The Stanza

• Gaetano Guarducci

  Today's guest is Gaetano Guarducci of Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group. Gaetano grew up in the restaurant business that his father, Gherardo Guarducci, co-founded in 2003, and has been working for the family business since graduating from university. The New York-based group comprises 29 restaurants across 3 brands - Sant Ambroeus, Felice, and Casa Lever - and is opening 3 to 4 restaurants per year with the backing of Italian British private equity fund Three Hills Capital. Sant Ambroeus, in particular, is unique in the way they combine Milanese tradition while embracing fashion & culture trends. They've done creative collaborations with brands such as Saint Laurent, The Attico, Alaia, Le Labo, and several others. It's part of their approach to maintaining longevity and desire throughout several market cycles, along with prioritizing consistency in the customer experience and the food.Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at ⁠peoplevine.com.⁠ This episode was recorded at NeueHouse Madison Square. NeueHouse is the premier work space in NYC and LA for those in the creative industries. Use code THESTANZA for a special offer when applying for your membership.Learn more about Sant Ambroeus Hospitality Group hereFollow Sant Ambroeus on InstagramConnect with ⁠The Stanza on Instagram⁠⁠Subscribe to the newsletter⁠ for the full experienceInterview Highlights:Longevity in the restaurant sectorGrowing up in the hospitality businessInsights from the pandemic eraWhy does Sant Ambroeus have a creative director?Collaborating with fashion brandsThe origin story of Sant Ambroeus as a Milanese pastry shop"Selling pasta to Italians" & doing business in Europe as an American companyKey details considered in restaurant design & operationsOperating seasonal locations in Aspen & East HamptonRaising capital from private equityBalancing brand preservation and private equity expectationsWhy haven't they expanded into members clubs?Gaetano's vision for SAHG as the next gen leadership

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  47:21
• Gary Vee & David Rodolitz

  Thank you Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is trusted by the best brands in the members club business. Book a free demo to see why at peoplevine.com.Today's guests are David Rodolitz and Gary Vaynerchuk, co-founders of VCR Group, a hospitality company operating concepts such as Flyfish Club, Ito, and Little Maven in New York and Las Vegas. Flyfish Club, which opened in September 2024, is the world's first blockchain-based members club focused on fine dining. In this conversation, we dove into the details of what it's like to build a hospitality group in one of the most competitive markets in the world (NYC). What I enjoyed most about this conversation is their forward-thinking perspectives when it comes to hospitality, especially in the fine dining space. We also talked in depth about the private members club landscape in New York and entering the space as a young hospitality group.Gary Vaynerchuk, AKA Gary Vee, is a serial entrepreneur and leads VaynerMedia, VaynerX, and VCR Group. In 2014, Gary co-founded Resy and sold it to American Express in 2019 and is also an early investor in notable companies such as Facebook, Twitter, Tumblr, Uber, Coinbase, Slack, and more. David Rodolitz is a NYC hospitality veteran and a co-founder of VCR Group. Prior to founding VCR Group, David was a founding partner of Empellon, a group of restaurants in NYC.To learn more about VCR Group's restaurants, click hereConnect with Gary and David on InstagramConnect with The Stanza on InstagramSubscribe to the newsletter for the full experience.Interview Highlights:The business of a fine dining members club in NYCRestaurants as part of placemakingContrarian thinking in hospitalityThe reality of running restaurantsCompeting in the NYC restaurant & private club market as a young companyThe future of private clubs in NYC & taking cues from London club cultureLongevity in the restaurant businessHow to handle negative reviewsHow would you invest in hospitality?Advice for aspiring hospitality entrepreneurs

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  56:17
• 2025: Welcome to The Stanza

  It's a pleasure to welcome you to the 2025 season of The Stanza. Thank you for tuning in.Submit your pitch deck to be featured in "Investment Committee", a new column in The Stanza newsletter here.Subscribe to the newsletter here and follow on instagram.Episode highlightsOverview of the new podcast seasonThe art of the cold emailCareer advice for young peopleAnswering your Q&A:Limiting beliefs & dreaming bigBest tips on growing a digital communityPrivate members clubsValidation from billionairesLuxury groups buying real estateFashion / hospitality brand pivotsExcited for this year's podcast season!!

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  18:10
• 023: Building iconic hospitality brands: Soho House, The Birley Clubs, Caprice Holdings

  **This interview was made publicly available thanks to the support of Peoplevine, the CRM software trusted by the best hospitality brands. Book your free demo here. Today's guest is Jamie Caring, founder of Sevengage Consultancy, through which he advises hospitality entrepreneurs and real estate owners on brand creation and community building. Prior to his consulting career, Jamie was the CMO of Soho House, the Commercial Director at Caprice Holdings, the holding company behind restaurant brands such as The Ivy, Le Caprice, and Sexy Fish, and the Commercial Director at The Birley Clubs, which owns club brands such as Annabel's and Mark's. Prior to hospitality, Jamie had a 15-year career in music and entertainment at MTV and VH1. Jamie started at Soho House in 2008 when there wasn't a marketing team, and during his tenure, helped shape it into the global category-defining lifestyle brand that it is today. This was my longest interview to date, and I definitely could have continued the interview. We went in-depth on Jamie's knowledge and insights coming from both of his lives in entertainment and hospitality, and especially focused on strategy for launching and scaling hospitality businesses, as well as the psychology of members clubs. He truly understands how to build an enduring hospitality brand that is a reference for other emerging brands, and I know anyone listening to this episode will learn a lot from Jamie's experience. Connect with Jamie here. Interview Highlights: Applying insights from entertainment to hospitality Meeting Nick Jones and starting at Soho House Marketing-led vs transaction-led hospitality Jamie's philosophy on member programming & events Can people buy into "community"? What is a true community in the context of a business? Lessons from Soho House's banker purge in 2010 Top drivers for both membership renewals and cancellations Expanding from members clubs into a lifestyle brand The art & science of advertising exclusivity Thoughts on Soho House's recent negative press and its IPO Balancing creative vision and needs of investors Jamie's experience at Annabel's & how legacy clubs can stay relevant Thoughts on the proliferation of members clubs Trends in the club industry Advice for hospitality entrepreneurs Audience Q&A If you enjoyed this episode, please share with a friend or colleague :)

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  1:21:10
• 021 Exclusivity sells: structuring an effective membership program

  Subscribe to ⁠The Stanza⁠, a newsletter at the intersection of investing, hospitality, & fashion. Today's guest is Annabel Schwartz, founder of hospitality consultancy House of Talana. Annabel was the former west coast memberships manager at Soho House and most recently the director of member relations & culture at San Vicente Bungalows. We did a deep dive on all the fun topics within hospitality - curating and designing a members club, the consumer psychology of exclusivity, the meaning of great hospitality, and trend predictions on the future of the industry. Annabel has so much unique experience and insight into the business from a behind the scenes angle and I know you're all going to love this episode. On another note - this interview is the final guest episode of the season. The podcast will come back later this year, but for now definitely be sure to subscribe to the newsletter and follow along on Instagram and TikTok (@thestanzamedia). Thanks for tuning in and enjoy the show.   Episode Highlights Annabel's background at Soho House and SVB Structuring of an effective membership program Why exclusivity is an essential component Paying for access vs earning access Privacy in LA vs spontaneity in NYC 3 trend predictions for hospitality Advice for members clubs operators   Thank you to Peoplevine for sponsoring this episode. Peoplevine is the CRM loved by the best members clubs in the industry. Check out which clubs use Peoplevine and book your free demo here.

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  1:00:51

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