Joshua Sharkey, CEO and founder of Meez, has built a career around his passion for the culinary industry. A former chef with years of experience, Sharkey saw firsthand how recipe mismanagement, inaccurate food costing, and inefficiencies hurt restaurant operations. His solution? Meez—an all-in-one culinary operating system designed by chefs, for chefs.
Unlike traditional recipe storage tools, Meez is a dynamic, editable, and universally accessible platform that simplifies recipe execution and food costing. Built with operational empathy, Meez evolves based on industry feedback, ensuring it aligns with real kitchen workflows.
Many kitchens rely on handwritten notes, spreadsheets, or scattered files that fail to track real-time food costs and ingredient usage.
“Most restaurants don’t even have accurate food costing,” Sharkey explains. “Less than 10% have properly structured recipe data, and even fewer track yield conversions. The result? Lost profits and inefficiencies that add up over time.”
With restaurant margins tighter than ever, these gaps can mean the difference between success and failure.
The Solution: A Culinary Operating System Built for Accuracy
Meez eliminates these inefficiencies by giving chefs instant visibility into food costs, ingredient yields, and menu profitability. Instead of relying on guesswork, operators can see the financial impact of every ingredient swap or portion change before making a decision.
“I built Meez because I was frustrated that there wasn’t a tool designed specifically for chefs,” Sharkey says. “Other industries have purpose-built software, but in restaurants, we’re expected to conform to whatever’s available, rather than having technology that truly supports how we work.”
Beyond recipe storage, Meez helps chefs refine menu engineering to ensure every dish is both delicious and profitable.
The Power of Storytelling: Sharkey’s Podcast Journey
In addition to running Meez, Sharkey hosts The Meez Podcast, where he explores the intersection of food, technology, and business. Initially hesitant, he quickly realized that content creation wasn’t just marketing—it was a powerful tool for connection and learning.
“I wasn’t sure if podcasting would be worth the time,” Sharkey admits. “But I realized it’s about building relationships, sharing knowledge, and creating conversations that move the industry forward.”
Through his podcast, Sharkey speaks with top chefs, restaurateurs, and food tech leaders, reinforcing his belief that success in hospitality isn’t just about great food—it’s about great storytelling.
Beyond recipe management, Meez is redefining menu engineering. Unlike static reports, the platform provides real-time tools to adjust recipes, swap ingredients, and optimize profitability.
“Menu engineering is a verb, not a noun,” Sharkey explains. “It’s about making proactive decisions that boost profits without sacrificing quality.”
Meez enables operators to instantly calculate food costs, predict profit margins, and adjust pricing based on ingredient fluctuations—helping them stay ahead of rising costs and supply chain challenges.
Why Integration Matters in Restaurant Tech
As restaurant technology advances, true integration remains a challenge. Many platforms claim compatibility, but few offer seamless API-based integrations that genuinely improve workflow.
“There’s a misconception about what integration actually means,” Sharkey says. “A lot of platforms say they ‘integrate,’ but if the data isn’t structured properly, it’s not a real integration. We’ve focused on making sure Meez actually works with other systems in a way that helps chefs, not just checks a marketing box.”
By linking recipe data with inventory and POS systems, Meez ensures that restaurant operators have real-time, accurate insights at their fingertips.
Before launching Meez, Sharkey built and operated Bark Hot Dogs, an acclaimed restaurant concept. Running his own restaurant gave him insight into the industry’s challenges, but it also came with tough lessons—like a costly lease mistake that taught him the importance of negotiating tenant improvement agreements carefully.
“It’s one of those lessons you don’t forget,” he admits. “And it’s why I tell restaurant owners to be meticulous about contracts, operational costs, and scalability. Too many great chefs fail, not because their food isn’t great, but because they don’t have the right systems in place.”
The Future of Meez and Restaurant Technology
Looking ahead, Sharkey and his team are focused on expanding Meez’s capabilities while staying true to their mission: helping chefs balance creativity and profitability.
For restaurant operators struggling with recipe management, food costing, or operational efficiency, Sharkey has one clear message:
“Don’t rely on guesswork. Margins are too tight. Whether you’re running a small independent restaurant or a multi-unit operation, the right tools make all the difference.”Meez is proving that technology doesn’t have to complicate restaurant operations—it can simplify them, making kitchens more efficient, more profitable, and ultimately, more successful.
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