Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
by Ovation
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On the show
From 20 epsHost
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Recent episodes
The Brand That Made Messy Tacos Go Viral with Lance Salsman
Jun 22, 2026
21m 27s
The Slow Build That Turned Dog Haus Into a National Brand with Michael Montagano
Jun 15, 2026
26m 55s
Why Guest Reviews and Profitability Go Hand in Hand with Adam Sanders at Killer Burger
Jun 8, 2026
16m 46s
The Secret Behind a 4.9 Rating with Derrick Hayes of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks
May 29, 2026
16m 14s
Why the Floor Matters More Than the Ceiling with Anthony Valletta of bartaco
May 26, 2026
18m 42s
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| Date | Episode | Topics | Guests | Brands | Places | Keywords | Sponsor | Length | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6/22/26 |  The Brand That Made Messy Tacos Go Viral with Lance Salsman | Send us Fan Mail Lance Salsman, SVP of Operations at Mike’s Red Tacos, joins Zack Oates to talk about scaling an experiential restaurant brand while staying obsessed with guest feedback. From his early days working at Pizza Hut as a teenager to leading operations at some of the biggest taco and pizza brands in the country, Lance shares what it takes to build systems that support both team members and guests. Zack and Lance discuss: How Mike’s Red Tacos built a cult-like following Why gue... | 21m 27s | ||||||
| 6/15/26 |  The Slow Build That Turned Dog Haus Into a National Brand with Michael Montagano | Send us Fan Mail Michael Montagano, CEO of Dog Haus, joins Zack Oates to talk about thoughtful restaurant growth, franchise alignment, and why strong hospitality starts with building the right foundation. Drawing from his family’s restaurant background and years in finance and operations leadership, Michael shares how Dog Haus is scaling while staying true to its culture and guest experience. Zack and Michael discuss: Why restaurant brands should grow slower and smarter The importance of... | 26m 55s | ||||||
| 6/8/26 |  Why Guest Reviews and Profitability Go Hand in Hand with Adam Sanders at Killer Burger✨ | guest experienceprofitability+4 | Adam Sanders | Killer Burger | — | guest reviewsprofitability+4 | — | 16m 46s | |
| 5/29/26 |  The Secret Behind a 4.9 Rating with Derrick Hayes of Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks✨ | customer servicecompany culture+3 | Derrick Hayes | Big Dave’s Cheesesteaks | — | Big Dave’s CheesesteaksDerrick Hayes+4 | — | 16m 14s | |
| 5/26/26 |  Why the Floor Matters More Than the Ceiling with Anthony Valletta of bartaco✨ | guest experienceleadership+3 | Anthony Valletta | bartaco | — | guest experiencebartaco+3 | — | 18m 42s | |
| 5/19/26 |  Building an 80-Year Brand That Still Feels Personal with Jennifer Schuler of Handel’s Homemade Ice Cream✨ | guest experiencebrand building+4 | Jennifer Schuler | Handel’s Homemade Ice CreamWetzel’s Pretzels | — | guest experiencebrand loyalty+4 | — | 19m 25s | |
| 5/14/26 |  Turning a Simple Bagel Into a Premium Experience with Tom Selementi of Spread Bagelry✨ | guest loyaltypremium positioning+5 | Tom Selementi | Spread Bagelry | — | guest loyaltypremium experience+5 | — | 16m 50s | |
| 5/11/26 |  Why Bold Brands Win Big with Pinky Cole of Slutty Vegan✨ | brandingrestaurant industry+3 | Pinky Cole | Slutty Vegan | — | bold brandingrestaurant concept+3 | — | 19m 29s | |
| 5/8/26 |  The Real ROI Is Your General Manager with Melissa Doolin-Koehne of Elevate Four✨ | restaurant managementguest experience+3 | Melissa Doolin-Koehne | Elevate Four | — | restaurant ROIguest experience+3 | — | 20m 45s | |
| 5/6/26 |  How to Compete in a Crowded Pizza Market with David Cole of i Fratelli Pizza✨ | restaurant brandingcustomer loyalty+3 | David Cole | i Fratelli Pizza | — | pizza marketrestaurant brand+3 | — | 18m 31s | |
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| 5/4/26 |  What Every Great Restaurant Brand Gets Right with Scott Shotter of Teriyaki Madness✨ | restaurant brandingguest experience+3 | Scott Shotter | Teriyaki MadnessMoe’s+2 | — | restaurant brandsguest experience+3 | — | 18m 34s | |
| 4/30/26 |  AI Isn’t Coming, It’s Already Here with Sterling Douglass of Chowly✨ | AI in restaurantstechnology adoption+4 | Sterling Douglass | Chowly | — | AIrestaurants+6 | — | 19m 44s | |
| 4/27/26 |  The CPG vs Restaurant Debate Settled by Jeff Galletly of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop✨ | restaurant brandingCPG+3 | Jeff Galletly | Brooklyn Dumpling Shop | — | Brooklyn Dumpling Shoprestaurant growth+3 | — | 20m 41s | |
| 4/23/26 |  From Starbucks Data to Restaurant Impact, Will Stewart of RightWork✨ | labor decisionsguest experience+3 | Will Stewart | RightWorkStarbucks | — | labor investmentunderstaffing+3 | — | 16m 54s | |
| 4/20/26 |  Why Being Right Doesn’t Matter in Hospitality with Kevin Boehm of Boka Restaurant Group✨ | hospitalitycreativity+3 | Kevin Boehm | Boka Restaurant Group | — | hospitalityBoka Restaurant Group+5 | — | 21m 47s | |
| 4/14/26 |  The Secret Behind Stonefire’s 5,500-Person Catering Machine with David Youngberg and Matt Calabrese of Stonefire Grill✨ | restaurant scalingcatering+3 | David YoungbergMatt Calabrese | Stonefire Grill | — | cateringrestaurant brand+3 | — | 21m 55s | |
| 4/9/26 |  Building a Breakfast Brand That Wins the Morning with Jessica Serrano of Bagel Brands✨ | brand strategyguest insights+3 | Jessica Serrano | Bagel BrandsBurger King+2 | — | brand buildingguest experience+3 | — | 17m 38s | |
| 4/7/26 |  Teaching Through Food Content with Steven Droulis of Resto Vivaldi✨ | restaurant marketingsocial media+3 | Steven Droulis | Resto Vivaldi | Montreal | restaurantsocial media+5 | — | 19m 00s | |
| 4/6/26 |  Why Celebration Matters in Restaurant Leadership with Chris Gannon of Bolay✨ | restaurant leadershipguest experience+3 | Chris Gannon | Bolay | — | restaurant brandgrowth challenges+3 | — | 19m 26s | |
| 3/30/26 |  Turning Seafood Steam Pots Into a National Brand with Danielle Mahon of Topsail Steamer✨ | seafoodfranchising+3 | Danielle Mahon | Topsail Steamer | — | seafood steam potfranchise+3 | — | 20m 22s | |
| 3/16/26 |  The Persistence Behind a 12 Year Restaurant Journey with Kyle and Maggie Gordon of Dillas Quesadillas✨ | restaurant growthoperational excellence+3 | Kyle GordonMaggie Gordon | Dillas Quesadillas | DallasTexas | restaurant brandexpansion+3 | — | 30m 34s | |
| 3/9/26 |  Turning Food Allergy Chaos Into Clarity with Dylan McDonnell of Foodini✨ | food allergiesdietary needs+3 | Dylan McDonnell | Foodini | — | food allergiesCeliac disease+3 | — | 17m 59s | |
| 3/2/26 |  Building Breakout CPG Brands with John F. Maggio of JM Enterprises | Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with John F. Maggio of JM Enterprises to explore what it really takes to build enduring consumer brands. From co-founding Boulder Canyon Chips to working with brands like Justin’s, Duke’s Smoked Meats, Bigs Seeds, Jackson’s, Good Day Chocolate, and Cocktail Squad, John shares lessons from decades in CPG. They discuss how restaurant brands should evaluate entering retail, why timing and category momentum matter, and the four pillars John uses to determine ... | 18m 27s | ||||||
| 2/17/26 |  Moving the Needle with People with Brandon Batt of The Tabletop Group | Send us Fan Mail Brandon Batt, Founder and CEO of The Tabletop Group, joins Zack Oates to break down why guest experience always starts with people. After spending more than a decade leading people strategy at Savory Fund, Brandon shares what he has learned about hiring leaders, investing time in the right team members, and building consistency that guests trust. Zack and Brandon discuss: Why guest experience is the employee experience in public Where leaders should invest their ti... | 16m 38s | ||||||
| 2/9/26 |  Fear Is a Clue, Not a Crutch with Dan Simpson of Taziki's Mediterranean Cafe | Send us Fan Mail Zack Oates sits down with Dan Simpson, CEO of Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe, for a wide ranging conversation on leadership, fear, and building a truly people centered restaurant brand. Dan shares his unconventional path from founding a tech company to leading a growing hospitality brand and explains why technology should exist to remove friction, not replace human connection. They discuss how fear can serve as a signal instead of a blocker, why consistency has become the new lu... | 18m 16s | ||||||
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