Square has launched Coolroom Confessional, a new podcast sponsored by American Express, that shares behind the scenes stories from the hospo industry and aims to be a valuable resource and support for the sector as it contends with the current economic environment.
Hosted by Australian food writer, critic, and broadcaster Melissa Leong, and created by award-winning podcaster and Social & Content Lead at Square, Jay Ooi, Coolroom Confessional connects some of Australia’s best known hospo operators with up-and-comers to provide actionable advice on how to navigate and succeed today and into the future.
“Our pubs, cafes, restaurants are the beating hearts of our neighbourhoods. But, it’s obvious that things are really hard right now,” Leong says. “I choose to be optimistic, though. This project taps into hospitality’s best quality: to share. Whether it’s a good meal, or advice, experiences and knowledge, this project is about connecting community and being a catalyst for constructive conversation.”
Coolroom Confessional is created by Jay Ooi, an award-winning podcaster behind Shoes Off, a podcast about Asian Australian identity and You Have Been Told a Lie which followed the story of the Nadesalingam family who were seeking asylum in the community of Biloela in Outback Queensland.
“Square partners with some of the most inspiring and unique hospo venues across Australia, and while they each have different stories, there are a lot of shared challenges,” Ooi says. “It’s been really gratifying to bring these businesses together to help them learn from each other, and hopefully give inspiration to the rest of Australia’s hospo industry.”
Over the course of the first series, Coolroom Confessional features founders to learn their business stories, challenges they’ve faced, and how they’ve overcome them. These operators are then connected with industry experts and other business owners who have succeeded – or failed and learned. Those hospo heavyweights featured on the first season of Coolroom Confessional include the likes of dessert kings Gareth Whitton of Tarts Anon (winner of Dessert Masters) and Reynold Poernomo of KOI (runner up of Dessert Masters); founder of Boost Juice Bars, Janine Allis; and the founder of several Melbourne institutes including Bar Liberty, Falco Bakery and Capitano, Michael Bascetta.
Coolroom Confessional is hosted on Square’s publication The Bottom Line (along with show notes and information about featured guests and bonus extras), and is available on all major podcast platforms.
In Australia, Square hardware is enabled to automatically accept all American Express cards, making it easier for Amex Card Members to earn Membership Reward points at hospitality businesses.
Credits:
Square
Jay Ooi – Creator & Executive Producer
Yuri Sakakibara – Main Artwork Designer
Stacey Lowther & Annalise Booker – Integrated Marketing Leads
DM Podcasts
Xanon Murphy – Executive Producer
Camille Bianchi – Producer
Partners & Talent
American Express – Podcast Sponsor
Melissa Leong – Host
Ade Adeniyi – Little Lagos
Janine Allis – Boost Juice
Michael Bascetta – former founder of Bar Liberty, Capitano, Falco Bakery, Grada
Colin Birney – Head of Business Development, Square in Australia
Nick Connellan – Editor, Broadsheet Australia
Lorenzo Fantarella & Isaac Varano – Pasta Prego
Patrick Fisher – Bernie’s Bar
Ben Lipschitz – CEO & Co-founder, FoodByUs
Christopher Norris – Opus Coffee Brewers
Reynold Poernomo – KOI Dessert Bar
Martin Rehak – Bridges MD Belgian Dining
Mo Saad – Fricken
Georgie Smith – G’s Jaffles
Benjamin Terkalas – Kosta’s Takeaway
James Tischhauser & Isaac Kara – Margaret River Roasting Co
Joel Valvasori – Lulu La Delizia
Joseph Vargetto – Mister Bianco, Fondata 1872
Luke Whearty – Byrdi
Gareth Whitton – Tarts Anon, winner of Dessert Masters S1
