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We sit down with Benji Liebewitz to unpack how a London-born New Yorker ends up building One Club Row and The Knave of Clubs, and why the best restaurants win on relationships not hype. We dig into what makes guests return, how pricing and dining habits are shifting, and why hospitality is an emotional craft beyond perfect service.
• falling into hospitality in New York then choosing it as a long-term career
• why customer service experience builds empathy and better client behaviour everywhere
• the range of hospitality careers beyond waiting tables, from tech and design to finance and events
• meeting James through family links and forming High Note Hospitality with complementary skill sets
• restoring a historic Shoreditch pub and creating a distinct upstairs destination
• designing experience-led dining through bar seats, lighting, music, and room energy
• keeping the menu classic and legible while still feeling special
• how London and New York differ on dining as social life versus dining as food pursuit
• earlier dining patterns after Covid and why London stays more time-inflexible
• price versus value and the importance of staying under key spending thresholds
• year two focus on stability, foundations, and staying power beyond the “new opening” spotlight
• guest relations tactics that turn first-timers into regulars without making the place feel exclusive
• defining hospitality versus service and why connection creates real loyalty
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We sit down with CMS partner David Roberts to trace his accidental route into hospitality and the deal-making that shaped modern UK restaurant growth. We dig into how founders raise capital without losing control, why some private equity structures now punish management teams, and what trends are actually worth watching.
• moving from Sydney law into London hotel M&A and restaurant work
• why hospitality careers often start by accident and then become addictive
• building a hospitality-led legal practice through relationships and trust
• the founder boot camp model and what early-stage groups need to learn
• backing Blacklock and copying great culture from Hawksmoor
• growing restaurant groups from cashflow and avoiding early dilution
• how long holding periods and loan notes wipe out management equity
• why the UK needs real consolidation vehicles for mature groups
• UK margin pressure pushing brands towards licensing, franchising, and overseas growth
• categories getting attention now including coffee, bakeries, food-led pubs, and live music
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We sit down with Luke Johnson to trace the real path from student nightlife hustles to building some of the best known names in UK hospitality. We talk honestly about why the 1990s felt like a golden age, why the market is harsher now, and what still makes a food and drink business worth backing.
• getting into hospitality by accident through student parties and a nightclub deal
• scaling from clubs and pubs into the Pizza Express listing and rapid growth years
• what made the 1990s work: demand, costs, rents, regulation, available capital
• building love for a brand through product quality, simplicity, and staff culture
• why Gail’s benefits from vertical integration and in-house innovation
• consumer polarisation and why the middle of the market is dangerous
• common failure points: over rented sites, wrong locations, expensive fit outs
• leases as liabilities under IFRS 16 and the risk of stacking debt on debt
• the post-lockdown challenge: discretionary spending and rebuilding habits
• creative destruction, comebacks, and why resilience is non-negotiable
• trends to watch: weekday lunch concepts, grazing, small plates, brunch culture
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