Michael Irish is the second part to the Emmy's Spaghetti Shack story, as he carries forth the business as its new owner. As a former bartender, he has plenty of romanticized views on the industry, but he also provides sound, practical ways to think about making the financials of a business work. Hint: the path to customer acquisition may not always be what it appears.

One recommendation from Michael was Patrick DeWitt's book Ablutions. If you love hearing Michael's take on the life of a bartender, you'll want to dive into DeWitt's writing as well.

Meet Emmy Kaplan: founder of Emmy's Spaghetti Shack in San Francisco. 26 years ago, she opened this iconic neighborhood spot with no money, no permits, and a baby on the way. With grit and a sense of punk rock and fun, she brought the restaurant to life and ushered it into its next phase.

And after surviving the Dot Com Bubble, Housing Bubble, and COVID, her biggest advice: keep your accounting tight and don't spend what you don't need to.

Carla Marina Marchese is the founder of Red Bee Honey and The American Honey Tasting Society, as well as the author of 4 books. She has made a career out of being a foremost honey sommelier, having a deep understanding about the plants, regions and bees that define the diverse flavors of honey. If you've ever had a question about honey – from flavor, to health benefits, to edibility – consult Marina.

Fun fact from this episode: you sure can eat honey from 10,000 years ago. But should you bother?

Books

The World Atlas of Honey, 2024

Honey for Dummies, 2021

The Honey Connoisseur, 2013 (this one lives on my shelf, and I highly recommend)

Honeybee: Lessons from An Accidental Beekeeper, 2009