Building a great restaurant starts with something unexpected: chaos
Controlle chaos. This week on Hungry Phil and Abs of Poor Boys talk high-energy design, bold menu choices, and how creating a memorable, slightly disorienting experience gets people talking—and coming back.
They share how they turned unconventional ideas into a powerful brand, including how they used an ingredient chefs have been throwing away to create something customers couldn’t get enough of. The conversation dives into how restaurant design, atmosphere, and product thinking act as secret weapons in modern hospitality—and why leaning into what makes you different can drive real success. A must-listen for anyone looking to build a restaurant people can’t stop talking about.
ON THE MENU:
- Building Poor Boys from chaos to cult status
- Turning waste ingredients into restaurant gold
- Why consistency beats chasing food trends
- Premium ingredients without shouting about them
- How Southern hospitality shapes the customer experience
- The business case for hand-cut chips and fresh food
- Using delivery as a growth and discovery tool
- Packaging, plates, and the psychology of leftovers
- Menu design, service systems, and customer trust
- Staying resilient through pressure, setbacks, and personal challenges
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This episode was edited by: G.Thomas Craig (https://www.linkedin.com/in/gthomascraig/)
What is HUNGRY.?
HUNGRY is THE podcast for Challenger FMCG & Hospitality Founders wanting to pour gasoline on growth.
We chat with the industry BIG HITTERS. We ooze out the HIDDEN success secrets they’ve never told before and dive deep into their gut-wrenching failures, so you avoid them.
We help you grow bigger, faster, stronger.
Over the last 6 years, we’ve chatted to some insane guests on the poddy:
Rory Sutherland, Seth Godin, Jamie Laing, Spencer
Matthews, Tom Kerridge, Sir John Hegarty,
The founders of SOHO House, TRIP, The Devonshire, Tony’s Chocolonely, Vita Coco
Look, I’ll be blunt,
HUNGRY is NOT your normal podcast.
HUNGRY is NOT scripted and sterile Q&A interviews.
HUNGRY is for pretty much no one.
HUNRGY is a deliciously fun, wild and crazy, ADHD rollercoaster of free flowing conversations.
got what it takes?
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get ready to… FEED YOUR HUNGER