The Restaurant Guys
The Restaurant Guys is one of the original food and wine podcasts, launched in 2005 by restaurateurs Mark Pascal and Francis Schott.
With roots as a daily radio show, the podcast features in-depth conversations with chefs, bartenders, winemakers, authors, and hospitality professionals—offering the inside track on food, cocktails, wine, and restaurant culture.
New episodes and vintage conversations because the best stories, like the best bottles, age well. Expect insightful, opinionated, and entertaining conversations about food, wine, and the finer things in life.
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The Restaurant Guys
Scones & Scaling: Growing The Hungry Gnome | Danielle Sepsy
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Why This Episode Matters
- What happens after a reality cooking show and how to convert exposure into growth
- Scaling a wholesale bakery: space, equipment and financing
- Why wholesale can be a sustainable alternative to retail
- Every entrepreneur underestimates two things: money and time.
The Banter
Mark Pascal and Francis Schott open the show reflecting on why service still defines the dining experience. They also debate whether good wine tastes the same when enjoyed at the sink while doing dishes as it does at the table.
The Conversation
Danielle Sepsy, founder of The Hungry Gnome and known as the Scone Queen, shares how she leveraged a reality cooking competition into meaningful wholesale expansion. The conversation explores scaling a wholesale bakery, building long-term retail partnerships, and the discipline required to move from local success to broader commercial reach. Danielle also discusses her new cookbook, where she reveals the secret recipes behind The Hungry Gnome’s signature baked goods, and how the book, along with her social media account, can support both brand growth and customer connection.
Timestamps
0:00 – Opening Banter: Service, Hospitality & the River Palm Terrace
6:15 – Why Wine Tastes Better at a Restaurant
10:00 – Danielle Sepsy Joins: The Hungry Gnome & “Scone Queen”
14:45 – Post-Show Growth: 5000% Spike & Expansion
17:03 – Why Wholesale Works: Volume, Sanity & Sustainability
27:35 – The Cookbook: Revealing the Recipes
34:00 – Wrap Up: Capital, Delays & Opening a Business
Guest Bio
Danielle Sepsy is the founder and chef behind The Hungry Gnome, a wholesale bakery known for its scones and specialty baked goods served in cafés throughout the New York area. She was crowned the “Scone Queen” on The Big Brunch, earning national attention and accelerating the growth of her business. Danielle is also the author of The Scone Queen Bakes, where she shares the recipes behind her most requested creations.
Show Info
The Scone Queen Bakes: 100 Recipes for Scones, Muffins, Cookies, and Cakes from the Founder of The Hungry Gnome: A Cookbook
By Danielle Sepsy
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