Industry Sunday

Ep. 29: To Get Cut, or to Not Get Cut

Jake and Kennedy are back with episode 29, and you won't want to miss this one. They dive in with Jake telling a story about a restaurant that had meltdown after meltdown. We've all had those days!The topic of the week surrounds being cut. They get into what that means for their listeners who haven't worked in the industry, and then they move into a few different instances that pop up when someone hears the words "who wants to be cut?"They top it all off with another round of "Am I The A**hole?" that had a surprising ending.

Ep. 28: Just The (Cash) Tip

Jake and Kennedy return from their recent trips to Missouri with a fresh week of stories. They get into what they've been up to in the past week, which includes another car accident ft. the most unlucky human alive - Jake Lavan.This week, the duo discuss how McDonald's announced a new promo brand similar to what they did with Grimace, the founder of Shake Shack shared his unprompted views on tipping for coffee, and a few new updates from the National Restaurant Association about the purpose of surcharges.For the bulk of the episode, Jake and Kennedy get into the pros and cons of receiving cash tips at the end of the night versus the bi-weekly paycheck model. They then read a Reddit thread about an impatient guest that gave both hosts flashbacks that are worthy of inducing a cold sweat and a walk-in cooler cry. They end the episode with round two of their game, We Want Plates. To join the game and see the images that Kennedy and Jake discussed, head to the Industry Sunday Instagram linked here. [https://www.instagram.com/industrysundaypodcast/]

Ep. 27 “Con Artists & Free Food"

Jake and Kennedy kick off their 27th episode with a recent run in that Jake had with a fan of the show. He called Kennedy crying, and to know the rest you have to tune in! This episode explores what happens when a venue tries too hard to please everyone who enters a restaurant or bar. Jake and Kennedy want to expose the situations when the customer ISN'T right. They discover a string of stories on Reddit about con artists who go the extra mile to get whatever they can for free, and the satisfying stories of when they get caught.

Ep. 26: "In The Weeds" - ft. Almendra (Pez)

Jake and Kennedy are back with another episode, and this week they feature a Chicago server, friend, and longtime listener of this podcast - Almendra! To her friends, she goes by the nickname "Pez", and she is loved and admired by many of her coworkers for her optimism and kindness. She is the kind of server that rarely gets flustered by a guest, so when she does you know they have to be 10x worse than how she describes them. The episode begins with an introduction to Pez and her work experience. She started at Olive Garden, and took a 10 year break from the industry only to come back and work at some of the best restaurants in Chicago. The current events discussed today included a strike by Waffle House employees in North Carolina, and about the first ever lab-created chicken dish sold to guests in a California restaurant. The bulk of the episode is spent discussing what it's like working for large chains, how you can handle guests who want you to fail from the start, and how important it is to help your coworkers when you see them in the weeds. The episode closes out with an impromptu round of "Service industry things that would send a Victorian child into a coma".

Ep. 25: Burning Out & Back of House

Kennedy and Jake are back and they are officially 1/4th of the way to episode 100! Current events in the industry this week - Andy Cohen has been seen promoting his new canned cocktail partnership by "bartending" all over the Hamptons, Domino's is delivering pizzas via drone to beaches near you, and SweetGreen opened their first fully automated location.Jake introduces the story he selected for the week, and it's all about why industry workers have been feeling major burnout since restaurants reopened post-Covid. He mentions it all, including many reasons why industry workers aren't afraid to rage quit their jobs anymore.Kennedy's story of the week was inspired by the Kitchen Confidential subreddit. She discovered a thread titled "Inside the Walk-In Rant" and shares a few of her favorite stories - these range from annoyingly dramatic coworkers, aggressive managers, and customer's who ask for something every time you return to the table. She briefly covers the tension between chefs and servers, and a few of the many headaches that your BOH team deals with daily. They end the episode with another round of "Am I The A**hole?" but with a hilarious security/doorman twist.