This month on Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” are taking a break from their usual interview episodes and bringing you a Best Of season of all your favorite segments. They bring back “Best Of” old favorites such as “The Crystal Ball Moment” and “Top Of Tech Stack.”

In this episode they feature a Best Of On The Road with special guest and Co Founder & CEO at Chowly, Inc., Sterling Douglass. The guys said they have been fortunate to have been able to record the show on site at industry trade shows like Winsight, EnsembleIQ, The Spoon, Franchise Times, and Networld Media Group. Schatzberg says that the show offers a wonderful opportunity to catch up with friends and gain insights plus create new connections.

Frischling gives some takeaways for this Best Of On The Road episode, saying technology, innovation, virtual and ghost kitchens are here to stay, it is incredible to be back in person and connecting for the first time with clients and co-workers, off-premise is still a big topic plus food tech and the way we eat is heading to a new era.

They kick off with Wade Allen, SVP Head of Innovation at Brinker International and Derek Canton, Founder of Paerpay for the first on the road episode at 2021 FSTEC. Allen, when asked about what he is looking to learn from the show replies he is looking to find inspiration and to see who is doing something different. He is also looking for the evolution of tech and how it changes his environment. Canton says how it is like being in the middle of the action being on the floor of the marketplace with innovation alley.

Next Schatzberg talks about the 2021 Food on Demand Conference in Las Vegas where they ask Trish Giordano, Chief Sales and Marketing Officer at Earl Enterprises what she has learned from the show and what’s everyone talking about. Giordano says, the big thing is relationships. She said that the most important thing is all of the new technology companies that have come to market, especially with the labor shortages. Through tech you can create efficiencies for restaurants. She added, everyone is talking about virtual brands.

In this Best Of Talking Back Series you hear from Steve Heeley, CEO of Poke Works and Dirk Izzo, President & GM of NCR Hospitality at the the 2021 Restaurant Leadership Conference, Michael Wolf, Founder & CEO & Editor in Chief at The Spoon from CES show, Phil Crawford, CTO at CKE Restaurants and Astric Isaacs, CTO at Bloomin’s Brands both judges of the MURTEC Start-Up Alley all offering insights to the shows. Plus check out what Laura Rea Dickey, of Dickey’s BBQ and Josh Halpern, CEO of Big Chicken and Beer Park have to say from the Restaurant Franchise and Innovation Summit.

They wrap up the On The Road episode with Alyssa Abraham, Digital Innovation Lead at Cargill and April Rogers, Director of Off-Premise and Guest Relations at Ruby Tuesday. To hear all of the insights and recaps from the industry trade shows, check out this best of episode on Hospitality Hangout.