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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
If you care about the sector, the people in it, and where it's heading, subscribe and join the conversation.

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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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What makes a space feel like home before you’ve even set down your bag? We sit with Dylan Murray to chart a rare career that connects five-star rigour, high-growth innovation, and the human heartbeat of hospitality—from running dishes at The Landmark to shaping openings at One Aldwych and Carlisle Bay, from the rocket fuel years at Soho House to reimagining flexible workspace with The Office Group, and now building Mason & Fifth’s thoughtful approach to flexible living.

Dylan pulls back the curtain on the details that guests rarely notice but always feel. He explains how invisible design turns a journey into flow, why the right coffee partner can anchor a building’s culture, and how small rituals—recognising a midweek commuter, a favourite fruit bowl, a familiar studio category—create loyalty without points. We explore the hard-won lessons of entrepreneurship through a neighbourhood restaurant and pubs, facing the 2008 crash, and learning to protect quality when scale and spreadsheets tempt shortcuts.

We then dive into Mason & Fifth’s one-minute city: studios that flex from a single night to a year, wellness spaces that invite daily use, a considered restaurant partnership, and work lounges that earn their keep as social commons. Dylan shares the guardrails for growth—keep a small-core mentality, hire for character, and ask everyone to bring the best version of themselves. The result is a home-away-from-home that cares as much about lighting and acoustics as it does about names and needs.

If you’re curious about how hospitality evolves—co-living, amenity-rich buildings, community without a membership fee—this conversation offers a playbook grounded in craft and culture. Subscribe, share with a friend who loves great spaces, and leave a review with the one detail that makes you feel instantly at home.

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Robbie Barr, founder of Gorgeous Group, shares his journey from humble beginnings in Manchester to becoming a leading hospitality consultant who transforms hotel dining and drinking experiences worldwide. His philosophy of creating "emotion per square foot" has shaped iconic venues from Dishoom to Waldorf Astoria.

• Growing up watching classic Hollywood musicals with his deaf grandmother inspired Robbie's view of hospitality as theatre
• First restaurant experience at age 16 sparked his fascination with the transformative power of hospitality
• Creating "perfectly imperfect" spaces helps guests feel comfortable enough to lower their guards and have authentic experiences
• Getting clients "comfortable with being uncomfortable" is key to pushing beyond conventional hospitality formulas
• Notable projects include Kimpton Clock Tower in Manchester, Waldorf Astoria in Osaka, and The Wigmore at The Langham London
• True hospitality means guests leave happier than when they arrived
• Great hospitality combines exceptional product with storytelling, design, music, and a team that loves showing up

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Tony is the gold standard and Royal Warrant equivalent of both kosher catering and now kosher restaurants.

This is one of my shortest episodes ever but definitely not short on quality

Hear Tony’s story and journey mastering both skill sets always moving the game on.

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David is one of the masters of corporate hospitality.
From CEO of Pizza Express to founder of Clapham House Group with restaurants including The Real Greek, Franco Manca and many many others.
David shares both pearls of wisdom of finance and growth together with some amusing stories along the way.

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Sandwich sandwich is a real family affair starting in Bristol as a better sandwich shop. With Nick’s farthers approval, Richard his brother followed suit.
Crucially, Josh , 17 at the time also joined giving the brand some gen Z punch.
From Bristol to London, the brand continues to redefine the sandwich shop experience.