In partnership with
Friends of Branded:
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
My first job out of college was as an analyst for a New York City based investment bank. This was a 2-year analyst program that despite the grueling hours, I have very fond memories of my experience thanks to some amazing people, a steep learning curve, and the countless times when meeting rooms emptied, and platters of food were left behind.
One of my first assignments for the Government Agency Finance group was to run the RFP process for the many service providers that would be needed for a series of transactions for the Department of Veteran Affairs.
RFP stands for “Request for Proposal” and it’s a formal document issued by a company (or organization) to solicit proposals from potential vendors or service providers. The RFP describes the project or problem, it outlines the requirements and asks vendors to submit detailed proposals on how they would deliver a solution (the deliverable would typically include scope, methodology, a timeline, pricing, and the responders’ qualifications).
An RFP is like holding up a banner that says, “we need some help, show us what you got” and is used primarily by organizations that need to have a structured, competitive, and transparent decision-making process.
The hospitality industry is experiencing a heightened level of RFP activity and its a clear signal that the ResTech market is entering the next phase of this digital transformation that is underway.
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This week on the Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Nick Kenner to talk about what it takes to build success in the competitive QSR landscape. From emerging brands to evolving industry trends, Nick shares candid insights and strategies that every operator, investor, and hospitality insider should hear.
The Key to a $1.3 Trillion Opportunity
A new trend in real estate is making the most expensive properties obtainable. It’s called co-ownership, and it’s revolutionizing the $1.3T vacation home market.
The company leading the trend? Pacaso. Created by the founder behind a $120M prior exit, Pacaso turns underutilized luxury properties into fully-managed assets and makes them accessible to the broadest possible market.
The result? More than $1B in transactions and service fees, 2,000+ happy homeowners, and over $110m in gross profit to date for Pacaso.
With rapid international growth and 41% gross profit growth last year alone, Pacaso is hitting their stride. They even recently reserved the Nasdaq ticker PCSO.
The same VCs that backed Uber, eBay, and Venmo also backed Pacaso. Join them as a Pacaso shareholder before the opportunity ends September 18.
Paid advertisement for Pacaso’s Regulation A offering. Read the offering circular at invest.pacaso.com. Reserving a ticker symbol is not a guarantee that the company will go public. Listing on the NASDAQ is subject to approvals.
We’re thrilled to celebrate our friend and partner Neil Sudaisar of DIRECTV, who was just awarded the Ted Balestreri Leadership Accelerator Award at this year’s Prosper Forum.
This prestigious honor recognizes leaders in the foodservice and hospitality industry who exemplify inclusive leadership, set the standard for industry best practices, and champion our space as a place where everyone can build fulfilling careers. Neil embodies all of this and more.
Beyond the award, Neil has been a true partner to Branded—DIRECTV co-sponsored our Cocktails & Connections Party at Prosper, collaborated with us at RLC through media content, and we’re excited to partner again at FSTEC in just a few weeks. We’re lucky to work with him and proud to cheer him on for this well-deserved recognition.
👉 Connect with Neil on LinkedIn to congratulate him and celebrate this incredible honor!
Food safety just got real. By January 2026, every food company in America will be required to trace perishables at every step of the supply chain.
The problem? Today’s traceability providers don’t talk to each other, leaving companies scrambling to stay compliant.
Enter Starfish, the Plaid of Traceability and the only secure connectivity layer that links all those siloed systems together.
Starfish normalizes, secures, and translates data giving companies compliant, seamless data sharing without exposing their IP.
Starfish has been spun out of a major public company with a pedigreed team and real traction.
Curious to dive deeper or join the opportunity? Let’s talk.
Don’t just scroll—click! Congratulate everyone on making the B List and send some LinkedIn love their way.
Industry Intel
Learn from the best, network with peers, and walk away with playbooks.
Written by David “Rev” Ciancio
@hospitality.hangout What’s YOUR go to drink? If you say vodka pineapple…. I’m concerned. #vodka #tequila #pineapple @topochicousa
That’s it for today!
See you next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
It takes a village!
Jimmy Frischling
Branded Hospitality
235 Park Ave South, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10003
Branded Hospitality is a foodservice growth platform with three integrated business lines—Ventures, Solutions, and Media. We invest in innovative tech and emerging brands, provide expert advisory and capital strategies, and amplify visibility through podcasts, newsletters, social, and events—creating a powerful flywheel that drives growth, brand strength, and lasting success.
