The meez Podcast

Hosted by Josh Sharkey

Business Entrepreneurship Arts Food

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Episodes

161

Latest episode

Oct 2026

Language

EN-US

About the show

Josh Sharkey (Entrepreneur, professional chef, and founder/CEO of meez, the culinaryOS for food professionals) interviews world class entrepreneurs in the food space that are shifting the paradigm of how we innovate and operate in our industry.

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60 recent

October 14, 2026Episode 1501 hr 2 min

Ty Wilson On The Hidden Spend Quietly Eating Restaurant Margins

#150 Josh sits down with Ty Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Tab Commerce, the financial management platform built specifically for restaurants. Ty grew up in his parents’ restaurants in Canada, studied finance, spent a few years in investment banking in Toronto, and landed back in the family business during the pandemic, where he saw how much money quietly leaks out of a restaurant through the expenses nobody is tracking. He and Josh get into why the local sourcing marketplace he started with never worked, what it took to move from software into regulated financial services, and why the long tail of spend (subscriptions, service contracts, repairs, and runs to Restaurant Depot) is where margin disappears. Ty explains how virtual cards, real-time visibility, and automated coding change what an operator can control, why Tab has moved more than a dozen restaurant groups off Ramp and Brex without losing one back, and how vendor-funded rewards are reshaping what a business card is worth. They dig into where operators are actually buying supplies today, the shift to ordering online, and how much the convenience of a single distributor can quietly cost. They also cover the hardest lesson of building software for operators, that respecting the switching cost matters more than being right on paper, and why hiring people who genuinely love the industry has been a bigger competitive advantage than automation. Along the way Ty tells the story of his family’s other business, the traveling Ribfest barbecue circuit that tours Ontario every summer. It closes with both of them trading favorite restaurants and an unapologetic defense of the Cheesecake Factory. Since we recorded, Tab has launched Tab Supply, an online store and AI purchasing agent that operators can use to buy 500k+ supplies from 180+ manufacturers. This includes equipment, paper goods, and supplies at great prices, fast shipping, and unlimited 5% cash back on every order when they pay with their Tab Card. It’s the same idea Ty lays out in the episode: make it faster, easier, and cheaper for operators to get what they need, while showing them where their purchasing can get better. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Visit Tab Commerce: https://tabcommerce.com/ Follow Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedwardwilson/ Timestamps 05:50 Growing Up In His Parents' Canadian Restaurants 08:04 From Local Marketplace To Restaurant Back Office 11:45 The Terrifying Leap Into Financial Services 14:01 What Tab Commerce Actually Does Today 17:51 Life Before Tab, Petty Cash And One Shared Card 22:11 Restaurant Depot, Webstaurant, And Where Operators Really Buy 26:16 How Cash Back And Vendor Funded Rewards Work 32:53 Turning Spend Data Into Real Savings 43:40 The Hardest Lesson, Respect The Switching Cost 51:37 Olympians, Hospitality, And Canadian Ribfest

October 6, 2026Episode 1491 hr 10 min

Actuals beats averages, Open beats closed, and questions beat answers. With David Corts, CEO of Fresh KDS.

#149 Josh sits down with David Corts, CEO of Fresh Technology, the company behind Fresh KDS, now running in roughly 11,000 restaurant locations. David started his career in New York in the mid-90s as the first employee at @plan, met his wife of 25 years on a Metro North reverse commute while she was one of the first 20 employees at Priceline, and later sold a business to AOL, landing there as a VP of product under Tim Armstrong. He was also an English major, which he took to abbreviating as "ENG" once the Google transplants at AOL started asking what he studied, and now argues was his real advantage all along. He got to Fresh six years ago, a software division spun out of a restaurant holding company, walked away from online ordering in the middle of the pandemic, and bet the whole business on the kitchen display system instead. The conversation keeps circling one idea: the number most operators measure is not the thing that actually happened. David argues that the middle layer of management, the part that exists to collect what happened and report it upward, is being abstracted away, and that the new bottleneck is coordination rather than execution. He explains why he blew up his own process ceremony, why he now hires only for people who unblock themselves, and how his personal knowledge vault became a company brain running on two repos, one PR-gated and one wide open. Josh tees up the 1950 Air Force study where Gilbert Daniels measured 4,063 pilots and found zero who were average on all ten dimensions the cockpit was built around, which sets off his case against average ticket time. The guest never experiences your average. They experience their order. They also get into whether sous vide counts as cheating, the rent-free SoHo apartment David's brother occupied for seven years, and why open beats closed in the long run. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Visit Fresh KDS: https://www.fresh.technology Follow Fresh KDS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fresh.kds/ Follow David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dcorts/ Timestamps 08:40 Building A Team Of "We'll Figure It Out" People 11:11 AI, Management, And The New Coordination Bottleneck 19:08 Lessons From The Dot-Com Era: AI Is Just A Utility 23:13 Services As Software And Customization At Scale 33:09 Why A Liberal Arts Background Is An Advantage In The AI Age 39:11 Spinning Out Fresh KDS And Betting On The Kitchen 47:06 Why Averages Are Dumb 53:12 Turning Kitchen Data Into Meaning With AI 58:59 Building A Personal Second Brain And A Company AI Operating System 01:13:50 The SaaSpocalypse, Headless Software, And Why Open Beats Closed

September 22, 2026Episode 1481 hr 9 min

Revisiting Epic Conversations: Mike Traud on What to Expect For This Year’s Chef Conference in Philadelphia

We're revisiting one of our favorite conversations from the meez Podcast archives. As The Chef Conference continues to bring together some of the brightest minds in hospitality, Mike Traud's insights on culinary education, community, and professional growth are just as relevant today as when this episode first aired. Welcome to this captivating episode of The meez Podcast, where we explore the heart of culinary innovation and education with our distinguished guest, Mike Traud, founder of The Chef Conference (formerly known as the Philly Chef Conference) in the gastronomic hub of Philadelphia. With a legacy spanning over a decade and 10 groundbreaking conferences, Mike has significantly contributed to the culinary landscape through this annual event, which started during his tenure as the Director of Hospitality Management at Drexel University. In today's conversation, we uncover the essence of The Chef Conference, exploring its evolution, significance, and what makes it a beacon for culinary professionals worldwide. Mike, with his rich background in hospitality law, culinary arts, and education, and his notable stint with Marc Vetri, brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into creating an event that not only celebrates but also advances the culinary industry. Our dialogue extends into the meticulous planning and sheer effort required to bring such a conference to life, highlighting Mike's dedication and passion for fostering community and innovation among chefs and culinary enthusiasts alike. The Chef Conference has become a coveted gathering, attracting an impressive roster of culinary talents and thought leaders, indicative of its prestige and impact on the culinary world. Adding a personal touch to our discussion, our CEO and founder, Josh Sharkey, shares his excitement and anticipation for moderating a panel on menu development, featuring celebrated chefs Ariel Johnson, Mr. Lyan, Rosio Sanchez, and Thomas Frebel. This opportunity not only allows for an engaging exploration of culinary creativity but also marks Josh's inaugural experience in panel moderation—a journey inspired by the conference's ethos of organic, passionate participation from all involved. Moreover, we delve into the vital conversation about the intersection of education and industry, a theme close to Mike's heart, given his extensive background in academia. This discussion sheds light on the ongoing debate regarding the relevance of culinary education and how initiatives like The Chef Conference are pivotal in bridging the gap, ensuring a symbiotic relationship between learning and practical application. As we gear up for this year's Chef Conference, taking place from April 12-15, we invite you to immerse yourself in the plethora of panels and special events lined up. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow MJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjtraud/ Follow The Chef Conference on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechefconference/ Timestamps (04:53) Mike's background in law and how he transitioned to food (11:50) Where to eat in Philly (14:21) How The Chef Conference was created (16:23) The gap between education and industry (19:49) Mike's goal for the conference (22:41) Menu Development 101 panel (24:09) How Mike chooses which panels to have during the conference (30:10) What Mike loves most about the conference (37:35) Biggest challenges faced every year (44:52) The benefits of an intimate conference (52:54) Goals for future conferences

September 15, 2026Episode 1471 hr 43 min

Sean Josephs: The Sommelier Who Built America's Great Bourbon Bars and now create's a bourbon they pour.

Josh sits down with Sean Josephs, founder of Pinhook Bourbon and the new subscription-only Old Joseph's, for a conversation that traces two decades in restaurants and spirits. Sean didn't find the industry until he was 30, after five directionless years in fashion and beauty account management, before landing as a food runner at Tia Pol, the Chelsea restaurant his wife Mani opened in 2004. From there he trained under master sommelier Roger Dagorn at Chanterelle, then went on to build Char No. 4 in Brooklyn, Maysville, and Kenton's in Manhattan, all before relocating to New Orleans. Along the way he became one of the earliest people to treat bourbon the way sommeliers treat wine, pouring small tastes at a time and eventually founding Pinhook, a brand built around buying young barrels on lineage and being transparent about where the whiskey actually comes from. The conversation moves through the mechanics of the bourbon industry that most drinkers never think about: why big brands dilute their whiskey down to 80-86 proof and chill filter it to hide inconsistency between barrels, how scarcity turned Pappy Van Winkle into a cult bottle despite sharing a mash bill with Weller 12, and how vintage bottles that sold for $58 a decade ago now go for $10,000. Sean and Josh debate what connoisseurship actually means, identifying quality even in something you personally dislike, argue about when homemade beats store-bought (can you really beat Heinz), and dig into why bourbon barrels aging in Kentucky have tripled since 2012, helped along by private equity speculation. It closes on Sean's bet for what comes next: the best bourbon hasn't been made yet, and it won't come from a single distillery. Links and Resources📌 Sean's website: https://pinhookbourbon.com Follow Sean on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseanjosephs/ Follow Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-josephs-a1126573/ Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

September 8, 2026Episode 14635 min

Janello On Red Sauce Joints, Chicken Parm, And What Makes Them Last

#146 Josh sits down with Jason Anello, better known as Janello, at Da Nico on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's Little Italy. Janello is an experience strategist on a mission to bring back dinnertime. That inspired him to create The Red Sauce Map and the Forking Tasty supper club so others can experience dinnertime through his Italian-American lense. They trace how Italian immigration and New World abundance turned scarcity cooking into stacked, saucy, unmistakably American plates, and why chicken parm has no Parmesan in it at all. Janello defines what actually qualifies a restaurant as a red sauce joint, from the antipasto and the tiramisu to the photos on the wall and the bottle of cheap Chianti, and runs down his top chicken parms and lasagnas across the country. The conversation moves through fresh versus dried pasta, the ricotta dishes he can live without, and a segment called In Memory Of, where the two of them eulogize the neighborhood spots that have closed. From there it turns to the new generation of chefs reinterpreting the genre, what Carbone understood about theater and hospitality, and the three reasons Janello thinks these restaurants really close. It is a warm, opinionated look at a category of restaurant that is equal parts food, memory, and cultural preservation. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Red Sauce Map: https://www.theredsaucemap.com Follow Janello on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forkingtasty Follow Janello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janello/ Timestamps 02:07 The History Of Red Sauce Joints In America 04:23 How Janello Defines A Red Sauce Joint 06:49 The Chicken Parm Origin Story 1 1:16 Janello's Top Five Chicken Parms In The Country 13:03 What Makes A Great Chicken Parm 14:45 Lasagna, Manicotti, And The Ricotta Debate 20:50 The Checklist Every Red Sauce Joint Should Meet 22:45 In Memory Of: The Closed Joints He Misses Most 25:51 Old School Versus The New Red Sauce Joint 33:50 The Three Reasons Red Sauce Joints Close

September 1, 2026Episode 14558 min

Rocco DiSpirito talks technique, content creation, and the path of the modern chef

#145 Josh sits down with chef, restaurateur, author, and television pioneer Rocco DiSpirito for a wide-ranging conversation about how dramatically the path of a chef has changed. Recorded at Bar Rocco, the episode begins with Josh realizing that Rocco actually judged a cooking competition he entered 25 years ago, before the two revisit their shared connection to legendary chef Gray Kunz. Rocco traces his own path from earning 50 cents an hour at a Queens pizzeria to culinary school, Europe, Lespinasse, Union Pacific, television, health and wellness, and eventually back into restaurants. Along the way, they unpack what young cooks once had to endure to gain access to culinary knowledge and whether today's chefs really need the same years of repetition and classical training now that so much information is instantly available online. Rocco and Josh also get into the realities of building a sustainable career as a chef, from why great food alone may no longer be enough to why Rocco's former business partner taught him to balance "perfecting" with "promoting." They discuss social media, chef IP, restaurant ownership, licensing and management deals, and why Rocco believes younger chefs shouldn't become overly protective of a name or trademark. Rocco shares how triathlon training transformed his approach to health and led to nine health and wellness books, names some of the cookbooks that shaped him, and gets deep into the technique behind cooking with black truffles. The conversation closes with what's ahead: more Bar Rocco, a new book blending recipes and stories, his work with CookUnity, and, above all, a desire to keep cooking. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Rocco on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocco-dispirito-27125916/ Follow Rocco on Instagram: @roccodispirito Visit Rocco DiSpirito: https://www.roccodispirito.com/ Visit Bar Rocco: https://www.barroccony.com/ Timestamps 00:00 Reconnecting 25 years after Josh first met Rocco 06:42 Rocco's early career, culinary school, and Gray Kunz 14:11 How a Queens pizzeria changed Rocco's life 18:02 Why the traditional path to becoming a chef has changed 23:42 Training cooks when fundamentals are no longer assumed 27:26 Why chefs need media to build sustainable careers 37:46 Protecting chef IP and rethinking restaurant ownership 41:45 How health and triathlons transformed Rocco's cooking 49:52 The cookbooks that shaped Rocco as a chef 53:17 Black truffles, flavor, and the value of hands-on experience

August 25, 2026Episode 243 min

Revisiting Epic Conversations: Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza, Du's Donuts, Alder, and wd~50 (Part 2)

We’re revisiting Part Two of Josh’s conversation with legendary chef Wylie Dufresne, continuing their fireside chat from the annual meez team summit at the Tarrytown Estates outside New York City. After exploring the story and philosophy behind wd~50 in Part One, Wylie tackles some not-so-quick-fire questions, shares the unexpected inspiration behind Stretch Pizza, and takes questions from the audience. Chef Wylie reveals how stumbling upon a Breville pizza oven during the pandemic sparked an obsession with pizza-making. His desire to understand every lever and variable behind the perfect dough became a source of stimulation and happiness during a difficult period and ultimately helped inspire the opening of Stretch Pizza. The conversation also explores the difference between copying a recipe and truly mastering a craft. Wylie explains why great cooking comes from years of practice and repetition, the importance of seeking honest feedback, and learning to recognize when a dish is truly balanced. It’s a thoughtful continuation of Part One and a look at how curiosity keeps chefs and creators learning, experimenting, and pushing their work forward. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Wylie on X: https://x.com/wyliedufresne Follow Wylie on Instagram: @wyliedufresne Timestamps: (2:13) Lightning round (7:15) Why American cheese is so good (11:37) Funny moments at wd~50 (18:00) Du’s Donuts flavor hits and misses (19:16) Why pizza saved Wylie (24:35) How to identify talent (26:37) When it’s time to stop iterating (28:17) Is imitation really the greatest form of flattery (31:00 ) What wd~50 was all about (32:50) When to take a pause on ideation (35:41) Innovating on equipment and ingredients

August 25, 2026Episode 158 min

Revisiting Epic Conversations: Wylie Dufresne of Stretch Pizza, Du's Donuts, Alder and wd~50 (Part 1)

We’re revisiting one of the standout conversations from the meez Podcast archive. In this episode, Josh sits down with legendary chef Wylie Dufresne for a conversation on creativity, leadership, and the tension between making great art and building a sustainable business. It’s a conversation that remains just as relevant today, and one well worth bringing back for another listen. Chef Wylie Dufresne joins host Josh Sharkey for a fireside chat at the Tarrytown Estates outside New York City for the annual meez team summit. Chef Dufresne is a true pioneer and craftsman in the culinary world, having won James Beard Awards and Michelin stars, and his restaurant, wd~50, was voted one of the 50 best in the world. In this interview, Chef Wylie discusses his struggles with balancing art and commerce. He reflects that he did not regret choosing art over commerce but wishes he had worked more thoughtfully at finding a better balance. As the conversation continues, Chef Wylie touches on the importance of timing in business. He discusses how he created a new paradigm of cooking when he opened wd~50 and how he developed a culture of creativity there, emphasizing how creativity cannot be taught, but it can be planned for and hunted for. Dufresne's goal for wd~50 was to create a place where anyone interested in learning about cooking could continue to do so. With this philosophy, Dufresne created a restaurant that not only pushed culinary boundaries but also fostered a culture of learning and curiosity. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Wylie on X: https://x.com/wyliedufresne Follow Wylie on Instagram: @wyliedufresne Timestamps: (02:06) Chef Wylie’s background (12:12) The intersection between art and commerce (15:14) The importance of timing in business (23:29) The origins of innovation (26:02) When to filter ideas and establish boundaries (28:18) The iconic wd~50 eggs benedict (29:39) When to stop iterating (39:29) Baker’s percent versus standard percent (44:23) Learning when to not buck and system (49:35) How to maintain high standards among your team (55:06) Picking the right people

August 18, 2026Episode 361 hr 1 min

Revisiting Epic Conversations: John Karangis - Executive Chef, VP of Culinary Innovation Shake Shack

Revisiting Viral meez Episodes — we're bringing back one of the most-listened-to conversations in meez Podcast history. This episode originally aired October 31, 2023. Have you ever wondered who is behind all of the new and exciting flavors at Shake Shack ? Meet John Karangis , Executive Chef and VP of Culinary Innovation, leading R&D, menu development, and chef collaborations for the brand. John's culinary journey kicked off in the nineties at Union Square Cafe, winding through Paris and San Francisco, before settling back in New York City at Gramercy Tavern. A detour into the corporate kitchen of Goldman Sachs honed his skills in delivering top-notch restaurant-style food in unconventional settings. Prior to Shake Shack, John spent seven years at the helm of Danny Meyer's Union Square Events, fine-tuning his ability to execute high-quality food on a large scale. In this episode, join CEO Josh Sharkey and John as they discuss the intricacies of R&D and innovation at Shake Shack. Discover the secrets behind producing restaurant-quality fare on a grand scale, and get a glimpse into John's passion for endurance training. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow John Karangis on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-karangis-470379a3/ Follow John on Instagram: @john_Karangis Timestamps 02:11 John's culinary background 06:48 Endurance training 13:12 How endurance training relates to working as a chef 17:41 R&D for Shake Shack 25:07 R&D Customer feedback 29:36 Shake Shake chef collaborations 33:50 When dishes don't make it past testing 42:36 Union Square Events and producing food at a large scale 46:31 How to create high quality food at a large scale 54:36 Working with Delta and seasoning food at high elevation 57:18)Advice on how to start on a fitness journey

August 11, 2026Episode 14459 min

Kenny Warner on How AI Models Really Work, Why Clean Data Wins, and the Future of Restaurant AI

#144 Josh and Mike sit down with Kenny Warner, VP of Data Science and Engineering at meez, for a conversation that starts with Kenny's unlikely path into tech leaving college after his sophomore year to launch a cause-marketing startup and winds up deep inside the machinery of modern AI. Kenny breaks down what actually happens when a language model reads your data, explaining tokens, embeddings, attention, and inference in plain terms, and why you can't simply point a chatbot at a hundred-million-row database and expect good answers. He and Josh dig into the real difference between building a model and fine-tuning one, why clean and trusted data is the true competitive advantage, and how smaller, purpose-built models can beat the giants at specific jobs. They also get into where this is all heading for restaurants, from turning recipes, costs, and margins into something a system can reason about to the rise of MCP and agentic tooling, with a detour through Nobu, a Miami chef tour, and a few fun facts along the way. It's a rare, jargon-free look under the hood of AI from someone who builds it every day. Links and resources 📌 Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/ Follow Kenny Warner on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kennywarner/ Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/ Follow Michael on Instagram: @michaeljacober Timestamps 08:04 Kenny's Path From College To Startup Founder 12:01 Raising Capital And Hitting Hard Times 15:01 Building A Model Versus Fine-Tuning One 16:11 What Tokens And Embeddings Really Are 18:45 How Attention Works In Language Models 26:01 Why Clean, Trusted Data Wins 29:05 The Case For Smaller, Purpose-Built Models 41:03 How AI Reads A Hundred Million Rows 43:21 MCP And The Rise Of Agentic Tools 50:01 What All This Means For Restaurants