David Rodolitz & Gary Vee

Mar 18, 2025

Gary Vaynerchuk is a serial entrepreneur and media mogul, while David Rodolitz is a veteran in NYC hospitality and co-founder of the VCR Group. They explore the future of fine dining, discussing the groundbreaking NFT membership model at their Flyfish Club. The duo dives into the evolving landscape of private members clubs and social dining, blending culinary excellence with innovative technology. They also tackle the challenge of negative feedback in the restaurant industry and the role of AI in redefining dining experiences, ensuring a unique conversation filled with insights.

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ANECDOTE

Launching an Innovative Club

Fly Fish Club blended blockchain membership with fine dining, pioneering an innovative restaurant model.
The group opened multiple concepts rapidly, demonstrating resilience and adaptability post-COVID.

INSIGHT

Value of Reciprocal Club Memberships

Reciprocal club memberships add unexpected value and foster community collaboration.
Partnering with other clubs enriches member experience beyond a single location.

INSIGHT

Private Clubs as Lasting Assets

Private members clubs are becoming a lasting institutional hospitality asset in NYC.
Future clubs will likely focus on neighborhood and lifestyle connections rather than exclusivity alone.

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Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.

Today's guests are David Rodolitz and Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founders of VCR Group, a hospitality company operating concepts such as Flyfish Club, Ito, and Little Maven in New York and Las Vegas. Flyfish Club, which opened in September 2024, is the world's first blockchain-based members club focused on fine dining. In this conversation, we dove into the details of what it's like to build a hospitality group in one of the most competitive markets in the world (NYC). What I enjoyed most about this conversation is their forward-thinking perspectives when it comes to hospitality, especially in the fine dining space. We also talked in depth about the private members club landscape in New York and entering the space as a young hospitality group.

Gary Vaynerchuk, AKA Gary Vee, is a serial entrepreneur and leads VaynerMedia, VaynerX, and VCR Group. In 2014, Gary co-founded Resy and sold it to American Express in 2019 and is also an early investor in notable companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, Coinbase, Slack, and more.

David Rodolitz is a NYC hospitality veteran and a co-founder of VCR Group. Prior to founding VCR Group, David was a founding partner of Empellon, a group of restaurants in NYC.

To learn more about VCR Group's restaurants, click here

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Interview Highlights:

The business of a fine dining members club in NYC
Restaurants as part of placemaking
Contrarian thinking in hospitality
The reality of running restaurants
Competing in the NYC restaurant & private club market as a young company
The future of private clubs in NYC & taking cues from London club culture
Longevity in the restaurant business
How to handle negative reviews
How would you invest in hospitality?
Advice for aspiring hospitality entrepreneurs