Dean White fell in love with the business of hospitality early -and from that point on, it wasn’t just food or service that captured his imagination, but how great venues are built and sustained. Now, at 35, Dean is the owner of Mosaic Venues, the group behind some of Wellington’s most iconic restaurants: Mr Go’s, Ombra, Kisa, Parla, and LTD.

In this episode, Dean takes us through his unexpected entry into the world of business, his path into hospitality, and the almost unavoidable pull toward opening his own places. Along the way, he shares the hard-earned lessons that only come from being on the floor and on the balance sheet — including one he can’t stress enough: always, always get business interruption insurance.

We talk social media and how it’s changed hospitality, why properly costed menus matter more than ever, the role travel plays in shaping great operators, how to hire (and keep) the right people, and what’s next for Dean and Mosaic Venues. It’s an honest, grounded conversation about building restaurants piece by piece - and building a legacy that lasts.

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The Kitchen Day Podcast is sponsored by Boring Oat Milk, a New Zealand owned company making oat milk right here in Aotearoa, from NZ grown oats.

We'd also like to thank the good folks at Upstock - if you buy or sell wholesale, this app has all your invoicing, ordering, logistics and payments in one place.

We'd also like to thank the folks at Droppah - Droppah takes the chaos out of scheduling with smart, skills-based rostering that helps you get the right people on, at the right time.

As always, we film pre-service at Loretta Restaurant, and this podcast was recorded and produced by Jono Tucker at Empire Films.

Thanks for listening!