Best Scheffer Podcasts (2025)

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Episode 642: Asheville N.C. Chef & Restaurant Owner Eric Scheffer on Optimism and the Road Ahead for Restaurants 53:22

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12d ago53:22

53:22

This episode of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" features a conversation with Eric Scheffer, owner of The Scheffer Group in Asheville, North Carolina. Eric provides an update on his successful concepts (Vinnie's Neighborhood Italian Restaurant, Jettie Ray's Oyster House, Gan Shan, and a fifth on the way) and shares a harrowing account of the 2024 Hurri…

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Matt Wilson's Christmas Tree-O, In-Studio (Encore Edition) 35:50

1d ago35:50

35:50

New York-based drummer and educator Matt Wilson has performed with and/or played on many recordings by other musicians - Joe Lovano, John Scofield, Charlie Haden, Lee Konitz, among others - and leads ensembles of his own, but at this time of year, the thing he might be best known for is his Christmas Tree-O. And yes, he went there – putting a pun r…

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Episode 646: More Than a Meal: Cultivating Community Through Culture and Cuisine with Israel Jiles of Po Boy Riche 1:32:30

22h ago1:32:30

1:32:30

Israel Jiles reflects on his evolution from managing elite, high-volume establishments like Catch NYC and partnering with Montclair Hospitality Group (Ani Ramen) to founding his passion project, Po Boy Riche. The episode captures the pivotal moment around the one-hour mark where Jiles discusses the decision to leave the security of established hosp…

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Episode 645: From Electrician to James Beard Nominee: The Jacob Sessoms Story 1:19:40

2d ago1:19:40

1:19:40

Asheville-based restaurateur Jacob Sessoms shares his 26-year journey from a trade-focused background in electrical work to becoming a James Beard-nominated chef. Sessoms details how his early experience in construction provided a unique "unfair advantage" in the restaurant world, allowing him to maintain his own facilities and stay resilient durin…

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Jazz-Leaning Donny McCaslin Band Grooves With Crunch, In-Studio 37:00

4d ago37:00

37:00

Saxophonist and composer Donny McCaslin has been playing with jazz luminaries like Maria Schneider and Dave Douglas, and leading his own band, for a couple of decades. But he’s best known for his work with David Bowie, who basically hired Donny’s whole ensemble to be the band on his final album Blackstar. His latest, Lullaby for the Lost, is a guit…

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Composer and Producer Kelly Moran's Prepared Piano Meets Electronica, In-Studio 41:51

8d ago41:51

41:51

New York-based classically trained composer and musician Kelly Moran’s music draws on everything from classical to dance to metal, but ends up sounding like none of those. She has become known for her music for prepared piano – a regular piano whose strings have things like metal or wood placed on the strings to alter the sound. Moran has also work…

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Episode 644: Chaos and Hospitality Coexisting in a Beautiful Way: Sue Straughan's 40-Year Hospitality Journey 1:16:18

8d ago1:16:18

1:16:18

Sue Straughan, a tenured hospitality specialist and Corporate Director of Business Solutions for the food distributor Ben E. Keith, shares her remarkable 40+ year journey in the industry, detailing how a necessity job at Baskin Robbins evolved into a profound passion. The discussion centers on her pivotal experience working for Houston's restaurant…

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Episode 643: The Soul of Service: Betting on Human Connection with Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality 52:34

10d ago52:34

52:34

This episode features Donnie Madia of One Off Hospitality, a James Beard Award-winning Chicago restaurateur, discussing the paramount importance of human connection, service, and soul in hospitality. Madia shares his origin story, starting as a bartender who learned to view himself as an "independent contractor" focused on cultivating customer rela…

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Montreal's Psych-Art Rockers The Besnard Lakes, In-Studio 38:39

11d ago38:39

38:39

The Besnard Lakes Are The Dark Horse. The Besnard Lakes Are The Roaring Night. The Besnard Lakes Are The Last Of The Great Thunderstorm Warnings. The Besnard Lakes are a rock band from Montreal with a knack for intriguing album titles. Their latest is The Besnard Lakes Are The Ghostly Nation, a collection of arty, often psychedelic songs about a so…

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Brooklyn Band Momma Plays Unplugged, In-Studio 32:32

15d ago32:32

32:32

The Brooklyn band called Momma revolves around the singing and songwriting team of Etta Friedman and Allegra Weingarten who combine gauzy vocal harmonies with walls of roaring guitars. Their 2022 album Household Name was a critical favorite, and their 2025 album, Welcome To My Blue Sky, builds on that success with songs about longing, infidelity, l…

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Episode 641: The Godfather of Hot Wings: D’bo’s 35-Year Journey from Food Truck to Franchise 1:10:59

17d ago1:10:59

1:10:59

Julian Boyd, CEO of D’bo’s Daiquiris, Wings & Seafood, shares the incredible story of the Memphis-born brand, pioneered by his parents, David and Latisha Boyd, starting with a food truck in 1990. Built on faith and the philosophy of "People, Service, Profits," D'bo's became known as the "godfather of hot wings" in Memphis. Following a personal trag…

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Icelandic Pianist Eydís Evenson Shares Elemental Lessons of LIfe and Nature 37:41

18d ago37:41

37:41

The Icelandic keyboardist and composer Eydís Evensen has released three albums of music that blends classical lyricism with the repeating patterns of post-minimalist music. "Her compositions, guided by emotion, are intimate explorations of mourning, hope, reflection, and renewal—creating a world that invites listeners to feel their way through the …

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Episode 640: $3 Million Lost: The Crypto Catastrophe That Forced a Retirement U-Turn 1:04:04

20d ago1:04:04

1:04:04

Brandon Laroque. Brandon, who owns The Goat Bar in Raleigh, NC, details his extensive career in the hospitality industry, starting from a country club to bartending at a renowned comedy club, which eventually led him to open six of his own bars, primarily using a "flipping" strategy. The core of the discussion revolves around the challenging decisi…

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Boyish Brings Walls of Guitars to the 'Gun' Show, In-Studio 34:27

22d ago34:27

34:27

The L.A-based, Brooklyn-born band called Boyish is built around the songwriting of India Shore and Claire Altendahl, and while they’ve been releasing music since 2018, they’ve just put out their debut album, called Gun. The album presents a series of scenes and character studies from a fictional American town called Gun, which seems to be haunted –…

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Episode 639: Servant Leadership in a Fast-Casual World: The Story of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen 58:52

22d ago58:52

58:52

In this episode, Chris Gannon, co-founder of Bolay Fresh Bold Kitchen, shares his journey in the restaurant industry, influenced by his family's legacy in hospitality. He discusses the unique culinary experience Bolay offers, emphasizing health-conscious choices and community dining. The conversation explores the challenges of supply chain manageme…

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Episode 638: The Zillow for Franchising: How Franzy is Disrupting Franchise Brokerage 45:19

23d ago45:19

45:19

Alex Smereczniak, co-founder and CEO of Franzy, shares his entrepreneurial journey and the development of his franchise marketplace platform. Franzy is described as the "Zillow for franchising," using an AI engine to match prospective franchise buyers with suitable brands based on their background, net worth, and goals. Alex's journey began with a …

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Episode 637: Closing the Decision Loop: How Lola Beans Wins on People 1:03:55

24d ago1:03:55

1:03:55

Wil talks with Donny Bradley, founder and CEO of Lola Beans, a drive-through “fun beverage” coffee brand based in Chattanooga that’s now franchising. Donny traces his hospitality instincts to moving often as an Air Force kid and appreciating people who made him feel welcome, plus big family gatherings rooted in New Orleans/Biloxi culture. A six-mon…

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English Singer Patrick Wolf Plays Artful Baroque Pop, In-Studio 40:52

25d ago40:52

40:52

English singer and multi-instrumentalist Patrick Wolf built his sizable reputation on a blend of Baroque pop and arty, classically-informed folk-rock. But a series of setbacks kept him from the music scene for a decade, before he returned with an EP in 2023, and in June of 2025, his latest LP called Crying The Neck. Patrick Wolf joins us at the pia…

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Episode 636: Restaurant Owners Uncorked: A Community Update and the Future of the Platform 9:05

27d ago9:05

9:05

Wil provides a special update on the evolution of "Restaurant Owners Uncorked" from a podcast, started in 2010, into a comprehensive community featuring articles, books, films, and eventually a subscription-based forum for restaurant owners to share advice and solve problems. Brawley emphasizes the community’s commitment to celebrating successful o…

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Dusty Psych-Soul and Fiery Groove From Black Pumas (Archives) 32:20

29d ago32:20

32:20

Both old and new, Austin-based band Black Pumas is centered around guitarist and producer Adrian Quesada and 27-year-old songwriter Eric Burton. Grammy Award-winning Quesada has played in Grupo Fantasma and Brownout, and accompanied artists from Prince to Daniel Johnston. Burton grew up in church and then got heavily involved in musical theater. He…

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Soundcheck Special - American Musicians Ashley Jackson and Ken Pomeroy 57:44

30d ago57:44

57:44

Listen to music from American musicians, the harpist Ashley Jackson and the Oklahoma-based Cherokee singer and songwriter Ken Pomeroy. Both sets come from our Soundcheck series of live performances and interviews, available as a twice-weekly podcast, wherever you get podcasts. With her clever guitar playing and powerful stories, Oklahoma-based Cher…

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Episode 635: Saving Lives and Saving Money: The Business Case for Investing In Staff Wellness with Kimberly Flear 54:27

29d ago54:27

54:27

Meet Kimberly Fleer, an industry veteran and mental wellness advocate. Kimberly shares her personal story of entering the hospitality world at age 15 to find financial support and a sense of family that was absent at home, rapidly excelling in roles from server to sommelier. While the industry provided valuable skills and camaraderie, it also becam…

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Episode 634: On Our Shoulders: Carrying a Community Through Hospitality with Uptown Hospitality Owner Keith Benjamin 1:00:32

30d ago1:00:32

1:00:32

Keith Benjamin, co-founder of Uptown Hospitality Group in Charleston, tells the story of how throwing massive Penn State tailgates set him on a 20-year path from NYC bartender to operator of six concepts—while raising three kids under five. After buying small equity stakes in New York bars and becoming an operating partner at 29, he felt pulled to …

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Episode 633: From Bourbon Street to Benefits: Keith Santangelo on Serving Restaurants in a New Way 1:15:27

1M ago1:15:27

1:15:27

Keith Santangelo joins Wil in-studio to trace his journey from growing up in a Cajun-Italian butcher/grocery family in Baton Rouge to owning New York City restaurants, leading major restaurant groups, and now serving independents through AccessWave. They reminisce about Keith being one of Schedulefly’s earliest customers, talk about the magic of in…

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Irish Folk Duo Ye Vagabonds Go Backwards to Look Forwards 38:07

1M ago38:07

38:07

Ye Vagabonds are brothers Brían and Diarmuid Mac Gloinn. They grew up in rural Carlow but moved to Dublin in 2012 and became known on the traditional Irish, blues and folk scenes in the city, playing folk songs as well as their own original material, (Bandcamp). They’re part a wave of bands who’ve remade or extended the folk tradition; they’ve also…

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Episode 632: From No English and No Money to Slava Cafe Opening Day: A Ukrainian Immigrant’s Hospitality Dream 44:33

1M ago44:33

44:33

In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, Wil sits down with Asheville-based caterer and soon-to-be café owner Svitlana Eadie, whose journey from a small Ukrainian village to launching Slava, her café bakery on Wall Street in downtown Asheville, is nothing short of inspiring. She shares how growing up on a self-sustaining farm shaped…

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Episode 631: Hope Through Hospitality: Inside Four Generations of Jack Stack Barbecue 57:17

1M ago57:17

57:17

Fourth-generation leader Taylor Dorman, EVP of Operations at Kansas City’s Jack Stack Barbecue, shares how his family has grown a simple 1950s Hickory-smoked BBQ joint into six high-volume restaurants, a catering division, nationwide shipping, and a retail production facility—while staying true to the values that built the business. He explains the…

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Indigenous Latin-Jazz-Ambient-Soul From Cochemea, In-Studio 37:23

1M ago37:23

37:23

Cochemea is a sax player, composer and arranger who spent some years playing vintage-style soul with Sharon Jones & The Dap Kings, as well as stints with Amy Winehouse, David Byrne, hip hop duo Run The Jewels and dozens more. Born Cochemea Gastelum into an Indigenous Yaqui family in California, he’s found time over the past few years to release thr…

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Episode 630: Old-School Hospitality in a Smartphone World: The Story of the Legendary Halls Chophouse 1:10:57

1M ago1:10:57

1:10:57

This episode features brothers Billy and Tommy Hall of Halls Chophouse, sharing how their late father’s “service before self” philosophy, honed in luxury hotels, became the backbone of a family-run steakhouse that launched in 2009 on a rough stretch of King Street in Charleston during the Great Recession and slowly grew into a 10-restaurant hospita…

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Polish Pianist and Composer Hania Rani Expands Her Sonic Palette with 'Non Fiction' 34:38

1M ago34:38

34:38

The now London-based Polish pianist and composer Hania Rani quickly attracted fans with her 2019 album of solo piano works in the post-classical style, a blend of classical lyricism and minimalist patterns. Her later albums expanded to include electronics, and her voice; she is equally versed in the music of composers like Philip Glass and bands li…

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Episode 629: How Feast Bistro Turned Word-of-Mouth into a Growth Engine, with Owner Nicholas Wickes 1:01:28

1M ago1:01:28

1:01:28

Wil and Nicholas open by talking about “flowing like water” and how that mindset shows up in hospitality: staying adaptable, humble, and open. Nicholas traces his path from teaching skiing to unexpectedly building a career in enterprise software and QA with major pharma and tech companies, then starting a nonprofit, and finally helping open Feast B…

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Master Violinist, Vocalist, and Composer L. Shankar, In-Studio 34:47

1M ago34:47

34:47

Master violinist/vocalist/composer L. Shankar (aka Shenkar) has spent the past four decades developing a personal style that ranges from strict Indian classical music to Western instrumental pop although usually he lands somewhere in the middle. Since playing his first solo concert at the age of seven, he has gone on to accompany many of South Indi…

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Episode 628: Cracking the Code: How Tiffin Box Makes Indian Food Fast, Fresh, and Mainstream 1:05:43

1M ago1:05:43

1:05:43

In this lively Restaurant Owners Uncorked chat, Anesh Bodasing, founder of fast-casual Indian concept Tiffin Box, traces a 30-year hospitality journey that began with an audacious “give me 60 days” pitch to Hard Rock Café in Cape Town, winds through Canada, South Africa, the UK, and South Florida, and culminates in launching Tiffin Box in 2019 (rig…

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Episode 627: From Alinea to AI: How Branden McRill Builds Restaurants and Forecasts the Future 1:19:38

1M ago1:19:38

1:19:38

Summary Branden McRill, Detroit-raised restaurateur, operator, and Michelin-star winner, traces a career from dish pits to Alinea and stints with Danny Meyer, Jean-Georges, Alain Ducasse, Marcus Samuelsson, and more, before cofounding acclaimed NYC spots Pearl & Ash and Rebelle (earning a Michelin star within months). He then expanded to Philadelph…

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Tommy Emmanuel, C.G.P., Chases the Ecstatic Via Guitar Instrumentals, In-Studio 37:06

2M ago37:06

37:06

The Australian-born musician and songwriter Tommy Emmanuel is a virtuoso guitarist and Grammy winner who has played with everyone from the legendary Chet Atkins to younger guitarists like Jason Isbell and Billy Strings. Long based in Nashville, he’s been releasing solo albums pretty regularly since 1979. His new record is called Living In The Light…

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Episode 626: Partners, Not Pace: How Vicious Biscuit Scales Without Selling Its Soul 1:21:29

2M ago1:21:29

1:21:29

Wil sits down with George and Amanda of Vicious Biscuit for a follow-up on their whirlwind year since they last joined Restaurant Owners Uncorked a year ago. Franchise growth, a disciplined “partners not franchisees” approach, and a tech stack that supports (but doesn’t replace) hospitality. They unpack a loyalty + first-party app launched Aug 12 t…

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Guitarist and Songwriter Brad Barr Stretches Out In a Trio, In-Studio 43:01

2M ago43:01

43:01

The Barr Brothers, the indie-folk-rock band from Montreal, have just released their first album in eight years called Let It Hiss. Brad Barr, the band’s singer, guitarist and songwriter is a versatile collaborator and risk-taker who revels in making unusual sounds. The latest songs can be folk-leaning, or may draw from the blues and American songwr…

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Episode 625: Scaling Scratch-Made Nostalgia: The Story of Jeff's Bagel Run 1:01:46

2M ago1:01:46

1:01:46

Wil talks with Jeff Perera, founder of Jeff’s Bagel Run, to unpack a quintessentially scrappy entrepreneurial tale: laid off in 2019, Jeff stayed home with his kids while his wife returned to work, and, prompted by her longing for authentic New York-style bagels, he taught himself to bake from scratch in their kitchen, turning a novice’s sticky-fin…

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Episode 624: From Brač Island to NC Smoke: Kristina & David Garrison’s 5-Suitcase BBQ Reboot 48:53

2M ago48:53

48:53

Kristina Garrison, a Ukrainian-raised San Franciscan turned globetrotting mom of two, and her classically trained chef husband David Garrison have just soft-opened Grub Smokehouse in a coworking-space kitchen in Youngsville/Wake Forest, NC—their non-traditional barbecue haven born from a hole-in-the-wall California burger joint shut by COVID, four-…

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Portuguese Singer Carminho Distills the Fatal Romanticism of Fado 31:31

2M ago31:31

31:31

The Portuguese singer and songwriter Carminho is one of the leading singers in the style known as fado – the deeply soulful, melancholy music that is somewhat akin to Spanish flamenco or American blues. She has collaborated with the iconic Brazilian musician Caetano Veloso, performed for the late Pope Francis, recorded with Steve Albini, and made a…

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Mexican Songwriter and Producer Silvana Estrada Shares Her Heart And Finds Joyful Melodies 35:02

2M ago35:02

35:02

The Mexican singer Silvana Estrada made an immediate impression with her debut LP Marchita back in 2022. Quickly hailed as a unique voice in Latin music for her blend of jazz, chamber music, and traditional folk, Estrada took her time making her follow-up album, and it appears to have been time well-spent: Vendrán Suaves Lluvias, or “there will com…

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Episode 623: Grandfather's Recipes to Drive-Thru Dreams: Dimitri Syros and The Breakfast Company's Growth Story 47:22

2M ago47:22

47:22

Dimitri Syros, a Greek-American former teacher and law school graduate, launched The Breakfast Company with his mother in Sarasota, Florida, in October 2020 amid the COVID pandemic, transforming her dream of a small coffee shop-bakery into a full-service breakfast-and-lunch concept that exploded from day one. The family leveraged their multi-genera…

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Singer-Songwriter Meklit Embeds Ethiopian Traditions and Connects Cultures, In-Studio 38:01

2M ago38:01

38:01

The singer Meklit, born Meklit Hadero in Ethiopia, is based in the Bay Area, where she has released a number of albums that blend jazz, pop, and soul with the echoes of Ethiopian pop. Her latest album, A Piece of Infinity, finds Meklit singing mostly in Amharic, and looking back to what is sometimes called the Golden Age of Ethiopian music – the ti…

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Canadian Singer and Composer Patrick Watson Features Other Voices, While Recovering His Own 42:54

2M ago42:54

42:54

Canadian singer and composer Patrick Watson has been making records for almost a quarter century – with a cinematic blend of indie rock, cabaret pop, and chamber music that has made him a favorite of film directors and music supervisors. His latest record, Uh Oh, is the result of a pretty big uh-oh moment for a singer: Watson lost his voice. He tho…

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Episode 622: 28 Inches of Simple: How PIE.ZAA Scales by Doing Less 1:02:19

2M ago1:02:19

1:02:19

Wil hosts Tyler Kotch, founder of PIE.ZAA (Asheville & Charlotte), for a candid chat about spotting late-night demand, building a hyper-focused high-margin pizza concept (five-item menu, 28" pies or 12" slices), surviving COVID, navigating a painful partner split, and scaling methodically toward franchising. Tyler shares lessons on location strateg…

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Episode 621: Lean, Profitable, and Operator-First: The GoTab Way with CEO Tim McLaughlin 1:36:20

2M ago1:36:20

1:36:20

Wil sits down in-person with Tim McLaughlin, technologist-turned-operator who founded GoTab after opening two Caboose breweries and confronting real service-model pain (giant spaces, staffing constraints). Years before COVID, Tim taped QRs to tables and proved guests will change behavior to avoid pain (lines), which pushed GoTab to build not just o…

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The Antlers Consider Nature Under Siege in New Song Cycle, In-Studio 33:59

2M ago33:59

33:59

American indie rock band The Antlers began almost 20 years ago as a solo project from singer and songwriter Peter Silberman. While the previous album, Green To Gold, was a pastoral, almost folky affair, the new album, Blight, is almost like a classical song cycle, and is a musical warning about nature under siege. “The consequences of accelerating …

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Episode 620: Raise the Bar: Heidi Whitcomb's Mission to Bring Heart Back to Hospitality 50:10

2M ago50:10

50:10

Episode Summary In this heartfelt episode of Restaurant Owners Uncorked, host Wil chats with Heidi Whitcomb a passionate and deeply committed independent restaurant owner in Florida. With nearly 40 years in hospitality, Heidi embodies service, gratitude, and resilience. She shares her journey from early jobs at Subway and Kmart to bartending, truck…

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Bell Jazz Award Winner Sullivan Fortner's Joyful Piano Adventures, In-Studio 42:48

2M ago42:48

42:48

GRAMMY-winning musical omnivore Sullivan Fortner merges New Orleans grit and spice with invention (and not just J.S. Bach), for an alchemical jazz that is wise, feisty, mischievous, and dynamic. His exposure to R&B, soul, and gospel at home; his time at Oberlin and the influence of various teachers in jazz and classical disciplines; and his longtim…

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Episode 619: Restaurants Save People: The Jeffrey Boland Story 1:15:57

2M ago1:15:57

1:15:57

Wil talks to Jeffrey Boland, Director of Operations at Mac’s Hospitality Group (home of Mac’s Speed Shop and South 48/Southbound concepts). Jeff shares an intensely honest journey—from addiction and getting fired in construction to finding belonging in restaurants, achieving sobriety at 22, and transforming into a purpose-driven leader. He explains…