In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Dave Harris, chief information officer as well as chief technology officer at Shake Shack about how technology can enable and enhance the guest experience. Harris has been with Shake Shack for four years and has led technology teams across companies in retail, hospitality and consumer packaged goods. Some companies include Virgin Atlantic, Avis, JetBlue, Yankee Candle and more.Shake Shake serves elevated versions of the classics using only the best ingredients, says Harris. He adds that they are known for great burgers, chicken, hotdogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. Core values that Shake Shack focuses on are elevated food, made with the best ingredients, gathering and enriching their neighborhoods, and delivering enlightened hospitality at every touch point, says Harris. The original Shake Shack opened in New York’s Madison Square Park in early 2000. They have expanded to more than 400 locations across the United States and internationally. Harris talks about how Shake Shack will retrofit all locations with kiosks by the end of 2023. In 2017 they deployed their first kiosks in the Astor Place location and were able to use that data to develop the rollout program. Harris noted that about half of their locations currently have kiosks. He says that the kiosks are their highest profit margin channel and highest in check average check. Harris talks about investing in technology, he says from a guest perspective they have invested the most. He says they have invested significantly in digital products, they have custom IOS and Android mobile apps, a custom web ordering platform and the kiosk solution. Over the last two years Harris says that Shake Shack had to become more accessible, focus on multichannel delivery and make it easier for the Shack team. To hear Harris talk about the Shake Shack tech stack, including the tech that determines order wait time, plus find out what Harris’ talking back question is for the guys and the details of the foodservice feud check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

The latest episode of “Hospitality Hangout” hosted by Michael Schatzberg, known as “The Restaurant Guy”, and Jimmy Frischling or “The Finance Guy”, the podcast with Scott Boatwright, the Chief Operating Officer of Chipotle Mexican Grill. It was a delightful spread of insightful career stories, automation in restaurant operations, and a sprinkle of light-hearted banter to top it off.A Dishwasher’s Journey to COOAt 50, Scott Boatwright holds an impressive resume that starts from his initial role as a dishwasher, gradually climbing up the culinary and corporate ladder, showcasing an inspiring journey of diligence and passion for the food industry. With an MBA from Georgia State University and 18 years at Arby’s Restaurant Group under his belt, Scott joined Chipotle in May 2017, bringing a wealth of experience and commitment to restaurant operations and people-centric approaches.Commitment to Food IntegrityHaving been with Chipotle Mexican Grill for a significant time, Boatwright’s steadfast commitment to food integrity and innovative culinary techniques shines through. The COO diligently oversees the operations of over 3,250 restaurants worldwide, ensuring that each serves responsibly sourced, classically cooked meals without compromising on quality or taste. For Boatwright and the Chipotle team, it’s not just about serving food; it’s about cultivating a better world.Automation with a Human TouchThe lively discussion on the podcast delved deep into the realm of automation in the restaurant industry. Boatwright was quick to highlight that robotics and automation at Chipotle aren't about replacing the invaluable human touch but optimizing operations to enhance customer experiences. One such example is the introduction of “Autocado”, a collaborative endeavor with Miso Robotics. This innovative system is designed to efficiently prepare guacamole, cutting preparation time by an impressive 50%. With time being a precious commodity in the fast-paced restaurant environment, such savings are crucial and substantial, especially when scaled across all Chipotle locations.Pioneering Fast-Casual DiningThe hosts acknowledged Chipotle and its founder, Steve Ells, for their pioneering role in the fast-casual dining segment. With initial investments and support in real estate from McDonald's, Chipotle has never wavered from its commitment to quality and innovation, setting a benchmark in the industry for others to follow.Looking AheadAs the conversation flowed, Boatwright offered a glimpse into the future, anticipating hot topics in hospitality and technology likely to surface in the coming years. With a declining labor force due to demographic shifts and immigration challenges, the importance of robotics and automation in the restaurant industry is more significant than ever. Boatwright also expressed his advocacy for immigration reform to address labor shortages not only in the restaurant sector but across various industries.Engaging & Enlightening DiscussionThe podcast was not all serious and business-centric, as it lightened with a game of guessing popular ice cream shops and rapid-fire questions exploring Boatwright’s favorite foods, travel destinations, and sports teams. With a love for Mexican cuisine and a soft spot for New York and Florence, Italy, the conversation concluded on a delightful and relatable note for listeners.Wrap-UpFor enthusiasts and professionals in the foodservice, restaurant, and hospitality industry, “Hospitality Hangout” with Scott Boatwright is a must-listen. Engage with the podcast for a hearty serving of insights, laughter, and a deep-dive into the future of the restaurant industry with a side of Chipotle's signature integrity and innovation.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy" were on the road at FSTEC in Dallas, Texas. They ventured into the intricacies of the hospitality industry, with guests John Pepper of 211VC, Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, Angela Leet, CEO of QSR Automations, and Golden Corral’s CIO, Dawn Gillis.John Pepper: From Restaurant Startups to Tech StardomOpening the session was John Pepper, the dynamic force behind 211VC. As the co-founder of Boloco and the executive chairman of Hone, Pepper's entrepreneurial journey from launching a restaurant to investing in revolutionary restaurant tech is a masterclass in pivoting and seizing opportunities. The deep dive into the nuances of investing in startups and the seismic shifts expected in back-of-house operations.Emily Williams Knight: The Queen of Texas RestaurantsDescribed by the hosts as "Texas Restaurant Royalty", Emily Williams Knight, CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association, illuminated her illustrious path. From being inspired by TV shows to leading global brands, Emily's stint has seen it all. Her insights into TRA's role during the pandemic, the embrace of technology in hospitality, and the challenges therein made for an insightful session.Angela Leet: Automating the Future of Quick-ServiceAngela Leet, the brilliant CEO of QSR Automations, shared her riveting trajectory from a dream in architecture to becoming an influential player in restaurant tech. Her discussion on strategic partnerships in the tech landscape and the need for constant innovation in kitchen technology gave listeners a glimpse into the future of QSR.Dawn Gillis: Golden Corral's Tech MaverickConcluding the series was Dawn Gillis, the strategic mind behind Golden Corral's tech initiatives. From her tech endeavors at 7-Eleven to her pivotal role in Golden Corral's digital transformation, Gillis's story is one of resilience and innovation. She unveiled Golden Corral's ambitious project, "Homeward Kitchen," set to redefine southern quick-serve dining.This Dallas edition of "Hospitality Hangout" wasn't just an episode—it was a culinary tech carnival. From playful banter and games, like the memorable "The Spice is Right," to in-depth discussions about the industry's challenges and future, it was a smorgasbord of insights, laughter, and expert knowledge. Restaurant professionals and tech enthusiasts alike, if you're looking to decode the future of restaurant tech and have fun doing it, this episode is your golden ticket.Tune in to Hospitality Hangout and stay updated with the latest trends, challenges, and innovations in the restaurant industry.

On the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, co-hosts Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” sat down with a breakfast industry giant: David Birzon, CEO at Snooze, an A.M. Eatery. This conversation offers unique industry insights that you will not want to miss.From Paradise Bakery to Snooze, A Journey of ExpansionBirzon, who began his journey in the hospitality realm with Paradise Bakery in Aspen back in 1988, recounted his experience of growing the chain to an impressive 80 restaurants. The successful endeavor ultimately attracted Panera Bread, leading to an acquisition in 2007. But Birzon's entrepreneurial spirit didn't stop there. In 2012, partnering with a private equity group, he took on a new challenge, acquiring Snooze when it had a mere six units. Today, the chain boasts 65 eateries with eyes set on more.Unlocking the Power of Loyalty ProgramsJimmy sparked a discussion around the power of loyalty programs, referencing Snooze's recent revamp, MySnooze Bennyfits. Birzon emphasized the depth of relationship that can be forged when patrons opt into these programs. It isn’t just about rewards, but the invaluable data that enables restaurants to truly cater to individual needs. As Schatzy noted, the cost of customer acquisition far outweighs retention, making these programs essential for sustainable growth.Snooze's Blueprint for ExpansionWith an expansive trajectory in mind, Snooze aims to leave its culinary footprint in diverse locations including Orlando, Tampa, Minneapolis, Philadelphia, Cincinnati, and Columbus. They’re strategically spreading their reach, from mature markets to entirely new territories, keeping their growth ambitions stateside for now.The Fusion of Dining & DigitalThe trio also delved into the accelerating marriage of hospitality and technology. While the restaurant sector was historically slow in embracing digital solutions, the COVID-19 pandemic served as a profound catalyst. Today’s challenge, Birzon notes, isn’t about finding tech solutions – it's the integration and the tug-of-war over data ownership with third-party platforms.Schatzy and Jimmy also touched upon the idea of "dynamic pricing". A concept mirroring the pricing models of airlines and hotels could indeed reshape dining economics. However, Birzon believes a full embrace would demand a completely digital platform.Interestingly, while digital menus soared during the pandemic, there's been a trend reversal with many reverting to the tangible charm of paper menus, epitomizing the timeless essence of hospitality.The convergence of hospitality and technology demands a fine balance. While tech undeniably augments the dining experience, it's paramount that it serves to enhance, not eclipse, the very heart of hospitality.Tune into the Hospitality Hangout episode to hear these insights and more. Birzon’s experiences, coupled with Schatzy and Jimmy’s perspectives, promise a wealth of knowledge for anyone looking to navigate the evolving landscape of the hospitality industry.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, affectionately known as "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," sit down with the legendary Don Fox, Chairman of Firehouse Subs.The Meteoric Rise of Don FoxStarting his culinary journey scrubbing dishes at an Italian restaurant in New Jersey, Fox has seen it all. From his aspirations of being a trumpet player to a substantial 23-year tenure with Burger King, Fox's tale is nothing short of inspiring. The episode sheds light on his monumental contribution to Firehouse Subs, transforming it from a 65-unit brand in 2003 to a colossal chain of over 1200 restaurants under his leadership.Lessons from Five Decades in the Restaurant IndustryReflecting on his extensive journey, Fox underlines three key lessons for budding restaurateurs:The importance of fostering teamwork and building robust relationships.Embracing hard work, coupled with unwavering dedication and effort.Prioritizing company culture, with leaders leading by example.These insights, echoed by Michael and Jimmy, serve as valuable takeaways for anyone in the hospitality industry.Shaq and the Digital FootprintA hilarious highlight from the episode revolves around NBA superstar, Shaquille O'Neal. From Shaq inadvertently compelling Firehouse Subs to join Twitter to a memorable interaction at a franchise conference, these stories underscore the potent impact of celebrities on businesses.However, diving deeper into technology's role, Fox emphasizes the need to merge technology with traditional hospitality elements. With a cautionary note, he warns of the risk of restaurants losing their unique identities if they entirely sideline the human touch that defines true hospitality.Generation Z and the Future of DiningThe episode delves into the evolving restaurant landscape, particularly the integration of technology. As Gen Z becomes the primary customer demographic, Fox ponders over their heavy reliance on technology and wonders if a saturation point might lead them to seek more traditional dining experiences.With a nod to the next generation, Fox also dispels some common misconceptions about their work ethic, holding a positive view of their contribution to the restaurant space.Lighthearted Moments and Quickfire QuestionsBetween serious discussions, the episode is peppered with playful banter. From joking about popular burrito spots in "Food Service Feud" Don's quickfire revelations (he’s a fan of tomatoes on sandwiches and hails Chicago as his favorite food city!), the conversation keeps listeners engaged and entertained.Hospitality Hangout's latest episode is a blend of profound insights, playful jests, and industry reflections. Don Fox’s extensive journey, coupled with the shared experiences of Schatzy and Jimmy, provides a holistic perspective on the challenges, growth, and future of the restaurant industry. Don't miss this insightful dive into the intricacies of the hospitality world!

In the latest episode of "Hospitality Hangout", industry insiders are treated to an enlightening conversation as hosts Michael Schatzberg, fondly known as "The Restaurant Guy", and Jimmy Frischling, dubbed "The Finance Guy", sit down with G.J. Hart. Currently at the helm of Red Robin as President, CEO, and Director, Hart's journey from the Netherlands to leading a renowned American food brand is nothing short of inspiring.G.J. Hart: From Immigrant Dreams to Restaurant RealityArriving in the U.S. in 1963 with dreams of freedom, Hart's initial foray into the hospitality industry was with Howard Johnson's, toggling roles from a dishwasher to a short-order cook. His professional odyssey then took a detour into the poultry business, helping fund his college education. A move to New Orleans saw Hart working under Al Copeland of Popeye's fame, subsequently partnering with Texas Roadhouse's founder, which they took public.Though Hart dabbled in the idea of retirement, his passion was unwavering. Drawn back to the restaurant cosmos, he took the reins at Red Robin, a brand he had admired for decades.Revitalizing a Legacy: The North Star Comeback PlanFor over half a century, Red Robin has remained etched in the minds of patrons for its family-centric aura, captivating ambiance, and mouth-watering meals at fair prices. Under Hart's stewardship, the "North Star Comeback Plan" was birthed, aiming to rejuvenate the brand by emphasizing its time-honored attributes. In a span of just 12 months, Red Robin, with Hart's vision and a spirited team, witnessed commendable growth and resurgence.Leadership: A Game of AuthenticityHart, with his rich tapestry of experiences, extols the virtue of authenticity in leadership. He advocates for genuine concern for staff and believes that constructing a robust team in a conducive environment is pivotal. This episode offers listeners an intimate look into Hart's life, his strategic leadership methods, the essence of brand identity, and most importantly, his dream for Red Robin's future.The Core: People and FoodDespite the tsunami of tech advancements swamping the restaurant industry, Hart, along with Schatzberg and Frischling, concurs that the core of the business is, and should always be, about people and the food. While technology acts as a facilitator, enhancing the guest experience, the culinary journey must remain at the forefront.A Personal Touch to the ConversationRounding off the episode, in a jovial segment, Hart turns the tables by posing a personal question to the hosts, revealing their camaraderie and offering listeners a glimpse into their dynamic rapport.In essence, this episode of "Hospitality Hangout" is a testament to the fact that while the restaurant landscape is continuously evolving with tech innovations, the heart and soul remain in the people and the dishes they serve.Tune in to "Hospitality Hangout" for this and more episodes, as it continues to engage, enlighten, and entertain those in the hospitality and foodservice sector.

The Culinary Edge is a food and beverage innovation firm that was started by Noveshen over twenty years ago and Starbird is a fast-casual chicken chain that their team created after identifying chicken was about to grow significantly. The guys talk to Noveshen about the success of marketing Starbird’s limited time offers, better known as LTOs including the Cali Bacon Dutch Crunch. The Dutch crunch bread is baked in house and the chicken sandwich has made it to the menu. Novenshen says that their secret sauce is their Star Sauce. Starbird earlier this month made QSRs best brands to work for list. The company is known for developing talent and its people first culture as well as provides incentives and educational programs for their employees as well. “Good food can come and go, restaurant concepts can come and go but the people are what it’s all about,” says Noveshen. He adds, “our tagline is positively delicious chicken, it’s our goal everyday to create positivity, not only in the lives of the people walking in the door everyday but also the people who are working there everyday. We want to make a difference in their lives.” Noveshen asks the guys how they prioritize everything they need to do everyday during the talking back segment. Frischling says how he loves to create lists and loves what they do. Schatzberg and Frischling both feel strongly about their hospitality community and said that their village helps them do what they need to do everyday.

Get ready to indulge in the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, where your hosts, Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" (Schatzy) and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy," turn up the heat with an extraordinary guest. Samir Zabaneh, CEO and Chairman of TouchBistro, joins the culinary conversation.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy" host Kep Sweeney, CEO of PDQ Restaurants. The guys start with the Tuesday trivia, revealing three facts about Kep, two of which are true and one false.Kep gives a brief background of himself and PDQ, sharing that the company has a presence in Florida and New York and is known for delivering non-QSR quality food quickly. He mentions PDQ's culinary ethos and its co-founders Bob Basham and Nick Reader.They talk about Sweeney’s Wall Street days before delving into his career trajectory. Starting in restaurants, Kep worked with culinary legends and received an award from Julia Child before obtaining his MBA. He was then hired by Solomon Brothers and became a restaurant analyst, gaining experience with independent and multi-unit restaurants. He authored "The New Restaurant Entrepreneur" and has been involved in restaurant consulting, turnarounds, and process improvement.Kep then talks about his transition to PDQ, reflecting on Solomon Brothers' legacy with the hosts. They discuss the origins of major restaurant brands like McDonald's, and Kep provides insight into PDQ's beginnings, detailing how the company grew from a single location to 62. The founding story is explored, including how PDQ was created out of a need for healthier food options for kids.The discussion shifts to the specifics of PDQ's growth, including its corporate model and the unique challenges of franchising. Kep emphasizes the importance of developing operators who are passionate about their work and supported by quantitative analysis, aiming for a perfect day at PDQ with high-quality products and motivated staff. Check out the entire conversation for a deep dive into PDQ's organizational structure, customer-centric approach, data-driven decision-making process, technology adoption, and product innovation. It provides valuable insights into how modern restaurant operations can thrive in a competitive landscape by embracing innovation, agility, and customer-focused strategies.To hear the questions and the answers to Tuesday Trivia’s “Two Truths and a Lie,” tune into this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling delve into the innovative world of food with their guest, Andy Hopper, CEO of Hart House. Hart House, founded by comedian Kevin Hart, is revolutionizing the food industry with its mission to create craveable and nutritious 100% plant-based meals.With over 20 years of experience in the restaurant business, Hopper takes listeners on a culinary journey, recounting his first gig washing dishes at a now-defunct eatery to leading teams at global franchised brands like Burger King. Today, as the CEO of Hart House, Hopper joins forces with Kevin Hart to create meals that are "better for you, your wallet, and the planet."From Dishwashing to LeadingThe story begins in a town called Gig Harbor, where a young Andy Hopper worked at a neighborhood bar and grill called the Harvester. Although he joked about possible child labor laws being skirted, his early days in the kitchen provided an irreplaceable education in empathy and understanding of different walks of life."I will tell you, you learn so much about yourself and about the world and about people from different parts of the world and walks of life by working in the kitchen of a restaurant," Hopper shared, acknowledging the influence of culinary icon Anthony Bourdain.The Path to Hart HouseAfter relocating to Miami for university, Hopper continued working in various hospitality jobs to pay for tuition at one of the country's most expensive schools. A scholarship and part-time work helped him stay at the University of Miami, often referred to as "the U." It was a time that would later prepare him for his partnership with Kevin Hart in crafting Hart House's compelling brand.Hopper’s experience, from the humble beginnings of dishwashing to leading major food chains, culminated in his collaboration with Kevin Hart at Hart House, aiming to redefine the future of quick-service food. The duo's commitment to reinventing both the menu and employee experience positions Hart House as a potential game-changer in the restaurant industry, embracing plant-based cuisine for a sustainable future.“So the brand positioning for this has been very deliberate. It's not a vegan brand. It's not a plant-based brand. It's a QSR brand that serves burgers, chicken sandwiches and shakes.” Andy Hooper, CEO of Hart HouseTo hear the questions and the answers to Tuesday Trivia’s “Two Truths and a Lie,” plus the deep dive insights into operating a plant-based business check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, known as "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," deep-dive into the intricacies of restaurant marketing with industry insiders, Joe Reinstein, Executive Director of the Digital Restaurant Association (DRA), and Karim Webb, Buffalo Wild Wings Franchisee and Principal at Webb Investments.Reinstein, who holds the dual role of CEO and Acting Chair of the Board of Directors at the DRA, spearheads the association's mission to guide restaurants in maximizing profitability and growth in the digital world. This encompasses advocacy for public policy, educational resources, and technological solutions, to name a few. He brings to the table his pivotal role in launching the DRA with the goal of it becoming the primary restaurant industry resource for online revenue generation, innovation, and growth.Webb, on the other hand, leverages his background as a franchisee and civic leader to add a unique perspective to the discussion. As a multi-unit Buffalo Wild Wings franchisee, a board member of the DRA, the Airport Commissioners/LAX, California Community Foundation, and EveryTable, and a principal at Webb Investments, Webb shares insights from his rich experience in the restaurant industry and his focus on social equity ownership models. He also offers a voice for small business owners struggling to navigate an increasingly complex marketplace.As the conversation unfolded, the guests discussed their experiences in a range of topics, focusing on the unique challenges and opportunities for restaurants in the current digital landscape. Webb shared his perspective on being a franchisee and small business advocate, emphasizing the importance of understanding and harnessing the right tools to compete in today's market.Frischling and Schatzberg then turned the conversation toward restaurant marketing, outlining three key areas they planned to explore: third-party marketplaces (or DSP, Delivery Service Platforms Marketing), guest feedback marketing, and social advocacy marketing. Webb and Reinstein were invited to offer their unique perspectives on these topics, starting with third-party marketplaces.Reinstein highlighted the importance of restaurants maintaining a presence on third-party platforms, describing them as "pay-to-play marketplaces" where restaurants need to invest to be noticed. He further advised restaurants to experiment and test their approaches to these platforms, while also stressing the need for a comprehensive online ordering and delivery approach beyond just third-party platforms.The conversation continued with a robust discussion on these and other critical issues facing today's restaurants, offering listeners a unique blend of perspectives from various angles of the industry.To hear all of the insights Webb and Reinstein shared during the discussion and the "Branded Quickfire" and the “Foodservice Feud,” check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” welcome special guests from the Texas Restaurant Association (TRA) - Ben Knorr, Director of Partnerships, and Joe Monastero, Chief Operating Officer. Broadcasting from Houston, Texas, the hosts revel in the larger-than-life experience that the Lone Star State offers.Broadcasting from Houston, the conversation gets cooking with jaw-dropping statistics: Texas boasts a record-breaking 55,000 restaurant units, 1.4 million employees, and an eye-popping $90 billion in sales in 2022. That's an incredible 20% growth from pre-pandemic levels, making Texas the only U.S. state in the black.The hosts dig into the vital role of trade organizations, providing a supportive voice for small restaurant operators. Monastero serves up the dual mission of TRA: Knorr's role of delivering partners, benefits, and services to supercharge operators' bottom line, coupled with the association's proactive advocacy. The TRA's advocacy team, headed by President and CEO Emily Williams Knight and Chief Public Affairs Officer Kelsey Erickson Streufert, have cooked up some significant wins, including legislation making alcohol to-go permanent and fostering transparency in third-party delivery partnerships.TRA's secret sauce also includes a partnership with Adesso Capital, returning nearly $50 million in credits to its restaurant members and driving a whopping $300 million across the United States.Frischling and Schatzberg grill the TRA team on the challenges of the PPP loan during the pandemic. Demonstrating the TRA's tenacity, they managed to whip up bipartisan support for a “skinny bill” to make PPP loans more efficient for business owners, cooked to perfection in just four weeks.The conversation takes a deep dive into TRA's work in regulatory consistency, ensuring the smorgasbord of rules across Texas' 254 counties and over 1200 municipalities doesn't cause heartburn for business owners. The Regulatory Consistency Bill and the Restaurant Cleanup Act promise to cut through the red tape, from health code standards to labor laws.They discuss how Texas operators are putting technology on the menu. While the restaurant industry has been slow to adopt digital solutions, the pandemic has underscored its crucial role. The journey to full integration is ongoing, but a new central marketplace for tech solutions is providing a recipe for digital transformation success. Pull up a chair and tune in to this episode of Hospitality Hangout!

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," sit down with Gregg Majewski, the CEO of Craveworthy Brands. Boasting an illustrious career of over 23 years in the food and beverage industry, Majewski holds a myriad of founder and senior executive roles under his belt.Among his significant accomplishments is the founding of Wildcat Investments and his former position as CEO of Jimmy John's Gourmet Sandwiches. During his tenure at Jimmy John's, Majewski significantly increased the chain's footprint, growing the number of outlets from a mere 33 to a staggering 300, with an additional 600 sold.A key component of Majewski's leadership was his drive to implement and restructure company-wide operational standards. He is also credited with shifting the marketing strategies to emphasize the brand's "Freaky Fast" delivery.Gregg's executive career has been characterized by a keen focus on conceptualizing and growing emerging brands and revitalizing legacy brands. In 2022, he founded Craveworthy Brands, leveraging his significant restaurant experience. The Craveworthy portfolio kicked off with four unique, scalable, and highly engaging brands, indicative of Majewski's continuous drive to cultivate more concepts.Majewski's innovative leadership tactics and his unique approach to reviving troubled companies and turning them into profitable entities. One such success story being Mongolian Concepts, a company Majewski successfully turned around, selling 24 franchises and marking a first since 2011.Craveworthy Brands, Majewski's latest venture, showcases his continuous drive to cultivate unique, scalable, and engaging concepts. Craveworthy Brands' portfolio includes Wing It On, The Budlong, Krafted Burger + Tap, Lucky Cat Poke Company, Genghis Grill, BD's Mongolian Grill and Flat Top Grill. Majewski shares his strategic insights into the restaurant industry, from creating crave-worthy food to fostering a positive company culture. He also introduces his latest business strategy of aiming for the number two position in industry segments, offering better products, service, and operations, leaving the educational role to the number one.Majewski announced that Greg Creed, former CEO of Yum! Brands, has taken an advisory role on the Craveworthy board, marking his first advisory position in the restaurant industry. This episode promises to intrigue and educate professionals in the restaurant and hospitality industry.Don’t miss “Foodservice Feud” tune into the Hospitality Hangout!

Don't miss out on the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, where hosts Michael Schatzberg, fondly known as "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," dive deep into a compelling chat with food industry guru Rob Ertmann, CEO of Mo' Bettahs. This episode offers a delicious blend of insights and entertainment guaranteed to sate your curiosity about restaurant tech trends and Hawaiian food.From humble beginnings at a pizza shop to leading the helm at Mo' Bettahs, Ertmann guides us through his flavorful journey in the food industry, coupled with the joy of serving mouth-watering Hawaiian delicacies. A true testament to their success, Mo' Bettahs is set to celebrate their 15th anniversary with the launch of their 44th store, signaling an impressive doubling in outlets over a mere 24-month period. Ertmann teases the expansion won't stop there, with Las Vegas, Houston, and Phoenix on the restaurant's horizon.You won't want to miss the discussion about the transformative partnership between Mo' Bettahs and Savory Fund. Ertmann is enthusiastic as he recounts how, when Mo' Bettahs was just a six-unit operation, the Savory Fund stepped in to provide the expert support they desperately needed. From finance and IT to accounting and payroll, the Savory Fund offered them the tools to scale their operation effectively and efficiently, all the way to their 22nd store.Ertmann highlights the warmth and intelligence of the Savory team, which allowed him to transition all operations in-house, now led by a dedicated Mo' Bettahs team. Nevertheless, the benefits of their partnership with the Savory Fund continue. Ertmann is grateful for the ongoing counsel, coaching, and support he receives from Savory's exceptional team. Their guidance has been instrumental in Mo' Bettahs' success and the continued evolution of the brand.Unraveling the tech-infused operations at Mo' Bettahs, Ertmann describes their successful partnerships with tech heavyweights such as "Thanks," Ovation, and Olo. These collaborations have fueled significant customer engagement, a ballooning loyalty database, and streamlined third-party delivery integration into their POS system. However, while Ertmann embraces technology's role in the sector, he doesn't lose sight of the integral role of human capital. For him, tech should support but never supplant the core values of high-quality food, excellent service, and a well-trained team.As the conversation whips to future trends, Ertmann voices his interest in the increasing influence of AI in the restaurant industry. Schatzberg, on the other hand, dishes out his excitement about the rising trend of automation and robotics, eager to see how these advancements can replace repetitive tasks.Want a taste of this fascinating banter mixed with a dash of the "Food Service Feud"? Tune in to the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout. And remember, in the end, it's all about the people, the tech, and of course, the food.

In the newest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, known as "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," host a riveting conversation with industry veteran Marc Bruno, the Chief Operating Officer at Aramark. Bruno, who leads ten of Aramark's U.S. food and facilities divisions, offers a deep dive into his personal journey, which took him from a summer intern to a driving force in the company's growth strategy and commitment to service excellence.Hailing from a Chicago family with a restaurant background, Bruno's lifelong passion for the food industry led him to hotel school and ultimately an internship at Aramark. After spending three decades with the company, Bruno has climbed the corporate ladder, progressing from intern to COO.Bruno shares anecdotes from his vast experience, which includes leading Aramark's dining and catering services for 17 Olympic Games, starting with the 1996 Atlanta Games, and providing everyday food service to millions worldwide. Bruno underscores the thrill of working in a sector marked by its diversity, complexity, and the chance to serve customers from all walks of life.He also sheds light on Aramark's evolution from Automated Retailers of America, a vending firm, to a global service provider, serving an extensive client base across various industries. Aramark's offerings have broadened to include facilities management and uniform services, adding to their operation's complexity.In a significant disclosure, Bruno revealed that Aramark is preparing to spin off its Uniform Services division into a separate public entity, a strategic decision he believes will benefit both the businesses and the shareholders.The conversation also touches upon Bruno's debunking of a myth that credits him with discovering Seamless Web. Instead, he details how the online food ordering service was pitched to his then employer, later becoming integrated into Aramark's delivery services. He highlights the strategic success of Aramark's acquisition of Seamless Web in 2006, a move that significantly influenced the delivery market landscape.Discussing Aramark's acquisition and partnership strategy, Bruno underscores the company's focus on scalable enhancements, technological innovation, and talent acquisition. He also emphasizes Aramark's role as a prominent franchiser and partner of well-recognized brands, aiming to enrich customer experience across their service locations, including college campuses, hospitals, and stadiums. To hear the “Two Truths and a Lie” plus the “Branded Quickfire” lightning round tune into this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, broadcast from The National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, hosts Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy", Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy", and special guest Sterling Douglass, Co-Founder & CEO of Chowly, interviewed Joe Donnelly, Group Director & Publisher of Informa’s Restaurant & Food Group. The discussion centered on Informa's recent acquisition of Winsight, a company offering services in data, analytics, events, and content marketing for the foodservice industry.Winsight, with its portfolio of clients, is expected to enhance Informa's capabilities in delivering superior enterprise experience to all its restaurant clients, regardless of size. Donnelly explained that this acquisition would bolster Informa's position in the foodservice sector, especially as it already owns considerable assets in this industry across Asia. Combining these resources with Winsight and Informa's existing Nation's Restaurant News assets, they anticipate a substantial growth in their vertical.The merger of Informa and Winsight is viewed as part of the ongoing trend of consolidation in the foodservice industry, where restaurant groups and tech companies integrate to drive synergies. Donnelly highlighted that the integration process would focus on two key aspects – creating improved experiences for their audiences and attendees and increasing ROI for their customers. Informa anticipates that bringing together the assets of Winsight and its own offerings will substantially benefit the industry.Schatzberg, Frischling, and Douglass expressed their enthusiasm for the acquisition, appreciating the potential synergies between Informa and Winsight, and looking forward to this consolidation's future contributions to the restaurant and foodservice industry.To hear the questions and Donnelly’s responses to “ Branded Quickfire” check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy" sit down with Sherif Mityas, CEO of BRIX Holdings. BRIX Holdings is a Dallas-based franchising company that specializes in superior foodservice chains within the better-for-you segments. Their mission is to provide exceptional franchise opportunities and focus on brands that appeal to the expanding single-unit owner/operator franchise market, with the potential to become national and international award-winning chains. The current BRIX Holdings portfolio includes renowned brands such as Red Mango Yogurt Café Smoothie & Juice Bar, Smoothie Factory Juice Bar, Souper Salad, Orange Leaf, Humble Donut Co., Greenz, and Friendly's.During the episode, Sherif Mityas shares insights into the iconic Friendly's brand, which is celebrating its 88th birthday this year. He highlights the emotional connection people have with Friendly's, recalling stories of customers' first dates over milkshakes and the enduring popularity of their signature treats like the Jim Dandy and Banana Royale. Sherif also discusses other brands within the BRIX Holdings portfolio, including frozen yogurt concepts Red Mango and Orange Leaf, super salad, the newly reconcepted Smoothie Factory Plus Kitchen, and Humble Donuts. He hints at the upcoming addition of another brand.The conversation delves into Sherif's background, where he shares his experience in the retail industry, including his time running the Hollywood Video and Movie Gallery chain. He also explains how he transitioned into the hospitality sector, joining TGI Fridays as their Chief Experience Officer before joining the BRIX Holdings Group. Sherif expresses his excitement about leading an amazing team at BRIX Holdings and driving the growth of their portfolio.The episode takes an interesting turn as Jimmy Frischling introduces breaking news about BRIX Holdings' latest concept, Pizza Jukebox. Sherif describes this fully automated dine-in experience, where guests can watch robots and automated machines craft personalized pizzas within minutes. The innovative approach aims to provide not just a pizza but a memorable theater-like experience for customers. Sherif emphasizes the importance of technology in enhancing the guest engagement and driving the dine-in experience.The conversation concludes with a discussion about BRIX Holdings' partnership with Middleby and their collaboration with L2F to bring the Pizza Jukebox concept to life. Sherif highlights the focus on personalization, aiming to cater to individual preferences while maintaining consistency through robotics and automation.Overall, the episode offers fascinating insights into BRIX Holdings' brand portfolio, Sherif Mityas' journey in the industry, and the exciting innovations shaping the future of hospitality.To hear the questions and Mityas’ responses to “Two Truths and a Lie” check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the most recent episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," welcomed Adam Golomb, the Chief Executive Officer of Primanti Bros., as their guest. The podcast delved into the remarkable journey and ongoing success of Primanti Bros., a renowned restaurant known for its iconic sandwiches since 1933. Golomb shared valuable insights, shedding light on the brand's expansion, virtual brands, technology integration, and his personal experiences.Primanti Bros., now celebrating its 90th anniversary, began its journey in Pittsburgh back in 1933. Today, the chain has grown significantly, with 41 open restaurants across four states and four more under construction, projecting 45 locations by year-end. Golomb emphasized the brand's fame, owing to its signature sandwich: a combination of choice meats, coleslaw, French fries, tomato, and provolone cheese, all packed between two fresh-baked Italian bread slices.When discussing how Primanti Bros. ensures its long-standing brand remains attractive and relevant, Golomb emphasized the importance of staying true to their core identity while expanding the menu to cater to a broader audience. In addition to their renowned sandwiches, the restaurant now offers freshly baked New York-style pizza, spicy wings, salads, and burgers, acknowledging the diverse preferences of their customers. Golomb also highlighted their digital-first approach, utilizing technology to drive the business and adapting rapidly during the pandemic.During the podcast, Golomb highlighted Primanti Bros. introduction of three virtual brands—18th Street Pizza, Wing Nut, and Get Loaded. These concepts diversify the menu and have become top-selling items alongside the famous sandwiches. The hosts inquired about the performance and demand for these virtual brands, to which Golomb expressed the positive response from consumers. However, he also acknowledged the challenges posed by third-party delivery companies, which often resist including virtual brands on their platforms. Golomb emphasized the need to find solutions that maintain sales and navigate the evolving landscape of the delivery market.The conversation also touched upon Primanti Bros. limited-time offerings (LTOs), which occur every six to eight weeks. These LTOs introduce new cycles of culinary creations, keeping the menu fresh and exciting. While they previously experimented with monthly LTOs, operational challenges led them to adjust the frequency to ensure smooth supply chain management. Adam Golomb unveiled the current LTO at Primanti Bros., Hot Honey. This unique and enticing offering further exemplifies the brand's commitment to innovation and delighting their customers with distinct flavors.Additionally, Golomb shared breaking news during the podcast, announcing Primanti Bros. first-ever amusement park location at Pittsburgh's renowned Kennywood Park. He expressed the brand's excitement about the venture, which involves remodeling an existing concession stand to celebrate both Primanti Bros. 90th year and Kennywood Park's 125th anniversary.The conversation also touched upon Primanti Bros. strategic use of technology and their commitment to being a digital-first company. Golomb discussed their complex tech stack and the importance of selecting best-in-breed solutions that integrate seamlessly with their existing systems. The goal is to enhance sales, improve guest experiences, and streamline operations. The CEO emphasized their openness to exploring new technologies and evaluating their impact on driving sales and benefiting the team and customers.Golomb further engaged in the segment of the podcast, where “Two Truths and a Lie” about his past were shared. Schatzberg and Frischling made their guesses, so be sure to tune into this episode to get the answer. Through this conversation, listeners can gain insights into Primanti Bros. enduring success, innovative strategies, expansion plans, and Golomb's personal experiences. With their iconic sandwiches, virtual brands, and emphasis on technology integration, Primanti Bros. continues to evolve while staying true to its roots, providing a delightful dining experience for patrons worldwide.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," welcomed Doug Willmarth, President at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, and Shakes, as their guest. Willmarth introduced himself as the president of MOOYAH and emphasized the restaurant's commitment to serving the best-tasting cheeseburgers. He highlighted their handcrafted approach, using great ingredients, hand-smashing burgers, and hand-cutting fries, along with made-from-scratch shakes. The key to their success is customization, offering a wide range of options for protein, toppings, sauces, and cheese choices, allowing customers to create their own unique burger experience.During the conversation, Willmarth discussed his background and passion for leadership and airplanes. Having served in the Navy as a pilot, he transitioned into business leadership and marketing, eventually finding his love for the restaurant industry. Willmarth had worked with renowned brands such as Frito-Lay, Chili's, and Pizza Hut before joining MOOYAH. Willmarth shared his admiration for the restaurant business, emphasizing its ability to bring people together over food and help individuals become entrepreneurs, reflecting the core values of the American dream.The episode also highlighted MOOYAH's new franchise owner incentive program, aimed at driving growth. Franchisees who signed agreements and leases in 2023 would receive three years of royalty relief and additional corporate support to ensure a strong launch. Willmarth expressed the importance of supporting new franchise owners and helping them achieve their dreams of business ownership. The program also includes matching the franchisees' marketing investment to ensure a successful start and create a strong customer base.Another exciting development discussed in the episode was MOOYAH's relaunched rewards app. The new loyalty framework provides an improved ordering experience and rewards customers with free food. Willmarth explained that the focus is on making the ordering process easier and faster through intuitive and visually appealing technology. The shift to a food-based loyalty program aligns with customers' desire for free food and enhances their overall experience.Regarding technology, Willmarth shared MOOYAH's approach of being tech-forward but not an innovator. They strive to be fast followers, adopting proven ROI solutions and leveraging technology as an enabler rather than the primary focus. The ultimate goal remains to deliver high-quality food and a great customer experience. The hosts appreciated MOOYAH's commitment to prioritizing the food and leveraging technology to enhance operations and customer satisfaction.Willmarth emphasized the importance of customization, allowing customers to create their unique burger experience based on their preferences. The restaurant's focus on high-quality ingredients, handcrafted processes, and the complementary offerings of fries and shakes all contribute to the mouthful of awesomeness that MOOYAH aims to deliver.The latest episode of Hospitality Hangout featured an informative conversation with Doug Willmarth, President at MOOYAH Burgers, Fries, and Shakes. They discussed the restaurant's commitment to quality, customization, and providing a safe and enjoyable dining experience for its loyal fans. To hear “Trivia Tuesday” and the “Branded Quickfire” answers tune into this episode.

In the vibrant city of Las Vegas, hosts Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy" took their listeners on an exhilarating journey in the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout. Broadcasting from the Food On Demand conference, they were joined by a lineup of guests who are shaping the future of the hospitality industry. Kicking off the episode was Kevin King, the President of Donatos Pizza. A brand with a rich history dating back to 1963. Next, the dynamic duo welcomed Kristen Hawley, the Founder of Expedite, a cutting-edge newsletter that spotlights revolutionary news and big ideas transforming the hospitality landscape. And finally, they talk with Brita Rosenheim, the Managing Partner of Vita Vera Ventures and author of the highly acclaimed 2023 Restaurant Tech Ecosystem. With their expertise in advancing the food industry's resiliency, efficiency, and sustainability, Brita and her team are dedicated to supporting tech entrepreneurs who are defining the future of dining. Together, this engaging trio explored a wide range of captivating topics, leaving listeners inspired and eager to embrace the ever-evolving world of hospitality.They were joined by their first guest, Kevin King, the President of Donatos Pizza, famous for their Edge to Edge® pizza. With a fascinating background in the restaurant business, Kevin shared his journey from working in a pizza shop as a kid to holding leadership positions at renowned pizza chains like Domino's, Papa Murphy's, and Smoothie King. Having rejoined Donatos as President in 2022, Kevin's passion for the pizza industry and dedication to the company's growth was evident throughout the conversation. Donatos, founded by Jim Grote in 1963, has since expanded to 375 locations across 22 states, with a strategic partnership with Red Robin further boosting its nationwide presence. The episode delved into various topics, including the challenges and opportunities of third-party delivery, the significance of technology in the industry, and Donatos' commitment to giving back to the community. Kristen Hawley, the founder of Expedite, a newsletter in the restaurant industry, was the next guest. Known for her insightful articles and deep understanding of restaurant technology, Kristen shared her perspective on how technology is transforming the dining experience. She highlighted the importance of leveraging technology to enhance customer interactions, covering delivery, loyalty programs, and reservations. Kristen also emphasized the need for a nuanced understanding of the industry, challenging the prevailing narratives around technology's impact. Additionally, she shared her cautious optimism regarding chat GPT, acknowledging both its potential benefits and the importance of regulating its rapid development.Brita Rosenheim, Managing Partner of Vita Vera Ventures and Author of the 2023 Restaurant Tech Ecosystem. They talked about Brita's recent panel discussion and her expertise in the industry. During the conversation, Brita discussed various topics, including the unique focus of Food OnDemand compared to other conferences. She also highlighted the importance of investing in the food industry's resiliency, efficiency, and sustainability. The discussion touched upon the growth and challenges of ghost kitchens and virtual brands, emphasizing the need for maintaining quality and consistency. Brita also shared insights on dynamic pricing and revenue management, advocating for a rebranding of the concept. Additionally, she discussed the saturation of single-point solutions in the market and predicted that automation would be a significant topic in the industry's future. To hear “Branded Quickfire,” the “Crystal Ball Moment” and more industry insights check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg, "The Restaurant Guy," and Jimmy Frischling, "The Finance Guy," were joined by Marianne Radley, the Chief Marketing Officer of Smoothie King. The trio engaged in a discussion revolving around effective marketing strategies and insights within the food and beverage industry.During the episode, Radley shed light on Smoothie King's recent marketing initiatives and shared valuable insights into the company's success. She emphasized the importance of understanding customer needs and tailoring marketing efforts accordingly. Radley pointed out that staying relevant in the ever-evolving marketplace requires continuous innovation and adaptation.Smoothie King's CMO emphasized the role of data in guiding marketing decisions. Radley revealed that the company leverages comprehensive customer data to create personalized experiences and develop targeted campaigns. By analyzing consumer preferences, Smoothie King has successfully implemented strategies to drive customer loyalty and engagement.They delved into third-party delivery services and the invaluable insights derived from their analytics. The trio eagerly discussed the challenges and opportunities that arise when partnering with external delivery platforms, emphasizing the importance of harnessing the power of data to enhance customer experiences and drive business growth. With Marianne's wealth of knowledge and expertise, they explored innovative strategies for leveraging third-party delivery analytics to make informed decisions and optimize operations.The discussion also touched upon the significance of brand authenticity. Radley emphasized the need for businesses to genuinely connect with their target audience by aligning marketing messages with their core values. She explained how Smoothie King's commitment to providing nutritious and delicious smoothies resonates with health-conscious consumers, leading to a strong brand identity.Hospitality Hangout once again proved to be an engaging platform for industry professionals. This episode delivers Marianne Radley's expertise and provides an enriching exploration of marketing strategies in the food and beverage industry.To hear “Branded Quickfire” answers and all of Radley’s conversation check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg "The Restaurant Guy" and Jimmy Frischling "The Finance Guy" are joined by Christi Ravneberg, Director of Content Integration, Restaurant & Food Group, and Joe Donnelly, Group Director & Publisher, Restaurant and Food Group at Informa Connect. Informa, a leading B2B global media exhibition company, aspires to become the foremost voice in content, connections, and intelligence. Generating approximately $2.2 billion in annual revenue, Informa is traded on the London Stock Exchange. Joe Donnelly and Christi Ravneberg are integral members of Informa Connect, the company's Knowledge & Networking division, which is spearheaded by CEO Andrew Mullins. With its extensive resources and expertise, Informa continues to drive innovation and foster connections across multiple industries worldwide.The Informa team joins the conversation to discuss the recently released 2023 Market Leader Report for Transformative Tech Strategies for Restaurants. As foodservice operators seek tools and data to accelerate their growth, they are carefully considering technology's impact on operations, labor management, marketing, and scalability with their current tech stack and workforce. To help operators make informed investment decisions, Nation's Restaurant News Intelligence conducted a comprehensive investigation of the technology needs and upcoming initiatives of nearly 400 operators, representing a diverse range of service styles and brand sizes. The insights gleaned from this research are invaluable in guiding the industry toward successful and sustainable technology adoption.Donnelly highlights how COVID-19 accelerated a technology revolution in the food service industry, which was bound to happen eventually. With over 15 years of experience in B2B technology, he aims to use Informa's platform to facilitate peer-to-peer recognition for best practices in technology adoption and application in the sector.Ravneberg shares a key finding from a recent survey, revealing that 92% of operators are very likely to invest in technology within their restaurants and hotels over the next 12 months. Despite the industry's history of being slow to adopt new technologies, this statistic demonstrates the increasing understanding that embracing tech is now a non-negotiable factor for success. The challenges of cost and integration, as well as significant knowledge gaps and an overwhelming number of choices, still persist, but operators are more determined than ever to adapt and compete in this rapidly evolving landscape. To hear “Tuesday Trivia, Two Lie’s and a Truth” check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout and to read the full 2023 Market Leader Report for Transformative Tech Strategies for Restaurants, you can click this here.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” chat with Amer Wahab, President of Kettlemans Bagels. Founded over two decades ago, Kettleman's Bagels, led by CEO Craig Buckley and President Amer Wahab, has established itself as a veritable food institution in Ottawa, with a steadfast commitment to crafting the best bagels the old-fashioned way. Operating around the clock, every day of the year, Kettleman's Bagel is renowned for its traditional Montreal-style bagels, made with premium ingredients, hand-rolled, kettle-boiled in honey water, and baked in a wood-burning oven stoked with carefully selected hardwood. The business model is as unique as its bagels, offering a fully transparent, "no-wall" experience that lets customers witness the entire preparation and baking process. Wahab was asked about the expansion success, the right franchise partners and hiring employees. Wahab shares that Kettlemans has units that do more than $4.8 million in revenue. In a bid to streamline service and meet customer demands for speed, Kettleman's Bagel Co. launched a mobile ordering app pre-COVID that has reshaped the customer experience. "The nature of quick service restaurants is to be quick," President Amer Wahab explained, "And in listening to our guests, we've tried to make our service quicker." Now, customers can place orders and receive their bagel sandwiches in as little as five minutes when ordering in-store.The app's functionality allows for scheduled pickups, but understanding the unpredictable nature of daily schedules, the company integrated geofencing technology, in partnership with BlueDot, to ensure product freshness upon arrival. "People's schedules sometimes change. You may place your order to pick up at 11:30, but due to traffic or other delays, it's 11:45. We want your food to be just right," Wahab said. This technology triggers the kitchen to prepare orders as customers cross a specified threshold, ensuring a fresher, better product upon handoff at the drive-through or counter.Additionally, Kettleman's Bagels has looked to technology to aid in its production process, specifically in dealing with the manual labor involved in producing about 3,000 pounds of cream cheese a week. "We're scooping it by hand," Wahab said. Recognizing the potential for technology and AI to improve this process, the company collaborated with a tech firm to automate the weighing and dispensing of cream cheese. "You tell the machine you want 175 grams, it spits it out. It doesn't matter the consistency of the product," Wahab added. These technological advancements are not only improving efficiency but also contributing to the overall quality of the Kettleman's experience.To hear the questions and Wahab’s responses to “Two Truths and a Lie” check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road at Restaurant Leadership Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona. Their guests include the President of Dunn Brothers Coffee, Kim Plahn, Alex Eagle, CEO of Freebirds World Burrito, Daran Han, Cargill, and Scott Taylor, President and CEO of Walk’Ons Sports Bistreaux. Ed and Dan Dunn were on a mission to roast in small batches, serve freshly brewed coffee, and provide an experience and the community was front and center. Dunn Brothers Coffee opened in 1987. Plahn has been with Dunn for 16 years and the brand currently has 55 locations and is continuing to grow. Gala Capital Partners recently acquired Dunn Brothers Coffee. Plahn said, “We're getting infrastructure all set, we're getting our pipelines going, and we're looking at new models for business. We have wonderful funding behind us and we are ready to grow and share our brand.” Alex Eagle is the CEO of Freebirds World Burrito, the Austin-based restaurant chain. Eagle has worked for the ownership group, Tavistock Group for 11 years. Eagles said that they have 63 locations and 100 percent of the company is operated in Texas and focused on burritos and bowls. The guys ask Eagle where restaurant and technology will be in two years, and he said, Well I think people are still taking a look at the labor issue the most and how do we become more efficient and how do we create a better work environment for our employees at the same time.Daran Han leads the food tech division at Cargill. Han said I think a big part of our long-term strategy and vision is that we realized to serve the industry better we have to start getting technology and understanding how digital and the technology solutions are impacting what we're doing across the industry. Cargill Digital Studios as we continue to build this out, the portfolio last time when on the show had four or five new products and now has eight in the portfolio.Walk’Ons Sports Bistreaux CEO, Scott Taylor stopped by to chat with the guys. Walk-On’s operates 75 locations and is on the path to reaching 100 locations by the end of 2024. Taylor talks about the underdog mentality and how Walk-On’s embraces that and allows it to drive their culture. To hear more from all of the guests that stopped by to chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at RLC and the crystal ball moments, check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” chat with the authors of “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: The Path to Digital Maturity,” Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn. Sandland, co-author of two books, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, Your Roadmap to the Future of Food”, as well as the new one “Delivering the Digital Restaurant, The Path to Digital Maturity.” Sandland says, “My background, I was at Taco Bell for many years, leading development there and building lots and lots of Taco Bells and started to wonder, why are we building all these Taco Bells next to malls when no one goes to malls anymore? That seems kind of weird. And that planted a seed which only grew when we tried to enter Manhattan and I thought, why are we paying the world's most expensive real estate prices when 40% of our sales are going out-the-door delivery.”Orsbourn before meeting Sandland was working for a large oil and gas company but spent 15 years in the retail space. “I wanted to speak to folks that had made that transition from big company blue chip world into the startup environment and a mutual friend of Meredith and mine introduced us and it was through the conversation there that Meredith said I'm doing this thing in ghost kitchens now and at that time I thought well this is a doozy, isn't it,” Orsbourn said. Sandland who had joined Kitchen United explained the logic about why ghost kitchens made sense and Orsbourn was immediately drawn in. Orsbourn also joined the Kitchen United team and helped them build out the operational model. Orsbourn talks about every big restaurant chain in the U.S. that was looking to explore ghost kitchens and trying to understand the digital disruption that was happening, He says, “When you're doing something new, it's not easy to help people see that future, especially when there are hundreds of millions of dollars being plowed into this space and a lot of restaurants at that time were very begrudging towards the whole idea of this and that's where the genesis of the initial book came.”They talk about digital maturity and how an operator can recognize where they fall on the digital maturity scale. Orsbourn says, “A digitally mature restaurant is, and there's a story that is told in this, Jimmy, as you go through it because, in many ways, a fully digitally mature restaurant is one that in many ways needs to reorient its entire business model towards what it's gonna take to become digitally mature.” To hear about digitally native restaurants and holistic technology plus get the answers for Trivia Tuesday check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and guest host David "Rev" Ciancio chat with Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts, Charles Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie, and Gregg Majewski, CEO of Craveworthy Brands while on the road at RFIS, Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit. Hamm, chief executive officer of Duck Donuts, a made-to-order donut concept says that what makes them different is when you walk into a Duck Donuts there aren't any donuts already sitting there made. The customer customizes their donut order and gets to watch their donuts get made. Hamm shares franchising insights and says, “ you know life as a franchisor is very difficult and life as a franchisee is very difficult and I think everything has been tested the last few years and continues. We think every month maybe it'll be calmer.” She adds, “we want to be known for having a superior product with an exceptional customer experience.”Watson, CEO of Tropical Smoothie Cafe a brand that offers fresh, made-to-order smoothies, wraps, sandwiches, and flatbreads stops by to talk with the guys. Watson says they have crossed the 1200 mark on cafe locations, opened 158 new stores last year, and will open 170 new locations in 2023. Watson attributes the success to their franchisees. He says, “we have some dedicated and passionate franchisees and combine that with a brand that is simple, that provides a healthier option for everybody that's on the go. We focus a lot on convenience and speed at Tropical Smoothie Cafe.”Craveworthy Brands' chief executive officer Majewski stops to talk about the brands and RFIS show. Majewski has been working in the Food and Beverage industry for over 23 years. He worked for Jimmy John’s before putting together Craveworthy Brands. Majewskis says, “I was going to put together a group to do platforms properly and when I talk about platforms I talk about it being a group of restaurants that can work together and have shared services that the emerging brands can never achieve on their own.”To hear more details and insights into franchising from Hamm, Watson, and Majewski, plus the Branded Quickfire Florida addition questions check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Otto Othman, Chief executive officer and Co-founder of PINCHO, a premium Latin street food concept. Othman was born and raised in Brazil and moved to the United States when he was sixteen. He was a software developer for years, then design and advertising. Prior to PINCHO he was a creative director for a large advertising agency. Othman says, “I'm a big computer nerd and I got into design and I was working for this ad agency. But prior to that, I did a lot of work in the hospitality industry. So the biggest nightclubs in Miami, the biggest restaurants, I was part of a boutique agency that that's what we did for a living we branded them, we created campaigns for them, so I kind of fell in love with hospitality.” PINCHO is a slang word for a kebab and the kebab recipe was his mom’s recipe, Othman says. He opened his restaurant and it quickly became a local favorite. PINCHO’s with ten existing locations in Florida now is expanding to Texas. The restaurant has won several awards for the best burger. “We were smart enough early on to bring on the director of culinary when we had one store. So we are the fast-casual and had a chef since store number one. That really played a huge huge role. Adrian Sanchez is currently still with today, he is our director of culinary. He's an incredible incredible incredible chef and he is the guy behind all of the sauce,” Othman says. Othman talks about PINCHO’s core values which are flavor, culture, and passion. He said flavor matters, they have had a chef from the beginning, flavor in the food, and the way they serve their food. The second is culture and it is not only the culture that they are building internally for their teams but is about being part of the fabric part of the culture of Miami. Othman adds, “if you're not passionate about hospitality, you shouldn't be in this game. It's not an easy gig. You got to have passion for serving people, you have to have passion for inviting folks into your home but internally as a team, we have to have passion about everything that we do.”PINCHO due to Othman’s background in technology he says has the best tech stack for the size of the brand. Also, they are part of the Savory Fund brands and this allows them to benefit from the proprietary technology. Othman talks about the artificial intelligence that they use as well as PINCHO University. To hear how PINCHO’s Savory partnership, more insights on technology and the talking back question check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and special guest host Sterling Douglass were on the road at MURTEC and spoke to Angela Diffly, Co-Founder of the Restaurant Technology Network, Carissa DeSantis, CTO of Brix Holdings, Frazer Nagy, CEO of Tablz, Geoff Alexander the President and CEO Wow Bao and Zerrick Pearson the CIO at Five Guys Enterprises. The discussion begins with Diffly the co-founder of RTN, Restaurant Technology Network, a membership community that is dedicated to the restaurant technology industry. They have over 300 restaurant brands and about 100 vendor brands associated with RTN. Start-Up Alley, which is presented by RTN. This is the third Start-Up Alley and the focus is on the new start-up technology companies. Next DeSantis, chief technology officer at Brix Holdings shares the new initiatives that they have brought to the brands over the last year. She talks about adding new POS as well as adding robotics. DeSantis is also serving as a judge for Start-Up Alley. Nagy, Chief Executive Officer of Tablz an immersive 3D booking experience stops by and talks about being a participant in Start-Up Alley. Nagy points out that Tablz is the only participant that is the only tech that is dedicated to full-service restaurants. Wow Bao’s president and chief executive officer, Alexander says that they have done over 700 virtual or dark kitchen locations and recently got involved with e-commerce direct-to-consumer with Walmart.com and Amazon.com. Wow Bao is now available in grocery stores and hot food vending machines. The last guest from the MURTEC show was Pearson, CIO for Five Guys Enterprises and a Start-Up Alley judge. Five Guys can be found in 26 countries and Pearson manages IT for the brand. He says that he’s seeing several companies working on customer engagement. To hear more from all of the guests that stopped by to chat with Schatzberg and Douglass at MURTEC, plus the Branded Quickfire Las Vegas questions and responses check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Jacob Jaber, Co-Founder of Philz Coffee and Consumer Investor. In 1978 Phil Jaber purchased a convenience store and in his off hours, he blended and tested coffee, looking to make the perfect cup. Philz Coffee was born and has gone from starting from one store to seventy-five. Jaber says, “I love people, I've been in business since I was nine years old. I started in a convenience store in my dad's convenience store in the Mission District in San Francisco standing on top of milk crates ringing up people at the register. I hated school because I felt like I was forced to learn stuff I wasn't interested in from people who weren't interesting. So I kind of put all of my energy into working with my dad and I learned a ton about business and people there and I fell in love with it and I've been doing that mostly ever since.”Jaber talks about how he and his dad built Philz Coffee. He said that he knew how to treat people, how to make a personal cup of coffee, and how to work the business. They worked with people that knew how to create systems, processes, and organizational structures to help them open locations. In terms of investing and advising Jaber says that he’s helped hundreds of entrepreneurs strategize, find product market fit, and build a team. He says this brings him the most joy. Jaber currently has almost twenty companies in his portfolio and they are out there looking for businesses. Frischling asks Jaber what it takes to build a restaurant or venue today. Jaber says, “I think the most important thing is you got to love what you're doing, you got to love the product that you're selling, I see a lot of technology-first companies that sell food and it's very difficult to succeed because you have to love food if you're in the food business. Technology's an enabler it's not the starter.” To hear more insights from Jaber about opening a business today and what he looks for when investing, plus get the Tuesday trivia answers check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with James O'Reilly, Chief Executive Officer of Smokey Bones. O’Reilly has been in the restaurant industry for 25 years. Prior to joining Smokey Bones as CEO in 2019, he was President and CEO of Long John Silver’s. O’Reilly held leadership roles at other restaurant brands, including Sonic Drive-in, Pizza Hut, and KFC. “Our tagline is meat is what we do and what that means is you cannot find a casual dining restaurant that has more cuts of meat, prepared in more kinds of ways than you can at Smokey Bones. So if you're thinking about steakhouses, we have more, if you're thinking about general casual dining restaurants, we have more and we have better. So we love what we do here. We're passionate about being a protein candy store,” says O’Reilly. Smokey Bones has recently launched Bite Hall, an e-commerce site that is taking five brands, Smokey Bones, The Wing Experience, and Burger Experience, plus two virtual brands Bowl Market and Tender Box under one digital roof. O’Reilly says, “we started with a major commitment to off-premise in this company when I joined and built my management team because we really believe in the power of off-premise and casual dining.”O’Reilly talks about realizing consumers who are in the traditional third-party marketplace space that wanted to order different things from different restaurants, would be looking at multiple deliveries, multiple commissions, and multiple fees. He says BiteHall was born out of this idea where the consumer has all of the bites in one site, one check, one order, and one delivery. The guys talk to O’Reilly about being the first virtual brand that was offered on Uber Eats as well as Smokey Bones going all in on drive-thrus. O’Reilly shares that they have a fully equipped digital drive-thru with everything you would find in a limited service drive-thru from the menu boards, the loop detection, the audio, and the digital menu boards as well as the pull-up window. They built a dedicated expediting kitchen inside the restaurant with its own beverage equipment its own hot and cold equipment, a fry station, and dedicated packaging. To hear more details about BiteHall, limited-time offers, Adventures in Candyland cocktails, and Tuesday trivia answers check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Anton Nicholas, Managing Partner at ICR. ICR is an integrated communications firm. Nicholas says, “We do everything from public company investor and public relations to private company consumer public relations and brand public relations. We also do a ton in the transaction support world and crisis communications.” Nicholas is responsible for managing the firm’s consumer corporate and financial communications practice as well as the ICR Lifestyle Lab, ICR’s consumer and brand public relations practice.Frischling asks Nicholas to share how the dramatic shift away from capital has expanded the focus on marketing and how this is affecting your business and your clients. Nicholas says that 2022 was something they have never seen before, the capital markets were shut, and getting capital for marketing was evaporated. “So I think what happened was whether you're big or small you realize that you really got to focus on your core business and in particular for restaurants you know that's about trying to attract new and also get existing customers to repeat frequency and I think we've seen a ton of people shift back to those traditional ways to do that,” Nicholas says. He adds, “In today's world with digital in particular, PR tends to be higher ROI because it's less expensive upfront investment than advertising.”Nicholas shares his thoughts on traditional media verse digital media as well as the trends and how you know people consume data. He says, “I think if you look at the way people consume media today, it's just more broad-based. They still read The Wall Street Journal and The New York Times of the world. They do it digitally probably mostly, but they still read those publications, and those publications still have influence just as much as some commentary blog.” To hear how media can influence how we consume data as well as consume food, plus get the answers for Tuesday trivia check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Sterling Douglass, Co-Founder & CEO of Chowly.Douglass says “Chowly is a leading point-of-sale integration company. We're enabling restaurants to expand and maintain different off-premise capabilities. So you know today we're seamlessly integrating orders from all the biggest platforms. So, Grubhub Uber Eats, DoorDash, and when Google food ordering came out last year and we've got a couple of hundred other integrations on different platforms.” He adds, “We've got over 12,000 restaurants on our platform and they're increasing their revenue. They're improving their operational flow and they're saving on labor costs.” The guys tease with breaking news that will be shared on this podcast and Douglass shares it. He says, “So with great pleasure and excitement to announce we've closed the deal to bring Koala this is an online ordering company with an absolutely stellar best-in-class guest experience platform under the Chowly umbrella, we are combining forces. We are the same company and we're going to be bringing an amazing product to the space. I can't be more excited about what the future brings for these 2 companies and what we can do together.”Douglass noted that Koala’s mission statement is what really spoke to him. He says, “their mission statement is to democratize premium online ordering for restaurants and so when I thought about what we could do in combination with them and you know they've done a great job with companies like Shake Shack and Mod pizza and P.F. Chang’s. If we could bring that experience and the revenue generators and the features that they have and we could bring that to the mom and pop and to the independent operator I thought what better way could we help accelerate that aspirational mission that they have.”To hear more about the acquisition and the answers to the Tuesday trivia questions, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Wade Alle, SVP and Chief Digital Officer for Brinker International for a special Super Bowl episode where they talk about kitchen automation and the importance of a back to the basics game plan on strategy. Brinker International a leader in casual dining restaurant companies whose brands include Chili’s Bar & Grill, Maggiano’s Little Italy as well as virtual brands. Allen says, “Let me start with if you don't know Brinker you probably don't know casual dining because over the course of the last forty-five plus years we've owned 30 different brands. But today our core brands are Chili’s, Maggiano's Little Italy and then we launched a virtual brand called, It's Just Wings about two years ago.”Allen’s role with the company is SVP and chief digital officer and his focus is on the on 1.2 billion dollars off-premise business. Over the last ten years Allen has had four different positions inside of the company, today he is running all of off-premise. In 2022 Kevin Hochman became the new President and CEO and his leadership is driving the team to be hyper focused on the things that reality matter. They talk about how Brinker is bringing the kitchen of the future to life today with kitchen automation. Allen shares that they have two new pieces of equipment including a grill that cooks proteins to perfection with a touch of a button. The second is an oven that Allen says cooks foods really fast and their steaks in 3 - 4 minutes, cooked perfectly. Brinker focuses on bringing their own innovation solutions as well as working with companies to integrate good technology. Allen gets to throw a question to Frischling and Schatzy during their talking back segment and he asks, how much technology is too much technology in the restaurant world? Is there a limit or is all technology great technology? Schatzy’s says, “I think the key is it's the integrations and the workflow and how does it work with everything you already have and your business so coming up with a solution for a problem is great, but every restaurant group is a little bit different. It's not the right fit for everybody or it's the right fit but it doesn't work into my flow.” Frischling adds, “I think there was an explosion of tech and to Schatzy's point and when he's talking about integrations I think the fact is the remainder of this year and even a lot of 24 are going to be about consolidation.”To hear more about what to expect in restaurant technology and the foodservice feud question, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Bo Davis, co-founder and chief executive officer of MarginEdge.Davis before founding MarginEdge was the founder of Wasabi, a group of conveyor belt sushi restaurants currently operating in DC and Boston. Before Wasabi, he was in the US Peace Corps serving in Macedonia, earned an MS in Finance from London Business School, and founded an educational software company, Prometheus, which he sold to Blackboard in 2002. Davis had a restaurant in Northern Virginia and where he is based and primarily focuses on MarginEdge. In December 2022 MarginEdge secured $45 million in a Series C funding. Davis says, “as far as deploying new capital, we're not pivoting, we're digging in, where we are here to help restaurant restaurateurs operate and make their back lives a little bit easier, solve some problems for them so they can focus on their customers and their food.” Davis talks about the team and shares, “We're continuing to grow our product team now, we wrote most of the core product with five people and now we're growing to 45 people and dev, our sales team was a handful of people for a long time. We're now at about 50 people there, so we're just building out the team, we're going to market and we're pretty excited about it.” MarginEdge primarily focussed on selling to restaurants will now be selling to accountants and accounting firms that work with restaurants. Davis talks about selling to accounting firms and he says, “You know it's one of those things where we were doing it before, not really realizing we were doing it because it wasn't intentional but bookkeepers and accounting firms working with restaurants found the software super helpful because it basically takes out part of the headache of just capturing the invoices, getting them into accounting, tying in the point of sales, getting that into the accounting system so they can focus on the higher value things that they do, the cash flow management and the strategic stuff. And so we found that some of our biggest clients were actually firms.” To hear Davis’ answer for Tuesday Trivia and the new rollout for MarginEdge check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were live from the Restaurant Marketing Summit where they talked with Robert Guarino, partner at Chef Driven and Andrew Nash, chief executive officer of Targetable. Guarino is a New York City restaurateur that has been in the city managing and owning restaurants since 1996. Chef Driven is a multi-concept restaurant group with all of their locations in New York City. The company has thirty years of history and are currently running 14 restaurants, 13 are unique concepts with 2 new concepts in development. Nash, an executive with over thirty years experience in technology, is the chief executive officer at Targetable, a done-for-you digital marketing platform for the restaurant and hospitality industry. They talk about customer journey marketing and Nash shares it’s all about the venue and experience and you need to create awareness, acquisition or the pre-customer, repeat customer or ideal customer follows and a loyalist or whale. Guarino jumps into the customer journey marketing topic and says as operators you need to get the customers into your restaurant as well as keep customers coming back by establishing initiatives. The discussion goes to having the right technology in restaurants that will allow employees to better service the guest and create a better guest experience. Guarino talks about using the guest feedback to power marketing. He says that guest feedback should be the key to keeping all of your existing guests and getting them back in the door. To hear the questions asked during the Talking Back, Marketing Addition and more about the importance of guest feedback from Nash and Guarino plus get the insights on how to treat customers throughout their journey as a guest in your restaurant check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road at the ICR Conference 2023 in Orlando, Florida with guests Jim Balis, Managing Director, Capital Spring, Scott Lawton, CEO & CoFounder, Bartaco and Fred LeFranc, CEO, Results Thru Strategy. Balis leads CapitalSpring’s Strategic Operations Group. He stops by to talk with the guys at ICR to discuss what’s new at CapitalSpring. Balis shares the news that they closed on a fund back in April. He says he is excited about it and that they are going to continue to invest in the restaurant space. Balis says, “we've invested out of that fund already in some very exciting ventures and opportunities. As I think you guys know, what makes us unique is that we invest both in debt and equity.” Bartaco CEO and co-founder, Scott Lawton chats with the guys about having 24 company owned restaurants now and opening another 6 this year. Lawton says, “We're really excited, we've been kind of building up since covid and all these these are covid deals we're finally getting to launch the new fleet and we are super excited about it.” They are opening in Chicago and Charleston for the first time. They talk about Lawton’s view on 2023 biggest tech trends and he says, “Better ideas, better efficiency and we're going to have to figure out ways to drop more to the bottom line without adding to the top line.” LeFranc, CEO at Results Thru Strategy talks about the company and says, “Results Thru Strategy started in 2007 some so my co-founding partners and I decided that the industry needed an advisory firm that was not just an unemployed exec trolling for a job and we got together with 4 of us and now have over 15 entrepreneurial experts with minimum 30 years experience in their area of expertise we help emerging restaurant brands with a pathway to growth, we help legacy brands that need to revitalize their brand because they've lost relevance with their customers and we do a tremendous amount of work with technology companies that are trying to sell to the space.” To hear more from all of the guests that stopped by to chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at ICR, get branded quickfire Orlando addition responses and the crystal ball answers check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Trevor Shimizu, co-founder and chief revenue officer of Brizo FoodMetrics. It is a data and analytics provider for the foodservice industry, analyzing 1.3 million eating and drinking establishments in Canada and the United States. Shimizu played professional ball for a few years before getting into technology. Frischling repeats one of his favorite podcast topics and says, “That operators did not get into the restaurant industry to become data analysts and funny enough Brizo didn't start off in the data industry to be restaurant data miners. So you know we're all kind of in this together now.” He adds that the first two pilots were actually foodservice businesses that led Shimizu to become Brizo FoodMetrics specializing in food metrics and the foodservice space.“We were taking some time, it took about a year to be quite honest with you. Doing a lot of research to understand where we might be able to bring our expertise, we just happened to come across two foodservice companies, technology companies within Québec City that asked us to do some projects with them on a pilot.” Shimizu shares about how Brizo started. He adds, “You know our expertise would be huge and so that's where the collection of the online data, organizing it and then presenting it through our all in one dashboard became extremely helpful and that's why we decided to put our focus right into the food service industry.” Shimizu talks about capturing visibility and reputation scoring. He explains, “the more sources that we find you online the higher your visibility score is going to be and we're also comparing you to your peers within that particular area. As an example, if you've only got a Facebook page at this time in the industry then you know you're going to get an extremely low score because most people are on five to six 6 sources whereas if you're on Facebook, you're on Instagram, you've got a profile on DoorDash and Uber Eats and your website and all these other places obviously your visibility scoring is going to be higher.” Reputation scoring is where they capture ratings and reviews from different sources and analyze a restaurant compared to their peers to see if your reputation is higher or lower than businesses in your area. To hear why technology companies are embarrassing Brizo, Tuesday Trivia, true or false answers and more about the NextBite partnership check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Tablz chief executive officer, Frazer Nagy. Tablz is an immersive 3D booking experience that is redefining the future of dining by enabling diners to select and to the table of their choice. Nagy talks about getting started in the restaurant industry, he says, “I think like a lot of successful founders and a lot of people in our space that make this jump, it's because we started in the industry. I was 13 when a family friend got me working as a banquet server at a golf course for weddings.” He adds, “I've just been in the industry my whole life, from busing to dishwashing, a little bit of even prep cooking. But I always had the gift of the gab. So the minute I turned 18 it made a lot more sense for me to be on the floor.”They talk about starting a tech company and Schatzberg says, “I just love when you have a restaurant operator turned techie because who better to know what restaurant operators need.” Frischling adds, “I love that they're the ones leading the technology revolution.” Nagy shares the news about relaunching the brand. He says, “for us brand and design is just at the center of what we do and that's not always the case for restaurant technology, I think often it's overlooked. But we have really created a culture here of a design-centric culture.” he adds, “This is many months in the making and this is something that's really really important because we are taking the Tablz brand and really turning it into this beautiful mature website platform in the digital ecosystem.”The discussion turns to the difference between the terms dynamic pricing and revenue management. Nagy shares, “Revenue management is the big thing. It's what all of those other terms you described fall underneath. So revenue management is really the combination of premium seating which is one element with dynamic pricing. When you add those things together you get revenue management and this is a big part of my life and our thesis and our belief about this industry is that we quite simply are the last industry in the world to do revenue management.” To hear the Tuesday Trivia answers plus get more insights into revenue management and enhancing the customer experience check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Dave Harris, chief information officer as well as chief technology officer at Shake Shack about how technology can enable and enhance the guest experience. Harris has been with Shake Shack for four years and has led technology teams across companies in retail, hospitality and consumer packaged goods. Some companies include Virgin Atlantic, Avis, JetBlue, Yankee Candle and more.Shake Shake serves elevated versions of the classics using only the best ingredients, says Harris. He adds that they are known for great burgers, chicken, hotdogs, frozen custard, beer, wine and more. Core values that Shake Shack focuses on are elevated food, made with the best ingredients, gathering and enriching their neighborhoods, and delivering enlightened hospitality at every touch point, says Harris. The original Shake Shack opened in New York’s Madison Square Park in early 2000. They have expanded to more than 400 locations across the United States and internationally. Harris talks about how Shake Shack will retrofit all locations with kiosks by the end of 2023. In 2017 they deployed their first kiosks in the Astor Place location and were able to use that data to develop the rollout program. Harris noted that about half of their locations currently have kiosks. He says that the kiosks are their highest profit margin channel and highest in check average check. Harris talks about investing in technology, he says from a guest perspective they have invested the most. He says they have invested significantly in digital products, they have custom IOS and Android mobile apps, a custom web ordering platform and the kiosk solution. Over the last two years Harris says that Shake Shack had to become more accessible, focus on multichannel delivery and make it easier for the Shack team. To hear Harris talk about the Shake Shack tech stack, including the tech that determines order wait time, plus find out what Harris’ talking back question is for the guys and the details of the foodservice feud check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Nick Stone, Founder and chief executive officer and Amy Hom, chief operating officer and chief people officer from Bluestone Lane. Stone talks about Bluestone, an Australian-inspired coffee shop, cafés & lifestyle brand committed to providing a genuine daily escape for all our locals. They offer premium coffee and healthy and delicious food through an ‘Aussie’ approach to life. Stone comes from a financial background and said he created Bluestone out of necessity. Stone adds that he didn’t leave finance until he had twelve Bluestone Lane locations. Stone offered advice when starting a new business saying, “I highly recommend to a lot of entrepreneurs you don’t have to go all in." He also adds that going all in is another degree of externalities and challenges. Hom has worked for many brands including California Pizza Kitchen, Wolfgang Puck, Red Robin and Sweetgreen. Hom says she has been blessed to work with great brands. She met Nick last year and Hom says Bluestone is a sexy brand and it is all about hospitality. Frischling says that what separates Bluestone Lane they lead with hospitality and connect with their locals. He adds that you can count on your local barista to know your name and recognize you when you walk in the door at Bluestone. They talk about the importance of hospitality and how it starts with great people. Hom shares that they take care of their employees and utilize heart checks. The locals are very important but they make sure their employees are taken care of too. She says it keeps them close and helps with retention. To hear about Bluestone cafés concept, the guys talk about real estate, the answers to the Tuesday trivia questions and the technology they are using check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with R.J. Melman, President of Lettuce Entertain You, a fifty-one year old restaurant group that is privately held with over one hundred and twenty restaurants across the country in thirteen different states. It is based out of Chicago, Illinois. Melman’s dad, Rich Melman started the company back in 1971 when he opened a restaurant with his best friend Jerry Orzoff. Melman’s siblings Jarrod and Molly are both part of the Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants team. The guys share breaking news and say that Lettuce has just opened their first restaurant in Florida. It is Aba, a Mediterranean restaurant that brings cooking influences from the Mediterranean, including Israel, Lebanon, Turkey and Greece. Also the group is opening RPM Italian in West Palm Beach and Summer House in Orlando. In Chicago in 2023 Melman talks about the new collaboration between Tao Group Hospitality. The partnership will bring a new private members club. The guys also talk about the Lettuce loyalty program that has been around for more than three decades. Now the program is free through the app. Recently they announced that Lettuce has partnered with DoorDash for a first of its kind loyalty program. The program powered by DoorDash will now allow guests to receive loyalty points and redeem gift cards for takeout and delivery. Melman’s goal when he became President was to use tech to transcend hospitality in dining rooms, bringing hospitality and technology together. Melman says they are in the process of switching over our general ledger, HR solution and more. Melman shares how the company continues to keep things going well with all of the expansion. They have been consistent on expansion over the last thirty years and said that the team has played a role in the growth. To hear more about Lettuce’s tech strategy, the foodservice feud and the talking back segment plus get the answer to the trivia question, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Aaron Noveshen, Founder and CEO of Starbird and Founder and Chairman of The Culinary Edge. The Culinary Edge is a food and beverage innovation firm that was started by Noveshen over twenty years ago and Starbird is a fast-casual chicken chain that their team created after identifying chicken was about to grow significantly. The guys talk to Noveshen about the success of marketing Starbird’s limited time offers, better known as LTOs including the Cali Bacon Dutch Crunch. The Dutch crunch bread is baked in house and the chicken sandwich has made it to the menu. Novenshen says that their secret sauce is their Star Sauce. Starbird earlier this month made QSRs best brands to work for list. The company is known for developing talent and its people first culture as well as provides incentives and educational programs for their employees as well. “Good food can come and go, restaurant concepts can come and go but the people are what it’s all about,” says Noveshen. He adds, “our tagline is positively delicious chicken, it’s our goal everyday to create positivity, not only in the lives of the people walking in the door everyday but also the people who are working there everyday. We want to make a difference in their lives.” Noveshen asks the guys how they prioritize everything they need to do everyday during the talking back segment. Frischling says how he loves to create lists and loves what they do. Schatzberg and Frischling both feel strongly about their hospitality community and said that their village helps them do what they need to do everyday. To hear more about Starbird’s values and the foodservice feud question plus Noveshen's Tuesday Trivia story about being a Lyft driver check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout podcast, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” were on the road at the Restaurant, Finance and Development Conference in Las Vegas with guests Andrew Smith, Managing Director of Savory Fund, Andy Wiederhorn, Chief Executive Officer of Fat Brands and Tim McLaughlin, Chief Executive Officer of GoTab. Smith is Managing Partner of Savory Management, a Mercato Partners value-add management company, that focuses on delivering outsized returns through strategic growth and replication strategies. They partner with high-potential restaurant concepts to deliver necessary capital, industry knowledge, and operational prowess to facilitate growth into multi-unit brands and they specialize in taking fast casual and polished casual food and beverage concepts with between 2 and 8 locations and scales them into 30 plus units. Smith talks about growth, brands and shares breaking news with the guys. Wiederhorn has served as a director and Chief Executive Officer of FAT Brands Inc. since its formation. It is a global franchising company that acquires, markets, and develops fast-casual, quick-service, casual dining, and polished casual dining concepts around the world. They own seventeen restaurant brands including Round Table Pizza, Fatburger, Marble Slab Creamery, Johnny Rockets, Fazoli’s, Twin Peaks and more. Wiederhorn talks about growth and acquisitions and buying 9 new brands. They talk about Fat Brands looking at new acquisitions and having a one thousand store pipeline of stores to be built. The idea of GoTab was started when co-founder McLaughlin started his first restaurant and brewery in 2015. GoTab, Inc., is a Restaurant Commerce Platform helping large and mid-sized restaurants, breweries, bars, hotels and other venues run lean, profitable operations while making guests even more satisfied. Recently the brand made Inc. Power Partner Awards. McLaughlin talks about the importance of integrations and what is next for GoTab. To hear more from all of the guests that stopped by to chat with Schatzberg and Frischling at RFDC and Branded Quickfire, check out this episode Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Carin Stutz, president and chief executive officer at Native Foods. Stutz has been in the industry for five decades and worked with brands such as Red Robin, Wendy’s, Cosi, Applebee’s and more. Stutz said looking back at her career and her early start at McDonald’s, she loved being in the restaurant business. Native Foods, the plant-based fast-casual brand launched back in 1994 before the plant-based restaurants were popular. They have twelve restaurants in three states, Colorado, California and Illinois. Stutz says that the brand is really leaning into vegan comfort food, delicious, nostalgic food with a twist. Recently they hired a new chef to bring innovation to the brand. Frischling talks about plant-based foods and says, in the U.S. alone plant-based foods are a $7.4 billion dollar market and are growing three times as fast as overall food sales and grocery retailers nationwide. He says despite these numbers there are still some wary customers. Stutz talks about soy benefits as a protein and the myth around it as well as the innovation around vegetable proteins. Stutz offers advice for operators that may not have plant-based foods on their menu, to introduce consumers to plant-based foods. She says, operators need to go all in to vegan if they are adding a plant-based menu item. Stutz says it is an easy sustainable message. She adds that there are usually three reasons you see the guest come to your restaurant for plant-based options, one is health, second is environment and lastly is animal compassion. In addition to Native Foods, Stutz sits on several boards including Kura Sushi and Checkers & Rally’s Restaurants. She says it is an honor to be on a board and she looks at board service as her giving years. She wants people to look at the foodservice industry as a real career. To hear more about Stutz’s insights on the industry, technology and innovation and her answer to her Trivia Tuesday question about George Clooney, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy”chat with André Vener, partner and co-founder of Dog Haus. Dog Haus is known for its signature all beef Haus Dogs and handcrafted proprietary Haus Sausages, as well as its 100% genetically tested, humanely raised, hormone- and antibiotic-free Black Angus beef from Creekstone Farms. The founding partners are three friends who share a passion for creativity, quality and commitment to community. They are Hagop Giragossian, Quasim Riaz and Andre Vener and they opened their first Dog Haus in Pasadena, California in 2010. Frischling starts out the episode by asking the Trivia Tuesday segment question, “Was Vener a guest at Michael Jackson’s funeral?” Where the answer will be revealed at the end of the show. Vener talks about Dog Haus and says they have about sixty locations in twelve states and the restaurant is known for dogs, sausage, burgers, hot national chicken sandwiches, plant-based foods, a kick-ass bar program and their virtual brands. Vener is asked about his foresight to create virtual brands prior to the pandemic and the launch of The Absolute Brands. Vener talks about breaking down the Dog Haus menu to create five different companies by looking at items that were ordered for take out. During the pandemic Dog Haus was able to give their franchisees the opportunity to offer brands that had been created only for ghost kitchens. They would be able to have five concepts to offer for delivery since the bars and restaurants were shut down. Dog Haus went from minus 45% in April to being up 12.5% in the second half of the year with all of the shutdowns. The virtual kitchens started running solely within their stores but have since partnered with Kitchen United, Kroger and CloudKitchen to grow their reach. Vener talks about the convenience of having Kitchen United brands in a grocery store. He shares how you are able to order from multiple brands all in the ease of placing one order. This is also a great way to introduce the name of brands to grocery store customers. To hear Tuesday's Trivia answer and how Vener is bringing Bad-Ass Breakfast Burrito concept to a brick-and-mortar, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” chat with Mani Kulasooriya, Co-Founder & CEO of Cut+Dry plus the guys introduce a new segment, Trivia Tuesday and share a fun trivia question about their guest at the end of the show. Cut+Dry is an all-in-one commerce enablement platform for foodservice distributors. It was created to provide distributors, their customers, and their suppliers with a single digital platform to make food commerce a more enjoyable, more profitable, and less wasteful experience. Kulasooriya has been working in tech for over twenty plus years. He started in consumer internet and fintech before fintech was even coined. Before founding Cut+Dry, in 2019, Mani co-founded CAKE, a restaurant technology startup, which was acquired by Sysco. All founders start a company based on some experience they had, positive or negative. Kulasooriya shares how he took specific experiences from Citigroup, Yahoo and CAKE before he developed Cut+Dry. Kulasooriya says that Cut+Dry has the largest structured data base in the industry. He adds that the big problem that they are solving can have significant benefits to the foodservice ecosystem and also to humanity in general. Kulasooriya notes that 30% of food getting thrown out has environmental and social consequences. They talk about the role that data plays for the operators, distributors and the manufacturers. Cut+Dry does the heavy lifting with the data then gives the operators, manufacturers and distributors the applications that make their businesses run better. To hear more about how the data can positively impact the total business, the use case for the restaurants and Kulasooriya’s Trivia Tuesday answer, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.