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Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal

Food Matters Group | Magazine St. Kitchen

The F&B industry is tougher than ever, and only the most resilient break through. Hard Nut To Crack, the latest season of Magazine St. Kitchen x Australian Macadamia Society presents Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal, dives into the grit, ambition, and resilience it takes to build and sustain in this space. This season goes beyond the surface to spotlight the people navigating challenges and redefining what it means to succeed in hospitality.

Hosted by Gauri Devidayal, restaurateur, entrepreneur, and Co-Founder & CEO of Food Matters Group, Speak Greasy is where unfiltered conversations meet hard-earned insights. This is where the real stories of F&B unfold—the risks, the roadblocks, and the breakthroughs behind every success.

This season brings together voices from across the industry, sharing candid perspectives on building, scaling, and surviving in a competitive landscape. From bold decisions to hard lessons, these are the moments that shape the journey.

This season isn’t just about success; it’s about resilience, adaptability, and the mindset it takes to keep going. Because in F&B, the path is never easy, but it’s always worth it.

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  • 20 episodes
  • Avg 49 min
  • English

Episodes 20

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  • July 15 · 54 min

    Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal & Panchali Mahendra | Ep 5.4 | A Cross-Border Perspective on Restaurants

    In the final episode of Magazine St. Kitchen x Australian Macadamia Society presents Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal, Season 5, Gauri sits down with Panchali Mahendra, Chief Executive Officer of Atelier House Hospitality and one of the most influential voices in the hospitality industry today. With over 23 years of experience and more than 70 restaurant projects across India, the UAE and Saudi Arabia, Panchali has built an extraordinary career spanning luxury hotels, restaurant operations, hospitality leadership and international restaurant development. From her early years with the Taj and Oberoi groups to leading one of the Middle East’s most dynamic hospitality companies, her journey offers invaluable lessons for anyone interested in restaurants, entrepreneurship and the business of hospitality. In this candid and insightful conversation, Panchali reflects on the foundations of her career, discussing the importance of hands-on learning, operational excellence and the discipline required to succeed in the hospitality industry. She shares how her experience in India shaped her approach to leadership before moving to Dubai and navigating one of the world’s most competitive restaurant markets. The episode explores the evolution of hospitality careers, the changing expectations of young professionals entering the industry and the impact of technology on restaurant operations. Panchali also shares her perspective on leadership, mentorship and what it takes to build high-performing teams across multiple markets. Gauri and Panchali dive deep into the differences between the dining cultures of Dubai, Mumbai and Delhi, examining restaurant trends, consumer behaviour, international influences and the challenges of creating concepts that resonate with diverse audiences. The conversation offers a fascinating look into how successful hospitality brands adapt to changing markets while staying true to their core identity. One of the most compelling parts of the discussion centres on entrepreneurship, risk-taking and resilience. Panchali speaks openly about launching ambitious restaurant concepts, facing criticism, managing setbacks and learning from failure. She discusses the realities of restaurant ownership, franchise operations, brand expansion and the importance of making difficult decisions when a concept is not working. As the season finale of Season 5, this episode brings together some of the most important themes explored throughout the season: hospitality leadership, restaurant innovation, entrepreneurship, consumer behaviour, food culture and the future of dining. Whether you are a restaurateur, chef, hospitality student, food entrepreneur or simply passionate about restaurants, this conversation is packed with practical insights and real-world lessons from a leader who continues to shape the hospitality landscape across multiple countries. Tune in for an honest, thought-provoking conversation on restaurant management, hospitality careers, food and beverage entrepreneurship, dining trends, leadership, resilience and the ever-evolving world of hospitality.

  • June 17 · 41 min

    Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal & Satyajit Hange | Ep 5.3 | The New Age Farmer

    In this episode of Magazine St. Kitchen x Australian Macadamia Society presents Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal, Season 5, Gauri is joined by Satyajit Hange, Co-Founding Farmer, Two Brothers Organic Farms, one of India's most influential organic food and sustainable agriculture brands. What begins as a conversation about farming soon unfolds into a deeper discussion about purpose, entrepreneurship, climate change, food systems and the future of agriculture in India. Raised in a farming family in rural Maharashtra, Satyajit left behind a successful career in corporate banking to return to his roots and build something meaningful alongside his brother Ajinkya. Together, they transformed a family farm into a movement that champions regenerative agriculture, organic farming, soil health, biodiversity and transparent food production. Gauri and Satyajit explore the realities of modern agriculture, the long-term consequences of chemical-intensive farming, and the urgent need for more sustainable farming practices. They discuss why healthy soil matters, how climate change is reshaping the agricultural landscape, and what farmers can do to build resilience in an increasingly unpredictable world. The conversation also shines a light on the challenges faced by Indian farmers, from declining profitability and market access to the heartbreaking issue of farmer suicides. Satyajit offers an honest perspective on the structural issues affecting agriculture and explains why meaningful change requires a collective effort from farmers, consumers, businesses and policymakers. The episode examines the growing demand for organic food, the misconceptions surrounding food pricing, and the importance of transparency in an industry where consumers are increasingly questioning what goes into the products they buy. Satyajit shares how Two Brothers Organic Farms works directly with farming communities, supports certification processes and creates a sustainable ecosystem that benefits both producers and consumers. Packed with insights on organic farming, regenerative agriculture, climate-resilient farming, food adulteration, conscious consumerism, healthy eating, farm-to-table movements and sustainable food systems, this episode offers a compelling look at how the choices we make today can shape the future of food. Whether you're passionate about agriculture, sustainability, entrepreneurship or simply curious about where your food comes from, this is a conversation that will change the way you think about the food on your plate.

  • May 13 · 47 min

    Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal & Abhishek Honawar | Ep 5.2 | The Secret Sauce of Hospitality

    In this episode of Magazine St. Kitchen x Australian Macadamia Society presents Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal, Season 5, we sit down with Abhishek Honawar, founder of the Honar Group, for a deeply insightful conversation on hospitality, boutique hotels, restaurants, luxury experiences, entrepreneurship, and building brands with emotional depth. Known for creating some of India’s most distinctive hospitality spaces across Mumbai and Jaipur, Abhishek opens up about his journey from launching neighbourhood favourites like Woodside Inn to building immersive luxury properties such as 28 Kothi and The Johri. The conversation explores what it truly means to create experiences that people emotionally connect with rather than simply consume. From moving to New York on instinct and rediscovering his Indian identity abroad, to embracing the energy and chaos of Jaipur’s bazaars, Abhishek shares how travel, culture, and emotion shaped his philosophy towards hotels, restaurants, and modern hospitality. He speaks candidly about building businesses rooted in feeling instead of purely financial ambition, and why timeless hospitality comes down to relevance, trust, intentionality, and emotional connection. Through the episode, Gauri and Abhishek discuss boutique hotels in India, experiential travel, Indian culture, restaurant entrepreneurship, luxury hospitality, hotel design, guest experience, hospitality trends, and the future of Indian luxury. They also explore the realities of staying relevant across generations, building culturally immersive spaces, and creating brands that continue to resonate years after launch. One of the standout moments of the conversation focuses on The Johri in Jaipur and the idea of “cultural luxury”. Abhishek explains why true hospitality is not about perfection or isolation from reality, but about embracing the environment around you and transforming it into something emotionally meaningful. From fragrance and lighting to music, textures, temperature, and service, he reveals how every detail contributes to shaping memorable guest experiences. The episode also dives into the emotional labour behind hospitality entrepreneurship, the importance of collaborations built on trust, and why hospitality cannot simply be manufactured through money, expensive interiors, or trends. Instead, Abhishek explains why authenticity, consistency, and emotional intention are what truly create timeless brands. Whether you are a hotelier, restaurateur, entrepreneur, designer, traveller, or simply fascinated by hospitality and luxury experiences, this episode offers valuable insights into storytelling through spaces, thoughtful luxury, immersive travel, and building meaningful hospitality brands in India. If you enjoy conversations around hospitality industry trends, boutique hotels, Indian restaurants, luxury travel, founder journeys, hotel experiences, restaurant culture, and entrepreneurship, this episode of Speak Greasy is a must-listen. Tune in to hear how Abhishek Honawar built the Honar Group philosophy around culture, relevance, trust, and emotional connection while redefining modern Indian hospitality.

  • April 15 · 45 min

    Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal & Siddharth Jogani | Ep 5.1 | Cracking the Food Delivery Code

    Welcome to the first episode of Magazine St. Kitchen x Australian Macadamia Society presents Speak Greasy with Gauri Devidayal, Season 5, a podcast that dives deep into the evolving restaurant industry, food technology, delivery platforms, and entrepreneurship. In this episode, Gauri is joined by Siddharth Jogani, Founder and CEO of Restaverse, and former Zomato leader, for a candid conversation about how technology, data, and delivery platforms are reshaping the modern restaurant business. Siddharth brings a decade of experience where he has witnessed the immense transformation of the online food delivery ecosystem in India. Starting his career in sales, selling advertising space to restaurants, Siddharth quickly realised how operationally stretched restaurateurs were and how data-driven insights could transform the way restaurants grow. In this episode, Siddharth and Gauri explore what it means to build a tech-savvy restaurant in today’s digital world. A decade ago, most restaurants relied only on basic billing software, but today the landscape is dramatically different. Restaurants must navigate QR codes, digital menus, AI-driven analytics, SaaS tools, and customer data platforms to stay competitive. They discuss how Covid-19 accelerated the adoption of restaurant technology, pushing businesses online almost overnight and forcing operators to rethink how they manage delivery platforms like Swiggy and Zomato. But while technology is powerful, Siddharth emphasises that tech implementation in restaurants should remain minimal and purposeful, ensuring it actually solves operational challenges rather than creating new ones. The conversation also dives into global restaurant technology trends, including emerging AI tools that listen to customer interactions, track order patterns, monitor staff performance, and generate real-time operational insights. As Siddharth explains, restaurants today are sitting on enormous amounts of untapped data, and those who learn to harness it will gain a powerful competitive advantage. Gauri and Siddharth also unpack the economics and realities of food aggregators, exploring how consumer behaviour differs between Swiggy and Zomato, what drives platform loyalty, and why factors like assortment, quality, affordability, and trust matter more than ever. The discussion also highlights the importance of online reputation management, customer reviews, and ratings, revealing why responding to feedback is essential for restaurant growth. Siddharth shares why ORM (Online Reputation Management) became the first problem Restaverse set out to solve, helping restaurants better manage their presence across delivery platforms. From restaurant SEO and performance marketing to delivery economics, customer behaviour, AI-driven hiring tools, and the future of dining out, this episode offers invaluable insights for restaurant owners, hospitality professionals, food entrepreneurs, and anyone passionate about the future of the F&B industry. Tune in to discover how technology, data, and smarter decision-making are redefining the modern restaurant ecosystem and how Restaverse is helping restaurants turn insights into growth.

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