Staying Hungry

Staying Hungry returns with an episode every restaurant owner, operator, and hospitality marketer should hear. This week, Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Alyssa Guidice - the force behind Dine LI - to unpack what it really takes to build a food community that doesn’t just “like” posts, but actually shows up, supports restaurants, and moves real dollars.

With the perspective of a smart, boots-on-the-ground restaurant critic, Alyssa shares how she grew Dine LI into a 50,000+ member community without charging restaurants, selling ads, or chasing clout. From pandemic survival playbooks to the psychology of positivity, this conversation digs into why authenticity beats algorithms - and why restaurants that engage locally win long-term.

The episode also explores Alyssa’s path through hospitality, wine & spirits, small business ownership (A Pound & A Half), and community-led fundraising efforts that have generated nearly $500,000 for local causes. If you’re a restaurant owner wondering how to cut through the noise, rebuild nightlife, or create loyalty beyond discounts, this episode delivers.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Why Long Island needs more local food experiences  

2:30 – Welcome to Staying Hungry + introducing Alyssa Guidice  

6:15 – From baker to wine & spirits: Alyssa’s hospitality journey  

12:40 – Building Pound & a Half Cookies while working full-time  

18:55 – The true cost of baking, pricing pressure & food inflation  

25:30 – How Dine LI started — and why it grew so fast  

32:10 – Why positivity beats negative reviews in food communities  

38:45 – Pandemic pivots: keeping restaurants alive through visibility  

45:20 – Pizza Strong, community fundraisers & real impact  

52:30 – Why Alyssa refuses to charge restaurants  

58:15 – The decline of nightlife & what guests actually want now  

1:06:40 – Lessons for restaurant owners trying to stand out  

1:13:00 – What’s next for Dine LI and in-person events 

Staying Hungry is back for Season 2 and we’re kicking it off with Luke Tesoriero of Guac Shop, the fast-casual Mexican concept that went from a family side hustle to 8 locations (7 on Long Island + their first in Florida).

In this episode, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Luke to unpack what really drives sustainable restaurant growth: real estate strategy, operational discipline, staff development, ingredient sourcing, value engineering, catering, and social media that actually moves the needle.

If you’re a restaurant owner (or future one), Luke’s mix of humility + hard numbers craft a playbook you can steal immediately.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Quality vs quantity posting (why “purpose” matters)

01:05 – Welcome + meet Luke (Guac Shop Season 2 kickoff)

04:40 – The “Candy Club” side hustle that led to restaurants

07:45 – Luke’s path: full-service roots → finance dreams → Guac Shop growth

10:30 – Defining success: scaling people, not just locations

13:20 – What separates Guac Shop (ingredients, procurement, consistency)

18:10 – How consumer food awareness has changed since 2018

21:00 – Promotions + “elevated brand” positioning (9.99 meal deal logic)

25:10 – Chili’s deep dive: margin moves, menu cuts, and value strategy

31:40 – Frequency + lifetime value: the 3-visit customer rule

34:30 – Operators Luke respects (pizza + fast casual standouts)

42:00 – Florida expansion: why it happened + what surprised them

49:20 – Community + fundraising as a growth flywheel

53:40 – Catering strategy (schools, pharma reps, family meals)

58:30 – Dietary restrictions + allergy-friendly operations

1:02:40 – Social media strategy: authentic content, ROI, and experimentation

1:10:30 – Recruiting + retention: building culture as you scale

1:17:10 – Where Guac Shop goes next (3/5/10-year vision)

1:20:30 – Luke’s go-to order + “Cheesy Gordita Crunch” idea

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In this episode of Staying Hungry, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Gerard and Melanie Duffy of Broadway Gourmet in Massapequa to unpack what it really takes to run a high-volume bagel shop and catering operation for more than 30 years - from 3 a.m. starts and nonstop weekend rushes to transforming a distressed nursery into a flagship location (yes, complete with a propane station in the parking lot).

If you run a restaurant, deli, bagel shop, or catering business, this episode dives deep into real-world operations: staffing under pressure, scaling catering, controlling food costs, leveraging social media, managing reviews, and maintaining quality when demand never lets up.

Timestamps:

00:00 – Husband/wife business dynamic: dividing roles, handling conflict

01:05 – Welcome + intro to Broadway Gourmet (30+ years in business)

03:00 – First location in Massapequa + adding bagels to the deli model

05:40 – Buying a distressed nursery + deciding to keep the propane station

10:05 – Bagel business origins: Brooklyn → Oceanside → Massapequa

13:10 – Second location (Lindenhurst) and why it didn’t stick

15:25 – Biggest challenges now: labor, staffing gaps, retention

18:10 – Hours, 3AM starts, and the weekly grind (365 days a year)

21:10 – Catering growth: how it expanded (especially over the last decade)

24:30 – The 2014–2016 buildout: financing, private loans, SBA hurdles

31:10 – Paying rent on the old space to protect the customer base

34:40 – Bagel quality control: recipe tweaks, rolling vs baking roles

38:50 – Backup plans for key positions (roller/baker coverage)

41:30 – Melanie’s competitive figure skating background + “perfection drive”

48:10 – Social media + tech impact: DoorDash/Grubhub visibility, catering reach

55:10 – Post-COVID catering comeback + why it’s stronger now

59:10 – Giving back: Pink the Bagels, schools/PTAs, senior meal initiative

1:04:10 – Reducing waste: donations vs Too Good To Go

1:07:40 – Expansion talk, shipping bagels, and Goldbelly plans

1:11:30 – Leadership + building a team that lets owners step away

1:15:10 – Reviews, criticism, and why owners take it personally

1:19:20 – Third-party delivery share (~20%) and in-house delivery

1:22:40 – Kiosks/self-ordering stations: what works (and who uses them)

1:26:00 – Trend products: pumpkin bagels, seasonal bagels, wild cream cheeses

1:30:10 – Legacy: consistency, community, hospitality, and “Cheers” energy

1:34:00 – Wrap-up + where to find Broadway Gourmet

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#stayinghungry #hospitalityindustry #restaurantbusiness

If you’ve ever wondered how a classic Long Island diner becomes a modern-day powerhouse - packed from open to close while others shutter - this episode is your masterclass. In true Staying Hungry fashion, we sit down with Gus Tsiorvas, the operator who turned Embassy Diner into a living, breathing, hospitality machine: part Greek immigrant grit, part culinary nostalgia, part full-throttle showmanship.

With the tone of a smart but casually caffeinated restaurant critic, this conversation breaks down why diners are dying - but Embassy is thriving. Gus shares the now-legendary story of rejecting a guaranteed police career (plus a $50k duffel bag bribe from his father) to follow his obsession with the diner life. And if you’re a restaurant owner, his insights hit the sweet spot between old-school operator instinct and data-driven systems.

You'll hear how he built volume through freshness, how he weaponizes atmosphere (music, décor, and a “destination-first” mindset), how he coaches staff through a grind most people underestimate, and how he folds his love of country, community, and service into his brand.

For operators who want more but refuse to lose their soul, this is the episode.

Timestamps:

0:00 – Cold open: Love of country, cops, military & gratitude as a “normal” value

1:45 – Welcome to *Staying Hungry* + introducing Gus from Embassy Diner

3:15 – Why diners are shrinking while Embassy keeps getting busier

7:40 – Greek immigrant roots & the origins of New York diner culture

11:20 – The $50,000 duffel bag story: choosing the diner over a badge

17:55 – Starting at age 10: summers, sacrifice & bonding through work

24:20 – The power of atmosphere: décor, music, lollipops & the guest experience

30:10 – Reviving old-school dishes: beef stew, stroganoff & “not just cheeseburgers”

35:50 – Building a family-style staff culture & leading from the front

41:15 – Social media as a growth engine + the massive 9/11 drone show

48:55 – Giving back: veterans, police, fire, and community service

55:40 – Family life, kids, and the toll & beauty of the restaurant grind

1:02:30 – Expansion, parking battles, and what’s next for Embassy

1:09:00 – Gus’s message to restaurant owners & his philosophy on work

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#stayinghungry #hospitalityindustry #restaurantbusiness

Staying Hungry presents “Keep It Secret, Keep It Saucy” (Ep. 119) - an inside look at how one Long Island chef built a hidden pizza empire from the ground up.

This week, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Mike Vittorio - the creative force behind Mike’s Underground Pizza and Vittorio’s Italian Steakhouse. Together, they peel back the layers of what it really takes to turn passion into a brand people line up for.

Vittorio shares how clean, unbromated flour and a 450-pound backyard tomato harvest shaped his signature sauce, why owning your building might be the smartest move in hospitality, and how staying small helped him grow big. The trio dives into dry-aged ribeyes, staffing and work ethic, social-media hype, restaurant tech (POS, AI phone systems, digital payments), and the balancing act between expansion and authenticity.

For restaurant owners, chefs, and entrepreneurs - this episode is equal parts masterclass and motivation, served with plenty of sauce.

TIMESTAMPS

00:00 – Welcome to Staying Hungry & intro to Mike “Mikey Underground” Esposito

2:18 – Growing up in the business: from fisherman’s son to pizzeria lifer

6:45 – Why Victoria’s Italian Steakhouse was born from “doing everything possible with a piece of dough”

11:02 – Clean flour, bromate, and why most bread doesn’t taste like bread anymore

16:30 – 450 lbs of tomatoes, backyard farming & the best sauce he’s ever made

21:40 – Garden-to-table: pairing fresh veg with steak, fish, and Italian classics

25:55 – Family, kids in the restaurant, and teaching independence through hospitality

31:20 – Real estate, buying the building, and protecting razor-thin restaurant margins

36:48 – Community, Pizza Strong, and why giving back always comes back

42:05 – Vito’s as a “hidden gem” & menu philosophy: big, flexible, and guest-focused

47:10 – Dry-aged steak 101: aging in-house, flavor, shrinkage & pricing

52:32 – Clean kitchens, inspectors, horror stories & why bathrooms really matter

57:00 – Staffing, work ethic, and why some young workers tap out on the grind

1:02:15 – Tech & restaurants: POS pain, fees, AI phone answering & digital currency worries

1:08:40 – Social media, Mike’s Underground mystique & turning demand into brand

1:14:05 – Franchising offers, expansion plans & keeping quality from getting watered down

1:18:30 – Legacy, Johnny’s Farm & what it means to nourish a community

Staying Hungry dives deep into what it really takes to grow a hospitality brand without losing your soul.

In this episode, “Scaling Without Selling Out,” hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with James Bonanno, co-founder and CEO of Upstream Hospitality Group - the team behind Tap Room, Bango Bowls, Salt Shack, and more Long Island favorites.

From two broke bartenders to a multi-concept operation, James breaks down how Upstream scaled smart - building systems, culture, and tech that keep guests happy and teams proud. This one’s all about the mindset shift from running restaurants to running a company.

If you’re a restaurant owner, operator, or anyone in hospitality trying to grow without compromising quality or authenticity - this conversation will hit home.

Timestamps

00:00 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:41 Jamie’s Early Career in Hospitality

03:34 The Birth of Taproom

10:11 Scaling the Business

13:42 Challenges and Successes

16:06 Franchising and Expansion

20:44 Technology and Data in Restaurants

24:59 Partnerships and Future Plans

31:15 Working with Tritech: Initial Hesitations and Success

32:17 The Impact of Location and Development on Business

35:34 Expanding with New Concepts and Franchises

38:36 Building a Strong Leadership Team

43:21 Networking and Community Building

45:50 Balancing Work and Personal Life

49:52 Future Plans and Mentorship

58:50 Final Thoughts and Reflections

Guest & Sponsorship Inquiries - [email protected] episodes dropping soon! *SUBSCRIBE*: https://www.youtube.com/@stayinghungrypodcast?sub_confirmation=1FOLLOW US:https://www.instagram.com/stayinghungrypodcasthttps://open.spotify.com/show/4cfz4H7IIzUlEcGtwSgJMuhttps://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61573551302497https://www.linkedin.com/company/staying-hungry-podcast/Podcast by Viola Media: https://viola.media/#stayinghungry #hospitalityindustry #restaurantbusiness

From dishwasher to nightlife king - Scottie Campbell has spent 33 years turning Long Island waterfronts into cultural landmarks. In this episode of Staying Hungry, hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with the man behind Dublin Deck, Harbor Crab, Salt Shack, and The Boatyard at Tobay Beach to unpack how a kid from Patchogue built a multi-concept hospitality empire.

Scottie shares what he wishes he’d told his 20-year-old self - from scaling seasonal monsters to keeping teams loyal, reading cultural shifts before they happen, and why the real win in nightlife is often found in the daylight: real estate, relationships, and reinvestment. You’ll hear how Patchogue’s “Alive After Five” blueprint became the model for reviving entire downtowns, how speakeasies are redefining post-dinner traffic, and why food is now the headliner in the age of bottle service.

For operators, restaurateurs, and anyone chasing the next evolution in hospitality, Scottie breaks down how to balance nightlife energy with long-term business discipline, why owning your dirt (or your longevity) changes every deal, how to price, staff, and program high-volume waterfront venues, how to turn POS data into both a theft deterrent and forecast engine, and how to create midweek cash flow through music, memberships, and moments.

Timestamps

00:00 Cold open: “I’m smashed”—the hat story

01:09 Welcome + guest intro (Scottie’s 33 years, first buy-in at 21)

04:10 The Dublin era (Down, Up, Over) and 90s club economics

09:35 Why food wins now: regulations, guest expectations, and margin mix

12:22 Dublin Deck & Harbor Crab: seasonal scale, marina math, and a $2M reinvest

16:58 Patchogue’s playbook: Alive After Five, chambers, and housing as demand engine

22:40 Tap Room origin & letting partners run—owner bandwidth vs. brand growth

27:05 New builds: Amsterdam (revamped Meatball), Millie Smashburger, Aces & Eights speakeasy + membership model

33:11 Programming that sells: Sessions house-music nights, ticketing, and bottle strategy

38:44 Drinks are changing: RTDs, seltzers, and the cannabis coexistence question

44:30 Tech stack: Toast, cashless shift, cameras, and promo via lists + IG collabs

49:18 Hiring, culture, and boomerang staff—how to get them back each summer

53:02 Giveback ops: Kris Kringle fund & Home for the Holidays service day

58:41 Owner hindsight: save earlier, drink less, choose partners wisely

1:02:10 Lightning round & where to find Scottie’s concepts

If Staying Hungry has a house style, it’s this: sharp knives, sharper insights. In this episode, hosts Michael D'Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with DJ CHEF - the Food Network–famous chef/DJ hybrid who went from Bobby Flay’s line to building a high-margin, book-out-the-weekend experiential catering brand that restaurant owners can actually learn from.

Why watch (restaurant-operator edition): This is a playbook in disguise - menu engineering for dietary chaos, turning off-nights into profit centers, packaging “experience” for premium pricing, building charity/event pipelines, and social content that sells bookings.

Timestamps

00:00 Opening riff & why Saturdays are for working, not dining

02:05 Boombox to bar gigs: becoming “the DJ in Long Beach”

06:40 First kitchen reps: deli to hot line, NY Restaurant School

10:15 Time Café stories & first special (dessert taco) with A-list guests

14:30 Crossing the street: interviewing with Bobby Flay & opening insanity

18:55 Corporate dining pivot (Sodexo/Marriott) → discovering private events

22:40 Birth of DJ CHEF: cook while DJing; Food Network notices

27:10 From TV to stage shows & global activations (Dubai, festivals)

30:25 The bachelorette-party niche & naming the DJ CHEF Experience

34:05 Menus that survive allergies; the dessert routine that always lands

38:10 Gear talk: why CDJs > laptops when you’re cooking live

40:45 Format & pricing: 3-hour parties, day/pre-game/prime slots, OT rules

44:20 Hamptons wins (Dan’s Papers & Top Chef Hamptons); charity engines

48:00 Products: Hamptons by DJ CHEF cookware/knives & Firehouse Flavor

52:15 Social media that books real gigs (IG → TikTok → YT search)

55:30 Scaling & seasonality: Florida winters, teams, and brand control

59:10 Closing thoughts: burnout alternatives for chefs + work/life with family

If you think great pizza sells itself, think again. On Staying Hungry, hosts Michael D'Onofrio & Vinny Pappalardo sit down with Anthony Laurino of Phil’s Pizza (Syosset) - the owner who turned a neighborhood pizzeria into a destination brand by treating the internet like his busiest dining room. Smart, fast, and funny, this episode is a playbook for restaurant owners who want lines at the counter and reach on the timeline.

What’s inside (for operators):

How Anthony went from a “roach coach” coffee truck to owning Phil’s - without knowing how to stretch a pie on day one.

The “I’m not Phil” persona and how authentic, repeatable bits become brand assets.

A no-BS social media strategy: timing posts, thinking like your guest, and why experience is greater than food photos.

Turning virality into revenue: specials that move, photo spots that convert, and measuring lift.

Hiring, family ops, and culture that survives a Friday night crush.

Community impact: Long Island Pizza Strong and how giving back grows the whole pie.

Timestamps

00:00 – Cold open: “I’ll never run out of content.”
02:05 – Meet Anthony: from coffee truck routes to his first pizzeria
06:48 – Apprenticeship lessons (and buying a shop before mastering the pie)
12:10 – Why it’s called Phil’s (and the birth of the “I’m not Phil” shirt)
16:30 – Building a family-run operation: roles, trust, and longevity
21:02 – Evolving or disappearing: what 80s operators missed
25:40 – Social media that sells: timing posts, raw stories, and shock value (done right)
32:55 – Viral to visits: specials, set pieces, and turning viewers into guests
38:20 – Staffing buy-in, guest expectations, and handling the “yell at me” crowd
43:07 – Giving back: Pizza Strong, scholarships, and community partnerships
49:11 – Monetization myths: platforms, pitfalls, and why brand is greater than pennies per view
55:26 – Collabs that matter (and when to say no)
1:02:00 – The operator’s mindset: gratitude, boundaries, and doing the right thing
1:07:15 – Closing advice for restaurateurs starting content today

Phil's Pizza of Syosset

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@philspizzasyosset

Website: https://www.philspizzasyosset.com/

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@philspizzasyosset

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/philspizzasyosset/

Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/philspizzasyosset/

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#stayinghungry #hospitalityindustry #restaurantbusiness

Welcome back to Staying Hungry, the podcast where restaurant life gets real.

In this episode - “King of the Misfit Toys: A Chef’s Playbook for Chaos” - hosts Michael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with award-winning chef, author, and entrepreneur Eric LeVine of 317 Main Street. Known for his no-BS honesty, Chef Eric pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to thrive in hospitality.

From the dish that sparked his culinary passion at age six, to mastering social media as a tool for inspiration, to embracing AI in restaurants, Chef Eric delivers raw insight, big laughs, and hard-earned wisdom. He also opens up about resilience through personal struggles, why leadership is about building foundations, and his vision to empower chefs by creating opportunities for them to own their future.

If you’re a restaurant owner, chef, or anyone who’s ever lived the grind of hospitality, this one’s packed with lessons you won’t forget.

01:00 Eric Levine's Early Inspirations

01:57 Mentorship and Learning

02:35 Creating a Home-like Experience

05:19 Challenges and Successes

07:06 Partnerships and Collaborations

15:38 Life Coaching and Helping Others

21:12 Personal Reflections and Writing a Book

24:22 Diverse Experiences in the Restaurant Industry

26:20 Customer Service and Consistency

33:51 Mentors and Inspirations

37:56 Battling Cancer and Winning 'Chopped'

41:54 Running the New York Marathon

50:43 Balancing Work and Personal Life

55:50 Guiding the Next Generation

01:00:41 Understanding Ego Death

01:04:14 Creating and Publishing Cookbooks

01:07:01 The Journey of Forking Good

01:14:59 The Farmingdale Story

01:22:47 Future Plans and Family Involvement

01:24:52 Passion for the Culinary Industry