Staying Hungry
Podcast Description
Staying Hungry goes behind the scenes of Long Island’s restaurant industry, tackling the real challenges of hospitality—staffing, compliance, costs, marketing, and more.
Hosted by Vinny Pappalardo and Michael D’Onofrio of Premier Payroll Solutions, this podcast dives into the business behind the restaurant with chefs, owners, and industry pros.
Whether you run a restaurant or just love the business of food, Staying Hungry keeps you informed, inspired, and—most importantly—hungry for success.
👉 Subscribe now!
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast focuses on various challenges and realities of the hospitality sector, featuring topics such as staffing, operational costs, compliance issues, and marketing strategies. Specific episodes include insights on adapting to COVID-19, lessons in restaurant management from industry veterans, and the unique history and success factors of legendary establishments like Vincent's Clam Bar.
Staying Hungry goes behind the scenes of Long Island’s restaurant industry, tackling the real challenges of hospitality—staffing, compliance, costs, marketing, and more.
Hosted by Vinny Pappalardo and Michael D’Onofrio of Premier Payroll Solutions, this podcast dives into the business behind the restaurant with chefs, owners, and industry pros.
Whether you run a restaurant or just love the business of food, Staying Hungry keeps you informed, inspired, and—most importantly—hungry for success.
👉 Subscribe now!
Welcome back to Staying Hungry, the podcast where restaurant life gets real.
In this episode – “King of the Misfit Toys: A Chef’s Playbook for Chaos” – hostsMichael D’Onofrio and Vinny Pappalardo sit down with award-winning chef, author, and entrepreneur Eric LeVine of 317 Main Street. Known for his no-BS honesty, Chef Eric pulls back the curtain on what it really takes to thrive in hospitality.
From the dish that sparked his culinary passion at age six, to mastering social media as a tool for inspiration, to embracing AI in restaurants, Chef Eric delivers raw insight, big laughs, and hard-earned wisdom. He also opens up about resilience through personal struggles, why leadership is about building foundations, and his vision to empower chefs by creating opportunities for them to own their future.
If you’re a restaurant owner, chef, or anyone who’s ever lived the grind of hospitality, this one’s packed with lessons you won’t forget.
01:00 Eric Levine's Early Inspirations
01:57 Mentorship and Learning
02:35 Creating a Home-like Experience
05:19 Challenges and Successes
07:06 Partnerships and Collaborations
15:38 Life Coaching and Helping Others
21:12 Personal Reflections and Writing a Book
24:22 Diverse Experiences in the Restaurant Industry
26:20 Customer Service and Consistency
33:51 Mentors and Inspirations
37:56 Battling Cancer and Winning 'Chopped'
41:54 Running the New York Marathon
50:43 Balancing Work and Personal Life
55:50 Guiding the Next Generation
01:00:41 Understanding Ego Death
01:04:14 Creating and Publishing Cookbooks
01:07:01 The Journey of Forking Good
01:14:59 The Farmingdale Story
01:22:47 Future Plans and Family Involvement
01:24:52 Passion for the Culinary Industry
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