The Stanza

Today's guest is hospitality veteran Noah Tepperberg, co-founder of Tao Group Hospitality. Over the course of his 30+ year career in hospitality, Noah and his team have launched several iconic venues, under brands including Marquee, Lavo, Tao, Hakkasan, and many others. Tao Group currently has over 80 branded outlets globally in the broader portfolio. In 2017, Noah and his co-founder’s including his long time business partner and Co-CEO Jason Strauss sold a majority stake in Tao Group to the Madison Square Garden Company, and in 2021 the company acquired 100% of Hakkasan Group creating one of the world's largest premium hospitality platforms with outlets in over 20 cities. In 2023, the company was acquired by Mohari Hospitality. This conversation highlights Noah's laser focused and disciplined approach to building a highly successful hospitality business that stands the test of time. Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at ⁠⁠⁠peoplevine.com.⁠ [https://www.peoplevine.com/clients] Interview Highlights: * The key component to a successful venue * Partnering with institutional groups * Hospitality is a people business * Noah's approach to real estate * Patterns of venues that have done well vs those that haven't * Expanding abroad * Advice for hospitality entrepreneurs ⁠ [https://www.peoplevine.com/clients] This episode was recorded at NeueHouse Madison Square. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code ⁠THESTANZA⁠ [https://www.neuehouse.com/] for a special offer when applying for your membership. Connect with Noah here [https://www.instagram.com/noahtepperberg/?hl=en]. Follow The Stanza here [https://www.instagram.com/thestanzamedia/?hl=en]. Subscribe to the newsletter here [https://www.thestanzamedia.com/].

Today's guest is Gaetano Guarducci of Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group [https://www.sahospitalitygroup.com/]. Gaetano grew up in the restaurant business that his father, Gherardo Guarducci, co-founded in 2003, and has been working for the family business since graduating from university. The New York-based group comprises 29 restaurants across 3 brands - Sant Ambroeus, Felice, and Casa Lever - and is opening 3 to 4 restaurants per year with the backing of Italian British private equity fund Three Hills Capital. Sant Ambroeus, in particular, is unique in the way they combine Milanese tradition while embracing fashion & culture trends. They've done creative collaborations with brands such as Saint Laurent, The Attico, Alaia, Le Labo, and several others. It's part of their approach to maintaining longevity and desire throughout several market cycles, along with prioritizing consistency in the customer experience and the food. Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at ⁠peoplevine.com.⁠ [https://www.peoplevine.com/clients] This episode was recorded at NeueHouse Madison Square. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code THESTANZA [https://www.neuehouse.com/] for a special offer when applying for your membership. Learn more about Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group here [https://www.sahospitalitygroup.com/] Follow Sant Ambroeus on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/santambroeus/?hl=en] Connect with ⁠The Stanza on Instagram⁠ [https://www.instagram.com/@thestanzamedia/] ⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠ [https://www.thestanzamedia.com/] for the full experience Interview Highlights: * Longevity in the restaurant sector * Growing up in the hospitality business * Insights from the pandemic era * Why does Sant Ambroeus have a creative director? * Collaborating with fashion brands * The origin story of Sant Ambroeus as a Milanese pastry shop * "Selling pasta to Italians" & doing business in Europe as an American company * Key details considered in restaurant design & operations * Operating seasonal locations in Aspen & East Hampton * Raising capital from private equity * Balancing brand preservation and private equity expectations * Why haven't they expanded into members clubs? * Gaetano's vision for SAHG as the next gen leadership

Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com. [https://www.peoplevine.com/clients] Today's guests are David Rodolitz and Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founders of VCR Group, a hospitality company operating concepts such as Flyfish Club, Ito, and Little Maven in New York and Las Vegas. Flyfish Club, which opened in September 2024, is the world's first blockchain-based members club focused on fine dining. In this conversation, we dove into the details of what it's like to build a hospitality group in one of the most competitive markets in the world (NYC). What I enjoyed most about this conversation is their forward-thinking perspectives when it comes to hospitality, especially in the fine dining space. We also talked in depth about the private members club landscape in New York and entering the space as a young hospitality group. Gary Vaynerchuk, AKA Gary Vee, is a serial entrepreneur and leads VaynerMedia, VaynerX, and VCR Group. In 2014, Gary co-founded Resy and sold it to American Express in 2019 and is also an early investor in notable companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, Coinbase, Slack, and more. David Rodolitz is a NYC hospitality veteran and a co-founder of VCR Group. Prior to founding VCR Group, David was a founding partner of Empellon, a group of restaurants in NYC. To learn more about VCR Group's restaurants, click here [https://vcrgroup.com/] Connect with Gary [https://www.instagram.com/garyvee/] and David [https://www.instagram.com/rodolitz/?hl=en] on Instagram Connect with The Stanza on Instagram [https://www.instagram.com/@thestanzamedia/] Subscribe to the newsletter [https://www.thestanzamedia.com/] for the full experience. Interview Highlights: * The business of a fine dining members club in NYC * Restaurants as part of placemaking * Contrarian thinking in hospitality * The reality of running restaurants * Competing in the NYC restaurant & private club market as a young company * The future of private clubs in NYC & taking cues from London club culture * Longevity in the restaurant business * How to handle negative reviews * How would you invest in hospitality? * Advice for aspiring hospitality entrepreneurs

It's a pleasure to welcome you to the 2025 season of The Stanza. Thank you for tuning in. Submit your pitch deck to be featured in "Investment Committee", a new column in The Stanza newsletter here [https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSeub4Mi1cCyNGkHZ6vhDr0kJoXn2N-iOaawAfJeI5LCndgMHA/viewform?usp=sharing]. Subscribe to the newsletter here [https://www.thestanzamedia.com/] and follow on instagram [https://www.instagram.com/thestanzamedia/?hl=en]. Episode highlights * Overview of the new podcast season * The art of the cold email * Career advice for young people * Answering your Q&A: 1. Limiting beliefs & dreaming big 2. Best tips on growing a digital community 3. Private members clubs 4. Validation from billionaires 5. Luxury groups buying real estate 6. Fashion / hospitality brand pivots Excited for this year's podcast season!!

**This interview was made publicly available thanks to the support of Peoplevine, the CRM software trusted by the best hospitality brands. Book your free demo here [https://www.peoplevine.com/clients]. Today's guest is Jamie Caring, founder of Sevengage Consultancy [https://www.sevengage.co.uk/], through which he advises hospitality entrepreneurs and real estate owners on brand creation and community building. Prior to his consulting career, Jamie was the CMO of Soho House [https://www.sohohouse.com/en-us/about], the Commercial Director at Caprice Holdings [https://caprice-holdings.co.uk/], the holding company behind restaurant brands such as The Ivy, Le Caprice, and Sexy Fish, and the Commercial Director at The Birley Clubs [https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-birley-group/about/], which owns club brands such as Annabel's and Mark's. Prior to hospitality, Jamie had a 15-year career in music and entertainment at MTV and VH1. Jamie started at Soho House in 2008 when there wasn't a marketing team, and during his tenure, helped shape it into the global category-defining lifestyle brand that it is today. This was my longest interview to date, and I definitely could have continued the interview. We went in-depth on Jamie's knowledge and insights coming from both of his lives in entertainment and hospitality, and especially focused on strategy for launching and scaling hospitality businesses, as well as the psychology of members clubs. He truly understands how to build an enduring hospitality brand that is a reference for other emerging brands, and I know anyone listening to this episode will learn a lot from Jamie's experience.Connect with Jamie here [https://www.sevengage.co.uk/]. https://thestanza.beehiiv.com/ https://www.instagram.com/thestanzamedia/ Interview Highlights: * Applying insights from entertainment to hospitality * Meeting Nick Jones and starting at Soho House * Marketing-led vs transaction-led hospitality * Jamie's philosophy on member programming & events * Can people buy into "community"? * What is a true community in the context of a business? * Lessons from Soho House's banker purge in 2010 * Top drivers for both membership renewals and cancellations * Expanding from members clubs into a lifestyle brand * The art & science of advertising exclusivity * Thoughts on Soho House's recent negative press and its IPO * Balancing creative vision and needs of investors * Jamie's experience at Annabel's & how legacy clubs can stay relevant * Thoughts on the proliferation of members clubs * Trends in the club industry * Advice for hospitality entrepreneurs * Audience Q&A If you enjoyed this episode, please share with a friend or colleague :)