Hospitality On The Rise

EP 86: Jill Tyler

Jill Tyler, Owner of Rye Bunny in Washington, DC, went from bartending in high school to opening Michelin-starred Tail Up Goat, but the biggest lessons came when she real

EP 85: Michael Mina

Chef Michael Mina, Founder of MINA Group, went from washing dishes at fourteen to building a hospitality empire with 38 locations and 18 concepts. On this episode of Hosp

EP 84: Annie Shi

Annie Shi, Beverage Director and Co-Owner of King, Jupiter, and Dean's, and Owner of the James Beard Award-winning wine bar Lei, joins host Alice Cheng on this episode of

EP 83: Brian Lockwood

Brian Lockwood, Chef-Partner at Midōsuji and Gingie (BOKA Restaurant Group), got his start in restaurants at fourteen, washing dishes to pay off a lawyer after getting in

EP 82: Melissa Perello

Chef Melissa Perello of Octavia and Frances has built a career on knowing exactly when to push forward and when to pull back. Seventeen years, two San Francisco restauran

EP 81: Danny Garcia

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 Se

EP 80: Molly Irani

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

EP 79: Ryan Pera

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 epi

EP 78: Lina Goujjane

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

EP 77: Thomas Pastuszak

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

EP 76: Daniel Boulud

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 t

EP 75: Suzanne Cupps

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

EP 74: Roni Mazumdar

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 open

EP 73: Jen Hidinger-Kendrick

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 un

EP 72: Miro Uskokovic

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 Yor

EP 71: Ivy Mix

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

EP 70: Marcus Samuelsson

Chef Marcus Samuelsson—celebrated restaurateur, author, and eight-time James Beard Award winner behind Red Rooster, Hav & Mar, and a global portfolio of restaurants—trace

EP 69: Greg Root

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 re

EP 68: Ochi Latjuba Vongerichten

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 restau

EP 67: Erik Battes

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