In this Leadership Lounge episode, host Cindy Hook sits down with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palate America (parent company of Pepper Lunch in the U.S.). Troy shares the uncommon arc of his career, moving from back-of-house culinary roles at Michelin-level restaurants into front-of-house leadership, a formative chapter at Procter & Gamble leading large teams, and ultimately into hospitality turnarounds, concept building, and brand scaling.

The conversation explores what it really takes to lead teams through change, select markets, and operationalize a brand so it can grow. Troy explains how he approaches executive focus in high-growth phases, why he still obsesses over blocking and tackling in operations, and how he thinks about the balance between concept integrity and local adaptation. He also opens up about the hardest career pivots he has made, what “tough love” mentorship did for his leadership maturity, and the habits that keep him effective while on the road.

What you’ll learn

• How culinary depth and front-of-house experience combine into a practical leadership style for scaling hospitality brands
• The role of systems thinking and team development in turnarounds and new market launches
• A practical view of franchising readiness, site search, and how to compare comps when entering a new market
• Why mentorship and a strong network are force multipliers for career growth
• How to evolve your leadership style as responsibilities and team size expand

Timestamps

• 00:00 Welcome and guest intro
• 02:00 Troy’s path from kitchen to leadership and early lessons shaping his management style
• 08:00 The Procter & Gamble chapter and running large teams with discipline
• 14:00 Turnaround management, consulting, and moving into brand leadership
• 20:00 Pepper Lunch in the U.S. and what it takes to operationalize growth
• 28:00 Franchising considerations, market selection, and location strategy
• 36:00 Mentorship, tough feedback, and the network effect on career acceleration
• 42:00 Final advice for emerging leaders in hospitality

Key takeaways

• Leadership is learned in the trenches and refined through honest feedback
• Consistency in operations is the foundation that makes creative concepts scalable
• The best mentors do not just cheerlead, they challenge your assumptions
• Growth requires both a repeatable playbook and the humility to localize execution

Guest

• Troy Hooper — CEO, Hot Palate America (Pepper Lunch)

Host

• Cindy Hook — Leadership Lounge