Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise. From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.

Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates is a business podcast hosted by Ovation, with 442 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Ovation hosts Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates, a business show with 442 episodes published.

Our AI reads these to draft pitches. Use them as grounding for a pitch that cites a real guest and a specific topic.

• 

  Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

  From 20 Dinners a Day to a Texas Institution with Skeeter Miller of County Line

  Sep 28, 202621 min

  Send us Fan Mail Skeeter Miller, founder and president of County Line Barbecue, joins Zack Oates to share how a Texas barbecue restaurant has continued evolving after more than five decades in business. From going from just 10 to 20 dinners a day to hundreds after a Texas Monthly write-up, to building a multimillion-dollar private events business, Skeeter shares the stories and ideas that have kept County Line relevant for 51 years. Zack and Skeeter discuss: How County Line became a Texas barbecue institution Why successful restaurants have to be willing to change Turning employee ideas into new revenue opportunities Growing private events from $100,000 to nearly $4 million Creating memorable experiences beyond the food Why great service still makes the biggest difference Thanks, Skeeter! Links: https://www.instagram.com/countylinebbqsa/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/skeeter-miller-61716926/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/county-line-incorporated/ https://countyline.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

  How Toastique Turned Healthy Eating Into a Daily Habit with Brianna Keefe

  Aug 31, 202617 min

  Send us Fan Mail Brianna Keefe, founder of Toastique, joins Zack Oates to discuss how she built a health-focused restaurant concept from one Washington, D.C. location into a rapidly growing franchise brand. Brianna shares why Toastique prioritizes owner-operators, how the brand creates value without compromising ingredient quality, and why the personal touch remains essential as the company scales. Zack and Brianna discuss: Why Toastique chose an owner-operator franchise model How personal interactions create repeat guests Building consistency across a growing restaurant brand Why healthy food doesn't have to sacrifice experience Protecting ingredient quality despite cost pressures Why short-term savings can hurt a brand long-term Thanks, Brianna! Links: https://www.instagram.com/toastique/ https://www.linkedin.com/in/brianna-keefe-4a735087/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/toastique/ https://toastique.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

  Why Blaze Pizza Believes Personalization Is the Future of Hospitality with John Owen

  Aug 3, 202618 min

  Send us Fan Mail John Owen, CEO of Blaze Pizza, joins Zack Oates to discuss how restaurants can create memorable guest experiences through personalization, consistency, and strong execution. With more than three decades of leadership experience across brands like McDonald's, Subway, and Scooter's Coffee, John shares why understanding the difference between customization and personalization is critical for today's restaurants. Zack and John discuss: Why personalization matters more than ever in hospitality The difference between customizing a product and personalizing an experience How brands should approach innovation and market disruption Why customer feedback must guide restaurant decisions Building consistency across hundreds of locations What restaurants can learn from Chick-fil-A's guest experience strategy Thanks, John! Links: https://www.instagram.com/blazepizza/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-o-73422325/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/blazepizza/ https://www.blazepizza.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

  Jim Mazany of P.F. Chang's on Building Memories, Not Just Meals

  Jul 27, 202620 min

  Send us Fan Mail Jim Mazany, CEO of P.F. Chang's, joins Zack Oates to discuss how one of America's most iconic restaurant brands continues to evolve while staying true to its hospitality roots. From creating memorable dining experiences to balancing value with premium quality, Jim shares why every guest interaction is an opportunity to build lasting loyalty. Zack and Jim discuss: Creating memorable experiences that guests return for years later Balancing value with an elevated dining experience Why consistency builds long-term guest loyalty Using menu innovation to keep the brand relevant How small hospitality moments create lasting emotional connections The importance of staying authentic while evolving with guest expectations Thanks, Jim! Links: https://www.instagram.com/pfchangs/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/jimmazany/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/pfchangs/ https://www.pfchangs.com/

  ListenShow Notes
• 

  Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

  How This Restaurant CEO Tracks 150 Stores Without Setting Foot in Them

  Jul 20, 202615 min

  Send us Fan Mail Chris Ives, CEO and President of Bubbakoo's Burritos, joins Zack Oates to discuss why genuine hospitality remains one of the most powerful competitive advantages in restaurants. Drawing on experience across finance, operations, and executive leadership, Chris explains how strong culture, engaged teams, and thoughtful guest interactions ultimately drive profitability for franchisees. Zack and Chris discuss: Why culture matters more than metrics alone The connection between guest experience and restaurant profitability How genuine hospitality creates loyal guests Why restaurants should get back to the basics Balancing technology with human connection Using guest feedback to improve operations across franchise locations Thanks, Chris! Links: https://www.instagram.com/bubbakoosburritos/?hl=en https://www.linkedin.com/in/chris-ives-cfe-66b76940/ https://www.linkedin.com/company/bubbakoos-burritos/

  ListenShow Notes

Recent guests on Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates. Study who booked and why before you pitch.

Based on semantic analysis of episode topics and host coverage, this show is a strong guest fit for executives in:

Industry fit is computed by PitchCentric using vector embeddings of the show's episode catalog.