It’s Not About the Food: John Terzian & Brian Toll on Why the Most Powerful Hospitality Brands Are Built on Social Engineering

What if your entire career started with being told you were too nice to succeed?

For John Terzian and Brian Toll, that’s exactly how it began. These are the minds behind The h.wood Group: an empire born from rejection, reinvention, and the refusal to follow the rules.

In this episode, they share how protecting guests instead of exploiting them became their superpower, why aesthetics matter more than you think, and how they transitioned from bottle service to building culture through culinary. We get into the painful leap from nightlife to fine dining, how they designed demand instead of chasing it, and the operational discipline required to stay profitable 10 years in.

This isn’t just about cool venues, it’s about what it takes to last in an industry designed to burn you out.

To learn more about The h.wood Group and their concepts, visit hwoodgroup.com.

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