Episode 621: Lean, Profitable, and Operator-First: The GoTab Way with CEO Tim McLaughlin

Wil sits down in-person with Tim McLaughlin, technologist-turned-operator who founded GoTab after opening two Caboose breweries and confronting real service-model pain (giant spaces, staffing constraints). Years before COVID, Tim taped QRs to tables and proved guests will change behavior to avoid pain (lines), which pushed GoTab to build not just ordering but a deep KDS and, later, a POS when closed ecosystems (e.g., API roadblocks) blocked integrations. Today GoTab focuses on operations over payments, hybrid service (QR + handheld + kiosk), open integrations, and white-glove 24/7 support, while running lean and profitable (not “growth at any cost”). With Opsie for inventory/costing, expansion in higher-labor markets like Australia, and an operator-first pricing philosophy (inspired by Costco’s cap idea), Tim argues tech should feel invisible, amplify hospitality, and never replace it.

10 Takeaways

1. Pain drives adoption: guests embraced QR ordering in 2018 at Caboose Commons to skip long lines—two years before COVID.
   
   
2. Operations > payments: GoTab’s edge is the KDS/factory-mindset—batching, throttling, inventory links—not just taking money.
   
   
3. Hybrid service wins: seamlessly mix QR tabs, handheld orders, kiosks, and traditional POS—flip zones on/off in real time.
   
   
4. Open…for real: GoTab publishes APIs and keeps integrations (even with competitors to Opsie) because operators need choice.
   
   
5. Closed ecosystems cost you: API fees/blocks pushed GoTab to build its own POS so operators aren’t held hostage.
   
   
6. Service is strategy: 24/7 phone/text/chat, humans + AI, fast responses—because hospitality vendors must model hospitality.
   
   
7. Lean and profitable: modest capital, disciplined hardware R&D, profitable growth > headline valuations.
   
   
8. Inventory is the sleeper win: most independents skip it; Opsie aims for “no-effort” inventory & COGS visibility inside GoTab.
   
   
9. Follow labor costs: higher-labor markets (e.g., Australia with double-time on holidays) adopt efficiency tech faster.
   
   
10. Pricing with trust: exploring a Costco-style profit cap; focus on transparent value, not nickel-and-diming via fees.