1 Season, 100 Interviews, 400k Audience

When we hit record on the first episode of The OysterLink Podcast, we had a simple idea to give the people who actually run American hospitality a microphone, and let them talk. 100 interviews later, Season 1 is officially in the books.

• 100 interviews with chefs, owners, operators, and creatives
• 4 cities at the heart of American dining (Miami, NYC, Austin, and Houston)
• Featured guests from Food Media and Michelin-starred restaurants
• 400,000+ monthly website visitors across the US
• 2000+ subscribers on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and YouTube
• 1 season that proved hospitality stories deserve a bigger stage

The Guests Who Made It Real

We talked to MasterChef winners and Michelin-starred chefs who arrived in this country with nothing but a knife roll and a plan. We talked to first-time restaurant owners still figuring it out, and veteran operators who've seen every cycle the industry can throw at them. We talked to the designers, the GMs, the beverage directors, and the creative minds quietly redesigning the American dining experience.

Every guest brought something different. Every conversation taught us something we didn't know walking in.

Over the past 2 years, our team produced Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, LinkedIn videos, full interview features, and the accompanying articles were published in our website’s Celebrity Interviews section. 

Some of the interviews have gone so well that other media outlets ended up picking them up or quoting them.  

We interviewed working chefs, not influencers. Our guests had scars, stories, and strategies from real kitchens. Every episode was designed to help our audience level up, from a prep cook to an executive chef.

Thank You to Our Season 1 Guests

To every one of the 100 leaders who trusted us with their story, thank you. This season was yours.

• Javier Becerra, Executive Chef at Xolo
• Eric Nathal, Chef/Owner of Austin Rotisserie
• Justine Gilcrease, Founder Owner of Justine's, Justine's Secret House, and Café Fleurs de Nuit
• Whitney Hazelmyer, Co-founder of Let’s Eat Austin Culinary Courses
• Leslie Weil, General Manager at Fort Lauderdale Marriott Pompano Beach Resort & Spa
• Chris Riccio, Director of Commercial Sales at LRK Seating Products
• Alexander Dubey, Owner of Quattro Gatti Ristorante e Pizzeria
• Ryan Lachaine, Executive Chef at State of Grace Restaurant
• David Skinner, Owner and Executive Chef of Eculent and Ishtia
• Hugo Ortega, Executive Chef and Co-owner of 6 of Houston’s Top Restaurants
• Gabriel Balderas, Owner/Operator of Zuzul Shreveport, El Cabo Verde, and Papalotl Oaxaca
• Will & Nicole Buckman, Owner-Operators of CorkScrew BBQ
• Samuel Ghouzi, Co-founder of Otto and Pepe
• Jimmy Everett, Chef and Owner of Driftwood Restaurant and Bar
• John Tesar, Founder and Executive Chef of the Knife Restaurant Group
• Joseph VanWagner, Managing Partner and Executive Chef at Echelon Kitchen and Bar
• Eric San Pedro, Co-Founder of Palm Beach Meats
• Nicolas Kurban, Founder of Amar Mediterranean Kitchen and Amar Sandwich Shop
• Anthony Jones, Executive Chef at Marcus DC
• Salvatore Procopio, PR Coordinator at The American University of Florence
• Christopher Robert, Executive Chef at Queen Miami Beach
• Mattia Cicognani, Founder of 84 Magic Hospitality
• Diego Ng, Chef and Co-Founder of Temple Street Eatery
• Michael Tronn, Creative Director and Founding Member of TIMBR
• Pedro Mederos, Executive Chef at Kojin 2.0
• Ismael Torres, Owner and Executive Chef at Rough Chop
• Terry Lee & Adam Flierl, Co-founders of PLAY Sporting Lounge
• Olivia Ostrow, Executive Chef and Owner of Maison Ostrow
• Daniel Lugovtsov, Chef de Cuisine at Pastis Miami
• Milan Blagojevic, Co-Founder of Naughty Coffee
• Nok Chokthana, Restaurateur and Co-Founder of Kubo Asian Fusion & Bar
• Leandro Cabanillas and Marcos Caillet-Bois, Co-founders of Conventillo
• Jodrick Ujaque, Chef and Founder of Chefs on the Run
• Juan Jose Xacur and Andres Lebrija, Co-Founders of IKIGAI Group
• Haidar Hachem, Co-Founder of Shojo's Dojo
• David Hellbronn, Founder and Managing Partner of Hellbronn Levy
• Marco Calenzo, Chef at the Four Seasons Surf Club
• David McIntyre, COO at Dream International
• Kristianne Descher, Pastry Chef and Chef Instructor at COC Institute of Culinary Education
• Theo Castillo, Brewer and Owner/Operator of the Offsite Miami
• Chris Seek, CEO of Solimar International
• Paul Liebrandt, Michelin-Starred Chef and Restaurateur, NYC
• Juan Fortunato, Culinary Nomad and Former Head Chef
• Brendan Scott, Executive Chef at Golden Steer New York
• Eddie G, Lead Chef and Partner at Locavore Ventures
• Egil Valentin, Private Chef and Culinary Instructor
• Michael Bullers, Founder of The Modernist Mixologist and Head of Hospitality at Five Iron Golf
• David Salazar, Kitchen Manager at Gastamo Group
• Kate Meier, Founder of Help the House Foundation
• Daniel Frazier, Director of Operations and General Manager at The Pharmacy Burger Parlor and Beer Garden
• Eduardo Burkard, Hospitality Expert, BITAC Events and Hotel Interactive Contributor
• Gregory León, Chef-Owner of Amilinda in Milwaukee and 2025 James Beard Award Semifinalist
• Kevin and Sofia Flannery, Co-Owners of Vinyl Steakhouse and Certified Sommeliers
• Paul Downie, Director of Service and Hospitality at STARR Restaurants
• Oren Cohen, General Manager at Life House with 30+ years of hospitality experience
• Andres Goeta, General Manager of Serena Hotel (Hilton Tapestry Collection)
• Jimmy Chill, Executive Chef and Owner of Chill’s Table
• Olivia Cox, Chef and Restaurant Owner in Fullerton
• Renee Petitjean, Recruiting Manager at Marriott International
• Sarah Diehl, Founder and CEO of Empowered Hospitality
• Chintan Dadhich, General Manager of Conrad New York Downtown
• Ana-Victoria Vârlan, Housekeeping Manager Intern at Trump International Hotel and Tower New York
• Salar Sheik, Restaurant Consultant and Owner of Savory Hospitality
• Tareq Salahi, Chairman of Hotels at Sea and Resorts at Sea
• Ron Ben-Israel, Executive Pastry Chef and Owner of Ron Ben-Israel Cakes
• Michael Leonard and Christopher Murton, Competitors on MasterChef Generations
• Robert Marchetti, CEO of Sky Construction Management and Host of the Raw Hospitality Podcast
• Meymuna Hussein-Cattan, Founder of The Tiyya Foundation and Flavors From Afar
• Izzy Kharasch, President of Hospitality Works
• Sharon Pinkhasov, Business Owner and Executive Pastry Chef
• Mat Meyer, Head Chef and Founder of Ansley Table
• Claudia Sandoval, MasterChef Season 6 Winner, Private Chef, Executive Producer and Consultant
• Luca Manfè, MasterChef Season 4 Winner, Private Chef and Culinary Entrepreneur
• Wissam Baki, Executive Chef at Amal Miami
• Justin Khanna, Chef, Entrepreneur and Content Creator
• Derek Upton, Private Chef and Cannabis Advocate (Netflix & Food Network Featured)
• Selim Soliman, VP of Shaner Hotels
• Christine Ha, MasterChef Season 3 Winner, Restaurateur and Disability Advocate
• Hanalei Souza, Sous Chef, Content Creator and Author
• Lucia Palm, Sommelier, Wine Educator and Content Creator
• Michelle R. Johnson, CEO of Ghost Town Oats and Founder of The Chocolate Barista
• Edilson Cremonese, Barista and Coffee Entrepreneur
• Carmen Miranda, MasterChef Mexico Winner and Chef
• Sami Udell, Private Chef, Entrepreneur and Founder of WholeSam
• Tom Aviv, MasterChef Israel Winner and Restaurateur
• Olivia Ostrow, French Chef and Restaurateur, Founder of Ostrow Brasserie
• Gustavo Montes, Corporate Chef and Founder of GM Culinary
• Farid Lutfi, Restaurateur and Co-owner of Lira Miami
• Scott Braithwaite, Sous Chef and Global Culinary Professional
• Robb Garceau, Culinary Director of NY Hospitality Group
• Catherine DiQuinzio, Chef de Cuisine at Bonnie Briar Country Club
• Jennifer Clair, Owner at Home Cooking New York
• JJ Johnson, Chef and Founder at FIELDTRIP
• Sebastian Ploss, General Manager at Sonesta Hotels
• Paula Lukas, National Mixologist at Smoke Lab Vodka

What's Next

Season 1 was about restaurants. Season 2 is about hotels.

We're turning the mic toward hotel GMs running iconic properties, recruiters at the biggest chains, boutique founders doing things their own way, and the people behind the front desk who keep it all moving. The kitchen was first. The lobby is next.

To our audience: thank you for listening, sharing, and showing up. Season 2 is going to be different and we can't wait to show you.

If you work in hotel hospitality and have a story worth telling, we want to hear from you.

Hosted by Mathew Zein

Mathew Zein is an international journalist, interviewer, and podcast host specializing in the restaurant and hospitality industry, with a portfolio of over 450 interviews worldwide. 

As the voice of the OysterLink Podcast, he has interviewed everyone from dishwashers to Michelin-starred chefs, to give listeners the unfiltered truth about building a career in this industry. When he's not recording, you'll find Mathew exploring restaurants, talking to line cooks, and hunting for the next great story.

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