Welcome to Hospitality On The Rise, a weekly podcast hosted by Alice Cheng, featuring conversations with the hospitality leaders shaping the industry.
Each episode explores the stories, challenges, pivots, lessons learned, and advice that helped these leaders grow & succeed. Whether you’re building your career, leading a team, or just looking for inspiration, Hospitality On The Rise offers honest insights from the people moving hospitality forward.
New episodes every Tuesday.
Powered by CulinaryAgents.com, hospitality’s go-to hiring platform connecting top talent with employers since 2012.
Brian Lockwood, Chef-Partner at Midōsuji and Gingie (BOKA Restaurant Group), got his start in restaurants at fourteen, washing dishes to pay off a lawyer after getting into trouble as a kid, and forty-seven years later, he’s still in the kitchen.
On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise, Brian tells host Alice Cheng how curiosity took him from Gary Danko and The French Laundry to Maui, kitchens across Europe, Eleven Madison Park, and even consulting on FX’s The Bear. He opens up about learning to lead by cooking alongside his team, starting over after a fire closed Gingie just three days after opening, and why staying curious has kept him learning and moving forward through nearly five decades in the industry.
Links
- Instagram - Brian Lockwood: https://www.instagram.com/chefbrianlockwood/ (https://www.instagram.com/chefbrianlockwood/)
- Instagram - Culinary Agents: https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/ (https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/)
- Full Transcript: https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-83-brian-lockwood (https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-83-brian-lockwood)
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Remember, success looks different for everyone in hospitality. No two paths are the same. If you have a leader or a topic you want to hear about, email media@culinaryagents.com.
Hospitality On The Rise is brought to you by Culinary Agents, connecting top talent with employers since 2012. Whether you’re hiring or looking for your next opportunity, join us at CulinaryAgents.com.
For more inspiration, subscribe to Hospitality On The Rise and visit HospitalityCareerPaths.com (https://HospitalityCareerPaths.com), a free platform by Culinary Agents.
Thanks for tuning in! Remember to like, follow, and subscribe. And if you loved this episode, share it with someone who could use a little inspiration.
6 Oct 2026
EP 82: Melissa Perello
Chef Melissa Perello of Octavia and Frances has built a career on knowing exactly when to push forward and when to pull back. Seventeen years, two San Francisco restaurants, and an upcoming bakery later, she joins Alice Cheng on this episode of Hospitality On The Rise to share her journey: from stepping into an intimidating executive chef role at just twenty-four, through a two-year break that reshaped her entire cooking philosophy, to opening her own restaurant and eventually a second. Melissa opens up about burnout, the pressure of taking over another chef’s kitchen, and why she’s now backing her own pastry chef in launching a brand-new bakery.
Links
- Instagram - Melissa Perello: https://www.instagram.com/m_perello/ (https://www.instagram.com/m_perello/)
- Instagram - Culinary Agents: https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/ (https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/)
- Full Transcript: https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-82-melissa-perello (https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-82-melissa-perello)
************
Remember, success looks different for everyone in hospitality. No two paths are the same. If you have a leader or a topic you want to hear about, email media@culinaryagents.com.
Hospitality On The Rise is brought to you by Culinary Agents, connecting top talent with employers since 2012. Whether you’re hiring or looking for your next opportunity, join us at CulinaryAgents.com (https://www.CulinaryAgents.com).
For more inspiration, subscribe to Hospitality On The Rise and visit HospitalityCareerPaths.com (https://HospitalityCareerPaths.com), a free platform by Culinary Agents.
Thanks for tuning in! Remember to like, follow, and subscribe. And if you loved this episode, share it with someone who could use a little inspiration.
29 Sept 2026
EP 81: Danny Garcia
Danny Garcia, Chef and Owner of Only Goods, walked into Top Chef without knowing a single competitor and with one mindset: he was there to win. And he did, taking home Season 21 and the biggest prize in the show’s history.
On this episode of Hospitality On The Rise, Danny joins host Alice Cheng to talk about the journey behind the win, from busing tables as a kid and training with the Bocuse d’Or team to helping open Crown Shy. He also gets real about what came next: closing his first restaurant, Time and Tide, and putting his energy into Only Goods, a Latin American concept he’s building through salsa macha, neighborhood pop ups, and community.
Links
- Instagram - Danny Garcia: https://www.instagram.com/chef.dannygarcia/ (https://www.instagram.com/chef.dannygarcia/)
- Instagram - Culinary Agents: https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/ (https://www.instagram.com/culinaryagents/)
- Full Transcript: https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-81-danny-garcia (https://hospitalitycareerpaths.com/resources/ep-81-danny-garcia)
************
Remember, success looks different for everyone in hospitality. No two paths are the same. If you have a leader or a topic you want to hear about, email media@culinaryagents.com.
Hospitality On The Rise is brought to you by Culinary Agents, connecting top talent with employers since 2012. Whether you’re hiring or looking for your next opportunity, join us at CulinaryAgents.com.
For more inspiration, subscribe to Hospitality On The Rise and visit HospitalityCareerPaths.com, a free platform by Culinary Agents.
Thanks for tuning in! Remember to like, follow, and subscribe. And if you loved this episode, share it with someone who could use a little inspiration.
Who has been a guest on Hospitality On The Rise
Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.
Andrew Black
Shuai Wang
Amy Racine
Stefano Secchi
Jack McGarry
Reach and audience
Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.
Apple Podcasts (US)
5.0 / 5
3 ratings
Spotify
4.7 / 5
14 ratings
Podcast Authority Score: 38 / 100
A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.
Quality
35
Social presence
97
YouTube
0
Engagement
51
Contact Hospitality On The Rise
Guest appearances
Does not typically book guests
Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.
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