The conversation covers various topics related to Coco Robotics, including its launch event, capabilities, impact on food delivery, design, scalability, government approvals, deployment, tipping points, impact on restaurants, expansion into other verticals, growth and partnerships, PR and brand trust, upcoming events, and rapid fire questions.

Takeaways

• Coco Robotics is revolutionizing the last-mile delivery industry with its autonomous delivery robots.
• The company's focus on quality, sustainability, and efficiency is driving its success in various cities and markets.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Work Culture
• 05:47 Coco Robotics Impact on Food Delivery
• 10:54 Coco Robotics Scalability and Expansion
• 18:00 Coco Robotics Tipping Points
• 23:44 Coco Robotics Growth and Partnerships
• 32:02 Closing Remarks

Most restaurants aren’t losing on strategy. They’re losing in the middle of a Tuesday lunch rush.

Mary Pillow Thompson breaks down why frontline execution, not planning, is where profit is won or lost. From wasted product to misaligned teams, this episode exposes the hidden inefficiencies killing margins inside restaurant operations.

Mary, co-founder of Zignal (acquired by Miso Robotics), explains how AI, automation, and better shift-level clarity are transforming how restaurants actually run. Not in theory. In real time.

This isn’t about replacing humans. It’s about finally telling them how to win.

What you’ll learn:

• Why up to 40% of fries get wasted and how to fix it
• The biggest mistake restaurants make with AI and automation
• How giving employees a simple goal can transform performance
• Why most teams are running a different store than they think
• The real role of robotics like Flippy in modern kitchens
• How to reduce chaos during peak hours without adding headcount

Mary also shares how Zignal acts as an “AI shift manager” giving frontline teams clarity on what matters right now, not after the fact.

If you care about restaurant ops, GTM, or applying AI in the real world, this one hits.

Subscribe to ChatGTM for more conversations on marketing, AI, and go-to-market strategy..

Takeaways

• AI in the restaurant industry
• Impact of automation on QSR workers Efficiency in the restaurant industry can lead to significant cost savings.
• Understanding the current state of a restaurant's operations is crucial before implementing new technology or automation.

Chapter Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:42 Who is Mary Pillow Thompson
04:31 What Zignal actually does
06:19 Turning employees into a winning team
07:15 Robots as team members (Flippy)
09:06 Why Miso acquired Zignal
12:09 The real value of data + AI in restaurants
17:36 The shocking level of food waste
19:22 The future of QSR workers
24:22 How to adopt automation the right way
29:07 The one thing every operator should fix
34:04 What Mary looks for in a struggling store
35:41 Biggest mistake with AI in restaurants
37:10 Lightning round

The conversation covers the topics of brand authenticity, innovation in marketing, and unique advertising modes. It delves into Brandon Rhoten's marketing strategy at Dave's Hot Chicken, the use of humor and authenticity in marketing, user-generated content, managing growth and marketing allocation, scaling a distinct brand voice, spice levels and guest experience, and innovation in marketing and advertising modes. The conversation covers a range of topics related to brand building, marketing strategies, and leadership style. Key themes include the importance of impact over efficiency, the significance of consistency over humor, and the value of doing thorough homework in marketing. The chapters explore contrarian brand building, the role of technology in guest experience, injecting personality into risk-averse brands, consumer attention and strategy, leadership style and collaboration, advice for junior marketers, social media missteps, and more.

Takeaways

• Brand authenticity
• Innovation in marketing Impact over efficiency
• Consistency over humor

Chapters

• 00:00 Unique Advertising for Dave's Hot Chicken
• 31:31 Injecting Personality into Risk-Averse Brands
• 39:30 Advice for Junior Marketers
• 44:31 Immediate Change in Marketing Teams

The conversation covers the introduction of the podcast, the mission behind Power Soul Cafe, the need for safe food for people with celiac disease, building a movement, the drive to succeed, and scaling the business and guest experience. The conversation covers various themes including customer experience, tech solutions, influencer engagement, Shark Tank experience, brand awareness, franchising, and personal insights. Power Soul Cafe's unique approach to franchising and the importance of educating people about food are highlighted takeaways.

Takeaways

• Certified gluten-free fast food concept
• The importance of safe food for people with celiac disease and food sensitivity Brand awareness is crucial
• Power Soul Cafe's unique approach to franchising
• Educating people about food is important

Chapters

• 00:00 Scaling the Business and Guest Experience
• 26:07 Customer Experience and Constructive Feedback
• 31:57 Shark Tank Experience and Business Beliefs
• 39:47 Rapid Fire Q&A and Personal Insights

Most franchise brands lose what made them special when they scale.

This is how one pizza brand is refusing to.

Carl Comeaux, CEO of Crust Pizza Co., breaks down what it actually takes to grow a restaurant brand without sacrificing quality, culture, or unit economics.

From turning down private equity to building custom tech and obsessing over prime cost, this episode is a masterclass in disciplined growth.

Carl didn’t start with pizza, he built multiple businesses before spotting Crust as a customer. Now he’s scaling it toward 250 locations with a clear philosophy: protect the soul, or the brand dies.

Inside this episode:

• Why private equity can destroy emerging brands
• The #1 lever that makes or breaks restaurant profitability
• How to find (and filter) the right franchisees
• Why most brands focus on the wrong “customer experience”
• How AI is reshaping restaurant operations right now
• The real reason pizza brings people together (and why it matters)

If you’re building, scaling, or investing in a brand—this one hits.

Subscribe to ChatGTM for more conversations on marketing, AI, and go-to-market strategy.

#FranchiseGrowth
#RestaurantBusiness
#Entrepreneurship
#UnitEconomics
#GTMStrategy
#FoodBusiness
#StartupScaling
#Hospitality
#AIinBusiness

The conversation covers topics such as birthday celebrations, the introduction of Kelly Grogan and her work with Crumbs, the importance of catering in restaurants, common mistakes in catering menus, balancing menu variety for catering, delivering a great customer experience through catering, marketing strategies for catering programs, budgeting and ROI for catering programs, and the importance of packaging and branding in catering. The conversation covers a range of topics related to catering, delivery, and guest experience. It explores strategies for winning accounts, the impact of delivery robots, empowering third-party delivery, leveraging third-party marketplaces, social media marketing, the role of AI in catering, and the upcoming catering workshop event. Kelly Grogan shares her passion for finding and wowing new customers and provides insights into her personal preferences and experiences.

Takeaways

• Catering is a significant revenue source for restaurants
• Menu variety and customer experience are crucial in catering
• Effective marketing and budgeting are essential for successful catering programs
• Packaging and branding play a key role in the success of catering orders Maximizing investment in packaging for multiple uses
• Empowering third-party delivery for a better guest experience

Chapters

• 00:00 Birthday Celebrations and Introductions
• 05:05 The Importance of Catering in Restaurants
• 15:45 Marketing Strategies for Catering Programs
• 22:29 Maximizing Investment in Packaging
• 28:23 First-Party vs. Third-Party Dynamic
• 33:39 Catering Workshop

The conversation covers the evolving landscape of catering in the restaurant industry, focusing on the operational and marketing aspects. It delves into the importance of catering, the impact of technology and innovation, and the role of the C Society in providing fractional support for restaurant businesses. The conversation covers the emergence of new solutions in the market, the impact of off-premise catering on restaurant operations, and the importance of brand experience in catering. It also delves into the challenges and opportunities in off-premise catering, the role of technology, and the significance of relationship-based business in catering.

Takeaways

• Catering is becoming increasingly important for restaurants to drive revenue outside of their four walls and create consistency and quality in guest experiences.
• The C Society provides a collective of professionals with distinct superpowers, offering fractional support for various aspects of restaurant businesses. Emergence of new solutions
• Impact of off-premise catering on restaurant operations
• Importance of brand experience in catering
• Challenges and opportunities in off-premise catering
• Role of technology in catering
• Significance of relationship-based business in catering

Chapters

• 00:00 The Future of Off-Premise and Catering
• 29:10 Importance of Brand Experience in Catering
• 35:15 Role of Technology in Catering

The podcast episode features a conversation with Allen Beck, a proven operator and growth leader in the restaurant and hospitality space, discussing the transition from his previous company to his current role at nibble one. The conversation covers the significance of catering, the impact of technology, and the operational challenges faced by restaurants in the off-premise and catering business. The conversation covers a wide range of topics related to off-premise catering, including technology solutions, branding, customer experience, and industry insights. It also delves into the challenges and opportunities in the catering industry, as well as the impact of technology on catering operations.

Takeaways

• Catering as a significant revenue driver
• The importance of operations, technology, and people in catering success Full transparency in the catering process
• The importance of branding and customer experience in catering

Chapters

• 00:00 Quality Control in Catering Delivery
• 31:18 The Role of Delivery Services in Off-Premise Catering
• 37:38 Transition to Tech and Passion for Impact

This episode of ChatGTM features a conversation with Christopher Sebes, a hospitality pioneer and visionary, discussing the Incentive platform designed to grow customer count with targeted digital ads. The conversation covers the evolution of restaurant technology, the impact of location-based advertising, and the role of AI in marketing. The conversation covers the journey of a tech company in the restaurant industry, the challenges of changing direction, and the innovative approach to targeted advertising. It also delves into the intersection of technology and human behavior, as well as the personal and professional insights of the guest.

Takeaways

• Restaurant technology evolution
• Impact of location-based advertising
• Role of AI in marketing Tech companies face challenges in pivoting their direction to meet market needs.
• Innovative targeted advertising can be a game-changer for businesses in various industries.

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Snowdrifts
• 06:18 Incentive Platform Overview
• 12:10 Problem-Solving with Incentive
• 18:22 Reporting and A/B Testing
• 24:10 Learning and Collaboration
• 32:59 Targeted Advertising and Human Behavior
• 39:33 Partnerships and Industry Insights

In this episode of The ChatGTM Podcast, hosts Michael Beck and Chad Horn welcome Adam Steinman, a customer experience executive specializing in restaurant technology. The conversation explores the intersection of culinary arts and technology, particularly how Adam's background as a chef informs his approach to enhancing customer experience through AI. They discuss the complexities of restaurant operations, the role of AI in improving hospitality, and the importance of maintaining a human touch in service. Adam shares insights on guest sentiment towards AI, the significance of quality in technology, and lessons learned from past AI failures. The episode concludes with thoughts on leadership, the future of AI in restaurants, and upcoming industry events.

The conversation covers the impact of AI in the restaurant industry, the influence of culinary background on technology, and guest sentiment towards AI experience. It also explores the challenges and opportunities in AI adoption, the respect for restaurant operations, and the impact of AI on hospitality and employee experience. Additionally, it discusses the design of tech for restaurant operations and lessons from first generation AI platforms. The conversation covers a range of topics including the interaction between AI and human touch, cost and pricing strategy, customer experience and leadership, the importance of quality ingredients in technology, restaurant operations and AI, and the significance of human touch in hospitality. The discussion delves into the impact of AI on drive-through upsell, the fixed cost per store, customer experience teams, the analogy of cooking with quality ingredients, Audivi AI in drive-through technology, and the role of human interaction in the restaurant industry.

Takeaways

• AI in the restaurant industry
• Impact of culinary background on tech
• Guest sentiment towards AI experience AI and Human Interaction
• Cost and Pricing Strategy
• Customer Experience and Leadership
• Quality Ingredients and Technology
• Restaurant Operations and AI
• Human Touch in Hospitality

Chapters

• 00:00 Introduction and Trade Show Season
• 05:00 Hospitality and AI in Restaurants
• 11:01 AI and Hospitality Experience
• 16:15 Impact of AI on Employee Experience
• 22:29 Designing Tech for Restaurant Operations
• 29:39 AI and Human Interaction
• 35:09 Quality Ingredients and Technology
• 40:54 Human Touch in Hospitality