Episode 499: Kimball Brienza, Managing Partner, O-Ku Sushi, The Indigo Road Hospitality Group, Charleston, SC

This episode is sponsored by Popmenu. Popmenu specializes in transformative online and on-premise technologies that help restaurants increase brand visibility, guest engagement, revenue and profitability. We currently work with over 10,000 independent restaurants and hospitality groups and are helping them get the most out of their most powerful marketing tool: their menu.

It's also sponsored by Kickfin. Thousands of restaurants, bars and breweries use Kickfin to tip out their employees instantly — no cash required. With Kickfin, tips go directly to your employees’ bank of choice, the second their shift ends. It’s a really simple solution to a really big problem — because if you’re still paying out credit card tips in cash, it’s costing you. Time-consuming bank runs and cash counting take managers away from work that matters. Cash is hard to track, which leads to accounting headaches — and it creates the perfect opportunity for theft, human error, and compliance issues. Bottom line: there’s never been an instant, secure way to pay out tips — until Kickfin. It’s an easy-to-use software that sends real-time, cashless tip payouts straight to your employees’ bank accounts, 24/7/365. Kickfin gives managers hours back in their day, makes reporting a breeze and protects your business from risk. Most importantly: employees love it. Restaurants can have Kickfin up and running overnight. Employees can enroll in seconds. No hardware, no contracts, no setup fees. Visit kickfin.com for a personalized demo and see how restaurants across the country digitizing tips with Kickfin. 

Giving Kitchen is a James Beard Award-Winning nonprofit that provides emergency assistance to food service workers nationally. GK has served over thirteen thousand food service workers and awarded over nine million dollars to food service workers in crisis. 

Giving Kitchen helps food service workers that get hurt or sick, lose a family member or suffer a housing disaster like a flood or fire by offering financial assistance to cover rent and utilities. If you know someone that works in a bar or restaurant that is in crisis, tell them: Ask for help from Giving Kitchen by clicking here.

Want to get involved and support Giving Kitchen? Join Dining With Gratitude in October, Giving Kitchen’s month-long campaign, where the food service community pledges to raise critical funds and spread the word about their mission. Learn more by clicking here.