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
Who really is “The Man”? Plus tallow replacing seed oils, and slinging premade pancakes.
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#125
Josh 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 York quickly turns into a much bigger debate about whether bars and restaurants are justified in charging premium prices for simple products, or whether the industry has lost touch with what guests are willing to bear. Along the way, they unpack labor costs, rent, experience, hospitality, and the tension between running a viable business and keeping dining and drinking accessible.
The conversation then expands into broader questions around capitalism, consumer behavior, and where restaurant economics may be heading next. They debate whether lower alcohol consumption is driven by shifting culture or rising prices, whether operators are passing value to their teams or just protecting margins, and what responsibility restaurants have to the guest experience. The episode closes with a side trip into seed oils, animal fats, and the return of tallow, giving the whole discussion a larger throughline: how cost, quality, and perception shape nearly every decision in hospitality.
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
04:28 The Setup: Beer Pricing, Hospitality, And Consumer Expectations
10:20 Who Gets The Margin And Who Is “The Man”?
19:27 Are People Drinking Less Because It’s Too Expensive?
28:59 Why Restaurants May Need To Charge More Than They Do
35:20 The Core Debate: Is A $9 Modelo Fair Or Outrageous?
40:01 The Animal Fat Revival And Why Tallow Is Back
45:16 Why Seed Oils Took Over In The First Place
49:32 Tallow For Cooking, Cleaning, And Even Skin Care
52:07 What Restaurants Owe Guests, Teams, And Themselves