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Fred Castellucci on Building Restaurant Success Through Family, Innovation, and Action
Manage episode 483942029 series 3458371
#98.
Fred Castellucci, CEO of Castellucci Hospitality Group, joins Josh on The meez Podcast to share the extraordinary journey from his family’s modest beginnings to building one of the most celebrated restaurant groups in Atlanta.
In this episode, Fred opens up about growing up in his father’s restaurant, the devastating loss that led his family to start over in Georgia, and how those early challenges shaped his approach to leadership and hospitality. He shares lessons from turning around failing locations, building unique concepts like Iberian Pig and Mujo, and creating lasting impact in local dining scenes one guest at a time.
Josh dives into the world of restaurant entrepreneurship as Fred reveals how a delicate balance of passion, innovation, and family dynamics became the foundation of his success. He discusses how Japanese cultural influences transformed his culinary perspective, why guest satisfaction is the company’s most important KPI, and how creating memorable experiences is key to customer loyalty.
Fred also offers candid insight into the complexities of scaling operations without losing quality or identity. He shares practical strategies for leading through uncertainty—especially during the pandemic—and explains why decisive action, structured creativity, and honest feedback loops are essential to long-term growth.
Links and resources 📌
Visit meez: https://www.getmeez.com
Follow meez on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/getmeez
Follow Josh on instagram: @joshlsharkey
Visit Castellucci Hospitality Group: https://www.chgrestaurants.com/
Follow Fred: https://www.instagram.com/fredcast3/?hl=en
Chapters
1. Fred Castellucci on Building Restaurant Success Through Family, Innovation, and Action (00:00:00)
2. Introduction (00:01:05)
3. The Journey from Rhode Island to Atlanta (00:02:22)
4. Family Business Dynamics and Restaurant Success (00:05:42)
5. Turning Around a Failing Restaurant (00:09:04)
6. Expanding the Family Business (00:12:25)
7. Putting It All Together (00:14:58)
8. Curating Guest Experiences (00:18:55)
9. Going to Japan (00:21:50)
10. The COVID Pivot (00:25:28)
11. Launching a New Sushi Concept in Atlanta (00:27:01)
12. Balancing Family Life and Business (00:30:50)
13. Building a Life Around Work (00:35:00)
14. Global Competition in Tech (00:38:00)
15. The Challenges of Scaling a Restaurant (00:40:49)
16. The Evolution of the Atlanta Food Scene (00:51:27)
107 episodes
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