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.
The meez Podcast
Is Wonder the Future of Restaurants? Plus In & Out is great hospitality, the breakfast boom, and the franchise model
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Josh 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. The episode opens with Michael sharing the launch of his first Jersey Mike’s franchise in suburban Chicago and what surprised him most about the process. From corporate buildouts and turnkey systems to training support and operational playbooks, they unpack what you’re really paying for in a franchise model and why, in some ways, it can feel like cheating compared to building from scratch.
The conversation shifts into broader industry trends, including the rise of solo dining, the growth of breakfast reservations, and how consumer behavior is evolving in a post-pandemic world. They debate whether people are dining alone to unplug or simply to simplify, why early dinner reservations feel controversial, and how hospitality translates across full-service, counter-service, and large-format restaurants. Along the way, they explore the risks and rewards of massive, high-revenue restaurant builds, the operational pressure of scaling, and what it actually takes to sustain margins in 2025. The episode closes with reflections on growth, ambition, and what it means to build something repeatable versus something personal.
Links and resources 📌
Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com
Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez
Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en
Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/
Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/
Visit The Tippling House: https://thetipplinghousechs.com/
Follow Michael: @michaeljacober
Follow Matthew: @conbeazie
Timestamps
05:48 Wonder, Vertical Integration, And Big Restaurant Bets
12:24 The Tipping Point In Restaurant Economics
18:36 Why Solo Dining Is On The Rise
22:00 Breakfast Reservations And Early Bird Culture
26:18 Italian Food, Fine Dining, And Culinary Debate
30:04 The Risks Of Massive, High-Volume Restaurants
35:00 Scaling Independent Concepts Vs Franchises
41:00 Inside The Jersey Mike’s Buildout Process
44:30 One Burrito A Minute And Operational Discipline
48:00 Closing Thoughts On Franchising And The Future