One Bite Changed Everything with Lawrence Longo

One Bite Changed Everything with Lawrence Longo

Author: Mike Schibel, Travel With Meaning December 22, 2025 Duration: 52:53

Mike sits down with Lawrence Longo, a serial food and hospitality entrepreneur whose journey from hidden menu curator to restaurant empire builder has reshaped how people connect through food.

Lawrence shares how his early obsession with experience over ego led him from launching Off the Menu — a community built around secret dishes and insider dining — to reviving Irv's Burgers, expanding Prince St. Pizza nationwide, and building a hospitality group that's redefining what "premium fast food" really means.

They dive into the lessons learned from scaling beloved brands without losing their soul, the role of storytelling and community in hospitality, and what travel and culture have taught Lawrence about simplicity, obsession, and belonging.

This episode isn't just about food — it's about the universal language of connection, the places that shape us, and the people who keep showing up for what feels real.

Chapters:
00:00 – From hidden menus to hospitality visionary
05:00 – The story behind Off the Menu and food as connection
10:00 – Reviving Irv's Burgers and honoring old-school soul
15:00 – Expanding Prince St. Pizza without losing authenticity
20:00 – Scaling restaurants while keeping local roots
25:00 – Simplicity, obsession, and the power of hospitality
30:00 – Partner alignment and trusting local voices
35:00 – The community mindset behind every concept
40:00 – The travel that shaped a hospitality entrepreneur
45:00 – What it really means to build brands people love


Mike Schibel sits down with a fascinating array of guests on Travel With Meaning, but the destination is rarely the main point. Instead, this podcast explores the profound personal shifts that happen when we step outside our familiar surroundings. Each conversation delves into a specific journey-whether it’s a life-altering pilgrimage, a chaotic business trip that sparked a new idea, or a simple vacation that unexpectedly clarified a career path. You’ll hear from artists, athletes, entrepreneurs, and seasoned travel experts, but the focus remains on the transformative moment, the insight gained, or the connection made that reverberated long after the suitcase was put away. Schibel, founder of Travel With Meaning, guides these discussions with a genuine curiosity, allowing his guests to unpack not just their itineraries but the emotional and professional baggage they carried with them. The stories reveal how travel acts as a catalyst, reshaping identities, forging unexpected creative directions, and offering a new lens on one’s place in the world. Listening feels like being part of an intimate, thoughtful dialogue where the map of a life is redrawn by the roads taken. This isn't about recommendations or tips; it's about the lasting imprint of a place on a person. The podcast consistently uncovers how the world, in all its diverse complexity, has a way of teaching us exactly what we need to learn, often when we least expect it.
Author: Language: English Episodes: 133

Travel With Meaning
Podcast Episodes
Ep 11: Angelique Velez [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 38:00
Angelique Velez, growing up in New York City dreaming of seeing the world. The former model and professional poker player life of travel began to unfold in front of her. It was traveling the world playing poker where she…
Ep 10: Kinga Philipps [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 52:36
Never one to sit still, Kinga has tested herself for the past 19 years by traveling the globe...scuba diving, free diving, spear fishing, surfing, jumping out of airplanes, spelunking and swimming with sharks as a writer…
Ep 9: Erin Fish [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 43:05
Erin Fish is Co-Founder of Wanderwell, a social enterprise travel insurance agency committed to guiding travelers towards comprehensive, yet cost-effective plans, giving you peace of mind on your adventures. Wanderwell i…
Ep 8: David Osokow [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 56:58
David Osokow, affectionately known as Dave O to celebrities, athletes, and executives around the world is a global serial entrepreneur and former fixture in the Hollywood nightlife scene. He's the co-founder of the styli…
Ep 7: Laura Grier [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 57:42
Laura Grier has been called the Indiana Jones of Adventure Travel Photography and is a recent addition to the Discovery Channel UK's "20 Richest People in the World List", people who are rich in life experiences that is.…
Ep 6: Billy Galewood [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 25:16
Sure, Billy Galewood could impress you all day with many of his fun talents: juggling, magic, balloon animals, fire breathing… even balancing large objects on his face. But, that's just the tip of the iceberg for this se…
Ep 5: Jessica Blotter [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 49:37
Jessica Blotter is CEO & Co-Founder of Kind Traveler. The moment she discovered that the love of travel can't be separated from the state of the world after witnessing poverty on a trip to Belize in 2012, she wondered ho…
Ep 4: Redfoo [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 53:15
A multi-Grammy-nominated recording artist, Redfoo is creator and one-half of electro-pop dance duo LMFAO. The group is best known for their chart-topping single "Party Rock Anthem" and other popular hits "I'm in Miami Bi…
Ep 3: Slater Trout [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 1:04:29
Growing up Slater Trout's life was based around the water. At the age of 11, Slater chose to forge his own path through the young and fresh sport of Stand Up Paddling. By doing so he found himself competing and succeedin…
Ep 2: Danni Washington [not-audio_url] [/not-audio_url]

Duration: 35:32
As the first African-American woman to host her own science television series, Danni is deeply passionate about inspiring the next generation to connect and understand the natural world. She has spent the last 10 years f…