Episode Notes

Ashwin Kamlani, CEO and Co-founder of Juicer, shares his journey into the restaurant tech space and the evolution of their dynamic pricing concept. They initially focused on third-party delivery and used data to optimize menu prices. The concept of dynamic pricing was met with mixed reactions from restaurant groups, but they found success by automating the process and providing a hands-off solution for the restaurants. They analyze historical data, patterns, and channel-specific sales to make specific recommendations for menu pricing. They also incorporate competitive set analysis and guest sentiment analysis to further optimize pricing strategies. Juicer is focused on using data to optimize digital sales and profitability in the restaurant industry. They provide dynamic pricing solutions that help restaurants increase revenue and improve customer satisfaction. The onboarding process involves extracting historical data from the restaurant's point of sale system and running an analysis to identify opportunities. Juicer works closely with the restaurant to implement strategies and continuously measure and optimize results. The main challenges they face are the lack of peer evaluation in the industry and the perception that dynamic pricing is synonymous with price increases. Juicer is expanding globally and adapting to different technology players and cultural differences in each market. The future of the restaurant industry lies in the consolidation and collaboration of restaurant technology players to provide holistic solutions. Transparency and authenticity are key in building trust with customers. Juicer's focus is on becoming the leader in digital sales optimization through data-driven solutions.

Takeaways

• Juicer helps restaurants optimize digital sales and profitability through data science and dynamic pricing.
• They initially focused on third-party delivery and found success by automating the pricing process and providing a hands-off solution for restaurants.
• Juicer analyzes historical data, patterns, and channel-specific sales to make specific recommendations for menu pricing.
• They also incorporate competitive set analysis and guest sentiment analysis to further optimize pricing strategies. Juicer uses data to optimize digital sales and profitability in the restaurant industry.
• The onboarding process involves extracting historical data and running an analysis to identify opportunities.
• Challenges include the lack of peer evaluation and the perception that dynamic pricing means price increases.
• Juicer is expanding globally and adapting to different technology players and cultural differences.
• The future of the restaurant industry lies in consolidation and collaboration among restaurant technology players.
• Transparency and authenticity are important in building trust with customers.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Background 07:16 Early Success with Expedia and Orbitz 13:44 Meeting Drew Patterson and Starting Juicer 26:57 Optimizing Digital Sales and Profitability with Data 36:21 Global Expansion and Adaptation to Different Markets 43:52 The Future of the Restaurant Industry: Consolidation and Collaboration