Welcome to the Brand to Table Podcast — the show where restaurant owners and hospitality leaders learn how to stop guessing and start growing real revenue through proven branding and marketing strategies.

In this episode of the Brand to Table Podcast, host Henry Kaminski Jr. sits down with the one and only Chef Carmine DiGiovanni, a hospitality veteran with over two decades of experience and the driving force behind the wildly successful NYC concept, Aunt Jake's.

Carmine shares his journey from working alongside Michelin-starred giants like Daniel Boulud, Eric Ripert, and Mario Batali to becoming a chef and entrepreneur. He dives deep into the strategic secret behind Aunt Jake's decade-long success: the legendary, hands-on pasta-making class that went viral and remains a key revenue and branding driver.

You’ll discover why creating an experience is more critical than ever in the ultra-competitive restaurant landscape—far beyond just food quality and service. Carmine unpacks the essential elements of the perfect dining Venn diagram (service, ambiance, and hospitality) and discusses the importance of experiential dining for the social media generation.

Plus, we talk about the power of authenticity and approachability in a personal brand, the challenging landscape of social media marketing in 2025, and his philosophical approach to leadership, mentorship, and giving back through his work with No Kid Hungry.

If you're a restaurant owner, chef, operator, or simply someone obsessed with food branding and hospitality marketing, this episode is your blueprint for creating concepts that don't just survive but go viral and build a lasting, profitable legacy.

You'll Learn:

• The full story of how Aunt Jake's took a simple $20 idea (the pasta class) and transformed it into a core, viral experience and profit engine.
• Why an experiential approach—not just great food—is the ultimate competitive advantage in today's market.
• Chef Carmine’s take on what content works right now on social media and how to overcome the ever-changing algorithms.
• The difference between service and hospitality, and why connection is the key to true brand loyalty.
• Navigating a new market and maintaining brand language when opening a second or third location.
• A chef's most crucial advice for aspiring operators: Hospitality throughout your entire organization, including your staff.

💡 If your restaurant feels stuck relying on old marketing tactics, struggling to stand out in a saturated market, or you're simply frustrated by the ever-changing social media algorithm, this episode delivers the blueprint for creating a memorable, authentic experience that goes viral and builds lasting loyalty.

📬 CONTACT + RESOURCES
📧 Email: [email protected]
🌐 Website: www.brandtotable.com
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After listening, what is the one experiential element you can add this week to t