The meez Podcast
Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.
Episodes
138 episodes
Tony Aiazzi on bootrapping, Over Easy Office, and bespoke chef knives. Plus Ai as the last mile and singing Chef David Burke's praise.
#129Josh sits down with Tony Aiazzi for a wide-ranging conversation about restaurant tech, bootstrapping, and the hidden operational work that keeps hospitality businesses running. Tony shares his path from the Culinary Institute ...
Free Money and explaining GPOs with Rich Kemp of Buyer's Edge, plus will Ai actually make things cheaper?
#128This episode starts with a practical look at one of the least understood parts of the restaurant business: group purchasing organizations. Josh, Matt, and Mike are joined by Rich Kemp, whose background in food distribution and...
QuickFire: Chef Vojtech Vegh
#127Josh sits down with Chef Vojtech Vegh for a quickfire episode packed with eye-opening zero waste cooking ideas, from turning avocado seeds into tea to transforming banana peels into something that tastes like pulled pork. Vojt...
Should Every Restaurant Have a $5 Beer? Plus the Industry Tipping Point, ADHD as a Superpower, Frequency always wins
#126Josh, Mike, and Matt sits down with Keith Benjamin, nightlife operator and co-founder behind Uptown Social, Share House, Bodega, By The Way, and The Waverly, for a conversation about betting big, building brands, and turning h...
Who really is “The Man”? Plus tallow replacing seed oils, and slinging premade pancakes.
#125Josh sits down with Matthew Conway and Michael Jacober for a spirited conversation about restaurant pricing, profitability, and what guests are actually paying for when they go out. What starts with a nearly $9 Modelo in New Y...
Is Counter Service the Future of Fine Dining? Plus Hospitality Included, the Labor Crisis, and Birdies' $79 Tasting Menu
#124Josh, Mike, and Matt sit down with Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner of Birdies and James Beard Award-winning beverage director, for a candid conversation about tipping, labor, and the future of restaurant models. Drawing from his time ...
Is Wonder the Future of Restaurants? Plus In & Out is great hospitality, the breakfast boom, and the franchise model
#123Josh sits down with Matthew Conway and Michael Jacober for a wide-ranging conversation that moves from franchise operations to solo dining trends to the realities of running independent restaurants in today’s economic climate....
Is Your Restaurant Tech Stack Making You Worse? Plus AI Forecasting, Combi Oven Confessions, and the Nokia Phone Problem with Brianne Harvey
#122Josh sits down with Brianne Harvey, founder of Break Bread Consulting and the newly launched Restaurant Resource, to unpack why so many restaurant teams underutilize the powerful tools they already pay for. Using the analogy o...
The Great Sommelier Debate, and the Definition of a Chef
#121Josh, Matt, and Mike are back for another trio episode, and things heat up right from the cold open as Mike unleashes a spicy critique of Danny Meyer's restaurant empire. Comparing Meyer's concepts to "safe, VH1-style" dining,...
From Steven Starr to El Camino: An Operator’s Quickfire with Dan Siegelman
#120Josh sits down for a quickfire episode with Dan Siegelman, a New Jersey native and JWU alum who cut his teeth working for industry heavyweights like Stephen Starr, Michael Mina, and the late Michael Chiarello. Currently leadin...
The Somification of Everything: Why soft skills are the future of AI-Driven hospitality
#119.Josh sits down with regulars Matthew and Michael Jacober, along with special guest Eli Feldman, a Boston-based restaurateur and AI advocate. The group dives into a wide-ranging conversation that starts with the prestige of 17...
From Per Se to Blue Apron and the Wonder acquisition: John Adler is back for a quick fire and catching up with Josh
#118.Josh sits down for a quickfire episode with John Adler, the Vice President of Culinary at Blue Apron, now part of the Wonder platform. They discuss John's massive transition from the high-precision world of fine dining at res...
Finding Your Zone of Genius, and Solving Health Benefits for Restaurants with Elizabeth Tilton
#117.Josh sits down with Elizabeth Tilton, founder and CEO of Oyster Sunday and OS Benefits. They discuss the critical need for independent restaurants to have the same purchasing power as large corporate groups. Elizabeth shares ...
Dan Jackson on Loss, Resilience, and the Unexpected Path to Osteria Georgi + Quickfire
#116.What began as a plan for a casual Quickfire catch-up evolved into one of the most poignant conversations on the show. Josh sits down with his friend and former colleague Dan Jackson, and while they touch on the mechanics of t...
Sharing food at a restaurant, knowledge is a commodity, gifting the kitchen crew, and lots more.
#115.In this episode, Josh, Matt, and Mike dive into a lively discussion about evolving trends in the restaurant industry. They kick things off by debating the rising popularity of mocktails and the economics behind charging premi...
Quick Fire: Chef Geoff Kornberg
#114.In this quickfire episode, Josh talks with Geoff Kornberg. They explore memorable dishes like spicy rice cakes from Momofuku Sambar, useful techniques such as garlic confit butter, and praise for underappreciated chefs in the...
Paradigm shift in dining expectations? And testing out some new conversation formats for Season 4
#113.In this episode, Josh sits down with Michael Jacober, founder of Blanket, and Matthew Conway, owner of The Tippling House, for a wide-ranging conversation about the state of modern hospitality. The trio examines how social media...
Repost: 86 Reason Podcast Ep 9: Why Your Restaurant's Food Costs Are Wrong By 3-4%
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qN4y3Pyq_b8&t=3sIn this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office, Xavier talks to Josh Sharkey, founder of the recipe mana...
Innovation at goop kitchen with Chef Kim Floresca
#112.In this episode, Josh sits down with Kim Floresca, Vice President of Culinary at goop kitchen, a chef with a remarkable background in fine dining who's now making waves in the innovative world of ghost kitchens. Kim opens up abo...
Giancarlo Pagani of Mother Wolf: Building Restaurants That Endure
#111. Josh talks with Giancarlo Pagani, the restaurateur behind Los Angeles favorite Mother Wolf, about what it takes to create restaurants that stand the test of time. Giancarlo shares how his early exposure to hospitality through his f...
LIVE: LA Chef Conference 2025 with Suzanne Goin, Michael Mina, Amy Guittard, and Ryan Handel
#110.In this special meez podcast feature, Amy Guittard of the namesake chocolate brand leads a discussion with acclaimed chefs Suzanne Goin and Michael Mina, and hospitality tech founders Ryan Handel and Josh Sharkey, on the inte...
LIVE: Brigaid Summit 2025 with John Karangis of Shake Shack and Eric Bromberg of Blue Ribbon
#109.Join Josh as he moderates a compelling discussion with Eric Bromberg, co-founder of Blue Ribbon Restaurants, and John Karangis, executive chef at Shake Shack, exploring the fascinating intersection between fine dining and foo...
Blake Hudelson on How BoomPop is Transforming Event Planning
#108.Josh sits down with Blake Hudelson, founder of BoomPop, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming the event planning and hospitality landscape. Blake shares his journey from architecture to product design and how it...
Jesse Stein on Making AI Feel Human: The Future of Restaurant Customer Service
#107.Josh sits down with Jesse Stein, founder of Hermetic AI, to explore how artificial intelligence is transforming hospitality management and customer engagement in the restaurant industry. Stein shares his vision for making AI int...
Eli Feldman on How Restaurants Must Evolve to Survive
#106.Josh sits down with Eli Feldman, founder of Elided Opinions and Shy Bird, to explore the rapidly changing dynamics of restaurant management and hospitality. Feldman shares insights on how restaurants must evolve beyond tradition...