Mabel De Beunza is a partner at Deep Sleep Studio, a creative agency in Miami. In her first visit to Pan Con Podcast, we talk about her work, running a business during a pandemic and the correct way to order your steak medium well. Most importantly, though, this conversation starts with a focus on Operation Fill The Fridge, a charitable endeavor that grew organically during the pandemic as an effort to aid families in need in South Florida. We talk about what they do, how they got started, their...
Aug 21, 2020•1 hr 50 min
Sandra Walimaki is a regional educator for Counter Culture Coffee, which Mike Beltran serves at Chug's, his Cuban-American diner in Coconut Grove. In this episode of Pan Con Podcast, the two talk about coffee culture, what makes Miami's relationship with espresso unique, and Sandra's experience migrating from Peru (where she has roots in the coffee industry) to the United States, where she's been in the coffee industry for about 18 years. She also tells us about the NPR Coffee Club, a coffee sub...
Aug 11, 2020•59 min
Mike's old friend Jason Hill had apparently been asking for a Pan Con Podcast invite for months. He finally got one from Mike and the two got together for a few post-service drinks and conversation about finding fulfillment in leading a team of high school football players, lessons from high school and college football, and the impact that being educated by the Marist brothers at Christopher Columbus High School in Miami had on each of them. Also, Jason tells us about the handful of times that h...
Aug 05, 2020•1 hr 21 min
Josh Pascual left his career selling medical devices to pursue a business that grew out of a weekend hobby: Wagyu beef. For three years, he's been providing South Floridians with steaks — and, more recently, other proteins — sourced from farms all over the world. His business has grown; earlier this year, he opened his first brick-and-mortar shop and he has plans to expand into e-commerce. Josh joined Mike at Ariete — bearing gifts of some of the best red meat money can buy — to talk about his b...
Jul 31, 2020•1 hr 54 min
Mike has put a lot of trust in his restaurant group's director of operations, Brittany Rothwell, in whom he sees a lot of the attitude he brings to the company. That kind of relationship is valuable under any circumstances, but it's become indispensable at a time when — like other restaurants — Mike's businesses are in a fight for their lives. In this episode, Brittany and Mike talk about how she ended up with Ariete, her first impressions of Mike, the fulfillment she finds in restaurants, and w...
Jul 27, 2020•1 hr 17 min
Matt Hinckley worked in restaurants all over the world before settling in Orlando, where he set up Hinckley's Fancy Meats and took it from a deli case in Orlando's East Market to an online delivery service whose first order came from New York Times food editor Sam Sifton. He eventually moved back into the East End Market and refocused on serving the Orlando area. In this episode, Mike and Matt talk about meat, coronavirus shutdowns, combat sports and politics. Follow Matt Hinckley and Hinckley's...
Jul 21, 2020•1 hr 27 min
Joaquín González was a cornerstone of the national champion 2001 Miami Hurricanes football team. The offensive lineman went on to play four seasons in the NFL — three with the Cleveland Browns and one with the Indianapolis Colts. Today, Joaquín is president of the family business he joined after football, Tire Group International, a Miami-based tire distributor. In this episode, recorded via Zoom, he and Mike talk football, leadership, business, and the lessons they've taken from each of those. ...
Jul 17, 2020•1 hr 29 min
In an episode that was stretched to unusual lengths by bubbly white wine, Mike and our guest John Falco talk about the coronavirus' continued impact on their businesses, sleeping on rugs, video game documentaries, John's participation in the Iraq surge, parenting, Peter Meehan, and how little either of them actually wanted to show up to record this podcast. Also, we tough lightly on what John does for a living (beer and pizza). Follow all of John's things: https://www.instagram.com/falcohatesmon...
Jul 07, 2020•2 hr 3 min
Documentarian Billy Corben (Cocaine Cowboys, Screwball, The U, Dawg Fight)joins Mike Beltran via Zoom for a conversation about his films, his ongoing feud with Miami-Dade County State Attorney Katherine Fernandez Rundle, duck madianoches, and Jimmy Johnson's hair. NOTE: We ran into a technical snag while recording this conversation, so there are a few minutes of audio missing near the end of the call. Don't worry. You're just missing a portion of Mike's rant about Miami Spice. Follow Billy Corbe...
Jul 01, 2020•1 hr 23 min
Fred Vogel is a man of many talents. He's a painter, he's a filmmaker, he's a philosopher. In this wide ranging conversation with Mike Beltran, the two talk about creativity, fulfillment, Miami, race, police brutality, strip club rules in the time of COVID-19, and the idea that everything —even your morning dookie — is art. Follow Fred on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sweetbabyfred/ Become a patron: www.patreon.com/DADEmag Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Po...
Jun 22, 2020•1 hr 16 min
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline – Call 800-273-TALK (8255) Crisis Text Line – Text NAMI to 741-741 National Alliance on Mental Illness – nami.org This episode was recorded shortly before Mike's Ariete Hospitality Group was able to begin reopening its restaurant's dining rooms after the COVID pandemic shutdown, but shortly after the Ariete family lost a member to suicide. We took some time to record a conversation about mental health, leadership, loss, recovery, and the ways we can be there ...
Jun 10, 2020•25 min
Just as Miami restaurants prepared to reopen their dining rooms, a protest campaign against police brutality — along with looting and rioting that has muddied the national conversation and endangered communities — threw a monkey wrench into what was already bound to be a clunky process. Mike talks about his own experience reopening restaurants, how he was singled out by Miami police after criticizing government officials and talking about defying curfews, and the challenges he and his team are f...
Jun 06, 2020•56 min
In this episode you'll hear from Pablo Zitzmann, Susana Jiménez and Enrique Hernández. The first two deal in food and the third is in the tire business, but you'll there's value in what they all have to share about their coronavirus experiences. Pablo is Colombian-born chef who won Miami diners' hearts with No Name Chinese in South Miami. He was also was one of the very first guests on this podcast. If you want to get to know him a little better beyond this COVID thing, listen to Mike's conversa...
May 06, 2020•1 hr 53 min
Most of this episode is Mike and Nick taking a break from making what little sense they usually make. You'll be forgiven for skipping this one. On the other hand, if you're into that kind of thing, enjoy! Become a patron: https://www.patreon.com/DADEmag Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/ Twitter: twitter.com/panconpodcast Follow Mike Beltran: Instagram: www.instagram.com/piginc/ Twitter: twitter.com/piginc Foll...
Apr 22, 2020•1 hr 6 min
In this episode, we're bringing you a new set of mini-interviews on the impact of the coronavirus pandemic. First, we're hearing from Cleveland chef Brett Sawyer on how his restaurants (The Plum and Good Company) have been impacted by COVID-19. Next, Ilkay Suuctugu, the executive chef at Matador Room, the Jean-Georges Vongerichten restaurant at the Miami Beach Edition, talks about her experience dealing with time away from an establishment that had to shut down altogether. Finally, gym owner Ale...
Apr 14, 2020•1 hr 30 min
Mike and Nick have cocktails in Nick's backyard while discussing the government programs to keep small businesses alive during the COVID-19 outbreak, whether government should regulate restaurant delivery, and the news media's treatment of coronavirus's impact on the restaurant business. Also, Mike folds under the pressure when he's asked to rank his favorite Star Trek series. Mentioned on this podcast: Questioning Conventional Wisdom in the COVID-19 Crisis, with Dr. Jay Bhattacharya: youtu.be/-...
Apr 10, 2020•52 min
Nick Jiménez is filling in for Michael Beltran to bring you more phone conversations with a variety of people telling us about how they've been experiencing and adjusting for the coronavirus outbreak. We'll start with Margie Pikarsky, owner and operator of Bee Heaven Farm in Homestead, Florida, which is a supplier to Mike's restaurants — among many others. She gave us some perspective from her corner of the agriculture world and told us a but about how COVID-19 has changed her relationship with ...
Apr 09, 2020•1 hr 25 min
Mike Beltran comes back to the podcast for an update on his first week in the coronavirus shutdown, how Chug's Diner became a specialty grocery store in response to the crisis, and what relief might be available to Miami area restaurant staff who were laid off in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak. We also touch on Uber Eats, OpenTable, and the sloppy rollout of the City of Miami's shelter-in-place order. Check out the Miami Restaurant Employee Relief Fund mentioned in this episode: https://www.g...
Mar 26, 2020•51 min
Hear from three guests about how they've been dealing with the coronavirus shutdown. First, John Falco, the co-founder and president of Fire Pit Hospitality, which is the company behind Miami's Lincoln's Beard Brewery and Strange Beast, a brewpub and pizzeria. Next, you'll hear from Jason Schoendorfer. Jason and his wife Melanie own and operate Babe's Meat & Counter, a specialty meat retailer and sandwich shop in Miami. Finally, Diandra Lamas, Yelp's senior community manager for Miami, discu...
Mar 25, 2020•1 hr 6 min
On this episode of Pan Con Podcast, Nick Jiménez has conversations with three different people in the food world about how they're experiencing and adjusting for the COVID-19 outbreak. First, attorney-turned reality TV personality-turned cookbook author and food media star Ana Quincoces. Then Matt Kuscher of Kush Hospitality, who has been a guest on this podcast before. And finally Joe Richard, a sous chef who was laid off from his job in Miami Beach as a result of the pandemic and has found an ...
Mar 23, 2020•1 hr 4 min
The Coronavirus outbreak has left food industry professionals scrambling for ways to survive, keep their staffs employed and continue bringing value to customers. We spoke with three guests — chef and restaurateur Danny Serfer, catering operations professional Adelee Cabrera, and the James Beard Award winner Norman Van Aken — about their experiences with the COVID-19 pandemic and their outlook on the future of the food and hospitality industry. Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.fa...
Mar 21, 2020•1 hr 18 min
The coronavirus has all but brought the restaurant industry to a nationwide halt. We sat down for a special episode to talk about how Mike Beltran and his restaurant group in particular have experiences and responded to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ Instagram: www.instagram.com/panconpodcast/ Twitter: twitter.com/panconpodcast Follow Mike Beltran: Instagram: www.instagram.com/piginc/ Twitter: twitter.co...
Mar 19, 2020•52 min
Jorge Mas is the co-founder and chairman of MasTec, the chairman of the Cuban American National Foundation, co-owner of Major League Soccer's Inter Miami CF, and a regular at our host Mike Beltran's Coconut Grove restaurant, Ariete. Jorge joined Mike on Pan Con Podcast for a conversation about his experience teaming up with soccer superstar David Beckham to bring an MLS team to Miami, realizing his dream of taking a business public, dealing with the radical change that comes from growing a busin...
Mar 17, 2020•1 hr 22 min
Chef Jean-Georges Vongerichten is one of the world's most famous and decorated chefs. He's got James Beard Awards, Michelin stars, and hIs company operates 40 restaurants worldwide, employing about 5,000 people. He's also the author of one of the first cookbooks that our host Mike Beltran even purchased. Mike sat with Jean-Georges at The Matador Room, Jean-Georges' restaurant at the Edition Hotel in Miami Beach, to talk about food, business, Miami, South Florida frog legs, and processing negativ...
Mar 08, 2020•37 min
Ed Reed calls himself a “park baby” because of the role that parks played in his life when he was growing up in New Orleans. Among other things, they helped him in the early stages of his journey to a legendary career in football. He’s a hall of famer at the high school, college and pro levels. His time at the University of Miami earned him a place in fans’ hearts as an all-time great Hurricane and his NFL career — most of which he played with the Baltimore Ravens — cemented his place in history...
Feb 27, 2020•1 hr 47 min
In the days before Pan Con Podcast, Mike Beltran was the second Mike on another show called Tea Time! with Mike and Mike. In this episode of this podcast, that other podcast's founding Mike, Mike Ortiz, joins this podcasts's host, Mike Beltran, for a conversation between the two Mikes from Mike & Mike, except this time one Mike is just visiting the other Mike to hang out and drink tea. It's all very confusing, but still a worthwhile listen. The two talk about Mike Ortiz's passion for tea and...
Feb 15, 2020•1 hr 11 min
Marta Verdes Darby's blog, My Big Fat Cuban Family, is 13 years old. Marta, who lives in Los Angeles, was blogging long before being a food blogger was cool, and her recipes have helped introduce people to Cuban culture as well as strengthen people's connection to their Cuban roots when they have limited access to Cuban restaurants and traditional ingredients. She joined Mike Beltran to talk about Cuban culture, telling stories through food, and the business of food blogging. Visit Marta's blog ...
Dec 14, 2019•1 hr 29 min
Matt Kuscher is a third-generation restaurateur who grew up around the doughnut business. Now he's at the helm of Kush Hospitality, the company behind Miami restaurants like Lokal, Kush, the Spillover, and Stephen's Deli. He joined Mike Beltran to talk about his the path he took to his current position in Miami's restaurant landscape, his anti-fast-food stances, and his feelings about hearing his restaurant playlists snubbed by Mike in a previous episode. Matt also explains the mission and adven...
Nov 30, 2019•1 hr 39 min
Look back on some of the major themes and the most recent guests of Pan Con Podcast so far. Michael Beltran reflects on his conversations and relationships with guests like Ani Meinhold, Eileen Adrade, Norman Van Aken, Michael Schwartz, Vanessa Garcia, Victoria Collado, Tyler Malek and Danny Serfer. We also talk Cuba and get into Mike's new restaurant Nave (although this was recorded just before the restaurant opened). Follow Pan Con Podcast everywhere: Facebook: www.facebook.com/panconpodcast/ ...
Nov 16, 2019•36 min
When Danny Serfer opened his first restaurant, Blue Collar, he expected to see it fail and then use the experience as a stepping stone to his next job. Eight years later, the "stick-to-your-ribs comfort food" joint is a Miami favorite, along with Danny's other two restaurants, Mignonette and Vinaigrette. In this episode, Danny and Mike discuss restaurant openings, kitchen leadership styles, addiction, yo-yos, arcade games, kitchen pet peeves, and a whole bunch more. Follow Danny Serfer: https://...
Oct 27, 2019•1 hr 31 min
