JP Ngo sits down with Chef David Tiner from the Louisiana Culinary Institute for a conversation about culinary education, restaurant leadership, hospitality culture, customer experience, and the operational realities of working in the food industry.

Throughout the episode, Chef David Tiner shares stories from years of experience in professional kitchens, teaching future chefs, and helping students navigate the pressure, discipline, and expectations that come with working in hospitality. The conversation explores how restaurants build culture, why customer experience matters, how leadership changes inside high-pressure environments, and why strong operational systems are critical in both restaurants and business ownership.

The episode also dives into food culture, culinary traditions, workplace communication, management, workforce development, employee training, and the human side of hospitality leadership. From conversations about unfamiliar foods like balut and fermented shark to discussions around consistency, restaurant operations, weekend specials, customer expectations, and scaling hospitality businesses, the episode highlights how experienced operators think through pressure, execution, and long-term growth.

This conversation goes far beyond food.

It’s a real discussion about leadership, entrepreneurship, workplace culture, operational leadership, recruiting, communication, customer service, and the responsibility that comes with building businesses people trust.

Guests:

JP Ngo — Owner of Our Mom’s Restaurant & Bar

Chef David Tiner, CCE, CEC, CCA, ACE, FMP — Director and Chef Instructor at Louisiana Culinary Institute

Topics Covered:

Hospitality leadership

Restaurant management

Culinary education

Chef life and kitchen culture

Customer experience

Leadership under pressure

Restaurant operations

Workforce development

Employee training

Entrepreneurship

Business ownership

Communication and management

Workplace culture

Operational systems

Food culture and culinary traditions

Scaling hospitality businesses

Recruiting and retention

Consistency and execution

Business growth

Hospitality industry realities