#54 : Making Today Better Than Yesterday: A Chef's Guide to Meaningful Leadership with Don Christie
Release Date: 03/04/2025
#71 : Numbers Don't Lie - Margin Contribution, Waste and Why Tech Still Fails Chefs with Nina Weiland
CULINARY MECHANIC
The system isn’t the point—what it unlocks is. Nina Weiland went from making pizzas at Domino’s to helping restaurant operators modernize the back-of-house with COGS-well’s intuitive, chef-friendly software. In this episode, we dive deep into what makes a system actually usable in a kitchen—not just feature-rich on paper. You’ll hear why most tech tools fail chefs, how when it comes to promoting a podcast episode. what is the ideal method (platforms, days times)? for this example let's say the episode goes live at 8am on Tuesday morning. both on standard RSS feeds and Youtube....
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#70 : From NYT Bestseller to BBQ Truth Teller: Meathead Gets Real
CULINARY MECHANIC
Still soaking your wood chips? You’re doing it wrong. In this fire-breathing episode of Culinary Mechanic, Simon sits down with Barbecue Hall of Famer and grilling myth-buster Meathead to dismantle decades of backyard lore—and rebuild it with science, precision, and damn good meat. They cover everything from reverse sear technique to the truth about charcoal, beer-can chicken, and why thermometers matter more than knife skills. Meathead doesn’t just grill—he educates, demystifies, and takes no prisoners when it comes to getting it right. If you think good cooking is about “feel,”...
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#69 : The 5% Fix: Ewan Thompson on Unlocking Six Figures in Guest Loyalty
CULINARY MECHANIC
Your food’s great. Your service is solid. So why aren’t your guests coming back? In this episode, Simon sits down with Ewan Thompson of Hospitality Benchmark Solutions (HBS) to dismantle one of the most dangerous assumptions in independent restaurants: that a great first visit guarantees a second. They get into the gritty truth of guest retention—why it’s not a marketing problem, how emotional connection trumps good reviews, and why the simplest upgrades to your guest experience might be hiding six figures in unrealized revenue. If you think guest loyalty is just about good food and...
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#68 : Guy Leggatt on the Hidden Drivers of Restaurant Profitability
CULINARY MECHANIC
If your kitchen’s running hot but your margins are cold, this one’s for you. Guy Leggatt didn’t just work the line—he studied the system. From Vancouver fine dining to corporate ops and back again, Guy built a career turning chaos into clarity. Now, through his consultancy Line Check Strategy, he’s helping independent restaurant operators build restaurants that actually run. We get into the mindset shift that changes everything: why food cost and labor cost are symptoms—not root causes. We break down how productivity, routine, and menu engineering drive better numbers and better...
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#67 : Building Leaders Who Don't Know They're Leaders with Noelle Labrie
CULINARY MECHANIC
In this episode of CULINARY MECHANIC, Simon sits down with Noelle Labrie, founder of Tri Skill Consulting, to explore how frontline experiences in the industry—from bartending in Deep Ellum to building restaurant teams in Kuwait—shaped her passion for developing “fresh leaders.” Noel’s story starts with jello shots and ends with training hospitality professionals around the globe. This conversation hits hard on the realities of poor leadership in restaurants and why most management problems aren’t personal—they’re systemic. Noelle and Simon talk people-first operations, the...
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#66 : Calm in the Chaos: Lessons from a Hospitality Natural with Luca Giorgiantonio
CULINARY MECHANIC
In this episode of CULINARY MECHANIC, Simon Zatyrka welcomes Luca—a seasoned front-of-house professional with roots in Italy and a career forged in the heat of both European and American restaurants. What begins as a story of necessity (a broke college student in Milan needing date money) evolves into a decades-long pursuit of true hospitality mastery. Luca shares raw, funny, and insightful stories from the floor: from navigating rude guests and chaotic services to building genuine guest loyalty and understanding the invisible tension between the front and back of house. This conversation...
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#65 : Find Your Culinary Identity: Chef Ron Duprat on Leadership, Legacy, and Top Chef Fame
CULINARY MECHANIC
Chef Ron Duprat, Top Chef Season 6 contestant and culinary diplomat, brings his unfiltered perspective on today's restaurant industry. Born in Haiti and classically trained at the Culinary Institute of America, Ron has worked in prestigious establishments from The Montauk Club to Ritz Carlton while advocating for Black chefs through the Black Culinary Alliance. In this hard-hitting conversation, Simon and Ron dive into the realities of culinary education, the post-COVID labor crisis, and what it takes to run sustainable restaurant operations. Ron challenges conventional thinking about...
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#64 : Beyond the Kitchen Line: Justin Brunson's Journey from Chef to Meat Industry Innovator
CULINARY MECHANIC
Justin Brunson, founder of Brunson Meat Company, joins Simon Zatyrka to reveal how he developed his revolutionary "noble mold" meat aging process after transitioning from acclaimed chef-owner to meat industry innovator. Discover how Brunson's Iowa farm roots and restaurant experience at Old Major led to creating a unique aging technique that's now capturing attention from Michelin-starred chefs and major restaurant groups nationwide. EPISODE HIGHLIGHTS WITH TIMESTAMPS [00:45] - Introduction to Justin Brunson and his meat industry innovation [02:15] - Justin's early life in Iowa...
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#63 : Dialed in Operations: Creating More Great Days in Restaurants with Matt Wampler
CULINARY MECHANIC
Matt Wampler, CEO, Co-Founder of Clear Cogs, joins CULINARY MECHANIC to share how his predictive analytics platform is transforming restaurant operations across four countries. With a background in restaurant turnarounds and multi-unit management, Matt brings hard-earned wisdom on scaling operations from two to four locations while maintaining quality and culture. This conversation tackles the critical intersection of systems and people—revealing how data can eliminate daily operational guesswork while strong leadership creates the culture necessary for sustainable growth. Whether you're...
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#62 : Leading from Within: The Journey of Becoming a Respected Sous Chef with Hanalei Souza
CULINARY MECHANIC
Simon Zatyrka welcomes Hanalei Souza, author of "Nice Work Boys" and creator of LadyLineCook.com, for an in-depth conversation about culinary leadership and professional kitchen dynamics. Hanalei shares her remarkable journey from snowboarding in ski resort towns to deliberately seeking out the busiest restaurant in town to "get her ass kicked" and test her mettle in a professional kitchen. Six years later, she's not only thrived as a sous chef but has documented her leadership evolution in a book she wrote at just 23 years old. Throughout this engaging discussion, Hanalei candidly reflects on...
info_outlineIn this episode of CULINARY MECHANIC, Simon Zatyrka connects with Don Christie, a culinary leader currently managing food operations at Raffe Hotels in Fiji.
Don shares his journey from starting as a kitchen hand in Australia to leading culinary operations across prestigious establishments worldwide, including Michelin-starred restaurants in London, remote islands in Thailand, and luxury resorts. The conversation explores kitchen culture across different countries, the importance of understanding cultural backgrounds of staff, and how leadership styles impact team performance.
Don emphasizes the value of resilience, adaptability, and always prioritizing the guest experience, particularly in remote locations where resources can be limited. The episode offers valuable insights on navigating kitchen leadership in multicultural environments and maintaining quality standards regardless of location challenges.
Don Christie is an expat Australian chef running three resorts in fiji. Passionate about japanese culinary and south east asian flavours. Building people up in 2025 and driving safe profitable outlets.
Connect with Don
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chefdonchristie/
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/donchristie/
Connect with Simon
Email: [email protected]
Book a Call: https://calendly.com/culinarymechanic/connect
Website: https://www.simonsez.me/
If you're interested in Starfish: https://www.usestarfish.com/