Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show

Michael interviews Stephen Logue, an economist and former FMCG marketer who became marketing director at Berni Inns, founded a research-led consultancy, and later owned restaurants.
Logue explains how market research identified five consistent drivers of restaurant success—cleanliness, service, atmosphere, food quality, and value for money—and how redesigning and standardizing Berni Inns (including work with Conran) lifted sales and won a Catey.
He argues hospitality underinvests in service, emphasizing “hire character, train skills,” building staff confidence and self-belief, and using tools like mystery visits and customer research.
He shares “runners and riders” concept testing, a successful Greek concept at Meadowhall, lessons from Wetherspoon’s standards and value focus, and the financial importance of repeat customers. Logue now supports independents via pro bono work and promotes simple cost control, menu margin analysis, and clear service promises.
Connect with Stephen Logue:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephen-logue-47227757/
https://www.hospitalityblueprints.com/
https://youtu.be/2_E_EBbdXpU?si=_0cECaQouijt_8LS
https://www.hospitalityblueprints.com/masterclass-videos
Book:
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Magic-Malls-Incredible-Customer-Service/dp/1910090638/ref=sr_1_3?crid=GEM2XLEJMP0P&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lw06nq8ML3KTk_rhrQVeIK8X9HSz5KW3t9INoXg7iSTGjHj071QN20LucGBJIEps.bEQQL7nAGqgyohrPiRxbrwgf3N_jm-_O3tqE8QOnVBw&dib_tag=se&keywords=Stephen+Logue&qid=1780948637&sprefix=stephen+logue%2Caps%2C232&sr=8-3
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More episodes for you to check out here
A big thank you to our episode sponsor Monotree.
They help hospitality operators strengthen operations and scale company culture by creating a "Branded Front Door" for your workforce.
Head to their website to sign up.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this episode, Michael speaks with chef Sam Jett about building restaurants that serve communities, people, and the planet.
Sam shares how he shifted from a planned healthcare path into cooking, credits McDonald’s for teaching standards and systems, and recounts formative time in Copenhagen kitchens including Relæ and Noma.
After years as Sean Brock’s right-hand leader across multiple brands, Sam took over Audrey and refocused it on Appalachian heritage: removing luxury imported ingredients, tightening sourcing “guardrails,” and adopting a zero-waste mindset.
He describes a network of about 26 regional farms/producers supplying roughly 95% of the menu and a CSA-style budgeting approach where farmers send what they choose, including imperfect crops that the team transforms using the restaurant’s lab.
Sam explains making the economics work through circular “mini-ecosystems” and multiple revenue streams, and emphasizes relationships and trust as the core leadership principle.
Connect with Sam:
https://www.instagram.com/samuel.jett/?hl=en
https://www.audreynashville.com/
Connect with the podcast
Join the Hospitality Mavericks newsletter
Tune in via your favourite podcast platform - here
More episodes for you to check out here
A big thank you to our episode sponsor Monotree.
They help hospitality operators strengthen operations and scale company culture by creating a "Branded Front Door" for your workforce.
Head to their website to sign up.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

In this episode, Michael interviews Alexander Kjerulf, a former tech entrepreneur who founded a company in 2003 focused on happiness at work and has delivered talks and workshops in over 50 countries for clients including Microsoft, IKEA, IBM, Hilton, and Shell.
They discuss research linking workplace happiness to higher productivity, creativity, retention, lower absenteeism, and stronger company results including profitability, growth, employer brand, and stock performance, alongside an ethical responsibility for leaders.
A central theme is improving customer experience by putting employees first and rejecting “the customer is always right,” which can betray staff and reward abusive customers; examples include a hotel manager enforcing rules, Southwest Airlines “we will miss you” letter, and buying a rude passenger a competitor ticket.
Practical practices include training and culture immersion (Zappos), celebrating great service stories, giving frontline autonomy (Nordstrom, Middelfart Sparekasse), measuring care over efficiency, hiring carefully, and using weekly feedback tools like Heartcount.
Connect with Alexander:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/chiefhappinessofficer/
https://positivesharing.com/2006/07/why-the-customer-is-always-right-results-in-bad-customer-service/
https://woohooinc.com/
https://heartcount.com/
Books:
Everybody Matters - Bob Chapman
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8596/9780241975411
Hug your customers - Jack Mitchell
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8596/9781401398040
Hug your people - Jack Mitchell
https://uk.bookshop.org/a/8596/9780553820089
Connect with the podcast
Join the Hospitality Mavericks newsletter
Tune in via your favourite podcast platform - here
More episodes for you to check out here
A big thank you to our episode sponsor Monotree.
They help hospitality operators strengthen operations and scale company culture by creating a "Branded Front Door" for your workforce.
Head to their website to sign up.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Michael interviews performance mental coach Graziano Cocco about what separates thriving “maverick” leaders from those merely surviving and how to build high-performance teams.
Graziano shares his journey from London hospitality roles (including Head of People) to founding Inside Up, coaching football for 10 years and working at Crystal Palace plus athletes in sports such as tennis and rugby, while consulting hospitality businesses including ARO QD and DRG in Glasgow.
They discuss why mental toughness matters in today’s pressured hospitality environment, reframing “I have to” to “I get to,” and prioritizing self-management because leaders can’t pour from an empty cup.
Key team elements include trust, conflict navigation, commitment, clear goals and accountability, and praising effort. Graciano introduces the “Plan–Do–Review” habit using a plus/Kaizen reflection and recommends setting daily intentions and visualization.
Connect with Graziano:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/graziano-cocco-b6b39158/
https://insightup.co.uk/
Connect with the podcast
Join the Hospitality Mavericks newsletter
Tune in via your favourite podcast platform - here
More episodes for you to check out here
A big thank you to our episode sponsor Monotree.
They help hospitality operators strengthen operations and scale company culture by creating a "Branded Front Door" for your workforce.
Head to their website to sign up.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Michael interviews Anthony Collins, founder of Work Better Studio, about applying lean thinking and the service-profit chain in hospitality and service businesses by focusing on processes and resources rather than blaming people.
Collins shares his path from graphic design to founding DirectSki.com, acquiring Ski Beat, and becoming group CEO of Topflight Travel Group, then leaving to advise companies on productivity, quality, and process improvement.
He explains lean’s roots in postwar Japanese quality-first principles and describes using Enterprise Ireland training and Toyota-led practical problem-solving to build capability before crises like COVID.
A key case study shows how small chalet maintenance issues hurt both staff workload and NPS, leading to a preventative maintenance program, revised seasonal hiring, fewer management layers, and improved autonomy.
The conversation covers PDCA, frontline observation, controlled tension, recruitment and training (one-point lessons), and why AI can optimize the wrong work and reinforce silos without system thinking.
Connect with Anthony:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/antocollins/
https://www.workbetter.studio/
Connect with the podcast
Join the Hospitality Mavericks newsletter
Tune in via your favourite podcast platform - here
More episodes for you to check out here
A big thank you to our episode sponsor Monotree.
They help hospitality operators strengthen operations and scale company culture by creating a "Branded Front Door" for your workforce.
Head to their website to sign up.

This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy