Accelerate Restaurant Technology Podcast

Right now, the collective hospitality industry has many concerns around the future of technology, especially artificial intelligence, and robotics. The major concern is that jobs will be replaced by technology, a conversation that has been going on for years.

Host Rob Grimes begins the conversation by flashing back to a time when fast food restaurants were testing remote call centers taking orders at the drive through. Immediately, there were concerns about jobs being taken in the hospitality space. Eventually, this idea went away. He also jokes about a time when school officials debated letting students use calculators in tests; this technology was adopted and helped the acceleration of math skills.

Rob talks about similar fears behind the future of robotics. At the end of the day, Rob argues, there’s going to be a service involved in hospitality. The science behind hospitality is the information that we can learn. However, the art behind hospitality is the human touch or the ability to have empathy - something a computer or robot can never have (“Never” is a long time).

Rob then talks about what he predicts will go obsolete in the future. Language, for example, or rather the need to learn another language could be replaced by translation technologies. Face-to-face interactions as well may be replaced by virtual communication. In both these cases, communication is still occurring just with the assistance of technology.

If you want to hear about Rob’s argument on jobs being replaced by technology in the hospitality industry and what he believes may actually go obsolete - listen to this episode of Accelerate.

Making the decision of buy vs. build (or “make”) technology is always going to come down to the specific business. While majority of businesses will choose to buy from technology which already exists, there are many companies (small and large) who are developing their own systems, specifically point of sale (pos) or back-office.

In this episode, Rob breaks down considerations when it comes to either approach. If you’re going to make your own technology, trust the people involved where the new technology would make an impact. Rob notes that many Chefs have developed back of house systems. You should also consider whether what you are considering already exists in some form or fashion in a peripheral industry.

On the flip side, it’s just as important to do your homework when choosing between existing technology and building your own, including customizations. One of the biggest challenges our industries has always faced is integrations. Making sure the technology integrates seamlessly into existing touchpoints and operations is essential, and looking 3-5 years out.

Whether you're an operator looking hear about success stories in technology innovation or you want to improve your tech stack and want to consider the right approach, check out this episode of Accelerate.

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Every year CES, organized by the Consumer Technology Association, takes place annually in Las Vegas each January, and is immediately followed by NRF: Retail’s Big Show in New York City the following week. While CES primarily focuses on consumers and personal technology, NRF is a business-to-business (B2B) retail-oriented event.

Joining Rob to discuss and compare their experiences at CES 2024 and NRF 2024 is Armand Rabinowitz, Vice President Digital and Technology at Levy Restaurants. Both Rob and Armand have been attending both events for well over a decade. Describing why it’s important to attend, Armand notes “as there’s more and more technology required to operate any business, especially the foodservice business, it’s important to see what’s out there and cross compare what all these vendors are doing and how they can help your business.”

At CES, transparent LED display technologies were a technology that Armand took note of. These transparent displays are not necessarily new to CES, but sometimes technology exists before its time. Wearables (eyewear, watches), smart ovens and nutritional measurement AI were also notable technologies at CES this year.

Continuing on, the pair talk about their experience at NRF 2024. Despite its title, NRF is indeed a technology-focused show that includes far more than traditional retail. This year, autonomous stores were a big feature in many of the halls, and there was the debut of the Foodservice Innovation Zone where the IFBTA as the NRF’s Concept.

To stay informed about the latest technologies made an impact at CES or NRF, or that may soon impact the foodservice and hospitality industries, tune in to this episode of Accelerate.

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Anyone who’s been to the NRF’s Retail Big Show would know it’s the one of the largest technology events in the retail space. In this episode of Accelerate, host Rob Grimes is joined by Susan Newman, Senior Vice President of Events at the NRF. As collaboration partners representing the NRF and IFBTA, they preview what’s in store for the 2024 show and how technology has connected the retail & foodservice industries.

The pair start by discussing the 118-year history of the show and how it’s changed over the years from hangers and shelving to tech. The National Retail Federation is the largest retail trade association - standing up for people, policy, and ideas that help the retail industry succeed. This year, the show expects 1,000 exhibitors and over 40,000 visitors from across the globe.

Rob and Susan share a pre-show look at this year’s Foodservice Innovation Zone, an area which highlights the cool technology which is changing the customer experience in retail with foodservice. “It’s becoming easier with today’s technology to integrate retail and foodservice” mentions Susan, and adding “the option to sell food is important to a retail businesses overall footprint and ability to be successful.”

If you want a sneak peek about what to look forward to at NRF 2024: Retail’s Big Show and the Foodservice Innovation Zone, where the exciting future of integrating retail and foodservice comes to life - check out this episode of Accelerate.

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For some operators, the restaurant business can be a family business, passed down willingly or unwillingly to the next generation.

Joining Rob today to discuss their experience in the family restaurant business is Amanda Signorelli and Nick McMillan who are co-owners of Golden Steer Steakhouse, the oldest restaurant on the Las Vegas Strip (established in 1958). In March 2019, Nick and Amanda took over the reins of the Golden Steer Steakhouse from Amanda’s father.

Amanda and Nick had extensive backgrounds as technologists and not restauranteurs. So stepping in to run a high volume, iconic restaurant was not what they ever expected to be in their future. Taking their understanding of tech and applying them to their new environment, expectations, and learnings; staff acceptance is extremely important when rolling out any new operational or tech initiatives. “Old school in the front, new school in the back” is the vision that the pair keeps in mind as they make changes. Digitizing accounting for increased security and bringing in increased internal communication via slack are simple changes that don’t interrupt the way the staff works but make work more efficient.

E-commerce is a big area that Nick and Amanda explored when COVID hit in 2020. The unique setting of their steakhouse, having “80% of the customer base being visitors” to Las Vegas, allowed them to create products for their out-of-state customers to be able to bring the experience of The Golden Steer Steakhouse right in their own homes. At the same time, given the large footprint of Las Vegas, delivery was never an option as they would never be able to maintain high food quality which would negatively impact the customer experience.

To gain some insight into what it’s like to take over a restaurant from a family member or want to hear about the tech initiatives of a tech-savvy independent operator going into 2024 - check out this episode of Accelerate.

Guests:
Amanda Signorelli
eCommerce | Startups | Restaurants | Media | McKinsey

Nick McMillan
Chief Technology Officer | Director Product Management | SaaS | Fintech | Cybersecurity | Mission Critical Solutions

The choice of deciding between an All-in-One vs. Best-in-Breed systems and applications is one many operators are faced with. When you look for an All-In-One system, you have to define what this means within the total system. Otherwise, The types of systems that fall under Best-of-Breed could be a subset of a larger application with several different individual applications such payroll, pos, loyalty, scheduling, digital signage, inventory, etc. making it an All-in-One!

The approach to either of these, as Accelerate host Rob Grimes always says, define your requirements in writing upfront, and think holistically.

When you compare the two side by side, Best-of-Breed functions and features may offer close to 100% functionality in a certain area, where All-in-One systems may only be 95% to 98%. The question will be, is the percentage in less functionality of feature, more important to you, and are you able to give that up because of a better cost or a single supplier. Small operators especially may not want to implement multiple different systems.

Many times, Best-of-Breed technologies come from outside of the hospitality industry. Accounting applications, for example, were created to assist with virtually every industry. Best-of-Breed is really the ability to have freedom of choice - being able to replace one system at a time, not all at once, and increased integrations to other applications and systems.

As we approach a Cyber Monday which is projected to hit a new spending high this year, the conversation around technology continues to get louder. Joining Rob this week is Aramark’s Vice President Digital Innovation and creator of Emerge, Peter Czimback.

Peter introduces Emerge and talks about the importance of keeping the consumers at the center of everything as you approach your technology. “At the end of the technology there’s one thing that always happens. Someone’s touching it - humans” he says.

Rob and Peter discuss the notion of technology replacing labor. They argue technology is meant to enhance labor and when used correctly, should actually encourage more job opportunities. Technology frees employees to focus on the service.

The conversation moves into several interesting technologies and gadgets available for Black Friday and Cyber Monday. Projection devices look to be a popular gift - something somebody would purchase for someone else, and maybe not themselves. Wearable devices like glasses are still of interest but are not as advanced (yet) as someone may expect.

Tune in and get the scoop on popular consumer technology and maybe ideas for your own Black Friday and Cyber Monday purchases.

As operators, the opportunities that new technology is bringing to the hospitality industry is abundant. Since technology enables every part of an operation, it allows operators to focus on their role without becoming technologists themselves.

This week, Rob discusses many of the new opportunities that are available to operators. He calls out the growth and demand of fresh food. Customers increasingly desiring access to food that is cooked and delivered efficiently. Vending, an area that allows 24 hours of operations, is old, but new trend that operators can capitalize on as a way to expand their brand.

Rob also shares some of the new technologies that will allow operators to access to some of these opportunities. A critical piece is self-service technologies. Engaging people on mobile technology which they constantly carry around with them and use for purchasing is key for the future. We can also look at robotics as another pivotal technology, as it gives the potential ability to cook food on demand within unattended or limited service operations, delivering ultimate freshness.

Simply put, If you want to hear about many of the new and growing opportunities in the hospitality industry and which technologies will allow you to take advantage of them, check out this episode of Accelerate.

In this episode, Accelerate Host Rob Grimes has an insightful conversation with Jim Knight about the hospitality industry, focusing on the intersection of culture, technology, and customer service.

They examine how new technologies like online ordering and handheld devices can improve operations but also potentially hinder the guest experience and company culture if not implemented thoughtfully. Jim draws on his extensive background in hospitality training, and his roots as a rock musician and middle school teacher, to provide perspectives on maintaining high service standards and connections with guests in an increasingly tech-driven world. They explore ideas like customized tech training for different generations of staff, making devices visually familiar, and using tech to enable employees to focus more on customer relationships.

Overall, a thought-provoking dialogue about adapting hospitality's people-first mentality to the digital age makes this a must-listen episode of Accelerate.

Accelerate Host Rob Grimes provides his perspective on how technology and generational differences converge, shaping the future of the hospitality industry. In today's diverse landscape, six distinct generations both serve and are served, each bringing its unique tech prowess and preferences. Harnessing the 5 C's of change - creativity, communication, collaboration, critical thinking, and compassion - we explore how these principles drive innovation, from reimagined dress codes to groundbreaking communication tools.

But with innovation comes responsibility: as patrons eagerly trade personal data for tailored services or cost savings, we delve deep into the balancing act between convenience and privacy. Join this episode of Accelerate and be part of the conversation in decoding the intricate dance of generations and technology and discover how they're redefining hospitality in the 21st century.