In this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, Brandon sits down with Billy Deck, founder of Sunda and host/star of the PBS documentary Food Roots. Billy shares the deeply personal story behind the film, his Filipino-American upbringing, and the journey back to the Philippines that helped him reconnect with family, heritage, grief, identity, and purpose.

The conversation moves through hospitality, Nashville’s evolution, Gen Z labor challenges, building restaurant culture, and why true hospitality starts with care. Billy also opens up about success, loss, mental health, the pressure of performing strength, and the power of documenting personal stories so they can help others.

This episode is a reminder that restaurants are about far more than what is on the plate. They are about connection, memory, ancestry, healing, and making people feel seen.

Topics include:

Billy’s journey from Chicago to Nashville

The story behind Sunda

His PBS documentary Food Roots

Reconnecting with Filipino heritage

Food as a language of love

Labor and culture challenges in hospitality

Nashville’s growth and changing identity

Mental health, grief, and vulnerability

Why every family has a story worth preserving

Watch Food Roots on Billy’s YouTube channel: @billybecklife