Should Fine Dining Exist? My Take After the Debate

Should Fine Dining Exist? My Take After the Debate

From The Repertoire Podcast by Justin Khanna

April 1, 2026 · 49 min

About this episode

Ray discusses the implications of a viral post questioning the existence of fine dining and its impact on the restaurant industry.

In this episode, Ray reacts to a viral Substack post asking, "What if we just got rid of fine dining?" and to the reactions to it. He also discusses policy demands from the National Restaurant Association, how less alcohol consumption is hurting restaurants, and how Rao's gained success as a CPG sauce brand. Links: Khushbu Shah's Original Substack Article Max Shapiro's Substack Response NY Times Alcohol Article National Restaurant Association Policy Demands Rao's Success (Food Dive) Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Get industry insights, links, and podcast extras delivered weekly.🎙 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Pass it on to your team, group chat, or fellow chefs.📸 ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow us on Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ – Behind the scenes, quotes, and quick takes. Affiliate Disclosure: We may earn a commission from qualifying purchases made through Amazon or other affiliate links provided in this episode. Thanks for listening to Repertoire. 👨‍🍳🎧

People in this episode

Host: Justin Khanna

Guest: Ray

Topics covered

  • fine dining
  • restaurant industry
  • alcohol consumption
  • CPG brands
  • policy demands

Keywords

  • fine dining
  • restaurant policy
  • alcohol consumption
  • Rao's
  • Substack

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: National Restaurant Association, Rao's

Books & works: Khushbu Shah's Original Substack Article, Max Shapiro's Substack Response, NY Times Alcohol Article, Rao's Success (Food Dive)

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