Restaurant Podcast

Jason Hammel opened Lula Cafe in Chicago's Logan Square neighborhood back in 1999. He joined us on the Pre-Shift Podcast to chat about the keys to Lula Cafe’s longevity, how they changed after the pandemic, and how the industry has changed since they opened 24 years ago.

Kwini Reed fell into the restaurant industry by accident. She now co-owns Poppy + Rose, Poppy & Seed, and Root of All Food, an LA-based catering company. She joined us on The Pre-Shift Podcast to discuss her philosophy on managing a team, including how she coaches managers.

Joe Kahn opened the first Condado Tacos in 2014. And the driving principle behind it was to be the type of place he would work at forever given the opportunity. He joined us on The Pre-Shift Podcast, along with Chris Artinian, President and CEO.

Michel Falcon joined us on the Pre-Shift Podcast to tell us about how he got started, and the importance of core values, and how he operationalizes them at Brasa Peruvian Kitchen.

Matt Plapp and his team have been to more restaurants than anyone. Since 2021, they’ve taken cross country to visit and document America’s best independent restaurants. And they’ve learned what separates successful restaurants from struggling ones.