Ep 07: As SVP and Head of Innovation for Brinker International, Wade Allen is Launching New Concepts and Leveraging Years of Investment to Survive and Thrive During the COVID-19 Pandemic

We were always headed for a restaurant landscape defined by contactless payments, home delivery, and digital spaces. COVID has just accelerated it. While many were caught unawares, Wade Allen, Head of Innovation for Brinker International, has been transitioning his company for years. As a result, Brinker is not just surviving. It’s thriving during the pandemic. We start the conversation by talking about Wade’s career and how he became Brinker’s Head of Innovation. He speaks about helping brands pivot in a changing marketplace before we dive into a discussion on the newly-launched It’s Just Wings, a purely digital brand that uses Brinker’s existing kitchens to offer food through DoorDash.