The Repertoire Podcast

Interested in Chef Tech Stack?⁠⁠⁠Learn more here.⁠⁠⁠Want 1-on-1 Coaching with Repertoire?⁠⁠⁠Apply here.The restaurant industry is changing faster than most operators can react — and this week Ray goes solo on four stories that show exactly where it's headed.First, a Wall Street Journal piece on chefs, plumbers, and contractors turning client work into media companies. Private chef Olivia Tiedemann went from a couple thousand Instagram followers to 4.3 million in three months, and she's not an outlier — 73% of small business owners now identify as content creators. Ray makes the case that the "pay your dues first" mindset is costing people years of earning power they'll never get back.Then, The Economist on why the restaurant business is unrecognizable: Thursday has overtaken Friday as the peak dining night, three of every four American restaurant meals are now consumed off-premise, 42% of US food outlets were unprofitable last year, and the pandemic push into apps and delivery drove a 15% jump in labor productivity after thirty years of flat. Plus a look at Osteria 166 in Buffalo, where the owner killed his à la carte dining room and cut the average check by 25%.Third, the National Restaurant Association's 2026 Beverage Trends report — 87% of full-service operators say drinks now drive traffic, and Ray argues the real story is social, not liquid: the forty-minute drive-thru line is the hangout.Finally, a new Gallup poll putting GLP-1 use at 11–12% of American adults, up from 3% in 2024. Chipotle, Smoothie King, and Shake Shack are already building menus around it — and GLP-1 users are buying from restaurants more often than non-users, not less.Repertoire Report is a weekly hospitality industry news show from Justin Khanna and Ray Delucci. Links to every story are below.🎧 At 2,500 YouTube subscribers, we're doing a listener Q&A — we're about 290 away. Subscribe and drop your question in the comments.Photo Credit: Photography by Chris Buck for WSJ. Magazine (Edited)Links: Chef Content Creators (Wall Street Journal)The Restaurant Business Is Changing Beyond Recognition (The Economist)Beverages as a Growth Driver for Restaurants (Nation's Restaurant News)Restaurants Adapt to GLP-1 Drugs (ABC News)💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

Ray Delucci breaks down whether it's actually worth joining the hospitality and food industry in 2026, why networking might be the most undervalued skill in this business, Sweetgreen's stunning fall from a $5 billion valuation, ongoing food safety outbreaks hitting Chipotle and Qdoba, and a first look at A24's Anthony Bourdain biopic "Tony."If this episode was helpful, please like and subscribe — at 2,500 YouTube subscribers, we're doing a follower Q&A. Listening on Spotify or Apple? Share with a friend and leave a review.Interested in Chef Tech Stack?⁠Learn more here.⁠Want 1-on-1 Coaching with Repertoire?⁠Apply here.Links: Joining the Food Industry in 2026 (Reddit)Networking Advice for Cooks (Reddit)Sweetgreen’s StrugglesSalmonella OutbreakBeef Recall💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠Subscribe here⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠Listen & Share⁠📸 Instagram⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

In this clip, Ray breaks down the need for more chefs in food media, says goodbye to kitchens, shares a crazy update on Cyclospora, and addresses the issue of cheesemongers going away.Interested in Chef Tech Stack?Learn more here.Want 1-on-1 Coaching with Repertoire?Apply here.Links: Food Media Needs More People Who've Actually Worked in ItThere Are No Dead Ends in the Food Industry (Reddit)Cyclospora Update 1 (New York Times)Cyclospora Update 2 (Food Safety News)Cyclospora Update 3 (CBC News)Cyclospora Update 4 (Barron's)Cheesemonger Jobs Article (New York Times)💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠https://www.joinrepertoire.com/newsletter⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠https://geni.us/repertoirepodcast⁠📸 Instagram⁠https://www.instagram.com/joinrepertoire⁠🎙️ Enjoying the podcast?