Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher on Austin’s Dining Scene, Building Lenoir, and Balancing Life as Restaurateurs
Explicit content warning
06/25/24 • 71 min
1 Listener
#65. In this episode of The meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey catches up with old friends who are also amazing chefs and restaurateurs. The guests are Jess Maher and Todd Duplechan, a dynamic duo Josh has known for nearly two decades. Their paths first crossed while working together at Bouley and Danube in New York City, and they've remained close ever since.
Listeners will hear them reminisce about their time at renowned restaurants like Bouley, Danube, Gray Kunz’s establishments, and Tabla with Floyd Cardoz. They dive into Jess and Todd's journey to Austin, where they opened their celebrated restaurant, Lenoir. The conversation covers the evolution of the Austin dining scene, the operation of their restaurant, and the challenges and rewards of running a business as a married couple with children.
Josh, Jess, and Todd also touch on their future ventures and how they've adapted to changes in the industry over the years. This episode is filled with insights, laughter, and the warmth of reconnecting with good friends. If you're ever in Austin, a visit to Lenoir is highly recommended—it's truly amazing.
Tune in for an engaging episode that highlights the intersection of friendship, food, and the dynamic world of the restaurant industry.
Where to find Todd Duplechan:
Where to find Jess Maher:
Where to find host Josh Sharkey:
In this episode, we cover:
(02:43): Reminiscing all the Austin guests on The meez Podcast
(04:27): How Jess and Todd met & family meals(17:29): The backstory of Lenoir
(25:57): What makes an Austin diner different than a NYC diner
(28:42): How Jess & Todd describe the food at Lenoir
(37:05): Lenoir's CSR program
(48:02): What it's like working together as a couple
(53:36): When to introduce work to kids
(58:25): Being a mom and a business owner
(1:02:43): Other upcoming projects
#65. In this episode of The meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey catches up with old friends who are also amazing chefs and restaurateurs. The guests are Jess Maher and Todd Duplechan, a dynamic duo Josh has known for nearly two decades. Their paths first crossed while working together at Bouley and Danube in New York City, and they've remained close ever since.
Listeners will hear them reminisce about their time at renowned restaurants like Bouley, Danube, Gray Kunz’s establishments, and Tabla with Floyd Cardoz. They dive into Jess and Todd's journey to Austin, where they opened their celebrated restaurant, Lenoir. The conversation covers the evolution of the Austin dining scene, the operation of their restaurant, and the challenges and rewards of running a business as a married couple with children.
Josh, Jess, and Todd also touch on their future ventures and how they've adapted to changes in the industry over the years. This episode is filled with insights, laughter, and the warmth of reconnecting with good friends. If you're ever in Austin, a visit to Lenoir is highly recommended—it's truly amazing.
Tune in for an engaging episode that highlights the intersection of friendship, food, and the dynamic world of the restaurant industry.
Where to find Todd Duplechan:
Where to find Jess Maher:
Where to find host Josh Sharkey:
In this episode, we cover:
(02:43): Reminiscing all the Austin guests on The meez Podcast
(04:27): How Jess and Todd met & family meals(17:29): The backstory of Lenoir
(25:57): What makes an Austin diner different than a NYC diner
(28:42): How Jess & Todd describe the food at Lenoir
(37:05): Lenoir's CSR program
(48:02): What it's like working together as a couple
(53:36): When to introduce work to kids
(58:25): Being a mom and a business owner
(1:02:43): Other upcoming projects
Previous Episode
Ellen Yin on Building a Culinary Empire: Vision, Collaboration, and Empowering Women in Hospitality
1 Recommendations#64. In this episode of the meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey welcomes Ellen Yin, the esteemed founder and co-owner of High Street Hospitality Group. Ellen has garnered acclaim for her work, including being honored with the Outstanding Restaurateur Award by the James Beard Foundation. She also serves on the board of Open Table (among many other boards) and is the co-chair of the Sisterly Love Coalition, an organization dedicated to empowering women in the Philadelphia hospitality industry.
Josh and Ellen dive into her decades of experience running High Street Hospitality Group, discussing the challenges and successes she has encountered along the way. Despite not being a chef herself, Ellen has a clear vision for her business and has successfully collaborated with numerous talented chefs. The conversation explores how Ellen balances the creative vision of her chefs with her business objectives, offering valuable insights into her hiring process and leadership style.
Tune in for an engaging discussion filled with industry wisdom, stories of resilience, and Ellen's inspiring journey in the world of hospitality.
Where to find Ellen Yin:
Where to find host Josh Sharkey:
In this episode, we cover:
(03:11): Ellen's thoughts on awards
(04:44): High Street Hospitality's new growth (07:24): How Ellen is adapting to opening restaurants in different cities
(10:12): Community involvement in new cities
(14:20): Pros and cons of being a restaurateur and not a chef
(26:55): How Ellen measures team growth and happiness
(32:21): The uniqueness of the Philly restaurant scene
(40:21): Today's cost of food and service charges
(46:26): Sisterly Love Collective and The Wonton Project
Next Episode
Henry Shapiro and Patrick Lightbody on Revolutionizing Productivity with Reclaim.ai
#66. In this special episode of The meez Podcast, host Josh Sharkey welcomes Patrick Lightbody and Henry Shapiro, founders of the revolutionary app, Reclaim.ai. Unlike the typical focus on the restaurant and hospitality industry, this episode dives into the realm of digital hospitality, exploring how Reclaim exemplifies excellence in this space.
Patrick and Henry share insights into the creation and impact of Reclaim, an app designed to optimize work habits by intelligently managing calendar events. They discuss the transformative power of Reclaim, explaining how it helps users prioritize essential activities like strategy sessions and exercise, ensuring a balanced and productive schedule.
Listeners will gain valuable knowledge about product development as Patrick and Henry discuss their approach to building Reclaim, including how they prioritize features, gather and synthesize customer feedback, and stay grounded while planning for the future. This episode offers a unique perspective on technology and product innovation, providing lessons that extend beyond the restaurant industry.
Tune in to learn from Patrick and Henry's experiences and discover how principles of great product development can be applied to any field.
Where to find Henry Shapiro:
Where to find Patrick Lightbody:
Where to find host Josh Sharkey:
In this episode, we cover:
(06:05): Why Reclaim was built
(13:01): Reclaim.ai 101(22:19): Henry and Patrick's thoughts on alternative checklists & tasks
(29:23): What to think about when building great product
(51:13): Problems that Reclaim.ai aspires to fix
(1:02:14): Reclaim's future vision
The meez Podcast - Todd Duplechan and Jessica Maher on Austin’s Dining Scene, Building Lenoir, and Balancing Life as Restaurateurs
Transcript
[00:00:00] Josh Sharkey:
You're listening to season two of The meez Podcast. I'm your host, Josh Sharkey, the founder and CEO of meez, a culinary operating system for food professionals. On the show, we're going to talk to high performers in the food business, everything from chefs to CEOs, technologists, writers, investors, and more about how they innovate.
[00:00:19]
And operate and how they consistently execute a
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