Must View: Arrival of Newborn
Fire up your weekend, readers! It's Saturday and we're fully into the holiday season.
From our neck of the woods in NYC, it seems the city's restaurants are packed with folks eager to feast and celebrate with friends, family, and colleagues. If you're in the hospitality business around the globe, here's to a successful and lively holiday season! My old lady used to say, "find joy wherever you can," and in this cutthroat restaurant biz, any extra zest from happy, spendy guests is a welcome boost.
Our Tech the Halls event was a blast, with all attendees seeming to have a fantastic time (despite the cleanup the following morning). If someone left behind a Gucci 'Ophidia GG Medium Tote Bag,' we didn't find it, but I'm not saying it's Ms. Schatzberg's new luggage - let's just say it's simply a matter of coincidence.
Our own holiday festivities were nothing to forget, but I won't go into details. Instead, I want to extend a huge shoutout to our friends at Bbot, AWS, The Elliot Group, PourMyBeer, and Lavit for being part of the fun. It was especially exciting to showcase our self-pour beverage system and the latest version of Lavit's countertop drink solution, WoodBar, which is now (unofficially) making its NYC debut!
Is it a hint of our beverage solutions strategy brewing? Time will tell, but – as always – if it's valuable for our operator network and our LPs, we're all about it.
In our ever-changing industry, getting the right mix of technology, market fit, and operator interest is essential. Our Top of the Fold sums up Branded's philosophy nicely: if we can help operators optimize margins, tackle challenges, and prioritize what truly matters, good things will happen for all of us.
At this week's Tech the Halls, I had a great chat with one of my favorite limited partners. This person believes they've found a gamechanger for our industry, but, despite strong conviction from the company and stakeholders, this baby is struggling to reach traction. Why? It seems the solution hasn't yet found a challenge, opportunity, or pain point that hospitality operators care about. That's on us, and if we don't see the value or don't engage with a company, Branded won't either.
In the end, the market (customers, investors, etc.) can be volatile, and sometimes it takes time to catch on. As legendary economist John Maynard Keynes said, "markets can remain irrational longer than you can remain solvent." Keep pushing forward, friends, and may 2024 bring success to all.
Hope you had a nice weekend, and a strong finish to the year is upon us. Don't forget that access to our portfolio companies, investment strategies, and future opportunities awaits you in our Access Hospitality Network.
Tune in to this week's Hospitality Hangout, where we chat with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America (parent company of Pepper Lunch Restaurants), and Elisia Flores, CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue. You can find it on Spotify, Apple, Amazon, iHeart, or your favorite listening platform!
Once again, remember it takes a village – and a big one at that. Shoutout to all the hospitality employees making the holidays magical for others. You rock!
READERS: ever wondered about the backstory behind Branded's ugly baby comment? Or curious about the ins and outs of serving cold beverages at 20k feet? Let's get those questions rolling for our new segment: "Ask the Headline"! Drop your queries below, and don't fear the anonymity – we've got you covered!
Until next week, gang! Standard disclaimer: the above is based on publicly available enrichment data and contains our own analysis, opinions, and perspectives on the content.
- As the holiday season continues, it's a joyful time for the hospitality industry, with packed restaurants and lively celebrations worldwide.
- In the bustling restaurant business, a podcast like Hospitality Hangout can provide valuable insights and connections, featuring guests such as Troy Hooper from Pepper Lunch Restaurants.
- The hospitality industry isn't just about food service – it's also about the technology and finance that support businesses, ranging from self-pour beverage systems to countertop drink solutions like Lavit's WoodBar.
- For anyone interested in learning more about the inner workings of the hospitality industry, Branded's Access Hospitality Network offers access to portfolio companies, investment strategies, and future opportunities.
- Whether it's the challenges of new companies finding traction in the industry or the secrets behind Branded's "ugly baby" comment, the Hospitality Hangout podcast offers a platform for answering questions and sharing stories from the hospitality lifestyle.
