Claim OwnershipThe PAX Hospitality Podcast
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© 2026 The PAX Hospitality Podcast
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A podcast meant to be shared.
For the hospitality industry, created by the team at PAX.
28 Episodes
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In this series finale, we reach the finish line of our 10-day podcast sprint, recorded in a stifling 34-degree room just 48 hours before the grand reopening of the Pinnacle pub. We reflect on the intense journey of documenting a venue build in real-time. Michael shares insights into the 'anti-climax' of opening day and the necessity of finding an internal yardstick for success to avoid industry burnout. From community feedback on the street to the viral reception of their project, they celebr...
In this penultimate episode of the Pinnicast, Leon and Michael are rinsed but racing toward opening night with only six days to go. The duo is joined by Loren to discuss all things marketing including the strategy behind rebranding a much-loved local venue. Loren provides a candid look at managing the fallout of removing a live music stage and the 'common-sense' logistics of reaching a local audience without a massive budget. Later, new Venue Manager Jaime McDonnell (formerly of Reed House) s...
Grab a pot and pull up a stool for episode eight of the Pinnicast. This week, Leon and Michael are deep in the trenches, recounting the absolute head-spin of nearly losing the lease on a handshake deal. We cover everything from accidental demolition discoveries to the pleasant surprise of a sloped floor where a bench was supposed to go. The boys also tackle the online comments section when news breaks of the removal of live music, keeping it real about the brutal financial math of running a m...
In this episode, Michael and Leon are joined by executive chef Scott Eddington at the legendary Arnold’s to discuss the final hurdles before taking the keys to The Pinnacle. The team breaks down commercial lease transfers, and what happens when landlords sit on paperwork while renovations are already underway. You’ll hear about the "Bunnings model" for community engagement and how the team plans to overhaul the traditional kids' menu to eliminate every parent's mealtime anxiety. Join us...
In this financially focused episode, Michael and Leon pull back the curtain on the actual costs of acquiring the Pinnacle. Moving through their budget line-by-line, they explore the logic behind a $285,000 launch, covering everything from the $120,000 business purchase to the critical $55,000 financial buffer required for post-opening stability. Michael details his scrappy fit-out strategy, prioritising high-impact touchpoints like bar tops and glassware while avoiding unnecessary structural ...
Recorded on Christmas Eve, this episode of the Pinnicast finds Leon and Michael at a critical midpoint in their journey to open the Pinnacle. After weeks of deceptively smooth progress, the duo finally encounters their first taste of project volatility as two investors drop out, forcing a quick pivot and a budget recalibration. Michael shares the surprising news that several members of the internal PAX team have stepped up as investors, deepening the personal stakes of the project. The conver...
In this fourth episode of the Pinnicast, Michael shares the surprising ease of his technical setup, including a modern switchboard that avoids common startup nightmares. The conversation dives deep into the psychology of pub branding - explaining why maroon remains the industry’s most trusted colour - and the financial burden of bank guarantees for small business owners. Leon raises the concept of "temptation bundling," proposing a "Productive Pints" initiative to encourage community planning...
In this third instalment of the Pinnicast, we dive into the frantic final week of preparations before the Fitzroy Pinnacle officially opens its doors. Michael shares the strategic advantages of a recorded handover with the previous owner and how AI tools are helping him organize the minutiae of the business. The duo discusses the critical signing of "weapon chef" Scott Eddington, and Jamie from Reed House, both of whom bring immense operational expertise and community-building skills to the v...
In this second episode of the Pinnicast, we get into the messy, often humorous reality of taking over the iconic Pinnacle pub in North Fitzroy. Michael shares the highs and lows of the past week, including a dealing with real estate agents and the logistical hurdles of a liquor license transfer. We explore the critical search for a chef-partner, highlighting the potential involvement of industry heavyweights like Scott Eddington of Arnold’s. Key insights include Michael’s "rainy day" forecast...
Welcome to the Pinnicast, a raw, under the hood look at the reality of opening a venue, warts and all. Leon, Tim and Michael from the PAX sit down to document Michael's high-stakes acquisition of The Pinnacle, a legendary pub in North Fitzroy. Michael brings a decade of hospitality expertise, having been involved with acclaimed venues like Bar Liberty, Capitano, and Falco, as well as his current role with PAX. But... this is his first foray into pub ownership. In this episode, Michael reveals...
The season one finale of The PAX Hospitality Podcast brings the full crew together to reflect on the conversations, ideas, and moments that shaped the show’s first run. The episode acts as a guided recap, revisiting standout themes from across the season: empowering teams rather than creating founder dependency, the value of simple and practical systems, and the importance of using structure—whether in reservations, financial reporting, or people development—to reduce friction and anxiety in ...
In this episode of the PAX Hospitality Podcast, Leon Kennedy is joined by Tim Varney, Loren Daniels and Michael Bascetta to unpack The Gen Z Retail Revolution report from Principals — and what it really means for hospitality. Leon frames Gen Z as a “retail earthquake” and a clear changing of the guard: the playbook that worked for the last 20 years is falling over, and operators can either double down on the old rules or pivot into a new reality where Gen Z is both a powerful customer segment...
In this episode of the PAX Hospitality Podcast, Leon Kennedy sits down with our very own guest services and reservation specialist Loren Daniels to unpack one deceptively simple question: how easy is it to book your restaurant? Sparked by Leon’s recent ABC interview and the flood of operator questions that followed, the pair dig into why “reservation strategy” isn’t a nice-to-have—it’s a revenue lever that can move the needle in days, not months. Loren breaks reservation strategy down into so...
In Episode 9 of The PAX Hospitality Podcast, Leon and Loren run a practical, no-nonsense primer on hospitality marketing — the kind that turns work into revenue rather than vanity metrics. Rather than lofty brand theory, the conversation breaks marketing into an operational framework: Pre (how you attract customers), During (the customer experience and frontline sales), and Post (retention, review management and re-engagement). The aim is simple: make marketing mechanical, measurable and owne...
In this Happy Hour episode, Tim and Michael open with the December spiral — too-early Christmas parties, the pressure to “catch up before the end of the year,” and the collective madness that hits hospitality every November. Their thesis? It’s okay to say no, it’s okay to push things to Jan or Feb, and it’s okay to stop saying “Happy New Year” after the first week of January. The pair riff on the emotional pressure of year-end expectations and the strange social rituals that come with it. The...
In the second half of this two-part series with Kate Hemat-Siraky from Zest People, Leon pivots from “boring but essential” compliance to the motivating half of People Experience (aka the dry, defunct term Human Resources) – Culture. They start by stressing that engagement only works if compliance is structurally sound – otherwise you’re “pouring into a bucket with a hole in it.” From there, they zoom into how engagement really shows up in a hospitality business: the journeys people take, how...
In this Happy Hour episode of The PAX Hospitality Podcast, Tim and Michael welcome their first-ever guest to the format: the endlessly fascinating and wildly accomplished Quentin Berthonneau of Oji House. Fresh off a two-month baking odyssey across France, Italy, and the Czech Republic, Quentin talks about travelling with his family, teaching masterclasses, and—no big deal—competing on the world stage at the Panettone World Championships. It’s been a big eight weeks. The chat jumps from Prest...
In this episode of The PAX Hospitality Podcast, Leon Kennedy sits down with HR and people & culture specialist Kate Hemat-Siraky to unpack the relatively unsexy but absolutely critical foundation of a healthy hospitality business: compliance. Sitting in the Consistency layer of the PAX Pyramid (after Identity and Product, before Promo), this conversation is about getting your “house in order” so your people, finance and culture have something solid to stand on. Together, they walk through...
In this Happy Hour episode, Tim and Michael shallow-dive into the deep world of pubs — why they matter, why they endure, and why we all seem to orbit back to them no matter our age or stage of life. Sparked by the opening week of Daphne and its promising early days community mix (martini first-timers, prams, young blokes, everyone in between), the meandering becomes a wider reflection on what great pubs actually do: create spaces where people feel welcome, relaxed, and understood without need...
In this episode of The PAX Hospitality Podcast, host Leon Kennedy sits down with Kate Bradford to unpack the least glamorous but most essential pillar of hospitality success: finance. Sitting within the Consistency layer of the PAX Pyramid, this episode explores how financial literacy, transparency, and disciplined reporting form the backbone of every sustainable business. Leon and Kate walk through the five key components of financial architecture — forecasting, weekly reporting, month...
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