180 | Balloon Transformer

Janet Irizarry has spent 30+ years in the restaurant industry, from owning multiple eateries to teaching at the Culinary Institute of America. Now, she's on a mission to help families reduce food waste through her innovative My Mindful Kitchen method. Susan and Janet talk about sustainability, smart shopping, and stress-free meal planning. What You'll Learn About: 🥬 Spring mix struggles! Susan confesses to an ongoing battle with Costco-sized salad greens—Janet delivers a reality check on what "value" really means. 🍴 From McDonald's to mindful meals. Janet shares her unexpected path from geology major to restaurant owner to sustainability advocate. 🖩 The restaurant reality check. Hospitality students often dream of glamour, but Janet breaks down the nitty-gritty of restaurant ownership (spoiler: math is involved!). 🧒 A kid-friendly food revolution. Janet's new course, My Mindful Kitchen, turns food waste reduction into a family adventure—stickers, scavenger hunts, and all. 🌶️ Leftovers like a pro. Get creative with your fridge finds—Janet shares easy hacks and a Google search trick that will change your meal planning game. 🎈 Balloon-induced blackout?! A restaurant power outage caused by rogue Mylar balloons—just another day in the unpredictable world of hospitality. If you loved enjoyed this episode want more like it, please subscribe, share, and leave a review. Need your burning hospitality questions answered? Call or text the hotline at 850-404-9630 to be featured on a future episode!