Wisking it all

About this Episode: In this conversation, Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America, shares his insights and advice on how to succeed in the restaurant business. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the formula for success and having the right information, education, and support. Troy talks about his journey in the hospitality industry and how he reached his current position at Hot Palate America. He also explains the process of working with restaurant brands and the factors that should be taken into account when deciding to franchise. Troy provides tips on improving operations and the bottom line, including knowing your numbers and making data-driven decisions. He highlights the significance of menu engineering and understanding your customers to create a successful menu. Lastly, Troy discusses the importance of marketing and encourages restaurateurs to tell their stories and engage with their customers through various channels. In addition, Troy Hooper shares some valuable insights on creating authentic content for restaurants and utilizing user-generated content. He emphasizes the importance of being the show, not the commercial, and encourages restaurants to showcase behind-the-scenes content and day-to-day activities. Troy also highlights the power of user-generated content and suggests reaching out to guests and employees who have created content about the restaurant. Finally, he provides information on how to find him and introduces Pepper Lunch, an experiential DIY teppanyaki restaurant. Takeaways Understanding the formula for success in the restaurant business is crucial, and having the right information, education, and support can make it easier. Knowing your numbers and making data-driven decisions is essential for improving operations and the bottom line. Menu engineering and understanding your customer's preferences are key to creating a successful menu. Marketing is important for attracting more customers, and utilizing social media and engaging with your employees and customers can be effective strategies. Restaurants should focus on creating authentic content that showcases behind-the-scenes activities and day-to-day operations. User-generated content is a valuable resource that restaurants can leverage for free. They should search for content related to their restaurant and reach out to the creators for permission to repost. To find Troy Hooper, he can be easily found on LinkedIn by searching for J.Troy Hooper. Pepper Lunch, an experiential DIY Teppanyaki Restaurant, is also introduced. Timestamps 00:00 The Formula for Success in the Restaurant Business 06:05 The Journey to Hot Palate America 07:02 The Process of Working with Restaurant Brands 10:47 Franchising and Single Locations 19:17 Improving Operations and Bottom Line 31:44 Menu Engineering and Understanding the Customer 40:16 Marketing and Getting More Customers 46:04 Creating Authentic Content for Restaurants 47:31 Utilizing User Generated Content 49:21 Finding Troy Hooper and Pepper Lunch

About this Episode: In this episode, Rev Ciancio, Co-founder of Handcraft Burgers and Brew and Head of Revenue Marketing for Branded Hospitality Ventures, shares his journey in the hospitality industry and provides valuable marketing tips for restaurateurs. He discusses the importance of content creation and leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok. Rev also emphasizes the significance of collecting emails and using SMS marketing to engage with customers. Additionally, he highlights the upcoming Restaurant Growth Summit and his other ventures, including a children's book. Overall, Rev's insights and anecdotes provide valuable lessons for those in the restaurant industry. Takeaways: - Content creation is a powerful tool for marketing in the hospitality industry. - Collecting emails and leveraging social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok can help restaurants engage with customers. - SMS marketing is an effective way to reach and communicate with customers. - Playing to your strengths and focusing on what you're good at can lead to success in the restaurant industry. - The Restaurant Growth Summit and other industry events provide valuable opportunities for learning and networking. Timestamps: 00:00: Introduction and Background 02:42: From Music Business to Hospitality 06:22: The Power of Content 10:31: Lessons from Past Mistakes 14:13: Marketing Strategies for Restaurants 19:28: Collecting Emails for Restaurants 21:57: Leveraging Social Media for Restaurants 27:54: Using SMS for Restaurant Marketing 30:18: Branded Hospitality Ventures 35:31: Rev's Children's Book 40:47: Anecdotes and Case Studies 43:39: Importance of Trying and Learning 44:08: Introducing Babu: A Commission-Free Marketplace 45:33: Free Marketing Resources 46:29: Wrap-up and Next Steps Explore the podcast

Episode Notes In this episode, Chip Klose, a Restaurant Coach with over two decades of experience, shares insights on improving profitability in the restaurant industry. He emphasizes the importance of focusing on customer needs and unique qualifications, managing revenue, cost of goods sold, and labor, and implementing effective marketing strategies. Chip also discusses his coaching program, success stories from his clients, and the motivation behind starting the Restaurant Strategy podcast. Additionally, he highlights the value of sharing knowledge through different formats, including his book, The Restaurant Marketing Mindset. Chip Klose discusses the key principles of restaurant marketing and shares insights on the future of the industry. He emphasizes the importance of understanding the ABCDs of marketing: audience, brand, competition, and differentiation. Chip also highlights the significance of internal and external marketing strategies and provides practical tips for restaurant owners. He predicts a new style of dining that utilizes technology to create a more efficient and hospitable restaurant experience. Chip concludes by sharing his upcoming projects and initiatives, including a new book and speaking engagements. Takeaways: Focus on customer needs and unique qualifications to solve their problems. Manage revenue, cost of goods sold, and labor to improve profitability. Implement effective marketing strategies to acquire new customers, retain existing customers, and generate word-of-mouth. Create systems and processes to make restaurant operations more predictable and profitable. The ABCDs of marketing (audience, brand, competition, and differentiation) are essential for restaurant owners to understand and apply. Internal marketing, such as effective communication with employees, and external marketing, including setting goals and using tools to achieve them, are crucial for success. The future of the restaurant industry may involve a new style of dining that utilizes technology to create a more efficient and profitable yet hospitable experience. Chip Klose has upcoming projects, including a new book, speaking engagements, and the growth of his mastermind program. Timestamps: 00:00: Introduction and Three Key Focus Areas 01:14: Chip Klose's Background and Journey in the Restaurant Industry 04:59: Lessons Learned from Opening Michelin-Starred Restaurants 06:24: The Importance of Focusing on Customer Needs and Unique Qualifications 08:21: The Challenges of Running a Restaurant Business 09:19: The Difficulty of Managing Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, and Labor 10:38: The Need for Predictability in the Restaurant Industry 13:18: Coaching Restaurants to Improve Profitability 15:38: The Three Key Areas of Restaurant Marketing: Customer Acquisition, Customer Retention, and Evangelism 20:55: Managing Prime Cost and Controlling Revenue, Cost of Goods Sold, and Labor 24:48: The Coaching Program and Onboarding Process 27:09: Success Stories from the Coaching Program 30:05: The Motivation Behind Starting the Restaurant Strategy Podcast 39:55: The Purpose of the Restaurant Strategy Podcast and the Value of Sharing Knowledge 43:15: The Restaurant Marketing Mindset Book and the Importance of Being Present in Different Formats 44:09: The ABCDs of Marketing 46:03: Internal and External Marketing 47:01: The Restaurant Marketing Mindset 48:23: Trends in the Restaurant Industry 49:16: The Future of Dining 54:56: Upcoming Projects and Initiatives

About this Episode: Meredith Sandland, CEO of Empowered Delivery, discusses the benefits of their end-to-end order fulfillment system and how it enables restaurants to have their own 1099 fleet of gig workers. She shares her background in the restaurant industry and how her experiences led her to start Empowered Delivery. Meredith also talks about her books, 'Delivering the Digital Restaurant' and 'The Path to Digital Maturity', which provide insights and strategies for restaurants to navigate the digital landscape. She emphasizes the importance of optimizing presence on third-party platforms and creating a seamless first-party ordering experience. Meredith also discusses the onboarding process for Empowered Delivery and the early customer experiences they have had. In this conversation, Meredith and Angelo also discuss the hidden costs of third-party delivery apps, the impact of technology on the restaurant industry, automation and the future of restaurants, the challenges of technology adoption in the restaurant industry, advice for entrepreneurs in the restaurant space, and the rewards of building successful restaurants. Takeaways: Empowered Delivery is an end-to-end order fulfillment system that enables restaurants to have their own 1099 fleet of gig workers. Restaurants should optimize their presence on third-party platforms and create a seamless first-party ordering experience to drive sales and reduce costs. The onboarding process for Empowered Delivery involves replacing the POS system and installing touchscreens for back-of-house operations. Early customers of Empowered Delivery have provided valuable feedback and have seen improvements in efficiency and customer satisfaction. Future plans for Empowered Delivery include expanding its customer base and continuing to revolutionize the economics of delivery for restaurants. Third-party delivery apps often have hidden costs, such as menu markups and delivery fees, which can make ordering from them more expensive than ordering directly from the restaurant. Technology has reshaped the restaurant industry, with innovations like kiosks and automation in the back of the house. These advancements can help reduce labor costs and improve efficiency. The future of restaurants will likely involve more automation and a shift towards electric-based kitchens. This can lead to fewer restaurant jobs, but the ones that remain will be more highly skilled and better paid. The restaurant industry is experiencing a proliferation of technology solutions, which can be overwhelming for restaurateurs. It's important to focus on building a comprehensive system that addresses the root causes of problems and eliminates the need for multiple disjointed tools. Entrepreneurs in the restaurant space should strive to create a company, not just a feature, and differentiate themselves from existing solutions. It's also crucial to get paying customers as quickly as possible to build credibility and attract talent and investment. Building successful restaurants and empowering independent businesses can be rewarding, as it creates jobs, generates wealth for franchisees, and brings happiness to consumers. Timestamps: 00:00 Introduction and Background 01:39 Overview of Empowered Delivery 03:06 From Taco Bell to Empowered Delivery 05:18 Delivering the Digital Restaurant 08:18 The Path to Digital Maturity 09:47 Optimizing Presence on Third-Party Platforms 12:09 Creating a Seamless First-Party Ordering Experience 14:53 Key Criteria for Selecting a First-Party Ordering System 19:03 The Benefits of Empowered Delivery 22:38 Onboarding Process for Empowered Delivery 28:19 Early Customer Experiences 32:49 Future Plans for Empowered Delivery 35:07 The Hidden Costs of Third-Party Delivery Apps 37:30 The Impact of Technology on the Restaurant Industry 39:20 Automation and the Future of Restaurants 41:07 The Challenges of Technology Adoption in the Restaurant Industry 44:30 Advice for Entrepreneurs in the Restaurant Space 48:55 The Rewards of Building Successful Restaurants

About this Episode: Rachael Nemeth, Co-Founder and CEO of Opus Training, shares her journey of starting the company and the challenges they faced in the restaurant industry. Opus Training is a training platform designed for hospitality businesses, offering micro-training that fits into the flow of work. During the COVID-19 pandemic, it pivoted to provide free COVID-19 safety training, which led to significant growth. The platform is multilingual, offering training in 101 languages, and leverages AI to improve accessibility and user experience. In this conversation, Rachael emphasizes the importance of simplifying language and avoiding idioms in training materials to ensure effective communication. Opus Training is a platform that focuses on solving the business problem of achieving scale with training. They aim to save money and make money for businesses by cutting back on training labor and positioning training to increase sales. Their typical clients are emerging brands and established brands in the restaurant industry. The customer journey with Opus Training starts with content education, followed by a simple and quick onboarding process. The platform offers a free trial for users to try out. Opus Training plans to continue investing in AI technology to enhance its training platform. The founder, Rachael Nemeth, encourages businesses to be intentional about training and sees training platforms as an enhancement, not a replacement, to existing training systems. Timestamps: 00:00: The Evolution of Phone Usage at Work 01:16: Introduction to Opus Training 02:11: Rachel Nemeth's Background and Inspiration for Opus Training 03:37: The Love for Operations in the Restaurant Industry 04:45: Transitioning to New York and Starting ESL Works 05:44: The Journey from ESL Works to Opus Training 06:43: The Decision to Move to New York 07:55: Working for Danny Meyer and Starting ESL Works 08:22: The MVP and Evolution of ESL Works 09:47: The Iterative Process of Building a Company 10:43: The Shift to Technology and the Birth of Opus Training 12:39: The Breakthrough Moment for Opus Training 13:30: The Impact of COVID-19 on Opus Training 14:29: The Focus on Accessibility and Multilingual Training 18:22: The Sign-in Experience and Language Selection 20:18: The Importance of Training in the Flow of Work 21:43: The Content Problem and AI Solutions 23:34: The Challenges of Language Translation 25:36: Managing 101 Languages and Leveraging AI 32:54: Ideal Customers for Opus Training 35:35: Onboarding Process for Opus Training 39:57: The Future of Opus Training 45:10: The Importance of Training and Enhancing Workflows

About this Episode: In this episode, Ryan Perera, CEO and Co-founder of Captain.ai, shares the background and overview of the company. Captain.ai is a suite of apps and software specifically made for restaurants with their own delivery drivers, enabling them to manage their drivers better and provide customers with real-time tracking. Ryan discusses the origin story of Captain.ai and how they transitioned from a delivery company to a technology company. He also talks about the challenges they faced in getting their first customer and the pain points that restaurants experience in their delivery operations. Ryan shares his vision for the future of AI in logistics and the plans for Captain.ai to expand and help more restaurant chains improve their operations. In this conversation, he also discusses the hybrid delivery and intelligent kitchen system that they have launched. He explains how the system takes into account the driver's location and optimizes the timing of orders to ensure freshness. Finally, he offers advice for aspiring entrepreneurs to be persistent and not give up. Takeaways: Captain.ai is a suite of apps and software designed for restaurants with their own delivery drivers, providing operational visibility and real-time tracking for better driver management and customer experience. The origin story of Captain.ai involves starting as a delivery company and transitioning to a technology company after realizing the need for better driver tracking and operational efficiency. The main pain points for restaurants in their delivery operations include driver management, customer experience, and cost optimization. The future of AI in logistics is expected to involve autonomous vehicles and drones for delivery, leading to lower delivery costs and an increased supply of delivery services. Captain.ai plans to expand its reach and work with more restaurant chains to improve their operations and provide better delivery experiences for customers. Captain.ai has launched a hybrid delivery and intelligent kitchen system that optimizes the timing of orders based on the driver's location. The system ensures freshness by avoiding orders sitting out for too long. Ryan Perera advises aspiring entrepreneurs to be persistent and not give up. To contact Captain.ai, visit their website at www.captain.ai. Chapters: 00:00 Introduction and Format of the Podcast 03:14 Background and Overview of Captain.ai 07:11 Origin Story of Captain.ai 11:05 Transition from Medicine to Entrepreneurship 12:48 Challenges in Getting the First Customer 17:33 MVP and Launch of Captain.ai 18:37 Main Pain Points for Restaurants 20:51 Positioning to Third-Party Delivery Apps 24:48 Rollout and Success Metrics for Customers 27:55 Impact of Captain.ai on Client Operations 28:49 Challenges Faced in Building Captain.ai 30:56 Future of AI in Logistics 33:43 Future Plans for Captain.ai 35:32 Contact Information 35:53 Advice for Entrepreneurs

Episode Notes In this conversation, Priyam Saraswat, co-founder and CEO of Voosh.ai discusses the operational analytics dashboard and how it helps restaurants improve their efficiency. He also explains how Voosh.ai helps restaurants increase their sales through third-party platforms. Priyam shares upcoming features and invites listeners to schedule a demo. He discusses the future growth and expansion plans for Voosh.ai. Finally, Priyam offers advice to restaurateurs on embracing technology and solving core business problems. Takeaways Voosh.ai helps food service brands manage and grow their third-party business from a single screen. The lack of financial visibility, complex dispute resolution, and tedious review management are common pain points for restaurants using third-party delivery platforms. Voosh.ai provides AI-powered solutions that automate tasks and improve profitability, including a dispute management module with a success rate of over 80% in recouping disputed funds. The marketing function or COO typically leads the third-party business, and Voosh.ai connects with them to offer their solutions. Voosh helps restaurants manage disputes with third-party delivery platforms and improve operational efficiencies. The pricing for Voosh varies depending on the number of locations, but the ROI is typically four to five times the cost. Voosh works with both large chains and single-location venues, but their sweet spot is mid-market brands with 20 to 30 locations. They have recently integrated Easy Cater and DoorDash Drive into their platform, and they have launched a marketing dashboard for analytics and promotion configuration. In the next 12 months, Voosh plans to focus on upper mid-market brands in the US market. Timestamps 00:00 Introduction to Voosh.ai and the Problem They Solve 08:21 The Challenges Faced by Restaurants on Third-Party Platforms 26:56 Working with Chains and Single-Location Venues 42:07 Integrating Easy Cater and DoorDash Drive

Kristen Hawley, founder of Expedite, discusses tech trends in hospitality, including advancements in reservation apps, digital POS systems, and the integration of robotics. They also address challenges like rising operational costs and the role of technology in restaurant transformation. Kristen touches on her involvement in the hospitality community and upcoming features in Fast Company, offering a deep dive into how technology is shaping the future of hospitality.

Matt Newberg, Founder of HNGRY, discusses the impact of tech on the food industry, the balance between innovation and traditional dining values, and the future of sustainable food technologies. The conversation also covers challenges of building a niche media platform, community engagement strategies at HNGRY, and ethical considerations in food tech. A deep dive into how technology is shaping the way we think about and consume food, making it a must-listen for food and tech enthusiasts alike.

Episode Notes In this engaging episode of the "Wisking It All Podcast," we're honored to have Jonah Bliss, the Founder of Curbivore, as our guest. Curbivore's mission is to tackle the unique challenges presented by the rapidly changing post-pandemic economy. Their innovative approach brings together technologists, restaurateurs, retailers, local governments, and individuals, fostering a dynamic dialogue aimed at building more equitable and sustainable cities and communities. Jonah Bliss shares valuable insights into how this collective effort is not only driving resilience but also nurturing startups and small businesses for a brighter future. Join us as we delve deep into Curbivore's vision and explore how they are dismantling barriers to progress. Jonah Bliss will discuss the strategies and initiatives that are shaping urban ecosystems in exciting and transformative ways. Whether you're a tech enthusiast, an aspiring entrepreneur, a forward-thinking retailer, a community leader, or simply someone passionate about positive change, this episode is a must-listen. Calling all our valued listeners! We're thrilled to offer you an exclusive promo code. Simply click on this link: www.eventbrite.com/e/726374695267/?discount=Wisk50 Enjoy a 50% discount for the Curbivore 2024 event, "Commerce Moves to the Curb," happening in Downtown LA on March 28 & 29. With this special offer, you can grab a Super Early Bird ticket for the remarkable price of around $49. Seize this fantastic deal before it's gone.