Commercial Kitchen Chronicles

Commercial HVAC/R in the Real World | Featuring Joe BlanchardWhat does it take to succeed as a commercial HVAC/R technician in today's industry? How do you balance real service calls, troubleshooting complex equipment, and building a social media presence that educates and inspires thousands of technicians?In this episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat Finley sits down with HVAC/R technician and content creator Joe Blanchard for an honest conversation about life in the skilled trades, the rise of HVAC social media, and the future of technician-driven content.Joe shares his journey in commercial HVAC and refrigeration, how he got started creating content on TikTok and Instagram, and why a new generation of technicians is using social media to educate, entertain, and attract more people to the trades. From real-world service calls and troubleshooting strategies to content creation, industry trends, and the importance of building community, this episode is packed with valuable insights for technicians at every stage of their career.Topics discussed include:🔧 Commercial HVAC service and refrigeration repair❄️ HVAC/R troubleshooting and diagnostics📱 Building a following as a trade content creator🎓 Training and developing the next generation of technicians💡 The impact of social media on the skilled trades🛠 Real-world service call experiences and lessons learned🚀 The future of HVAC, refrigeration, and technician educationA special thanks to our friends at Viper from Refrigeration Technologies for supporting this episode. Whether you're sealing a system with Nylog, protecting components with WetRag, tracking down leaks with Big Blu, or cleaning coils with Viper's industry-leading products, Refrigeration Technologies continues to provide technicians with solutions that work in the real world. Trusted by HVAC/R and refrigeration professionals across the industry, Viper products are designed by technicians, for technicians.https://www.refrigtech.com/Follow Joe Blanchard:📱 TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@joe_blanchard1📸 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j_blanchard1/?hl=en🎧 Listen now on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Amazon Music, iHeartRadio, YouTube, or wherever you get your podcasts.If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with another technician. Every share helps us continue highlighting the people, stories, and opportunities that make the HVAC/R, refrigeration, foodservice equipment repair, and skilled trades industries stronger.#CommercialHVAC #HVACR #CommercialRefrigeration #RefrigerationTechnician #HVACTechnician #SkilledTrades #BlueCollar #FoodserviceEquipmentRepair #CommercialKitchenChronicles #HVACTraining #HVACTroubleshooting #ServiceTechnician #TradeLife #IndustrialRefrigeration #ContentCreator #CommercialKitchenEquipment #HVACPodcast

From working on F-14 Tomcats in the U.S. Navy to running service calls around the Washington D.C. beltway, leading technicians, managing facilities, and ultimately moving into business development, Anthony Dileo has experienced nearly every side of the service industry.In this episode of Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Anthony joins Pat Finley and Rich Ortega to share his incredible career journey through the skilled trades. What started in a high school vocational program led to military service as an avionics technician, years in the commercial foodservice equipment repair industry, leadership roles, facility management, factory experience, and eventually a transition into business development.Along the way, Anthony opens up about career growth, leadership challenges, burnout, lessons learned from both successes and setbacks, and how each chapter of his career prepared him for the next.Topics covered in this episode:• Growing up in vocational education and entering the trades• Working on F-14 Tomcats in the U.S. Navy• Life as a service technician in the D.C. market• Transitioning from technician to leadership• Recognizing and overcoming burnout• Working as an in-house dining service technician• Facility management and operational leadership• Career pivots and learning from failure• Moving from the tools into business development• Advice for the next generation of techniciansWhether you're a new technician, a seasoned veteran, or someone considering a move into leadership, this episode is packed with real-world experience and valuable insight from someone who has lived every stage of the journey.A special thank you to our sponsor, Viper Products by Refrigeration Technologies. From Nylog and WetRag to Big Blu and industry-leading coil cleaners, Viper continues to provide technicians with products they can trust every day in the field.https://www.refrigtech.com/🎙️ Commercial Kitchen ChroniclesThe Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast📲 Follow Commercial Kitchen Chronicles:Website: https://commercialkitchenchronicles.com/YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@CommercialKitchenChroniclesInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/commercial_kitchen_chroniclesTikTok:https://www.tiktok.com/@pfinley1982X:https://x.com/ComKitchenChron#CommercialKitchenChronicles #FoodserviceRepair #HVACR #SkilledTrades #ServiceTechnician #Leadership #BusinessDevelopment #NavyVeteran #F14Tomcat #FacilityManagement #RestaurantEquipmentRepair #TechnicianLife #CareerGrowth #TradesLife

From New York to Atlanta. From established business to starting over from scratch. What would you do?This week on Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat Finley sits down with Brent Hall, founder and owner of Favored Mechanical Solutions (FMS), for an honest conversation about risk, entrepreneurship, commercial foodservice equipment repair, and what it really takes to build a service company people trust.Brent shares his journey of building a successful commercial foodservice equipment repair company in New York, making the bold move to Atlanta, Georgia, and starting all over again. No shortcuts. No guarantees. Just hard work, relationships, and betting on yourself.The crew dives into building customer trust, growing a commercial refrigeration and cooking equipment service business, creating content in the trades, balancing family life with entrepreneurship, and lessons learned from building a company from the ground up. If you own a service company, dream about starting one, or want to level up in commercial foodservice equipment repair, this episode hits home.Topics include:• Building Favored Mechanical Solutions from the ground up• Leaving New York and relocating to Atlanta• Entrepreneurship in the skilled trades• Customer relationships and business growth• Commercial refrigeration and cooking equipment service• Creating content as a technician• Service company lessons learned the hard way• Family, sacrifice, and chasing bigger goalsWhether you're fixing fryers, chasing refrigeration calls, working on commercial kitchen equipment, or building your own service business, this episode is packed with insight from someone out there grinding every day.Big thanks to Viper by Refrigeration Technologies for supporting Commercial Kitchen Chronicles. From coil cleaners and leak detection products to trusted chemicals technicians depend on every day, Viper helps keep service professionals working smarter in the field.https://www.refrigtech.com/Subscribe, follow, and share Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, The Original Foodservice Equipment Repair Podcast built by technicians for technicians.https://commercialkitchenchronicles.com/Drop a comment: If you had to start over tomorrow from zero, would you do it differently?#FoodserviceEquipmentRepair #CommercialRefrigeration #HVACR #SkilledTrades #CommercialKitchenEquipment #Entrepreneurship #RestaurantEquipmentRepair #RefrigerationTech #CommercialKitchenChronicles #FoodserviceIndustry #ServiceTechnician #TradesLife #CommercialHVAC #BusinessGrowth #FavoredMechanicalSolutions

This week on the Commercial Kitchen Chronicles, Pat sits down with Jay McDonough of Restaurant Appliance Repair out of Kansas City, Missouri for a real-world conversation about what it takes to build a name in the Foodservice Equipment Repair Industry. 🔥Jay started RAR at just 25 years old and has spent the last 11 years grinding through commercial kitchen equipment repair, refrigeration, walk-in cooler and freezer installs, electrical troubleshooting, equipment sales, and building solutions for restaurants across the KC market.https://www.816kitchen.com/https://www.instagram.com/restaurant_appliance_repair/?hl=enThis episode dives deep into:✔️ Commercial kitchen equipment repair✔️ Refrigeration and HVACR service✔️ Walk-in cooler and freezer installs✔️ Starting and growing a service company✔️ Social media and content creation in the trades✔️ The future of foodservice equipment repair✔️ Building a new line of food equipment productsIf you’re a technician, business owner, installer, refrigeration mechanic, or someone trying to grow in the skilled trades, this episode is loaded with insight from someone actually out there doing the work every single day.Huge thanks to our sponsor Viper by Refrigeration Technologies 🐍This episode is brought to you by Viper products built for real technicians. From Big Blu leak detector and Venom packs to Nylog White, Viper continues making products that belong on every service truck. Nylog White is NSF registered and perfect for refrigeration, food equipment, gas piping, water lines, and more. Whether you’re working on restaurant equipment, HVACR systems, or refrigeration repairs, Viper has products designed to help techs work smarter and cleaner.https://www.refrigtech.com/🎙️ Watch now and join the conversation.Drop a comment below:What’s the biggest challenge facing the Foodservice Equipment Repair Industry right now?Make sure to like, subscribe, share the episode, and tag another tech who needs to hear this one.Stay up to date with all things CKC related.https://commercialkitchenchronicles.com/#FoodserviceEquipmentRepair #CommercialKitchen #HVACR #Refrigeration #RestaurantEquipment #WalkInCooler #TechnicianLife #CommercialKitchenChronicles #SkilledTrades #HVACTech #RefrigerationTech #KitchenEquipmentRepair

What happens when Pat, Jason, and Rich get together with zero agenda and full permission to go off the rails? This episode right here 🔥The crew is back for one of the most unfiltered Commercial Kitchen Chronicles episodes yet. We’re talking commercial kitchen equipment repair, HVACR, refrigeration tech life, service call chaos, career moves, burnout, leadership, the realities of the trades, and all the random BS that happens when technicians start talking shop.Jason jumps back in after grinding through his new role, Rich brings the heat like always, and the entire episode feels like hanging out after work with the guys who actually understand what life in the field is like. No corporate filter. No polished nonsense. Just real tech talk from people actually doing the job.If you’re tired of fake trade content made by people who haven’t touched a tool in years, this episode is for you.Huge shoutout to 🐍 Viper from Refrigeration Technologies for sponsoring the episode. If you work in commercial kitchens, you already know grease destroys coils and wrecks efficiency. Viper coil cleaners are technician safe, non corrosive, and actually cut through the nasty buildup without destroying the equipment you’re trying to save. No gimmicks. Just products that work when the pressure is on.https://www.refrigtech.com/Drop a comment with your favorite part of the episodeShare it with your crewAnd if this sounds like your kind of chaos, subscribe and join the movement 🔧🔥https://commercialkitchenchronicles.com/#HVACR #CommercialKitchen #Refrigeration #FoodserviceEquipment #ServiceTechnician #BlueCollar #HVACLife #RefrigerationTech #TradesLife #CommercialKitchenChronicles