It's that time of year again. Budgets are due, revenue targets are climbing, and somehow everyone is expected to do more with less.

In this episode of NEXT After Hours, we get real about the push and pull between hitting the numbers and protecting the guest experience.

What happens when you promise ownership a number you're not fully behind? Or when you're working from multiple budgets designed to meet different expectations? Cari gets into why cutting marketing is often a short-term fix with long-term consequences, while Alfio lays down some truths about what real cost control actually looks like.

Because driving profitability shouldn't mean cutting your way to a worse experience.

Grab a libation. It's budget season. We might need it.

What happens when four hospitality veterans with different areas of expertise come together around one idea: there has to be a better way to help hospitality businesses succeed?

In the first episode of NEXT After Hours, Alfio Celia, Dan Ludwig, Cari Hallman, and Bill Norris share the story behind NEXT Experience Group, why they built it, and what they're seeing across the industry today.

From shifting guest expectations and tighter margins to the challenges facing operators and suppliers, the team gets candid about where hospitality is headed, what businesses are up against, and why bringing strategy and execution together matters more than ever.

Grab your libation and join us for the first round of NEXT After Hours.

What's happening in hospitality after the doors close.