This week on Captive Conversations, I sat down with a creative force in hospitality: Dhilon Solanki — founder of Story Locker, co-founder of Pecking Order, and previously behind one of the most useful tools in the industry — Sprout.
Dhilon's journey is a masterclass in brand building with heart. He’s grown tech tools for hospitality, helped operators train better, and now helps people preserve their life stories through beautifully crafted, private podcast-style interviews.
🔥 Highlights include:
- 📲 Building and exiting Sprout – a digital marketing tool used by 100s of restaurants
- 🍗 The lessons from launching and running Pecking Order, his fast-casual brand
- 🎧 The powerful human stories behind Story Locker – a new way to preserve legacy
- 👨🍳 How Sideways is rethinking team training with short-form video and storytelling
- 🧠 Why you don’t need a flashy launch — you need tight feedback loops and strong intent
From emotional storytelling to operator tech, this episode covers what it takes to build something meaningful in hospitality — and life.
Dhilon's Podcast Answers
🔥 Best Hospitality Experience: Sticks n Sushi
🔥 Best Hospitality Tech: Glue Loyalty
🔥 Best Restaurant: Roka
🔥 Best Burger: Bleeker & Shake Shack
🔥 Best Hotel: Ham Yard Hotel
🏷️ Brands Mentioned
Connect by Me&u https://www.meandu.com/gb/grow/connect
Story Locker https://storylocker.co.uk/
Sideways https://hospitality.sideways.ai/
Sentiment Search https://sentimentsearch.com/
👉 Listen now and subscribe to hear more behind-the-scenes chats with leaders shaping hospitality.
Popular Podcasts
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.
24/7 News: The Latest
The latest news in 4 minutes updated every hour, every day.
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.