Distinguished
Welcome to the Distinguished podcast with Dean Arun Upneja of Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.
We skip the small talk and get right into the top-of-mind topics in the world of hospitality, including and certainly not limited to inflation; recruiting and retaining talent; the need to increase diversity, equity, and inclusion; wellness and wellbeing of our team and our guests; climate action; and the impact of robotics and a.i. on the future of Hospitality. And that’s just to name a few.
On this show, you’ll hear from executives, general managers, founders, and investors who live and breathe Hospitality. The “distinguished” guests on this podcast represent all areas of our industry from hotels and restaurants to entertainment and sporting venues, travel and tourism, and of course, a favorite pastime for many of us —shopping — because, to put it simply, Hospitality is, at play in most parts of our lives and livelihood.
Distinguished
George Poll on Building Distinctive Dining Experiences from Long Island to Miami
George Poll has spent decades building some of Long Island’s most celebrated restaurants. Alongside his brother, he’s crafted iconic dining experiences from Bryant & Cooper Steakhouse to Toku Modern Asian, blending culinary creativity with sharp business acumen. Recently, George took his expertise to Miami, where the journey to open Toku wasn’t exactly smooth sailing—facing all the challenges that come with launching in a new city.
This episode is a masterclass in the fine balance between tradition and innovation, the intense planning behind every design choice, and the hurdles that come with launching each new restaurant. Through stories of teamwork, resilience, and a relentless drive to improve, George offers listeners an unfiltered look inside the restaurant business.
George Poll is an alumnus of BU School of Hospitality Administration’s first graduating class and serves on the school’s Dean’s Advisory Board member. George also played on BU’s football team, which is no longer, but that story is for another podcast!
The “Distinguished” podcast is produced by Boston University School of Hospitality Administration.
Host: Arun Upneja, Dean
Producer: Mara Littman, Director of Corporate and Public Relations
Sound Engineer and Editor: Andrew Hallock
Graphic Design: Rachel Hamlin, Marketing Manager
Music: “Airport Lounge" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0
