Walk-In Talk Podcast

Chef Peter Garces didn't open By The Chef Pizza because he needed another job.
He built it from the remains of a life that had been completely disrupted.
Peter grew up in Brooklyn, where his earliest connection to food came from watching his mother cook. That sense of childhood wonder eventually became a serious culinary pursuit, taking him through culinary school, restaurant kitchens, and some of New York's most respected pizza operations.
At Roberta's, he was unexpectedly left alone in front of a thousand-degree oven during a busy lunch rush—and made it through without burning a pie.
At Apizza Regionale, the pressure nearly broke him, but it also sharpened his discipline.
At Pizza Loves Emily, he saw pizza treated with the same creativity and seriousness as any other culinary craft.
Then came Mama's Too.
Peter became the primary pizzaiolo during a defining period for the restaurant. The pizzas photographed for its New York Times review were his, and when the review was published, the line wrapped around the block. One night, Peter trusted his instincts, ignored an instruction to limit the display, and filled the window with the full range of pizzas. Jerry Seinfeld walked in, discovered the vodka pie, and kept coming back.
Peter finally felt like he belonged.
Then his Brooklyn home burned down.
The fire took nearly everything and forced him to leave the city that shaped him. When he arrived in Central Florida, his New York résumé did not automatically earn him respect, opportunity, or comparable pay. He had to begin proving himself all over again.
With help from his parents, his lifelong friend and business partner Nigel Van Groningen, and the resources of Lakeland's Catapult business incubator, Peter launched a mobile pizza operation and quickly transformed it into a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
Today, By The Chef Pizza represents far more than pizza.
It carries the discipline Peter learned through martial arts, the knowledge passed down by mentors including Chef JJ Johnson, the experience earned inside demanding New York kitchens, and the belief his father placed in him when Peter needed it most.
This episode is about family, fire, craft, resilience, fatherhood, and the difference between opening a restaurant and building a legacy.
Key Takeaways
Childhood wonder can become lifelong purpose when it is paired with discipline and experience.
Mentorship matters, but the opportunity still has to be earned through work.
Difficult kitchens can sharpen a chef's skills, even when the culture surrounding that education is flawed.
Peter's time at Mama's Too gave him proof that he belonged among serious pizza professionals.
Losing his home forced him to rebuild his career and identity in a completely different market.
A strong résumé may open doors, but consistency is what earns trust in a new community.
By The Chef Pizza was made possible through family support, friendship, Catapult, and Peter's willingness to prove the concept before asking others to believe.
Peter sees pizza as both science and art—a blank canvas shaped by dough, sauce, texture, color, and restraint.
His father's investment meant more than financial help; it represented belief from the person Peter respected most.
The restaurant is only the beginning. Peter's larger goal is to build multiple concepts and create lasting security and opportunity for his family.
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA
https://www.metro.com 
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA
https://www.rakporcelain.com

Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.

Citrus America
https://www.citrusamerica.com

Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.

Crab Island Seafood
https://crabislandseafood.com

Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.

Testo North America
https://www.testo.com/en-US

Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.

CAUSE PARTNERS

The Burnt Chef Project
https://www.theburntchefproject.com

Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.

Operation BBQ Relief
https://operationbbqrelief.org

Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Sustainable Supperclub
https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com
Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.

TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Florida Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/

New York Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/

California Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/

Pizza Tomorrow Summit
https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/

U.S. Culinary Open
https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
https://www.cltampa.com

ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.

Chef Matt Lawson's life never followed a straight line. For years, he questioned why his path kept moving through entrepreneurship, restaurants, private-chef work, hotels, professional sports, banking, medical innovation, and some painfully difficult seasons.
Only now are those pieces beginning to make sense.
In Episode 205, Matt shares how a teenage swim-lesson business led him to Dave Ramsey—and how one unexpected answer changed his future:
"I'd be a chef."
He had never worked in a professional kitchen, yet went on to graduate valedictorian from culinary school and open his first restaurant the night of graduation. His journey later took him from cooking for prominent families and rebuilding major food-and-beverage programs to a period of homelessness that forced him to confront his pride, faith, and direction.
The conversation becomes deeply personal as Matt discusses his youngest daughter, Mia, who was born with Down syndrome and required open-heart surgery. When an outdated medical device repeatedly injured her skin, Matt created a better solution—one that received international regulatory approval and was ultimately acquired by 3M.
Today, those experiences are converging through the Texas Food Championship, an ambitious culinary platform designed to elevate chefs, create scholarships, support families, strengthen communities, and give the next generation opportunities Matt once received himself.
This is a conversation about faith, failure, fatherhood, courage, and discovering that the chapters of life that feel the most disconnected may be preparing us for our greatest calling.
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA
https://www.metro.com 
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA
https://www.rakporcelain.com

Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.

Citrus America
https://www.citrusamerica.com

Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.

Crab Island Seafood
https://crabislandseafood.com

Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.

Testo North America
https://www.testo.com/en-US

Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.

CAUSE PARTNERS

The Burnt Chef Project
https://www.theburntchefproject.com

Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.

Operation BBQ Relief
https://operationbbqrelief.org

Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Sustainable Supperclub
https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com
Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.

TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Florida Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/

New York Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/

California Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/

Pizza Tomorrow Summit
https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/

U.S. Culinary Open
https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
https://www.cltampa.com

ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.

Chef Ferrell Alvarez has helped shape modern Tampa dining through Proper House Group, the team behind Rooster & the Till, Ash, Alter Ego, Gallito Taqueria, and Dang Dude.
But Episode 204 is not just about restaurants.
It is about the life that built the chef.
Ferrell sits down with Carl Fiadini for one of the most personal conversations in Walk-In Talk history, tracing his path from a fifteen-year-old dishwasher to one of Florida's most respected chef-owners. The conversation moves through mentorship, fatherhood, grief, survival, rebuilding, and the responsibility that comes when people believe in your dream before there is proof it will work.
From the early influence of Marty Blitz and Maryann Ferenc at Mise en Place, to building Rooster & the Till with reclaimed wood, used furniture, and $60,000 raised through relationships, Ferrell's story is a reminder that restaurants are never just built with money.
They are built with belief.
Featured dishes from Ash include boquerones with herb oil, chili oil, fresh lime, and house-made focaccia, along with a look at the creative culture behind Proper House Group.
This episode is about Tampa, resilience, leadership, and what it means to give more than you take.
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA
https://www.metro.com 
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA
https://www.rakporcelain.com

Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.

Citrus America
https://www.citrusamerica.com

Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.

Crab Island Seafood
https://crabislandseafood.com

Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.

Testo North America
https://www.testo.com/en-US

Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.

CAUSE PARTNERS

The Burnt Chef Project
https://www.theburntchefproject.com

Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.

Operation BBQ Relief
https://operationbbqrelief.org

Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Sustainable Supperclub
https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com
Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.

TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Florida Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/

New York Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/

California Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/

Pizza Tomorrow Summit
https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/

U.S. Culinary Open
https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
https://www.cltampa.com

ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.

What happens when a single notification prevents thousands of dollars in product loss?
In Episode 3 of Inside Food Safety, we're on location at The Tampa Club with Executive Chef Thomas Mandzik and Eric Moore from Testo North America to discuss a real incident that occurred just one week after a new automated temperature monitoring system was installed.
While away from the restaurant, Chef Thomas received an alert that a walk-in cooler wasn't operating normally. What initially appeared to be a minor issue turned out to be a refrigerant leak that could have resulted in the loss of nearly $20,000 in inventory before anyone returned to work.
The conversation expands beyond that story to explore why modern kitchens are embracing technology, how automation supports—not replaces—professional chefs, and why food safety begins long before a health inspection.
Topics include:
How automated monitoring prevented a major inventory loss

The true cost of refrigeration failures

Why temperature logs alone aren't enough

Leadership, systems, and creating a culture of food safety

Balancing technology with craftsmanship in today's professional kitchen

What restaurant operators can do to better protect their guests, staff, and business

Recorded on location at The Tampa Club in downtown Tampa. Special thanks to Alissa Costello for making that happen!
Inside Food Safety is hosted by Carl Fiadini and presented in partnership with Testo North America, exploring the people, technology, and best practices shaping safer kitchens across the foodservice industry.

Chef Sherief Shawky's journey is anything but conventional.
Raised between Virginia and Egypt, Sherief's path began in a family-owned pizzeria before taking him through some of the industry's most demanding kitchens, working alongside award-winning chefs, opening restaurants, leading culinary teams, and ultimately becoming Corporate Chef and Team Leader for North America at Unox.
In this episode, Sherief shares the experiences that shaped him—from learning to leave his ego at the door, navigating burnout, overcoming a serious back injury, and making the difficult decision to step away from restaurant operations at the height of his career.
We also discuss mentorship, leadership, mental health in hospitality, his work as an ambassador for The Burnt Chef Project, and why he believes food remains the universal language that brings people together.
Most importantly, this is a conversation about opportunity—recognizing it when it appears and having the courage to say yes.
Topics Covered:
• Growing up between Egypt and the United States
• Working with Chef Sherry Yard and Chef Jamie Lynch
• Lessons learned from high-pressure kitchens
• Burnout, injury, and career transitions
• Leadership and mentoring the next generation
• Mental health and The Burnt Chef Project
• Life at Unox
• Why food is the ultimate connector
Plus, Chef Sherief prepares two incredible dishes in the studio, showcasing the creativity, discipline, and culinary perspective that have defined his career.
This is Episode 202 of the Walk-In Talk Podcast.
BRAND PARTNERS
Metro Foodservice Solutions & Trimark USA
https://www.metro.com 
Commercial-grade storage, transport, and workflow systems trusted across professional kitchens.
TriMark USA
TriMark is the largest foodservice design, equipment, and supplies provider in North America, helping operators build, equip, and optimize hospitality kitchens through design-build expertise, sourcing, installation, and service.
RAK Porcelain USA
https://www.rakporcelain.com

Professional tableware engineered for durability and presentation.

Citrus America
https://www.citrusamerica.com

Premium citrus solutions supporting chefs, retailers, and distributors.

Crab Island Seafood
https://crabislandseafood.com

Florida-based supplier delivering responsibly sourced seafood to foodservice partners.

Testo North America
https://www.testo.com/en-US

Precision measurement and food safety solutions for professional kitchens.

CAUSE PARTNERS

The Burnt Chef Project
https://www.theburntchefproject.com

Advocating for mental health awareness in the hospitality industry.

Operation BBQ Relief
https://operationbbqrelief.org

Providing meals to communities impacted by natural disasters.

Sustainable Supperclub
https://www.sustainablesupperclub.com
Pop-up dining experiences focused on sustainability and food access.

TRADE SHOW & INDUSTRY PARTNERS
Florida Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/florida/

New York Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/new-york/

California Restaurant Show
https://www.therestaurantshows.com/california/

Pizza Tomorrow Summit
https://www.pizzatomorrow.com/

U.S. Culinary Open
https://www.usculinaryopen.com/About

Creative Loafing Tampa Bay
https://www.cltampa.com

ABOUT WALK-IN TALK MEDIA
Walk-In Talk Media is an industry-recognized B2B food and hospitality media company focused on chef-driven storytelling and real conversations inside the business of food.