Kitchen Day Podcast

Roger Young is a true Cuba Street original - a hospitality rockstar whose venues helped shape the soul of Wellington. In this episode, Roger shares the wild, funny, and fearless stories behind building iconic spots like Little Gringo’s and Fidel’s, from scraping by in the early days to creating places that would become cultural institutions.

With no regrets and no filter, Roger talks about the chaos of hospitality, the importance of community, and why creativity and authenticity matter more than scale. He reflects on the risks he took, the lessons learned from decades in the industry, and a dramatic boating accident that mirrors the pressure and unpredictability of life in hospitality.

This is a candid, big-hearted conversation about resilience, storytelling, and what it really takes to build something that lasts - on Cuba Street and in life.

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The Kitchen Day Podcast is sponsored by ⁠Boring Oat Milk⁠, a New Zealand owned company making oat milk right here in Aotearoa, from NZ grown oats.

We'd also like to thank the good folks at ⁠Upstock⁠ - if you buy or sell wholesale, this app has all your invoicing, ordering, logistics and payments in one place.

We're supported by the team at ⁠Droppah⁠. Droppah takes the chaos out of scheduling with smart, skills-based rostering that helps you get the right people on, at the right time.

As always, we film pre-service at ⁠Loretta⁠ Restaurant, and our podcast is recorded and produced by Jono Tucker at ⁠Empire Films⁠.

Thanks for listening!

Hey! Dom here. This isn't an ad, but I have a favour to ask! I'd love your feedback on Season 1 of the Kitchen Day Podcast. It'll only take 3 minutes of your time, but it'll help us shape Season 2. Tell me what you're loving, and what you'd like to hear more of in future episodes!

SURVEY HERE - ⁠forms.gle/YJQeJ7fMM4WBSXWN9

In this episode, we sit down with Kate McMillan Hutchison of the iconic Wellington establishment Capitol, to talk about her journey into hospitality and how that path has changed over time. Kate shares how she first found her way into the industry, the role her education played in shaping how she thinks about service, and why hospitality became a place where she felt a real sense of belonging.

From there, the conversation moves into what happens when you add parenthood and partnership into the mix, and how returning to the floor can shift your sense of identity in ways you don’t always expect. We talk honestly about the day-to-day realities of working in hospitality while raising a family, the importance of strong support systems at work and at home, and what it takes to care for guests and teams at the same time.

Kate also reflects on Wellington’s hospitality community, the impact of COVID-19, changing expectations around sustainability, and why valuing the people who work in hospitality really matters. It’s a grounded, open chat about service, care, and finding a way to make hospitality work across the different seasons of one's life.

🔔 

The Kitchen Day Podcast is sponsored by Boring Oat Milk, a New Zealand owned company making oat milk right here in Aotearoa, from NZ grown oats.

We'd also like to thank the good folks at Upstock - if you buy or sell wholesale, this app has all your invoicing, ordering, logistics and payments in one place.

We're supported by the team at Droppah. Droppah takes the chaos out of scheduling with smart, skills-based rostering that helps you get the right people on, at the right time.

As always, we film pre-service at Loretta Restaurant, and our podcast is recorded and produced by Jono Tucker at Empire Films.

Thanks for listening!

Hey! Dom here. This isn't an ad, but I have a favour to ask! I'd love your feedback on Season 1 of the Kitchen Day Podcast. It'll only take 3 minutes of your time, but it'll help us shape Season 2. Tell me what you're loving, and what you'd like to hear more of in future episodes!

SURVEY HERE - forms.gle/YJQeJ7fMM4WBSXWN9

In this episode of The Kitchen Day Podcast, we sit down with hospitality legend Steve Logan, co-founder of Wellington’s iconic Logan Brown restaurant. With over 40 years in the hospitality industry, Steve shares his story of building one of New Zealand’s most respected dining rooms and what it really takes to build a legacy that lasts.

We talk about opening Logan Brown with confidence, why hiring for personality matters more than experience, and how genuine care for guests is at the heart of everything they do. Steve also reflects on the challenges of running a top restaurant through changing dining trends, the impact of tourism, and navigating COVID - along with the importance of team culture and community connection.

It’s a relaxed, insightful conversation packed with real-world lessons on hospitality, leadership, and creating memorable dining experiences.

 🔔

We're sponsored by the excellent folk at Boring Oat Milk. Not only does it make a mean flat white, but also Boring is a New Zealand company, making oat milk here in Aotearoa, from New Zealand grown oats.

Today's episode is sponsored by the team at Upstock - taking the hassle out of wholesale buy/sell, with all your ordering, invoicing, payments and logistics in one handy app.

We're also supported by the team at Droppah. These guys are the rostering pros - taking all the stress out of staff scheduling, they serve up rosters that just make sense.

We record pre-service at Loretta on Cuba Street, and our show is filmed and produced by Jono Tucker at Empire Films.

Thanks for listening!

Dean White fell in love with the business of hospitality early -and from that point on, it wasn’t just food or service that captured his imagination, but how great venues are built and sustained. Now, at 35, Dean is the owner of Mosaic Venues, the group behind some of Wellington’s most iconic restaurants: Mr Go’s, Ombra, Kisa, Parla, and LTD.

In this episode, Dean takes us through his unexpected entry into the world of business, his path into hospitality, and the almost unavoidable pull toward opening his own places. Along the way, he shares the hard-earned lessons that only come from being on the floor and on the balance sheet — including one he can’t stress enough: always, always get business interruption insurance.

We talk social media and how it’s changed hospitality, why properly costed menus matter more than ever, the role travel plays in shaping great operators, how to hire (and keep) the right people, and what’s next for Dean and Mosaic Venues. It’s an honest, grounded conversation about building restaurants piece by piece - and building a legacy that lasts.

🔔

The Kitchen Day Podcast is sponsored by Boring Oat Milk, a New Zealand owned company making oat milk right here in Aotearoa, from NZ grown oats.

We'd also like to thank the good folks at Upstock - if you buy or sell wholesale, this app has all your invoicing, ordering, logistics and payments in one place.

We'd also like to thank the folks at Droppah - Droppah takes the chaos out of scheduling with smart, skills-based rostering that helps you get the right people on, at the right time.

As always, we film pre-service at Loretta Restaurant, and this podcast was recorded and produced by Jono Tucker at Empire Films.

Thanks for listening!

In this episode, we sit down with one of Wellington’s most loved (and awarded) front-of-house leaders: Davey McDonald of Ortega Fish Shack. Davey has spent more than 16 years shaping one of the country’s most consistently adored dining rooms, but if you ask him what the secret is, he’ll tell you it’s simple: make it fun.

We talk about everything from work/life balance with two busy kids, to why Ortega still runs only five days a week, to how Davey builds a team culture that feels more like family than staff. He opens up about mentoring young servers, managing with kindness, and the tiny moments of connection that turn a good service into a great one.

There’s plenty of laughter, a few honest truths about hospitality, and one deeply moving story about a long-time regular that perfectly captures why this industry matters so much.

Whether you’re a front-of-house professional, a restaurant owner, an Ortega regular, or just someone who loves the magic of great service, this conversation is an incredible reminder of the love that fuels this industry.

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The Kitchen Day Podcast is proudly brought to you by Boring Oat Milk. These guys take care of the boring details, so you can focus on the important stuff, like your morning coffee (and this chat).

We're also delighted to be supported by Upstock - a one-stop shop for all your wholesale buy/sell needs - and Droppah - the team serving up perfect rosters that just make sense.

We film at Loretta Restaurant pre-service, with all production taken care of by the talented Jono Tucker at Empire Films.

Thanks for listening.