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

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