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Say Grace

S2 EP 13: A Conversation with Hospitality Entrepreneur Brooks Reitz

Jan 15, 2026 · 1 hr 22 min · 13 segments

Brooks Reitz is a Charleston-based entrepreneur, investor, and writer. He is the owner of Leon's Oyster Shop, Little Jack's Tavern, and Melfi's, in Charleston, and The Bell, in New Orleans. He is also…

Brooks Reitz is a Charleston-based entrepreneur, investor, and writer. He is the owner of Leon's Oyster Shop, Little Jack's Tavern, and Melfi's, in Charleston, and The Bell, in New Orleans. He is also the founder of Jack Rudy Cocktail Co., a manufacturer of mixers and bar tools distributed internationally, and along with his wife, Erin, he is the co-founder of E.M. Reitz, making high-end shirts for women and men in NYC's Garment District. Via investments in brands like Blackbird and MUBI, he is focused on championing food, art, media, and culture; he writes his weekly newsletter, A Small...

Brooks Reitz is a Charleston-based entrepreneur, investor, and writer. He is the owner of Leon's Oyster Shop, Little Jack's Tavern, and Melfi's, in Charleston, and The Bell, in New Orleans. He is also…

Speakers: Brooks ReitzGuestSteve PalmerHost

Show signals: SuitabilitySafeBiasNot politicalAudience≈19k followers

Spotify Apple Podcasts YouTube Amazon Music Website

Top entities: Charleston×39 Keith McNally×11 Balthazar Restaurant×9 Kentucky×12 SoHo×4

Theater, Lighting, and New York Restaurants12:31 – 16:46

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:31

I love that.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:32

Your light bulb moment was cooler.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:34

See, I'm always texting you going, you're so much cooler than me.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:37

No. Baltazar, I mean, so at the Indigo Road, and I could line up this room with 500 people that would tell you about my obsession with lighting.

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:50

For sure.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:50

And I'm always like, warm, ambient glow.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:54

To me, it's very simple.

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:56

Absolutely.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:56

Warm, ambient glow.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:58

And Baltazar is where I was like...

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:00

Masterclass.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:01

It's warm and ambient.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:03

And yet

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:04

still, after how many restaurants,

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:06

I'll walk in and there's a white light.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:08

And I'm like, warm

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:10

ambient.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:11

Oh, for sure.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:11

Totally.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:13

My crew knows I'm about kindness, cleanliness, and lighting, and music.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:20

And music.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:20

Music level.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:22

Lights down,

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:22

music up.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:23

Totally.

CharlestonCityCity in South Carolina
99%39 mentions
Keith McNallyPersonBritish restaurateur
97%11 mentions
Balthazar RestaurantEntityFrench restaurant in New York
95%9 mentions
KentuckyAdministrative AreaUS state
94%12 mentions
SoHoLandmarkNeighborhood in New York
92%4 mentions
LouisvilleCityCity in Kentucky
90%7 mentions
New OrleansCityCity in Louisiana
88%11 mentions
FigEntityAmerican restaurant in Charleston, South Carolina
86%14 mentions
AtlantaCityCity in Georgia
84%5 mentions
LexingtonCityCity in Kentucky
82%4 mentions
The Mercer HotelEntityHotel in New York
81%2 mentions
Sean BrockPersonAmerican chef
79%1 mention
GQPeriodicalMagazine
77%2 mentions
Artificial intelligenceEntityProfessional field
75%1 mention
Katie ButtonPersonAmerican chef and restaurateur
73%2 mentions
New YorkCityCity in New York State
70%24 mentions
Garment DistrictLandmarkNeighborhood in New York
70%1 mention
MubiCompanyProduction company
68%1 mention
South CarolinaAdministrative AreaUS state
66%1 mention
LondonCityCapital of England
64%1 mention
The New York TimesPeriodicalNewspaper
62%2 mentions
InstagramSoftware ApplicationSocial networking service
60%5 mentions
Opus One WineryEntityWinery in Oakville, California
58%1 mention
HarlemPlaceNeighborhood in New York
56%2 mentions
Times SquareTourist AttractionPlaza in New York
55%2 mentions
Transylvania UniversityCollege or UniversityLiberal arts college in Lexington, Kentucky
53%1 mention
EnglishEntitySpoken language
51%1 mention
MemphisCityCity in Tennessee
48%1 mention
TennesseeAdministrative AreaUS state
48%1 mention
Napa ValleyTourist AttractionArea in Napa County, California
45%1 mention
Barnes & NobleCompanyBookselling company
43%1 mention
Vanity FairPeriodicalMagazine
43%1 mention
EuropeContinentContinent
40%1 mention
Anna WintourPersonBritish fashion editor
38%1 mention
McNally JacksonCompanyIndependent bookstore
36%1 mention
GodEntitySupreme being
34%3 mentions
StarbucksRestaurantCoffee company
32%1 mention
Myriad Restaurant GroupRestaurantRestaurant
31%1 mention
TanquerayProduct ModelDrink
29%2 mentions
ChicagoCityCity in Illinois
27%1 mention
EnglandCountryUK constituent country
25%1 mention
CampariEntityLiqueur
23%1 mention
NegroniEntityCocktail
21%1 mention
Los AngelesCityCity in California
19%1 mention
Bombay SapphireBrand
18%1 mention
OregonAdministrative AreaUS state
15%1 mention
PortlandCityCity in Oregon
15%1 mention
Fevertree LimitedCompanyDrink company
11%1 mention
United StatesCountryCountry in North America
11%1 mention
Tribeca GrillEntityNew american restaurant in New York
8%1 mention

Restaurant ManagementFood > Restaurants
FinanceBusiness
Food and Beverage EntrepreneurshipBusiness > Entrepreneurship
Hospitality CultureFood > Restaurants > Restaurant Management
Guest Experience and Service StandardsFood > Restaurants > Restaurant Management > Hospitality Culture
Restaurant and CPG Brand BuildingBusiness > Entrepreneurship > Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship
Jack Rudy Cocktail Co. and Restaurant VenturesBusiness > Entrepreneurship > Food and Beverage Entrepreneurship > Restaurant and CPG Brand Building
Profitability and Cost ManagementBusiness > Finance > Restaurant Economics
Food Costs, Margins, Pricing, and ReinvestmentBusiness > Finance > Restaurant Economics > Profitability and Cost Management
Restaurant Ownership and Family LifeFamily > Parenting > Work-Family Balance
Leadership Designed Around Home and ParentingFamily > Parenting > Work-Family Balance > Restaurant Ownership and Family Life
Food Media and Restaurant PromotionTechnology > Marketing
Digital Platforms and Hospitality TechnologyTechnology > Marketing > Food Media and Restaurant Promotion
MarketingTechnology
Restaurant EconomicsBusiness > Finance
Work-Family BalanceFamily > Parenting
Technology
Business
Family
ParentingFamily
Food
EntrepreneurshipBusiness
RestaurantsFood

Theater, Lighting, and New York Restaurants12:31 – 16:46

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:31

I love that.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:32

Your light bulb moment was cooler.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:34

See, I'm always texting you going, you're so much cooler than me.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:37

No. Baltazar, I mean, so at the Indigo Road, and I could line up this room with 500 people that would tell you about my obsession with lighting.

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:50

For sure.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:50

And I'm always like, warm, ambient glow.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:54

To me, it's very simple.

Brooks ReitzGuest

12:56

Absolutely.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:56

Warm, ambient glow.

S

Steve PalmerHost

12:58

And Baltazar is where I was like...

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:00

Masterclass.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:01

It's warm and ambient.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:03

And yet

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:04

still, after how many restaurants,

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:06

I'll walk in and there's a white light.

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:08

And I'm like, warm

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:10

ambient.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:11

Oh, for sure.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:11

Totally.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:13

My crew knows I'm about kindness, cleanliness, and lighting, and music.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:20

And music.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:20

Music level.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:22

Lights down,

S

Steve PalmerHost

13:22

music up.

Brooks ReitzGuest

13:23

Totally.

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