New York · Seed–Series A · 4 people tracked
Also known as BRANDED HOSPITALITY
Find your way into Branded Strategic Hospitality
491 people in our graph share verified history with the Branded Strategic Hospitality team — schools, employers, funds. One of them is your warm intro.
Investment thesis
Branded operates as a specialized platform serving the food service and hospitality sector through three integrated business lines. Its Ventures arm is a venture capital firm investing in and accelerating industry-related technology and emerging brands in food service and hospitality, focusing on high-growth opportunities and providing capital, industry expertise, and network access. Through a hands-on approach, it supports portfolio companies with strategic partnerships, market expansion, and long-term value creation. The Solutions line offers strategic advisory to food service, hospitality, and technology companies, while the Media line provides podcast partnerships, newsletter sponsorships, corporate events, and digital storytelling. Together these lines are designed to create a reinforcing flywheel.
Source: firm website, verified Aug 17, 2026.
Team · 4 people
from curated & public directoriesFounder mafia
3 people who came through Branded Strategic Hospitality went on to found or lead other companies.
What they invest in
from 66 of 76 portfolio companiesFoodTech ×37Consumer ×31SaaS ×25Enterprise Software ×14Retail Tech ×10AI & Machine Learning ×8Direct to Consumer ×7E-commerce ×7
HQs:United States×39Australia×1Canada×1France×1
Who they back
founder profiles across 21 portfolio companiesFounding team size:solo founder×172 founders×23 founders×2
Where their founders studiedfrom 16 founders with education data
Northwestern University ×2University of Washington ×2
What their founders studiedfrom 15 founders with field-of-study data
Computer Science ×4Business & Management ×2Economics ×2Finance & Accounting ×2Humanities ×2
Where their founders worked beforefrom 16 founders with career history
CNBC ×2Tiny Pulse ×2
Accelerator rootsportfolio companies that came through a program
Investments · 76 tracked
founders shown can be your intro pathBy year:2024 · 12020 · 12018 · 13 dated
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
5 Napkin Burger is a burger restaurant concept operated by Chef Driven Hospitality, with locations across New York City including Hell's Kitchen and the Upper West Side.
ConsumerFoodTechNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Acadia is a restaurant in New York serving modern Mediterranean cuisine, with house-made mezze, fresh pastas, and flatbreads drawing on flavors from southern Italy to northern Africa.
ConsumerNew York, US
Ari Bokovza(Executive Chef & Partner)Aviram Turgeman(Beverage Director & Partner)Alon Moskovitch(General Manager and Partner)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Valyant.ai provides free tax and superannuation calculators for Australian individuals, sole traders, and small businesses.
Fintech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Ottonomy builds autonomous delivery robots (Ottobots) using contextual AI and L4 autonomy for indoor and outdoor last-mile transport across hospitals, labs, pharmacies, manufacturing plants, campuses, and urban areas.
AI & Machine LearningLogistics & Supply ChainRoboticsSanta Monica, US
Hardik Sharma(Director)Ashish Gupta(Director)Pradvot Korupolu Venkata Narasimha(Executive Officer, Director)Ritukar Vijay(Executive Officer, Director)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsConnetic Venturespi Ventures
Barbounia is a Mediterranean restaurant in Gramercy, New York, serving cuisine influenced by Greece, Southern France, Morocco, and Southern Italy for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch.
ConsumerNew York, US
Vladimir Kolotyan(General Manager and Partner)Amitzur Mor(Executive Chef and Partner)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Restaurant tech company; $100M exit.
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsAnalog VenturesFour Acres CapitalGV (Google Ventures)Longwood FundRally Ventures Management, LlcSupernode Ventures+2 more
Big Chicken is a chicken-focused restaurant brand built around bold flavors, generous portions, and community engagement.
ConsumerFoodTech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Big Daddy's is a retro-style American diner operating since 1969, serving classics such as burgers, milkshakes, all-day breakfast, salads, and sandwiches alongside a full bar.
ConsumerNew York City, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Bite provides AI-powered self-order kiosk software for fast-casual and quick-service restaurants and convenience stores, handling ordering and payment.
AI & Machine LearningFoodTechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsTamarisc VenturesOne Way VenturesStaley Capital
Blanket offers brand assessment tools for multi-location businesses, helping area managers verify that each location follows brand standards across compliance, guest service, health inspections, facilities, quality assurance, cash handling, training, insurance, and safety.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechFuture of WorkRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Brizo Data (Brizo by Datassential, formerly Brizo FoodMetrics) provides big-data analytics and business intelligence for the food service industry.
AI & Machine LearningData & InfrastructureFoodTechSales TechQuebec City, CA
Ian Delisle(Chief Executive Officer (CEO))inGaétan Corneau(Chief Information Officer (CIO))inTrevor Shimizu(Chief Revenue Officer (CRO))inJean-Sébastien Vachon(Chief Technology Officer (CTO))in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsFramework Venture PartnersBDC Venture Capital
This is a product page for assorted gift boxes containing cookies, not a company website.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerce
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Café D'Alsace is a New York restaurant on Manhattan's Upper East Side, offering French/Alsatian-style dining with a focus on locally sourced ingredients.
ConsumerFoodTechNew York, US
Philippe Roussel(Executive Chef and Partner)Aviram Turgeman(Beverage Director and Partner)Gabriel Biton(General Manager)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Chowly integrates restaurant delivery apps with point-of-sale systems to eliminate manual data entry and synchronize menus across platforms.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechMarketing TechSaaSChicago, US
Sterling Douglass(Co-Founder & CEO)Justin McNally(Chief Innovation Officer)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
ComAve is an unlaunched product described as something new for football fans, with a coming-soon page collecting emails for launch updates.
ConsumerSports Tech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Copia is a surplus redistribution platform that connects food waste from businesses and organizations to people facing food insecurity.
Circular EconomyEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechImpact & Social GoodSaaSSan Francisco, US
Komal Ahmad(Founder/CEO)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsMoment Ventures, LlcThird NatureY CombinatorStructure Capital
Craveworthy is a multi-brand restaurant platform that acquires, builds, and scales restaurant concepts, providing operators with shared infrastructure such as supply chain, technology, marketing, and real estate to grow through franchise ownership.
ConsumerFoodTech
Gregg Majewski(Founder & CEO)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Curbit provides kitchen capacity management software for restaurants, integrating with point-of-sale and kitchen display systems to enable real-time order visibility and optimize delivery and pickup operations.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechRetail TechSaaSCalabasas, US
Kevin Pidduck(Founder and CEO)Scott Siegel
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsAlpine MeridianContour Venture PartnersFlow CapitalNew York Venture PartnersThe Fund
AI & Machine LearningFoodTechSaaS
Gary Goodman(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Dagon is a Mediterranean restaurant on the Upper West Side of Manhattan serving house-made mezze, fresh pastas, and grilled dishes drawing on cuisines from southern Italy to northern Africa.
ConsumerNew York, US
Ari Bokovza(Executive Chef & Partner)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Dispatch Goods operates a reverse logistics platform that enables businesses to implement reusable container systems and circularity in their operations.
Circular EconomyClimate TechE-commerceFoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainSan Francisco, US
Lindsey Hoell(Founder & CEO)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investors1st Course CapitalBread And Butter Ventures, LlcClear Current CapitalCleo CapitalCongruent VenturesSanta Cruz Venture+4 more
Ripples sells edible ink pods used by its Ripple Maker machines to print designs and images onto the foam of drinks such as coffee.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechHardwareMarketing Tech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Duke's is a New York City roadhouse-style bar and restaurant offering food, drinks, and a self-pour beer wall, along with online ordering.
ConsumerNew York City, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Ecotrak provides a facility and asset management platform that helps service industries—such as restaurants, convenience stores, car washes, and grocery stores—manage assets and maintenance and make maintenance decisions.
Enterprise SoftwarePropTechSaaS
Matt Singerin
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Fishbowl is a social networking app where professionals connect, ask candid questions, and share advice with peers in similar roles or industries.
Future of WorkSocial
Matt Sunbulli(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsValhalla Partners
French Roast is a French restaurant and café in New York that has operated since 1995, serving classic French cuisine, coffee drinks, and full meals.
ConsumerNew York, US
Aviram Turgeman(Beverage Director and Partner)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
GoTab is a Restaurant Commerce Platform offering mobile point-of-sale, contactless ordering and payment, and kitchen management systems for large- and mid-sized restaurants, breweries, bars, and hotels.
FintechFoodTechSaaSArlington, US
David Krauskopf(Director)Daryoush Mansouri(Executive Officer)Timothy McLaughlin(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)Morgan Haye(Executive Officer)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsTruist VenturesBranded HospitalityMissionOG
Gregorys Coffee roasts and sells coffee, selecting beans and developing its own roast profiles in-house.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTech
Gregory Zamfotis(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Humanly builds conversational AI and automated interviewing technology for high-volume hiring, helping organizations qualify candidates and conduct structured interviews at scale.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareHR TechSaaSSeattle, US
Andrew Gardner(Founder)inPrem Kumar(Founder)inBryan Leptich(Founder)in
BoardChris Olsen(Director)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsChaos VenturesConvergeDrive CapitalFirst Row Partnersm]x[v CapitalMoneta Ventures+4 more
A platform for exploring and ordering from restaurants, requiring user sign-up and involving merchant partners.
FoodTechMarketplaces
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsAltelan
Incentivio offers a guest engagement platform for multi-unit restaurant brands, combining online ordering, loyalty programs, marketing automation, and analytics into one system.
FoodTechMarketing TechSaaSBoston, US
Sashika Dias(Executive Officer, Director)Rajat Bhakhri(Executive Officer, Director)in
BoardPhil Bronner(Director)Julia Taxin(Director)inSean Dowling(Director)inJames Frischling(Director)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsArdent VentureBlueTree Venture CapitalConductor CapitalData Point CapitalService Provider CapitalGrotech Ventures+1 more
Ingest is a data management and analytics platform designed for restaurants and food & beverage businesses.
Data & InfrastructureFoodTechNew York, US
Daniel Meth(Executive Officer, Director)Linus Liang(Executive Officer, Director)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investors7BC Venture CapitalBoot64 VenturesMu VenturesNew Orleans Startup FundPathbreaker Ventures
Isabelle's Osteria is an Italian restaurant in the Gramercy Park area of New York City, serving homemade pastas, seasonal dishes, a curated wine list, and signature cocktails.
ConsumerFoodTechNew York City, US
David Sasson(Founder & Designer)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Juicer is a margin management platform for restaurants that connects to a restaurant's POS to track costs, competitor pricing, sales, and delivery commissions.
FoodTechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsMudita VentureRedstick VenturesAugment VenturesKitchen FundYork IE
L'Express is a French bistro (Lyonnaise bouchon) in New York City serving classic bistro dishes for breakfast, lunch, dinner, and late-night dining.
ConsumerNew York, US
Thor Oren(General Manager)Amitzur Mor(Executive Chef)inAviram Turgeman(Beverage Director and Partner)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
LAVIT makes a countertop beverage system that pours on-demand cold drinks—still and sparkling water, sodas, teas, and energy drinks—from single-serve capsules of various brands.
ConsumerFoodTechHardwareNew York City, US
Gian Matteo Lo Faro(Founder)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
The Seville is a cocktail bar and live-music venue in New York City's NoMad District, offering a playful cocktail menu with live musicians and DJs playing older music genres.
ConsumerFoodTechNew York City, US
John Meadow(President & Founder)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Le Monde is a French restaurant in New York City's Morningside Heights neighborhood, serving guests since 1999 with a French dining menu.
ConsumerNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsCathay InnovationGreycroftHiro CapitalNVIDIA
Leasecake is a lease management and accounting platform that unifies lease administration and accounting in a single data model, tracking changes, amendments, and documents to keep books aligned and audit-ready.
Enterprise SoftwareFintechPropTechSaaSWinter Park, US
James Bankston(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)inShailesh Adhav(Executive Officer, Director, Promoter)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsAlpine MeridianCreativeCoIrishAngelsLas Olas Venture CapitalService Provider CapitalMiami Angels+1 more
LiquidRails offers a direct-to-consumer platform for beverage alcohol brands, handling compliance with the three-tier system, compliant fulfillment, and digital marketing.
Direct to ConsumerE-commerceSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsRevUp Capital
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
The page does not contain substantive information about the company's product or business beyond a repeated marketing tagline.
AI & Machine Learning
Andrew Landis(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsMiami Angels
Tamias is building a point-of-sale (POS) platform with integrated loyalty and community features and advanced analytics for restaurants, bars, cafes, retail shops, ecommerce merchants, and stadiums, with a focus on businesses tied to sports and events.
FintechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Galley provides a Culinary Resource Planning platform for institutional foodservice operations, helping kitchen teams manage recipes, menus, nutrition, inventory, and purchasing through a centralized data system.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechSaaS
Benji Koltai
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsFTW VenturesSaaS CapitalTet Ventures
MarginEdge builds a restaurant management platform that handles invoice processing, inventory, cost tracking, and accounting integrations for restaurant operators.
FintechFoodTechSaaSArlington, US
Roy Phillips(Co-founder, Client Services)inBo Davis(Co-founder & CEO)inBrian Mills(Co-founder & CTO)inEmma Whelan(Chief Financial Officer)inJess Finnefrock(Chief Operating Officer)inTara Clever(Chief Revenue Officer)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsConnetic VenturesDERIVE VENTURESIrishAngelsSchooner CapitalOsage Venture PartnersTen Coves Capital
Chowly integrates delivery app orders with restaurant POS systems and provides a unified platform for order management, menu synchronization, marketing, and guest engagement serving thousands of restaurant brands across the US.
AI & Machine LearningEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechMarketing TechRetail TechSaaSChicago, US
Sterling Douglass(Co-Founder & CEO)Justin McNally(Chief Innovation Officer)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Marseille is a New York City restaurant serving Marseillaise/Mediterranean cuisine, operated by Chef Driven Hospitality Group.
ConsumerNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
meez is a digital recipe management platform for restaurant and kitchen teams, letting them create scalable recipes, manage editing permissions, notify staff of recipe changes, and build interactive training with videos and images.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechFuture of WorkSaaSNew York, US
Joshua Sharkey(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsCorrelation VenturesDERIVE VENTURESNoro-Moseley PartnersStruck CapitalAME Cloud VenturesCraft Ventures+2 more
Mighty Quinn's Barbeque is a New York-born barbeque restaurant that slow-smokes all-natural meats and poultry over wood and serves them hand-carved to order across multiple locations.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFoodTechNew York, US
Hugh Mangum(Pitmaster)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
MinnowPod makes smart, secure food-delivery lockers (pods) with touchscreens and delivery/pickup tracking software (MinnowOS) for residential and commercial property owners and managers.
HardwareIoTPropTech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsElevate Capital
Mr.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerE-commerceFoodTech
Jet Tila(Co-owner)Brian Goldberg(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsEvolution VC Partners
NBTV builds direct-to-consumer streaming "v-commerce" channels that combine video entertainment with shopping, targeting consumer lifestyle verticals such as spirits (Spirits Network) and golf (Golf Nation).
ConsumerE-commerceMedia & Entertainment
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
This is an event page promoting "Fête des Producteurs du Var," a local-consumption festival held in June 2026 featuring a petting farm, local-producer market with tastings, live music, and a producer awards ceremony in France's Var region.
Media & EntertainmentNice, FR
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Nizza is a New York City restaurant serving Ligurian and Mediterranean-inspired Italian cuisine.
ConsumerNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Ovation UP provides reporting and analytics software designed for multi-unit restaurants to identify operational areas needing improvement across locations.
Enterprise SoftwareSaaSSales TechTravel & Hospitality
Zack OatesinScott WeinertinSeth Weinertin
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investors500 GlobalMonta Vista CapitalTIA VenturesOneValleyYork IE
Playa Betty's is a restaurant serving California-style beach food, drawing on cuisine from across the California coast and Baja California.
ConsumerFoodTech
TomGene
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PourMyBeer (operated by Innovative Tap Solutions) builds self-pour and self-serve beverage dispensing technology for hospitality venues such as bars, restaurants, and stadiums.
FoodTechHardwareIoTRetail TechAmbler, US
Josh Goodman(Founder & CEO)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Square for Franchises is an integrated point-of-sale and franchise management system that combines payment processing with centralized sales reporting, royalty calculation, menu management, and cross-location loyalty and gift card programs.
FintechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsTIA VenturesVU Venture Partners
Soom Soom is a vegetable-forward, fast-casual Mediterranean restaurant serving falafel, hummus, and tahini-based dishes with homemade sauces, house-baked pita, and vegan and vegetarian options.
ConsumerNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Scarpetta is an Italian fine-dining restaurant brand known for house-made pastas and seasonal ingredients, operated by boutique hospitality group LDV Hospitality.
ConsumerNew York, US
John Meadow(Founder & President)
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Schmackary's is a cookie bakery offering a rotating menu of specialty flavors such as peppermint chocolate, ginger molasses, and chocolate cookies with pudding frosting and gummy worms, available to order.
ConsumerFoodTech
Zachary "Schmackary" Schmahl(Founder)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Olo is an open SaaS platform that enables restaurants to manage digital ordering, payments, and guest experiences across multiple channels.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechMarketing TechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Cut+Dry provides digital commerce and ERP integration solutions designed for foodservice distributors and suppliers.
E-commerceEnterprise SoftwareFoodTechSaaSSales Tech
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsFikaGraph Ventures
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Tablz provides a "Guest Fulfillment" platform that lets restaurants offer premium services such as seat selection, table upgrades, and pre-ordering, using dynamic pricing for premium tables.
ConsumerFoodTechSaaS
Frazer Nagy(Chief Executive Officer)inStef Scrivens(Chief Operations Officer)inJérôme St-Hilaire(Chief Technology Officer)in
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsRiverPark Ventures
The Friki Tiki is a tiki-themed bar and social venue in the Hell's Kitchen neighborhood of New York City, with roots on the Connecticut coast.
ConsumerNew York, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Usual Wines produces small-batch sparkling wine made from sustainably farmed grapes in California's North Coast region, sold direct to consumers with no added sugar and minimal processing.
ConsumerDirect to ConsumerFoodTechNapa, US
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsAVID3Bing VenturesBreedFlowdeskGSRKima Ventures+2 more
Vistify is a menu management platform for multi-unit restaurant brands, letting operations teams push and verify digital menu-board updates across many locations from a single governed system.
Enterprise SoftwareFoodTechRetail TechSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
VROMO provides delivery dispatch and management software for restaurants, featuring order routing, driver tracking, and customer communication tools to optimize last-mile delivery operations.
FoodTechLogistics & Supply ChainSaaS
PartnerJimmy Frischling· solo GP
Co-investorsNo Such Ventures
Exits · 1
1 acquisitionscustomar-image-1acq. by Black Box Intelligence
Portfolio news
latest coverage across their companiesMarginEdge · pulse2.com · Aug 21, 2026
Acadia · investing.com · Aug 17, 2026
Juicer · finsmes.com · Aug 13, 2026
Marseille · parisselectbook.com · Aug 13, 2026

Duke's · briefs.co · Aug 10, 2026

Copia · intelligence360.news · Jul 17, 2026
Dispatch Goods · santacruzworks.org · Jun 23, 2026
Bite · finsmes.com · Jun 15, 2026
Frequently asked questions
- How many investments has Branded Strategic Hospitality made?
- Branded Strategic Hospitality has 76 tracked investments, 1 of which have exited.
- What stage does Branded Strategic Hospitality invest at?
- Branded Strategic Hospitality invests at the Seed, Series A stages.
- What sectors does Branded Strategic Hospitality focus on?
- Branded Strategic Hospitality focuses on AgTech, Consumer, FoodTech, Hardware, SaaS, Travel & Hospitality.
- Where is Branded Strategic Hospitality located?
- Branded Strategic Hospitality is headquartered in New York, US.
- Who does Branded Strategic Hospitality co-invest with?
- Branded Strategic Hospitality most often shares deals with Alpine Meridian, Connetic Ventures, DERIVE VENTURES, among 64 tracked co-investors.
Media · Podcasts & interviews
featuring the teamInvestor Connect - Episode 237 - Jimmy Frischling of Branded Strategic Hospitality
Hall Martin · Jimmy Frischling
Jimmy Frischling | Founder & Managing Partner | Branded Strategic Hospitality
E.B. Cohen Insurance & Risk Management · Jimmy Frischling
Kimchi Magic: CEO of Bonchon Suzie Tsai on Korean Fried Chicken, Global Growth, and Flavor Innovatio
Hospitality Hangout
Why Busy Restaurants Still Fail: Bruce Nelson on the Math Behind Profit
Hospitality Hangout
Building BarTaco: Insights on Brand Culture and Growth in Hospitality
Hospitality Hangout
Maui Roots, San Diego Hustle: The Kalei’s Kitchenette Story
Hospitality Hangout
Images
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