In this episdode, Michael welcomes his longtime friend Yazz Abdulla, previously a guest during the pandemic to discuss food delivery and dark kitchens.
They reflect on Copenhagen Street Food’s grassroots style, then focus on founder-led hospitality businesses: founders often stay emotionally attached, operate like self-employed workers, lack systems (ops, HR, marketing, supply chain), misunderstand cashflow, and fail to plan an exit; Yazz advises emotional detachment, self-leadership, discipline, rituals, and valuing time and peace over status.
They discuss the “lost art of hospitality,” arguing technology and transactional service have eroded human connection, while Gen Z is highly influential and brands like Blank Street succeed by designing for Gen Z.
AI is seen as useful for optimization but unable to replace the human element. They compare struggling UK hospitality—blaming poor adaptation and leadership—against UAE hospitality, where conflict briefly crushed tourism but decisive government support enabled recovery.
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Connect with Yazz:
https://www.linkedin.com/in/yazz-abdulla/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/urban-hospitality-group-ltd/posts/?feedView=all
Previous episode with Yazz
https://www.hospitalitymavericks.com/coming-back-stronger-episode-5-with-yazz-abdulla-ceo-and-founder-of-urban-hospitality/
