Donatos Pizza President and CEO Kevin King joins Hospitality Hangout to share the growth playbook behind a legacy pizza brand built on culture, consistency, and a people-first approach to hospitality.

From starting as a dishwasher at 14 to leading one of America’s most recognizable pizza brands, Kevin explains how Donatos has stayed relevant while staying true to its values. He breaks down the company’s Agape Capitalism philosophy: lead with love, follow the Golden Rule, and do the right thing.

The conversation explores what restaurant growth looks like when people come before systems, how Donatos approaches employee retention and guest experience, and why great technology should remove repetitive work instead of replacing the human side of hospitality.

Kevin also shares how Donatos uses automation and robotics to improve pizza consistency, including a machine that applies sauce in seven seconds, its long-running pepperoni innovation, and a fully automated pizza kitchen. Plus, he discusses why the brand puts 100 pieces of pepperoni on every large pizza, its Red Robin partnership, and what it takes for a pizza brand to scale without losing what made it special.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

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Chris Noffze, Director of Direct Franchising and Operations at Gong cha Americas, takes us inside Gong cha’s franchise growth strategy, simplified operations, and Gong cha 2.0 including Super Wu, the beverage automation system designed to build highly customized drinks faster and more consistently while allowing team members to spend more time with guests. From self-order kiosks and QR-driven drink production to training, retention, supply chain efficiency, K-pop collaborations, and the human side of hospitality, this conversation looks at what it takes to turn a global tea brand into a scalable restaurant platform.

Is boba tea a fad? Chris explains why the category is here to stay — and why great operations, great people, and a consistent product matter as much as the drink itself.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.

Live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference, Hospitality Hangout sits down with M.J. Worsham, Vice President of Technology at Five Guys, to discuss AI in restaurants, automation, loyalty programs, restaurant operations, POS systems, labor optimization, guest experience, and the technology trends shaping the future of hospitality.

M.J. shares how Five Guys evaluates emerging restaurant technology, why AI vendors must prove real operational value, how automation can improve restaurant management, and why the best technology solutions help employees rather than replace them.

The conversation also dives into restaurant loyalty, direct-to-consumer marketing, premium restaurant positioning, POS evolution, restaurant data strategy, workforce technology, and the future of AI-powered restaurant operations.

If you're a restaurant operator, franchise executive, hospitality leader, technology provider, or investor focused on restaurant innovation, this episode delivers valuable insights from one of the industry's leading technology executives.

Hospitality Hangout is the restaurant industry podcast featuring conversations with restaurant executives, franchise leaders, hospitality innovators, technology founders, and operators shaping the future of foodservice.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, Jimmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.