Suzie Tsai spent over a decade at restaurant powerhouse Brinker International, leading programs that included Chili’s white-hot beverage business, before landing the top role at Bonchon. In this episode, Suzie explains how a concept that launched (and then failed) in South Korea has found its footing in the US, growing over two decades. But this growth isn’t without challenges; Bonchon’s restaurants range from seated full service to kiosk-friendly fast casual, leading to tough choices about how to implement new technology.

Kernel made a splash when it opened its first New York City restaurant in early 2024. The then-vegan restaurant’s star employee was a robotic arm tasked with moving food in and out of the oven, assisting human workers by handling much of the heavy lifting. But the robot, along with Kernel’s name and one-time signature green paint in stores, have been retired. Instead, Kernel Foods is working on a new sandwich concept: Counter Service. Chief operating officer Tom Cortese, also a co-founder of hit fitness platform Peloton, still has an eye on how tech will take this burgeoning restaurant brand to new heights. 

This episode starts with a lawsuit and an upset: Uber sues DoorDash in San Francisco, and New York Magazine declares all the cool restaurants are on OpenTable now. The drama! (Kind of.) Then, Michael Osanloo, president and CEO of Portillo’s — now a fast-growing, publicly traded restaurant company — joins the Simmer to talk marketing, loyalty, third-party delivery, and Chicago street food.

We’re back on the restaurant loyalty beat this week with Abhinav Kapur, who’s led Bikky for nearly a decade. In this episode, we talk about developing loyal diners, email (and text!) marketing, and “tendies” from a new KFC spinoff, whatever those are. 

Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy and SVP of Global Dining for Amex, shares insights from the forefront of restaurant technology. He discusses the impact of AI on dining reservations, balancing efficiency with the need for human connection. The integration of Tock into Resy unveils challenges and innovations in customer journeys. Rivero also explores how personalized advertising can enhance dining experiences and the cultural revival of dining post-pandemic, offering a fascinating look at the future of the industry.

Zach Goldstein is optimistic about the year ahead for restaurants. As founder and CEO of Thanx, a leading guest engagement platform for restaurants, Zach is known for his honest and sometimes provocative takes on the future of the industry. In this episode, we tackle hot topics in restaurant loyalty including personalization, advertising, guest retention, and AI. 

Here’s something different: for the first time, Kristen and Brandon aren’t hosting a guest on The Simmer. Instead, we’re talking trends — good, bad, and ugly — that continue to shape restaurants. In this episode we talk about restaurant tech consolidation, restaurant robotics, and what a new US administration might mean for restaurants and the people who work in them. Thanks for helping to make 2024 a success for The Simmer, see you next year!

Geoff Alexander, the President & CEO of Wow Bao, reveals the intriguing journey of his Asian bun restaurant. Starting in Chicago, Wow Bao has embraced modern channels like vending machines and ghost kitchens. He shares his tech philosophy emphasizing the importance of being first in innovation. The discussion also dives into the challenges of managing a brand across diverse platforms while highlighting strategic partnerships that fueled growth during the pandemic. Geoff’s insights blend technology with genuine hospitality in the evolving restaurant landscape.

Over the last few weeks, foodborne illnesses have killed several people in the U.S., sickening many others. Outbreaks affected major restaurants and retailers from McDonald’s to Whole Foods to Walmart; the offending E. coli bacteria was traced to ingredients including onions, carrots, and broccoli.Christine Schindler founded Pathspot to make restaurants safer, using tech to support health and safety initiatives from hand washing to ingredient labeling. In this episode, we talk about the recent E. coli outbreaks specifically and food safety in America generally, plus how technology helps standardize processes in order to keep us all safe and healthy. Fascinating stuff!

Recipes on the internet have always been bad. They’re hard to find and even harder to mange. Many have tried to find a fix, but few have completely flipped the model on its head. Until now! Lisa Grimm is co-founder and CEO of Roux, which she describes as “the home of food culture.” It’s a place to find, store, modify, and share recipes while giving credit (and cash) to the original creator. (Join the waitlist at roux.app.) In this episode, we cover Roux’s inception and soft launch, plus Brandon and Kristen share restaurant-related news out of the recent presidential election and Wonder’s big acquisition of Grubhub.