#126

Josh, Mike, and Matt sits down with Keith Benjamin, nightlife operator and co-founder behind Uptown Social, Share House, Bodega, By The Way, and The Waverly, for a conversation about betting big, building brands, and turning hospitality into a true long game. Keith shares how his journey started with Penn State tailgates, fraternity social life, and bartending in New York before evolving into ownership in iconic Manhattan watering holes like Stumble Inn and Hair of the Dog. From there, he opens up about the leap to Charleston, why he saw an opening in the market, and how Uptown Social became the kind of unicorn venue most operators only dream about.

The conversation then shifts into the realities of nightlife economics, including the now-infamous $9 Modelo debate, how serious operators actually think about pricing, and why beverage-first businesses can be so attractive compared to labor-heavy food concepts. Keith, Josh, Matthew, and Michael dig into frequency, guest behavior, hospitality, and the brutal cost structure of modern restaurants, all while reflecting on what makes certain places worth returning to. Along the way, Keith talks about entrepreneurship, ADHD, risk-taking, and the compulsion to keep building, offering a clear look at the mindset behind one of Charleston’s most successful hospitality operators.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Follow Keith on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/keith-benjamin-4bba57396/

Follow Keith: @keithbenjamin

Follow Bodega on Instagram: @eatdrinkbodega

Follow Uptown Hospitality Group on Instagram: @uptownhospitalityevents

Follow Michael: @michaeljacober

Follow Matthew: @conbeazie

Timestamps

03:13 Michael Jacober Introduces One Of His Oldest Friends

05:37 From Penn State Tailgates To Bartending In New York

10:03 The Stumble Inn Era, Golden Handcuffs, And First Ownership

16:39 Why Keith Left New York And Bet On Charleston

19:44 Opening Uptown Social And Building A Nightlife Unicorn

23:41 Bodega, Share House, By The Way, And The Waverly

30:10 The $9 Modelo Debate And The True Cost Of Doing Business

54:22 Beverage-First Concepts, Margins, And Why Frequency Matters

01:14:06 Why Hospitality Economics Are Reaching A Tipping Point

#125

Josh sits down with Matthew Conway and Michael Jacober for a spirited conversation about restaurant pricing, profitability, and what guests are actually paying for when they go out. What starts with a nearly $9 Modelo in New York quickly turns into a much bigger debate about whether bars and restaurants are justified in charging premium prices for simple products, or whether the industry has lost touch with what guests are willing to bear. Along the way, they unpack labor costs, rent, experience, hospitality, and the tension between running a viable business and keeping dining and drinking accessible.

The conversation then expands into broader questions around capitalism, consumer behavior, and where restaurant economics may be heading next. They debate whether lower alcohol consumption is driven by shifting culture or rising prices, whether operators are passing value to their teams or just protecting margins, and what responsibility restaurants have to the guest experience. The episode closes with a side trip into seed oils, animal fats, and the return of tallow, giving the whole discussion a larger throughline: how cost, quality, and perception shape nearly every decision in hospitality.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Visit Blanket: https://www.blanket.app/

Visit The Tippling House: https://thetipplinghousechs.com/

Follow Michael: @michaeljacober

Follow Matthew: @conbeazie

Timestamps

04:28 The Setup: Beer Pricing, Hospitality, And Consumer Expectations

10:20 Who Gets The Margin And Who Is “The Man”?

19:27 Are People Drinking Less Because It’s Too Expensive?

28:59 Why Restaurants May Need To Charge More Than They Do

35:20 The Core Debate: Is A $9 Modelo Fair Or Outrageous?

40:01 The Animal Fat Revival And Why Tallow Is Back

45:16 Why Seed Oils Took Over In The First Place

49:32 Tallow For Cooking, Cleaning, And Even Skin Care

52:07 What Restaurants Owe Guests, Teams, And Themselves

#124

Josh, Mike, and Matt sit down with Arjav Ezekiel, co-owner of Birdies and James Beard Award-winning beverage director, for a candid conversation about tipping, labor, and the future of restaurant models. Drawing from his time at Union Square Hospitality Group and his experience building Birdies, Arjav unpacks the intent behind Danny Meyer’s Hospitality Included movement and why it ultimately failed. The group debates whether tipping is fundamentally broken, the role of legislation versus operators in fixing it, and how economics—not just philosophy—determines what actually works in restaurants.

The conversation then shifts to solutions, with Arjav sharing how Birdies was built from first principles to solve for labor while maintaining high-level hospitality. By blending counter service with fine dining elements, rethinking team structure, and redistributing tips, the restaurant has created a more sustainable model. The episode closes with a broader reflection on innovation in hospitality, the importance of mentorship and the dining room, and why restaurants may become one of the last meaningful spaces for human connection in an increasingly digital world.

Links and resources 📌

Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com

Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez

Follow Josh on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joshlsharkey/?hl=en

Follow Josh on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/joshua-sharkey-406965b/

Birdies: https://www.birdiesaustin.com

Arjav Ezekiel on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/arjavezekiel/

Arjav Ezekiel on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/arjav-ezekiel-a198aa72/

Timestamps

02:32 Introducing Arjav Ezekiel And Birdies

05:40 The Debate Around Tips Included

12:05 Was Hospitality Included Doomed To Fail?

18:17 The Economics Behind Why It Didn’t Work

22:07 Can Restaurants Fix Tipping Without Legislation?

29:44 Why Labor Is The Core Problem In Restaurants

35:20 How Birdies Was Built Differently From Day One

44:01 Redefining Hospitality Without Table Service

52:33 Why The Dining Room Matters More Than Ever