Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise.
From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.
Episodes
420 episodes
The CPG vs Restaurant Debate Settled by Jeff Galletly of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop
Zack Oates sits down with Jeff Galletly of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop to unpack what it really takes to scale a brand across both restaurants and retail. Jeff shares how the company has grown rapidly while improving guest experience, and why everyt...
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20:41
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The Secret Behind Stonefire’s 5,500-Person Catering Machine with David Youngberg and Matt Calabrese of Stonefire Grill
David Youngberg, CEO of Stonefire Grill, and Matt Calabrese, CTO, join Zack Oates for a deep dive into what it actually takes to scale a restaurant brand without losing what makes it special. From feeding 5,500 guests in under an hour to buildi...
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21:55
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Building a Breakfast Brand That Wins the Morning with Jessica Serrano of Bagel Brands
Jessica Serrano, CMO of Bagel Brands, joins Zack Oates to share how marketers can better understand what makes a brand truly stand out. With experience across Burger King, Taco Bell, and Dig In, Jessica brings a sharp perspective on how guest i...
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17:38
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Teaching Through Food Content with Steven Droulis of Resto Vivaldi
Zack Oates sits down with Steven Droulis, owner of Resto Vivaldi in Montreal, to explore how a family restaurant built an enormous online following while staying authentic to its roots. With hundreds of videos and hundreds of millions of views ...
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19:00
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Why Celebration Matters in Restaurant Leadership with Chris Gannon of Bolay
Zack Oates sits down with Chris Gannon, founder and CEO of Bolay, to discuss what it takes to build a restaurant brand that lasts. After more than a decade in business and over 20 locations, Chris shares lessons from navigating growth, challeng...
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19:26
Turning Seafood Steam Pots Into a National Brand with Danielle Mahon of Topsail Steamer
Zack Oates sits down with Danielle Mahon, founder and CEO of Topsail Steamer, to discuss how a simple seafood steam pot concept turned into a fast growing franchise brand. Danielle shares the origin story behind the idea, how she transitioned f...
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20:22
The Persistence Behind a 12 Year Restaurant Journey with Kyle and Maggie Gordon of Dillas Quesadillas
Zack Oates sits down with Kyle and Maggie Gordon, founders of Dillas Quesadillas, to discuss how they built a fast growing restaurant brand rooted in operational excellence and consistency. From bootstrapping their first location in Dallas to e...
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30:34
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Turning Food Allergy Chaos Into Clarity with Dylan McDonnell of Foodini
Zack Oates sits down with Dylan McDonnell, founder and CEO of Foodini, to discuss how restaurants can better serve guests with food allergies and dietary needs. Inspired by his own experience living with celiac disease, Dylan built Foodini to b...
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17:59
Building Breakout CPG Brands with John F. Maggio of JM Enterprises
Zack Oates sits down with John F. Maggio of JM Enterprises to explore what it really takes to build enduring consumer brands. From co-founding Boulder Canyon Chips to working with brands like Justin’s, Duke’s Smoked Meats, Bigs Seeds, Jackson’s...
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18:27
Moving the Needle with People with Brandon Batt of The Tabletop Group
Brandon Batt, Founder and CEO of The Tabletop Group, joins Zack Oates to break down why guest experience always starts with people. After spending more than a decade leading people strategy at Savory Fund, Brandon shares what he has learned abo...
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16:38
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Fear Is a Clue, Not a Crutch with Dan Simpson of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe
Zack Oates sits down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, fear, and building a truly people centered restaurant brand. Dan shares his unconventional path from founding a tech compa...
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18:16
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How Leaders Make Better Decisions Through Alignment with Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee
Fred LeFranc and Kristina Wiltsee join Zack Oates to discuss leadership, decision making, and alignment in today’s restaurant and hospitality environment. As co hosts of The Executive and the Mystic podcast, they share how leaders can balance e...
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19:40
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Why Easy, Effective, and Enjoyable Wins the Guest Experience with Chris Stevenson of The Empower Group
Chris Stevenson, Founder of The Empower Group, joins Zack Oates to explore what it really takes to create guest experiences people remember. Drawing from his background in fitness, hospitality, and live entertainment, Chris shares why empowerin...
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20:47
Making AI Practical in Restaurants with Carl Orsbourn of Invisible
Carl Orsbourn of Invisible joins Zack Oates to unpack what AI really means for restaurant operators and guest experience. Rather than chasing hype, Carl explains how AI can be used practically to support teams, reduce friction, and create bette...
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21:31
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How Investors Really Evaluate Restaurant Brands with Brian Fauver of Hargett Hunter Capital Management
Brian Fauver, Partner at Hargett Hunter Capital Management, joins Zack Oates to share how investors evaluate restaurant brands through the lens of guest experience. With nearly two decades of experience investing in hospitality, Brian explains ...
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17:38
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Building a Global Beverage Brand with Geoff Henry of Gong cha
Zack Oates sits down with Geoff Henry, President of the Americas at Gong cha, to talk about what it takes to build and scale a global beverage brand. With leadership experience at Coca Cola, Jamba Juice, and now Gong cha, Geoff shares how perso...
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17:40
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Why Real Food Wins with Andrew Pudalov of Rush Bowls
Andrew Pudalov, founder and CEO of Rush Bowls, joins Zack to talk about how he left a high pressure finance career to build a brand centered on real ingredients and genuine guest connection. After years in global trading, Andrew wanted a more m...
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19:37
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The Future of Fast Casual with Frank Paci of Newk’s Eatery
In this episode of Give an Ovation, Zack talks with Frank Paci, CEO of Newk's Eatery, about what truly drives guest experience in a world of dine in, to go, delivery, and catering. Frank shares lessons from leading brands like Burger King, Pizz...
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18:33
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Using Feedback to Stay Competitive with Gregory Zamfotis of Gregorys Coffee
Gregorys Coffee is everywhere right now, and founder and CEO Gregory Zamfotis joins Zack to talk about what it really takes to scale a coffee brand without losing its soul. From mall food courts to multi market growth with Craveworthy Brands, G...
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27:45
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Building Tech that Serves People with Brianne Harvey of Break Bread Consulting
Zack Oates sits down with Brianne Harvey, founder and CEO of Break Bread Consulting, to talk about tech that lifts hospitality without getting in the way. Brianne shares how to “bolt on” experts for system launches, train your team to own it, a...
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18:10
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Connection Over Perfection with Kayla Dillon
Zack sits down with Kayla Dillon, fractional CMO and brand consultant, to talk about why guest expectations have shifted from hospitality to humanity. Kayla explains how to pick technology that fits, set it up the right way, and connect ops, ma...
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17:04
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Empower Your Team, Elevate Your Guests with Geoffrey Toffetti of Frontline Performance Group
Zack sits down with Geoffrey Toffetti, CEO of Frontline Performance Group, to talk about why the guest experience can never exceed the employee experience. Geoffrey explains how clear standards, consistent measurement, and coachable behaviors t...
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17:04
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Founder Spirit to Scalable Systems with Peter Gaudreau of Tacodeli
Zack sits down with Peter Gaudreau, CEO of Tacodeli, to talk about scaling a beloved founder-led brand while protecting what matters most. Peter shares how ingredient integrity, empowered managers, and thoughtful packaging make hospitality show...
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19:31
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From Brand DNA to Guest Love with Melissa Richards-Person of Third Arm Consulting
Zack sits down with Melissa Richards-Person of Third Arm Consulting to unpack brand DNA and why it is the root of lasting guest experience. From Papa John’s transformation to creating signature moments guests remember, Melissa shares how clear ...
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21:48
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Bringing Brazilian Flavor to NYC with Pedro Uchôa of TAP
Zack sits down with Pedro Uchôa, founder and CEO of TAP, the Brazilian fast casual bringing bold flavor and genuine hospitality to New York and Miami. They discuss TAP’s Perfect Pitch win, the importance of culture-driven leadership, and how sm...
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16:09
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