Are Restaurants Getting Tired of Tech? - with Guest Host Bernadette Heier

Send us a textThis week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl and guest co-host Jason Berkowitz dive into:Qu's move toward smart kitchens with integrated IoT systems (0m 50s)A sharp reflection on the restaurant "disruptors" that weren't — from Zume Pizza to Ghost Kitchens (4m 35)Why Chipotle's negative sales aren't just about the economy — and how training and tech are key to recovery (11m 05)A fascinating new look at menu personalization trends with EveryBite data (17m10)How technology can — and should — help restaurants become more sustainable (23m 20)Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textThis week, Carl is joined by Deborah Matteliano, the Global Head of Restaurants at AWS, for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from tariffs and avocados to AI strategy, Seamless’s surprising comeback, and the limits of restaurant robotics. Drawing from her experience at Uber Eats and now at Amazon, Deborah offers sharp insights on how data, delivery, and design are reshaping the restaurant landscape.Topics include:1m 15: How Chipotle’s avocado strategy is shielding it from tariff turbulence9m: Why Grubhub's Revival of Seamless Could Be Wonder's Secret Weapon16m 55: The real reason Kernel scrapped its robots22m 20: The DoorDash + Domino’s partnership.30m: Boston's permit requirements on the delivery companies.If you're serious about restaurant tech and the off-premise channel, this one’s a must-listen.Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textThis week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Yaro Tsyhanenko, founder of PickPad, to break down the headlines shaping restaurants and tech:⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Meet guest host Yaro, CEO of PickPad 01:00 – Why did Yum Brands partner with Nvidia? 05:37 – What does Qu’s State of Digital 2025 Report reveal? 13:06 – Why did Starbucks acquire Empower Delivery? 18:47 – Are loyalty programs evolving or stuck in the past? 26:02 – Could Bolt disrupt Uber and DoorDash in North America? 30:00 – What is PickPad, and how is it improving restaurant pickup?🔥 Topics covered:Yum’s push into site-level AIWhy loyalty without data is just a discountHow fast casuals are quietly overtaking QSRs in digitalEmpower Delivery’s big leap into StarbucksBolt’s entry into Canada — and what it signals for North AmericaA smart startup (PickPad) fixing off-prem chaos with sensors + MLSupport the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textWelcome to The Digital Restaurant! Carl is joined by Bernadette Heier, Managing Editor from Food on Demand, marking the first time a professional broadcaster joins the show.[00:01:07] Planes, (Trains?) & Automobiles – A New Kind of Off-Premise? Shake Shack is expanding its partnership with Delta Airlines, bringing its brand to first-class passengers. As restaurants seek new ways to expand off-premise, is the future in the skies—or even on freeways?[00:03:04] Dashboard Dining: The Rise of In-Car Ordering – SoundHound AI partners with Chrysler, Hyundai, and Kia to bring voice ordering into vehicles. while the team explores how Mavi shares insights into how personalized ordering could reshape the drive-thru experience.[00:04:29] Is Tech Fatigue Real? Some operators are reassessing their technology investments. McDonald’s pulls back on voice AI, and Chipotle’s Autocado robot returns to the lab. Are restaurants overwhelmed, or is the industry just demanding stronger ROI?[00:10:15] Wonder Acquires a Media Powerhouse – Wonder, fresh off acquiring Grubhub, now buys Tastemade. With 160 million social followers, this move could redefine how food content drives sales.[00:13:07] Starbucks Rethinks Store Design – As mobile pickup surges, Starbucks looks to rebalance digital and in-store orders. What can the industry learn from their approach?[00:19:24] Agentic AI in Restaurants – Yum Brands is testing AI-powered restaurant managers through its Byte AI Restaurant Coach, signaling a shift toward automated decision-making in fast food.[00:22:32] Food On Demand Conference Preview – Bernadette shares why Food on Demand (May 5-7 in Las Vegas) is the must-attend event for off-premise and restaurant technology leaders.🔊 Listen now to stay ahead in restaurant innovation!#Restaurants #OffPremise #AI #DriveThru #TechFatigue #FoodOnDemand #Wonder #Starbucks #ShakeShackSupport the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textWelcome to this week’s episode of The Digital Restaurant Podcast! Carl is joined by special guest Olga Lopategui, a leading expert in restaurant loyalty and digital engagement, to break down the latest innovations shaping the restaurant industry.⏱ [01:07] – Just Salad Gets $200M InvestmentWhat makes Just Salad’s tech stack unique?How will this funding impact digital transformation in restaurants?Will they use the investment for expansion, technology, or both?⏱ [04:42] – Just Eat Takeaway’s Acquisition by ProcessWhat does this mean for global food delivery consolidation?How does it compare to previous acquisitions like Grubhub?Could DoorDash face challenges in global expansion?⏱ [09:09] – The Digital Guest Experience & UX InnovationHow should restaurant UI/UX evolve for better ordering?Why should apps customize the interface for individual users?What lessons can restaurants learn from brands like Taco Bell’s Veggie Mode?⏱ [14:19] – What Are Digital Twins & Why Do They Matter?How do digital twins work in the restaurant industry?Can virtual simulations replace traditional prototype testing?How might predictive maintenance reduce restaurant downtime?Additional Paper here⏱ [19:53] – Dutch Bros, Panda Express & Domino’s on Mobile OrderingHow did Dutch Bros perfect their mobile app launch?What improvements are Panda and Domino’s making?Why is mobile ordering crucial for customer loyalty and convenience?Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textCarl welcomes guest host Cijoy Olickal, a restaurant tech expert, to break down key industry trends.🔹 2025 Restaurant Industry Outlook – $1.5T in sales, shifting consumer habits, tech’s impact on profitability, and labor challenges. Articles One, Two, and Three🔹 Yum! Brands' Tech Strategy – Is building a proprietary tech stack the right move for a global franchise? Articles One and Two🔹 Wonder’s Expansion – Mark Lore’s meal kit & marketplace strategy—how does it compare to DoorDash and Uber Eats? Articles One, Two, and Three🔹 CPK’s Vending Machines – Can automated pizza machines change the game for restaurant growth? Article One🔹 DoorDash’s Power Shift – With advertising revenue booming, is DoorDash now a marketing giant first, a delivery service second? Articles One, Two, and Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a text🚀 The Digital Restaurant Podcast - 100th Episode Special! 🎉Welcome to a milestone episode of The Digital Restaurant! This is our 100th episode, and while it's a moment of celebration, it also comes with a bittersweet note—Meredith is off to Seattle to take on an exciting EVP role at Starbucks. We’ll miss her insights, but the show must go on!In this episode, Carl Orsbourn takes the mic solo to explore the next evolution of restaurant and retail tech: moving beyond SaaS into holistic reasoning and AI-driven orchestration.Key Topics Discussed:✅ The Downside of SaaS & Siloed SystemsSaaS unlocked incredible capabilities for restaurants and retailers, but it also created fragmented systems that hinder efficiency. APIs were meant to solve this, yet they often fail to integrate seamlessly.✅ The Need for Data UnificationAPIs, when implemented, are usually linear and siloed. Carl explains why data unification is essential—moving from fragmented systems to a connected web of insights.✅ AI Agents & Chain of Thought ReasoningBusinesses can’t rely on isolated software. The future lies in AI-driven models that adapt and learn. Carl explores Chain of Thought (CoT) Reasoning, which threads insights across departments, bridging silos and improving decision-making.✅ What Amazon’s 2002 API Mandate Teaches UsCarl discusses Jeff Bezos’ API mandate, which forced Amazon to break down silos and create an interconnected platform. This move helped Amazon become an AI-driven powerhouse—a model businesses should consider.✅ Real-World Use CasesAI-driven orchestration can transform demand forecasting, merchandising, supply chains, and personalization. Imagine:Localized marketing & staffing auto-adjusted in real-time.Retail shelving resets triggered by AI-detected sales patterns.Hotels personalizing guest experiences dynamically.✅ The Urgency of Fixing Data Quality FirstCarl shares a key quote from Invisible’s CEO:"When great AI meets bad data, the data always wins."With only 8% of AI models making it to production, clean data, model training, and continuous learning are essential.🔮 The Future: From SaaS to Model-Driven InnovationCompanies waiting for SaaS integrations will be left behind. The winners will be those shifting toward AI agents that dynamically align decisions with business goals.Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textOn today's episode of The Digital Restaurant, we dive into bold predictions for the year ahead, including the rise of Indian cuisine in delivery, the growing role of automated restaurant technology, and speculation on potential acquisitions and IPOs in the year ahead. We also reflect on last year’s forecasts to see how they held up. Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textThis episode of The Digital Restaurant features Tony Illes, founder of Tony Delivers, a new food delivery service disrupting the Seattle market. The conversation delves into the impact of Seattle’s “Pay Up” legislation, which has reshaped the food delivery landscape, reducing delivery volumes for platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Tony shares his journey from a side hustle as a delivery driver to creating a business aimed at empowering drivers and improving customer experiences.Key Discussion Points: • Origins of Tony Delivers: Tony describes his entrepreneurial journey, inspired by dissatisfaction with existing platforms and conversations with friends. He highlights the importance of empowering drivers to run independent businesses. • Impact of Pay Up Legislation: The ordinance significantly reduced delivery volumes, driving up prices and prompting customers to shift to pickup. • Empowerment Model: Tony Delivers aims to give drivers autonomy, allowing them to innovate and deliver via any means they choose. It contrasts with traditional platforms that control economic terms. • Challenges and Growth: Tony outlines his app development, challenges in competing with established marketplaces, and his vision to disrupt the delivery model by cutting overhead and focusing on fairness. • Future Goals: Tony aspires to redefine the delivery ecosystem, integrating logistics beyond food delivery, and fostering trust among customers, drivers, and restaurants.The episode highlights Tony’s unique approach to the delivery space, emphasizing autonomy and fairness over profit maximization, and positions him as a rising innovator in a highly competitive industry.Support Tony through his GoFund me page here: https://gofund.me/74e92b46Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

Send us a textIn this festive episode, Carl and Meredith explore five transformative trends in the restaurant industry as we wrap up 2024. They kick things off by discussing how personalization is finally becoming a reality for big brands like McDonald’s and Yum! Brands, leveraging data to craft tailored offers for customers. The conversation then moves to the latest Toast Trend Report, revealing intriguing shifts in dining habits, such as the growing popularity of early-week and same-day reservations, reshaping how restaurants plan and operate.The discussion continues with DoorDash's proactive efforts to tackle fake Dasher accounts, a move with wide-ranging implications for delivery costs and gig economy efficiency. They also highlight Fresho, an Australian startup revolutionizing the wholesale food supply chain with a $17M funding boost. Finally, the hosts examine how smart technology is integrating with restaurant operations, from POS-connected kitchen equipment to predictive maintenance tools. This episode is packed with insights into how innovation is driving change across the industry.Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!📖 Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.