HUNGRY.

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"Hospitality happens for people, not to them." In this masterclass of an episode, Unreasonable Hospitality author Will Guidara sits down with Dan Pope on the Hungry podcast to unpack the magic behind Eleven Madison Park's meteoric rise to the best restaurant in the world. From leaving a full bottle of cognac with the bill, to systemizing serendipity with Tiffany & Co. engagement flutes, Will explains why true excellence requires a healthy dose of unreasonableness. They dive into the tension between perfection and human connection, the power of a 'Red Team' in creative brainstorming, and how to apply Michelin-star hospitality to any industry—even a UPS store.
ON THE MENU:
00:00:00 Intro
00:01:01 Excellence vs. Hospitality
00:03:49 The Fueling Power of Praise & Criticism
00:13:20 Redefining Hospitality in Any Industry
00:18:18 Creativity: Inviting People Into Your Imagination
00:22:11 The UPS Store & Chewy: Systemizing Magic
00:35:45 The Cognac Check Drop at Eleven Madison Park
00:44:10 Scheduling Creativity & Collaboration
00:49:07 Moving to Nashville & Embracing Messiness
00:58:27 Reading the Room: One Size Fits One
01:06:48 Systemized Magic: The Tiffany Engagement Flutes
01:08:32 The Miles Davis Approach to Restaurants
01:18:13 The NoMad Chicken & The Red Team
01:28:59 Customer Recovery as Your Best Marketing
01:32:36 Seth Godin's Girl Scout Cookie Advice
01:35:35 Danny Meyer & The Power of Language
01:46:34 Do Not Ruin a Story With the Facts
01:53:08 The Art of Gathering & Designing Events
02:00:11 Savannah Bananas: Changing the Rules
02:11:03 The Peak-End Rule & Letting Go of Control
02:22:35 Confidence, Ego, & Meeting Your Heroes
02:30:49 AI in Hospitality: Copilot, Not Autopilot
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♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 
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🤝 Let's Connect! 
►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) 
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) 
This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

============================================== 
♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 
 ---------------------------------
🤝 Let's Connect!
►Let's link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/)
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/)

“Subscribe to free weekly news letter HUNGRY FRIDAY FEAST” here”  

A rare behind-the-scenes roundtable with four of the UK’s most exciting challenger brand founders — Toby Hopkinson of All Things Butter, Jack Scott of DASH Water, Imme Ermgassen of Botivo, and Florence Cherruault of The Pickle House — filmed live at Strakers.
Dan digs into the messy, brilliant reality of building modern food and drink brands: when to stay focused, when to diversify, how to win retail listings, why hospitality can build cultural credibility, and what happens when your “side idea” suddenly becomes 70% of the business.
From cottage cheese and pickle juice to Victoria Beckham, Ottolenghi, Coco de Mer, Waitrose, United Airlines, New York launches, supermarket mistakes, brand copycats, and the power of packaging — this is a sharp, funny, honest conversation about growth, taste, culture, and the brutal lessons founders only learn by getting things wrong.

ON THE MENU:
• Cottage cheese becoming 70% of All Things Butter
• DASH’s failed mixer launch
• Pickle House’s move from cocktails to wellness
• Pickle juice for muscle cramps
• Botivo’s collaborations with Ottolenghi and Coco de Mer
• Fashion, food, drink, and culture-led brand building
• Victoria Beckham drinking DASH
• Using restaurants to build product credibility
• Hospitality vs grocery retail
• Launching into Waitrose
• Why premium venues create brand halo
• Taste as the real reason people repurchase
• Product iteration vs marketing spend
• “Cost of goods is marketing”
• Polarising products and passionate fans
• One-star reviews and super-tasters
• Hiring senior leaders
• Difficult conversations with retailers and manufacturers
• When manufacturers copy your product
• Why brand is a moat
• Packaging, texture, and supermarket shelf appeal
• Creating ritual in non-alcoholic drinks
• Functional drinks, CBD, THC, caffeine, and nootropics
• Saying no to shiny opportunities
• International expansion mistakes
• Launching in the US
• Tariffs, middlemen, and legal risk in America
• United Airlines as a major Pickle House opportunity
• Scaling back international markets
• Why some brands travel better than others
 ============================================== 
♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 
============================================== 
🤝 Let's Connect! 
►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) 
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) 
This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)

“Subscribe to free weekly news letter HUNGRY FRIDAY FEAST” here”  

Building a great restaurant starts with something unexpected: chaos
Controlle  chaos. This week on Hungry Phil and Abs of Poor Boys talk high-energy design, bold menu choices, and how creating a memorable, slightly disorienting experience gets people talking—and coming back.
They share how they turned unconventional ideas into a powerful brand, including how they used an ingredient chefs have been throwing away to create something customers couldn’t get enough of. The conversation dives into how restaurant design, atmosphere, and product thinking act as secret weapons in modern hospitality—and why leaning into what makes you different can drive real success. A must-listen for anyone looking to build a restaurant people can’t stop talking about.
ON THE MENU:
Building Poor Boys from chaos to cult status
Turning waste ingredients into restaurant gold
Why consistency beats chasing food trends
Premium ingredients without shouting about them
How Southern hospitality shapes the customer experience
The business case for hand-cut chips and fresh food
Using delivery as a growth and discovery tool
Packaging, plates, and the psychology of leftovers
Menu design, service systems, and customer trust
Staying resilient through pressure, setbacks, and personal challenges

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♨️Still bloody HUNGRY? Course ya are. Each week I spend 15 hours writing my newsletter. It’ll take you 5 mins to read. Full of wisdom from the biggest names in food and drink. Subscribe here - https://hungryfeast.beehiiv.com/🍲 
============================================== 

🤝 Let's Connect! 
►Let’s link-up here ​ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/daniel-pope/) 
►Stalk me here ​ (https://www.instagram.com/_hungry.pod/) 
This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)