Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

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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 bridge the communication gap between restaurants and guests who need accurate allergen information.
They explore how technology can simplify allergen management for operators while creating safer and more transparent dining experiences for guests. The conversation also dives into upcoming allergen labeling regulations and why operators should start preparing now.
Zack and Dylan discuss:
 The growing scale of food allergies in the U.S.
 Why allergen transparency builds guest trust
 New regulations impacting restaurant menus
 How personalized digital menus improve ordering
 Risk mitigation and operational efficiency
Thanks, Dylan!
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dylan-mcdonnell-a5787574/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/getfoodini/about/
https://foodini.co/

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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, Good Day Chocolate, and Cocktail Squad, John shares lessons from decades in CPG.
They discuss how restaurant brands should evaluate entering retail, why timing and category momentum matter, and the four pillars John uses to determine whether a brand is truly investable. He also explains why flavor ultimately wins and how “return on luck” plays a role in long term success.
Zack and John discuss:
 What makes a CPG brand scalable
 When restaurants should enter retail
 The role of timing and luck
 Why flavor always matters
 Brand, market, team, and capital alignment
Thanks, John!
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-f-maggio-b98b593/
https://www.instagram.com/cocktailsquad/?hl=en

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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 about hiring leaders, investing time in the right team members, and building consistency that guests trust.
Zack and Brandon discuss:
 Why guest experience is the employee experience in public
 Where leaders should invest their time
 How consistency builds trust with guests
 Focusing on strengths instead of only fixing problems
 Why people drive the last foot of the guest experience
Thanks, Brandon!
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/brandon-c-batt/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/the-tabletop-group/
https://thetabletopgroup.com/

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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 company to leading a growing hospitality brand and explains why technology should exist to remove friction, not replace human connection.
They discuss how fear can serve as a signal instead of a blocker, why consistency has become the new luxury for guests, and how listening to feedback at scale helps operators fix broken processes instead of blaming people.
Zack and Dan discuss:
 Fear as a leadership signal
 Why consistency builds trust
 Using technology to amplify hospitality
 Listening to every guest
 Fixing systems instead of people
Thanks, Dan!
Links:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/dan-simpson-8aa1bb3/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/taziki's-mediterranean-cafe/
https://www.tazikis.com/

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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 execution with intuition while building clarity, confidence, and stronger teams. 
 Zack, Fred and Kristina discuss: 
 Why intuition is already driving executive decisions
 How leaders break out of analysis paralysis
 The role of alignment in high pressure leadership
 Why self awareness is the foundation of emotional intelligence
 How leaders create clarity for their teams during uncertainty
Thanks Fred and Kristina!

Links:
https://www.theexecutiveandthemystic.com/
https://www.instagram.com/theexecutiveandthemystic/
https://www.youtube.com/@ExecutiveandMysticPodcast
https://open.spotify.com/show/2JFumYZRzULtYveqUzN4e5
https://www.linkedin.com/in/fredlefranc/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristinawiltsee/