Hospitality Ops Club

The Ops Club is a no-nonsense look at how hospitality really runs. Tom and Travis have spent 20 years across everything from big-brand rollouts to tiny independents. We talk shop - what worked, what didn’t, and what we’d do tomorrow. Expect honest stories from our own operations, plus conversations with awesome industry guests who’ve actually been there and done it.

Hospitality Ops Club is a business podcast hosted by Travis Fish, with 20 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80.

Travis Fish hosts Hospitality Ops Club, a business show with 20 episodes published.

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  Episode #19

  Sweaty Burgers, No-Shows and the Budget

  Sep 9, 202629 min

  In this episode we catch up after Travis's August off, and get into whether guests are really using AI to find venues, why lower expectations at home have made delivery feel like it beats a night out, and why no shows on big group bookings are forcing operators to rethink deposit policies. Also in this episode: The detail that goes into choosing a site The summer trade dip The government's hospitality grant and rates discount barely touch the sides What we're planning for budget day on 29th October This episode is sponsored by Monotree the employee comms platform for multi-site teams who know email and WhatsApp aren't building culture or productivity. It's fast and intuitive, like your favourite messaging app, from inside your very own branded team app. And the numbers back it up: 4.2 daily opens and over 75% daily activity, with a rating above 4.9 stars. For multi-site employee comms, Monotree is my only recommendation, check them out: https://monotree.com/

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  Hospitality Ops Club

  Alison Wong on Private Equity, Discipline and Why CEOs and CFOs Should Argue

  Aug 14, 20261h 9m

  In this episode we are joined by Alison Wong, CFO at House of Gods Hotel, to talk about what private equity actually means for hospitality operators, the discipline that separates businesses that scale well from the ones that don't. Also in this episode: why she tells founders to decide what they actually want before taking on any funding, because a lifestyle business and private equity investment are rarely aligned the pattern behind overspending once confidence grows, from bigger sites to state of the art kitchens to higher rent why the best CEO-CFO relationships involve arguing why she reforecasts every quarter instead of treating the annual budget as fixed This episode is sponsored by Monotree , the employee comms platform for multi-site teams who know email and WhatsApp aren't building culture or productivity. It's fast and intuitive, like your favourite messaging app, from inside your very own branded team app. And the numbers back it up: 4.2 daily opens and over 75% daily activity, with a rating above 4.9 stars. For multi-site employee comms, Monotree is my only recommendation. Check them out: https://monotree.com/

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  Hospitality Ops Club

  VAT Campaign, a New Chancellor and the Rise of Paddle

  Jul 27, 202643 min

  Tom and I catch up after his first weekend of a two week birthday celebration, spent at a farmhouse retreat and spa in Suffolk, and get into the surprisingly calm reception to the new Prime Minister and Cabinet reshuffle. Also in this episode: The case for a VAT cut for hospitality, including the Tax Policy Associates' critique of the campaign, how the UK's VAT base compares to Ireland and the rest of Europe, and why business rates reform looks like the more politically palatable option What a VAT cut would actually let Tom invest in, from overdue toilet renovations to paying suppliers and improving the guest experience Plans for our budget breakdown briefing event with William Stanley & Co and Alison, running the morning after the Budget lands this time round Why hospitality remains a vital part of society even as AI and automation reshape other parts of life The rise of paddle, and why its tech-led, membership-free model is bringing in a new crowd This episode is sponsored by Monotree , the employee comms platform for multi-site teams who know email and WhatsApp aren't building culture or productivity. It's fast and intuitive, like your favourite messaging app, from inside your very own branded team app. And the numbers back it up: 4.2 daily opens and over 75% daily activity, with a rating above 4.9 stars. For multi-site employee comms, Monotree is my only recommendation. Check them out https://monotree.com/

  ListenShow Notes
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  Hospitality Ops Club

  Only a Pavement Away, Casual Dining and Energy wins

  Jul 19, 202636 min

  In this episode we catch up after Travis's first time punting in Cambridge, at a punt and dine event for Only A Pavement Away, and get into why more hospitality businesses still aren't taking a chance on people the charity puts forward. Also in this episode: Tom's walk ins only strategy for the England World Cup match at the Carlton Tavern, and how it compared to a normal Sunday Turtle Bay's declining sales and thin margins, and why niche cuisine brands have struggled to break into the UK market the way pizza and burgers have The pressure ops teams are under in P&L reviews, and why so much of it comes down to structural issues rather than execution on the ground Tom's recent wins on energy and gas procurement through Rye Utilities New additions to the Ops Club tools page, including the Percy pricing checker and a business rates relief checker from Paddle - check them out at ops-club.com/tools This episode is sponsored by Monotree the employee comms platform for multi-site teams who know email and WhatsApp aren't building culture or productivity. It's fast and intuitive, like your favourite messaging app, from inside your very own branded team app. And the numbers back it up: 4.2 daily opens and over 75% daily activity, with a rating above 4.9 stars. For multi-site employee comms, Monotree is my only recommendation, check them out: https://monotree.com/

  ListenShow Notes
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  Hospitality Ops Club

  Gail's, VAT and the World Cup

  Jun 3, 202642 minS0

  <p>In this episode we catch up after a tough week for Tom of slow sales and a back to basics management meeting.</p><p></p><p>Also in this episode:</p>Why so little has changed for hospitality in the last three yearsWhether a VAT cut is the one thing that would actually helpWhy the public has stopped paying attention to pub closuresCheap chicken versus posh chickenWhat the World Cup means for pubsTom building his own appsThe Gail's salty sandwich storyWhy Manchester is booming

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