Season one rewind: the strategies that actually move margins
- S1E19
- 39:32
- December 30th 2025
In this season one wrap-up of What’s Cooking?, Conor Sheridan reflects on the standout insights from 12 leading voices across hospitality. From tech to team culture, discover what really drives profitability at scale. Learn how operators are solving frontline challenges with AI, operational clarity, and people-first leadership.
What you'll learn in this episode
>> How operators at scale are using data to improve forecasting and guest experience.
>> Why culture and people-first leadership are critical to consistent brand delivery.
>> What role adaptability plays in menu innovation and site deployment.
>> The real ROI behind digital tools and why tech must serve a clear commercial goal.
>> How investors assess hospitality ventures and what makes standout founders succeed.
Meet our guests
This bonus episode features highlights from all season one guests, including Tom James, Darko Salaj, Maria McCann, Jonny Bramwell, Mark McCulloch, Chris Demery, Neil Remedios, Jim Hingston, Jose Gaytan de Ayala, Andrew Maxwell, Kate Nicholls, and Amy Hom.
About our host
Conor Sheridan is the founder and CEO of Nory, a pioneering AI platform helping hospitality brands run smarter, leaner, and more profitably. A former restaurateur himself, Conor blends operational grit with technological vision.
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Connect with Conor Sheridan on LinkedIn
Follow:
Tom James on LinkedIn
Darko Salaj on LinkedIn
Maria McCann on LinkedIn
Jonny Bramwell on LinkedIn
Mark McCollough on LinkedIn
Chris Demery on LinkedIn
Neil Remedios on LinkedIn
Jim Hingston on LinkedIn
Jose Gaytan de Ayala on LinkedIn
Andrew Maxwell on LinkedIn
Kate Nicholls on LinkedIn
Amy Hom on LinkedIn
Learn more about Nory on LinkedIn
What's Cooking? | A Podcast from Nory
What's Cooking? is the podcast for hospitality operators scaling smart. Hosted by Conor Sheridan – CEO and co-founder of Nory, and a former operator who built and ran multi-site restaurant brands himself – each episode goes behind the scenes of fast-growing restaurant groups to explore the operational challenges that actually matter - like disconnected systems, staffing chaos, and margin pressure.
Through honest conversations with industry leaders you’ll get practical insight into what’s working on the ground right now - from automation and AI to culture, data, and waste reduction. No fluff. No forecasts. Just the blueprint for better hospitality operations at scale.
New episodes every two weeks.