In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Daniel Meth, the co-founder and CEO of Ingest AI, to break down the real-world impact of data analytics and machine learning in the restaurant industry.Discover why hunger and operational failures are often data problems, and how solutions like Ingest AI are simplifying multi-unit restaurant operations by pulling revenue, labor, inventory, sentiment, and external weather data into a single, unified story.Daniel also gets incredibly candid about the venture-backed AI "slop" currently flood-marketing the industry, sharing why AI is only ever a part of the solution, not a magic silver bullet.Plus, we trace Daniel's fascinating career journey: from scooping Belgian Chocolate Chocolate ice cream at Häagen-Dazs, to playing jazz trumpet, to leading NYU tech co-founders as their CEO and ringing their very first dollar of revenue with Corner Table Restaurant Group.

Food waste is one of the biggest profit-eaters in the hospitality industry. Millions of pounds of perfectly good prepared food end up in landfills every single day—not because operators don’t care, but because traditional donation logistics are broken.

In Episode 22 of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier sits down with Kimberly Smith, CEO of Copia, to unpack how smart technology, back-of-house integration, and modern supply chain logistics are turning surplus food from a costly liability into a massive community asset.

"Don't ever again ask me if it's okay to take care of your team." 
Those were the words of @Shake Shack's COO, Zach Koff, to @Lissa Hamilton at 6:00 AM the morning after the tragic Route 91 shooting in Las Vegas.
Lissa was running an $11.5M location on the Strip. While the rest of the city was trying to get out, she was fighting to get in to check on her team and support local first responders. When she called her COO, worried about the financial cost of their relief plan, she was met with pure, radical empathy.
Lissa tells host @Xavier Mariezcurrena that this exact conversation is the reason she has stayed in the restaurant industry for 28 years.

What happens when you trade dreams of becoming the next Whitney Houston for a hotel accounting desk—and end up building one of Southern California's most celebrated culinary brands?In Episode 20 of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Kwini Reed, Co-Founder & COO of A Table for Two Hospitality, the operational engine behind Poppy + Rose, Poppy & Seed, and Root of All Food Catering.A James Beard Women's Entrepreneurial Leadership Fellow and board member of the California Restaurant Association's LA Chapter, Kwini brings a perspective that is equal parts accountant, operator, and advocate.

In this episode, Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Steve Uhr, the Director of New Restaurant Openings for STARR Restaurants. Steve shares his journey from burnout to becoming the architect behind nearly 10 successful restaurant launches in just three years, revealing the "masochism" required to execute strategies for successful new restaurant openings in today's volatile market.Steve offers an unfiltered look at the difference between the DC and Philadelphia labor markets, how to manage the "smartphone generation," why the pre-opening phase is sacred, and the brilliant way his team used ChatGPT to fact-check a food critic.

In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Dan Anfinson, COO of MH Restaurant Group and President of The Slapfish Company, to uncover how a former dishwasher is revolutionizing restaurant operations across Texas.Dan reveals his game-changing approach to AI implementation in restaurant back-of-house operations, sharing how he discovered 240 basis points in his P&L by focusing on kitchen prep standardization instead of front-of-house automation.He introduces the "Wizard of Oz" effect, keeping technology invisible so the guest experience stays authentically human.Beyond the numbers, Dan opens up about his leadership journey, the "blood pact" commitment he made with his team, and his conscious decision to prioritize being a "Great Dad" over being a "Kick-Ass Operator."

From collecting grease traps to leading cloud transformation at Sage Intacct, Chad Freedman's journey reveals how restaurant CFOs are evolving from data entry clerks to strategic advisors.In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Chad Freedman, Director & Practice Lead for Hospitality at Sage Intacct, who literally went door-to-door collecting used cooking oil before becoming a leader in restaurant finance technology. His unconventional path gives him a unique perspective on what restaurant finance leaders actually need to drive growth.

Why do restaurants with 45-minute waits still go broke?Bruce Nelson learned this the hard way. After 20 years in the industry, he opened his dream restaurant—packed tables, rave reviews, the works. It closed in 13 months. The brutal lesson? He had mastered the "Magic" of hospitality but completely ignored the "Math" of profit.Now, as a Fractional CFO and author of "Restaurant Management: The Myth, the Magic, the Math," Bruce helps restaurant groups scale from $13M to over $66M by teaching them what most culinary schools never do: how to actually make money.In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena unpacks Bruce's framework for sustainable restaurant success, the critical mistakes operators make with pricing and overhead, and why your busiest night might be costing you more than you think.

What does playing first flute in a world-class orchestra have to do with creating exceptional restaurant podcasts? Everything, according to Raquel Murillo. In this episode of the 86 Reason Hospitality Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena explores how classical discipline translates directly into the precision and excellence required to curate the best voices in hospitality.Raquel brings an unconventional blend of musical mastery, front-line restaurant experience, and corporate precision to her role as Executive Relationship Manager at Over Easy Office. With a Master's degree in Music, a Specialization in Commercial Law, and over a decade supporting C-level executives at companies like Jerónimo Martins, she applies the same "first flute" discipline to curating the 86 Reason Hospitality Podcast, ensuring every episode features leaders whose unfiltered stories of resilience truly move the needle.From performing with her rose gold flute in international orchestras to serving tables at Toronto's Corn Beef House, Raquel's unique path has equipped her to recognize the hospitality innovators who are mastering specialized accounting, optimizing technology, and building sustainable operations. This classical discipline is what sets the rose gold standard for identifying which voices deserve to be heard on a great restaurant podcast.

High sales but no profit? Your balance sheet is hiding the "dead bodies" killing your restaurant.Raffi Yousefian, CEO of Fork CPA, reveals the financial framework that separates thriving restaurant groups from those that flame out. If you've ever wondered why expansion feels impossible or where your money actually goes, this episode will change how you look at your numbers forever.Raffi specializes exclusively in restaurant accounting and has seen it all—the operators who scale successfully and those who multiply their problems instead of their profits. In this episode, he shares the exact metrics, systems, and strategies that define sustainable restaurant growth.