Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show

In this episdode, Michael welcomes his longtime friend Yazz Abdulla, previously a guest during the pandemic to discuss food delivery and dark kitchens.
They reflect on Copenhagen Street Food’s grassroots style, then focus on founder-led hospitality businesses: founders often stay emotionally attached, operate like self-employed workers, lack systems (ops, HR, marketing, supply chain), misunderstand cashflow, and fail to plan an exit; Yazz advises emotional detachment, self-leadership, discipline, rituals, and valuing time and peace over status.
They discuss the “lost art of hospitality,” arguing technology and transactional service have eroded human connection, while Gen Z is highly influential and brands like Blank Street succeed by designing for Gen Z.
AI is seen as useful for optimization but unable to replace the human element. They compare struggling UK hospitality—blaming poor adaptation and leadership—against UAE hospitality, where conflict briefly crushed tourism but decisive government support enabled recovery.
Lodgify is the headline sponsor for the Hospitality Mavericks Podcast Show.
Lodgify is an all-in-one hosting platform built on one promise, minimum hassle, maximum independence. We help independent vacation rental hosts and small-scale property managers run and grow their business with 0% Lodgify booking commissions, an AI Co-Host (COMING SUMMER 2026, early access open now), and direct booking websites built to get found by AI.
For Mavericks listeners, there's a special offer running until July 30th: 60% off on Ultimate and Professional yearly and bi-yearly plans with the code MAVERICKS60.
Learn more at https://lodgify.com/
Connect with Yazz:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yazz-abdulla/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-hospitality-group-ltd/posts/?feedView=all
Previous episode with Yazz
https://www.hospitalitymavericks.com/coming-back-stronger-episode-5-with-yazz-abdulla-ceo-and-founder-of-urban-hospitality/
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

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

Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy

Michael welcomes Tom James, to discuss winning in a hyper-competitive hospitality market through counterintuitive strategy and team buy-in.
Tom shares his 30-year hospitality journey, joining Bill’s five years ago as operations director before becoming managing director, and describes the shift from an ops-only lens to leading cross-functionally with a two-year plan.
Bill’s distilled 257 actions into one message—“everyone leaves happy”—and made guest satisfaction the core KPI, built from reviews, surveys, and mystery diners, tying incentives to guest metrics rather than financial ones.
He explains how visibility, consistent recognition, and culture drove adoption, alongside behind-the-scenes improvements to systems, booking, website, SEO, and cost controls. The turnaround included difficult restructuring and site closures, followed by renewed energy, cover growth, and a strong Christmas.
They discuss change management, process discipline (why/who/what/how/when), technology and AI’s potential, and Tom’s leadership takeaways: headspace, networking, and investing in team growth.
Connect with Tom:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-james-5388b256/
https://bills-website.co.uk/
Eps 23 Bill Collison - Founder of Bill’s
https://www.hospitalitymavericks.com/videos/23-the-bills-story-with-bill-collison/
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 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
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 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