The Main Course: Recent Episodes
MarketScale
Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.
The pandemic accelerated many aspects of the restaurant industry, including the ways in which consumers interact with QSR’s. Bringing in the Global Head of Technology for Xenial, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Chris Siefken about the changing nature of QSR’s and the technology that is here to address them.
Restaurant technology is, and always has been, about figuring out what restaurants and guests want. The software technology company Xenial, which was taken from the Ancient Greek word for hospitality, has taken that challenge head on.
“So, we offer a large number of products, they generally represent something like 16 categories, the primary space we’re probably most well-known for…is in the point of sales space. We provide point of sales systems to the vast majority of our customers,” explained Siefken. Xenial’s top-notch technology comprises a significant market share of the top 25 brands, including Restaurant Brand International, Taco Bell, and Jack-in-the-Box. Their services include digital menu solutions, kitchen solutions, kitchen automation, drive-thru technology, automation, and kiosks.
Siefken credited their success to long-standing relationships with restaurants. Denny’s has been a customer for 30+ years and is now on their third iteration of technology improvements. Long-term relationships allow Xenial to build trust and rapor with their clients. Siefken noted that while, “not every customer has every product,” Xenial is able to demonstrate success by trying to, “provide not products so much as solutions.”
As such, Xenial is advancing the QSR market in their current pilot program. Siefken said, “We are working on some fairly sophisticated drive-thru automation workflows.” These improvements include improved computer vision, which aims to improve customer experience by adding insightful data for both restaurant and customer. With this new system, “We know how long the line is beyond the menu board,” said Siefken.
The restaurant industry has historically been slow to shift and adopt new technology. Ben Simmons, Co-founder and COO of Table Needs recalled a meeting in 2012 when a restaurant owner was considering building a website. Websites were pretty mainstream, but it shows an example of generalization. Today, as reported by Restaurant Dive, 77% of diners look up the restaurant online before visiting.
Table Needs, in simple terms, is a point of sale company. However, it’s much more than that. It interconnects multiple systems for seamless updates. It started as a QR menu company and has evolved into something bigger. Simmons compares it to the gap between Square and Toast. Most restaurant technology is disjointed. “There are all these different sectors of tech that flow back into each other. You gotta stitch together seven tools to get them to all work together,” said Simmons.
Table Needs focuses on small quick-service restaurants. It connects the online menu and the website, which allows management to make changes once but for that update to flow across the connected spaces. “Becoming nimble is a big asset in [times of] volatility,” pointed out host Barbara Castiglia. Table Needs focuses on a small segment of the restaurant market and covers all its needs in one product.
Simmons and Castiglia turn the conversation to how things changed during covid. Simmons noticed that the pandemic “increased the speed of adoption, still a lot of hesitancy within the restaurant space.” Restauranteurs want simplicity and reliability. What Simmons hears consistently from his clients is, “how simple can you make it and for it to just work?”
Table Needs sets every client up for success with an extensive and detailed onboarding process. The company takes care of set up details, inputting the menu, and training the staff.
“Ignoring this digital presence is just money left on the table,” said Simmons. It opens up an entirely different revenue stream from current customers. For restaurants ready to tackle new technology, they should consider small changes with the most significant impact. Alternatively, remove the barrier to entry. Restaurants grow when they get their product out there and build their brand.
Groupon has it wrong. Or at least partially. Taking a deep dive into customer data and analytics, Zach Goldstein, CEO & Founder of Thanx, a loyalty, CRM, and guest engagement platform shares his insight on what it means to build customer loyalty with host Barbara Castiglia.
Our understanding of what loyalty is, is wrong. While the Groupon model of offering discounts will get customers in the door, it won’t make them come back. This model of offering discounts is outdated and ineffective. According to Goldstein, loyalty should mean something else.
Goldstein explained, “Loyalty means maximizing customer lifetime value. Loyalty means building relationship with your best customers and it starts with knowing who those people are. Discounts can be one tool but they can’t be the only tool or you are stuck in a rote rewards program which really is not maximizing loyalty.”
The way customers engage with restaurants today has changed over the last three to four years, accelerated by the pandemic. Now, customers are ordering online and dining off site, with some portion of that revenue going to third party delivery.
When a similar situation began happening in a different industry, brands came up with a solution. Goldstein said, “The only way those brands fought back…by having a loyalty program and encouraging consumers to book directly or in the case of restaurants, purchase directly.”
There is a reason airlines have loyalty programs and why hotel chains have stuck around for so long: loyalty programs that provides the correct incentives and recognizes the customer. The system should be the same for restaurants. Loyalty programs with incentives specific to the customer are no longer niceties, but necessities.
Using guest engagement technology, Goldstein is able to “talk” to customers without them being in the restaurant. Incentivizing consumer behavior can help bring customers into the restaurant AND have them spend more money while there. Goldstein said this is key.
The co-CEO and co-founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall, talked with host Barbara Castiglia of the podcast “The Main Course,” about the rise of his coffee chain. Founded in Lansing, Michigan over 27 years ago, today Biggby Coffee is one of the most popular coffee chains in the Midwest region. McFall said decades ago he took a leap into an industry that was fairly new. Brewing a coffee business from the ground up took a lot of work, and more importantly, it took even more for two business partners to know they could expand and operate their company under the franchise model.
“It was a natural fit for my partner and I. We both tend to lean into being teachers, we love working with other people as partners, and the franchise business model is very much that,” said McFall.
Under the mentorship of Fred Deluca, the founder of Subway franchise, McFall added that they were able to see the positive benefits of franchising, and why the framework allowed them to significantly grow. Owners of Biggby Coffee franchises are equipped with their own skill sets in the making of a thriving business, and McFall said he favors that above all.
“Franchise owners, locally, they’re not your employees, that is for certain, and they’re independent business people … all of them come with some degree of success in another arena,” said McFall. “They’re very experienced people and we really like that. There’s a lot of energy in the franchise business model that way.”
Another highlight of Biggby Coffee’s success was their take on menu item names, opting for creative terms for their lattes that often incorporate pop culture terms, such as Caramel Marvel. But a major highlight for the company came at the height of their business boom. Initially called Beaner’s Coffee, about a decade into operations, McFall and his partner realized they needed to change the entire company’s name. Unfortunately, the former portion of the original business name is also an ethnic slur for Mexican-Americans.
“It was something that we obviously weren't aware of originally right when we formed it, we became aware of it very quickly.
After much discussion between himself and his partner, McFall decided that the name change would occur and every location they had would become Biggby Coffee. He said his eyes were opened and “it just became very apparent that you don't want to have a name in any way derogatory toward anybody,” McFall said.
However, the name change process contractually required the franchise owners to foot the bill of the cost of the change that needed to be reflected in signage, and the price tag was quite hefty. But it was a commitment he was willing to abide by and McFall shelled out almost $1 million to ensure that all Biggby Coffee franchises were under the new name.
McFall stated that the franchise business model was the best decision for his company. Although he claims not every franchise owner can have a positive experience, and has had some challenges in the past, he added that to guarantee a lucrative franchise company is knowing the best types of partners to collaborate with.
Healthy Pour is a consultancy whose mission is to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations within the hospitality and adjacent sectors through education, coaching, intervention development, and research. Laura Louise Green, Founder of Healthy Pour, joined Barbara Castiglia to talk about this critical concern in the restaurant and hospitality industry.
Green, a licensed professional counselor and organizational consultant from Chicago, IL, spent nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry and understood the challenges, pressures, and needs. Those pressures led to her switching careers and becoming a licensed therapist. And now, with those skills in hand, Green realized she possessed the tools to address those needs and help others in the industry.
“I decided to start focusing my career on mental health in the hospitality industry to see if I could do something to address these issues,” Green said. And the deeper she went into her research, the more she realized that the stresses and problems are more significant than an individual experiencing burnout; the entire surrounding environment needs help. Healthy Pour, as a company, evolved over the past few years to consult with companies to turn stressful environments into positive ones.
“We work with bars and restaurants, and sometimes brands and communities, in general, to assess what’s going on in the space, and help bars and restaurants be healthier, so that their workplace is healthier,” Green said.
Burnout is a genuine issue and concern in the hospitality industry, and most may recognize it as tired. But Green said that is merely the first step. Quickly, that exhaustion can turn into apathy and an eventual lack of productivity. It’s essential to recognize signs of burnout and develop intervention plans before it becomes widespread, and a toxic environment ensues. “Social support and organizational support are both ways to mitigate burnout in the workplace.”
Jessica Valenzuela conceptualized the GoGoGuest system while using the free wifi at cafes around Europe. What started as a wifi marketing solution has evolved into a more significant consumer connection. The company's capabilities connect the consumer to the restaurant amenities and leverage their information back to the restaurant. Today, GoGoGuest services over 300 customers across the US. Valenzuela joins The Main Course to sit down with Barbara Castiglia on how technology is crucial to harnessing restaurant customer loyalty.
“We still call ourselves a start-up, with twelve people working remotely,” said Valenzuela. GoGoGuest is ideal for restaurants, including full-service, fast-casual, bars, and boutique breweries. It targets restaurants with an in-store presence, online sales, and ordering for pick and delivery.
Hospitality Technology Magazine recognized Valenzuela with the Rising Star honor for Top Women in Restaurant Technology Award winners, chosen by the magazine and members of its Research Advisory Board.
Based in San Francisco, CA, GoGoGuest provides hospitality brands with much-needed help to better understand the data they collect. Their suite of customer intelligence solutions uses AI- and data-driven insights to empower restaurants, coffee shops, and bars of all sizes to increase revenue through personalized cross-channel loyalty management, market basket analysis, and customer analytics.
Food Truck Operator reported that restaurants take back control of customer data after two years of third-party delivery systems. The report parallels hotels facing travel platforms a decade ago. Today, restaurants are demanding more control and transparency from third-party delivery systems.
Valenzuela says, “how we help businesses strengthen their relationships with their customers” is at the heart of GoGoGuest. From customers who are just getting their feet wet with data and online messaging to the tech-savvy restauranteurs. GoGoGuest is ready to push its capabilities further and solve problems beyond the customer journey. They ultimately make it more beneficial for the restaurant, increase profit, and enhance the customer experience.
Americans love breakfast. A recent survey indicated that 62% of Americans chose breakfast as their favorite meal of the day. That sounds like an opportunity. Kirk Ruoff, Founder and CEO of Turning Points Restaurant, thinks so as he embarks on turning his award-winning restaurant into a franchise concept. He spoke with The Main Course about his 24-year journey and why now is the right time to spread good breakfast cheer to others.
When Ruoff purchased Turning Points, it was a failing lunch and dinner establishment. It didn’t take him long to realize the dinner crowd wasn’t cutting it, and he switched to breakfast and lunch. Within three-to-six months, Ruoff had a hit on his hands.
Ruoff said he finds today’s diners are shifting their eating behaviors. They aren’t always having three big meals a day, and they’re choosing breakfast as their big-meal day starter. Often, a hearty breakfast will take folks straight through till dinner. “This concept of having brunch, this meal between breakfast and lunch, is gaining a lot of traction,” Ruoff said.
Even the concept of breakfast is changing. Over the past couple of years, Ruoff’s restaurant began offering vegan choices and other menu items that people might not expect during the traditional bacon, eggs, and pancake hours. It’s about keeping things new and exciting and giving diners a chance to try something they might not be able to make at home easily.
It’s a competitive market, and for any restaurant owner & operator, it’s critical to look for ways, both large and small, to differentiate. Ruoff employs a beverage manager to explore new beverage options, source quality beans for their coffee, and create a fun assortment of drinks for the kids. Creating an experience around breakfast gives a customer a reason to seek out a particular restaurant, and Ruoff now wants to expand his brand beyond the New Jersey region. Turning Points Restaurant currently has 21 locations serving three states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.) Ruoff envisions expansion along the eastern seaboard with franchising the preferred method.
“Looking at our industry, and how restaurant managers and people who run restaurants are treated on a day-in, day-out basis, they typically clock anywhere from 65-80 hours a week,” Ruoff said. “They’re working almost every night. They’re missing valuable with their families.” A breakfast/lunch franchise offers these people an opportunity to succeed while achieving a healthy work/life balance.
Americans love breakfast. A recent survey indicated that 62% of Americans chose breakfast as their favorite meal of the day. That sounds like an opportunity. Kirk Ruoff, Founder and CEO of Turning Points Restaurant, thinks so as he embarks on turning his award-winning restaurant into a franchise concept. He spoke with The Maine Course about his 24-year journey and why now is the right time to spread good breakfast cheer to others.
When Ruoff purchased Turning Points, it was a failing lunch and dinner establishment. It didn’t take him long to realize the dinner crowd wasn’t cutting it, and he switched to breakfast and lunch. Within three-to-six months, Ruoff had a hit on his hands.
Ruoff said he finds today’s diners are shifting their eating behaviors. They aren’t always having three big meals a day, and they’re choosing breakfast as their big-meal day starter. Often, a hearty breakfast will take folks straight through till dinner. “This concept of having brunch, this meal between breakfast and lunch, is gaining a lot of traction,” Ruoff said.
Even the concept of breakfast is changing. Over the past couple of years, Ruoff’s restaurant began offering vegan choices and other menu items that people might not expect during the traditional bacon, eggs, and pancake hours. It’s about keeping things new and exciting and giving diners a chance to try something they might not be able to make at home easily.
It’s a competitive market, and for any restaurant owner & operator, it’s critical to look for ways, both large and small, to differentiate. Ruoff employs a beverage manager to explore new beverage options, source quality beans for their coffee, and create a fun assortment of drinks for the kids. Creating an experience around breakfast gives a customer a reason to seek out a particular restaurant, and Ruoff now wants to expand his brand beyond the New Jersey region. Turning Points Restaurant currently has 21 locations serving three states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.) Ruoff envisions expansion along the eastern seaboard with franchising the preferred method.
“Looking at our industry, and how restaurant managers and people who run restaurants are treated on a day-in, day-out basis, they typically clock anywhere from 65-80 hours a week,” Ruoff said. “They’re working almost every night. They’re missing valuable with their families.” A breakfast/lunch franchise offers these people an opportunity to succeed while achieving a healthy work/life balance.
While technology isn’t new, its addition into the restaurant industry has been slow and hesitant. However, the increasing use of automation is driving changes in the industry. Founder and President of CrunchTime! Bill Bellissimo has recognized the importance of technology for over 25 years. Bellissimo chats with host Barbara Castiglia about technology in the restaurant industry and the increasing use of automation into the future.
Growing up in the restaurant business, Bellissimo knew how difficult the industry is but despite this, he said, “There’s always a calling to come back.”
After expanding his parents' restaurant from a single name to over 40 in the course of ten years, Bellissimo set out to build what he wished he had: a technology platform that utilizes data and computers to provide sales forecast, inventory management, team scheduling, labor law compliance, and procurement.
Bellissimo said that while, “The product is radically different today than it was certainly back then,” CrunchTime “really made sure that every customer mattered.” This paid off and provided them with loyal and steadfast clients as well as a constant feedback loop for CrunchTime! to develop their product.
Bellissimo noted, “The whole technology ecosystem has changed.” But CrunchTime! has been really adaptive through this, “us[ing] data science to automate a lot of these capabilities.”
CrunchTime!’s goal is not to eliminate jobs but to help make sure “people are making informed decisions” and to “let the technology help guide them.”
Castiglia said this, “Enables the people to focus on aspects of the job that they do well.”
The goal, Bellissimo reiterated, is to “empower the people…these automations…let the people that define the brand just be out with the guests, coaching their coworkers…” and not worry about inventory, deliveries etc…
For CrunchTime! automation means easing the burden,“destress[ing] their jobs, let[ing] them do things that are more fulfilling,” said Bellissimo.
Wing It On! is a QSR brand focused on providing chicken lovers with better wings and sandwiches in a takeout and delivery model. Matt Ensero, Wing It On’s CEO, launched his first location in 2011 in Waterbury, CT. Today, Wing it On! is in ten locations with one food truck and nine brick & mortar establishments. Ensero spoke with Barbara Castiglia on his concept of building a better wing.
“When we say building a better wing concept, we mean building a better takeout and delivery wing concept,” Ensero explained. While there are many sports bars and sit-down restaurants with extraordinary wings, Ensero believes there’s an opening in the takeout and delivery market to provide exceptional and authentic Buffalo-style wings.
Ensero’s formula for a successful QSR venture starts with homemade sauces and toppings for all menu items. Next Ensero developed what he calls, a whole bird strategy. Wing It On!’s menu includes items that include breast meat for sandwiches and thighs. Not only does this approach make more use of the bird, but it provides cost savings for the franchise operations.
Wing It On! is not immune to the challenges brought on by the pandemic and some of the supply-chain shortages. Still, Ensero said they moved quickly to identify 5-8 SKUs of a potential need to keep inventory levels stable. As for the other challenge brought on by the pandemic—staffing shortages, Ensero said they’d navigated that situation too.
“We’ve just focused on and doubled down on what we’ve always done, and that’s to hire great people, pay them a fair, livable wage, and make work a fun place to be,” Ensero said.
As Wing It On! Seeks to expand its operations with new food trucks and brick & mortar franchise locations, the recipe for success is to keep the store footprint small to drive high sales per square foot. Finding small area locations is not as easy as before the pandemic because Ensero said everyone these days is looking for a smaller footprint.
The omnichannel experience that first wreaked havoc with the retail industry quickly began to make its impact on the restaurant industry even before the pandemic. The disruption caused by the pandemic accelerated this trend requiring restaurant owners of national chains and family-run businesses as well as every restaurant version in between to adapt or die.
Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland worked together at Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen headquartered in Pasadena, CA in the early days of the company still in its start-up phase. Osbourn had formerly worked in the convenience retail world for 15 years at BP in the convenience store space where he first saw the shift in consumerism coupled with an increased desire for healthier food.
Prior to joining Kitchen United, Sandland spent a decade working within the restaurant industry at Taco Bell where she started in brand development and then moved on to real estate development. When the omnichannel disruption created the desire for a “commissary where she could simply deliver tacos out the door and not have a restaurant, particularly in high-congested areas such as Manhattan.”
At Kitchen United, the two worked together to create a business model that would support Sandland’s dreams. And Orsbourn was introduced to “this incredible ecosystem of restaurants that are looking to change and move with the times. Even though they were looking to work in a ghost kitchen environment, which, of course, was pre-pandemic at this stage, a lot of them were actually still struggling to adapt to change.”
Their experiences working with clients and consumers inspired them to collaborate on writing a book that would help restaurants succeed in a ghost kitchen world. And, in 2021, they published Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food.
The omnichannel experience that first wreaked havoc with the retail industry quickly began to make its impact on the restaurant industry even before the pandemic. The disruption caused by the pandemic accelerated this trend requiring restaurant owners of national chains and family-run businesses as well as every restaurant version in between to adapt or die.
Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland worked together at Kitchen United, a ghost kitchen headquartered in Pasadena, CA in the early days of the company still in its start-up phase. Osbourn had formerly worked in the convenience retail world for 15 years at BP in the convenience store space where he first saw the shift in consumerism coupled with an increased desire for healthier food.
Prior to joining Kitchen United, Sandland spent a decade working within the restaurant industry at Taco Bell where she started in brand development and then moved on to real estate development. When the omnichannel disruption created the desire for a “commissary where she could simply deliver tacos out the door and not have a restaurant, particularly in high-congested areas such as Manhattan.”
At Kitchen United, the two worked together to create a business model that would support Sandland’s dreams. And Orsbourn was introduced to “this incredible ecosystem of restaurants that are looking to change and move with the times. Even though they were looking to work in a ghost kitchen environment, which, of course, was pre-pandemic at this stage, a lot of them were actually still struggling to adapt to change.”
Their experiences working with clients and consumers inspired them to collaborate on writing a book that would help restaurants succeed in a ghost kitchen world. And, in 2021, they published Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food.
Can seafood really be as accessible as the corner bar? Shuckin’ Shack was designed on this premise of making seafood an everyday menu item as opposed to the white tablecloth service. The company’s CEO Jonathan Weathington joined The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia to share the company’s story and his thoughts on franchising.
While Shuckin' Shack is a franchise with locations in the southeast, the vision is for it to feel local. “We want to take the pretense out of seafood and build a community,” Weathington explained. Not only is that critical, they are also committed to responsibly sourced seafood.
Weathington doesn’t come from a background of restaurant experience. Instead, he considers his love for customer service and people made this job a “natural fit.”
The restaurant has experienced success and is expanding. Much of that has to do with the business model, uniqueness, and broad appeal. Weathington explained that a market research project revealed that the average customer was between 25 and 75 and 50% male and 50% female. “Our average customer is everyone,” he added.
The locations also vary from central business districts to suburbia. No matter where the store is or who it owns it, they all have that local, authentic coastal atmosphere. That attracts would-be franchisees, too. Weathington explained their ideal partner. “Grit is the first quality, someone who can push through, but this business is difficult. They also have to be communicators because the personality of the owner is what makes or breaks a restaurant.”
Shuckin’ Shack, like any restaurant, dealt with issues in the past few years, from closings to supply chain to staffing. Weathington shared, “We understand that we’re successful because of our front-line employees. We talk to them; ask them what they need beyond just the money or better hours. We want to meet those needs.”
Can seafood really be as accessible as the corner bar? Shuckin’ Shack was designed on this premise of making seafood an everyday menu item as opposed to the white tablecloth service. The company’s CEO Jonathan Weathington joined The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia to share the company’s story and his thoughts on franchising.
While Shuckin' Shack is a franchise with locations in the southeast, the vision is for it to feel local. “We want to take the pretense out of seafood and build a community,” Weathington explained. Not only is that critical, they are also committed to responsibly sourced seafood.
Weathington doesn’t come from a background of restaurant experience. Instead, he considers his love for customer service and people made this job a “natural fit.”
The restaurant has experienced success and is expanding. Much of that has to do with the business model, uniqueness, and broad appeal. Weathington explained that a market research project revealed that the average customer was between 25 and 75 and 50% male and 50% female. “Our average customer is everyone,” he added.
The locations also vary from central business districts to suburbia. No matter where the store is or who it owns it, they all have that local, authentic coastal atmosphere. That attracts would-be franchisees, too. Weathington explained their ideal partner. “Grit is the first quality, someone who can push through, but this business is difficult. They also have to be communicators because the personality of the owner is what makes or breaks a restaurant.”
Shuckin’ Shack, like any restaurant, dealt with issues in the past few years, from closings to supply chain to staffing. Weathington shared, “We understand that we’re successful because of our front-line employees. We talk to them; ask them what they need beyond just the money or better hours. We want to meet those needs.”
After 15 years as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry, Christie Lagally decided to utilize her skills to champion plant-based foods. Barbara Castiglia spoke Lagally, Founder and Chief Executive Officer at rebellyous foods, about her unique career path and why plant-based foods are so important to her.
When Lagally first went to college she attended culinary school. She quickly learned that her gifts were not to be found in this space and went to a more traditional school eventually graduating with a Mechanical Engineering degree. She is now applying her knowledge to creating plan-based foods and making them more affordable to the general public.
When asked about her journey to today, Lagally explained that ending up where she is now is not as random as it might appear. Lagally has over 15 years of volunteer service for various animal protection agencies including a 7+ year engagement as a Washington State Council Member for The Humane Society of the United States.
“As an advocate, I was passionate about these issues because I care about people, I care about animals. I'd seen a lot of people in my family particularly either sadly pass away or just suffer very badly from diet-related diseases that we now know are heavily impacted by what we eat and how they can even be mitigated by changing what we eat,” stated Lagally.
She’s clearly passionate about the mission of rebellyous foods which produces plant-based nuggets, tenders, and patties that cook just like traditional breaded chicken products. The company has even been able to produce nuggets for the national K12 Food Service program allowing schools to offer a nutritious and cost-effective chicken alternative. An added benefit, plant-based foods offer a tasty treat without added chemicals and preservatives including antibiotics.
Moving forward, rebellyous foods aims to continue making plant-based meat better and cheaper by advancing manufacturing practices and technologies to bring its products to market throughout the U.S.
The Main Course served up something sweet when Nicole Di Pietro, Vice President at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, dropped in to talk all about these tasty frozen treats served up with a smile.
Jeremiah’s Italian is no newbie to the frozen treat stage; they’ve been scooping Italian Ice since 1996. Florida residents know Jeremiah’s, where it established a following, but now one can find their ices in nine states and counting.
But Jeremiah’s is more than just a frozen treat venue. Di Pietro said they are a concept that’s serving experiences. “We are a people business that happens to be serving a delicious and indulgent treat.”
Di Pietro was a Jeremiah’s customer long before she joined the team. At this time, Jeremiah was looking to expand and not so coincidentally looking for Di Pietro’s help in making it a reality. “So, that’s what we’ve been putting in place for the past five years,” Di Pietro said. “To get to the point where we can actually share our culture, our experience, and our product with communities all across the Southeastern United States.”
There are twenty-four-to-twenty-six Italian Ice flavors available at all Jeremiah’s locations at any given time. Combine these ices with Jeremiah's creamy vanilla or chocolate ice cream and the Magnifica Creazione; the Gelati is at one's waiting fingertips. Mix and match to one's heart's content, and with additional toppings available, Di Pietro said there's no end to the flavor combinations.
And great news for frozen treat fans; Di Pietro said there is no one target demographic for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. All are welcome, and all are deserving of a tasty boost. They are a family-oriented establishment, but no matter how large or small someone’s family is—step inside Jeremiah’s, and they’ll treat you like one of their own.
The Main Course served up something sweet when Nicole Di Pietro, Vice President at Jeremiah’s Italian Ice, dropped in to talk all about these tasty frozen treats served up with a smile.
Jeremiah’s Italian is no newbie to the frozen treat stage; they’ve been scooping Italian Ice since 1996. Florida residents know Jeremiah’s, where it established a following, but now one can find their ices in nine states and counting.
But Jeremiah’s is more than just a frozen treat venue. Di Pietro said they are a concept that’s serving experiences. “We are a people business that happens to be serving a delicious and indulgent treat.”
Di Pietro was a Jeremiah’s customer long before she joined the team. At this time, Jeremiah was looking to expand and not so coincidentally looking for Di Pietro’s help in making it a reality. “So, that’s what we’ve been putting in place for the past five years,” Di Pietro said. “To get to the point where we can actually share our culture, our experience, and our product with communities all across the Southeastern United States.”
There are twenty-four-to-twenty-six Italian Ice flavors available at all Jeremiah’s locations at any given time. Combine these ices with Jeremiah's creamy vanilla or chocolate ice cream and the Magnifica Creazione; the Gelati is at one's waiting fingertips. Mix and match to one's heart's content, and with additional toppings available, Di Pietro said there's no end to the flavor combinations.
And great news for frozen treat fans; Di Pietro said there is no one target demographic for Jeremiah’s Italian Ice. All are welcome, and all are deserving of a tasty boost. They are a family-oriented establishment, but no matter how large or small someone’s family is—step inside Jeremiah’s, and they’ll treat you like one of their own.
Colorado restauranteur Bobby Stuckey, Partner & Master Sommelier at Frasca Food and Wine, knows the challenges of making a restaurant a success under normal economic conditions. Add in a global pandemic, and the recipe for any restaurant owner is one for trying to avoid disaster and keep the doors open. SOMM TV documents Stuckey’s struggle for survival, and that of an entire industry, in a new documentary film, Saving the Restaurant. Stuckey shared his experience with Barbara Castiglia.
When the pandemic first began shuttering restaurants in mid-March of 2020, it only took a moment for Stuckey and fellow restauranteurs to realize they didn’t have strong advocacy at the local, state, or federal level. Amid all that, SOMM TV reached out to shoot some footage with Stuckey to capture what these uncertain early days were like for independent restaurants. Once on the scene, director Andrew Ackerman saw what Stuckey was going through was no short segment on the pandemic—it was a life and death struggle for not only Stuckey’s businesses but for all restaurants that warranted a feature-length documentary.
Stuckey and several of his fellow restauranteurs formed the Independent Restaurant Coalition. “We were not an organization the day before COVID,” Stuckey said. “We didn’t have funding. We didn’t have expertise. I think most of us thought we’d be doing that for six-to-seven weeks. We’re now twenty-three months later, and the core of the Independent Restaurant Coalition is still fighting every day to sure up our industry.”
Stuckey said those early days felt like he and his fellow restauranteurs were on a sinking ship, and they were bailing water as fast as they could. He recognized the toll it all took while watching the unfolding drama on Saving the Restaurant. “The documentary is completed. The journey of American restaurants is not,” Stuckey said.
Pooja Nair, Partner at Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP, is not only a business litigator for the food and beverage sector; she’s a problem solver. Through her work, Nair advises food and beverage clients, startups, and other businesses on a full range of issues, from employment and trade secrets to partnership disputes, intellectual property, and contract negotiations. She joined The Main Course’s Barbara Castiglia to discuss the state of the restaurant industry today and what, from a legal standpoint, restaurants need to know for 2022.
In the past two years, one of the primary concerns for restaurants is the pandemic and the ever-changing restrictions, guidelines, and mandates. Restaurants have a lot to keep up with, ensuring safety while attracting customers and not alienating customers and staff.
“As everyone’s known since 2020, unfortunately, things are changing almost every day, so it’s very difficult for restaurants to have any predictability,” Nair said. “The number one thing is to be aware that the federal guidance, state guidance, and local guidance is changing all the time, sometimes on a daily basis.” The most important regulations for restaurants to be aware of are at the state level.
Nair felt some guidance, no matter the mandate, could prove challenging to enforce regarding customers and masks. “It’s almost untenable to monitor what a customer is doing all the time, especially if they’re taking off their mask to dine.”
Another concern for restaurants is what to do if there is a COVID outbreak amongst staff. Castiglia wanted to know how restaurants should deal with such a scenario and any potential liability issues.
“This is the question I’ve been getting most of the time,” Nair said. “And, in terms of what the regulations say, it’s a total mess. The CDC issued guidelines that we all heard about that say five days of isolation, and then after those five days, you can wear a mask consistently, but you are able to be out. OSHA is still going by ten days, and neither of those requirements requires a negative to return to the workplace, but an employer can require that an employee test negative.”
Pooja Nair, Partner at Ervin Cohen & Jessup LLP, is not only a business litigator for the food and beverage sector; she’s a problem solver. Through her work, Nair advises food and beverage clients, startups, and other businesses on a full range of issues, from employment and trade secrets to partnership disputes, intellectual property, and contract negotiations. She joined The Main Course’s Barbara Castiglia to discuss the state of the restaurant industry today and what, from a legal standpoint, restaurants need to know for 2022.
In the past two years, one of the primary concerns for restaurants is the pandemic and the ever-changing restrictions, guidelines, and mandates. Restaurants have a lot to keep up with, ensuring safety while attracting customers and not alienating customers and staff.
“As everyone’s known since 2020, unfortunately, things are changing almost every day, so it’s very difficult for restaurants to have any predictability,” Nair said. “The number one thing is to be aware that the federal guidance, state guidance, and local guidance is changing all the time, sometimes on a daily basis.” The most important regulations for restaurants to be aware of are at the state level.
Nair felt some guidance, no matter the mandate, could prove challenging to enforce regarding customers and masks. “It’s almost untenable to monitor what a customer is doing all the time, especially if they’re taking off their mask to dine.”
Another concern for restaurants is what to do if there is a COVID outbreak amongst staff. Castiglia wanted to know how restaurants should deal with such a scenario and any potential liability issues.
“This is the question I’ve been getting most of the time,” Nair said. “And, in terms of what the regulations say, it’s a total mess. The CDC issued guidelines that we all heard about that say five days of isolation, and then after those five days, you can wear a mask consistently, but you are able to be out. OSHA is still going by ten days, and neither of those requirements requires a negative to return to the workplace, but an employer can require that an employee test negative.”
People familiar with Time Out Magazine may already be familiar with the Time Out brand and what that brings to the table. And lately, that table can be found in a unique dining experience located in seven major cities from Miami to New York, and Montreal to Dubai; Time Out Market. Jay Coldren, COO of the Americas at Time Out Market, joined The Main Course’s Barbara Castiglia for a delicious chat about this curated dining adventure that brings together many tastes under one roof.
“Time Out Market is interesting,” Coldren said. “It’s a multicultural experience that was born from the Time Out Magazine. More than thirty years ago, we started as people who care about what’s going on in each city. As we developed and as the markets changed, and digital happened, we thought it would a be a great idea to do a physical manifestation of this amazing sort of cultural and culinary curation.”
With the Time Out Market concept, Coldren wants people to experience all the culture and food a city is known for in an atmosphere they’ll want to revisit again and again.
One of the things Coldren stressed about Time Out Markets was that this was no dining court or ordinary food hall. There are no chains at Time Out Markets. Some eateries come from Michelin star chefs or noted restaurants in a particular city. “As I’ve gone from market-to-market, I think we’ve done a great job of not going ‘mass’ and really finding these gems to the communities, and that’s what makes it fun,” Coldren said.
Learn more about Time Out Markets at https://www.timeoutmarket.com/.
In this episode of The Main Course, Barbara Castiglia speaks with Big Chicken’s CEO Josh Halpern to learn about the disruption this franchise is posed to cause franchises focused on chicken.
Big Chicken opened the doors of its first brick and mortar venue in Las Vegas, NV in 2018. Since then, they’ve opened several locations throughout the US including locations in stadium arenas. They have also found a home with Carnival Cruise Lines.
Today, the restaurant is focused on growing intelligently while bringing awareness to their brand. When asked what’s on the menu, Josh Halpern comically commented “as you can imagine, chicken, otherwise it’d be weird right?"
However, in all seriousness, Halpern continued to discuss what makes Big Chicken unique. “We really try to put effort on the chicken itself, right? So, we have chicken sandwiches, chicken tenders, chicken sliders… We try to incorporate every possible flavor profile from more savory to spicy because one of Shaquille’s key values is authenticity.”
In fact, Shaquille has a deep connection to chicken as it was a common dinner when he was a child. There’s even a Mac N’ Cheese side with a Cheez-it crust that is modeled after what he remembers his mom made when he was a kid.
Continue listening to Castiglia and Halpern discussing the future vision of the Big Chicken franchise, how they are coping with staffing and supply chain shortages, incorporating local flavor profiles into menu design, how they utilized time during the pandemic to set the stage to effectively expand their franchise operations, and much more.
Barbara Castiglia spoke with Savneet Singh, president and CEO of Par, a software and hardware solutions company for the restaurant industry, about the importance of technology to survive the pandemic.
“The pandemic pulled all that [technology] forward. If you didn’t have great technology … it was really hard to survive,” Singh explained. “You clearly saw the organizations and chains that had the investment in technology pre-pandemic dramatically outperformed those that didn’t.”
To prepare for the future, utilizing a unified platform will make restaurant operations significantly easier for all levels of employees at companies – from CIOs to store managers. A unified platform will help users see a wholistic picture based on data and enable them to make smarter decisions.
For those who are behind in the digital revolution, Singh recommended making their services more accessible and breaking down the shift to digital will help make the move more seamless.
Long term, consumers can expect digital options becoming even more customized to their preferences. For instance, Singh envisions a future where QR codes deliver an engaging online guest experience of interactive videos or custom entertainment.
Bottom line, Singh believes that “your digital presence is your fiscal presence,” and the pandemic couldn’t have made that statement more accurate.
Now the industry is on the lookout for the next greatest technology to take customer experience to the next level. However, he predicted that while technology may be physically more prevalent, it’ll become even more seamless in the future.
Host Barbara Castiglia welcomed to The Main Course Yariv Bash, CEO of Flytrex, to discuss an innovation in food delivery that has long been on the radar, but whose growth has been exacerbated by the pandemic: drones. While his company was founded in 2013 under different circumstances, it only took until 2016 for Bash and his team to realize that drone deliveries were “gonna happen.”
In 2017, Flytrex became the first company to provide a “working door delivery solution.” They started testing the technology in Iceland, and then the following year began working with the FAA to make the “pie in the sky” dream reach American’s front yard. And if it is food delivery, it could be a literal pie coming in from a drone in the sky.
“These are actually small airplanes,” Bash explained, “and they are being certified for commercial aviation. That is why it has been taking so long. The FAA is… putting in so much effort and resources to making sure the skies stay safe.”
Essentially, the process would work like this: instead of a delivery person taking an order and driving it over to the address themselves, they would take the order to the nearest drone station and the drone would take the order to the customer. The drone does so by hovering over the address at 80 feet and lowering the package on a tether to its final destination.
Bash argued that the drones would also be a “win-win” for restaurants, who struggle to make money from other delivery services that take a large surcharge from their orders. The drones, he said, are far more affordable.
The system is also remarkable efficient at handling packages. “We’ve been delivering ice cream, eggs, coffee… anything that you can think of without a spill.”
Bash also said it would benefit local communities. “In the end it’s all about the local community, because everywhere we go we open up a local station, we hire local employees and we can support local restaurants, as well.”
Flytrex’s restaurant partners are currently, largely under non-disclosure agreements, but he said, “We love working with as many partners as we can once we open a station… to offer the largest variety and make sure that the station delivers as many deliveries as we can make a day.”
The fast-casual chicken market has a lot of competition in the U.S. That hasn’t stopped Campero USA from growing and winning over consumers. The Guatemalan brand has achieved great success in the U.S. market. Sharing the story is the company’s Managing Director and COO Luis Javier Rodas joined The Main Course Host Barbara Castiglia.
Rodas has spent over 20 years with the brand and began to manage the U.S. stores in 2016.
First, Rodas described the menu. “Fried chicken is our top seller, and it has a unique flavor. The key to the chicken sandwich is we use the same flavor from our bone-in chicken.”
The restaurant, like any other, faced considerable disruption in 2020. However, they were already ahead of the curve. “Without knowing what would happen, we were already launching digital kitchens, our delivery service, and loyalty program,” Rodas said.
Before the pandemic, most sales were dine-in. They were able to keep serving during shutdowns with drive-thru and delivery. They even added new customers. Rodas explained how. “Most marketing was billboards or radio, which was working. After the pandemic, we switched everything to digital and social media to expand reach.”
They also began using ghost kitchens in 2020, extending their service area by opening them in places where stores didn’t currently exist.
Their pivots made 2020 a record year. Once dining rooms were able to open, the company implemented new technology for safety. “We changed our service model to allow for ordering and payment at the table instead of interacting with a cashier,” Rodas noted.
Rodas said the company has big plans for growth in the next few years but will always balance growth with quality. “We have parallel teams working on this, and we’re looking for franchise partners that have a passion for the industry and experience.”
As arguably the oldest franchise brand, A&W is known for its classic root beer floats, but many aren’t aware of the many other options they offer at their many franchised stores.
John Palumbo, senior director of franchise development at A&W, spoke with Host Barbara Castiglia about the history and future of the brand, including his favorite menu items.
Starting as a root beer stand, the global company is now completely owned by its franchise partners. The advantage of being franchise-owned is the passion and drive the franchisees bring to the brand.
“We want folks that have a connection to this brand or some kind of emotional connection to the A&W brand,” Palumbo explained.
It’s not required to have much food service industry knowledge, but those ready to learn and grow through an extensive corporate support team will enjoy a long and successful business with a brand that truly cares about its stores and employees.
For instance, during the pandemic, A&W didn’t lay off a single employee and sent back all advertising payments paid by the franchisees so they could use that toward making payroll.
“To me, that spoke to the integrity of this brand… it’s always: ‘Do the right thing.’ ‘What can we do to help our franchisees today?’ ‘What makes sense?’” said Palumbo.
That type of company culture clearly seeps into the individual locations that comprise A&W, evidenced by their loyal restaurant-goers, or as they call ‘fans,’ who were eager to dine in once restrictions lifted.
“There’s research that show people do gravitate toward things they know and love and have a connection with, and we’re one of that.”
Looking to the future, Palumbo predicts more store locations will expand into the southwest and southeast this year, especially Las Vegas and the Carolinas.
Tune in to The Main Course to hear Palumbo’s favorite menu item or head over to A&W’s Facebook, Instagram or Twitter to engage with fellow fans and participate in challenges, promotions, awards and more.
Before technology entered the restaurant industry, commercial businesses had to rely on cash registers. The first industry to adopt a point of sale (POS) system were retail and grocery stores, and restaurants didn’t integrate the technology until about 30 years ago. President and Founder, Nadav Solomon, of Tabit, a POS and tableside ordering system company, explained how Tabit elevates human interaction through technology with 15 different products.
Solomon described their business model to Host Barbara Castiglia: “We redesigned all the software, not as an afterthought, like other POS companies… our solution actually provides great benefits to different restaurant players.”
Castiglia commented on how today’s staff desires these types of technologies, and the numbers reinforce why business owners should, too:
Increases the average per person check by 15%
Reduces labor on the floor by 25%
Eliminates server mistakes by 80-90%
Lowers table turn time by 12-15 minutes
Solomon explained, “As long as you have demand, you can dine in more people, each one of them are going to pay more and buy more food from you.”
With Tabit, restaurants can eliminate manual labor and increase mobility rate. For example, customers can more quickly split the check and receive drinks quicker. Solomon also described how servers can have educated and customized upsell conversations based on their food orders through the technology.
Additionally, Tabit technology is easy to adapt to major events like the pandemic. When restaurants closed, restaurants utilizing Tabit were able to easily transition to online operations and seamlessly turn servers into deliver drivers.
However, none of these benefits would be possible without access to data. Solomon predicts that the industry will shift from “collect and redeem” to “surprise and delight” loyalty programs — because of data. Tabit can make this possible by partnering with its customers to identify goals and ensure those are achieved through regular consulting and mobile tool monitoring.
Ultimately, Tabit streamlines the restaurant industry’s pain points, elevates the customer experience and aims to partner with restaurants to grow their company.
Host Barbara Castiglia talks the latest restaurant technology with Zuppler’s Founder and CEO, Shiva Srinivasan. Zuppler, an online ordering management company, serves primarily independent restaurants and some chains, focusing on ensuring the company’s brand is maintained throughout the online ordering process.
Initially, Zuppler started as a portal, similar to a Grubhub, but as more competition came into the industry, they pivoted to focusing on the customer experience by working in the background of a restaurant’s website, creating an integrated approach with a strong focus on marketing. Since more than 50% of customers abandon their cart when an ordering link takes them to a third-party website, their business model has proved lucrative by increasing revenue potential 50-60%.
“It’s really important to highlight the restaurant’s brand… it should be one single experience for the user,” Srinivasan explained. “It should not feel like they’re going to an external site or linking somewhere else.”
Srinivasan also commented on how restaurants can remain competitive online, such as featuring high-quality menu item images, utilizing data to strategically upsell, and deploying marketing campaigns. Ultimately, Srinivasan encouraged more data utilization.
While the restaurant industry was traditionally slow to adopt technology to capture this data and increase automation, COVID-19 quickly flipped that trend. During the pandemic, Zuppler was bombarded with online ordering needs since restaurants needed to pivot rapidly. Zuppler, while not prepared for the huge rush, responded gracefully with the new incoming business.
“We knew that we had to do something to help, and it was not the time to think about making money and building the business. So right off the bat, we gave 6 months free for all our restaurants to help them through the pandemic,” Srinivasan said.
Srinivasan also touched on other trending topics, such as ghost kitchens and staffing issues. He ended the talk relaying the importance of how technology, automation and integrations can contribute to a business’s success, and Zuppler has the solutions for filling those gaps.
Author, restaurant owner and hospitality industry expert Barry Jessurun discussed his book, life lessons, and tips for restaurant success with Host Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course.
As owner of Green Valley Hospitality, Jessurun has ran four restaurants ranging from fast-casual to higher-end menus to university settings for up to 32 years. While he was one of the lucky restaurant owners to remain in business during the pandemic, Jessurun has learned a lot throughout his many decades in of restaurant life.
Jessurun took these life learnings to write the book “The Drunkard’s Path.” Readers can expect a manual-like, easy read that reviews basic employee and management expectations, the basics to succeed in any industry and how to tie it all into one’s life since there really is no work-life separation. The term ‘drunkard’s path’ refers to a route that an inebriated person may take on the way home from a pub — similarly, careers are usually never a straight, inclined line but more so a zigzagged path.
While the book is intended for audiences of any age, it’s especially useful for students to set a foundation of how to show up in your career. One concept that stands out to Castiglia is self-altruism, of which Jessurun is a big advocate. “To me self-altruism is like ‘I’m doing this because I want to do this because it’s the story I’m trying to create, but it also helps other people around me,’” added Jessurun.
It’s no surprise how Jessurun has maintained four thriving businesses amidst a pandemic and is eager to share his tips for restaurant success. For him, employees are seen as his ‘first customer,’ by focusing on staffing and retaining the best of the best. That starts with finding people who are happy, because teaching hard skills like making a sandwich or bartending is easier.
“The employee is my first customer, and I really need to create a place where they would just rather be,” added Jessurun.
Daniel Estrada, co-founder and CEO of 86 Repairs, noticed a large gap in the restaurant industry, which ultimately lead to the formation of his company. He discusses those gaps and more with the Host of The Main Course, Barbara Castiglia.
86 Repairs is a subscription service for multi-unit restaurants of five locations or more where customers text the repair experts any time something breaks, and the company manages the entire process of finding a solution.
The company prides itself of using data to first guide the customer on finding simple solutions that don’t require an 86 Repair representative, which saves the customer production loss time and expenses and in turn builds trust.
What sets 86 Repairs apart is that they log every maintenance need or fix request, which gives them a significant amount of data to use in preparing preventative maintenance plans. Conversely, most restaurant operators apply a ‘Band-Aid solution’ to the problem instead of utilizing data.
“We found that most restaurants are struggling with just trying to manage this on their own,” Estrada explained. “More specifically, they have each manager in each location trying to manage this on their own.”
By utilizing their extensive database and not marking up their rates with service providers, 86 Repairs can significantly reduce a customer’s bottom line.
He continued, “We found $50,000 in savings just by optimizing which vendors were being dispatched for which types of service requests.”
As for the conspiracy around McDonald’s ice cream machines reportedly always being down… Tune in to hear Estrada’s response in solving that mystery.
Traditional American fast food is perceived by many to be inevitably unhealthy; however, it doesn’t have to be. Amy’s Kitchen is reinventing the classic American drive-thru one organic, vegetarian burger at a time. In this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia sat down with the President of Amy’s Drive-Thru, David Wolfgram, to discuss how this healthy spin on a quick meal came to be.
Many know Amy’s Kitchen brand from their pre-prepared, organic meals found in grocery stores. “When our founders started Amy's kitchen, they set out to fulfill a need that they identified through their own personal experiences,” Wolfgram said, “They realized there was really no pre-prepared organic, vegetarian and great tasting foods available.”
As the rating and fanbase continued to grow for the brand, there started to be more and more push from customers to bring this same commitment to the restaurant world, thus giving birth to Amy’s drive-thru.
Wolfgram, who spent decades growing and developing brands for private equity brands, shared that in his 40+ years in the business, Amy’s drive-thru is by far the most exciting concept he has worked on. “Not only does it have tremendous potential financially but the good it does for the people on the planet is pretty amazing.”
At Amy’s Kitchen, their main focus is sustainability and plant-based options. “It's a brand with purpose,” Wolfgram explained, “Doing good for people and doing good for the planet is what really drives everything."
At its core, the menu at Amy’s Drive-Thru includes all of the traditional American Drive-thru food you could imagine, including burgers, fries, shakes. But what sets them apart? All of these options are both organic and vegetarian. Extending beyond that, anything can be made available gluten-free, dairy-free, or vegan. “This was another really important part of the brand for the founders that everyone had accessibility to the brand despite food allergies.”
Host Barbara Castiglia discussed all things modern restaurant management with Peter Klayman, quick service restaurant (QSR) and practice lead at Bottle Rocket.
Klayman focuses on consulting QSR companies that haven’t utilized technology to help them modernize and adjust to an industry that is now very digital forward. Bottle Rocket serves clients like Fiesta Restaurant Group, Dunkin Donuts and their claim to fame Chick-Fil-A.
“The Chick-Fil-A you see today is very much build on that internal prowess and internal team that we helped stand up and enable,” Klayman said.
Like many other industries, QSRs quickly realized the need for efficient technology during the pandemic to serve their customers. However, pandemic or not, the goal is always the same: ensuring the customer experiences a frictionless interaction pathway regardless of which path they choose.
A few factors to achieving this goal are:
Strive to be at least at par with the top competitor
Hire managers and employees that embody the company
Invest in employees’ career and training
Build a robust customer loyalty program
Utilize data captured for strategic marketing
Make the localized experiences personalized
Think about your long-term goals when investing in technology
At the end of the day, customers should always have the same brand experience that’s easy and convenient to the customer because, as Klayman said, “Every touch point should be made to feel like it was designed for each guest.”
Acceleration of restaurant technology adoption isn’t slowing down. The rush to adapt during the pandemic is still occurring, with new guest expectations and operational workflows. So, how is technology solving the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges? The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Steve Simoni, CEO of Bbot, on the topic.
Simoni described the company’s evolution, “My co-founders and I were nuclear engineers in the Navy, and we founded Bbot creating ceiling robots bring food and drink to tables. Now we’re an ordering and payment technology for restaurants with software and QR codes.”
The company was growing pre-pandemic, but since then, it’s been a 10X increase in customers. Much of that success has to do with the reimagining of QR codes. “Customers can order and pay at the table by scanning, which is helping mitigate labor challenges,” Simoni said.
The technology does drive convenience and efficiency. Simoni noted, “You can go from a server model to a floor manager model. You can serve more tables and upsell while customers place digital orders and pay from their own device.”
This technology supports a business in many ways, and restaurant owners are embracing lots of applications. However, Simoni said, “What they really want is for everything to integrate.”
With this in mind and the evolution of the restaurant industry, Bbot’s next frontier is the customization of QR codes. “There are three ways a QR code can work now—scan for menu, digital orders, or pay the check but order through a server. What’s next for us is allowing restaurants to install different applications to curate the experience. If they can download an app, they can do this in a few easy clicks.”
Acceleration of restaurant technology adoption isn’t slowing down. The rush to adapt during the pandemic is still occurring, with new guest expectations and operational workflows. So, how is technology solving the restaurant industry’s biggest challenges? The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Steve Simoni, CEO of Bbot, on the topic.
Simoni described the company’s evolution, “My co-founders and I were nuclear engineers in the Navy, and we founded Bbot creating ceiling robots bring food and drink to tables. Now we’re an ordering and payment technology for restaurants with software and QR codes.”
The company was growing pre-pandemic, but since then, it’s been a 10X increase in customers. Much of that success has to do with the reimagining of QR codes. “Customers can order and pay at the table by scanning, which is helping mitigate labor challenges,” Simoni said.
The technology does drive convenience and efficiency. Simoni noted, “You can go from a server model to a floor manager model. You can serve more tables and upsell while customers place digital orders and pay from their own device.”
This technology supports a business in many ways, and restaurant owners are embracing lots of applications. However, Simoni said, “What they really want is for everything to integrate.”
With this in mind and the evolution of the restaurant industry, Bbot’s next frontier is the customization of QR codes. “There are three ways a QR code can work now—scan for menu, digital orders, or pay the check but order through a server. What’s next for us is allowing restaurants to install different applications to curate the experience. If they can download an app, they can do this in a few easy clicks.”
While having a robust to-go strategy is imperative for almost all restaurants now, many full-service locations weren’t prioritizing until the pandemic. The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Paul Macaluso, President and CEO of Another Broken Egg Café, about their transition. The concept is elevated brunch, which serves high-end dishes and has a full bar for handcrafted drinks.
Macaluso has been in the restaurant business for more than 30 years, working in various settings, including years with Yum Brands. He joined Another Broken Egg Café only months before the pandemic.
Business was good, and growth was exploding with franchises, but disruption was ahead. They didn’t have a safety net around off-premises. “When I came in, I asked what do we do for takeout and delivery. The answer was not much, as they thought the food doesn’t travel well, so it was only 2-3% of the business,” Macaluso recalled.
Thus, when shutdowns began in March 2020, the company closed all locations except a few in Florida to try new to-go structures. They already had good packaging in place, but there was more work to do. They began to build an online ordering platform, partnering with third-party delivery and working on how the food would travel. “Our chefs and operations teams were working on the right organization or product, making sure it traveled well, and doing test deliveries to make adjustments,” Macaluso explained.
Their ingenuity and dedication to the details paid off. “By September, we were reopening cafes for dine-in and getting back to the same in-store numbers, but also seeing to-go remain strong at 15%, which was double digit positive compared to 2019.”
The restaurant industry has been through a lot in the last year-plus. Some have pivoted and grown, while others faltered. So, what was the difference? Talking about building and protecting the brand, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Tom Riccio, President Promotional Solutions at Deluxe.
Deluxe, which started with the invention of the checkbook, has evolved to help enterprises, small businesses, and financial institutions deepen trust with customers through technology. “We offer payment, data, and marketing solutions,” Riccio explained.
The pandemic impacted their business but keeping facilities open, and running was necessary as they serve many essential businesses. “We learned a lot quickly, and we used that to help clients. We stood up a PPE business quickly for restaurants. That was one piece of it; the next was helping them create commerce strategies and enhance digital experiences.”
“Restaurants must have a digital presence and strategies to ensure success because we’re not going back, only enhancing from here.” - Tom Riccio
Riccio believes that customer perception of brands will depend a lot on their COVID-19 strategy. “Those very forward are showcasing the protection of the entire environment. It’s building and protecting a brand because people are noticing health and safety like never before.”
Marketing is different now for these restaurants. Riccio shared, “Most marketing dollars were spent at the top of the funnel with brand identity as a focus. Now, it’s more pay for performance. What can you do today that will result in a sell?”
The location experience is one element; the digital one another. “There’s been a massive transition to digital, a huge acceleration. A digital presence and strategy are necessary because we aren’t going back,” Riccio said.
Deluxe is also supporting local brands with its show Small Business Revolution—Main Street. “It’s a series where go into small business in main street USA to revitalize the community and bring the town together,” Riccio explained.
Indian cuisine concepts on a franchise level aren’t represented very well in the U.S. However, Curry Up Now is changing that dynamic. The CEO and Co-Founder Akash Kapoor spoke with The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia about the concept.
Kapoor and his wife started the company in 2009 with no foodservice industry experience. “We were a foody family, and when the opportunity came, we went for it.”
Their mission was to make Indian food accessible and that anyone could feel comfortable ordering it. One way they did this was with burritos on the menu, which also made sense because it’s a good-to-go food.
They focus on authentic food, which doesn’t mean spicy. “That’s the biggest misconception about Indian food. It’s spice forward but not always ‘spicy,’” Kapoor said.
“There’s a fundamental difference between food trucks and restaurants, but we designed the locations for a similar experience with an open kitchen.” - Akash Kapoor
After finding success with food trucks, they turned to opening brick and mortar locations. In describing the guest experience, Kapoor shared, “It’s a large, playful menu. Every location has a local mural. We’re a bit over the top with our music, but it’s a big part of the brand.”
The brand is quickly expanding in several ways. First, they are opening new locations, including bringing the brand to Texas, which Kapoor believes will likely become their second-biggest state behind California.
They are also working with Local Kitchens, which is a digital kitchen outpost. “I had a business plan for a similar type of company to license brands, but then COVID hit. Glad to get involved with Local Kitchen, and we’re opening our third location with them.”
Finally, they partner with Goldbelly, an online marketplace for gourmet food gifts. “We ship to all 50 states. It wasn’t really a food that was shippable, but it’s working, and we love that business.”
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Jim Plamondon, Co-President of Plamondon Companies, which specializes in hotel management and hospitality services. It also owns the Roy Rogers brand and operates 13 hotels in the mid-Atlantic. They talked about franchising, legacy brands, and Roy Rodgers.
The connection with Roy Rogers started with Jim’s Dad, Pete Sr., who began his career with the Marriott Corporation in the mid-1960s when he was hired to begin their fast food division. In 1968, they launched Roy Rogers Restaurants with the first restaurant in Falls Church, Virginia. They expanded the brand, and Pete Sr. eventually became the Executive Vice President at Marriott, overseeing Roy Rogers division and some other restaurant concepts throughout the 1960s and 70s.
“Dad did feel very strongly about the Roy Rogers brand, loved the brand, of course, it was in its inception,” Plamondon said, “and knew what it meant in the quick-serve arena.” - Jim Plamondon
In 1979, Pete Sr. left Marriott and in 1980 became a franchisee of a Roy Rodgers in Frederick, Maryland. He believed in the brand and recognized its strength and opportunity, so he wanted to get started as an entrepreneur, according to Jim. His dream was to run four or five restaurants, but little did he know it would grow into something much more significant.
“The brand itself grew to be 648 restaurants under Marriott,” Plamondon said.
After having careers of their own, Jim and his brother Pete Jr., who also owns the business, joined their father in the mid-1990s. They bought the business from their father and eventually bought Roy Rogers from Hardee’s parent company, CKE Restaurants Holdings.
Being family-friendly is a goal for many restaurants and hospitality brands. They want to appeal to this segment of the population. Talking about the importance of family branding, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia spoke with the experts at C3—President Jennifer Loper and Insights and Strategy Supervisor Julia Foley. They discussed their programs and results from a recent consumer survey.
Loper said, “We bring brands to life for families and children in the hospitality industry. We’re experts in this consumer segment and have been doing this for 34.”
The company’s collaborators include a host of well-known quick-serve restaurants, fast-casual establishments, and hotels. Their longest relationship is with Sonic. “They were our first client, and we’ve grown with them and created a lot of fun programs,” Loper commented.
“One thing was clear; parents don’t want restaurants to cut back on the things making them kid-friendly.” -Jennifer Loper
While they have a wealth of experience, no one was prepared for the disruption of the pandemic. After over a year, C3 wanted to see how parents felt about a return to dining. “We wanted parents’ perspective and surveyed 500 of them, with kids aged 3 to 12,” Foley said.
It was apparent in the survey that most were ready to go back to restaurants. “They wanted a restaurant experience again and to enhance family time. They expect friendly service and a commitment to cleanliness. They want to trust in the procedures and know that the pace was kid-friendly,” Foley added.
Loper noted they created the survey because so clients would be prepared. One thing was clear; parents don’t want restaurants to cut back on the things making them kid-friendly.”
They also uncovered an opportunity during wait times. “Wait times could be frustrating for parents, or it could be a chance to engage. For example, a simple activity they can do in the waiting area for a 20-minute wait was an opportunity to connect,” Loper shared.
While restaurants and other hospitality venues are now open, restaurants are still waiting for the dust to settle. With the Delta Variant spreading and restaurateurs picking up the pieces from 2020, what will the post-COVID world look like for restaurants?
Here to give insights on this episode of The Main Course with Host Barbara Castiglia is Micha Magid, co-CEO of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, a NY-based Authentic barbeque experience in a fast-casual setting. They discuss how his business survived the pandemic, helped others–including other restaurants–push through the challenging year, and what’s next for New York restaurants in a post-pandemic world.
Magid’s career wasn’t always in restaurants. He started on Wall Street in mergers and acquisitions before moving into the hedge fund world. Along with his brother-in-law, Chris Gourmos, and pitmaster Hugh Magnums, Magid launched Mighty Quinn’s in December of 2012. They opened their first brick-and-mortar Mighty Quinn’s restaurant in the East Village.
“In March of 2013, we received this glowing review in The New York Times Dining section, and the whole world changed for us,” Magid said.
Since the brand’s inception, the three partners have opened nine corporate-owned locations, a restaurant at Yankee Stadium, two locations in Madison SquareGarden, and one international franchised restaurant. Now, with solid operations and a growing fan base, the brand is excited to push growth forward through franchising.
But, things weren’t always so easy for them, especially during the pandemic. At one point, they had to close eight of their 12 restaurants temporarily. This has caused them to be more strategic and thoughtful with their expansion.
These three fields blend together, but they're often talked about separately. Restaurants, hospitality, and travel all intersect and rely on one another.
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Joe Robert-Thornton, EVP and COO of HMSHost, a world leader in creating dining for travel venues. HMSHost operates locations all over North America and is part of Autogrill Group, the world's leading provider of food & beverage services for people on the move.
The duo talked about the intersection of restaurants, hospitality, and travel, but first, they traveled through Robert-Thornton's career.
In his early days, Robert-Thornton worked in fast-food restaurants and retail. He eventually graduated to the big time and got a break at Blockbuster Video, where he spent his "good years." He landed at Starbucks, then Jamba Juice. He took a role at HMSHost in March of last year. But, you might not recognize the brand.
"We're not really a brand, and so most people won't know this because we're operating other people's brands," Robert-Thornton said. "We've had relationships, prior to the pandemic, with more than 300 brands."
With operating a lot of brands, they've bid a lot of locations in airports. When folks compared the toll the travel industry took during the pandemic, they made comparisons to 9/11. The lack of travel caused a lot of their brands to take significant hits. Obviously, this was much worse, according to Robert-Thornton. But, now that airports are starting to open back up, these restaurant and hospitality brands are seeing more business.
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Steve Schulze, the Founder of Nékter Juice Bar, a juice bar that is at the forefront of the juice cleanse revolution with cold-pressed juices, smoothies, and acai bowls. The duo talked about surviving the pandemic, Schulze’s path to launching the juice bar, and their plans for expansion.
When Steve Schulze and his wife Alexis started Nékter Juice Bar in 2010, neither of them had ever had a job in the restaurant space, not even as a waiter. They went into it with little experience, but they saw an opportunity in the $2.2 billion a year industry.
“If I go back to the beginning stages of it, I was working out and going to the legacy brands, The Jambas and the Smoothie Kings, thinking I was eating healthy. Low and behold, I came to find out that a lot of those had become glorified Dairy Queens.” - Steve Schulze
Schulze is referring to the added sugar that’s added in some of these legacy juice bar brands. Around the time Nékter launched, there was a seismic shift in how people viewed health and wellness. Consumers were buying into more whole foods, viewing food as medicine, and there was a proliferation of Whole Foods and Trader Joe’s. When he started looking at the juice bar category, he had just left the infomercial world where he was selling juice cleanses.
When the economy tanked in 2008, it was hard to get an infomercial show produced. He started thinking about other ventures and decided to reinvent the juice bar space similar to Starbucks reinventing the coffee space in the early 1990s.
Many things shifted in the restaurant industry during the pandemic. A lot of restaurants were forced to change and change quickly to keep up with ever-evolving regulations. Many restaurants transitioned to online, pick-up, and delivery models, which will most likely stick around.
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Alex Canter, CEO of Ordermark, which helps restaurants increase efficiency and grow profits by aggregating mobile orders across all of the major online-ordering services into a single dashboard and printer.
The duo talked about what’s next for the restaurant industry post-pandemic, technology in restaurants, and Ordermark/Nextbite.
“This last year has been absolutely devastating for our industry,” Canter said. “We’ve seen over 100,000 restaurants permanently shut their doors, which is really just a difficult number to digest.”
For the restaurants that made it through to the other side, it is a much different world. General managers, owners, chefs, and front-of-house must now rely more heavily on digital tools in the restaurant. The shift was expected to happen over the next ten years, but COVID-19 accelerated that shift in just a few short months.
“Pretty much every restaurant from fine dining to fast-casual to QSR has figured out a digital strategy, a delivery strategy, and has had to get really creative to make it to this point,” Canter said. “I’m really impressed with the way restaurants have adapted. It’s always been who we are as restaurant owners, people who are resilient.”
Restaurants have had a tough time due to the COVID-19 Pandemic. Having to adjust constantly was challenging. But, having crucial data at their fingertips gave owners, managers, and restaurateurs essential insights into improving their operation.
Giving insights to The Main Course Host, Barbara Castiglia is Christina and Chris Norton of Revenue Management Solutions, which helps the restaurant and retail industry identify profitability opportunities through data-driven analytics and tech-enabled solutions that optimize sales, menus, and a brand’s financial health.
“We look at the historical data of a restaurant, and based upon the data we see from their POS,” Chris said. “When prices change, when limited time offers have been added to the menu, when value propositions have been added to the menu board, we understand the reaction of the consumer based upon the historical data.”
Utilizing this data, they put it through their regression model, which helps them understand gross profit and sensitivities. This helps them understand the items on the menu board that are the most optimal to move in terms of increasing price so as not to affect guest counts. If a restaurant has a positive or negative guest count trend, the pricing they give to clients in terms of price additions will not affect that trend.
This gives restaurants the data to understand when they should raise prices on items and the optimal items to do so. This takes the emotion and guesswork out of how and when to raise prices. Then they analyze the data to see if the changes work.
In restaurants, chefs, managers, and owners pay attention to the food, the dining room, and the service. These are important, but one often overlooked aspect that does not get examined is restaurant data. Covering everything from revenue to insights on the waitlist, data can give important information about how a restaurant is performing and how they are improving the guest experience.
Giving insights on this episode of The Main Course with Host Barbara Castiglia is Mike Vichich, the Co-Founder and CEO of Wisely, the leading Customer Intelligence platform for restaurants — empowering brands to say goodbye to transactions and hello to customers. Wisely brings everything you know about each customer to every interaction— from how guests are greeted at the door to how they're personally invited back across marketing channels.
Vichich's background is in the front of the house. Starting as a server in high school and college, he learned very quickly how important it is to deliver a great guest experience. These experiences meant more than good feelings for servers, as it often came to dollars and cents.
"I learned very quickly, partly because it was trained, but partly because it was just intuitive, that if you deliver a great guest experience, you get tipped more." - Mike Vichich
But, it was also about building authentic relationships with the guests. These insights would be helpful when he moved into the corporate world, as one of his first positions involved customer acquisition and retention, which involved a lot of analytical work. The brands that he worked with were getting sophisticated with how they were interacting with customers. This involved using all the data at their disposal to better their experience at every touchpoint.
With these insights from both the restaurant and the corporate world, Vichich connected the dots between data, customers, and restaurants. Listen to hear more about how Wisely uses data to make better connections with customers.
Food markets are centuries old, but the modern equivalent is a customer-driven experience, blending cuisines from around the world. One incarnation of this is Manifesto Market, which has two locations in Prague with multiple vendors. Its founder and CEO, Martin Barry, joined host Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course.
“I wanted to make a good place to bring people together, using food and culture as the medium.” -Martin Barry
Barry’s background isn’t in the restaurant business. He started his career as a landscape architect, building large-scale urban landscapes for developers. This led him to establish the nonprofit reSITE. “The concept is about creating a more sustainable city and better place to live.”
The organization hosts events and works to bring people together, which led Barry to the idea of modernizing the urban food market in Prague. “I wanted to make a good place to bring people together, using food and culture as the medium.”
Manifesto isn’t just a food market. It hosts live free events and has a mix of offerings from fine dining chefs making their food more accessible to first-time restauranteurs.
In building Manifesto Market, a gastronomical ecosystem was born. Barry described, “It’s diverse flavors of the world coming together and empowering chefs to have the tools they need to deliver food to customers. It’s creating an environment where it’s easy for them to operate. We run the operations.”
Those operations include a high reliance on technology to manage the business side, from automation to communication requests to data collection. The concept is cashless, so they collect data on every transaction. Barry said, “We have a high level of data and generally know what customers like. We have a data scientist on board to identify patterns and tweak menus. This was very important in 2020, as we had to retool slightly for delivery to provide the same culinary experience at home.”
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with John Ramsay, the Vice President of Franchise Sales for Noodles & Company, an American fast-casual restaurant that offers international and American noodle dishes and pasta in addition to soups and salads. Ramsay and Castiglia talked about his career, Noodles & Company’s plans for growth, and the restaurant industry in 2021.
“In order to be franchisable, you have to have a proven concept." - John Ramsay
Ramsay joined Noodles & Company in November 2020. Before joining Noodles, he led franchise and restaurant growth efforts for Bruxie International and Marco’s Pizza Franchising. John’s successful career includes the growth of over 900 restaurants across all 50 states and 12 different countries. After graduating with an architecture degree from Virginia Tech University, he held positions in design, construction, and real estate at T.G.I. Friday’s and Jack in the Box. What attracted him to Noodles & Company is the unique menu offerings and quality of the food.
“One of the unique things about our menu is that everything is customizable,” Ramsay said. He noted that pasta and noodle dishes travel well, so the dishes are just as fresh after a drive home as they are in the restaurant.
The noodles will travel in a proverbial sense as the chain plans continued expansion in 2021, particularly in franchise opportunities. Currently, of their 454 locations, 76 are franchised owned. They planned to open two more in early 2021. It takes a lot of different aspects for a brand and its franchisees to be successful.
“In order to be franchisable, you have to have a proven concept,” Ramsay said. “Noodles is 25 years old. We’ve tried a lot of things. We’ve been successful in most of them, but we’ve had our failures, as well. With a base of over 450 restaurants, we have a very solid and experienced management and leadership team.”
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Alan Rosen, Owner, Junior’s Cheesecake, the New York heritage brand since its opening on election day in 1950. Junior’s Cheesecake is a third-generation, small-business, and Brooklyn landmark. While best known for its light and super-creamy cheesecake, Junior’s also offers a full “diner-style” menu inclusive of sandwiches, soups, salads, steaks, seafood dishes–all with a side order of nostalgia and comfort. Castiglia and Rosen talked about Junior’s, surviving COVID-19 and his plans for the brand and restaurant moving forward.
“We have everything from matzo ball soup and corned beef and pastrami and brisket and roast turkey, to barbeque ribs and chicken." -Alan Rosen
Rosen is the third generation to own Junior’s, with the restaurant opened by his grandfather, father, and uncle. While their goal was to have moderately priced comfort food, they also wanted to have the best cheesecake. They put in a lot of research to make it happen, going to different restaurants to taste test. The original owners then went into their kitchen to make it happen. But, they also serve comfort food dishes.
“We have everything from matzo ball soup and corned beef and pastrami and brisket and roast turkey, to barbeque ribs and chicken,” Rosen said. “You can get a piece of broiled salmon if you’d like. You can get chicken parmesan at dinner.”
For Rosen, he can always go for a Reuben, with the combination of grilled cheese, corned beef, and grilled sauerkraut. He also goes for matzo ball soup quite often. He also likes a simple turkey sandwich on rye with lettuce, tomato, and homemade Russian dressing.
The COVID-19 pandemic hit Junior’s just like all other restaurants. Rosen was in Brooklyn when the news of the closures hit. They went into triage mode, emptying all refrigerators, cutting down all the meat to consumer size, and allowing their employees to get a bag of items.
While the pandemic forced them to do takeout and bakery, overall, the restaurant hasn’t changed in almost 71 years.
There’s never been more demand for on-the-go and delivery options for restaurant customers – and that’s led to a race for optimal solutions among establishments looking to keep pace.
One of the premier solutions for meeting these growing expectations is the ghost kitchen, which empowers establishments to cook orders specifically for to-go and delivery guests. These kitchens don’t serve a traditional, physical dining space, but are solely dedicated to the need of customers ordering either themselves or through the variety of food delivery apps available today.
“Ghost kitchens provide an opportunity to really expand a brand or get a product in front of customers that they otherwise couldn’t because of lower resources." -Brett Buterick
On this episode of MarketScale’s The Main Course, host and industry expert Barbara Castiglia was joined by Brett Buterick, Esq., to highlight the legal and regulatory environment surrounding these ghost kitchens.
“Ghost kitchens provide an opportunity to really expand a brand or get a product in front of customers that they otherwise couldn’t because of lower resources,” Buterick said. However, the concept is so popular that even big brands are getting into the virtual kitchen model.
Buterick sees the idea taking off because of the impact of technology. First is the acceptance and use of third-party delivery apps like GrubHub and Uber Eats and second is the increase in social media marketing that allows brands to develop an online following.
From a legal perspective, starting a ghost kitchen begins with entity formation before finding a space to operate and eventually moving onto selling products and services. While creating the business through an LLC is fairly straightforward, finding just the right space can be challenging but is essential to creating a sustainable business.
Buterick describes three models for working out of a space. “One would be the classic model of a shared space with a pop-up in another business’s environment. The second would be operating out of a true commercial kitchen or a commissary. The third possibility is a turnkey solution that’s going to look like a combo kitchen. Things where you can actually put your brand into another system.” He said.
How does a new brand enter this growing sector of the restaurant industry? Buterick has all the insights and details on what it takes to successfully launch a ghost kitchen business.
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Ross Franklin, the Founder and CEO of Pure Green, an omnichannel business that is one of the fastest-growing, cold-pressed juice companies and juice bar franchises in the United States. They talked about Pure Green, making a franchise health brand scalable, and how the pandemic made people focus more on health.
While Pure Green offers franchises, they also have corporately owned locations. They have a wholesale division that works with over 40 professional sports teams and high-end hotels and thousands of accounts across the US. In addition to a direct-to-consumer division where they sell their cold-pressed juices online, Pure Green plans to open 400 Pure Green franchise locations in the coming years.
They weren't always an omnichannel business, starting in 2014 as a brick-and-mortar store.
Their core products are hand-crafted and made-to-order superfood smoothies, acai bowls, and pitaya bowls, and cold-pressed juice and shots. The hydraulic cold press helps retain all the vitamins, minerals, and live enzymes from the fresh fruits and vegetables. There are up to five pounds of fresh fruits and vegetables in a 16-ounce bottle. They quickly found out that people loved their juices, and as their popularity grew, they expanded their business to meet the consumer's demands.
"As our business started to grow and scale, and our cold-pressed juice and shots became really a trend, and we developed a very loyal customer base, we started the wholesale business in 2016," Franklin said.
Right before the pandemic, they knew they needed to grow even more. They didn't want to take any venture capital money, instead focusing on equity crowdfunding where their customers can pitch in capital to grow the business. In 2015, the Securities and Exchange Commission adopted a rule that allowed unaccredited investors to invest in companies via crowdfunding.
This allowed Pure Green to start their campaign via Republic.co.
Listen to hear more about how Pure Green Crowdfunded Campaign during a pandemic.
Established in 1998, Cheba Hut is the first marijuana-themed sandwich “joint” that provides customers with made-to-order food in an eclectic fast-casual environment. Seth Larsen, Chief Relationship Officer of Cheba Hut joined host Barbara Castiglia for an in-depth conversation about the Cheba Hut experience, their franchise operations, the impact of the pandemic, and how marijuana legalization is changing the company’s plans for growth.
With a focus on fresh food and incredible service, Cheba Hut has thirty-five locations across twelve states. Larsen points to a ‘green wave’ during the last twenty years that has made marijuana and marijuana culture more palatable to consumers. While there has been some pushback on the theme over the years, Larsen notes the company’s successes with converting customers who might be uncomfortable initially.
Larsen started with the company as a franchisee and sees the company’s commitment to food quality as one of the main attractions of the brand. “At the end of the day, we’re all foodies. We’ve never gone backward on quality, only forwards even if it meant more money,” Larsen said.
When it comes to finding the right franchisees and expanding their locations, Cheba Hut focuses on values. “We really put our franchisees up to our core values. We have the hustle, show respect, own it, pay it forward, and keep it real. Nice and simple,” Larsen said. “That’s made it really easy for us to identify who’s going to be a good fit.”
The restaurant industry took a significant hit over the past year, perhaps more than any other industry. Despite record takeout numbers, 1 in 6 restaurants closed permanently or long-term during 2020, according to a survey from the National Restaurant Association, which equals about 100,000 restaurants.
But, this year aside, restaurants have always faced challenges. So, what can a restaurant do to survive in a crowded marketplace?
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with Izzy Kharasch, the Restaurant Coach, Chef, and owner of Hospitality Works. They spoke of Izzy’s career, what is a restaurant coach, common mistakes restaurants make, and the key challenges facing restaurants during and post-COVID.
For Izzy, career choice has never been a question. He started in high school and has never been passionate about anything else, Izzy said. He served as a food inspector in the U.S. Army before going to chef school. He has served as the Executive Chef at Harvard University, and in 1987 he founded Hospitality Works, helping several Chicago restaurants turn around their fortune. With his experience, he can help out all aspects of an organization, from the front to the back, letting them know what will work and what will not.
“One of the things that really makes me, my company, different from other consulting companies is that not only did I go to chef school … I have a lot of back-of-the-house experience, and then later I transitioned to front-of-the-house, and operations and development and training. Now, when I work with clients, I can work with them on the front-end and the back-end.”
Listen to learn more about Izzy’s career and his advice for restaurants as they recover from the COVID-19 Pandemic.
The Melting Pot fondue restaurants are an experiential concept that’s “as much about what’s going on around that fondue pot as it is what’s going on inside the fondue pot,” according to Bob Johnston, Chairman of the Board of Directors for Front Burner. Johnston joined host Barbara Castiglia to discuss the story of The Melting Pot, where Front Burner is headed in the future, and what larger industry trends are on the horizon.
Johnston began his journey with The Melting Pot as a dishwasher and has stayed connected to the brand since. After starting in the “heart of the house,” Johnston moved into customer service and was inspired by the joy restaurants brought to their guests. His older brothers were among the first franchisees for The Melting Pot and their love for the brand and concept led to them buying the company and using franchising to expand into other markets.
Franchising brings quality control questions to the business and that means having the right partner. Johnston looks for partners that aren’t risk-averse but are also sensible enough to use the systems already in place. Franchisees need to be committed to maintaining quality control, but perhaps most importantly they need to have a passion for the smiles they bring to guests. Johnston's commitment to creating a unique experience for guests is an essential part of the success of The Melting Pot.
Food lockers for modular marketplaces were already becoming popular before the pandemic accelerated adoption of the concept and technology. To discuss this emerging sector of the food and beverage industry, Barbara Castiglia welcomed Christine Marcus, founder, and CEO of Alchemista. As a premium curator of food, beverage, and lifestyle brands, Alchemista offers on-demand modular marketplaces for everything from temperature-controlled chef-prepared meals to unique sundries and snacks in residential buildings and offices.
“We wanted to change the paradigm of what accessibility means from hours to seconds" - Christine Marcus
According to Marcus, the move to modular marketplaces isn’t just a trend brought on by the pandemic, but a key part of the future of the food service industry. Customers are looking for short wait times and accessibility in the most efficient way possible. “We wanted to change the paradigm of what accessibility means from hours to seconds,” Marcus said. This is a game changer in terms of convenience. This approach to on-time food service is also more sustainable as it reduces packaging and the number of deliveries typically associated with prepared meals.
Alchemista deploys its modular marketplaces in universities, commercial buildings, and luxury high-rises, bringing bespoke meals from their own kitchens and high-end restaurant partners. Marcus sees an amenity race happening in the residential apartment sector and building managers and real estate developers are Alchemist's primary customers as they look for innovative ways to stand apart from the competition. “This is the new up and coming must-have amenity that basically puts a marketplace at the fingertips of their residents,” Marcus said.
On this episode of The Main Course, Host Barbara Castiglia talked with James Walker, Senior Vice President, Restaurants for Nathan’s Famous. The duo dug into one of the most well-known brands, worldwide expansion, and innovation, especially during COVID.
Walker is a top restaurant industry expert specializing in rebranding and repositioning iconic American comfort food brands. He is an industry-leading authority in restaurant technology and delivery channels, specializing in mergers and acquisitions, domestic and international operations, franchising, and new product development. His career launched in the early 1990s on the culinary side, working in fine dining restaurants.
“What initially attracted me to the hospitality industry is a passion for food,” Walker said. “One of the things I’ve said, if there was a James Walker quote, ‘Food is the only art form you experience with all your senses, and you must experience to live.’”
His time spent in the back of the house and kitchens transitioned over the years to the service side of the business. This is something that he brings a passion for at Nathan’s. When he got the call to work for them, the thing he was most excited about was the brand itself. He loves the food, the locations, and the way the company works. But that’s not all.
“Yes, the possibility of discounted hotdogs was probably one of those things that got me excited,” Walker said cheekily. “But, it was a brand I could see myself really being a passionate brand evangelist.”
The company continues to grow worldwide, and he shares more on this episode.
The pandemic has turned many industries upside down, including the restaurant sector. While farsighted restaurants had digital plans on their future roadmaps before COVID-19 struck, lockdown was a gamechanger. Square, which builds business tools to help sellers of all sizes start, grow, and run their operations, has been instrumental in helping restaurants make the necessary pivot to eCommerce solutions.
Barbara Castiglia, Host of The Main Course, was joined by David Rusenko, Head of eCommerce for Square, to talk about the increasing importance of eCommerce in the restaurant world, in no small part due to the coronavirus. “In many ways, the pandemic brought us further into the future, faster,” said Rusenko. When San Francisco issued its first shelter in place mandate, Square was quick to help businesses pivot and rewrite their roadmaps. Rusenko said that within 48 hours, restaurants were able to offer curbside delivery, and within a week, delivery functionality.
Square instituted a full online platform that allows restaurants to have a direct channel to accept orders and transactions online, without paying commissions on the third-party marketplace. It also created a self-serve QR-ordering system that allows customers to split tabs, order their meals, and perhaps another cocktail, all from their phones. In short, these platforms ramped up restaurants’ overall efficiency while attracting customers, creating new experiences, and growing businesses. “The steady drumbeat of the restaurant industry was that they needed to adapt,” he said. “The industry was faced with a dire situation. We wanted to be there and support them as quickly as possible."
Food quality and customer experience are fundamental to the restaurant business and are often the result of a dedicated team that puts customers first and invests in technologies and procedures that are focused on the whole customer journey.
On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia talked with Tony Darden, President of MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes. MOOYAH is a fast-casual restaurant chain with over a hundred locations. With a focus on fresh food — from never-frozen beef to buns baked in-house — MOOYAH continues to expand locations and is always striving to create the best customer experience.
“We’ve got to make a great impression on our guests,” Dared said. “We have things we call wow moments.” Customers are greeted by smiling faces and a welcoming dining room with attentive and cheerful team members. The goal is a frictionless and convenient experience for customers that involves everything from an app for ordering and display screens in the kitchen that makes the process seamless.
Darden has 25 years of experience in the restaurant business and knows how important company culture is to the success of the brand. He began as a server and loved the sense of community and teamwork he found in food service. Now as president of MOOYAH he is putting his experience to work in creating what he calls a “ridiculicious” customer experience.
While the food and beverage portion of a meal is the main focus, restaurateurs also develop other aspects of the business to create a unique experience. Service is one. The design and layout of a restaurant also matter. Everything from ambiance to color, to sound, and to lighting.
On this episode of The Main Course Host, Barbara Castiglia talked with Steve Starr, the Founder and Chief of StarrDesign, which helps emerging restaurant concepts define and design their brand to build lasting value. The duo spoke about restaurant design, what goes into it and how the pandemic altered how restaurants are approaching their restaurant design.
Starr’s career in restaurants started when he was young. His family owned them for four generations before his father decided not to participate in the family business. His Mom made sure that he and his sister gained a wealth of experience, with a particular focus on serving people.
“The best way they believed to do that was to literally do that,” Starr said. “Whether it was working in family restaurants or other restaurants, we had to work in restaurants.”
His time working in restaurants taught him a great deal, as one would expect. He picked up how to run operations and serve guests, and it also allowed him to work a variety of positions. It also taught him the most important thing he learned in his life.
“I also learned that I don’t want to be a restauranteur,” Starr said. “So, I decided to take the other side of the family business, which my mom is now a retired interior designer, so I ended up going to architecture school.”
He thought he would design housing, but by chance, one of his first jobs was with a small firm that worked on restaurants. He realized through this work that restaurant design is what he loved.
Listen to learn about how Starr feels about good design and operational efficiency deliver guest expectations.
Technology is an ever-increasing presence in restaurants. Over the past year, restaurants have scrambled to move to contactless services to help prevent the spread of COVID-19. But, Tim McLaughlin did contactless before contactless was cool.
On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia talked with Tim McLaughlin, the CEO of GoTab. GoTab is a Restaurant Commerce Platform (RCP) used by large- and mid-sized restaurants, breweries, bars, and hotels. GoTab uniquely allows patrons to order and pay through a server (old school), or directly from their mobile phones (contactless ordering and payment - new school), or blend the two experiences all on one tab, through its easy-to-use mobile point-of-sale (POS), contactless ordering and payment features, and kitchen management systems (KMS).
“As many people in hospitality know, payments are a friction point and not a fun point of dining” - Tim McLaughlin
The duo dug into contactless payment and GoTab, which started in 2016. McLaughlin started his career in e-commerce and was attempting to solve the pain point of payment in restaurants. He opened his own brewery and started to see the pain points of restaurant life. One of those payments was payment.
“As many people in hospitality know, payments are a friction point and not a fun point of dining,” McLaughlin said. “There were not solutions I thought were very good.”
So, he started GoTab on the side. It didn’t take off because it only focused on payments. So, they set out to solve another pain point: ordering. They launched several versions of their software that allowed users to order through their phones.
Experiential dining has always been a special segment combining outstanding service, unique moments, and delicious food. But it came to a halt during the pandemic. On The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Barry McGowan, CEO of Fogo de Chão, a Brazilian steakhouse. He shared how the brand pivoted and how they’re now expanding to deliver joy to customers.
McGowan is in love with hospitality, spending most of his life in the industry. From his first job at McDonald’s to working with Chili’s to opening restaurants across the world, hospitality is in his blood. On joining Fogo de Chão, he said, “I loved the concept and the brand, the authenticity of it all.”
As a leader of the brand, McGowan explained they started innovating. “We introduced seafood, Brazilian brunch on weekends, new ways to create experiences. For six years, we had positive organic growth.”
Then the pandemic hit, and experiential dining wasn’t an option. The brand pivoted, offering to-go for the first time. “We needed a new revenue channel. We started with a product list and butchered meats. Within three days, we had to-go offerings.”
Once it was safe to open, the company added more labor to focus on more service and hospitality. “We leaned into what we’re good at and what consumers want,” McGowan said.
McGowan also spoke about the 12 Safety Promises, based on health and safety guidelines.
Expansion of the brand is what’s next, with several new locations opening. They also have a Next Level Lounge and butchery on the way. McGowan described the future, “We’re well-positioned and offer more ways to explore and enjoy because steak is stale offering. You can have a variety of steak and other meats along with exotic foods. Guests can experience things they’d never buy in the grocery store.”
Restaurants have always placed importance on hygiene. With local, state, and federal guidelines, it was top of mind. However, the pandemic shifted it into a new spotlight, one that diners care more about. Talking about restaurant hygiene, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Di Neal, Regional Marketing Manager for Tork. Tork is a global provider of hygiene products and services across many industries.
“The industry faced significant difficulty in 2020 with many restaurant closures. Many changed operations to meet customer demands. Hygiene was always an important factor. Now, it’s pushed to the forefront,” Neal commented.
The shift in mindset happened to the operators and consumers. Guests are now more aware of how the restaurant is keeping everything clean and sanitized. “Customers are looking at things like wiping down tables after every use and if their takeout is in tamper-proof packaging,” Neal added.
To quantify customers’ expectations, Neal spoke about the Essentials Initiative Survey conducted by Tork’s parent company Essity.
“It’s a global study conducted every two years. We had over 15,000 respondents from the general public aged 16 to 85. It reflects attitudes and behaviors around hygiene and health,” Neal described.
One key finding from the study should have operators on notice not to let the guard down on hygiene. The study revealed that 60% of consumers have higher hygiene expectations of restaurants. That change is likely due to the pandemic and having greater awareness around cleanliness in general.
Neal also discussed technology’s role in hygiene, from online ordering to QR codes replacing paper menus to software that supports hygiene activities.
Ghost kitchens are now part of the vernacular, as delivery became the go-to for restaurants during the pandemic. Those trends, coupled with the lack of commercial kitchen spaces for food startups, led Camilla Opperman and Samantha Slager to launch Nimbus, a hybrid between a traditional commissary kitchen and a ghost kitchen. The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia spoke to them about the concept and the future of ghost kitchens.
Opperman explained the business. “We offer premium commercial kitchens for lease. We have ghost kitchens dedicated to delivery options. We also have shared spaces that are rentable by the hour or day.”
Their space, located in NYC’s lower east side, also has a front of house perfect for dinner parties and studio kitchens to create content.
The idea for the concept came to Opperman when she searched for a kitchen to start a concept. “None of the solutions were appropriate, so I pivoted to solve the problem.”
Opperman met Slager through a mutual friend, and her background in sales and marketing made the pair a great team. “I was blown away by the idea and opportunity,” she added.
They opened the kitchen during the pandemic, which turned out rather well. Slager said, “People came to us who had lost their spaces as well as operators that were figuring out delivery and needed to expand to new markets.”
Besides providing the facility and infrastructure, Nimbus also connects members to preferred partners to help with marketing, ingredient procurement, and labor.
In discussing the future of the segment, Opperman believes things look bright. “Ghost kitchens like Nimbus are the future. The old restaurant infrastructure isn’t set up for delivery. With in-dining experiences coming back, restaurants will need space to facilitate delivery. Our front of house is also designed for events. Its’ the best of both worlds.”
Meatless Monday, first introduced in 2003, is a movement that’s still going strong. This global campaign seeks to encourage consumers to cut out one day of meat a week. So, what’s new with Meatless Monday, and how can restaurants tap into its power? Campaign director Dana Smith joined Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course to talk about it.
Smith, who has a background in culinary marketing, oversees the program and day to day, working with partners, restaurants, chefs, and other stakeholders. “Our objective is to ensure that those eating on Monday have incredible, delicious options,” she said.
Smith’s team, which most are surprised is so small, can do so much globally. Their website is full of factual, science-based information on the health and environmental benefits of going meatless. “All these resources are free on our website. We have recipes, data points, and how to start a program.”
They work with many restaurants, from local favorites to global chains. Smith shared that Starbucks had a recent promotion, offering $2 off on plant-based breakfast items. She also noted, “Mondays can be a slow day for restaurants. We know from our partners that once they created a Meatless Monday offering, they increased traffic.”
Some of that is due to the virality of the campaign and the awareness around it. “A restaurant can easily tap into the campaign by using the hashtag. Last year the Meatless Monday hashtag had over a billion impressions,” Smith commented.
Castiglia also asked Smith about meatless trends. Smith noted they publish a top list of recipes every year, and a favorite is Jamaican Jerk Tofu. Another is a veggie meatball. “Plant-based versions of popular items are the way to go. Finding what your customers like then swapping out works well. We have hacks on swaps on the website, too.”
The pandemic briefly took away one of the world’s beloved institutions - the coffee shop. As the world opens up, the opportunity to sit down in a noisy cafe will soon rear its head. But, coffee shops had to figure a way to survive during the pandemic. Many pivoted to a pickup model, while some also added e-commerce as a way to sell their beans online.
The Main Course Host Barbara Castiglia talks with Nick Stone, the Founder, and CEO of Bluestone Lane Coffee, an Australian premium coffee and lifestyle brand, about how the company adapted during the COVID-19 pandemic down under. The duo also talked about what the dynamic coffee roaster has in store for the future.
Stone opened the coffee shop in 2013. A former athlete and investment banker, he loved the competitiveness and collaboration in both arenas. He always enjoys being a part of high-performing teams, and he brought this energy to the Australian coffee scene.
“To deliver a premium service in a very consistent way, you have to have that ethos that you’re continually improving,” Stone said. “It’s incremental gains every single day. It’s very akin to being a part of a high-performing sports team, where you’re training every day to improve, and you try to find an edge.”
With lost revenue initially, Stone laid off 650 employees as their revenue plummeted 91 percent. But, as the company pivoted to an e-commerce model, it grew its revenue by 260 percent. One of the things that helped them during this was their new subscription model. With the revenue increase, they plan to reopen their 51 stores and continue their expansion plans.
Paul Shapiro is not your average entrepreneur. He is the author of Clean Meat: How Growing Meat Without Animals Will Revolutionize Dinner and The World and the CEO of The Better Meat Co. These projects stem from his passion for food sustainability. He talked with host Barbara Castiglia on this episode of The Main Course.
“I grew up with a love of animals,” Shapiro said. “I’ve always felt, We, human beings, treat animals in ways that are pretty deplorable.”
In addition to his love for animals, he noted that future generations would be taken back by the way we treat animals, especially the animals that end up on our plates for consumption. “They’re going to be pretty shocked,” he said.
Shapiro has spent a lot of his life trying to figure out ways to improve our coexistence with animals. He worked for years trying to get laws passed that improved the life of a farm animal. One example was getting egg-laying chickens out of the small cages where they laid eggs.
“About five or six years ago, I started wondering if technology would do even more,” Shapiro said, “to help improve the treatment of animals, besides trying to persuade people what we are doing is wrong.” He elaborated that the United States was once a whaling nation, but now we care about them. It happened because we no longer needed their resources.
It led him down the path of clean meat, without the downside of raising farm animals, so people can still have the same food without the cruelty.
Data and technology are used in restaurants but not used to build relationships. It’s mainly used to track customer purchases, track inventory, scheduling and reservations. Joel Montaniel, the CEO of SevenRooms, wanted to change that. He talked with Barbara Castiglia on The Main Course about data and how operators can build better relationships with customers.
Montaniel always wanted to build businesses and be an entrepreneur. He started in finance, and he got paid well, but it was an unfulfilling job.
“But, I wasn’t getting that itch scratched,” he said.
His passion for restaurants started when he found himself going to them during his free time. He didn’t have much free time, so he wasn’t able to attend them enough to become a regular. This piqued his curiosity and passion for restaurants. It started on the customer side but eventually led to the business side.
The idea for SevenRooms came when he noticed that if you didn’t attend a restaurant enough, they wouldn’t know anything about the customer. “They were numbers, not faces.”
“No matter what we could do for the consumer, the operator needed to pay for a role,” Montaniel said.
That was their lightbulb moment: Instead of focusing on the consumer, what if we focused on the operator.
SevenRooms helps restaurant operators leverage customer data to improve the experience. As part of their service, they offer Pickup and Delivery solutions; Reservation, Waiting, and Seating Management; Data and Guest Profiles; Guest Engagement, and Marketing.
“In the early days, typical to a lot of startups, we wanted to become a company that was all about technology helping businesses build relationships with people,” Montaniel said. In restaurants, relationships and people are the most important thing. It’s all about who you know. Technology is mostly transactional and focuses on purchases, etc. They wanted to change this perspective.
Franchising is critical to the restaurant world, but not every franchisee is successful. So, what’s the secret recipe? Franchise expert, speaker, and author of The Wealthy Franchisee Scott Greenberg joined The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia to shed light on the subject.
Greenberg started his career as a professional speaker and leadership coach. Looking for a second stream of income and a “lab” to try out concepts, he ventured into the franchise world. For the next 10 years, he ran Edible Arrangements stores. His speaking career then moved into franchise events.
“I was looking at the differences between struggling and top-performing franchisees. After a while, I kept hearing the same themes. A franchise is a scientifically sound experiment. You have people running the same business with different results. I wanted to define the variables.”
In doing so, Greenberg looked at the human element of success—how people think, lead, and serve. “Thinking is getting rid of subjectivity to make data-driven decisions. Leading is about developing others, and serving is building connections, not just transactional relationships.”
The human element to Greenberg also meant ego is the enemy of service. “If your focus is yourself, then you aren’t focusing on those that matter—your team and customers,” he added.
Greenberg’s speaking career and interactions led him to write the book as a resource and truly defined a wealthy franchisee. There are three parts to achieve this, financial return, controlling time, and quality of life. Without all three, true wealth is elusive.
He shared some stories from the book, including how a franchisee took underperforming locations and made them the top, dispelling the myth that success is all about location. He also spoke about Jersey Mike’s owner and his unique support for franchisees.
Greenberg also offered advice for franchisees in building their teams. “Define the most important traits for that role and ask questions to see if they demonstrate these. You also need to prepare them for the culture, not just train them for the job.”
Technology is a crucial component of restaurant recovery. Augmented reality (AR) has many applications to drive value, especially in personalizing and modernizing the gift card experience. To chat about this topic, The Main Course host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Jack Serfass, CEO, Uptown Network, and Patrick Johnson, CEO, Rock Paper Reality. The two companies are partners in this new venture. Uptown Network is a menu digitization app, while Rock Paper Reality is an AR agency.
Johnson explained AR and its applicability to restaurants. “Essentially, it’s a fusion of the digital and physical world. It’s an overlay of virtual information on the physical environment. You can make 3-D models of meals and the restaurant.”
Serfass, whose background includes launching software companies and owning a restaurant, said the company launched its digital menu platform pre-pandemic, which supported restaurants. Still, the company wanted to do more to help clients generate revenue in the gift card space. “Gift cards are old, so we were thinking of how to reimagine it, and AR was capable of doing that.”
Instead of sending that dull plastic card, consumers can virtually gift an actual item, personalizing the experience. The two companies began working together to revitalize this revenue stream.
“We built out the AR portion and integrated it into the Uptown app. It’s a direct increase to the bottom line. There are also intangible benefits like virality and using the images on social medial or websites,” Johnson said.
Jack noted that the gift becomes an experience and drives micro-gifting of small items like a coffee, cocktail, or dessert. Restaurants also avoid the high 20% transaction fee they face with third parties. Those micro-gifts often lead to more purchases that don’t involve any processing fees.
Pat shared some additional thoughts on AR in restaurants. “It’s a new medium for communication, and AR has many more applications. It brings value to the customer and business.”
Iconic brands create experiences for their customers. That’s the feeling many Californians have about Fosters Freeze, which dates back to the 1940s. Their soft-serve ice cream and classic Americana menu were well-loved, but the brand was stalling. Experienced franchisees and brothers Neal and Nimesh Dahya purchased the brand. They shared how they are bringing it into the future while retaining its charm. They joined The Main Dish to talk about their journey.
The brothers have worked with numerous big brands as franchisees, which they say helped them when they switched to the other side of operations.
Neal said, “We are better able to understand franchisee issues and concerns. We also get their opinion before making decisions or changes.”
They have made significant changes since acquiring the brand in 2015, which was motivated by having a presence in their home state of California.
“We knew from what we learned; we could acquire the brand and take it to the next level. We spent time getting to know our franchisees, suppliers, and partners. It’s an iconic brand that just needed some updating,” Nimesh added.
The update was both front of house and back of the house. They redesigned the interior and exterior. Updating the logo was also part of the process. They also launched a new website and created an intranet for franchisees to have access to resources.
A big part of the modernization was technology. They focused on backend systems that would streamline processes and reduce costs.
Their brothers shared that they remained open during the pandemic and actually saw sales grow because of their drive-thru capabilities. That success and their vision are powering what’s next, as they plan to grow outside of California to Arizona, Nevada, and Colorado.
Is business dining making a comeback after being hit hard by the pandemic? Industry expert and Dinova CEO Alison Galik joined The Main Course to discuss the topic. Dinova is a preferred dining program provider that connects restaurants and companies.
Galik joined the company three years ago after a career in corporate travel procurement and technology. Pre-pandemic business dining was booming. “It was the third largest expense category for companies, and average checks for it were 49 to 200 percent more than consumers,” she said.
Once the pandemic hit, the company shifted gears somewhat. “Our goal is to direct business dining spend to network restaurants. That didn’t’ change, but some of our messaging did. We had to focus on safety regulations and invested in adapting technology to share with restaurants and businesses accurate information,” Galik added.
They also shifted promotions from event space to encouraging companies to throw virtual celebrations, meal pickup, and gift cards. Now, their focus is on the vaccine and what that means for reopening. Galik noted the most crucial part for restaurants is safety. “Business diners must be safe.”
In addition to new messaging on promotions, safety, and regulations, Dinova is spreading ideas around opportunity. There’s new tax legislation that allows for 100 percent of business meals to be deducted, which they are communicating to their network.
Galik also sees an ample opportunity for fine dining. “They could become a preferred meeting space to support business connections for those corporations that stay closed or will limit visitors long-term.”
The Main Course is talking barbecue and big data today. Host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Joe Tenczar, Chief Strategy Officer at Sonny’s BBQ. Tenczar is a tech and visionary expert helping the brand to evolve with technology. Sonny’s BBQ, founded in 1968, is a slow-smoked barbecue fast-casual chain with over 100 stores, mainly in the southeast. Tenczar started with the company in 2014 as the Chief Information Officer, then led various other groups before moving into his current position.
Tenczar explained that pre-COVID, the business went through a rebrand and had some foundational technology in place that helped them pivot. “We shut our dining rooms down before the mandate, then focused on off-premises with online ordering enhancements and introducing curbside.”
Tenczar also realizes that customer behavior changed, but the company is following that trend. “We’re an information company. We want to understand how people enjoy our products and their preferences.”
They use transactional and objective data to build the outline and insert more subjective information from surveys and guest interactions.
“Data analytics play a huge role in decision-making. They use Olo for online ordering, which allowed them to open up new channels and integrate with third-party delivery. The stores also adopted Wisely, a table management system, to safely manage dine-in activity. Both of these systems contribute to their big data picture.
They are using what they learn to set the course for Sonny’s in the next 50 years, with the customer voice influencing the road ahead.
How did some restaurant chains grow during the pandemic? They had to pivot and meet new customer demands to answer the consumer question of “What’s for Dinner?” The Main Course welcomed Carl Howard, President and CEO of Fazoli’s, to talk about how he and his team turned the brand around and continued to evolve it during the pandemic.
Howard has a long career in restaurants. He went from GM to CEO of Damon’s, worked as a franchisee, and more. After that, he was interviewing to run another concept, but during conversations, one of the interviewer’s said, “You’d be perfect for Fazoli’s.” It turns out, he was and has been at the helm since 2008.
His first move was to create a new menu. The brand was known as the “fastest Italian restaurant,” but Howard remarked that the food was terrible.
“We had to readdress the culinary side of the business. We were losing consumers because of food quality. Now we have a tremendous menu with lots of baked pasta.”
He also changed the experience. They began using real plates and silverware and bringing food to guests versus them picking up. Employees now bussed the tables and offered drink refills or more breadsticks. “That’s a lot of service for $8,” Howard said.
When COVID hit, Howard said they paused for a few weeks focusing on liquidity drivers, then went on the offense. “We wanted to solve the problem for Americans. They needed convenience and value, so we introduced the Super Family Meal. It’s a bucket of pasta, breadsticks, a pizza, and a gallon drink,” he explained.
That lead to new visitors and a surge, so they placed employees outside with tablets to make drive-thru lines move quicker. The brand experienced double-digit growth for the last eight months, and new franchisees are lining up. “We have a lot of interest because we’re not collecting franchisee fees or royalties for the first year, and we’re focused on converting properties, not building new ones.”
The Main Course brings a new perspective to the world of restaurants by looking at the legalities involved in operating during a pandemic. Host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Michele Stumpe, Partner at Taylor English Duma LLP. Stumpe specializes in hospitality litigation and liability.
Stumpe found her way into this niche following a call from a convenience store client that needed representation for an alcohol violation hearing. She became very good at defending that industry, and eventually, it evolved into a hospitality focus.
During COVID-19, her focus shifted. “I’ve been busier than ever but billed less than ever because so many of my clients are in a devastating situation.”
Her clients needed her but for a new reason. “I was helping them to understand the latest orders and actively working on their behalf with jurisdictions and the state on measures to benefit them.”
To do this, Stumpe sent out update emails and then devised a checklist for reopening to be compliant with Georgia laws. The state also required new training for restaurant employees. She worked with an organization to create a free training program. She even helped launch an app with a colleague that restaurant owners can use for a regular to-do list.
Stumpe has been an advocate to help the hospitality industry stay safe and stay open. That includes working on legislation to legalize the delivery of alcohol.
She has also been helping food service workers in other ways through her nonprofit The Giving Kitchen. “We created it to be a safety net for those facing hardships. Since COVID, we’ve provided services to over 6,000 workers.”
Many restaurants suffered big blows during the pandemic, but not Teriyaki Madness. It experienced growth and expansion. So, what’s their secret recipe for success? Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with CEO Michael Haith to learn how they’re doing it.
Haith has been franchising his entire career, and buying Teriyaki Madness checked all the boxes. “It’s good, fresh food that’s healthy. We consider our shops to be neighborhood joints that offer customers the chance to make a meal the way they want it.”
The company’s growth is also because of its franchising business model, which they call “Franchising with a Soul.” Haith explained, “It means it’s not a cookie-cutter concept. There are commonalities, but franchisees have the opportunity to put in their own personality.”
The strong business model also sustained them in the pandemic. “We didn’t really pivot because technology has always been a cornerstone for us. With a good model, people processes, and systems, technology allows for execution. We let the customer choose how to interact. It may be the perfect pandemic business model,” Haith explained.
The recipe for winning with people, process, and technology also serves the customer. The company already had a strong off-premise program, offering convenience to the customer with freshly made, high-quality food.
For the industry itself, Haith believes COVID forced evolution in the industry. His company was just ahead of the curve, opening numerous new locations in the last year with more to come.
The food and beverage industry is on the cusp of a revolution. The convergence of technology, a pandemic, and shifting consumer demands could mean the future is virtual. A visionary in the space of virtual concepts and food and beverage innovation, Aaron Noveshen, shared his journey and thoughts on what’s next. Noveshen is the founder of F&B agency The Culinary Edge and CEO and founder of the fast-food chain Starbird.
Noveshen’s love affair with food started early. By 25, he was an executive chef, but he realized his
passion for the industry went beyond the stove.
“In 2002, I started Culinary Edge to change F&B experiences, working on brand positioning, menu strategy, and operations. We’ve worked with startups along with 25% of the top 200 restaurants,” Noveshen said.
After years of helping other food brands thrive, the company decided to create its own brand. “It was time to walk the walk and see if we could go out and create a brand on the culinary edge,” Noveshen commented.
That passionate pursuit led to the creation of Starbird. They wanted to really imagine the fast-food experience with food and ingredient quality, enhancing the experience, and be digital-first. “From the start, we had an app and a frictionless, contactless digital experience, so we were well-positioned when the pandemic hit,” he recalled.
Their inventive menu, which had help from 10 chefs, focused on fresh ingredients and everything being made from scratch. Their chicken and salad concepts have done extremely well. Moving forward, Noveshen says three things are guiding them—how does this impact our people, what is our community participation, and what is the business health. They are also a brand that invests in its people with employee enrichment programs. He said, “We want to invest in our people, and we also have the infrastructure to make sure they can continue to work in the safest manner.”
The Main Course always has a pulse on what’s next for the restaurant industry. For a look at the restaurant industry outlook for 2021, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Cristin O’Hara, Managing Director, Restaurant Group, at Bank of America.
O’Hara started with some good news. “There is enthusiasm and positivity that the industry is turning the corner. The second half of the year could see strong GDP growth, as people become more comfortable with returning to restaurants and the takeout business continues to soar.”
Some of that bounce back is already evident. “In some cases, same-store sales and margins are very good. Events are happening this year that didn’t last year, which makes people want to celebrate and order food,” O’Hara said.
Looking at trends and what may stay around post-pandemic, O’Hara spoke about technology's role in delivering convenience to the diner. It also provides intelligence to restaurants, which allows them to be smarter in decision-making.
While QSRs have grown, primarily due to drive-thrus, and fast casuals are coming back, O’Hara believes fine dining will be the last to emerge from the pandemic. “They depend on business travel and entertainment, which isn’t coming back yet,” she added.
Overall, she thinks the demand for dining out will grow as it becomes safer. The key for all restaurants will be getting throughput to align with demand, managing labor needs, and being prepared for changes in pricing in costs of goods. “Digitization has a lot to do with the management of these categories.”
The Main Course returns to the topic of restaurant technology, which has been a lifeline for most businesses during the pandemic. But how did it allow them to pivot, and what role will it play in the future? Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Chris Adams, VP of Strategy Food & Beverage at Oracle, on some success stories and trends.
In his role, Chris works with independents, global chains, and foodservice companies. He brings technology from Oracle and its partners to solve problems.
Once the pandemic happened, Oracle began to consult with its customers on what’s next and invest its own resources in areas around mobile ordering and online payments.
Adams shared some stories, including how they helped Outback. “Outback was predominantly a table service experience. They had shifted to some new technology around takeout. In just a few weeks, our partners and we were able to get a curbside ordering and payment solution in place and help them get in with delivery aggregators.
Adams worked with another brand in Italy, a country devastated by the virus. “They came to us and said we need to get to our customers. They took a data-driven approach from their customer loyalty program, and we helped them build their own delivery, ordering, and payment experience,” he said.
In looking at the future, Adams thinks the key word is flexibility. “Consumers want the flexibility of ordering how they want and getting food how they want. That’s not going away.”
He also predicts that the design of restaurants will follow the flexibility theme. “We’ll see more drive-thrus from brands that never did it before. Better mobile experiences, and smaller in dining footprints.”
Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with litigator and cybersecurity expert Jacey Kaps about what restaurants need to know about data security. Kaps is a partner with Rumberger Kirk and has been practicing law for 25 years. He became intrigued by the world of cybersecurity and now focuses on providing legal guidance around it.
They first discussed the landscape for restaurants. “There has been an uptick in cyber-attacks during the pandemic. Even with ongoing efforts to attack it, bad actors can still avoid the systems put in place. There are so many ways, in spite of the counter efforts, for cyber-attacks to occur,” Kaps said.
Overall, Kaps said restaurants are still a smaller piece of the pie in terms of most threats. However, with more remote work and various digital channels, there are no more access points for a hacker to penetrate. “There’s more risk in the process now, and the challenges are manifold in how to prevent it,” he added.
One area where restaurants are at a disadvantage is the investment aspect of fighting cybersecurity. Most in the industry are financially strapped and focusing on cutting costs. Kaps noted that restaurants can still follow best practices and be proactive.
His best advice is for restaurants to have a written data security plan and take “reasonable measures to protect data.” He also spoke about a checklist of cybersecurity must-haves for the formal plan. Some essential items include defining how they collect and store data, how often updates are run on software and firewalls, ensuring vendors are also using best practices, and training employees on data security protocols.
The Main Course seeks to bring listeners insights from every corner of the industry. The topic of this conversation is restaurant staffing. Host Barbara Castiglia spoke with an expert in the field, Mary Hamill, VP, Pre-Sales, at HotSchedules, a Fourth company. The organization offers end-to-end technology solutions for restaurants and hospitality.
Hamill has a long career in the restaurant world, working in them, running HR and training for groups, and now being on the supplier side in her current role.
The conversation began with how well some businesses pivoted during COVID. “The new norm is eating at home. Those that shifted quickly and smartly figured out how to do takeout really well,” Hamill said.
With changing business models, there was an impact on staffing. “When sales dip, labor gets cut. A big mistake we saw some restaurants make is cutting back too much. You still need the right staffing levels to drive revenue,” Hamill shared.
Hamill also noted that many restaurants reevaluated how they staff and looked to her company to help them with labor optimization. That requires actionable data and technology. The technology that enables restaurant owners to make better decisions doesn’t replace people; it should make everyone’s lives easier.
Hamill’s mantra is the clearer the data, the more enlightened the vision. She said, “Without clarity, you’re not sure what to focus on, so the reporting and analytics need to be actionable.”
Actionable data is looking inside the numbers and diagnosing the labor problem, then optimizing it by determining where there’s over- or under-staffing.
Hamill also offered some advice. “Take care of your staff, understand their needs, give them a safe place to work. There are still ways to drive revenue, and you’ll need people to do it.”
Host Barbara Castiglia welcomed TJ Schier, a veteran restaurant operator, and consultant, to discuss the change. Shier is the author of four books, has been an in-demand trainer for restaurants, and is a Which Wich franchisee.
At the start of 2020, Schier wasn’t focused on off-premise. He was working on a book about generating more catering dollars, something he’s had success with at his restaurant. Then the pandemic hit, requiring a pivot. “Catering orders declined, but it flipped the switch to off-premise with curbside, pickup, drive-thru,” he said.
He then began to make changes in his own restaurant while studying those in the industry that were doing well. “You need the basic things, online ordering and being on third-party delivery apps. You need QR codes for touchless ordering, and you’ll have to answer the phone. Make it as easy as possible for the guest to order,” Schier shared.
Schier also recommended using software to support and automate some practices, as it’s cost-effective for independents and small franchises. “Brands also need to communicate their safety and sanitation practices to instill trust.”
Overall, it’s about redefining the guest experience. They want less interaction, accuracy, high food quality, and the food ready on time.
Schier also noted that starting with third-party apps is necessary but then incentivize customers to order directly with promotions inserted into the bag.
How can operators know how they are doing? “The food is eaten away from the restaurant, so to know how we did, I use surveys for drive-thru and online ordering. Then I can respond to this immediately,” he said.
The Main Course offers listeners lots of sensory experiences, though, most of the time, it’s all about taste and smell.
Sars has a fascinating background in the music streaming industry. He was a co-founder of Beats Music and Spotify Business. He started the conversation with this candid take. “Music is an amazing art form. It’s an enabler of brands [looking] to augment experiences, connect to customers and make people feel great.”
Bringing Soundtrack Your Brand to market was led by this passion, but it also solved a business concern—compliance. There was no legal streaming service for restaurants or stores. That’s just the first part; the second is driving companies to develop a soundtrack that translates all their brand sentiments.
Castiglia and Sars talked about a research project that measured the difference between four different music treatments. Two were curations from Soundtrack Your Brand (one with popular music and another that mixed that with lesser-known tracks); one was their current legacy provider of well-known hits, and one was silence.
“The comparison between their current music and the brand application of mixed hits showed a 9.1% top-line sales improvement with the latter. Silence was even better than their current solution,” Sars said.
Sars also offered tips to restaurants on translating their brand to music. “First, have a solid concept, then work on the soundtrack.”
That’s easy to do with the company’s software. Users can feed inputs around artists, feelings, or specific songs, and its AI and machine learning engine kicks into gear. Sars recommends blending music and not focusing on hits, as they can be distracting. He also cautioned against repetition, as it can have a negative impact.
For a pulse on what’s happening in the world of cocktails, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Nicole Quist, Beverage Director for bartaco, known for its fresh take on tacos and spirits. Quist fell in love with the restaurant industry while in college and has been charting a course in beverage management ever since.
Explaining the vision of bartaco’s cocktails, Quist said, “We want to speak to what the guest wants. Drinks are simple but well-executed with freshly squeezed juices and bold, vibrant flavors.”
Things at bartaco changed when COVID-19 became reality. “We wanted to reimagine what our at-home guests were looking for, and as our CEO says, ‘Hospitality is safety’.”
So, could to-go cocktails work? Quist revamped the menu and researched the laws in the states in which they operate. Not all states allowed for to-go, so they improvised. “In Connecticut, we partnered with a local distillery to bottle spirits together. We were able to get registered in the state and put some people back to work.”
Where legal, the restaurant makes to-go cocktails. The attention to detail and freshness is still the guiding light of the new venture. “We’re still juicing by hand and don’t batch make. We pared down the menu, and the managers have a great system to ensure drinks are fresh,” Quist said.
In areas where they can’t sell to-go spirits, they have a new margarita mix called the bonfire margarita. In the change to deliver experiences outside the restaurant, Quist and other leaders in the company began to focus on the to-go packaging. “We’re using eco-friendly packaging and wanted the design to match our brand. It’s so much more important now,” she added.
Quist is optimistic about bar culture’s future, believing that the atmosphere and experience of freshly prepared cocktails will never be replaceable.
TV advertising has evolved to meet the 21st-century consumer, but how do brands really know if they’re effective? Breaking down this question and giving a replay on how food ads did during the Super Bowl, host Barbara Castiglia spoke with Bob Kraut and Kevin Krim of EDO. EDO works with advertisers, agencies, and TV networks to drive better value for media investments.
On the company’s origins, Krim said, “The idea was a realization that consumers are interacting with TV ads in the same way as digital ones; it was just harder to know the response.”
The secret to EDO’s data-driven insights is that they monitor advertising and what happens on search engines immediately following them to develop a response rate. This data then helps brands understand which creative and programs deliver the best ROI.
Krim, the company’s CEO, and Kraut, a strategic advisor, and former CMO at Papa Johns, talked about how the big game's food brand ads performed.
Krim shared some insights on Super Bowl ads. “The competitiveness of the game does impact engagement. A competitive one gets better results. It’s the best single event on TV for engagement. So much so, a company would have to buy 140 primetime spots to get the same results.”
There six food brands with ads—Door Dash, Uber Eats, Jimmy Johns, Chipotle, Pizza Hut, and McDonald's. The winner? Door Dash.
Krim explained its success. “It was early in the first quarter so good placement. It had the elements that matter. It was relevant, creative, and authentic.”
Uber Eats had less success, ranking at the bottom. The creative was a little off and didn’t resonate.
Next was Jimmy Johns, new to the Super Bowl. Kraut said, “It was strategically smart with the message of we are your neighbors. They expanded from their fast delivery messaging.”
Chipotle was third with the only purpose-driven ad. Following were Pizza Hut and McDonald's, which both had pre-kick ads.
Kraut, a former Pizza Hut leader, noted, “Pizza Hut has always been pre-kick. Even though they are the official pizza of the NFL, the ad didn’t feature any content relating to football.”
The full assessment of Super Bowl LV ads is available on the EDO website.
Off-premise dining was a small segment of table service restaurant. Then it became a lifeline during the pandemic. The Main Course is diving into the rise in takeout and curbside and how data plays a role. Host Barbara Castiglia discussed the topic with Brian Wayne, VP of Customer Success at QSR Automations.
QSR Automations offers an integrated software platform that delivers data-driven automation and serves the entire guest journey. In his role, Wayne leads all areas of customer interaction post-sell, including onboarding, implementation, support, and account management.
Working with restaurants for over two decades, the company has a good view of the industry and its challenges. The pandemic, however, disrupted it significantly. “The biggest pivot was to curbside. After lockdown, it was the rush to launch and forced people to focus on off-premise in the kitchen,” Wayne said.
He described that priorities in the kitchen changed with this shift. “Pre-pandemic, it was quality and speed. Those are still important, but more important is accuracy, communication, and data.”
The data restaurants collect supports the off-premise guest experience, with real-time tracking and accurate quoting of how long the order will take to reduce wait time.
Another “new” problem with off-premise is the rising demand. He talked about Mother’s Day of 2020, when restaurants were just reopening. “By our data, orders were four to five times greater than the year before,” Wayne added.
With dine-in, there’s a built-in limit. Off-premise is almost limitless, but data can help. This trend will continue to be important, as Wayne believes takeout will continue to be a big chunk of business. Wayne noted that data points for restaurants to watch include seat of service, reaction time, coordination time, window time, and more. With powerful metrics, restaurants have opportunities to refine, become more efficient, and delight diners.
Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.
While The Main Course loves to talk about food, there’s another part of the menu that restaurants and consumers are seeing evolve too—beverages. While the beverage industry has seen growth and diversity in the grocery store, restaurants haven’t had as many options. To talk about a better for you line of drinks, host Barbara Castiglia chatted with Luke Emery, CEO of Tractor Beverage Co.
Tractor, launched in 2018 by organic farmers, offers artificial-free, certified organic, and non-GMO sodas and drinks. Emery explained the origin story. “The founder Travis saw family members get sick and looked at the food supply with artificial flavors and chemicals. He wanted to make an impact on the world and partnered with restaurants and foodservice partners aligned with the mission of better for your ingredients.”
Emery also has a personal connection to the Tractor mission. He was a veteran of the traditional beverage industry. Just as he was beginning with the company, his son became ill. “I had conversations with Travis about food is medicine. We changed what goes into his body, and he’s now in remission,” he shared.
The company wants to inspire people to live healthier with organic for all without giving up flavor. Emery shared about the creation process. “We’re seeing the trends toward more functional ingredients like turmeric in our lemonade. Our drinks are made to pair with the food of our pouring partners and elevate the dining experience,” he said.
In addition to delivering a high-quality product, one that consumers can find at Chipotle, Pokeworks, Umami Burger, and more, they also help partners develop a strong beverage program. “Restaurant margins are thin, especially now. A strong beverage program can help. With our self-fill bottle program, we ship in concentrate. Restaurants add the water, saving costs on freight,” Emery noted.
Emery feels good about the future of dining and that consumers will continue to care more about what they put in their bodies. “They deserve better, and that’s what Tractor and our partners are delivering,” he added.
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Food is serious business. Now, on The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia will invite insiders on the front lines of food to share their expertise, strategies, and forecasts for navigating the ever-changing restaurant industry.
The restaurant industry leaned on technology solutions in 2020, adopting them at a record pace. The Main Course is always keen to talk about some of these revolutions. Today, host Barbara Castiglia chats with Jerry Abiog, Co-Founder and CMO of Standard Insights, an AI as a service growth marketing platform that recently launched iOrder digital menus.
Before starting Standard Insights, Abiog spent many years in marketing roles for software companies. He consulted on an AI project that failed but learned a lot. “We tend to learn the most from failures. From that, I learned, every software platform has to be easy to use and solve problems. I also realized something was bubbling on the surface for AI-driven applications,” he said.
A few years later, Standard Insights began its pursuit of bringing its AI platform to business. They started in eCommerce but soon expanded to the restaurant industry.
“We moved into the restaurant space because McDonald’s purchased a competitor, so we knew others would soon follow. Also, another co-founder owns a restaurant,” Abiog added.
They pitched it to restaurants with little interest in 2019. In 2020 when COVID started, it was a new era, one where digitization was key. “We knew there would be huge potential for AI digital menus and named our product iOrder. The message was to keep restaurants safe and profitable,” Abiog said.
He explained that they do this in three ways—driving sales, improving the customer experience, and preventing customer indecision by telling them what to do next.
The platform includes a digital menu ordering system with AI-fueled recommendations that improve as the system “learns” the customer. It can offer customers pairing suggestions to drive up the average order value. Based on historical data, the solution also predicts how many dishes and what kind the restaurant will sell. This knowledge helps them purchase with more accuracy and eliminate food waste.
Online ordering, whether from home or in the restaurant, is likely to stay, Abiog believes. “Technologies will stick around because people are used to them,” he commented.
Covering all aspects of the restaurant world is what The Main Course is all about. The series has looked at almost every angle regarding the COVID-19 impact. Today, host Barbara Castiglia opens the door on one more—crisis communications. Experts in the area, Dave Poston and Megan Paquin, CEO and VP of Poston Communications, respectively, shared their perspectives on the topic.
“Crisis communication is now way beyond the regular problems restaurants faced. Now they have to cope with the constant stress of a new challenge,” Poston said.
A vital aspect of crisis communication is reputation protection. Paquin added, “They should consider reputation as their most valuable asset outside of financial ones. Restaurants are thinking about dollars but sometimes forget about reputation.”
Crisis communication includes three main factors: plan, respond, advocate. Paquin noted that restaurants feel they are in an ever-responding response phase.
“It’s a good time to step back and plan to to assess current and future risk objectively and what the vision to endure will be like,” she said.
Poston also talked about empowering employees to send out clear, consistent messages is critical in crisis communication. He said, “Employees are the most important stakeholder group. Advocacy and promotion starts with them, so they need to feel safe and know how to communicate to guests, so they aren’t interpreting on their own.”
Overall, they both feel there is optimism ahead for the industry. Paquin said, “You can’t replicate the dining experience online. Customers have an emotional tie to restaurants, and that will help them prevail.”
The dining experience has endured a seismic shift during the pandemic. What have experts learned in the last year, and what does the future hold? Taking on the topic, host Barbara Castiglia welcomed Buck Sleeper, Director of Retail and Restaurants at EPAM Continuum.
Sleeper, an architect by trade, now focuses on experiment design at EPAM, specializing in restaurants and other verticals. The company has been an innovator and thought leader in the area, and Sleeper has a keen eye for the dining experience.
As the pandemic began, Sleeper wrote an open letter to the industry. “Everything was shutting down, and there was a helpless feeling. My letter focused on three points—lifting up employees, supporting communities, and expanding offerings,” he said.
By expansion, he noted pivoting to curbside and delivery, and succeeding would require both function and feeling.
He believes curbside is here to stay, but increasing human interaction is still a challenge. The delivery conundrum is weighing heavily on restaurants, with rising costs associated with it. Sleeper urged restaurants to be “transparent about costs.” That honesty can also build loyalty.
Sleeper also spoke about research from the EPAM group on currents of change, which identified six major trends ahead. He said, “One is the isolation impact of the pandemic, and restaurants can learn from this by understanding the context of how people are dining now.”
He also added that outdoor dining is here to stay—“It’s a little bit of Paris to downtown America.”
He also feels optimistic about the future post-COVID, noting that people will want to connect and celebrate, and there’s no better place to do that than over a shared meal.
The adoption of robotics and automation has grown across many industries, and food service is starting to embrace it. The interest and evolution began with challenges regarding labor costs and high turnover. Every investment starts with a strong problem—that’s the thought of Buck Jordan, CEO of Miso Robotics, a long-time technology innovator and investor.
In developing robotics to work in a quick-serve restaurant environment, Jordan and his team worked with CaliBurgers, getting advice from actual users. They started with the grill, introducing Flippy. The first try at the spatula didn’t impress the restaurant owner. “We got constant input from the food operator, so innovation was faster,” Jordan added.
The first Flippy mechanism could work the grill and fryers but was on a cart in the aisleway. That wasn’t going to work for mobility, so they move it to a rail system.
Miso partnered with White Castle, which began deploying Flippy in July 2020, months after the pandemic. Restaurants were facing new challenges, disrupting the entire foodservice ecosystem.
Flippy became an important tool. It could handle most of the back of house cooking while employees moved to the front line. Jordan also explained its integration with food delivery apps.
“It knows when delivery drivers are going to arrive and can calculate when to finish the meal so that it’s ready when the driver arrives,” he said.
What’s next for Flippy and the future of kitchens? The company is working on more automation software for its platform as well as getting costs down. Jordan said, “Automation is a necessity now for restaurants to keep the doors open. In the next 10 years, technology will evolve. Kitchens could become completely autonomous,” he said.
And anyone can be part of the Flippy revolution because the company uses crowdfunding for financing, just one more way the company is an innovator in the space.
Digital channels were already gaining traction before the pandemic for the dining industry. COVID-19 forced many restaurants to adopt and retool technology to meet new consumer demands, ensure safety, and drive revenue. Hope Neiman, CMO at Tillster, which helps restaurants with digital technology, shared thoughts on the evolving dining consumer.
“The pivot this year has been new customers adopting digital, but also more in the second stage tools, which is how do they make sure they’re getting the most out of their tools,” Neiman said.
While many companies had digital platforms for ordering and delivery, an expansion of tools occurred in 2020. “Technology to expand curbside or bring to table and using kiosks for ordering were all part of maximizing what’s possible for restaurants,” Neiman commented.
Restaurants have often been slow to change, but now it’s essential to deliver multi-channel experiences. Technology supports the consumer journey in many ways. “Consumers made the big aha with digital channels and expect the same experiences from their favorite restaurant brands,” Neiman added.
Along with platforms, kiosks, and applications, data is also driving the dining experience. “Restaurants now have the opportunity to see the customer journey,” Neiman noted.
Data enables marketing to collective segments to personalize, growing each piece to its maximum. It gives clues to the customer relationship, not just numbers. It also doesn’t take away from the guest experience; it addresses it.
“Data helps you create easy opportunities for the customer to come back, like programs that you can make a purchase this month and get a coupon for one next month. It’s also in practice for in-restaurant activities, like virtual menus, ordering by phone, calling the server over, and paying,” Neiman explained.
Data and technology work together to help the industry personalize messaging and illustrate the customer’s value, which what hospitality is all about.
Restaurants have always had one primary goal: providing the optimal dining experience that will keep tables filled from open to close. But, as the coronavirus forced restrictions on these establishments, many were compelled to shift their services to drive-thru, delivery and/or curbside operations, meaning an online presence was necessary if they wanted to keep on cooking.
However, according to a 2019 MGH survey—prior to the pandemic—77% of people routinely checked restaurant menus and/or reviews online before they dined in or ordered takeout or delivery, with 68% responding that they were discouraged from visiting a restaurant if unable to find the information they wanted beforehand.
After all, there are usually plenty of other dining options to consider. There’s no doubt that a tech-savvy approach toward marketing a venue can make a world of difference—particularly for those who haven’t been in business for long or struggling to keep their tables full—and especially during uncertain times like we’ve seen in 2020. So, what’s the answer? BentoBox!
What is BentoBox, you ask? Offering restaurants and hospitality a mobile-first online presence with an operations platform built-in to automate tasks such as updating menus and social media, promoting private events, sharing press, selling gift cards and more, BentoBox is proven to drive measurable gains in reservations, revenue and brand recognition for hospitality venues everywhere.
And, on this episode of MarketScale’s The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia sat down with BentoBox Co-Founder and CEO Krystle Mobayeni to discuss how BentoBox works, its client base and partnership with US Foods, the importance of a mobile-first approach to restaurant website design, how COVID has impacted both the industry and BentoBox’s business, and much, much more.
“As technology has become more important in the dining out experience—definitely over the past decade, very much so over the past year—restaurants were having to use these different third parties (marketplaces) for the technology, and that was taking away the relationship they had with their guests. These horizontal platforms,” Mobayeni explained, “really fell short of giving restaurants exactly what they needed online—the tools that are very specific to what restaurants want to communicate, whether it’s about events or menus or just updating images or promotions. And so it was really a no-brainer for us to build a platform that addressed this directly for restaurants, and then, within that, give them the tools to be able to take control, be able to make updates easily on their website, and then actually be able to treat it as a digital storefront rather than just a brochure.”
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While becoming a favorite local hotspot and enjoying the perks of word of mouth marketing is likely every restaurant owner’s dream, most know that it takes a lot of business and marketing savvy to keep a restaurant fully booked. Which is why Barbara Castiglia, Host, The Main Course
wanted to learn more about the intersection of restaurant financing and restaurant marketing. Castiglia tapped Johann Moonesinghe, Founder and CEO, inKind, a unique restaurant financing engine that's already helped more than 460 restaurants throughout the world, to shed some light on this topic.
While it’s hard to distill years of expertise down into a quick podcast episode, Moonesinghe was able to share some key marketing tips for restaurant owners. One such tip being to utilize email marketing. Moonesinghe feels that most restaurants don't do a great job with email marketing. “Email marketing is actually in our experience, probably the best form of marketing that a restaurant can and should be doing. It's just hard to do, because how do you gather email addresses that are customers? And then you can't just gather them, you have to engage with them, because that's how you build that rapport through email with your customers,” Moonesinghe explained. When his team begins working with a restaurant, ramping up their email marketing efforts is something they really focus on. “So we will gather email addresses from people who go to their website, we'll engage with those people, we'll let them know about new menu items that are coming out, and we'll let them know about the new patio hours, or the COVID hours,” Moonesinghe explained.
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On this episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia chats with Eric Symon, Director of the Enterprise Process Innovation Center & Food Services Group at Panasonic System Solutions Company of North America. They delve into the past, current and future of restaurant technologies, the changes the pandemic has brought about, the technology that enables faster consumer throughput while limiting equipment failures (whether it’s AI that anticipates demand, enabling kitchens to prepare and serve food more quickly, or IoT that monitors devices and identifies glitches before they fail) and will ultimately lead the way to the industry’s recovery, the balance of actionable data versus privacy concerns, and more.
“I think ‘connected restaurant’ today means kind of one thing to us, but we see that evolving over time into really what’s going to be a smart restaurant kind of concept where everything is connected—you have a single hub with a point-of-sale system, and you apply technologies like AI and IoT to help with everything from food preparation to maintenance and management of all the devices as well.”
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Whether a business model is successful or not, sometimes revamping just makes sense. For instance, Netflix moved from just distributing content digitally to become a leading producer of award-winning original content, exponentially multiplying its profits while increasing its stock CAGR. With that in mind, a purpose-driven business model transformation, or even a name change, can propel a company to new heights, offering consumers more to choose from and easier ways to obtain its products.
Beginning in 1990 as just a little juice shop that based its business model around the idea that eating better should be easy, for almost 30 years, Jamba Juice led the way in creating and defining the smoothie and juice category as we know it. But last year, the company dropped “Juice” from the brand’s name while adding the tagline ‘Smoothies, Juices and Bowls’, reflecting a wider array of offerings and more balanced ingredients. As Jamba, the company also launched new store designs, improved its digital platforms, upgraded their in-store experience, and more recently, introduced food trucks into its business model.
On today’s episode of The Main Course, host Barbara Castiglia sits down with Jamba President Geoff Henry—a veteran of the food & beverage sector with stints that include leadership roles for some of the world’s most recognized brands (Coca-Cola, Dunkin’ Donuts, etc)—to discuss the reasons and details behind the brand’s extraordinary evolution, the importance of consumer engagement via social media platforms, what gives them a leg up on the competition, how they’ve fared during the pandemic, and the partnerships and plans (food trucks!) for the future that will help to keep pushing Jamba forward.
“On the food truck side, obviously that’s a fun space—lots of brands looking at food trucks. For us, we see it as one more access point. We’re trying to make sure that we can serve the guests wherever they are, whenever they’re looking for a Jamba.” Henry continued, “To help increase the brand awareness and touchpoints in many of our markets, we’re working with existing franchisees to add food trucks to their portfolio of stores. And then also, in certain geographic locations, starting with a store and a food truck so that they can have more penetration for the brand and build awareness in that market makes a ton of sense.”
The concept for The Halal Guys came to be when Mohammed Abouelenein and two other Egyptian-born gentlemen came to our shores in search of the American dream…and possibly some halal cuisine. Noticing that other Muslims were seeking out food in Manhattan that wasn’t forbidden (haram) by the Quran, in 1990, the three created their first halal food cart and parked it on the midtown corner of 53rd and 6th Avenue. The Halal Guys quickly rose in fandom to become the leading destination for halal and other ethnic dishes in America, and one of the most popular food truck franchises in history.
Today, The Halal Guys’ is headed up by Mohammed’s son, CEO Ahmed Abouelenein, and on this episode of The Main Course, he joins Barbara Castiglia to discuss the company’s humble beginnings as a food cart provider of authentic halal cuisine, and a journey that rapidly morphed into actual food trucks, restaurants, and now, more than 90 locations spanning three continents.
Although, lines and lines of customers from around the world would ask The Halal Guys when they would be opening a location in their particular state or country, as well as being offered opportunities to open actual brick and mortars or be franchised, the owners were initially reluctant.
Abouelenein explained, “Around early 2014, that’s when Fransmart approached the founders, and they kept insisting that we have a great product—that if we go franchising, we’ll do a very, very good job at that.” Although still hesitant, not wanting to relinquish control that could possibly diminish their food quality, and thus, their customer base, once the founders realized the systems that Fransmart would put in place would ensure that the cuisine they sold at one cart would be of the exact same quality at every other location, “that’s when we came to the decision to franchise our business.”
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A key component of the FDA’s New Era of Smarter Food Safety Blueprint, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) just announced a critical update to the Food Safety and Modernization Act (FSMA)—Section 204(d)(2)(A)—which establishes additional traceability recordkeeping requirements for “high risk foods” such as leafy greens, fresh cut fruits and vegetables, some types of fish, shell eggs, nut butters, and more.
Angela Fernandez, the Vice President of Community Engagement at GS1 US, the information standards organization , leads all activities in the consumer packaged goods, fresh foods, foodservice and retail grocery industries. With nearly 20 years of experience, Fernandez collaborates with brands and retailers as part of GS1 US’ industry initiatives to improve recall response and enable more proactive food traceability. And today, Fernandez joins Barbara Castiglia on MarketScale’s The Main Course podcast to discuss how she got interested in food safety, as well as how the industry is preparing for this new rule, including:
Why food traceability is so vital
What’s already been done to support improved food traceability and harmonize the food system
How technology, like RFID, has enhanced food supply chain traceability and transparency
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When you need insight, asking an expert is the right way to go. Which is why Barbara Castiglia, host of The Main Course, sat down with Dan Rowe, Founder & CEO, Fransmart to discuss all things franchise. Why did we turn to Rowe to learn more about how to grow franchises? Good question. Rowe specializes in finding the next big thing in the franchise world. For more than 20 years, he has identified and grown brands like Five Guys Burgers & Fries, QDOBA Mexican Grill and The Halal Guys from small unit businesses to the powerhouse chains they are today. Under Dan Rowe’s direction, Fransmart’s franchise development portfolio brands have opened more than 5,000 restaurants worldwide, as well as facilitated franchise investments that cumulatively generated over 1-billion in revenues to date. In other words, he knows how to make franchises a success.