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

This all-new episode features Austin Smith, COO of Honky Tonk Party Ventures and founder of Party Fowl Hot Chicken.

Whatever your opinion is on Nashville’s transportainment industry, Austin pulls back the curtain and explains how it really works. He also opens up about what actually happened with Party Fowl, shares stories from his friendship with Brandon, talks about playing softball with Shaquille O’Neal, and gives us a look inside everything Honky Tonk Party Ventures is building.

From party buses to a freestanding bar to a hat bar and more, Austin and his team are doing some incredibly creative things in Nashville.

If you’ve ever been curious about the transportainment industry, this conversation may challenge what you thought you knew.

In this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, Brandon sits down with Josef Gutzmirtl, a longtime Nashville operator with more than three decades in the restaurant business. Josef shares the journey behind building and sustaining beloved neighborhood staples like Boston Commons, Beyond the Edge, and Drifters BBQ through economic shifts, natural disasters, staffing shortages, and the ever-changing Nashville dining scene.

The conversation dives deep into what independent operators are facing right now — rising food costs, labor challenges, property taxes, shrinking margins, and the pressure of staying relevant in a city growing at lightning speed. Joseph offers an honest look at the realities behind running neighborhood restaurants and why consistency, community, and perseverance matter more than ever.

This episode is a reminder that local restaurants don’t survive by accident. They survive because operators continue showing up every single day, long after the glamour wears off.

Topics Covered:

- Josef’s 34-year restaurant journey

- The story behind Beyond the Edge, Boston Commons, and Drifters BBQ

- How Nashville’s growth has impacted local operators

- Food cost inflation and margin pressure

- Staffing and labor challenges

- Property taxes and operational stress

- Tornado and pandemic recovery

- Building neighborhood restaurants that last

- Why consistency matters more than trends

Follow Nashville Restaurant Radio for more conversations with the people shaping Nashville’s hospitality community. @nashville_restaurant_radio @naranashville

What does it really take to survive—and actually win—as an independent food business?

In this episode, I sit down with Daniel Jimenez, owner of Above & Beyond Cakes, to break down the reality of building a bakery from scratch in a competitive market. This isn’t just about cakes—it’s about discipline, standards, and doing the hard things consistently when no one’s watching.

We talk about what it takes to operate at a high level without the backing of a large brand, how to compete on quality and execution, and why independent operators have to think differently if they want to last.

This is exactly why organizations like the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance exist—to give businesses like Daniel’s the power, resources, and leverage they need to compete and thrive.

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💡 What We Cover

* Building an independent bakery from the ground up

* The gap between passion and operational reality

* Why consistency is the real competitive advantage

* The pressure of delivering a physical product every single time

* How small operators can compete without corporate backing

* The mindset required to sustain and grow a family-run business

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🧠 Key Takeaways

* Independence is powerful—but it comes with zero margin for error

* Systems and standards are what separate professionals from hobbyists

* If you’re not improving your operation, you’re falling behind

* Community and collaboration aren’t optional—they’re strategic advantages

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👤 About the Guest

Daniel Jimenez is the co-owner of Above & Beyond Cakes, a growing independent bakery built alongside his wife. Their business is rooted in craftsmanship, consistency, and a commitment to delivering high-quality products without cutting corners—values that define the next generation of independent operators.

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🎧 Listen + Follow

If you believe in supporting independent restaurants and food businesses, share this episode with someone who’s in the fight every day.

And if you’re an operator looking to get stronger—through better vendor relationships, smarter purchasing, and a real community—take a closer look at what we’re building with the Nashville Area Restaurant Alliance.

What built Broadway into a global destination—and why does some of that feel at risk today?

In this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, I sit down with Barrett Hobbs, a multigenerational Nashville operator and founder of Cumberland Hospitality Group, for a candid conversation about the city’s growth, the business engine behind downtown, and the growing disconnect between those driving economic development and those shaping public policy.

We talk about:

* How Broadway became one of the most successful entertainment districts in America

* The role independent operators played in building modern Nashville

* Why Barrett believes city leadership is losing touch with business realities

* The tension between neighborhood priorities and downtown economic interests

* Property taxes, public policy, infrastructure, and the pressures facing operators

* What happens when government and business stop speaking the same language

* Why civic disagreement doesn’t have to mean personal division

This is not a conversation about choosing sides. It’s a conversation about perspective—how different people can want different things for Nashville and still care about the same city.

Whether you agree with Barrett or not, this episode is an important look into how one longtime operator sees the challenges ahead.

If you care about Nashville, independent restaurants, or the future of this city, this one is worth your time.

In this episode, we sit down with Bryan O’Kelly, Executive Chef of Husk Nashville, to talk about the realities of building a career in high-level kitchens, evolving leadership styles, and what it takes to run one of the most respected restaurants in the country.

Bryan shares how he got his start washing dishes in Charleston while in college—and quickly realized the kitchen was where he belonged. What started as a job turned into a career fueled by intensity, creativity, and mentorship.

• 🔥 From Dishwasher to Executive ChefEarly influence from chefs like Josh Keeler
• Career path through some of the Southeast’s most respected kitchens:
• The importance of being developed inside strong systems vs. chasing titles

Bryan breaks down how leadership in kitchens has evolved:

• Old-school fear vs. modern leadership
• Building teams through respect, not intimidation
• Creating an environment where cooks actually want to stay

• How menus are developed collaboratively at Husk
• Balancing creativity with the brand’s identity
• Working with local farms and embracing seasonality
• Why constraints actually drive better food

(Husk’s entire philosophy is rooted in local sourcing and seasonal ingredients, which gives chefs like Bryan a built-in creative framework. )

• What Bryan looks for when hiring
• Why attitude > resume
• The challenge of finding people who actually care
• How to develop young cooks into leaders

A lighter side of Bryan:

• Music background and playing guitar
• Tattoos, lifestyle, and personality outside of work
• The importance of having an identity beyond the kitchen

• Great kitchens are built on culture, not fear
• The best chefs are developed through systems and mentorship
• Seasonality and constraints create better food, not limitations
• Leadership in restaurants is evolving—and that’s a good thing

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On this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, I sit down with Jason Laiacona, Executive Chef at Miel, for an honest, unfiltered conversation about mental health in the restaurant industry.

This isn’t a clinical discussion — it’s two people speaking from experience.

We get into the realities of ADHD, substance abuse, and why the hospitality industry seems to attract people wired the way we are. Jason shares his personal journey, the lessons he’s learned along the way, and what it looks like to navigate this industry while trying to take care of yourself at the same time.

We also talk about what’s happening at Miel — and why the culture there is working. In an industry known for burnout, Jason breaks down how a healthier environment is possible, and what it actually takes to build one.

This episode is real, reflective, and one a lot of people in this industry will see themselves in.

In This Episode

• Jason Laiacona’s path as Executive Chef at Miel

• Mental health in the hospitality industry — from lived experience

• ADHD and how it shows up in restaurant life

• Substance abuse and recovery conversations

• Why the industry attracts certain personality types

• What a healthy restaurant culture actually looks like

• How Miel is building something different — and why it’s working

On this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, I sit down with Hunter Briley, owner of Emeraude Bakery, for a conversation that goes far beyond pastries and bread.

Hunter is one of the most positive people you’ll meet — and there’s a reason for that.

We talk about the journey of building Emeraude Bakery, but quickly get into the deeper story behind it. From a tornado that took everything from him, to his path to sobriety, Hunter shares what it takes to rebuild — not just a business, but a life.

This is a conversation about resilience, perspective, and choosing how you show up every day, no matter what you’ve been through.

It’s raw, it’s honest, and it’s a reminder of why people like Hunter make the hospitality industry so special.

In this episode of Nashville Restaurant Radio, I sit down with Carey Bringle, owner of Peg Leg Porker and a longtime downtown Nashville operator, for a candid conversation about the realities of doing business in a rapidly changing city.

Carey doesn’t hold back.

We dive straight into the impact of significant property tax increases on small business owners and why he believes the current trajectory is putting independent operators at risk. Carey shares his personal experience navigating rising costs and explains why frustration is growing among local business owners who feel unheard.

From there, the conversation expands into a broader discussion about city leadership, policy decisions, and what support for small businesses should actually look like.

Carey also lays out what he would do differently if he were mayor — offering a perspective grounded in firsthand experience as an operator who lives with these challenges every day.

This episode is a raw, honest look at the pressure facing Nashville’s independent restaurant community — and a conversation about where the city goes from here.

In This Episode

• Carey Bringle’s experience as a downtown Nashville business owner

• The impact of rising property taxes on independent restaurants

• Why small business owners are feeling overlooked

• The broader cost pressures: insurance, food, and operations

• Where Carey believes the city is falling short

• What Carey would do differently if he were mayor

• A larger conversation about the future of Nashville’s restaurant community