The meez Podcast

#46. Meet Bo Davis, the co-founder and CEO of MarginEdge, a cutting-edge back office technology tailored for restaurants, streamlining operations from accounting to POS systems and beyond, encompassing all facets of kitchen management.Despite dropping out of high school, Bo's insatiable thirst for knowledge propelled him to attain two master's degrees, one in finance and another in artificial intelligence from Northwestern University, showcasing his dedication to continuous learning.Prior to MarginEdge, Bo's entrepreneurial spirit led him to establish multiple successful ventures in both the restaurant and technology sectors. Notably, MarginEdge's commitment to fostering a positive workplace culture was recognized with a prestigious seventh-place ranking in Glassdoor's nationwide list of best places to work.Throughout the episode, Bo shares invaluable insights into building a thriving organizational culture, delving into the nuances of restaurant unit economics, exploring both the triumphs and challenges faced in the industry.Tune in to gain a deeper understanding of the restaurant industry's dynamics and entrepreneurial pursuits, accompanied by engaging discussions and practical advice. Enjoy the conversation and join the dialogue on the evolving landscape of entrepreneurship.Where to find Bo Davis: LinkedInWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInTikTokTwitter**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**:Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Manager for 25 FREE Recipe Uploads (must be a meez customer to qualify)In this episode, we cover:(05:13) Bo Davis' background(05:38) How being a parent has impacted the way Bo runs a company(16:03) The reasoning behind MarginEdge's strong company culture(23:29) The irony behind teammates being eager to share the pain(25:59) Separation agreements(33:27) What good restaurant economics look like today(37:56) How Bo handles mistakes(44:29) What makes Bo really really angry(49:48) Why people work at MarginEdge(51:47) Final thoughts from Bo

#45 In this episode, our host sits down with Jordan Boesch, the founder and CEO of 7shifts, a leading workforce management software catering to the restaurant industry. With over a decade of experience in revolutionizing team management, Jordan shares insights into the inception and growth of 7shifts. Having originally encountered the software while vetting it for Aurify Brands, Josh Sharkey emphasizes the genuine admiration for Jordan's leadership and the impactful solutions his company provides to over 50,000 restaurants.Delving into Jordan's background as a software engineer turned entrepreneur, the conversation explores the parallels between engineering and building a tech company, drawing intriguing comparisons to the culinary world. They discuss the importance of transitioning from hands-on involvement to empowering teams—a challenge both in software development and restaurant operations.Product development takes center stage as they delve into the nuances of user experience and adoption, highlighting Jordan's success in crafting a user-friendly platform tailored for restaurant operators. The discussion extends to the distinction between features and platforms, echoing Jordan's recent insights on the value proposition and scalability of each approach.Throughout the episode, Jordan's candid demeanor and no-nonsense approach make for an engaging and enlightening conversation. Join us as we unravel the journey of 7shifts and explore the evolving landscape of workforce management with Jordan Boesch. Tune in for an insightful dialogue that promises to inspire and inform, only on The meez Podcast!Where to find Jordan Boesch: LinkedInWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedIn**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**:Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Manager for 25 FREE Recipe Uploads (must be a meez customer to qualify)In this episode, we cover:(05:13) MONTRÉAL EN LUMIÈRE(07:18) Jordan's Boesch's background(09:47) The benefits and the downside of being a technical co-founder versus someone that is not(23:00) Coding and how to get started learning how to code(28:27) Frameworks used in 7shifts to collect feedback(32:07) Capturing the qualitative piece for the end user(36:33) Knowing your own strengths (38:27) Using AI in 7shifts(44:55) Applying the 11 star experience to 7shifts(47:56) How Jordan is different today vs. 5 years ago(51:45) Trusting your gut as a leader(56:50) The parallels behind what makes you the angriest and your personal values

#44. Join host Josh Sharkey as he catches up with Brandon Barton, CEO of Bite, a software technology company revolutionizing kiosks in the hospitality industry- particularly in QSR and fast-casual restaurants. Brandon and Josh, former colleagues at Tabla under Chef Floyd Cardoz, delve into their shared experiences in the hospitality sector and the evolution of restaurant technology.In this episode, Brandon shares insights into sales methodologies and customer-centric approaches, drawing from his extensive background in hospitality and sales. They discuss the future of kiosk technology, AI, and leadership- reflecting on how parenting influences professional growth and leadership styles.From navigating the challenges of running a venture-backed startup to raising capital, Brandon and Josh share candid stories and valuable lessons learned along the way. Whether you're interested in Restaurant technology, hospitality, or leadership, this conversation offers a unique glimpse into the dynamic world of startups and the future of dining experiences.Where to find Brandon Barton: InstagramLinkedInWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedIn**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**:Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Maganger for 25 FREE Recipe Uploads (must be a meez customer to qualify)In this episode, we cover:(03:48) Brandon's start in the hospitality industry(08:17) Cornell and Brandon's realization to transition out of Engineering(15:58) Bite 101(20:45) AI and facial recognition(28:06) Hardware and its innovations(31:01) Brandon's leadership style as CEO of Bite(42:58) The parallels between parenting and leadership(48:08) Venture backed startups and raising capital(1:00:17) What Brandon is excited to see for the future of the industry

#43. Chef Evan Hennessey is one of those chefs who is extremely passionate and devoted to not only moving the culinary industry forward, but also supporting up and coming chefs. Chef Hennessey is an award winning chef, 3 time Chopped Champion, and James Beard semifinalist who graduated from Le Cordon Bleu at the Atlantic Culinary Academy in 2001. He has since cooked alongside some of the best chef’s in the country including Chef Charlie Palmer and Thomas Keller, and is now the Chef Owner at The Living Room and Stages At One Washington in Dover, New Hampshire. In this episode, Chef Hennessey shares his passion for advancing the culinary industry and supporting emerging talents.Josh and Chef Hennessey discuss his "Staging At Stages" program, where chefs have the opportunity to experience an apprenticeship unlike any other. Forget peeling potatoes or cleaning mushrooms for days—participants work side by side with Evan for five days, cooking everything together. The culmination? A meal of their inspiration, with 50 percent of the proceeds shared with the aspiring chef.In this intimate conversation, our host and Chef discuss Evan's approach to hiring, training, and navigating kitchen mishaps as well as how he seamlessly integrates guests and the team into the dining experience at Stages and The Living Room.Where to find Evan Hennessey: InstagramLinkedIn**CLICK HERE TO APPLY FOR STAGING AT STAGES**Where to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedIn**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**:Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Manager for 25 FREE Recipe Uploads**Read about  The A Method For Hiring**In this episode, we cover:(03:50) Why Evan chose to come back to New Hampshire/the lifestyle of people in New Hampshire(09:11) The variety of mushrooms found in forests outside of houses in Upstate New York and New Hampshire(11:26) Culinary maturity(16:13) All about The Living Room and Stages(19:13) The history of staging and how Evan is innovating it with Staging at Stages(36:56) How Evan thinks about hiring a team(45:09) How Evan balances providing like autonomy of thought in the execution of the food with his team(50:27) Why people work at Living Room and Stages(56:25) How to apply for the staging program(58:54) Where Evan will be in 5-10 years

#42. In this episode, our listeners are in for a treat as we host a special guest on the show. Introducing Jimmy Kunz, the son of the late, great, world-renowned Chef Gray Kunz. For those deeply rooted in the culinary world, Gray's influence is immeasurable, and he has been a significant mentor to many, including our host, Josh Sharkey.Jimmy has successfully built a remarkable business around one of the world's most coveted ingredients – truffles.Jimmy began making truffle butter as a holiday gift for friends and family before he was inspired to take his passion to the next level by officially becoming The Truffleist. Like a modern-day version of the street cart vendors who walked a young New York City, Jimmy started hand-delivering the product to his early customers, personally navigating the City streets by Vespa. Since launching the company with that flagship truffle butter in 2013, The Truffleist now offers a growing selection of distinct truffle products and hosts a wildly successful seasonal market: Cheesesteaks by The Truffleist. The Truffleist products are available at pop-up markets, specialty shops, online, and up and down the East Coast on the shelves of Whole Foods. They are also honored to be featured in the dishes of some of New York’s most visionary andcelebrated chefs.This season, the podcast delves into a theme close to the host's heart – the impact chefs and hospitality professionals have on their children. As a father of two, our host is intrigued by the dynamics of children entering the hospitality world. Jimmy shares his unique perspective of growing up with a culinary legend as a father.In this episode, listeners will explore the intricacies of Jimmy's business, The Truffleist, and delve into his innovative cheesesteak concept. The conversation is sprinkled with anecdotes about Chef Kunz, including a surprise from Lespinasse that promises to captivate – watch the video to discover the details!Where to find Jimmy Kunz: InstagramLinkedInWhere to find The Truffleist:WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFacebookWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedIn**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**:Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Manager for 25 FREE Recipe UploadsIn this episode, we cover:(03:29) What it was like growing up with Chef Gray Kunz as Jimmy's dad(07:39) Chef Kunz's high standard of cleanliness and how it translated to his home(14:23) How The Truffleist Started(22:58) Other Truffleist products and the importance of sourcing high quality ingredients(26:13) Sourcing mushrooms for a CPG company(28:41) The controversy behind truffle oil(33:35) Holiday markets and truffle cheesesteaks(41:28) The Truffleist in airports(44:41) How Chef Kunz's idea of excellence has shaped Jimmy's idea of excellence in his company(46:18) Digitizing Lespinasse Menu Repertoire Volume 1 and 2

#41. Welcome to the first episode of season two of The meez Podcast! We are excited to introduce our first guest, JJ Johnson. JJ  is a James Beard Award-winning chef, TV Personality, and Author best known for his barrier-breaking cuisine informed by the Caribbean flavors of his upbringing. He has been featured on multiple television shows, and has his television show called 'Just Eats with Chef JJ’ on CLEO TV. Chef JJ's cookbook with Danica Novgorodof, "The Simple Art of Rice: Recipes from Around the World for the Heart of Your Table," was listed as one of New York Times Best Cookbooks in 2023. Chef JJ’s signature cooking style combines culturally relevant ingredients and classical techniques with a global point of view.At FIELDTRIP, his made-to-order rice bowl shop that debuted in 2019, Chef JJhighlights rice as a hero ingredient and showcases it in recipes sourced from around theworld. As one of the only fast-casual restaurants on Esquire’s “America’s Best NewRestaurants” list in 2020, FIELDTRIP utilizes sustainable ingredients and ethicallysourced vegetables and proteins, creating a flavorful and diverse dining experience.The brand’s motto, "Rice is Culture,” was born out of Chef JJ’s belief that rice is theuniversal ingredient that connects us all and can be found at the center of the table inalmost every community.In this episode, JJ and CEO of meez, Josh Sharkey, talk a lot about the restaurant, the story behind the dishes, different kinds of rice, and how JJ is overcoming some of the challenges of scaling FieldTrip to multiple locations. They also discuss how becoming a parent can make you a better leader, and thinking about how Josh and JJ's kids getting into the food business makes them feel. We hope you enjoy the show!  Where to find JJ Johnson: WebsiteInstagramLinkedInFacebookTwitterWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedIn**SPECIAL DISCOUNT FOR MEEZ POD LISTENERS**: Just give the code "meezpod24" to your meez Services Manager for 25 FREE Recipe UploadsIn this episode, we cover:(03:30) Puerto Rican ingredients and the headache to try and order them in the states(04:52) All about FieldTrip(07:10) The varieties of rice featured on the menu(07:59) JJ's goal of identifying rice farmers(09:42) The beauty of a simple menu(11:50) The ins and outs of properly cooking rice(17:35) Lessons learned from scaling FieldTrip(22:03) How FieldTrip is about empowering its employees(31:04) How parenting influences leadership(40:12) Crunchy rice in different cultures(44:26) What five years from now looks like for JJ(45:51) Auditing personal growth

You’re only as good as your tools, every chef knows that. But what happens when the tool you need hasn’t been created yet?Today we are sharing Josh Kopel's conversation with Joshua Sharkey of meez, a former chef who sought to build the solution to his own problem. In this conversation Josh and Josh discuss the challenges facing the modern chef and what it took to create the Culinary Operation System for the chef of the future.Where to find Josh Kopel: LinkedInInstagramFull Comp PodcastWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInIn this episode, we cover:Josh's background as a chef the differences between running someone else's business and running your ownWhy Josh chose to create technology for recipesConfidence when building a company or running a businessHow Josh works on building an effective tool, while using it consistently and in a compliant way?How to inspire someone to do something newHow Josh's beliefs behind what makes a chef changed after transitioning into techLessons that Josh continues to keep in mind when running meezWords of encouragement or advice

We are delighted to present an episode from The Chef Radio Podcast hosted by Eli Kulp, where our CEO, Josh Sharkey, was featured as a guest. Stay tuned for the upcoming Season 2 of The meez Podcast scheduled to premiere in January 2024!"Josh Sharkey trained under some incredible, generational chef talent, like David Bouley, like Indian super star chef, Floyd Cardoz, and the Great Gray Kunz, and in doing so, he built up his repertoire and his résumé, so no matter what he did, he would be successful. But after working for these industry titans, he found himself on a new mission. It was after he lost an important notebook that was chock-full of recipes and techniques that he had been taught over the years that he came up with the idea of developing software where no recipe, no technique, or learned knowledge will ever go missing again because someone lost their notebook.Where to find Eli Kulp: WebsitePersonal InstagramChef Radio InstagramWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInIn this episode, we cover:After Josh's father passed when he was just a teenager, he began cooking for his familyTraining as a chef in Oslo with Chef Terje Ness at OroEating donkey in Piedmont Working with Chef Floyd Cardoz at Tabla and why it was a dream kitchenCooking with headlamps during the NYC blackout of 2003Working with Chef David Bouley at the restaurant's heightWhy working in Café Gray, with Chef Gray Kunz, was so instrumental in Josh's upbringingThe perfection that is the Kunz spoonJosh’s first foray into entrepreneurship with Bark HotdogsNo matter how good your product is, you have to be able to tell a story with your foodThe moment he came up with the concept of his recipe company, MEEZWhy MEEZ is an incredibly powerful tool for kitchensHow they painstakingly converted product yields into the softwareThe ease of training your teams when using MEEZWhy building MEEZ has given him more fulfillment than his career in the kitchenA huge shout out to our sponsors, Maxwell McKenney and Singer Equipment, for their unwavering support, which allows us to be able to bring these conversations to you. Check out their websites for all the amazing equipment they can supply your restaurant with to make your team more efficient and successful.Welcome to our newest sponsor, Meez, which is one of the most powerful tools you can have as a cook and chef because it allows you to have a free repository for all of your recipes, techniques and methods so that you never lose them. Meez does way more than just recipe development though, it's an incredibly powerful tool that any chef or restaurant would benefit from."

#40. As we close out season one, The meez Podcast welcomes Chef David Santos. Growing up as a first generation Portuguese American, Dave was immersed in every aspect of food since a young age. He started his culinary career as a 2001 graduate of Johnson & Wales University. He then traveled throughout Europe and South America, soaking up the culinary heritage of the visited countries and their cuisines rooted in peak quality seasonal ingredients. Santos later worked at acclaimed restaurants like Per Se and Bouley (where he met meez CEO, Josh Sharkey) as well as Nicholas and The Ryland Inn. By launching Um Segredo, a series of supper clubs hosted at his Roosevelt Island home, Santos established his own culinary voice and quickly developed a cult following. In 2012, he opened Louro in the West Village to much acclaim.In this episode, Josh Sharkey and Dave touch on the beauty and culture of Portuguese food, the excitement of opening and running his supper club series, Um Segredo, and his new and thriving restaurant, Foxface, which recently earned 3 stars in The New York Times. Josh and Dave end the episode by discussing the controversy of food critics, Dave's YouTube channel, and what's next in the pipeline for Dave and Foxface. Where to find Dave Santos: YoutubeWebsiteInstagramWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInIn this episode, we cover:(03:26) Dave's family and food background(12:14) Portuguese cuisine's influence on other cultures(18:51) Tinned Fish(21:25) Pastéis de Nata and recreating it in the States(30:41) Foxface and its origin(39:28) Um Segredo and who should and shouldn't host professional Supper Clubs(46:33) Lessons learned from cooking that influence Dave today(22:03) How bad experiences can teach you the greatest lessons(1:05:16) Food critics and their place in the culinary industry

#39. We had the privilege of entering the world of a true craftsman: Geoff Feder of Feder Knives. Based in Peekskill, New York, Geoff's journey from sculptor to cook to bladesmith is a story of artistry and passion.Geoff began his career as a sculptor and woodworker.  He went to culinary school and  started working for Charlie Palmer as a project manager, sculptor, and chef. He soon met Tony Aiazzi, and together they created Feder Knives.In this episode, host Josh Sharkey and Geoff get into the nuances of knife making, from the forging to the hardening of steel, while also exploring Geoff's voice in the podcast world. With two successful shows, Knife Talk and The Full Blast, Geoff shares his insights on the artist's journey, discussing the importance of passion, the drive behind creativity, and the pursuit of fulfillment.The conversation with Geoff was not just about knife making; it was about the essence of being an artist and the entrepreneurial spirit that is driven by compulsion rather than choice. Geoff's opinions on artistry and the need for purpose and validation resonate with anyone who has felt the irresistible pull of their craft.Where to find Geoff Feder: LinkedInWebsiteInstagramWhere to find host Josh Sharkey:InstagramLinkedInIn this episode, we cover:(02:30) Geoff's upbringing as a winemaker's son(03:50) Why Geoff decided to go to culinary school(04:25) Working for Charlie Palmer and creating an un-stealable table(08:40) Geoff's transition into blacksmithing and bladesmithing(11:03) Basic composition of a knife(12:42) What makes a really good knife(19:37) The two main styles of knife making(22:03) The intricacies of Damascus(26:20) Handcrafted vs. commoditized knife making(29:47) Knife making and problem solving(33:50) More about Geoff's two podcasts(37:36) Artists and gaining validation(38:58) Artistry and compulsion