Hospitality is more than an industry—it’s an art form, a culture, and a way of bringing people together. Hot Gossip. is a storytelling-driven podcast exploring the intersection of hospitality, design, and human connection. Hosted by Hannah Collins Tate, founder of ROY Hospitality Design Group, and Jacob Cross, creative strategist and media storyteller, this show uncovers the intentionality behind the world’s most compelling hospitality spaces.
Hot Gossip
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4.5(2 reviews)
8 episodes
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Podcast Overview
Hospitality is more than an industry—it’s an art form, a culture, and a way of bringing people together. Hot Gossip. is a storytelling-driven podcast exploring the intersection of hospitality, design, and human connection. Hosted by Hannah Collins Tate, founder of ROY Hospitality Design Group, and Jacob Cross, creative strategist and media storyteller, this show uncovers the intentionality behind the world’s most compelling hospitality spaces.
Language
🇺🇲
Publishing Since
9/27/2025
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Recent Episodes
June 11, 2026
Justin Gurland's The Maze
<p>In this episode of Hot Gossip, we sit down with <strong>Justin Gurland</strong>, founder of The Maze NYC, for a conversation that moves far beyond business strategy into the deeper territory of purpose, redemption, and what it truly means to create space for human connection.</p><p>Justin's story begins in the darkness of addiction at 25, when his sister's intervention became the catalyst for a complete life transformation. What followed was years of social work, building community in recovery spaces, and ultimately recognizing a gap that desperately needed filling: where do people who don't drink go to connect, celebrate, and simply be?</p><p>The Maze NYC is Justin's answer—an alcohol-free members club in New York City that's redefining what hospitality can look like when profit isn't the only bottom line. With Tom Colicchio's culinary team, a 2,600-person waitlist before opening, and a community-first philosophy informed by years of social work, Justin has created something that transcends the traditional restaurant or bar model.</p><p>We explore how his understanding of human connection—learned through guiding others through recovery—shaped every decision in building The Maze. From interviewing all 200 founding members personally to designing programming that prioritizes vulnerability and belonging, Justin's approach proves that the most successful hospitality ventures are those built on genuine care for the humans who walk through the door.</p><p>This conversation touches on the isolation epidemic, the role of third spaces in modern life, the courage it takes to build something that has never existed before, and why the best hospitality isn't just about picking up a dropped fork—it's about creating an environment where people feel safe enough to become themselves.</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Timestamps:</strong></p><p>00:19 Service and Sobriety</p><p>02:02 Alcohol Free Community</p><p>00:00 Meet Justin Garland</p><p>06:36 Origin Story and Rock Bottom</p><p>11:42 Family Intervention</p><p>13:34 Staying Sober in NYC</p><p>16:08 Mentor and Social Work Path</p><p>22:42 Connection as Medicine</p><p>24:50 Building the Maze Concept</p><p>27:11 Waitlist and Momentum</p><p>31:19 Founding Member Insights</p><p>34:05 Marketing Snowball Effect</p><p>36:25 Alignment and Pushback</p><p>38:17 Finding the Perfect Space</p><p>39:33 Tenant Chemistry Moment</p><p>40:07 Landing Tom Colicchio</p><p>41:59 Mocktails and Recovery Lines</p><p>44:27 Building the Food Concept</p><p>46:24 Fatherhood and Legacy</p><p>48:30 Hospitality Creates Community</p><p>50:12 Work Life Balance Reality</p><p>52:35 Events and Member Programming</p><p>55:48 Who Joins The Maze</p><p>57:38 Why Now and Future Expansion</p><p>01:04:17 Naming The Maze</p><p>01:06:19 Rapid Fire and Wrap Up</p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with ROY Hospitality</strong></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.thisisroy.com/"><u>https://www.thisisroy.com/</u></a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hospitablyroy/"><u>https://www.instagram.com/hospitablyroy/</u></a></p><p><strong>Connect with Justin Gurland</strong></p><p>Website:<a href="https://www.themazenyc.com/team/"><u>https://www.themazenyc.com/team/</u></a> </p><p>Linkedin: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingurland/"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/justingurland/</u></a> </p><p>Instagram:<a href="https://www.instagram.com/themazenyc/"> <u>@themazenyc</u></a></p><p><br></p>
May 14, 2026
The Swan in the Room: The Odeon w. Roya Shanks
<p>In this episode of Hot Gossip, we sit down with Roya Shanks, Maitre D' at The Odeon in Tribeca. The Odeon has been at one of New York City's most iconic restaurants since 2001. But Roya's story is far more than longevity, it's a masterclass in what it looks like to build a genuinely values-driven life inside an industry that rarely gets credit for it.</p><p>A Yale graduate who walked away from medicine, Roya came to New York two months after 9/11 with a sublet in Brooklyn, a Village Voice listing, and no restaurant experience. What followed was over two decades of serving, managing, acting, voice recording, motherhood, and becoming one of the most distinctive presences in New York City's dining world, recently recognized by Vogue as a best-dressed style icon.</p><p>We explore what true longevity in hospitality really means: how a dining room can become your living room, how the art of the host is quietly disappearing, and why Roya's approach to difficult guests, meet them exactly where they are, love them into comfort, is one of the most radical acts of service we've heard described on this show.</p><p>This conversation touches on the quiet courage of choosing creativity over convention, being visibly pregnant in a dining room for nine months, what New York looks like in 2026 for someone who's lived it across four decades, and why color, bold, vintage, joyful color, is not just a fashion choice but a philosophy for living.</p><p>00:00 Roya’s Colorful Magic</p><p>01:42 Service as Style</p><p>02:32 Values and Guest Care</p><p>04:35 Podcast Welcome and Bio</p><p>07:17 The Art of the Host</p><p>08:24 Finding Odeon After 9/11</p><p>10:30 Why She Stayed So Long</p><p>13:36 Passion and Community</p><p>18:00 Motherhood Night Shifts</p><p>20:00 How Odeon Changed</p><p>25:29 Yale to Acting Pivot</p><p>26:46 Impact Beyond Money</p><p>32:11 Crafting the Maitre D</p><p>33:32 Walk In Chaos Strategy</p><p>34:50 Defusing Grumpy Guests</p><p>36:00 Hospitality As Community</p><p>36:37 Style That Commands</p><p>40:30 Vintage Shopping Secrets</p><p>42:26 Color Travel Influence</p><p>44:47 Pregnancy In Public</p><p>48:48 New York Then Now</p><p>53:37 Subway Life Perspective</p><p>55:55 Wild Dining Room Stories</p><p>57:32 Hard Won Life Lessons</p><p>59:17 Rapid Fire Wrap Up</p><p>01:00:50 Where To Find Roya</p><p>01:01:49 Closing Thanks Support</p><p>Follow Jacob and Roya:</p><p><strong>Connect with ROY Hospitality</strong></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.thisisroy.com/"><u>https://www.thisisroy.com/</u></a>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hospitablyroy/"><u>https://www.instagram.com/hospitablyroy/</u></a></p><p>Connect with Roya: </p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/roya-shanks-110b5951</p><p>Website: http://www.royashanks.com/</p><p><br></p>
December 18, 2025
Charles Bililies’ Souvla
<p>What does it take to build a restaurant brand that feels both effortlessly casual and meticulously crafted? Charles Bililies, founder and CEO of Souvla, shares the remarkable origin story that began with a whole lamb roast in his San Francisco backyard and evolved into a beloved six-location restaurant group. Charles reveals how his Greek heritage, fine dining background, and commitment to quality shaped Souvla's unique fast-fine dining model. He discusses the challenges of raising capital, the importance of team development and transparency, the decision to grow without institutional funding, and why patience and discipline have been central to Souvla's success. Charles also reflects on toxic restaurant culture, the power of doing one thing exceptionally well, and his vision for the future, including potential roles in real estate development and mentoring the next generation of restaurateurs. This episode offers invaluable insights for anyone interested in hospitality, entrepreneurship, and building a sustainable business with integrity.</p><p><br></p><p>Timestamps:</p><ul><li><strong>[00:04:44]</strong> Introduction to Charles Bililies and the origin story of Souvla</li><li><strong>[00:05:44]</strong> The backyard lamb roast that sparked the concept</li><li><strong>[00:13:05]</strong> The leftover sandwich moment: Why this Greek sandwich needed to exist</li><li><strong>[00:27:21]</strong> Inspiration from In-N-Out and Hillstone: Doing one thing exceptionally well</li><li><strong>[00:35:50]</strong> Defining fast-fine dining: Real plates, table service, and intentional design</li><li><strong>[00:43:47]</strong> Leadership philosophy and building culture without toxicity</li><li><strong>[01:00:14]</strong> Growth strategy: The delicate balance of team readiness and real estate</li><li><strong>[01:03:18]</strong> Why Souvla has never taken institutional capital</li><li><strong>[01:09:21]</strong> The 24-hour catering disaster and the moment Charles thought it wouldn't work</li><li><strong>[01:14:46]</strong> What has changed Charles most: Celebrating the team's journey</li><li><strong>[01:23:06]</strong> The future of hospitality: Resilience and getting back to personal restaurants</li><li><strong>[01:38:33]</strong> Charles's third act: Real estate development and mentoring the next generation<br></li></ul><p>Follow Hannah and Charles: </p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with ROY: </strong></p><p>Instagram:<strong> </strong><a href="https://www.instagram.com/hospitablyroy/?hl=en"><u>@hospitablyroy</u></a></p><p>Website: <a href="https://www.thisisroy.com/"><u>https://www.thisisroy.com/</u></a><strong></strong></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Hannah:</strong> </p><p>LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-collins-tate-b64981103/"><u>https://www.linkedin.com/in/hannah-collins-tate-b64981103/</u></a></p><p>Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/hannah.collins.tate/?hl=en"><u>@hannah.collins.tate</u></a></p><p><br></p><p><strong>Connect with Charles: </strong></p><p>LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charles-bililies/</p><p>Website: https://www.souvla.com/</p><p><br></p>
8 total episodes available
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