In partnership with
Friends of Branded:
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
I know, I know, I know.
I was supposed to get more current with my movie & pop culture references and here I am, kicking off this week’s Top of the Fold with a reference from the 1997 romantic comedy, Fools Rush In, starring Matthew Perry and Salma Hayek.
Interesting though, 1997 was a notably significant year for Mr. Perry. In addition to his regarding Fools Rush In as his best performance in a major motion picture, he hosted Saturday Night Live with musical guest Oasis, the sitcom Friends ranked 4th in the Nielsen ratings, missing a position on the medal podium to only to gold medalist and the #1 rated show, ER, #2 Seinfeld, and #3 Suddenly Susan (all NBC shows, no wonder the network called this it’s “Must See TV” line-up) and he took meaningful steps toward battling long-standing addiction issues. That’s a quite a year. RIP Mr. Perry.
We’re moving on from Mr. Perry, but there’s a pivotal moment in the film when a priest tells Matthew Perry that there are signs everywhere to help him find his way.
And that’s how I felt this week. There were signs everywhere and while I know the hospitality industry is battling several tough headwinds & meaningful challenges, I’m bringing this week to a close with optimism, energy, and enthusiasm for what lies ahead.
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In this week’s Hospitality Hangout episode…
Neil Sudaisar, AVP of Commercial National Accounts at DIRECTV for business, shares how restaurants can leverage entertainment to boost growth and guest loyalty. He breaks down practical strategies for using technology, content, and engaging experiences to elevate your hospitality brand—and offers actionable tips on creating memorable moments that keep customers coming back.
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Prosper Forum – The Davos of Hospitality!
The Branded team is headed to St. Amelia Island this weekend for the Prosper Forum, a one-of-a-kind gathering uniting senior leaders and next-gen talent to shape the future of foodservice and hospitality.
This is our third year as a Founding Sponsor. Each year we look forward to bold ideas, next-gen leaders, and connections. We’re going LIVE with the Hospitality Hangout podcast, teaming with No Kid Hungry, and bringing back our legendary Cocktails & Connections night—live band, fireworks, and all.
Huge respect and thanks to David Jobe, Justine Jobe, Luke Kircher, and James Rogers for building this incredible community—click their names to give them a shout out for another rocking year of Prosper!
Gregorys Coffee – NYC-Born, Nation-Bound. More than coffee. A movement.
Gregorys Coffee is a New York City-based and community-driven coffee concept, and with the recent investment and Managing Partner position secured by Craveworthy Brands, this company is ready to scale nationwide.
Craveworthy Brands, among the fastest-growing restaurant holding companies in America, and has become a prolific investor since its founding in 2022. Its portfolio includes legacy chains such as Genghis Grill and BD’s Mongolian Grill, emerging concepts including Shaquille O’Neal’s Big Chicken as well as several virtual brands that only offer delivery.
Gregorys was founded in 2006, and this regional coffee chain is often counted as part of the third-wave coffee trend that’s focused on quality beans and artisanal craft, along with peers Blue Bottle Coffee and Intelligentsia Coffee.
Today, Gregorys has more than 50 locations, but the deal with Craveworthy Brands will launch an aggressive campaign to franchise Gregorys and expand beyond its tri-state stronghold.
Branded Hospitality is super-proud to be part of this investment along with our partners from Harborfield Management, and Kitchen Fund.
Gregg Majewski, the Founder & CEO at Craveworthy, Greg Golkin, the Managing Partner at Kitchen Fund and Gregorys Coffee Founder, Greg Zamfotis, who will stay on as president of the brand all have something in common. They all love Gregorys Coffee, they’re all going to drive and scale this company and none of them want to see Jimmy Frischling change his name to “Greg” in connection with Branded’s investment and the coming together of these partners.
In all seriousness, Gregorys Coffee has proven its model in the competitive NYC market. Is embraced for its health-forward offerings, in-house roasting, and digital-first service, and we believe with this company becoming part of the Craveworthy Brands family, it’s perfectly positioned to scale, compete, and win in the 74B U.S. coffee shop industry.
Want in on the next iconic U.S. coffee brand? Connect today.
Don’t just scroll—click! Congratulate everyone on making the B List and send some LinkedIn love their way.
Industry Intel
@hospitality.hangout Have you tried Mamas Too? Your doing it wrong- it’s all about the sandwich’s , not the pizza! #mamastoo #nycpizza #nyc #westvillage
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.
