We Feed Them
A weekly deep-dive podcast investigating the restaurant business, the food industry's supply chain, and the innovation shaping the future of eating. Join hosts Steve Barry and Sean Collins as they share the stories of chefs, farmers, and entrepreneurs who built the food world. If you love culinary history, food science, and business insights, this is the show for you.
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Episodes
Monday Dec 15, 2025
Monday Dec 15, 2025
What happens when your passion for the kitchen runs headfirst into a bad boss and unfair pay? We're diving into the history of being undervalued in the food industry.
Hosts Steve and Sean discuss:
The Zero-Dollar Promotion: Sean's infuriating story of being offered a kitchen manager title —with zero change in his salary—and his decision to walk out.
The Steak n' Shake Midnight Escape: The legendary moment Steve quit a late shift that had him feeling like a "dork in a bow tie."
The Pay Question: We talk about what a serious cook, fresh out of school, is really worth today and the psychological shift that comes with receiving your first real raise.
FINAL FOCUS: We examine the serious ethical questions about where our food comes from, diving into the hidden truth behind forced labor and slave conditions in the Chinese fishing fleets—a vital conversation about what we support with our dollar.
Topics Covered
Service Industry Nightmares
Restaurant Worker Exploitation
Unfair Pay in Hospitality
Chef Salary Negotiation
Kitchen Management Challenges
Forced Labor in Seafood
Chinese Fishing Industry Ethics
Steak and Shake Walkout
Podcast on Food Industry
Chef Life Real Talk
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Website: wefeedthem.com
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
Sunday Dec 07, 2025
Hosts Steve Barry and Sean Collins kick off their podcast with a deep dive into the moments that truly test the spirit of the hospitality industry.
In this explosive debut, they recount their most challenging days on the job: From dealing with a key line cook's unexpected delay that caused critical stress during a massive catering rush, to a city-wide power outage that wiped out a full restaurant's worth of digital tickets.
Sean also shares his teenage experience working solo on the line for a busy Valentine's Day, while Steve recounts the sheer exhaustion of pulling 48-hour shifts at a country club, culminating in a disastrous, high-stakes moment with a gluten-free wedding client.
This episode explores the immense managerial stress, the high financial cost of kitchen errors (like leaving the walk-in door open), and how surviving those chaotic shifts molds a career in the restaurant business.
Topics Covered: Kitchen Management, Extreme Stress, Restaurant Business, Supply Chain, Catering, POS Systems, 48-Hour Shifts, Walk-In Errors, Close-to-Open, Mother's Day Rush, Food Accommodation.