Jay Ashton

Jay Ashton, widely known as Canada's Restaurant Guy, is one of the top voices in the hospitality industry in North America. With more than 35 years of experience in foodservice and 22 years with Sysco, Jay has dedicated his career to helping businesses build strong brands, drive sales, and deepen customer relationships. As a prolific podcast producer and host, Jay founded The Late Night Restaurant Show, ranked the #4 Restaurant Podcast in North America with over 1,700 episodes featuring industry leaders, chefs, restaurateurs, executives, and entrepreneurs across eight countries. Jay has founded numerous other podcasts including RC Unplugged Podcast, Safe Check Podcast, DINE Magazine Podcast, and the SVK Network, capturing the real stories that drive hospitality forward. At Sysco, Jay led Sysco's National Customer Business Resources Department for over 12 years, advancing Sysco to help customers with business needs like menus, marketing and culinary support. In 2020, he launched SVK (Sysco Virtual Kitchen Network), the first distributor-led media platform delivering daily insights to operators during the industry's most critical moments. He recently created Sysco MAX, North America's first-ever hospitality coaching program from a major distributor, which has become a vital support system for restaurants across Western Canada, offering real-world business strategies in leadership, marketing, and operations. He also founded the Ultimate Hospitality Business Summit, a new Sysco initiative that is creating new industry communities of learning and development for businesses. As a content creator and media leader, Jay built a national platform that includes five industry-leading newsletters on LinkedIn and a fast-growing Substack publication focused on helping restaurant professionals break old models and build new paths to profitability. He also writes a weekly column for Branded Hospitality Headlines in New York. His content reaches over 400,000 foodservice & hospitality people each week, offering practical tools and strategic insights for today's operators. Named Canada's Top Foodservice Influencer, marketing expert, and brand expert, Jay's work spans media, coaching, brand development, and strategic leadership. His mission is simple: to help restaurants and hospitality brands craft powerful identities, drive meaningful growth, and thrive in a rapidly changing world.