This weeks episode of Hospitality Meets is a rollercoaster of inspiration, resilience, and comedy, featuring the incredible journey of Rizwan Khan, General Manager at Junsei. From his accidental dive into hospitality to becoming one of the youngest GMs in Mayfair, Rizwan shares stories of perseverance, leadership, and the unexpected lessons learned along the way.
Key Takeaways:
Life is a Marathon, Not a Sprint – Rizwan views hospitality as a never-ending relay race where each generation passes the torch to the next. His mission? To keep running and inspire others to do the same.
Diamonds Are Made Under Pressure – Whether it was stepping up in high-stakes competitions or managing a restaurant at 21, Rizwan thrives when challenged.
Valentine’s Day Disaster – A first date gone wrong as a lady arrives late.
A Career Defining Moment – When a guest had a medical emergency, Rizwan broke the rules (and possibly speed limits) to get her to a hospital with lessons and payoff galore!
COVID: Life’s Reset Button – After losing his job during the pandemic, Rizwan considered switching to IT but realised his true passion was in hospitality. His takeaway? "If I can inspire others to push forward, then I’ll be the torch to light the way."
Memorable One-Liners:
- "Life isn’t something that can be explained—by the time you try, you’re out of time."
- "The hospitality industry is one big marathon; we just keep passing the torch."
- "I’ve slept enough for the last eight months—time to get moving!"
- "Everything you want is on the other side of fear."
- "Hospitality pays you to learn food and beverage knowledge—what other industry does that?"
Rizwan is an excellent guest and another insight into the career potential of this amazing sector.
Enjoy!
The Guest
Rizwan Khan is the General Manager of Junsei, a traditional Yakitori restaurant in London.
Website - https://junsei.co.uk/ldn/
Instagram (Rizwan) - https://www.instagram.com/rizwan_k_98/
Instagram (Restaurant) - https://www.instagram.com/junsei_uk/
LinkedIn (Rizwan) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/rizwan-khan-mih-5742a9140/
Show Partners
A big shout out to Today’s show partner, RotaCloud, the people management platform for shift-based teams.
RotaCloud lets managers create and share rotas, record attendance, and manage annual leave in minutes — all from a single, web-based app.
It makes work simple for your team, too, allowing them to check their rotas, request holiday, and even pick up extra shifts straight from their phones.
Try RotaCloud’s time-saving tools today by heading to https://rotacloud.com/phil
This podcast uses the following third-party services for analysis:
Podcorn - https://podcorn.com/privacy
Popular Podcasts
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!
Cardiac Cowboys
The heart was always off-limits to surgeons. Cutting into it spelled instant death for the patient. That is, until a ragtag group of doctors scattered across the Midwest and Texas decided to throw out the rule book. Working in makeshift laboratories and home garages, using medical devices made from scavenged machine parts and beer tubes, these men and women invented the field of open heart surgery. Odds are, someone you know is alive because of them. So why has history left them behind? Presented by Chris Pine, CARDIAC COWBOYS tells the gripping true story behind the birth of heart surgery, and the young, Greatest Generation doctors who made it happen. For years, they competed and feuded, racing to be the first, the best, and the most prolific. Some appeared on the cover of Time Magazine, operated on kings and advised presidents. Others ended up disgraced, penniless, and convicted of felonies. Together, they ignited a revolution in medicine, and changed the world.
Crime Junkie
Does hearing about a true crime case always leave you scouring the internet for the truth behind the story? Dive into your next mystery with Crime Junkie. Every Monday, join your host Ashley Flowers as she unravels all the details of infamous and underreported true crime cases with her best friend Brit Prawat. From cold cases to missing persons and heroes in our community who seek justice, Crime Junkie is your destination for theories and stories you won’t hear anywhere else. Whether you're a seasoned true crime enthusiast or new to the genre, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat awaiting a new episode every Monday. If you can never get enough true crime... Congratulations, you’ve found your people. Follow to join a community of Crime Junkies! Crime Junkie is presented by audiochuck Media Company.