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.