Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

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Zack Oates sits down with Scott Shotter of Teriyaki Madness to break down what actually makes restaurant brands stand out. With experience leading iconic brands like Moe’s, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop, and Condado Tacos, Scott shares a practical perspective on building culture, simplifying operations, and creating experiences guests remember.

Zack and Scott discuss:

•  How to identify and protect your brand’s DNA
•  Why simplicity leads to better guest experience
•  The role of culture in scaling restaurant brands
•  How to create memorable in-store experiences
•  Ways to bring hospitality back in a digital-first world

Thanks, Scott!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/linkedinscottshotter/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/teriyaki-madness/about/

http://www.teriyakimadness.com/

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Zack Oates sits down with Sterling Douglass of Chowly to talk about why AI adoption in restaurants is accelerating faster than any previous tech wave. After years of slow adoption across online ordering, POS, and delivery, operators are now leaning in and moving quickly.

Zack and Sterling discuss:

•  Why restaurants are embracing AI faster than past technology shifts
•  How COVID changed the industry’s relationship with tech
•  Practical ways to introduce AI into daily workflows
•  Using guest feedback data to automatically detect and fix issues
•  Why the first AI win changes everything for operators

Thanks, Sterling!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/sterlingddouglass/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/chowlyinc/about/

https://chowly.com/

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Zack Oates sits down with Jeff Galletly of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to unpack what it really takes to scale a brand across both restaurants and retail. Jeff shares how the company has grown rapidly while improving guest experience, and why everything starts with getting the food right before anything else.

Zack and Jeff discuss:

•  Building Brooklyn Dumpling Shop across restaurants and CPG
•  Why restaurants act as the “front porch” of the brand
•  How improving food quality transformed guest ratings
•  Balancing speed, accuracy, and consistency in operations
•  Why great food is still the foundation of guest experience

Thanks, Jeff!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jeff-galletly-792b523/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/brooklyndumplingshop/about/

https://www.brooklyndumplingshop.com/

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Will Stewart, Founder and CEO of RightWork, joins Zack Oates to explore how labor decisions directly shape the guest experience. With a background as a data scientist at Starbucks, Will brings a unique perspective on how restaurants can use data to make smarter operational decisions.

Zack and Will discuss:

•  Why labor should be seen as an investment, not just a cost
•  How understaffing impacts both guests and employees
•  The importance of scheduling with more granular data
•  Why every location requires a different labor strategy
•  How to balance profitability with guest experience
•  Ways to scale consistency across multiple locations

Thanks, Will!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-stewart-23339b66/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightwork-inc/about/

https://right.work/

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Zack Oates sits down with Kevin Boehm of Boka Restaurant Group to explore the mindset behind building one of the most respected hospitality groups in the country. From early career risks to scaling multiple award-winning concepts, Kevin shares how creativity, consistency, and resilience shape long-term success.

Zack and Kevin discuss:

•  Building Boka Restaurant Group into a nationally recognized brand
•  Why creativity matters more than ever in hospitality
•  Lessons learned from opening and scaling restaurants
•  The role of storytelling in guest experience
•  How resilience shapes great operators

Thanks, Kevin!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/kevin-boehm-4826a326b

https://www.instagram.com/kevinboehmboka/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/boka-restaurant-group/

https://www.bokagrp.com/

https://www.instagram.com/bokarestaurantgroup/

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David Youngberg, CEO of Stonefire Grill, and Matt Calabrese, CTO, join Zack Oates for a deep dive into what it actually takes to scale a restaurant brand without losing what makes it special. From feeding 5,500 guests in under an hour to building a business where catering drives over 20% of revenue, they share real operational insights from inside the brand.

Zack, David, and Matt discuss:

•  How catering can become a powerful growth and acquisition channel
•  Why meeting guests across every channel is no longer optional
•  How fast feedback loops are reshaping decision making
•  The role of technology in supporting, not replacing, hospitality
•  Why consistency is the foundation of trust and long term loyalty
•  How to grow a brand without drifting from its core identity

Thanks, David and Matt!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/dyoungberg/

https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-calabrese-5657252/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/stonefire-grill-inc/

https://www.stonefiregrill.com/

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Jessica Serrano, CMO of Bagel Brands, joins Zack Oates to share how marketers can better understand what makes a brand truly stand out. With experience across Burger King, Taco Bell, and Dig In, Jessica brings a sharp perspective on how guest insights shape strategy.

• Zack and Jessica discuss:
•  Finding what makes your brand uniquely valuable
•  Why scrappy guest research often beats big budgets
•  How to balance data with real world observation
•  The importance of timing and context in guest communication
•  Why simple brand guidelines outperform complex ones
•  How to improve guest experience by doing the next right thing

Thanks, Jessica!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicacausse/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bagel-brands/

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Zack Oates sits down with Steven Droulis, owner of Resto Vivaldi in Montreal, to explore how a family restaurant built an enormous online following while staying authentic to its roots. With hundreds of videos and hundreds of millions of views across YouTube, Instagram, and TikTok, Steven shares how consistency, authenticity, and educational content helped his restaurant break through on social media.

They discuss how content creation impacts restaurant traffic, why teaching viewers through recipes creates stronger engagement, and how operators can build trust both online and in the dining room. Steven also explains how value, consistency, and friendly service remain the foundation of a great guest experience.

Zack and Steven discuss:

•  How authentic content drives massive social media growth
•  Why teaching through food videos builds loyal audiences
•  The impact of social media on restaurant traffic
•  Why classic dishes outperform overly complicated food
•  How value, consistency, and friendly service shape the guest experience

Thanks, Steven!

Links:

https://www.instagram.com/restovivaldi/

https://restovivaldi.com/en/

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Zack Oates sits down with Chris Gannon, founder and CEO of Bolay, to discuss what it takes to build a restaurant brand that lasts. After more than a decade in business and over 20 locations, Chris shares lessons from navigating growth, challenges, and maintaining a strong culture.

They explore how guest experience is shaped through small moments, why hiring the right people is critical, and how recognition and celebration drive team performance. Chris also explains how consistency, gratitude, and attention to detail help create lasting connections with guests.

Zack and Chris discuss:

•  How Bolay built a strong culture over 10 years
•  Why recognition is key to team performance
•  The role of hiring in guest experience
•  How small details shape the customer journey
•  Why consistency drives long term success

Thanks, Chris!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-gannon-82b106190/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/bolayrestaurant/about/

https://www.bolay.com/

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Zack Oates sits down with Danielle Mahon, founder and CEO of Topsail Steamer, to discuss how a simple seafood steam pot concept turned into a fast growing franchise brand. Danielle shares the origin story behind the idea, how she transitioned from corporate America into entrepreneurship, and what she learned while building a new restaurant category.

They explore the decision to grow through franchising, the experience of pitching on Shark Tank, and how national exposure helped accelerate brand awareness. Danielle also discusses the role of Goldbelly in expanding the brand beyond its coastal markets and why guest experience ultimately comes down to how customers feel during every interaction.

Zack and Danielle discuss:

•  How Topsail Steamer created a new restaurant category
•  The decision to grow through franchising
•  What it takes to pitch a restaurant brand on Shark Tank
•  How Goldbelly expanded the brand nationally
•  Why guest experience starts before the first bite

Thanks, Danielle!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniellemahon-961b4a11/

https://www.linkedin.com/company/topsailsteamer/

https://topsailsteamer.com/