How A ‘Finance Guy’ and ‘Restaurant Guy’ Built An Winning Investing Formula for Branded Hospitality

When Michael “Schatzy” Schatzberg and Jimmy Frischling founded Branded Hospitality, they were not following a traditional investment playbook. Known as “The Restaurant Guy” and “The Finance Guy,” this dynamic duo ought to build more than just an operator-focused platform that’s been quietly building an empire. 

Today, their portfolio spans over 55 companies, largely in the B2B hospitality tech space. But what makes Branded Hospitality succeed is not just its breadth; it’s the friendship, strategy, and clear philosophy behind it.

A Dual-Domain Partnership

Schatzberg and Frischling come from completely opposing professions. One cut his teeth in numbers, the other in kitchens. What they share is a conviction: that the future of hospitality lies in community-powered growth. That’s what shaped the Branded Hospitality core from day one.

Frischling’s work mantra is simple. “It takes a village,” he says. And he lives by it. The phrase, originally spoken by his late mother during a wedding toast, has become the company’s north star, guiding how they partner, invest, and scale. Their approach stands apart from industry norms by actively promoting cooperation between operators who usually work in silos.

They invest in people as much as they invest in products. It’s this human-first approach that helped them turn their network into a scalable investment vehicle.

Podcast Transformation into a Dominant Operational System

The hospitality industry faced a severe impact during the pandemic because of its extreme vulnerability. Restaurants closed. Operators froze. In response to industry challenges, Branded Hospitality shifted its focus on media presence to build and sustain its connections.

What started as a pandemic project soon evolved into something bigger. Schatzberg and Frischling’s podcast, Hospitality Hangout, became a powerful tool in their business model. It became a blend of humor and insights, with the pair riffing on industry trends and trading jokes about failed restaurant concepts. But beneath the banter lies a serious mission: helping operators succeed.

The podcast generated intense curiosity that produced multiple beneficial effects. Leveraging honest discussions allowed the company to shift its status from purely an investor organization to emerge as an ecosystem builder. Each guest in every episode contributed to a growing network of founders, funders, and food services professionals who collaborated on innovation.

Picking People Over Products

The Branded Hospitality founders’ unique approach to investing is focused on one core factor: the people behind the business. When evaluating potential investments, Schatzberg and Frischling don’t get lost in spreadsheets or data points. They prioritize the founder, the person leading the company.

“Investing at the early stage is betting,” Frischling explains. “You’re betting on the CEO and their team.” 

That mindset led them to invest in companies like Ovation, a guest feedback platform, and dozens of other operator-first solutions. While many of the companies they back are in the B2B SaaS space, the guiding principle remains the same: if the product helps people and the team behind it understands the business deeply, it’s worth backing.

This founder-focused lens has helped them avoid the flash-in-the-pan trends and instead support companies with staying power. Today, their portfolio is not just a list, but a network of visionaries who build tools that make the restaurant world better, faster, and more sustainable.

A New Model for Hospitality Investment

The restaurant industry is at a paradoxical moment. At one end, it’s record-breaking sales, yet on the other, we see a growing number of closures too. The operators who thrive in this landscape are not necessarily those who are most capitalized. They are the most connected ones.

The Branded Hospitality model answers exactly that moment. With a strategy rooted in partnerships, media, and mentorship, they offer more than checks. They offer access to high-value relationships that drive better leverage.

Whether it’s a newsletter, a pitch call, or a shared dinner at an industry event, the Branded Hospitality ecosystem is designed to support growth through relationships, not just rounds only.

The Future Built On Togetherness

For investors looking to play in hospitality without falling into the high-failure trap, Branded Hospitality offers a compelling blueprint. Support the operator. Fund the infrastructure. Believe in the founder. And above all, always build together.

Schatzberg and Frischling didn’t just defy the odds, they rewrote the terms. In an industry known for high churn and thin margins, they have built something lasting: a connected ecosystem where support scales faster than failure.Their story is proof that the most resilient businesses are never made alone. They are built by people, for people, through the right people. And in the case of Branded Hospitality, those results now span more than 55 companies and are still counting.