Innovation In The Industry - Part I: From Distillation to Hand Sanitization with @MRDistilling
Release Date: 10/29/2020
A Chef’s Journey Leads to Giving Back when it Mattered Most - Chef Diana Dávila of Mi Tocaya
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
Everyone knows the restaurant industry is difficult even without a pandemic! One Chicago chef found a way to not only survive this but to give back. Chef & Owner Diana Dávila of Mi Tocaya is busy running her restaurant and part-time food bank for hungry undocumented hospitality workers. The Beard-nominated, Michelin-recognized, “Chef of the Year” had one more lesson to learn - how to lead during a pandemic. We sat down with Chef to learn about the experiences that shaped her, Todas Ponen, and what’s
info_outline
Innovation In The Industry - Part I: From Distillation to Hand Sanitization with @MRDistilling
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
As devastating as the pandemic has been to bars & restaurants, it has also been a call for us to innovate, bond together, and solve problems. In this first episode of the new series, “Innovation in the Industry,” we sit down with Mississippi River Distilling Company to learn about the massive shift many distilleries underwent in converting their production facilities into hand sanitizer factories at a time when we were running dangerously low. We also get to talk with Forbidden Root Restaurant & Brewery
info_outline
Nightlife Under COVID Pt. 2 - The DJ Perspective with Chicago-based DJ Silkee (Shannon Currie)
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
In the second episode of our series Nightlife Under COVID, we interview Chicago-based Shannon Currie, AKA DJ Silkee. Hear how he adapted and innovated to survive during the government-mandated coronavirus shutdown; which brought his world and livelihood to a screeching stop in March. Shannon also shares how he came to throw a weekly Sunday afternoon balcony party to entertain and bring cheer to his South Loop neighbors (as well as keep his skills sharp) during a time of isolation and stress for many of us.
info_outline
Nightlife Under COVID Pt. 1 - The Nightclub Perspective with Chicago-based Le Nocturne
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
In this first episode in our series “Nightlife Under COVID,” we interview the owner and GM of Chicago-based nightclub Le Nocturne. They have done everything they can to use the government-mandated shutdown the best they can, from making physical improvements to the club to launching a successful streaming channel, Nocturne Chicago Live. They are on a mission to keep house music alive and thriving and are now reaching people around the globe. Be inspired by their resilience and tenacity!
info_outline
Being Black in the Hospitality Industry - Part III with Black People Eats and Chicago Food On The Run
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
To close out What’s On Tap’s “Black in the Hospitality Industry” series, we sit down with Jeremy Joyce, founder of Black People Eats and Kristal Long, Business Manager at Chicago Food on the Run, a newly opened black-owned restaurant. Although the end of the series doesn’t mean our listening phase is over, we certainly hope that we have a better understanding of the experiences of our friends and coworkers. This episode brings us to a Chicago neighborhood that many “foodies” normally wouldn’
info_outline
Being Black in the Hospitality Industry - Part II with Chef Brian Jupiter (Frontier, Ina Mae) and Kurtis Lott (Cajun Boil & Bar)
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
We sit down with Kurtis Lott, Co-owner & Chief Operator of Cajun Boil & Bar, and Brian Jupiter, Executive Chef & Partner of Frontier and Ina Mae Tavern. They both have been in the bar & restaurant biz since they were teenagers and share their unique experiences and perspectives on what it is like coming up “black in the hospitality industry.” We also discuss the challenges of having black-owned restaurants, mentorship, and they provide simple tips on what we can all do to make the world a better place.
info_outline
Being Black in the Hospitality Industry - Part I with Charles St. Clair (Black Horizon Brewing Co.) & Hope Johnson
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
What’s On Tap was created in response to the shock bars & restaurants were facing during COVID19. Amidst the pandemic, the video of the murder of George Floyd at the hands of police came to light and the Black Lives Matter movement swelled. TappedIn decided to pause our coronavirus-focused episodes and listen to what it is like to be Black in the hospitality industry. We recorded the first episode in this series on Juneteenth at the only active Black-owned brewery in IL with 2 industry veterans. #listen
info_outline
The Voices of Hospitality Industry Employees in the Midst of COVID-19
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
Although What’s On Tap represents the entirety of the hospitality industry, our first few episodes featured owners. On this episode, we hear from 3 Chicago bar & restaurant industry veterans on the employee side who share their experiences navigating the COVID-19 pandemic. We touch on everything from unemployment, to concerns about reopening, to the difficult career choices they are facing. This raw, unfiltered conversation is both challenging and lighthearted, as multiple perspectives are heard
info_outline
Food & Bev Lawyers Unpack COVID-19 for The Industry
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
Not all bar & restaurant owners and most employees can afford high-powered lawyers, especially when their businesses are shut down or they’re unemployed. Yet, in a time when the stakes are higher than ever, having sound legal advice is critically important. We gathered two legal titans who specialize in the hospitality and alcohol beverage industries to discuss the most important topics facing this group. Nothing in this episode should be considered legal advice but we do hope that it will add perspective
info_outline
The Fifty/50 Restaurant Group Feeds Chicago in a Time of Need
What's On Tap - Industry Talk
We sit down with the co-founders of the Chicago-based Fifty/50 Restaurant Group who have converted 2 of their 19 restaurants into take-home meal pickup sites for the restaurant industry and others in need. With a staggering 2/3 of bar & restaurant professionals out of work right now, a free meal sure can help out. We also get the opportunity to talk to them about their meteoric growth from a single concept in 2008 to one of the most successful restaurant groups in Chicago today.
info_outlineNo one looks forward to times of adversity, but we all face difficult challenges at some points in our lives. COVID-19 brought a systemic shock to not only the hospitality industry but to the entire world this year. As devastating as the pandemic has been to bars and restaurants, it has also been a call for us to innovate, bond together, and solve problems. In this new series, “Innovation in the Industry,” we will be exploring just that. This first episode of the series explores the massive shift many distilleries underwent in converting their production facilities into hand sanitizer factories to supply the world with this crucial product at a time when we were running dangerously low. We sit down with our good friend Sam Bergren to talk about how Mississippi River Distilling Company got into the hand sanitizer game.
In the second half of the episode, we talk with Brian Krajack, Director of Operations of Forbidden Root Restaurant & Distillery in Chicago, Illinois; which is where we recorded at. In addition to learning more about how they became the premier botanical brewery in the States with food so good they are equally known as a restaurant, Brain shares how they have faired during the era of COVID, their expansion to Columbus, Ohio, and the crowler craze.
We hope you enjoy this series as we continue to explore how the service industry has adapted when their backs were up against the wall!
This episode featured:
Sam Bergren
Wisconsin & Illinois Sales Rep, Mississippi River Distilling Company
https://www.mrdistilling.com/
@mrdistilling
Joseph Sheahan, Cofounder & CEO, TappedIn and Host, What’s On Tap
@get_tapped
Find us on Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, Twitter, Apple Podcast, Spotify, LinkedIn