Accelerate Restaurant Technology Podcast

Most people think about a gas station or corner store when they think of the convenience store industry (“C-Stores”). Convenience is found everywhere, and a majority of the industry is actually owned and operated by family businesses. Joining host Rob Grimes on this episode of accelerate is Ray Huff, President of HJB Convenience Corp who has more than 40 years in convenience retail and is the Chairman of the Board of Advisors of Conexxus the technology partner of the National Association of Convenience Stores (“NACS”).

“COVID forced the consumer to go look at convenience,” says Ray, noting that customers didn’t want to stand in lines or crowds, and he believes the trend is here to stay. As C-Store operations grow, technology comes into play after the independents grow to the their 3rd or 4th location.

The conversation explores a history of success between foodservice, QSR restaurants and C-Stores. WAWA was one of the first to introduce quick service into a convenience environment successfully, making their stores a destination to go to just for the food - it made others pay attention.

If you want to hear more about the growing partnerships, as well as the challenges of incorporating foodservice into C-Stores, as well as understanding the requirements of the tech that drives these new opportunities, then you won’t want to miss this episode of Accelerate.

Host Rob Grimes shares some of the Table Talk conversations that he has been a part of a recent receptions, dinners and of course early morning coffees. While many subjects are offered on the big stage at industry conferences, much of the “meat” of the top of mind subjects facing out industry, takes place in these small group and 1-on-1 conversations. Talks about the future of the hospitality industry are notoriously known to occur at private functions - mainly dinners and receptions.

To name a few, AI and ChatGPT is brought up in almost every conversation and presentation. The discussion is not just on the technology, but questions about ethics and the human factor in providing hospitality. Another key topic is disaster recovery and planning after public ransomware attacks, as well as the role of robotics in providing services and the interaction with employees and guests.

Whether it’s over a coffee, drink, meal or in the hallway, the important conversations are the follow-on ones that occur off the main stage, that tell the future of tech trends within the industry. To hear more about these tech table talks, listen to this episode of Accelerate.

The world of innovating high speed and accelerated cooking products is on fire. So what demands this innovation? What trends are we seeing? James Pool, CTO and Operations Officer of The Middleby Corporation, joins host Rob Grimes as they explore the tech-infused world of next-gen cooking equipment.

Reflecting on the innovation coming out of over 120 equipment brands within their portfolio, James Pool notes that innovation is being driven by the desire for automation. “Supply chain and labor are the 2 biggest focus areas right now. That’s where we see the ideas for our innovations coming from. The biggest questions are how do I automate my kitchen, how do I adjust how the staff does their job, and make the equipment easier to operate?”

They discuss ventless technologies, electrification of kitchens, and the shift towards robotics, while adding in a topping of digital IoT to tie it all together within the totally connected kitchen.

To hear more about the fast-paced environment of kitchen equipment and the surrounding technologies that empower your kitchen, this episode of Accelerate cooks it up for you.

COVID’s impact on advancing mobile office solutions and the technologies behind it are significant. From small businesses to schools to governments, everything needed to be done from the home office, coffee shop and other alternative locations. As the nature of the work location and workforce access was changed forever, new technology, tools and gadgets became available while old standards evolved to be useful in the new digital work world.

The new approach gave workers the tools to do everything found in a traditional office environment on their phones and mobile devices. Host Rob Grimes points out how people are now starting to question “what is a mobile office vs a personal computer?
To explore the changes and impact on the remote worked, and to discuss the various ways that new gadgets have been applied that can impact foodservice and hospitality technology offerings, this episode of Accelerate is at the center of your plate!

Joining host Rob Grimes this week is Eddie Shapiro, a home technology integrator and expert – who is on the board of the Association – CEDIA - Custom Electronics Design and Installation Association. Eddie shares with us the trends in the luxury home marketplace that also can play a role in what is available and coming for the commercial foodservice and hospitality markets.

The luxury home market has seen a shift in consumers who desire high quality technology in their home, such as intelligent lighting fixtures, audio-visual, connected bathrooms and kitchens, security and surveillance, and energy management. All these technologies come together in a Human-Centric approach, incorporating AI and requiring a deep understanding of networks, data security and integration to pull it all together. Whether bought from Home Depot, Amazon, or specialized professional grade equipment, the fusion of home and tech cannot be denied.

In establishing the connection between technology and the home, Eddie says that collaboration between vendors is essential. “The integrator of the AV technology company on a project, needs to collaborate with the builder, plumber and electrician as it is available everywhere. It’s a better project for everybody when that happens.” Moving forward, powering the numerous technologies that run at home is a focal point for those who work in the space, especially ensuring the integration of clean energy to do so. Sound familiar?

Listen to this episode of Accelerate to consider the learnings at home that can be applied to your operations and can be applied to your home as well!

Accelerate host Rob Grimes takes a look at the 6 events industry he attended just 30-days in March, and the global conversations, observations and those “ah-ha” moments he encountered during the journey.

Starting and ending in Las Vegas, with pit stops in Tel Aviv and London, it’s clear that cybercrime, artificial intelligence & location-based technologies are a focal point for the community at large, and that new innovation is coming to the forefront faster than ever before.

Rob reflects on how “location-based technologies are being embedded for Ai which also helps with custom culture languag.e.” With data and digital technology, we are able to communicate more efficiently on a global scale.

To hear about global trends in hospitality and foodservice technology, how they are showcased, and put into action, this Accelerate episode is for you

Today’s podcast is in memory of Dr. Pat Moreo, a leading hospitality educator - dedicated to a lifetime of service to our industry.

Joining Host Rob Grimes is Dr. Cihan Cobanoglu, Dean of the School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at the University of South Florida, and Dr. Donna Quadri-Felitti, Director of Penn State University’s School of Hospitality Management. Both schools are leading educational institutions and are ones where “Dr. Pat” served as a Dean, Faculty Member, and Mentor.

Hospitality higher education is a niche field that has evolved tremendously as the hospitality industry has become more advanced over time. Their ability to provide teach and provide research both in-person and virtually, is an integral part of the development and innovation of technology that supports students, operators and the suppliers to the industry.

Technology exists in every facet and segment of the industry from back-of-the-house to the front-of-the-house, and from reservations to guest satisfaction tracking, and reputation management. Students, as our “next generation” of industry leaders, must learn and use technology in everything they do.

To learn more about the intersection between hospitality, education, and technology and how educators play a role in adapting and infusing new technology into their programs and for the industry, listen this episode of Accelerate.

Joining IFBTA CEO Rob Grimes this week on Accelerate is Tomer Moore, founder of the Israeli Restaurant Association; Misadanim Chazakim Beyachad (Restauranteurs are Stronger Together). Tomer has background as a restauranteur, opening over 10 restaurants and working with Tech startups. Tomer noticed that despite Israel being a global technology powerhouse known as the “Startup Nation”, the restaurant industry used technology that was out of date, focusing mostly on POS.

Since COVID, things have shifted. Tomer mentions “It was a big crisis, but it was also a great opportunity for customers and for operators to make a technology shift and investment.” Customers are open for that.” Looking to the future, emerging tech like AI, robotics, blockchain, etc. are all making its way into the Israeli restaurant scene.”

To learn more about the emergence of technology in Israel and its growing restaurant, hospitality and tourism industries, this episode of Accelerate is a must!

Culture is at the center of the plate when it comes to what makes us unique and differentiates us in the products and services we offer. It needs to be served with the culture and customs of our guests and employees in mine. On this week’s episode of Accelerate, Host Rob Grimes considers the many forms of traditions and how they work hand in hand with the technology and tools that can help us.

The bottom line is that the hospitality industries need to provide good service no matter where they operate. To understand cultural expectations is to be able to provide that quality. Having options in menus is a good example of this - understanding the local needs and expectations of the customers you serve.

Technologies like AI and Machine Learning are able to help us understand and navigate various cultures in ways we couldn’t before. Still, Rob says, we don’t know everything. “We've started talking about ethics because that also plays a part; not just how people negotiate, but how they conduct business in ways which may seem different in every culture. Ethics also plays a part in how we use the technology; ethics is impacts what we can do and use in the information we collect.”

To learn more about the deep connection between technology and culture, listen to this episode of Accelerate.

New AI technologies constantly impact and offer opportunities for F&B and beyond. ChatGPT is the most recent “shiny object” garnering much of the recent media attention, conversation and debate. Education has been one of the first to call out the effect, and impact as students have the ability to get their work done by this application. While some educators have taken an optimistic approach to the new technology, others are actively resisting.

Joining host Rob Grimes on this episode is Toby Egan, PhD is Associate Professor & Senior Executive Fellow and Chair of the Faculty at the Robert H. Smith School of Business and the School of Public Policy at the University of Maryland.

Adaptation of technology is tough in any industry Egan notes, 3D printing for example. “Chefs would probably argue that the nuance there is going to be difficult for a machine to reproduce and I'm sure that's seen as a big challenge for the robotic industry.”

How is the government regulating these new technologies? What is the answer to the age old question of is technology here to help or hurt us? How do we put a hospitality focus on this?Find out on this episode of Accelerate.