Podcasts Food+Drink

HAVE YOU HEARD? New Restaurant-Focused Podcast Launched

Cranky Buzzard owner, Hilltop bartender team up to tell local restaurant industry stories

Sawyer Hoff |

TIME TO LISTEN. Sara Mattieu and Ryan Pittenger have created a new local podcast from the POV of the restaurant industry. (Submitted photo)
TIME TO LISTEN. Sara Mattieu and Ryan Pittenger have created a new local podcast from the POV of the restaurant industry. (Submitted photo)

The Chippewa Valley has a lot of restaurants, but have you ever stopped to wonder about the people keeping those restaurants afloat? Sara Matthieu, owner of The Cranky Buzzard (409 Galloway St., Eau Claire), and Ryan Pittenger, bartender at Hilltop Bar (924 E. Madison St., Eau Claire), created HEARD: A Food Industry Podcast to be able to share the stories of those working at your favorite local eateries and bars.

Starting with their first episode, which dropped at the beginning of March, the pair have released five total episodes, with a new one coming each Wednesday. To keep things different, the guests on the podcast with Sara and Ryan alternate weekly between restaurant staff and bartenders, to help give listeners a better look into both aspects of the industry.

The Kitchen at The Cranky Buzzard. (Photo via Facebook)
The Kitchen at The Cranky Buzzard. (Photo via Facebook)

Guests tell their stories, their experiences, and passions in the food industry, promote businesses in the area, and discuss topics that many patrons don’t usually get to hear.

“There is a lot of restaurant industry talk on social media, but there’s not a lot of opinions from the restaurants themselves,” Matthieu said. “So Ryan and I wanted to bring something to the community that showcased the businesses that are here – the people that are cooking, the people who are bartending – just to see a different, more real side to the industry.”

While the podcast is still pretty fresh, Sara and Ryan are still looking for any food industry workers who want to go on and tell their stories. Sara emphasized that the podcast isn’t invite-only, and anyone who is interested can reach out to the Cranky Buzzard on Facebook.


To listen to HEARD: A Food Industry Podcast, you can go to echometownradio.com.