The Repertoire Podcast

*Edit Note: Around 29:04, the video is cut for a minute due to a technical error. The video will resume after a minute. Wonder wants to own every part of how you get dinner: restaurant brands, kitchens, ordering, delivery, meal kits, food media, and now robotics. On this Repertoire Report, Ray Delucci walks Justin Khanna through what Wonder is today. They cover 25+ chef-licensed concepts under one roof, deals for Blue Apron, Grubhub, Tastemade, Spyce and Salt Hank's, a $9B valuation, and a new investment from DoorDash. Then they ask whether diners actually want this. Justin also visits a Wonder location in New York's East Village to see the in-person experience for himself.After that, they get into the other news reshaping food. Airbnb is pushing meal delivery and social trip-sharing. DoorDash announced drone delivery, text-to-order and DashOS. AI personal assistants are now booking reservations for your guests, and AI-generated food photos are backfiring on restaurants. They close with chef-driven casual concepts like Herd, H Valley and Daniel Humm's Homme, which are bringing Michelin-level standards to more people.Links: Wonder Food HallAirBnb Meal DeliveryDoorDash Drone DeliveryOpenAI DevDayRestaurant Food AIHeard BurgerAustin Johnson Food Market💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

Why does money scare chefs? On this solo episode of the Repertoire Report, Ray Delucci argues that kitchen culture has taught a generation of cooks to fear money. He looks at why "follow your passion, the money will follow" is bad career advice, and why chefs should stop feeling guilty about side gigs, private chef work, food development and brand deals. Ray also covers a Substack by Furquan Mirza on why there are no career maps for chefs beyond the restaurant, and shares practical tips on applying for jobs you don't think you're qualified for.Then we get into the news. We look at how Burger King chef Amy Alarcon revamped the Whopper to overtake Wendy's, and the Wall Street Journal's report on why "What's for dinner?" has become America's most dreaded question. We close with Daniel Humm of Eleven Madison Park launching Riff, a shelf-stable pasta meal kit, and ask whether that's selling out or smart business. If you work in hospitality, cook for a living or want to build a food career outside the kitchen, this one's for you.Links: No Career Map for ChefsThe Corporate Chef Saving Burger King (Wall Street Journal)What’s for Dinner? (Wall Street Journal)Cook to Chef to EntrepreneurDaniel Humm Launches ‘Riff’ (Forbes)💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

Is fine dining really dead—or is the restaurant industry simply changing? In this episode, Justin and Ray break down the evolving definition of fine dining, what chefs actually think about today’s biggest food and beverage trends, and the New York Times’ 2026 list of America’s best restaurants. They also discuss Dominique Crenn’s move to Melbourne and what it says about the increasingly global nature of high-end dining.Plus, we get into one of the most important conversations for working chefs: how to approach salary and title negotiations without underselling yourself. We also look at Danny Meyer’s latest thoughts on hospitality and what the legendary restaurateur believes the industry still gets wrong—and right—about taking care of people.Fine Dining Is DeadAsk Chefs About Food Trends (New York Times)New York Times Best Restaurants in America 2026Dominique Crenn Moves to MelbourneSalary Discussion Advice (Reddit)Danny Meyer Book Launch (New York Times)💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

Ray Delucci tackles imposter syndrome head-on — why the restaurant industry bakes it in, how "paying dues" culture holds talented cooks back, and what it cost him personally as a 21-year-old restaurant manager convinced he'd be fired any day. It's a direct response to a 22-year-old sous chef's Reddit post, and a case for why confidence, not ego, is one of the most valuable tools you can have in a kitchen.Then: The Wall Street Journal reports that McDonald's, Burger King, and Wendy's are pivoting back to human hospitality after years of kiosks and app ordering. Food & Wine profiles Victor Vasquez, the Mr. Tuna prep cook working two kitchens five days a week that diners never see. And the meal kit industry unravels as supplier Fresh Realm's bankruptcy leaves Blue Apron and Marley Spoon customers with half-empty boxes.Imposter Syndrome as a Sous ChefFast Food Is Relying on Humans Again (Wall Street Journal)Restaurant Workers Go UnnoticedMeal Kit Industry Disruption (Wall Street Journal)💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire

Interested in Chef Tech Stack?⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more here.⁠⁠⁠⁠Want 1-on-1 Coaching with Repertoire?⁠⁠⁠⁠Apply here.Justin Khanna and Ray Delucci break down the week in food and restaurant news, starting with Michelin's new Southwest Guide — a surprisingly conservative debut that returned to Las Vegas after 17 years and handed Utah its very first star. They dig deep into Monte, the 14-month-old Salt Lake City tasting menu restaurant run by a husband-and-wife team who sold their house and cars to make it happen, and what its success says about the myth that Michelin is pay-to-play and coastal-only.From there, the guys look at how status symbols are shifting from expensive objects to hard-to-get hospitality souvenirs, unpack a viral JP Morgan grocery inflation warning that's less alarming than the headlines suggest, examine John's Food & Wine — Food & Wine's 2026 Restaurant of the Year — and its 18% margin, no-tipping, $70K-dishwasher model, and close with Joshua Weissman's new fried chicken concept Ben & Lynn's and whether a creator can actually run a restaurant.Michelin Guide Southwest DebutStatus Symbol in RestaurantsJPMorgan’s Food Crisis WarningJohn’s Food & Wine WinJoshua Weissman’s Restaurant Opening⁠Apply for Coaching with Repertoire💬 Notice something we missed?If you come across something we had to search for, send us a message—we're always looking to make these show notes even better.💌 The Repertoire Newsletter⁠⁠⁠⁠Subscribe here⁠⁠⁠⁠🎙 Share the Podcast⁠⁠⁠⁠Listen & Share⁠⁠⁠⁠📸 Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow @joinrepertoire⁠⁠⁠⁠Disclaimer: We earn commission income from qualifying purchases made through Amazon's Affiliate Program and other affiliate links in this description.🙏 Thank you for listening!🎙️ Enjoy More from Repertoire