In this episode of The Pineapple Perspective, host Troy Hooper sits down with Tony Smith, co-founder and CEO of Restaurant365, a SaaS platform transforming restaurant back office operations. Tony shares the story behind R365’s founding and its evolution from a niche accounting software to a comprehensive operational platform used across the industry. 

He provides a data-driven view of the current state of the restaurant sector, highlights the top concerns of operators—especially labor challenges—and outlines how R365 is tackling these issues through acquisitions, training tools, and AI integration. The conversation also explores the increasing role of consolidated tech platforms, AI’s potential in restaurant management, and the company’s philanthropic commitment to restaurant employees through CORE.

Topics Discussed in the Episode:

• The founding and growth of Restaurant365

• Current economic health of the restaurant industry

• Labor cost challenges and staff retention

• Technology consolidation and AI in restaurant operations

• Corporate citizenship and R365’s partnership with CORE

Connect with Tony Smith:

https://www.restaurant365.com/ 

https://www.linkedin.com/company/restaurant365-cloud-erp-for-restaurants/

https://www.instagram.com/restaurant365/

https://www.facebook.com/restaurant365software/

https://twitter.com/restaurant_365 

https://www.linkedin.com/in/tony-t-smith/ 

This show is sponsored by Pepper Lunch. Find a location near you!

Production and Administration work completed by Smart Podcast Solutions and Elevate Virtual Business Solutions.