About Culinary Mechanic: Insights, Strategies, Tools and Tactics to help you run your restaurant like a well oiled machine
Join Chef Simon Zatyrka, as he opens the door to candid conversations with the hospitality industry's most innovative leaders. Each episode runs the gamut from chefs talking about the community and cultures of kitchens to tech innovators talking about their concept to push the hospitality industry forward.
You can expect a blend of battle-tested restaurant wisdom and modern leadership insights that challenge "the way it's always been done". You never know when the conversations about the business of hospitality are going to shift gears to discuss wood fired cookery, the camraderie of kitchen teams or the delusions of friends wanting to open a bar because they like sitting in one.
New episodes drop weekly. Subscribe now to join a community of leaders who are as passionate about the business of hospitality, people and leadership as they are about food and cooking. Welcome to our sandbox.
Burnout Is Bad Business: The Case for Operational Clarity with Patrick Cassata
Burnout isn't a badge. It's a leak. Chef Patrick Cassata and I get under the hood on what actually keeps kitchens running: leadership reps, clean handoffs, and systems that protect people and profit. We talk delegation without martyrdom, expectations that stick, and why hospitality is the job even when tickets stack. Patrick's path from McDonald's rushes to leading an eight-figure operation is a masterclass in operational clarity. If you're an independent restaurant fighting drift, this one's a field manual.
Connect with Patrick Cassata
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chefonthehook/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/patrick-cassata-b4585425/
Connect with Simon
Email: simon@culinarymechanic.com
Book a Call: https://calendly.com/culinarymechanic/discovery
Website: https://www.culinarymechanic.com
11 Nov 2025
Words That Win Guests. Systems That Keep Teams with Zana Devine
If your team is guessing instead of executing, this episode is your tune-up. Zana Devine grew up inside hotels and restaurants, then spent years building cultures where standards stick, onboarding is consistent, and language turns conflict into loyalty. We break down fundamentals that actually move numbers: one way of doing things, training that equips people to win, and respectful scripts for tough moments. For independent restaurant operators who need operational clarity, this is a playbook you can run tomorrow.
Connect with Zana Devine
Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@zanadevinehospitality
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/zanahospitality/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zdh-rnr/
Book: "Build to Serve, Train to Lead" on Amazon
Connect with Simon
Email: simon@culinarymechanic.com
Book a Call: https://calendly.com/culinarymechanic/discovery
Website: https://www.culinarymechanic.com
10 Nov 2025
Removing Inconveniences Before Guests Notice: A Playbook for Hospitality with Jesus Mendez
You don't scale a taquería with vibes—you scale it with standards. In this episode, Jesus "Chuy" Mendez (Salud, Birmingham) shows how culture plus simple, repeatable systems drive operational clarity you can taste at the table. We get into writing real recipes (no "secret pinch"), rewarding the right behaviors, passing health inspections with confidence, and Chuy's rule of hospitality: remove inconveniences before guests ever notice. This is kitchen leadership for independent restaurants that need consistent food, clean shops, and a crew that gives a damn.
You'll learn:
How to turn SOPs into pride, not paperwork
Why visible recognition beats speeches
Fast-casual moves that keep lines tight and standards high
Where chef culture helps—or hurts—consistency
If you're ready to tighten restaurant systems, lead better, and build a culture that lasts, subscribe for weekly, operator-first tools.
Connect with Jesus "Chuy" Mendez
Website: https://www.saludbham.com/
Salud's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/saludbham/?hl=en
Jesús's Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmf1988/?hl=en
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesus-mendez-8249971b2/ (https://www.linkedin.com/in/jesus-mendez-8249971b2/)
emaili:chuy@saludbham.com
Connect with Simon
Email: simon@culinarymechanic.com (mailto:simon@culinarymechanic.com)
Book a Call: https://calendly.com/culinarymechanic/discovery
Website: https://www.culinarymechanic.com
Who has been a guest on Culinary Mechanic: Insights, Strategies, Tools and Tactics to help you run your restaurant like a well oiled machine
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Christopher McFadden
Nina Weiland
Meathead
Ewan Thompson
Guy Leggatt
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
YouTube views
77,902
Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
4 ratings
Spotify
5.0 / 5
10 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 78 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
99
Social presence
0
YouTube
72
Engagement
71
Contact Culinary Mechanic: Insights, Strategies, Tools and Tactics to help you run your restaurant like a well oiled machine
Guest appearances
Books guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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