Pong Patanan, the Director of the Thai La Ong restaurant group, takes a seat at the table today to share how a family-run Thai restaurant that opened in 1999 evolved into a growing restaurant group powered by adaptability, marketing, and mindset. From sleeping under the counter as a kid to walking away from a career in environmental consulting, Pong reveals how an MBA and two pivotal moments in class gave him the self-belief to go all in, back himself, and expand Thai La Ong beyond its original Newtown roots.

This episode is a candid look at modern restaurant growth: funding a new venue against his own home, opening just before COVID hit, repurposing staff instead of making redundancies, and discovering that visibility plus compelling offers can transform revenue. It’s a story about calculated risk, resilience and embracing change in an industry that never stands still.

You’ll also hear:
Why Thai family meals are all about sharing
The risky Parramatta expansion that paid off
How opening just before COVID forced him to rethink everything
What he learned working at Panda Express in New York
Why combining ads and offers dramatically boosted sales

Pong Patanan, the Director of the Thai La Ong restaurant group, takes a seat at the table today to share how a family-run Thai restaurant that opened in 1999 evolved into a growing restaurant group powered by adaptability, marketing, and mindset. From sleeping under the counter as a kid to walking away from a career in environmental consulting, Pong reveals how an MBA and two pivotal moments in class gave him the self-belief to go all in, back himself, and expand Thai La Ong beyond its original Newtown roots.
This episode is a candid look at modern restaurant growth: funding a new venue against his own home, opening just before COVID hit, repurposing staff instead of making redundancies, and discovering that visibility plus compelling offers can transform revenue. It&rsquo;s a story about calculated risk, resilience and embracing change in an industry that never stands still.
You&rsquo;ll also hear:
<ul>
<li>Why Thai family meals are all about sharing</li>
<li>The risky Parramatta expansion that paid off</li>
<li>How opening just before COVID forced him to rethink everything</li>
<li>What he learned working at Panda Express in New York</li>
<li>Why combining ads and offers dramatically boosted sales</li>
</ul>

At The Table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.

Hosted by Alana Brittain, who leads the Uber Eats ANZ team partnering with restaurants every day, the show sits down with some of Australia’s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.

From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.

Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself. 

Pull up a seat. This is At The Table.

At The Table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.
Hosted by Alana Brittain, who leads the Uber Eats ANZ team partnering with restaurants every day, the show sits down with some of Australia&rsquo;s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.
From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.
Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself.&nbsp;
Pull up a seat. This is At The Table.

At The Table

At the table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.

Hosted by Alana Brittain, Director of Restaurants ANZ, who leads the Uber Eats team dedicated to the daily growth and success of restaurant partners, the show sits down with some of Australia’s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.

From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.

Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive Uber Eats promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself. 

Pull up a seat. This is at the table.

At the table takes you behind the scenes of your favourite eats, and into the stories of the people who built them.
Hosted by Alana Brittain, Director of Restaurants ANZ, who leads the Uber Eats team dedicated to the daily growth and success of restaurant partners, the show sits down with some of Australia&rsquo;s most passionate restaurant owners and operators to unpack how they started, scaled and stayed resilient in a fast-moving industry.
From family-run institutions to national names, each episode explores the real story behind the menu, the risks taken, the lessons learned, and the decisions that turned great food into thriving businesses.
Plus, in every episode, you will unlock an exclusive&nbsp;Uber&nbsp;Eats&nbsp;promo code, so you can order exactly what we are talking about to taste for yourself.&nbsp;
Pull up a seat. This is at the table.

at the table

Thai La Ong: Pong Patanan Says Self-Belief Is Everything

Ramon Castillo is the CEO of Zeus Street Greek and takes a seat at the table today to share how Zeus Street Greek has grown from a single store in Drummoyne into a 45-store national brand — with ambitions to reach 150 locations in the next five years. Now CEO after rising through the ranks from Group GM to COO, Ramon reflects on leading a fast-scaling business built on heritage, heart and seriously good Greek food — all while expanding beyond the counter and onto supermarket shelves across Australia.

From balancing boardroom strategy with generational family recipes to navigating retail expansion into Woolworths, Ramon unpacks what it really takes to scale without losing authenticity. This is a conversation about growth, brand evolution, culture and protecting the spirit of the Yia Yias while building a modern food empire.

You’ll also hear:
How Zeus found its niche in “Street Greek”
The story behind their ready-to-eat Woolworths range
What scaling from 20 to 45+ stores really looks like
The risks (and rewards) of rapid expansion
Insights from their Nick Kyrgios collaboration
And Ramon’s secrets to cooking the perfect lamb at home

Ramon Castillo is the CEO of Zeus Street Greek and takes a seat at the table today to share how Zeus Street Greek has grown from a single store in Drummoyne into a 45-store national brand &mdash; with ambitions to reach 150 locations in the next five years. Now CEO after rising through the ranks from Group GM to COO, Ramon reflects on leading a fast-scaling business built on heritage, heart and seriously good Greek food &mdash; all while expanding beyond the counter and onto supermarket shelves across Australia.
From balancing boardroom strategy with generational family recipes to navigating retail expansion into Woolworths, Ramon unpacks what it really takes to scale without losing authenticity. This is a conversation about growth, brand evolution, culture and protecting the spirit of the Yia Yias while building a modern food empire.
You&rsquo;ll also hear:
<ul>
<li>How Zeus found its niche in &ldquo;Street Greek&rdquo;</li>
<li>The story behind their ready-to-eat Woolworths range</li>
<li>What scaling from 20 to 45+ stores really looks like</li>
<li>The risks (and rewards) of rapid expansion</li>
<li>Insights from their Nick Kyrgios collaboration</li>
<li>And Ramon&rsquo;s secrets to cooking the perfect lamb at home</li>
</ul>

Zeus Street Greek: Ramon Castillo on Growing from 1 Store to a Vision of 150

CEO & Founder of Johnny Gio’s Pizza, Jonathan Faro, takes a seat at the table today to share how a mobile pizza side hustle turned into Johnny Gio’s — now one of Australia’s fastest-growing pizza brands. From engineering project manager to founder and CEO of 25 stores (with 250+ locations earmarked), Jonathan unpacks the realities of scaling in hospitality, wearing two hats as creative founder and operator, navigating explosive COVID-era growth, and building a premium pizza model designed for both authenticity and scale.

Grounded in Italian heritage and driven by obsession, community and generosity, Jonathan reveals what it really takes to grow without losing your soul. From simplifying the menu to boost performance, to hosting high-energy neighbourhood launch parties, this is a conversation about commitment, culture and turning passion into process.

You’ll also hear:
The story behind Johnny Gio’s rotating brick ovens from Italy
Why “hospo is a beast you learn to tame”
How social media fuels an online-first food brand
His take on pineapple on pizza (and how to properly fold a slice)

CEO &amp; Founder of Johnny Gio&rsquo;s Pizza, Jonathan Faro, takes a seat at the table today to share how a mobile pizza side hustle turned into Johnny Gio&rsquo;s &mdash; now one of Australia&rsquo;s fastest-growing pizza brands. From engineering project manager to founder and CEO of 25 stores (with 250+ locations earmarked), Jonathan unpacks the realities of scaling in hospitality, wearing two hats as creative founder and operator, navigating explosive COVID-era growth, and building a premium pizza model designed for both authenticity and scale.
Grounded in Italian heritage and driven by obsession, community and generosity, Jonathan reveals what it really takes to grow without losing your soul. From simplifying the menu to boost performance, to hosting high-energy neighbourhood launch parties, this is a conversation about commitment, culture and turning passion into process.
You&rsquo;ll also hear:
<ul>
<li>The story behind Johnny Gio&rsquo;s rotating brick ovens from Italy</li>
<li>Why &ldquo;hospo is a beast you learn to tame&rdquo;</li>
<li>How social media fuels an online-first food brand</li>
<li>His take on pineapple on pizza (and how to properly fold a slice)</li>
</ul>

Jonathan Faro (Johnny Gio's): Hospo Is “A Beast You Learn to Tame”

Nelly Robinson is the Chef Patron and owner of NEL and takes a seat at the table today from inside his Surry Hills restaurant to share how a 14-year-old pot washer from Blackburn built one of Australia’s most theatrical and innovative fine dining experiences. From failing food tech at school to cooking for the Queen, Nelly unpacks the grit, discipline and self-belief it took to open his restaurant with just $2 left in the bank, and turn it into an 11-year success story.

In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of Sydney’s dining scene, the pressure facing independent restaurants today, and why experience matters more than ever in a convenience economy. He also shares his passion for championing native Australian ingredients, building long-term team loyalty, and creating food that truly wows — not just feeds. It’s an honest, high-energy look at what it takes to survive (and thrive) in modern hospitality.

The native menu at NEL runs until the 25th of April, don't miss out: 
www.nelrestaurant.com.au/menu-concepts

You’ll also hear:
Why discipline learned as a pot washer still shapes his kitchen today
The moment he decided to open his own restaurant after missing out on Icebergs
How stepping away from the kitchen made him a better leader
His philosophy on loyalty and personal service
And his secret to the perfect crispy potato

Nelly Robinson is the Chef Patron and owner of NEL and takes a seat at the table today from inside his Surry Hills restaurant to share how a 14-year-old pot washer from Blackburn built one of Australia&rsquo;s most theatrical and innovative fine dining experiences. From failing food tech at school to cooking for the Queen, Nelly unpacks the grit, discipline and self-belief it took to open his restaurant with just $2 left in the bank, and turn it into an 11-year success story. In this conversation, he reflects on the evolution of Sydney&rsquo;s dining scene, the pressure facing independent restaurants today, and why experience matters more than ever in a convenience economy. He also shares his passion for championing native Australian ingredients, building long-term team loyalty, and creating food that truly wows &mdash; not just feeds. It&rsquo;s an honest, high-energy look at what it takes to survive (and thrive) in modern hospitality. The native menu at NEL runs until the 25th of April, don't miss out:&nbsp; <a href="http://www.nelrestaurant.com.au/menu-concepts">www.nelrestaurant.com.au/menu-concepts</a> You&rsquo;ll also hear:
<ul>
<li>Why discipline learned as a pot washer still shapes his kitchen today</li>
<li>The moment he decided to open his own restaurant after missing out on Icebergs</li>
<li>How stepping away from the kitchen made him a better leader</li>
<li>His philosophy on loyalty and personal service</li>
<li>And his secret to the perfect crispy potato</li>
</ul>

Thai La Ong: Pong Patanan Says Self-Belief Is Everything

At The Table

In 1 playlist(s)

at the table

Social links

Follow podcast

Recent clips