The House Dick

Summary of The House Dick

by Team Coco & Earwolf

17m•December 4, 2025
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Overview of The House Dick

This episode is a light-hearted, fan-call segment from Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan (Team Coco & Earwolf) titled "The House Dick." Conan interviews Tricia, a listener calling in from Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines. The conversation mixes real business details about Tricia’s 22-room hotel and attached restaurant with Conan’s trademark improvisational humor—proposing outlandish marketing ideas (e.g., renaming the restaurant to “IHOP”), volunteering as a front-desk/bellman/“house detective,” and joking about local Filipino foods like balut. The episode also includes multiple sponsor reads woven into the show.

Key topics discussed

  • Tricia’s background and family
    • Lives in Santo Tomas, Batangas (about an hour south of Manila).
    • Married to Patrick; they run a small hotel together and have a daughter.
  • Business profile
    • 22-room hotel (near an industrial park that brings in engineers and international staff).
    • On-site restaurant named Victorina’s Modern Restaurant and Bar (named after Patrick’s grandmother) that’s underperforming relative to the hotel.
    • Restaurant marketing and visibility problems—hotel guests use it, but local foot traffic is low.
  • Conan’s comedic suggestions
    • Rename restaurant (jokingly to “IHOP”), add pancake/syrup variety, use Conan as a server/front-desk attraction.
    • Wants to be the “house detective” / “hotel dick”—a comedic role involving checking guests and prying into couples.
    • Requests classic hotel tropes (bell, pillbox cap, luggage cart, registry) for added charm.
  • Cultural and food discussion
    • Brief talk about Filipino dishes like dinuguan (pig blood stew) and balut (fertilized duck egg), with Conan reacting humorously.
  • Sponsor segments
    • Ads/readers for State Farm, Grainger, T-Mobile (magenta status/travel benefits), Sonic (pretzel bacon burger), Miller Lite, BetterHelp, SiriusXM, and Walmart.

Main takeaways

  • The hotel is doing well because of its location near an industrial park, but the restaurant lacks local awareness and foot traffic.
  • Tricia is entrepreneurial but came to hospitality through family opportunity rather than lifelong ambition; she has an arts background.
  • Conan’s role is primarily comedic and supportive—he offers playful, theatrical ideas rather than practical consulting.
  • The episode blends genuine business needs (marketing/visibility) with entertainment value (improv sketches and cross-cultural food banter).

Notable quotes & comedic beats

  • Conan on renaming the restaurant: “We’re going to call it the International House of Pancakes… IHOP.”
  • Conan’s hotel persona: “I’m the house detective… the hotel dick.”
  • Food shock humor: Conan’s exchange about balut and dinuguan—conflating curiosity and comic revulsion.
  • Frequent bits about wearing a bellman cap, ringing a bell, signing a grand registry—classic hotel-movie imagery Conan wants to bring to life.

Practical recommendations (for Tricia’s restaurant/hotel)

These are concise, actionable ideas grounded in the conversation and common hospitality marketing:

  • Improve signage and local visibility
    • Clear street signage and visible branding from main roads toward the hotel.
    • Highlight the restaurant with a sidewalk menu board and daily specials.
  • Target local workers from the industrial park
    • Offer weekday lunch combos and corporate catering or loyalty discounts for nearby companies.
    • Create a simple corporate rate/package for long-stay engineers/talent that includes meal options.
  • Digital presence & discovery
    • List the restaurant on Google Business, Facebook, Instagram, and local food directories; post photos of signature dishes.
    • Encourage guests to leave reviews and consider small incentives for reviews (e.g., discount on next meal).
  • Events & promotions
    • Host weekend events (live music, themed nights, brunch specials) to draw town residents, not just hotel guests.
    • Collaborate with local businesses for cross-promotion.
  • Guest experience & storytelling
    • Leverage the backstory (named after Patrick’s grandmother) in a way that’s accessible—e.g., “Victorina’s House Special” storytelling on the menu.
    • Train staff to offer consistent warm service and suggest menu items to non-hotel guests.

Episode details & credits

  • Show: Conan O’Brien Needs a Fan (Team Coco & Earwolf)
  • Guest/caller: Tricia, Santo Tomas, Batangas, Philippines
  • Hosts/regulars present in episode: Conan O’Brien, Sonam Ovcesian, Matt Gourley
  • Production: Produced by Matt Gourley; executive producers Adam Sachs, Jeff Ross, Nick Liao; incidental music by Jimmy Vivino.
  • Sponsors/readers included in this episode: State Farm, Grainger, T-Mobile (magenta travel benefits), Sonic, Miller Lite, BetterHelp, SiriusXM, Walmart.

If you’re looking for a short checklist to act on from the call: reinforce signage, push a weekday lunch program aimed at the industrial park, enhance online listings and photography, and run one promotional weekend event to draw local diners.