#150

Josh sits down with Ty Wilson, co-founder and CEO of Tab Commerce, the financial management platform built specifically for restaurants. Ty grew up in his parents’ restaurants in Canada, studied finance, spent a few years in investment banking in Toronto, and landed back in the family business during the pandemic, where he saw how much money quietly leaks out of a restaurant through the expenses nobody is tracking. He and Josh get into why the local sourcing marketplace he started with never worked, what it took to move from software into regulated financial services, and why the long tail of spend (subscriptions, service contracts, repairs, and runs to Restaurant Depot) is where margin disappears.

Ty explains how virtual cards, real-time visibility, and automated coding change what an operator can control, why Tab has moved more than a dozen restaurant groups off Ramp and Brex without losing one back, and how vendor-funded rewards are reshaping what a business card is worth. They dig into where operators are actually buying supplies today, the shift to ordering online, and how much the convenience of a single distributor can quietly cost. They also cover the hardest lesson of building software for operators, that respecting the switching cost matters more than being right on paper, and why hiring people who genuinely love the industry has been a bigger competitive advantage than automation. Along the way Ty tells the story of his family’s other business, the traveling Ribfest barbecue circuit that tours Ontario every summer. It closes with both of them trading favorite restaurants and an unapologetic defense of the Cheesecake Factory.

Since we recorded, Tab has launched Tab Supply, an online store where operators can buy equipment, paper goods, and supplies at great prices, and earn cash back on every order when they pay with their Tab card. It’s the same idea Ty lays out in the episode: make it faster, easier, and cheaper for operators to get what they need, while showing them where their purchasing can get better.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Visit Tab Commerce: https://tabcommerce.com/

Follow Ty on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyedwardwilson/

Timestamps

05:50 Growing Up In His Parents' Canadian Restaurants

08:04 From Local Marketplace To Restaurant Back Office

11:45 The Terrifying Leap Into Financial Services

14:01 What Tab Commerce Actually Does Today

17:51 Life Before Tab, Petty Cash And One Shared Card

22:11 Restaurant Depot, Webstaurant, And Where Operators Really Buy

26:16 How Cash Back And Vendor Funded Rewards Work

32:53 Turning Spend Data Into Real Savings

43:40 The Hardest Lesson, Respect The Switching Cost

51:37 Olympians, Hospitality, And Canadian Ribfest

#148

Josh sits down with David Corts, CEO of Fresh Technology, the company behind Fresh KDS, now running in roughly 11,000 restaurant locations. David started his career in New York in the mid-90s as the first employee at @plan, met his wife of 25 years on a Metro North reverse commute while she was one of the first 20 employees at Priceline, and later sold a business to AOL, landing there as a VP of product under Tim Armstrong. He was also an English major, which he took to abbreviating as "ENG" once the Google transplants at AOL started asking what he studied, and now argues was his real advantage all along. He got to Fresh six years ago, a software division spun out of a restaurant holding company, walked away from online ordering in the middle of the pandemic, and bet the whole business on the kitchen display system instead.

The conversation keeps circling one idea: the number most operators measure is not the thing that actually happened. David argues that the middle layer of management, the part that exists to collect what happened and report it upward, is being abstracted away, and that the new bottleneck is coordination rather than execution. He explains why he blew up his own process ceremony, why he now hires only for people who unblock themselves, and how his personal knowledge vault became a company brain running on two repos, one PR-gated and one wide open. Josh tees up the 1950 Air Force study where Gilbert Daniels measured 4,063 pilots and found zero who were average on all ten dimensions the cockpit was built around, which sets off his case against average ticket time. The guest never experiences your average. They experience their order. They also get into whether sous vide counts as cheating, the rent-free SoHo apartment David's brother occupied for seven years, and why open beats closed in the long run.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Visit Fresh KDS: https://www.fresh.technology

Follow Fresh KDS on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/fresh.kds/

Follow David on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dcorts/

Timestamps

08:40 Building A Team Of "We'll Figure It Out" People

11:11 AI, Management, And The New Coordination Bottleneck

19:08 Lessons From The Dot-Com Era: AI Is Just A Utility

23:13 Services As Software And Customization At Scale

33:09 Why A Liberal Arts Background Is An Advantage In The AI Age

39:11 Spinning Out Fresh KDS And Betting On The Kitchen

47:06 Why Averages Are Dumb

53:12 Turning Kitchen Data Into Meaning With AI

58:59 Building A Personal Second Brain And A Company AI Operating System

01:13:50 The SaaSpocalypse, Headless Software, And Why Open Beats Closed

We're revisiting one of our favorite conversations from the meez Podcast archives. As The Chef Conference continues to bring together some of the brightest minds in hospitality, Mike Traud's insights on culinary education, community, and professional growth are just as relevant today as when this episode first aired.

Welcome to this captivating episode of The meez Podcast, where we explore the heart of culinary innovation and education with our distinguished guest, Mike Traud, founder of The Chef Conference (formerly known as the Philly Chef Conference) in the gastronomic hub of Philadelphia. With a legacy spanning over a decade and 10 groundbreaking conferences, Mike has significantly contributed to the culinary landscape through this annual event, which started during his tenure as the Director of Hospitality Management at Drexel University.

In today's conversation, we uncover the essence of The Chef Conference, exploring its evolution, significance, and what makes it a beacon for culinary professionals worldwide. Mike, with his rich background in hospitality law, culinary arts, and education, and his notable stint with Marc Vetri, brings a wealth of knowledge and insight into creating an event that not only celebrates but also advances the culinary industry.

Our dialogue extends into the meticulous planning and sheer effort required to bring such a conference to life, highlighting Mike's dedication and passion for fostering community and innovation among chefs and culinary enthusiasts alike. The Chef Conference has become a coveted gathering, attracting an impressive roster of culinary talents and thought leaders, indicative of its prestige and impact on the culinary world.

Adding a personal touch to our discussion, our CEO and founder, Josh Sharkey, shares his excitement and anticipation for moderating a panel on menu development, featuring celebrated chefs Ariel Johnson, Mr. Lyan, Rosio Sanchez, and Thomas Frebel. This opportunity not only allows for an engaging exploration of culinary creativity but also marks Josh's inaugural experience in panel moderation—a journey inspired by the conference's ethos of organic, passionate participation from all involved.

Moreover, we delve into the vital conversation about the intersection of education and industry, a theme close to Mike's heart, given his extensive background in academia. This discussion sheds light on the ongoing debate regarding the relevance of culinary education and how initiatives like The Chef Conference are pivotal in bridging the gap, ensuring a symbiotic relationship between learning and practical application.

As we gear up for this year's Chef Conference, taking place from April 12-15, we invite you to immerse yourself in the plethora of panels and special events lined up.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Follow MJ on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mjtraud/

Follow The Chef Conference on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/thechefconference/

Timestamps

(04:53) Mike's background in law and how he transitioned to food

(11:50) Where to eat in Philly

(14:21) How The Chef Conference was created

(16:23) The gap between education and industry

(19:49) Mike's goal for the conference

(22:41) Menu Development 101 panel

(24:09) How Mike chooses which panels to have during the conference

(30:10) What Mike loves most about the conference

(37:35) Biggest challenges faced every year

(44:52) The benefits of an intimate conference

(52:54) Goals for future conferences

Josh sits down with Sean Josephs, founder of Pinhook Bourbon and the new subscription-only Old Joseph's, for a conversation that traces two decades in restaurants and spirits. Sean didn't find the industry until he was 30, after five directionless years in fashion and beauty account management, before landing as a food runner at Tia Pol, the Chelsea restaurant his wife Mani opened in 2004. From there he trained under master sommelier Roger Dagorn at Chanterelle, then went on to build Char No. 4 in Brooklyn, Maysville, and Kenton's in Manhattan, all before relocating to New Orleans. Along the way he became one of the earliest people to treat bourbon the way sommeliers treat wine, pouring small tastes at a time and eventually founding Pinhook, a brand built around buying young barrels on lineage and being transparent about where the whiskey actually comes from.

The conversation moves through the mechanics of the bourbon industry that most drinkers never think about: why big brands dilute their whiskey down to 80-86 proof and chill filter it to hide inconsistency between barrels, how scarcity turned Pappy Van Winkle into a cult bottle despite sharing a mash bill with Weller 12, and how vintage bottles that sold for $58 a decade ago now go for $10,000. Sean and Josh debate what connoisseurship actually means, identifying quality even in something you personally dislike, argue about when homemade beats store-bought (can you really beat Heinz), and dig into why bourbon barrels aging in Kentucky have tripled since 2012, helped along by private equity speculation. It closes on Sean's bet for what comes next: the best bourbon hasn't been made yet, and it won't come from a single distillery.

Links and Resources📌

Sean's website: https://pinhookbourbon.com

Follow Sean on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/theseanjosephs/

Follow Sean on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sean-josephs-a1126573/

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

#146

Josh sits down with Jason Anello, better known as Janello, at Da Nico on Mulberry Street in Manhattan's Little Italy. Janello is an experience strategist on a mission to bring back dinnertime. That inspired him to create The Red Sauce Map and the Forking Tasty supper club so others can experience dinnertime through his Italian-American lense. They trace how Italian immigration and New World abundance turned scarcity cooking into stacked, saucy, unmistakably American plates, and why chicken parm has no Parmesan in it at all. Janello defines what actually qualifies a restaurant as a red sauce joint, from the antipasto and the tiramisu to the photos on the wall and the bottle of cheap Chianti, and runs down his top chicken parms and lasagnas across the country.

The conversation moves through fresh versus dried pasta, the ricotta dishes he can live without, and a segment called In Memory Of, where the two of them eulogize the neighborhood spots that have closed. From there it turns to the new generation of chefs reinterpreting the genre, what Carbone understood about theater and hospitality, and the three reasons Janello thinks these restaurants really close. It is a warm, opinionated look at a category of restaurant that is equal parts food, memory, and cultural preservation.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Red Sauce Map: https://www.theredsaucemap.com

Follow Janello on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/forkingtasty

Follow Janello on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/janello/

Timestamps

02:07 The History Of Red Sauce Joints In America

04:23 How Janello Defines A Red Sauce Joint

06:49 The Chicken Parm Origin Story 1

1:16 Janello's Top Five Chicken Parms In The Country

13:03 What Makes A Great Chicken Parm

14:45 Lasagna, Manicotti, And The Ricotta Debate

20:50 The Checklist Every Red Sauce Joint Should Meet

22:45 In Memory Of: The Closed Joints He Misses Most

25:51 Old School Versus The New Red Sauce Joint

33:50 The Three Reasons Red Sauce Joints Close

#145

Josh sits down with chef, restaurateur, author, and television pioneer Rocco DiSpirito for a wide-ranging conversation about how dramatically the path of a chef has changed. Recorded at Bar Rocco, the episode begins with Josh realizing that Rocco actually judged a cooking competition he entered 25 years ago, before the two revisit their shared connection to legendary chef Gray Kunz. Rocco traces his own path from earning 50 cents an hour at a Queens pizzeria to culinary school, Europe, Lespinasse, Union Pacific, television, health and wellness, and eventually back into restaurants. Along the way, they unpack what young cooks once had to endure to gain access to culinary knowledge and whether today's chefs really need the same years of repetition and classical training now that so much information is instantly available online.

Rocco and Josh also get into the realities of building a sustainable career as a chef, from why great food alone may no longer be enough to why Rocco's former business partner taught him to balance "perfecting" with "promoting." They discuss social media, chef IP, restaurant ownership, licensing and management deals, and why Rocco believes younger chefs shouldn't become overly protective of a name or trademark. Rocco shares how triathlon training transformed his approach to health and led to nine health and wellness books, names some of the cookbooks that shaped him, and gets deep into the technique behind cooking with black truffles. The conversation closes with what's ahead: more Bar Rocco, a new book blending recipes and stories, his work with CookUnity, and, above all, a desire to keep cooking.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Follow Rocco on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rocco-dispirito-27125916/

Follow Rocco on Instagram: @roccodispirito

Visit Rocco DiSpirito: https://www.roccodispirito.com/

Visit Bar Rocco: https://www.barroccony.com/

Timestamps

00:00 Reconnecting 25 years after Josh first met Rocco

06:42 Rocco's early career, culinary school, and Gray Kunz

14:11 How a Queens pizzeria changed Rocco's life

18:02 Why the traditional path to becoming a chef has changed

23:42 Training cooks when fundamentals are no longer assumed

27:26 Why chefs need media to build sustainable careers

37:46 Protecting chef IP and rethinking restaurant ownership

41:45 How health and triathlons transformed Rocco's cooking

49:52 The cookbooks that shaped Rocco as a chef

53:17 Black truffles, flavor, and the value of hands-on experience

We’re revisiting Part Two of Josh’s conversation with legendary chef Wylie Dufresne, continuing their fireside chat from the annual meez team summit at the Tarrytown Estates outside New York City. After exploring the story and philosophy behind wd~50 in Part One, Wylie tackles some not-so-quick-fire questions, shares the unexpected inspiration behind Stretch Pizza, and takes questions from the audience.

Chef Wylie reveals how stumbling upon a Breville pizza oven during the pandemic sparked an obsession with pizza-making. His desire to understand every lever and variable behind the perfect dough became a source of stimulation and happiness during a difficult period and ultimately helped inspire the opening of Stretch Pizza.

The conversation also explores the difference between copying a recipe and truly mastering a craft. Wylie explains why great cooking comes from years of practice and repetition, the importance of seeking honest feedback, and learning to recognize when a dish is truly balanced. It’s a thoughtful continuation of Part One and a look at how curiosity keeps chefs and creators learning, experimenting, and pushing their work forward.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Follow Wylie on X: https://x.com/wyliedufresne

Follow Wylie on Instagram: @wyliedufresne

Timestamps:

(2:13) Lightning round

(7:15) Why American cheese is so good

(11:37) Funny moments at wd~50

(18:00) Du’s Donuts flavor hits and misses

(19:16) Why pizza saved Wylie

(24:35) How to identify talent

(26:37) When it’s time to stop iterating

(28:17) Is imitation really the greatest form of flattery

(31:00 ) What wd~50 was all about

(32:50) When to take a pause on ideation

(35:41) Innovating on equipment and ingredients

We’re revisiting one of the standout conversations from the meez Podcast archive. In this episode, Josh sits down with legendary chef Wylie Dufresne for a conversation on creativity, leadership, and the tension between making great art and building a sustainable business. It’s a conversation that remains just as relevant today, and one well worth bringing back for another listen.

Chef Wylie Dufresne joins host Josh Sharkey for a fireside chat at the Tarrytown Estates outside New York City for the annual meez team summit.

Chef Dufresne is a true pioneer and craftsman in the culinary world, having won James Beard Awards and Michelin stars, and his restaurant, wd~50, was voted one of the 50 best in the world.

In this interview, Chef Wylie discusses his struggles with balancing art and commerce. He reflects that he did not regret choosing art over commerce but wishes he had worked more thoughtfully at finding a better balance.

As the conversation continues, Chef Wylie touches on the importance of timing in business. He discusses how he created a new paradigm of cooking when he opened wd~50 and how he developed a culture of creativity there, emphasizing how creativity cannot be taught, but it can be planned for and hunted for.

Dufresne's goal for wd~50 was to create a place where anyone interested in learning about cooking could continue to do so. With this philosophy, Dufresne created a restaurant that not only pushed culinary boundaries but also fostered a culture of learning and curiosity.


Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Follow Wylie on X: https://x.com/wyliedufresne

Follow Wylie on Instagram: @wyliedufresne

Timestamps:

(02:06) Chef Wylie’s background

(12:12) The intersection between art and commerce

(15:14) The importance of timing in business

(23:29) The origins of innovation

(26:02) When to filter ideas and establish boundaries

(28:18) The iconic wd~50 eggs benedict

(29:39) When to stop iterating

(39:29) Baker’s percent versus standard percent

(44:23) Learning when to not buck and system

(49:35) How to maintain high standards among your team

(55:06) Picking the right people