The Late Night Restaurant Podcast Show

Hosted by Ashton Media

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Episodes

178

Latest episode

Jun 2026

Language

EN-CA

About the show

Welcome to "The Late Night Restaurant Podcast" with Canada’s Restaurant Guy & Domenic Pedulla. The ultimate podcast for those who live and breathe the restaurant industry. Hosted by Canada’s Restaurant Guy & Domenic Pedulla we dive into the real conversations shaping food and hospitality today. Shot LIVE | Unfiltered & Real Each episode tackles the biggest issues in restaurants, labour, digital marketing, sustainability, and emerging trends, all with an edutainment approach: informative, engaging, and fun.

Listen to episodes

60 recent

September 11, 202647 min

Hostie is amazing - learn what makes them so different.

Every unanswered restaurant call puts a reservation, private event, takeout order, or future guest at risk. Jay and Dom sit down with Randall and Vanessa from Hostie to explore how AI is changing restaurant communication while protecting the human side of hospitality. Hostie answers calls and texts, books reservations, handles guest questions, supports multiple languages, and gives restaurant teams more time to serve the guests in front of them. The numbers make missed calls hard to ignore. One restaurant receives 40 per cent of its calls outside business hours. Cactus Club Cafe recorded more than 100,000 calls across its locations in three days, with 60 per cent resolved by AI. You’ll hear where restaurant AI is heading, how operators retain control of every guest interaction, and how Hostie gets a personalized virtual host running in about an hour. If your phone keeps ringing while your team is in the weeds, this episode is worth hearing.

June 27, 202657 min

Marketing Lessons From Australia With JD

Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla welcome Australian direct response marketer John Dwyer, JD, founder of The Institute of Wow, for a blunt, funny, and practical conversation about restaurant marketing. JD breaks down why restaurants lose revenue when they fail to collect customer data. He shares how one seafood restaurant built a 92,000-person database, filled empty seats with simple text messages, and used direct offers to drive real sales. The episode covers Facebook contests, customer databases, high-value incentives, strong calls to action, and why random social posting is not a marketing plan. With classic Late Night chaos, NEXT Food Expo talk, and a few wild ideas from Jay, this episode gives restaurant owners smart ways to bring guests back, increase visits, and build marketing systems that work.

June 26, 202653 min

Why Every Restaurant Needs a Communications Strategy Before a Marketing Strategy

Your food might be exceptional, but if your communication isn't, your customers never get the full story. This week on The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla sit down with Joshua from Beltway Media to explore one of the most overlooked areas in hospitality: strategic communications. From building trust and shaping customer perception to branding, storytelling, AI, and the future of restaurant marketing, this conversation dives into why communications is no longer optional for restaurants and hospitality businesses. Joshua explains the difference between marketing and communications, why authenticity outperforms perfection, and how every customer interaction, from your website and social media to your menu, music, and dining experience, shapes your brand. If you're a restaurant owner, hospitality leader, marketer, or entrepreneur looking to strengthen your brand and build lasting customer trust, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply today.

June 25, 202652 min

From Corporate Life to Award-Winning Whiskey

What does it take to walk away from a successful corporate career and risk everything to build your dream? This week on The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla sit down with Brandon McCraney, Owner and Master Blender of Old Raleigh Distillery in North Carolina. Brandon shares the incredible story behind launching a distillery during the height of COVID, surviving construction setbacks, nearly losing everything, and building an award-winning whiskey brand through grit, creativity, and relentless determination. The conversation explores entrepreneurship, hospitality, customer experience, government regulations, distillery operations, importing whiskey, and why telling your story matters as much as the product you create. Whether you're a restaurateur, beverage professional, entrepreneur, or someone thinking about taking the leap into business ownership, this episode delivers honest lessons from someone who's lived every challenge. Listen now and hear why persistence often becomes an entrepreneur's greatest asset. The Late Night Restaurant Podcast Brandon.

June 25, 20261 hr 8 min

Coffee is no longer an afterthought.

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla sit down with Darren from SBS Specialty Beverage Solutions to explore how coffee has become one of the biggest profit opportunities in foodservice. From nitro coffee and dirty sodas to the latest espresso technology from Europe, this conversation dives into what restaurant operators need to know to stay ahead. Darren shares insights from nearly three decades in the beverage industry, including trends from international trade shows, how equipment is evolving, and why total cost of ownership matters more than the sticker price. They also discuss the launch of the Alberta Restaurant Hall of Fame Awards Gala, the importance of preserving hospitality history, and why innovation continues to reshape the guest experience. Whether you own a café, restaurant, hotel, or bar, this episode is packed with ideas to help improve beverage sales, increase profitability, and create a better customer experience. Listen now and learn where the beverage business is headed next.

June 19, 202641 min

Sweet Cheeses Charcuterie

Amanda, owner of Sweet Cheeses Charcuterie in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, joins us to share how she built a thriving charcuterie business serving everything from intimate gatherings to large-scale events. We discuss entrepreneurship, customer experience, and how Rally Catering helped simplify ordering, payments, and operations, allowing her to focus on creating exceptional food experiences while growing her business. A great conversation for caterers, restaurant operators, and anyone looking to work smarter while delivering outstanding hospitality. www.sweetcheesuscharcuterie.com

June 18, 20261 hr 4 min

Ireland's Food Revolution

What happens when chefs, restaurateurs, and beverage leaders stop looking elsewhere for inspiration and start celebrating what grows in their own backyard? In this episode, guests from Ireland's thriving food and hospitality scene share how local ingredients, farmer partnerships, fermentation, and a deep connection to place are shaping some of the country's most respected restaurants and bars. The conversation explores Terroir, the challenges facing hospitality, the future of local food systems, and why confidence in your own products matters more than ever. A thoughtful discussion about food, culture, community, and building something meaningful from the ground up.

June 16, 202649 min

From Survival to Black Lotus

From surviving as a refugee on a boat in the South China Sea to building a coffee brand rooted in purpose, Tim Nguyen's story is unlike anything we've featured before. In this episode, Tim shares the incredible journey that brought him from Vietnam to Canada, back to Vietnam, and now back again with a mission-driven coffee company called Black Lotus Coffee. We talk about farming coffee, sustainability, entrepreneurship, mindfulness, and the life lessons behind the phrase "No Mud, No Lotus." This is a conversation about resilience, second chances, and building a business with meaning at its core.

June 15, 202636 min

Safety. Allergies. Hospitality.

Jay welcomes Kate from Food Allergy Canada for a conversation on how the food service industry can better handle food allergies. One in thirteen Canadians has a food allergy, and Kate's organization offers free tools, training, and resources to help operators build better practices. Simple communication, staff education, and smart prep systems can be the difference between a loyal guest and a liability. Kate breaks down what informed dining actually looks like and how any restaurant can get started at no cost.

June 14, 202645 min

Food Allergies Affect Millions of Canadians, No Way...

Food allergies affect millions of Canadians and play a major role in where people choose to eat. In this episode, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla sit down with David Giacometti, founder of Foods For You, to discuss the growing importance of allergen awareness in restaurants. David shares how his experience in hospitality led him to create a platform that helps operators provide accurate allergy information while giving guests greater confidence when dining out. From hidden ingredients and cross-contamination risks to building trust with guests and their families, this conversation explores why food safety is no longer optional. It's a competitive advantage and a responsibility every restaurant should take seriously.