Shows
86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep17 | Chad Freedman from Sage: Grease Traps to Cloud, Transforming Restaurant CFOsFrom collecting grease traps to leading cloud transformation at Sage Intacct, Chad Freedman's journey reveals how restaurant CFOs are evolving from data entry clerks to strategic advisors.In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Chad Freedman, Director & Practice Lead for Hospitality at Sage Intacct, who literally went door-to-door collecting used cooking oil before becoming a leader in restaurant finance technology. His unconventional path gives him a unique perspective on what restaurant finance leaders actually need to drive growth.
2026-01-2950 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep16 Bruce Nelson The $3M Restaurant Math Mistake That Closes Busy RestaurantsWhy do restaurants with 45-minute waits still go broke?Bruce Nelson learned this the hard way. After 20 years in the industry, he opened his dream restaurant—packed tables, rave reviews, the works. It closed in 13 months. The brutal lesson? He had mastered the "Magic" of hospitality but completely ignored the "Math" of profit.Now, as a Fractional CFO and author of "Restaurant Management: The Myth, the Magic, the Math," Bruce helps restaurant groups scale from $13M to over $66M by teaching them what most culinary schools never do: how to actually make money.In this episode of the 86 Reason Po...
2026-01-1948 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep15 | Classical Discipline & The Rose Gold Flute Standard in Restaurant Podcast ft RaquelWhat does playing first flute in a world-class orchestra have to do with creating exceptional restaurant podcasts? Everything, according to Raquel Murillo. In this episode of the 86 Reason Hospitality Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena explores how classical discipline translates directly into the precision and excellence required to curate the best voices in hospitality.Raquel brings an unconventional blend of musical mastery, front-line restaurant experience, and corporate precision to her role as Executive Relationship Manager at Over Easy Office. With a Master's degree in Music, a Specialization in Commercial Law, and over a decade supporting C-level executives at companies like Jerón...
2026-01-131h 0686 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep14 | Restaurant Financial Framework with Raffi Yousefian (The Fork CPAs) - Win vs LossHigh sales but no profit? Your balance sheet is hiding the "dead bodies" killing your restaurant.Raffi Yousefian, CEO of Fork CPA, reveals the financial framework that separates thriving restaurant groups from those that flame out. If you've ever wondered why expansion feels impossible or where your money actually goes, this episode will change how you look at your numbers forever.Raffi specializes exclusively in restaurant accounting and has seen it all—the operators who scale successfully and those who multiply their problems instead of their profits. In this episode, he shares the exact metrics, systems, and strategies that de...
2026-01-0857 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep13: How to Fix Hospitality Labor Compliance & Burnout - Anthony PresleyGreat food isn't enough anymore. In today's competitive restaurant landscape, operational excellence separates thriving multi-unit operations from those constantly fighting fires, and the biggest battles aren't happening in the dining room. They're buried in scheduling chaos, compliance nightmares, and labor management issues that quietly destroy profitability and burn out your best managers.In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, Anthony Presley, founder of Time Forge, reveals how he transformed his unconventional background, from hacking video games in Cairo to pioneering workforce solutions, into a system that saves multi-unit operators from costly compliance errors and excessive manager workloads.
2025-12-281h 1086 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep12: Ronnie Sanders from Vine Street Imports: Adapting to Evolving Wine Tastes & IndustryJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for a fascinating conversation with Ronnie Sanders, President of Vine Street Imports, exploring how the wine industry is navigating dramatic shifts in consumer behavior and market dynamics. Ronnie's journey from a disastrous "one and done" dishwashing job to building a respected wine import company is a masterclass in relationship-building, market adaptation, and understanding what quality-conscious consumers truly want.This isn't just another wine industry story. Ronnie candidly shares the cold-calling hustle that grew Vine Street from 200 cases to 25,000, the financial realities of paying tariffs upfront, and why the industry's mantra has become "people...
2025-12-1759 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep 11: Bill Lindsey - From Dishroom to Tech Pioneer Mastering Restaurant Inventory ControlJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for an eye-opening conversation with Bill Lindsey, Partner & Co-Founder at COGS-Well and a living legend in restaurant technology. Bill's 50-year journey from a dishroom in 1974 to revolutionizing inventory management for multi-unit operators is a masterclass in operational innovation, technological adaptation, and understanding what restaurant operators truly need.This isn't your typical tech founder story. Bill candidly shares how a spinal injury forced him out of kitchen operations and into programming, the "cooking method" he used to build software that actually works for real operators, and why making inventory control easy—not just powerful—beca...
2025-12-0853 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep 10: Building a Profitable Wine Program with Sande Friedman | Hospitality InnovationJoin us on 86 Reason for an inspiring conversation with Sande Friedman, founder of Friends in Wine, who reveals how an unconventional background in library science became the secret weapon for building one of Philadelphia's most profitable wine retail programs. From navigating Pennsylvania's archaic liquor laws to pioneering staff education models that drive real revenue, Sande's journey from "failing" a cheese exam to entrepreneurial success is packed with actionable wisdom for any hospitality leader.Her hard-earned truth? "The biggest mistake that any type of business can make is not investing in the staff." In this episode, Sande dismantles the myth...
2025-12-081h 0886 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep 9: Josh Sharkey from meez - Why Your Restaurant's Food Costs Are Wrong By 3 4%Join host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for a game-changing conversation with Josh Sharkey, the "apex predator of restaurant tech" and Founder & CEO of meez. From fine dining at Jean-Georges and Cafe Gray to scaling Bark Hot Dogs across four locations, Josh has lived the chaos of kitchen operations—and he's built the solution the industry desperately needs.His revelation? Most restaurants are unknowingly bleeding profits because they're calculating food costs wrong. Using Google Docs and generic spreadsheets, operators underestimate their actual costs by 3-4 percentage points on average. That "teaspoon of minced garlic" or "half cup of sliced carrots"? Th...
2025-11-281h 0986 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep 8 - Matt Buddah Budenstein - Dropping Plates, Building Dreams, and Creating AbundanceJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for an inspiring conversation with Matthew "Buddah" Budenstein, co-founder of Liberty Kitchen and owner of Infinite Abundance Catering. Matt's journey from dropping 15 plates on his first week as a dishwasher to building a thriving multi-location restaurant and catering empire is a masterclass in resilience, community building, and the power of saying yes to challenges.This isn't a typical success story. Matt candidly shares the burnout that nearly broke him during the pandemic, the moment he realized stepping back was the only path forward, and how embracing dietary restrictions as creative catalysts transformed his...
2025-11-171h 1786 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 7 | Ty Shehadi (Restaurant365): Why Single-Unit Operators Need More Than Just SoftwareJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for a brutally honest conversation about restaurant technology with Ty Shehadi, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Restaurant365. From busboy to tech leader, Ty brings a rare perspective: he's lived in "the four walls" for over a decade and now helps shape the future of restaurant back-office solutions. His message? The best software in the world is worthless without the support to actually use it.This isn't your typical tech pitch. Ty candidly reveals why Restaurant365—despite being a powerhouse for enterprise groups—often isn't the right fit for single-unit operators unless paired with dedi...
2025-11-101h 1086 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 6 | Steven Mamis from FORCS - Taming the Unique Beast of Restaurant AccountingJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for an essential deep-dive into restaurant accounting software and multi-unit financial strategy with Steven Mamis, Restaurant365 Expert, Multi-Unit Restaurant Controller, and Founder of FORCS (Complete Restaurant Accounting & Operations Services). As Senior Controller of Five Guys New York, Steven brings battle-tested wisdom on why managing finances for multi-unit restaurants is a "unique beast", and exactly how to tame it.This conversation delivers unfiltered insights into the complexities of juggling multiple systems, sales channels, and vendors while maintaining financial clarity. Steven reveals why he considers Restaurant365 "almost non-negotiable" for serious multi-unit operators, and shares the...
2025-11-0345 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 5 | Andy Himmel (The Restaurant CPAs): From Building Collapse to Financial ClarityJoin host Xavier Mariezcurrena on 86 Reason for a raw, eye-opening conversation with Andy Himmel, Restaurant Industry Executive and Founder & CEO of The Restaurant CPAs. This episode delivers hard-earned wisdom about restaurant success, specialized financial strategy, and why the human element still trumps spreadsheets in hospitality.Andy's story begins with disaster: At 22, his first restaurant's building collapsed before opening day, forcing him into an unexpected six-month operational "boot camp" on a party island. This traumatic experience forged the resilience that would define his two-decade career scaling multi-unit brands. Today, he's on a mission to connect restaurant operators with the specialized...
2025-10-201h 1686 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 4 | Shawn P. Walchef of Cali BBQ Media: Why Restaurant Owners Must Own Their StoryJoin us on 86 Reason for a raw, revelatory conversation with Shawn P. Walchef, founder of Cali BBQ Media, who dismantles the dangerous "if you build it, they will come" myth and reveals why restaurant owners must actively own their story to survive and thrive. A restaurateur since age 13 (starting as a dishwasher at the very restaurant he now owns), Shawn shares his transformation from burnout to building a media empire that markets his restaurants while helping hospitality tech companies authentically connect with operators.His hard-earned truth? "You have to put the mask on yourself first because if you pass...
2025-10-201h 0386 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 3 | Wade Allen of Costa Vida: Why Operational Excellence Trumps MarketingA hospitality veteran since age 14 (starting as an assistant dishwasher) and former digital transformation leader at Brinker International, Wade shares his powerful pivot from a marketing-first mindset to an unwavering focus on the core "fire" of the brand—its operations and standards. His philosophy? "Marketing is the fuel that will help that fire grow. But if the fire itself isn't lit and strong, no amount of marketing will sustain this brand going forward."In this episode, Wade gets brutally honest about the challenges of scaling a fresh, Baja-style concept across competitive markets while maintaining consistency across franchised and company-owned lo...
2025-10-1353 min86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 2 | Beyond the Pitch: Michael Beck on Transforming Restaurant Tech Sales and Value DeliveryJoin us on 86 Reason for a game-changing conversation with Michael Beck, CEO of Inc Tank GTM, who's rewriting the rules of restaurant tech sales and value delivery. A self-described "pattern interrupter" and "hospitality romantic" with 15+ years in the industry, Michael shares how personal tragedy forged his mission to help restaurants not just survive, but thrive.In this episode, Michael challenges the status quo with his powerful mantra: "Nobody's coming to save us but us." He reveals why focusing on insightful questions—not flashy pitches—is the secret to unlocking genuine value, building trust, and driving real operational efficiency.Essential for...
2025-10-0651 min
86 Reason Podcast by Over Easy Office86 Reason Ep. 1 | Matt Wampler’s Journey with ClearCOGS: AI That Transforms Restaurant EfficiencyFrom sleeping on aprons during 120-hour work weeks to revolutionizing restaurant operations with AI – Matt Wampler's transformation story will change how you think about restaurant technology.In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with Matt Wampler, CEO & Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, for an unfiltered look at how AI is transforming restaurant efficiency. Matt's journey from frantically managing a "train wreck" Jimmy John's franchise to building cutting-edge restaurant AI solutions offers invaluable lessons for every hospitality professional.Why This Episode Matters:Matt tackles the industry's biggest challenge head-on: "People don't enter the restaurant business to manage nu...
2025-09-271h 02