Friends of Branded!
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
Sitting at dinner on Thursday night, the topic of the many amazing TV shows that are currently being enjoyed was a hot topic. That was until the attention turned to me, and my lack of participation in the conversation (sitting quietly at a table is not my jam and my dining companions most certainly noticed).
Schatzy reminded the table, “Jimmy doesn’t watch TV.”
That’s not true, and the TV in my home is on quite often, but it is true that watching currently airing shows for adults, is on a lengthy pause (however the Disney Channel & Nickelodeon are burning up my living room screen).
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My dining companions strongly suggested that I get current on the shows capturing the most attention, if for no other reason than it would help modernize the many references I use in this newsletter. This crew didn’t mix words, and they expressed that my movie and TV references are very dated, and I need more current references.
So, to the good people at that table, thank you for inspiring the theme of this week’s H^2 and in response I pulled from the 1988 romantic comedy-drama, Mystic Pizza, to help launch into this week’s Top of the Fold. 😊
I was reading this week about the increasing demand for analog-first experiences and the growing consumer desire to disconnect from devices. As I dug in further, several trends emerged when it comes to hospitality, travel, and leisure and specifically a growing desire for a “digital detox” with 71% of US travelers saying they actively seeking to reduce their time spent time spent online. In addition to a digital detox, there’s also demand for “time travel” with 58% of global travelers seeking destinations that represent the opportunity to embrace nostalgia.
Enter Food & Wine’s Nina Caplan and her article on how 2 restaurants are rejecting technology in favor of warm, face-to-face hospitality. I enjoyed the article and absolutely LOVED that one of the two, restaurants featured in the article is not only in the City (that’s for you JB 😊), but is owned & operated by our friends Chip & Tina Vaughn and their joint Eulalie down in Tribeca. Eulalie only takes reservations by phone (and records them in an old-school reservation book). The menu is handwritten by Tina and changes all the time based on what Tina and Chef Chip desires to create. This is a dinner only joint that isn’t interested in turning tables and instead wants to maximize relaxation. According to the article, Eulalie lives with tiny margins and no regrets and quotes Tina as saying she “understands the math, but Chip and I didn’t go into this for math.”
While the article featured 2 restaurants that are non-tech, there’s no question that in this digital age, there’s a growing demand for old-fashioned and unplugged hospitality that is focused on community and connections (Queen Z: please note this for a future use – “Community & Connections”).
I want to give a Top of the Fold shoutout to all the operators that are working hard to deliver what modern life often lacks: presence, simplicity, and human connection.
Despite Branded’s heavy focus on ResTech, I don’t view operators like Chip & Tina as being “anti-tech” but rather intentionally leaning into nostalgia, storytelling and analog experiences that feel rare and restorative. Their brand differentiation is authenticity and the experience that every guest takes away from dining with them.
Readers of the H^2 know that there’s room at our table (our industry) for all types of restaurants and the fragmentation and diversity represents our strength, not weakness.
But here’s the thing, surviving or even thriving without technology is achievable, but scaling is not.
As Tina Vaughn was quoted above, she & Chip didn’t get into this industry for the math, but Branded did.
Without an embracement of technology, successfully scaling, optimizing margins or competing for today’s digitally native guests sits somewhere between no-chance to impossible. I dare say, that rejecting technology is a choice to make things unnecessarily difficult and put your business at a far higher risk of failure.
Of course, there’s room for a few legacy and hyper-local joints that can thrive on nostalgia and a loyal customer-base, but for the vast majority of restaurants, the issues they face include rising labor costs, high guest expectations, fierce competition, and the pressure to do more with less.
Technology isn’t about replacing hospitality - it’s about scaling it. From digital ordering, marketing & guest engagement, to all the off-premises activity (including catering) to kitchen automation, technology gives operators the tools to compete, adapt, and grow. Without an embracement of technology, restaurants aren’t just unplugged, they’re out-of-touch and will be outpaced.
It’s Branded’s view that the old way of doing things just doesn’t cut it anymore. Without an intentional embracement of technology, you’re accepting more manual checks, more mistakes, and more stress. We don’t view technology as replacing experiences, it's about backing it up and providing leverage for your team.
You want to keep tech away from what your guests see? Okay, but that doesn’t excuse you from embracing inventory tracking, kitchen display systems and prep management tools. The right tools will help you run a tighter ship, waste less and operate more efficiently. Alternatively, without consistent systems across kitchens (and this mission critical for multi-unit operators), you’re relying on paper, memory, and luck (and that’s a recipe for inconsistency, waste, and failure).
The embracement of technology creates visibility, standardization, and control. From shared prep guides and real-time inventory to cross-location reporting, tech empowers kitchen leaders to run leaner and smarter - without sacrificing quality. Let’s not kid ourselves, in multi-unit restaurant companies, tech isn’t just helpful, it’s how you don’t just survive, but are afforded the opportunity to thrive!
When I searched for places in America that are steeped in nostalgia, tradition, and intentional simplicity, 5 places consistently made the list. One of them, Mystic Connecticut, happened to have a movie that used this seaside town for its story and the film received overall positive reviews.
Mount Airy, North Carolina was another place that kept making the list and is Andy Griffith's hometown and what the fictional community, Mayberry, was based on.
Film critic and historian, Roger Ebert, declared at the time "I have a feeling that Mystic Pizza may someday become known for the movie stars it showcased back before they became stars. All the young actors in this movie have genuine gifts.” I agree with Mr. Ebart’s assessment of the cast and please note, this film marked the film debut of Matt Damon. RIP Roger, and I enjoyed your work very much.
This film also found its way into a hospitality-focused newsletter 37 years after it premiered. That’s not too old, is it? 😊
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Before we dive into the shoutouts this week, in the immortal words of Tom Cruise as Jerry Maguire (the 1996 American sports comedy-drama film for those keeping score at home), "we're starting a new chapter. Who's coming with us?"
To not bury the lead, The Hospitality Headline is moving to a new distribution platform: Beehiiv!
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This move is just the beginning. We’ve got big plans ahead, and we're glad you’re on the ride with us.
Let’s do what Jerry did: bet on ourselves, bet on the future, and bring the goldfish with us. Cheers!
And now, back to our regular programming.
The FIRST shoutout this week goes to our partners at Starfish, the only layer-zero platform empowering transparency, safety, and trust in food supply chains worldwide.
I included Starfish in the Access Hospitality Network section of the H^2 back on May 10th (and I’ve attached the link to that edition of the H^2 here in case you’d like to revisit it: And the Award Goes to...).
On Thursday this week, the Starfish Board of Directors got together for its quarterly meeting, and I continue to be super excited about this company for both the important and great work they’re doing to address food traceability.
Readers should expect to see more about Starfish here in the H^2 and I expect we will be the beneficiary of its CEO, our friend Wiggs Civitillo, becoming a contributor to our newsletter. Food traceability is a critical and increasingly strategic issue for the hospitality and foodservice industry as the ability to track the journey of ingredients and products from origin through every step of the supply chain to the plate is so important.
I could probably start & stop with the regulatory pressure from FDA’s Food Safety Modernization Act (FSMA 204) which now requires enhanced recordkeeping on “high-risk” foods. Restaurants and foodservice distributors will be required to ensure compliance with FSMA or risk fines and disruption.
But let’s leave the regulatory issues aside and focus on the demands from guests for transparency and specifically Gen Z and Millennials that want to know where their food comes from. Traceability also feeds (pun intended) into sustainability, ethics, and allergen safety. But this about the journey from farm-to-table and our foodservice supply chain. Increased granular data from Starfish’s food traceability platform helps optimize sourcing, reduces waste and identifies weak links in supply chains and creates efficiencies across procurement and inventory.
To all the operators across our ecosystem, embracing traceability isn’t just about protecting yourselves (although that alone should be an important driver as reputational damage and legal exposure associated with the failing to adhere to the law is dangerous), this represents a competitive differentiator for your brand / company. Gen Z and Millennials are telling you that they care, and they will vote with their wallets, especially in the areas of premium offerings, as well as health-conscious and value-driven dining.
Last week, Starfish announced another strong partnership, this time with the good people at CAT Squared, a leader in designing smart-factory solutions that drive continuous improvement for food processors and manufacturers.
Starfish and CAT Squared announced a partnership to bring real-time supply chain traceability and FSMA 204 compliance to food manufacturers, powered by Starfish’s secure, system-agnostic data-sharing platform.
This collaboration connects CAT Squared’s MES data with broader supply chain partners, enabling:
- Real-time visibility
- End-to-end traceability
- Simplified compliance
Pulled from the announcement, “CAT Squared excels at capturing high-quality production and quality data at the source,” said Vernon Smith, CEO of CAT Squared. “Partnering with Starfish extends that value beyond the plant.”
As part of this initiative, CAT Squared has launched:
- FoodTrace Compliance Portal – For FSMA 204 regulatory and supply chain data exchange (FoodTrace Compliance Portal for FSMA 204 & Interoperable Traceability)
- FoodTrace Transparency Portal – For sharing verified origin and ESG info with consumers via QR codes (Improve Compliance)
“Together, we’re helping food companies unlock new value from their data,” said Wiggs Civitillo, CEO of Starfish.
This partnership represents a step forward in food traceability and leap toward a more connected value chain!
The SECOND shoutout this week goes to our friends at Toast and, as our friend and Toast’s CMO, Kelly Esten, affectionately called it, the Mega Customer Advisory Board (or “Mega CAB”) event that they hosted in Boston this week.
Toast brought together its Enterprise, International and Independent advisory boards, along with its new Partner Advisory Council together in Boston.
While I wasn’t in the room where it happens, I loved the key takeaways Kelly shared which included a few of the topics that Branded has been focused on.
AI was of course a hot topic and how the Mega CAB crew views the AI opportunity to empower operators to focus on what they do best, hospitality, while Toast focuses on building AI products and features that help their clients run their business.
There was a fireside chat with Toast’s Board Chair, Mark Hawkins, where he shared that Toast’s true north are its customers and partners. There are many reasons why Branded appreciates and values Toast (and it’s not limited to the strong swag and specifically baseball hat Kelly gave me). Toast and Branded share an ethos that it’s our goal to be operator-centric and when it comes to tech, it’s the little things that differentiate a good tech experience from a great one. We know that we win when we keep operators at the core of what we do.
Finally, the value of in-person meetings and events can’t be overstated, and we respect that Toast is committed to both showing up and bringing people together.
And finally, the THIRD shoutout goes to our friends at both the New York State Restaurant Association and Google for the Women in Hospitality Conference they hosted on Wednesday this week.
Branded’s very own Julie Zucker (our “Queen Z”) moderated a panel, the Generations of Leadership, which included our friends Jeanne Cretella from Landmark Hospitality Group, Tracy Kim from DIG, Tiffany Daniele from Union Square Hospitality Group and Marilyn Estrada from Boqueria Restaurant Group who brought their voices, experiences and advice to the stage.
The group covered a wealth of topics, including, but not limited to:
- The grit it took to get that first seat at the table.
- What work / life balance really looks like.
- The burnout, the breakthroughs, the imposter syndrome, and the belief it takes to lead.
- And what they owe the next generation of women coming up behind them.
I particularly valued how Julie described that this wasn’t just a panel, it was a passing of the torch, a reflection on how far women have come, and a reminder that leadership is a relay. Julie and the panelists are carrying what others built, and they’re building so others can carry. Respect!
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Branded invites readers of the H^2 that are interested in learning more about our portfolio companies, and investment strategies to become part of our Access Hospitality Network ("AHN").
The Access Hospitality Network section this week goes to our partners at LDV Hospitality and the opening of the newest member of its global portfolio of restaurants, Scarpetta, The Madrid Edition!
This is an exciting new chapter for LDV Hospitality (La Dolce Vita or The Good Life), a boutique hospitality group that creates authentic and unique restaurant and cocktail bar experiences, both independently operated as well as tailor-made for iconic hotel partners and the Branded team is excited to see the company’s global expansion plans come to fruition with the opening of Scarpetta in Madrid.
But friends, would the opening of a unit across the pound be the only reason LDV Hospitality is appearing here in the AHN section? You’re correct, it’s NOT!
Yes, the opening of Scarpetta Madrid is of course big and important news for this company and Branded’s partner in the full-service, high-end segment of the market, but there’s more to the story. Much more.
Branded closed on its investment of this concept creators and restaurant operating company in Q3 2024 and we understood that LDV had an ambitious expansion plan for the year(s) ahead. As I think about what LDV has accomplished in such a short period of time, it’s really quite amazing and I can’t help but think of a favorite Elvis Presley song of mine, A Little Less Conversation (if you click the link, you get both the song and a video).
So often (too often?), business owners over-promise and under-deliver. Branded isn’t new to this game and we do the necessary discounting of pipelines and models when presented to us, but when a company outperforms and delivers exceptionally on its growth plans, well, that deserves to be highlighted and I dare say, my attempt at an unsanctioned nickname for force that is LDV Hospitality, the Memphis Mafia!
I recognize the speed in which President & Founder, John Meadow, and COO & Partner, Rob Keddie, and the amazing team at LDV can shut down this attempt at my putting a nickname on them, but at least for this morning, they’re the Memphis Mafia.
As we launched into 2025, LDV Hospitality had a most ambitious plan for new openings and deals, and they just keep making things happen and getting things done.
In January 2025 LDV opened its new Mediterranean concept, Barlume, in NYC’s Flatiron district (conveniently located 2 blocks from Branded’s HQ and B Works)!
In March 2025, LDV took over the food and beverage operation at the ACE Hotel, Brooklyn and in May opened its new concept, Lele’s Roman. My brother-from-another-mother, The Wolf would have LOVED this joint (and its logo)!
In April 2025, LDV opened a Barlume Portugal six-month pop-up at the Val de Lobo resort in the Algarve.
In May 2025, the company began its second season operating LDV at the Maidstone Hotel in East Hampton.
These exciting openings are the ones I’m permitted to share, and I can’t wait to write about what LDV will be doing over the next 12 months.
Chris Rock has a saying that you don’t get credit for doing what you’re supposed to do (or get credit for not doing what you’re not supposed to do).
But the work, and accomplishments by the LDV since, Branded joined John, Rob and the LDV team on this journey is incredible.
For those that would like to explore with Branded the work we’re doing with this company and the opportunity to collaborate, please contact me directly. This is a special company and I’m excited to be part of it.
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Featured Episode - Michael Beacham on CPK’s Bold Recipe for Restaurant Transformation
In this can't-miss episode of Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Michael Beacham, President of California Pizza Kitchen, for an entertaining and insightful conversation packed with hospitality stories, expert insights, and insider knowledge.
Beacham shares how CPK is embracing restaurant transformation, navigating today’s biggest hospitality trends, and staying ahead in the ever-evolving food industry. From innovation strategies to growth mindset, get a behind-the-scenes look at what it takes to lead a beloved brand into the future.
Whether you're a seasoned hospitality insider or simply hungry for restaurant growth strategies, this episode serves up a flavorful mix of inspiration and actionable takeaways.
Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Michael Beacham
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MARKETING
All of my notes: The Restaurant Marketing Workshop 2025 Takeaways
By: Rev Ciancio, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Hospitality Ventures
The inaugural Restaurant Marketing Workshop —just wrapped in Indianapolis. Created and produced by Networld Media Group, this show was a tactic-based conference for marketers, by marketers about how to be better at marketing.
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AI
The Future of AI in Restaurants: Embracing Innovation and Staying Ahead
By: Michael L. Atkinson ResTech Entrepreneur, Investor, and Co-founder of ARI Venture Studio
Imagine customers placing orders via voice commands through smart speakers or mobile apps, with AI understanding and processing their requests. Furthermore, imagine AI generating personalized dining experiences based on individual customer preferences, including menu recommendations, ambiance adjustments, and personalized service.
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Today's Thought
Emotional Mastery Starts with One Question
By: David Meltzer
Have you ever found yourself frustrated, only to realize later that your emotional reaction had less to do with the situation at hand and more to do with something deeper? One of the most powerful mindset shifts we can make is asking ourselves a simple but transformational question: “Am I upset for the reason I think?”
Food For Thought
Funny, Unexpected, and Just a Little Bit Wrong: What Benign Violation Theory Teaches Us About Bold Hospitality
By: Melissa Hughes
Admit it: Hospitality professionals obsess over consistency. We polish every detail, script the perfect welcome, and work tirelessly to meet expectations. But what if meeting expectations isn’t enough?
Beck To The Future
Holiday Road 2.0: When Clark Griswold Let ChatGPT Plan the Family Vacation
By: Michael Beck
"Honey," he announces at dinner that night, eyes still wild with victory, “This year, I’m winning the vacation war. I’ve got ChatGPT. It planned the PERFECT European trip. Seamless. Intelligent. Optimized!”
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That’s it for today!
See you next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
It takes a village!
Jimmy Frischling
Branded Hospitality Ventures
jimmy@brandedstrategic.com
235 Park Ave South, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10003
Branded Hospitality Ventures ("Branded") is an investment and solutions platform at the intersection of foodservice, technology, innovation and capital. As experienced hospitality owners and operators, Branded brings value to its partners through investment, strategic counsel, and its deep industry expertise and connections.
Learn more about Branded here: Branded At-A-Glance