In this dynamic episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay Ashton sits down with Domenic Pedulla, one of the founders of the brand-new NEXT Food Expo — launching this September in Calgary. Alongside his co-founder Kandrix Foong, Domenic is on a mission to build a completely different kind of foodservice event, focused on affordability, innovation, and community.

Jay and Domenic explore why Calgary’s explosive growth, entrepreneurial energy, and world-class food scene make it the perfect home for Western Canada’s largest new hospitality event. Domenic shares the story of how he and Kandrix — with decades of experience between them in foodservice and large-scale event production — are creating an expo that truly puts operators and vendors first.

They dive into how NEXT is breaking away from the traditional trade show model: offering real value with included basics like power and setup support, encouraging collaboration over competition, and making the show accessible to companies of all sizes, not just the biggest players.

Throughout the conversation, Jay and Domenic discuss the bigger challenges facing the industry today, from rising tariffs to operational costs, and why building stronger, more connected communities is the path forward. Expect laughs, some creative (and hilarious) ideas like an "Expo Sleepover," trivia about Canada’s first food shows, and a ton of real talk about what it takes to lead the industry into the future.

If you’re ready to be part of what’s NEXT in foodservice, you won't want to miss this episode.

www.NEXTFoodExpo.com

“Mic Checks & Mayhem – The LinkedIn Live Disaster (That Turned Out Kind of Amazing)”

What happens when you try to do a live podcast on LinkedIn and everything that could go wrong... does? You get this episode.

No-show guest? Check.
Blown-out microphones? Oh yeah.
Three hosts spiraling into chaos with a cold Noni in hand? Absolutely.

But buried inside the madness — real talk about staffing struggles, hospitality culture, the power of enthusiasm, and why we’ve got to stop glorifying burnout and start promoting the good in this industry.

Special shoutout to Dean LeBay for hopping in and saving the day, and congrats to Dominic Padula on launching the NEXT Food Expo in Calgary this September — the biggest thing to hit Western Canada’s food scene in over a decade.

Sometimes the best shows are the ones that weren’t supposed to happen. This is one of them.

🔊 Buckle up. It’s chaotic, it’s hilarious, it’s hospitality — Late Night style.

What happens when three Canadian hospitality geeks crack open non-alcoholic craft beers live on air and discover their new post-treadmill obsession? You get one of the funniest, most insightful episodes of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast yet.

In this episode, Jay, Dom, and Beck welcome Lane, co-founder of Nonny, a bold and badass non-alcoholic beer company based in Vancouver. The boys sip, taste, and straight-up rave about Nonny’s West Coast IPA, Pilsner, and Pale Ale, while firing off rapid-fire questions about flavor profiles, distribution, the brewing process, and a campaign idea so wild it just might work: Nonny – the first official gym beer.

You'll hear:

• How Lane and his brother turned pandemic beer cravings into a full-blown business

• The truth about non-alcoholic beer brewing and why most of the old stuff tasted like soggy cardboard

• Jay’s pitch for the first-ever workout beer (yep, it's a thing now)

• And what makes Nonny’s packaging feel so damn good in your hands

Also, lots of laughs, Lane’s accidental bathtub pitch, and a few eyebrow-raising ideas you’ll only hear after 10 pm.

This episode is 100% unfiltered, unapologetically Canadian, and non-alcoholically delicious.