What’s On Fire Podcast w/ Matty Smokes

Step inside the fire with Matty Smokes, chef, pitmaster, and restaurant owner, as he sits down with the people who live and breathe hospitality. From restaurant buildouts to breakdowns, menu design to leadership lessons, every episode uncovers the real stories behind the chaos, creativity, and courage it takes to run a hospitality business.Whether you’re dreaming of opening your first bar or managing a multi-unit operation, What’s On Fire gives you the insights, inspiration, and strategies that keep this industry burning.

What’s On Fire Podcast w/ Matty Smokes is a business podcast hosted by Unknown Host, with 6 episodes on record and a Required Pod Score of 80. PitchCentric scores this show on Booking Probability, Listen Score, and live audience signals refreshed every 24 hours.

Unknown Host hosts What’s On Fire Podcast w/ Matty Smokes, a business show with 6 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.

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  Episode #6

  Restaurant Startup Chaos: Permits, Staffing, Cash Flow with Don McCalla

  Feb 10, 202639 minS0

  <p>Opening a restaurant can crush you before the first guest ever walks in, permits, inspections, surprise buildout costs, and cash flow pressure that doesn’t care about your vision.</p><p>In this episode, Matty Smokes sits down with Don McCalla, a CPA and equipment service operator who opened The Guest House Bistro in Levittown, New York. Don brings a rare operator perspective: he understands numbers, buildouts, and kitchen infrastructure and still got hit with the realities of hospitality operations once it was his own place on the line.</p><p>You’ll hear what actually happened from buildout to o...

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  Episode #5

  Opening a Restaurant: The Buildout Truth Nobody Tells with Chris Horvath

  Feb 3, 202645 minS0

  <p>If you’re opening a restaurant (or stuck mid-buildout), this episode is your reality check. Builder, designer, and operator Chris Horvath breaks down what actually makes a restaurant build succeed—budget discipline, fast decision-making, and knowing the hidden costs before you sign a lease.</p><p>Matt sits down with Chris, a Long Island design-build veteran with 43+ years in the game and a portfolio that includes JJ Cooper’s, James & Main, Pearl, Bridgeview Yacht Club, and more. Chris explains the “two sides of the fire”: the owner-operator perspective and the contractor/builder side—where timelines get crushed (or blown up), why per...

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  Episode #4

  Family Business Mastery: San Pedro Fish Market’s Restaurant Secrets with Michael Ungaro

  Jan 27, 202639 minS0

  <p>Dive into the world of hospitality innovation with this episode of "What’s On Fire with Matty Smokes," featuring Michael Ungaro, the driving force behind the legendary San Pedro Fish Market. As one of the most iconic family-run restaurants in the country, San Pedro Fish Market has become a beacon for restaurant startups, bar owners, and hospitality leaders seeking to master the art of scaling, adapting, and thriving in a competitive industry.</p><p>In this candid conversation, Michael Ungaro reveals the secrets behind building a restaurant empire, from navigating permits and funding to designing a winning menu and fo...

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  Episode #3

  From Finance to Cannolis: Building a Dessert Brand with Brandyn Williams

  Jan 20, 202623 minS0

  <p>Hospitality isn’t glamorous, it’s relentless. In this episode of What’s On Fire with Matty Smokes, we sit down with Brandyn Williams, co-founder of Dolce Bella, to break down what it really takes to build and scale a successful restaurant brand in today’s market.</p><p>Brandyn’s journey started far from cannolis. After working in finance at Northwell Health, he made a bold leap into hospitality, first through Cherry Valley Lemon Ice King and the Ugly Duckling ecosystem, then finding his own lane with Dolce Bella. Today, he’s known across Long Island for turning a traditiona...

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  Episode #2

  Staff, Guests and Sanity: Real Talk for Restaurant Owners with Michael Cassano

  Jan 13, 202658 minS0

  <p>What happens when you walk away from Wall Street, blow your last $30,000 on a dive bar, and somehow turn it into a $30,000-a-week bistro? In this episode of What’s On Fire with Matty Smokes, Michael Cassano, longtime restaurateur and owner of American Beauty restaurants, breaks down the real math, emotion, and chaos behind building and closing restaurants.</p><p>Michael walks us through his journey from 14-year-old busboy in a family Italian restaurant, to stockbroker in a Wolf of Wall Street–style firm, to running multiple restaurant locations in Massapequa and Massapequa Park. He shares why his Bellmore loca...

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