02 June 2026
Eugene Remm (CATCH) on the Business of Vibe, Restaurant Economics and Critics Who Gatekeep
Social Currency with Sammi Cohen
About
Eugene Remm didn't set out to build a hospitality empire. He started as a bartender, worked in nightlife, and chased success through New York's club scene… until a major failure forced him to rethink everything.
Today, Eugene is the co-founder of CATCH Hospitality Group, the company behind some of the most sought-after restaurants in America, including CATCH, The Corner Store, Or’esh, and The Eighty Six. He breaks down the restaurant formula that most operators get wrong, why "vibe" is actually the last thing you should focus on, and how he thinks about building unforgettable guest experiences. He explains the psychology behind New York's line culture, why restaurant critics have lost their gatekeeping power, and how social media has completely reshaped hospitality.
They also dive into the business side of restaurants: scaling without losing quality, managing celebrity demand, hiring people who genuinely care, and the lessons Eugene learned from failed nightclub ventures and unsuccessful expansion deals. Plus, Eugene shares what happened after Taylor Swift started visiting The Corner Store, why he believes no celebrity has a bigger impact on consumer behavior, and how AI is poised to transform hospitality without replacing the human touch.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Eugene’s Work:
Catch Restaurants, @catch
The Corner Store, @thecornerstore
The Eighty Six, @the86.nyc
Or'esh, @or.esh
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Eugene
00:00 Eugene Remm’s Social Currency
02:10 Partner Message: Mercury for Business
03:31 From Bartender to Hospitality Entrepreneur
06:13 How Failure in Nightlife Led to CATCH
08:10 Reinventing a 15-Year-Old Restaurant Brand
10:58 Why Big Restaurants Stopped Working
13:53 The Three Pillars: Food, Service, and Vibe
14:05 Why Guest Experience Is the Hardest Thing to Scale
15:37 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal
16:50 Partner Message: Bilt
17:56 How Eugene Hires People Who Actually Care
20:30 Why Great Teams Beat Great Individuals
21:18 Why Most Restaurants Get Vibe Wrong
22:22 The Art of Curating a Dining Room
23:03 Building a Celebrity-Filled Restaurant Without Chasing Celebrities
25:14 The Million-Dollar Reservation Strategy
26:32 Why Restaurant Critics No Longer Matter
27:27 Michelin Stars vs. Customer Demand
29:14 How Social Media Replaced Traditional Gatekeepers
31:02 Why Eugene Chooses 10 A-Minus Businesses Over One A-Plus
32:45 What’s Next for CATCH Hospitality Group
35:03 Building an LVMH of Restaurant Brands
36:11 The Corner Store’s Viral Rise36:28 The Taylor Swift Effect
38:00 Why Fast Casual Is the Next Frontier
39:54 The Psychology of the “New York Hour”
41:28 Lessons From a Failed Dubai Expansion
43:02 How Tilman Fertitta Changed the Business
44:32 Eugene’s “Constant Gentle Pressure” System
45:28 How AI Will Transform Hospitality
47:53 When You’re Ready to Open Restaurant Number Two
49:31 Why Restaurants Might Be the Hardest Business in the World
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices
Today, Eugene is the co-founder of CATCH Hospitality Group, the company behind some of the most sought-after restaurants in America, including CATCH, The Corner Store, Or’esh, and The Eighty Six. He breaks down the restaurant formula that most operators get wrong, why "vibe" is actually the last thing you should focus on, and how he thinks about building unforgettable guest experiences. He explains the psychology behind New York's line culture, why restaurant critics have lost their gatekeeping power, and how social media has completely reshaped hospitality.
They also dive into the business side of restaurants: scaling without losing quality, managing celebrity demand, hiring people who genuinely care, and the lessons Eugene learned from failed nightclub ventures and unsuccessful expansion deals. Plus, Eugene shares what happened after Taylor Swift started visiting The Corner Store, why he believes no celebrity has a bigger impact on consumer behavior, and how AI is poised to transform hospitality without replacing the human touch.
Follow Sammi Cohen on Instagram
Subscribe to the Social Currency newsletter
Follow Eugene’s Work:
Catch Restaurants, @catch
The Corner Store, @thecornerstore
The Eighty Six, @the86.nyc
Or'esh, @or.esh
Here’s What Sammi Covers with Eugene
00:00 Eugene Remm’s Social Currency
02:10 Partner Message: Mercury for Business
03:31 From Bartender to Hospitality Entrepreneur
06:13 How Failure in Nightlife Led to CATCH
08:10 Reinventing a 15-Year-Old Restaurant Brand
10:58 Why Big Restaurants Stopped Working
13:53 The Three Pillars: Food, Service, and Vibe
14:05 Why Guest Experience Is the Hardest Thing to Scale
15:37 Partner Message: Mercury for Personal
16:50 Partner Message: Bilt
17:56 How Eugene Hires People Who Actually Care
20:30 Why Great Teams Beat Great Individuals
21:18 Why Most Restaurants Get Vibe Wrong
22:22 The Art of Curating a Dining Room
23:03 Building a Celebrity-Filled Restaurant Without Chasing Celebrities
25:14 The Million-Dollar Reservation Strategy
26:32 Why Restaurant Critics No Longer Matter
27:27 Michelin Stars vs. Customer Demand
29:14 How Social Media Replaced Traditional Gatekeepers
31:02 Why Eugene Chooses 10 A-Minus Businesses Over One A-Plus
32:45 What’s Next for CATCH Hospitality Group
35:03 Building an LVMH of Restaurant Brands
36:11 The Corner Store’s Viral Rise36:28 The Taylor Swift Effect
38:00 Why Fast Casual Is the Next Frontier
39:54 The Psychology of the “New York Hour”
41:28 Lessons From a Failed Dubai Expansion
43:02 How Tilman Fertitta Changed the Business
44:32 Eugene’s “Constant Gentle Pressure” System
45:28 How AI Will Transform Hospitality
47:53 When You’re Ready to Open Restaurant Number Two
49:31 Why Restaurants Might Be the Hardest Business in the World
Thanks to Our Sponsors!
Mercury: mercury.com
Bilt: joinbilt.com/socialcurrency
Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices