaming management styles no longer work; modern leadership requires calm, adaptability, and care.
   
   
4. Generational Shift in Habits – Younger staff drink less alcohol, often preferring cannabis and healthier choices, shifting social and workplace dynamics.
   
   
5. Profitability Under Pressure – Rising food costs force restaurants to innovate; Ross’s $10 taco lunch special is an example of delivering value while maintaining margins.
   
   
6. Attention to Detail – Every penny matters in restaurants—whether it’s cheese shavings on a prep counter or sourcing spices more efficiently.
   
   
7. Team Vibe is Everything – A strong, fun, intentional staff culture is felt by guests and even delivery drivers, creating memorable experiences.
   
   
8. Four-Walls Focus – Echoing Keith Paul’s philosophy, success comes from obsessing over what happens inside the restaurant, not external advertising.
   
   
9. Expansion Done Right – Opening a second location should only happen when management depth and culture are strong enough to duplicate—not just because of greed or short-term success.
   
   
10. Technology Choices – Ross values Focus POS for reliability over flashier systems like Toast, which can pile on hidden fees and overcomplication.
    
    
11. Schedulefly’s Differentiator – Personal, responsive service and simplicity make Ross stick with Schedulefly over bundled alternatives like Restaurant365.
    
    
12. Sustainable Growth Mindset – Long-term success requires balancing profitability with hospitality, culture, and people-first leadership.
    
    

Summary

In this inspiring episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Pop, a Thai-born entrepreneur, shares his remarkable journey from arriving in the U.S. in 2005 with only $300 and dreams of becoming the next Bill Gates, to building a 12-restaurant hospitality empire. Initially working in restaurants to pay the bills, he discovered his true calling as a chef during a pivotal moment at a food court. Over two decades, Pop built Farmhouse Kitchen Thai Cuisine through authenticity, teamwork, and an unyielding work ethic, navigating challenges like the 2008 housing crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic. When the pandemic threatened his business, Pop innovated with visually appealing Thai food trays sold through DoorDash, turning a near-disaster into a massive success. He emphasizes hospitality from the heart, balancing tradition with innovation, building trust in his team, and creating restaurants that feel like home for both staff and guests. His story is a masterclass in resilience, adaptability, and leading with purpose.

8–10 Key Takeaways

1. Authenticity is the foundation – Staying true to his Thai heritage and hospitality traditions has kept Pop’s brand consistent and memorable.
   
   
2. A defining moment can set your path – Cooking a dish unexpectedly for a customer early in his career gave him the confidence to pursue a culinary path.
   
   
3. Innovation in crisis – During COVID-19, Pop transformed surplus catering trays into popular takeout sets, ultimately selling 150,000+ trays.
   
   
4. Adaptability is essential – Shifting from 90% in-house dining to 100% takeout/delivery during the pandemic saved his business.
   
   
5. Balancing tech with soul – Leveraging DoorDash, QR codes, and digital tools while keeping hospitality personal ensures growth without losing authenticity.
   
   
6. Teamwork is built on trust – Pop transitioned from a “one-man show” to empowering staff through training, communication, and letting go of ego.
   
   
7. Culture starts at clock-in – He insists on starting every shift with positivity, knowing energy flows through the food to the guest experience.
   
   
8. Customer relationships go beyond transactions – Many regulars have become lifelong friends and part of the extended “Farmhouse family.”
   
   
9. Leadership is by example – Pop’s own progression from prep cook to owner shapes how he mentors his team.
   
   
10. Resilience is forged over time – Navigating personal, economic, and operational challenges has strengthened his business and leadership philosophy.
    
    

Summary:
This episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked features Molly Engelhart, a former Los Angeles vegan chef turned Texas cattle rancher and author of “Debunked by Nature: How a Vegan-Chef-Turned-Regenerative-Farmer Discovered that Mother Nature Is a Conservative.” Molly shares her journey from operating five vegan restaurants to running a regenerative cattle ranch and on-farm restaurant. Her shift came after realizing that all food production, vegan or otherwise, involves death, and that avoiding animal products doesn’t necessarily equate to environmental or moral purity. She describes the hidden realities of agriculture, the economic challenges farmers face, and the systemic issues in U.S. food production. Molly emphasizes the need for fair pricing for farmers, consumer education, and direct engagement with nature. She also discusses her upcoming Food is Medicine conference, aimed at connecting chefs, farmers, and consumers with regenerative agriculture and holistic health practices.

Key Takeaways:

1. Identity Shift: Molly moved from being a lifelong vegan and chef to a regenerative cattle rancher after realizing vegan agriculture still depends on animal byproducts and causes animal deaths.
2. Food Waste Catalyst: Concerns over massive restaurant food waste led her to start a farm, sparking revelations about the true nature of food production.
3. “Death on Every Plate” Reality: Whether eating broccoli or steak, agriculture involves death, via fertilizers, pest control, or mechanical harvesting.
4. Economic Pressures on Farmers: Land, feed, taxes, and equipment costs make it nearly impossible for new ranchers to survive financially without inherited land or side income.
5. Food Prices & Farmer Survival: Many commodity crop prices haven’t risen since the 1970s, while input costs have skyrocketed, contributing to the loss of 140,000 farms in the past decade.
6. Health & Nutrition Concerns: She links modern diseases to refined flour, sugar, and agrochemicals, advocating for nutrient-dense, whole foods despite their higher cost.
7. Chefs as Cultural Influencers: Restaurants can shift consumer perceptions by showcasing local, regenerative foods and promoting direct farmer relationships.
8. Food Sovereignty as National Security: The U.S. has become a net importer of food, narrowing crop diversity and risking resilience.
9. Systemic Change Needed: Calls for reduced bureaucracy, innovative housing for farm workers, and banking products to help small farmers acquire land.
10. Upcoming Event: Molly is hosting the Food is Medicine conference (Sept 26–28) featuring workshops, advocacy training, and speakers like Will Harris, focusing on regenerative food and health transformation.

In this Restaurant Owners Uncorked episode, Wil speaks with Or Peleg of Tel Aviv Restaurant Group in Los Angeles about his journey from aspiring lawyer to restaurateur, his group’s six kosher restaurants, and the realities of running hospitality businesses in a challenging post-COVID LA environment. Or shares insights on balancing high service standards with rising labor costs, maintaining a people-first hospitality culture despite industry-wide tech and automation trends, and the importance of building lasting customer relationships. He emphasizes that while the restaurant business is tough and unpredictable, the joy of creating memorable guest experiences and fostering community keeps him motivated. Both discuss staffing challenges, the benefits of a weekly day off due to kosher practices, and the need for realistic expectations for anyone entering the industry.

Key Takeaways:

1. Or Pellig transitioned from aspiring lawyer to hospitality after discovering his love for creating memorable guest experiences.
   
   
2. Tel Aviv Restaurant Group operates six kosher restaurants in LA’s San Fernando Valley, with a seventh opening soon.
   
   
3. Kosher operations involve strict dietary laws, separation of meat and dairy, special inspections, and closure from Friday sundown to Saturday sundown.
   
   
4. Closing on Saturdays, initially a concern, now provides essential rest and balance for the team.
   
   
5. Post-COVID staffing challenges include higher turnover, rising wages (e.g., $20/hr at McDonald’s), and difficulty finding committed team members.
   
   
6. The group invests in higher staffing levels to maintain personalized, hands-on service despite tech trends pushing toward self-ordering and automation.
   
   
7. Exceptional service and experience—not just food quality—are key to customer loyalty in a competitive market.
   
   
8. Or cautions would-be restaurateurs about the industry’s challenges, high failure rates, and the need for hands-on ownership.
   
   
9. Hospitality work offers a unique career path for people from all backgrounds, rewarding hard work and guest care with growth opportunities.
   
   
10. Owner presence, strong culture, and genuine gratitude toward loyal guests are essential for long-term success.
    
    

In this lively and entertaining episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil Brawley sits down in the famed Branded Hospitality studio with Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling, the duo behind Branded Hospitality Group. What begins as a nostalgic look back at their individual paths into hospitality, Schatzy from dishwashing at a bagel shop, Jimmy from bartending during his finance career, evolves into a deeper conversation about how their complementary backgrounds led them to create a unique investment and advisory platform for hospitality tech. Their journey includes operating and investing in restaurants, vetting emerging technologies, and launching a hospitality-focused investment vehicle that now includes nearly 60 companies. This episode blends humor, personal stories, sharp insights into tech adoption in restaurants, and reflections on the high-touch, deeply fragmented nature of the industry. Wil, Schatzy, and Jimmy also dive into cultural icons like Cheers and Rocky, all while echoing the central truth: relationships, trust, and simplicity still matter most in hospitality.

Key Takeaways:

Humble Beginnings in Hospitality
Schatzy started at a bagel shop at age 15 doing grunt work, later bartended at Duke’s, and eventually became a co-owner. Jimmy cut his teeth barbacking and waiting before moving into finance, hospitality was always a “gig job” until he circled back as an investor.

Complementary Partnership
Branded Hospitality was born from blending Schatzy’s deep operational experience with Jimmy’s financial acumen. Their combined perspectives helped them create a unique platform for restaurant tech investment and advisory.

Restaurant as Testing Grounds for Tech
Their real breakthrough came when they used one restaurant to pilot four tech tools: Pour My Bev, Chowly, Bbot, and GoParrot. That pilot validated their thesis and launched Branded’s broader investment strategy.

Fragmented Industry, Custom Solutions
With 70% of restaurants being independents, there’s no one-size-fits-all tech stack. Branded emphasizes operator-driven solutions. Tech must meet operators where they are and be something they'd actually pay for and use.

Investments and Approach
Branded has invested in nearly 60 companies via funds, SPVs, and family office partnerships. They screen over six companies a week and have a strong filtering process rooted in operational validation rather than pitch decks.

Importance of Word-of-Mouth
Over InfluencersSchatzy and Jimmy stressed the value of personal trust networks in tech vetting. “Know and trust” beats paid influencers. Word of mouth is still king, especially in a people-first industry.

Tech Is a Support Role, Not the Star
Despite enthusiasm for AI, robotics, and personalization, the hosts emphasized that restaurants will always be about food, hospitality, and human connection. Tech enhances but doesn’t replace that.

Community & Independent Operators
MatterIndependents aren’t just small players, they’re vital to neighborhood vibrancy and cultural identity. Branded sees Schedulefly as a valuable tool to build community and share knowledge among these operators.

The Future: Data-Informed, Human-Touched
They see a future where guest data is used meaningfully, like knowing who’s dining and what they love, but tied closely to real human engagement. Hospitality is still personal, even if it’s tech-informed.

Fun, Nostalgia, and Culture
From Cheers and Friends to Rocky and Godfather references, the episode celebrates the enduring joy of classic stories, mirroring the timeless essence of hospitality: welcoming, connecting, and making people feel at home.

In this episode, Wil chats with longtime friend and restaurateur Drew Moore of Carrboro, NC. Drew shares updates on his ventures, including Venable Bistro, B-Side Lounge, Auto Strada Pizza & Panini, Auto Strada Gelato & Coffee, and the upcoming House of Gatewood Chop House in Hillsborough. He explains how a 2022 trip to France and Italy inspired Auto Strada, modeled after Italian “auto grills,” offering high-quality paninis, pizza with imported Italian flour, and real ingredients at approachable prices. They discuss the challenges of running restaurants, including supply chain issues (especially in beef), workforce recovery post-COVID, rising tuition and its impact on staffing, and educating consumers on healthier food choices. Drew emphasizes values-driven business practices, maintaining ingredient integrity, and making dining experiences approachable while elevating quality, all while balancing the very real, unglamorous daily demands of restaurant ownership.

Takeaways:

1. Inspiration from Italy: Auto Strada was inspired by Italian highway “auto grills,” which offer fresh, high-quality paninis, coffee, and gelato, something Drew wanted to bring to North Carolina.
2. Ingredient Integrity: Auto Strada uses imported Italian double-zero flour (non-GMO and glyphosate-free), San Marzano tomatoes, and high-quality Wisconsin cheeses, making their pizza more digestible and flavorful.
3. Educating Consumers: Many customers already recognize the health benefits of authentic ingredients, and Drew uses menu descriptions and conversations to further educate them.
4. Economic Realities: While higher-quality ingredients cost more, Drew notes that dough remains inexpensive compared to cheese and proteins, making pricing manageable for customers.
5. Beef Supply Challenges: The beef market is at its lowest production since the 1940s, making sourcing for the chop house complex; Drew is exploring local farms and co-ops for ethical, high-quality beef.
6. Workforce Recovery: Post-COVID staffing remains challenging, though 2024 has shown improvement. University towns have a unique labor cycle, but graduate school enrollment spikes have slowed industry recovery.
7. Consumer Shifts: Customers are increasingly health-conscious, moving away from processed fast food toward real, nutrient-dense options—a shift that supports Drew’s model.
8. Rising Tuition & Labor Market: Drew and Wil discuss the high cost of higher education, diminishing ROI for some degrees, and how AI may replace entry-level jobs, influencing the restaurant labor pool.
9. The Unseen Side of Ownership: Drew highlights the unglamorous reality of restaurant ownership, fixing toilets, handling equipment breakdowns, and responding to emergencies are all part of the job.
   
   

In this episode, Wil sits down with Maneesh Goyal and Alvina Patel Buxani, the co-founders of Passerine, a neighborhood-focused Indian restaurant in New York City. What emerges is a conversation about risk as a path to fulfillment, the power of storytelling in hospitality, and the intentional way they’ve built a brand that’s as much about people and community as it is about food.

Passerine is more than a restaurant, it’s the product of decades of experience in marketing, luxury branding, and entrepreneurship, paired with a deep appreciation for New York City. Maneesh and Alvina share how their 20-year friendship evolved into a business partnership, how they raised funds from friends and family who believed in their mission, and why their Indian restaurant is designed to keep guests in New York, not transport them elsewhere. They also highlight the indispensable role of their chef, Chetan Shetty, and their commitment to building a strong, culture-driven team.

As Maneesh puts it, “Risk makes life remarkable.” This episode is full of lessons for anyone in hospitality, or anyone who wants to create meaningful, guest-centered experiences.

12 Key Takeaways

1. Risk Makes Life Remarkable – Maneesh’s guiding principle: true fulfillment comes from taking calculated risks, whether starting a marketing agency, coming out in a traditional community, or opening a restaurant.
   
   
2. A Partnership Built on Friendship – Maneesh and Alvina’s two-decade friendship became the foundation for a business partnership built on complementary skills and mutual respect.
   
   
3. Lessons from Early Ventures – Maneesh’s first restaurant taught him the importance of aligning with customer needs and defining a clear brand DNA. lessons he carried into Passerine.
   
   
4. Smart, Passionate Investors – They raised funds from friends and family who weren’t just financially invested but also emotionally connected to the restaurant’s success.
   
   
5. Hospitality as Storytelling – Drawing on Alvina’s luxury branding experience, Pasarine weaves storytelling into everything, from its poetic name (derived from a species of birds) to a cocktail menu inspired by the fable of the king and the songbird.
   
   
6. An Indian Restaurant with New York Spirit – Instead of transporting guests to India, Pasarine serves Indian flavors with a New York sensibility, lighter dishes, approachable flavors, and a team that reflects the city’s diversity.
   
   
7. Design with Intention – Every detail, from soft seating at every table to the music selection, was thoughtfully designed to create a warm, comfortable, and inviting atmosphere.
   
   
8. Chef as Cornerstone – Chef Chetan Shetty’s creativity, hands-on problem-solving, and passion for his craft make him central to the restaurant’s identity and success.
   
   
9. Culture Drives Teams – Maeeish emphasizes that strong leadership visibility, consistent communication, and a clear sense of purpose are essential to inspire hospitality teams.
   
   
10. Hospitality Lessons Travel – Concepts from books like Setting the Table and Unreasonable Hospitality aren’t just for restaurants, they can transform experiences in industries like healthcare, retail, and beyond.
    
    
11. PR Gets Guests In, Experience Brings Them Back – While good PR can fill seats, it’s the lived experience, the people, the service, the atmosphere, that turns one-time diners into loyal patrons.