A podcast meant to be shared
The PAX Hospitality Podcast is your go-to conversation space for operators, leaders and innovators in the hospitality industry. From venue launch strategies to daily operations, culture to cashflow, we dig into what makes venues thrive — and what holds them back.
Born out of the team at PAX — a “bolt-on management team” with decades of collective expertise in hospitality strategy, product, finance, people and marketing — the podcast is built by practitioners for practitioners.
Whether you’re building your first venue, scaling a group, refining operations or simply trying to stay meaningfully relevant in a changing market, this is where ideas meet action.
Hosts include industry-veterans Leon Kennedy, Loren Daniels, Tim Varney and Michael Bascetta — each bringing real-world venue experience, commercial leadership and a desire to lift the bar for Australian hospitality.
The team aim for open, no-fluff conversations that unpack nuance, deliver insights you can apply, and build the kind of community that helps each other win.
Seasons
Current episode
Where to listen
Available wherever you get your podcasts:
Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.
Tune in weekly for new episodes, and look out for bonus “Happy Hour” drops when the team takes a less-formal turn.
Episodes
Season Three – Episode Two
Debt or Equity? Raising Capital Quick-fire
with Michael Bascetta
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In this instalment of the PAX Hospitality Podcast, host Leon Kennedy welcomes back data-backed fan-favourite Michael Bascetta for an unfiltered masterclass on navigating the complex world of capital and restaurant funding. Moving far beyond dry spreadsheet forecasts, Michael leverages his extensive hospitality track record and industry stature to dismantle the common pitfalls that lead to instant investor rejection.
The duo outline the four distinct business archetypes desperate for funding and maps out a definitive, practical strategy for evaluating debt versus equity. This conversation reveals how to invite collaboration by exposing your business plan's vulnerabilities. Whether you are a first-time founder mapping an initial concept or an established operator trying to avoid stagnation, this episode provides the definitive roadmap for making your venue undeniably investable.
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