Episode 13 : Black Restaurant Week - Supporting 1,500+ Culinary Businesses

Episode 13 : Black Restaurant Week - Supporting 1,500+ Culinary Businesses

In this episode, host Kieron Bailey sits down with Falayn Ferrell, Chairwoman of Feed the Soul Foundation and Managing Partner at Black Restaurant Week, to discuss how her organization is revolutionizing support for small culinary businesses across America.  From spotlighting 20 restaurants in Houston to over 1,500 nationally, Falayn shares insights from their groundbreaking two-year industry report, the power of data-driven advocacy, and why restaurants are truly the soul of their communities. Takeaways: * Why restaurants are the first to hire and give back, yet often the most overlooked in solving community challenges * How a simple email newsletter achieved a 50% open rate by becoming genuinely resourceful * What happens when small restaurant owners finally meet in rooms full of people who understand their exact struggles * The surprising dual impact of gentrification on 20-year neighborhood restaurant staples * Why most small culinary businesses aren't connected to the tourism dollars already flowing through their cities * How starting a business without adequate funding creates invisible operational ripple effects * What West African cuisine and Caribbean fusion might reveal about America's next flavor wave * Why telling restaurant owners to "just fix customer service" completely misses what's actually happening behind the scenes * The counterintuitive advice about chasing success that changed everything for a growing nonprofit * How refusing press coverage for themselves won the hearts and respect of an entire industry Connect with the host: Kieron Bailey on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/theboybaileyspeaks/] Connect with Falayn: LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/falaynf/] | Personal Website [https://beacons.ai/falaynf] Learn More: Feed the Soul Foundation Industry Report  [https://feedthesoulfou.org/industry-research/] This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil — cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate [https://savefryoil.com/frylow/cost-savings-estimate/].

Episode 12 : Is 50% of Your Restaurant's Success & Profit Decided Before You Open?

In this episode, host Chrissy Symeonakis [https://creativelittlesoul.com.au/] sits down with Ivan Brewer, Founder and Managing Director of Peiso, the world's first hospitality profitability software. With over 25 years in the industry, from making 2,000 coffees a day as a barista to consulting for top venues, Ivan shares his unconventional journey and reveals why the hospitality industry's approach to profitability is fundamentally broken. This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil, cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate [https://savefryoil.com/frylow/cost-savings-estimate/]. CONNECT WITH IVAN BREWER * Website: Peiso [https://peiso.com.au/] * LinkedIn: Ivan Brewer [https://www.linkedin.com/in/ivanbrewer/] * Instagram: @getpeiso [https://www.instagram.com/getpeiso/] * Facebook: Peiso Profitability Software [https://www.facebook.com/PeisoProfitabilitySoftware] KEY TAKEAWAYS * How a sports injury accidentally changed Ivan's entire career trajectory in an unexpected way * The daily coffee volume that would make modern baristas completely freak out * What working in both luxury hotels and budget restaurants revealed about the real nature of hospitality * The shocking truth about a popular 1980s technique that dozens of consultants still recommend today * Why half your restaurant's fate is already sealed before you unlock the doors each day * The disturbing pattern Ivan discovered when analyzing tech spending across major hospitality groups * What suddenly stopped working for restaurants in 2024 after years of reliability * The data nightmare hiding in one venue's point of sale system that most operators never see * The harsh financial reality facing Australian venues that nobody wants to talk about What happened to Ivan eight years ago that nearly ended everything and changed his perspective forever

Episode 11 : Second Gen Restaurants: Modernize Without Losing Your Roots

In this episode, Susan Tung [https://www.instagram.com/therestaurantmom/] sits down with Joanna and Jeanette, second-generation owners of Yueh Tung Restaurant [https://www.instagram.com/yuehtungrestaurant/], one of Toronto's oldest Hakka Chinese restaurants located in the original Chinatown. The sisters discuss their journey taking over the family business, navigating the challenges of maintaining a legacy while adapting to modern marketing demands, and their personal struggles with gender dynamics in the restaurant industry. TAKEAWAYS * The moment their father got sick changed everything—including who would actually run the kitchen. * Why their mom actively fought against the one thing that ended up saving the business. * The backlash Joanna faced in her own kitchen reveals an uncomfortable truth about the restaurant industry. * How loyal customers became an unexpected liability instead of an asset. * The reason Joanna scheduled her own shifts without asking permission as a teenager. * What happened when they tried to modernize their father's "cowboy cooking" approach. * The one policy decision downtown that hit harder than any economic downturn. * Why Chinese wok cooks are in such high demand but so few people pursue it. * The advice their father gave them that took 15 years to fully understand. * What they wish they'd known on day one about ego, observation, and letting results speak for themselves. This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil — cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate [https://savefryoil.com/frylow/cost-savings-estimate/] today.

Episode 10 : Restaurant Owners — Scale Delivery Without Tech Hassles

In this episode of Restaurant Talk, host Kieron Bailey [https://www.instagram.com/theboybaileyspeaks/] speaks with Chris Heffernan, CEO of dlivrd Technologies [https://dlivrd.io/], a last-mile delivery tech solution company. They discuss how restaurants can streamline their off-premise operations through integrated technology, the importance of honest metrics over vanity numbers, and the power of people-first business practices. Chris shares insights on scaling from mom-and-pop operations to enterprise brands, the philosophy behind strategic partnerships, and why authentic company culture matters more than perks. The conversation also explores the balance between automation and humanization, the real success rate of deliveries beyond industry hype, and how personal branding helps tech leaders connect with the restaurant community. Takeaways * Why integrated tech is worth more than the sum of its parts. * The unexpected interview question that reveals true partnership potential. * How automation actually buys you more time with people that matter. * Why operators' gut instinct about prep times is probably wrong. * The uncomfortable truth about industry success metrics that everyone ignores. * One customer service move that turns complaints into loyalty. * What delivery drivers really need from leadership. * The problem with company culture and what to do instead. * Why certain restaurant types thrive on delivery platforms. * How a CEO's personal brand makes a tech company feel human. This episode is sponsored by Save Fry Oil — cutting fry oil costs up to 50% while making food crispier. No power, no chemicals. Get your free cost savings estimate [https://savefryoil.com/frylow/cost-savings-estimate/].

Episode 9 : Meet the Restaurant Talk Hosts: Strange Orders and Real Stories

Welcome to a special intro episode where your three hosts finally meet! Kieron Bailey [https://www.instagram.com/theboybaileyspeaks/?hl=en] from the UK, Chrissy Symeonakis [https://www.instagram.com/creativelsoul/] from Australia, and Susan Tung [https://www.instagram.com/therestaurantmom/] from Canada get together across three time zones to share the stories behind their love affair with hospitality. This is the conversation you'd have over drinks after a long shift. The hosts talk about the weirdest things they've seen customers order, their go-to comfort foods (hello, McDonald's and dirty kebabs), and those pet peeves that every hospitality pro understands. They open up about how they got into the industry, often by accident, and share food memories that still bring them joy years later. If you've ever wondered who's behind Restaurant Talk and why they're so passionate about sharing stories from the industry, this episode gives you a front-row seat to their world. It's funny, it's real, and it's a reminder of why hospitality is about so much more than just serving food. Restaurant Talk is brought to you by Save Fry Oil with Frylow [https://savefryoil.com/frylow/] - because nobody wants to talk about fryer oil until they see their invoice. KEY TOPICS DISCUSSED STRANGE CUSTOMER ORDERS * The mysterious woman ordering poached chicken and boiled eggs every morning * A customer who cried over missing tripe * The guy who complained about the same dish for months COMFORT FOOD CONFESSIONS * Why McDonald's becomes essential after a brutal shift * The secret language that scores free kebabs at 4 AM * When melted cheese is the only answer HOW THEY REALLY GOT INTO THIS * Rebelling against the family restaurant... then coming back * The work experience swap that changed a life * That moment when hospitality chose them WHY THEY STAY * The systems that buy back your freedom * Being there for people's best days (not their worst) * When a single taste takes you back decades WHAT THEY'D TELL THEIR YOUNGER SELVES * The numbers no one teaches you (but should) * Why cheap shoes will haunt you forever * Document the madness while you can NOTABLE QUOTES "If you hadn't done all those jobs, you wouldn't be able to do what you do now." "I look at some of these customer reviews and go, what the fuck is wrong with you? Stay home." "Marketing works. I don't know what you did, but we've got heaps of extra customers tonight."