Data Delicacies

In a compelling interview on “Data Delicacies” with host Arun Kumar, Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, shared insights on focus, customer-centric strategies, and the future of AI in personalization. 

Watch now to learn about the importance of a singular focus, being the “anti-survey” company, and the future of AI in hospitality.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

Chapters:

[03:13] - The "Why" Behind Ovation

[06:51] - Balancing Work, Family, and Business Commitments

[10:35] - Becoming Obsessed with Building Value

[27:04] - Defining Loyalty

[35:08] - Closing the Education Gap in the AI Era

[45:16] - Utilizing AI Day to Day

Episode Links:

• Ovation Online
• Zack Oates Instagram
• Zack Oates Facebook
• Zack Oates LinkedIn
• Ovation Podcast
• Dating Never Works . . . Until It Does: 100 Lessons from 1,000 Dates (Book)

"You Can Do Anything. You Can't Do Everything" - Zack Oates’ dad Bart carved out a successful NFL career. Zack Oates attributes that success to Bart being able to do “one thing deep” and focus on being good at that thing. That mentality was passed down to Zack and it has served him well in his own business endeavors.

Surveys with the Customer in Mind - Zack Oates has branded Ovation as the “Anti-Survey” company. They have differentiated themselves from other survey companies by beginning with collecting data on how customers preferred being surveyed as opposed to simply forcing customers to inefficiently answer long questionnaires.

The Future of AI in Personalization - Ovation uses Artificial Intelligence, but Zack Oates values the personal touch of in person conversations. He does, however, see the future of AI adding to the personalization of hospitality by adding a layer to the customer satisfaction.

ABOUT ZAK OATES –

Zack Oates is an accomplished author, devoted husband, and proud father. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs, he has had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ bell and winning the world’s largest business competition. With an MBA from BYU, Zack has founded three companies and provided customer experience consulting for Fortune 100 companies. His expertise in dating and customer experience consulting led him to create Ovation, a leading tool for actionable guest feedback in restaurants, where he serves as Founder and CEO.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Produced by: Incentivio - https://www.incentivio.com/

Alistair Levine is the CEO of multiple restaurant concepts and a Partner and Head of Business Development at KitchenSync. He shared his vision with Data Delicacies powered by Incentivio. A vision that includes leveraging a hybrid approach that capitalizes on the unique strengths of both technology and human expertise. 

Listen now to learn about the importance of human touch and technology, the strategic usage of dynamic pricing, and making good decisions with good data.



Technology vs. Human Touch - Alistair Levine understands that both human touch and emerging technology are both important pieces of today’s hospitality industry. He has a goal at Kitchen Sync to create a hybrid approach that takes advantage of the strengths that both entities have to offer.

Dynamic Pricing for Better Guest Experience - When it comes to technology, Alistair Levine believes that as the options become more complicated, restaurants will have to narrow their focus to find root problems on the path to solutions.

Making Good Decisions with Good Data - Even though Alistair Levine believes that hospitality is a human driven industry, he also believes that Artificial Intelligence will serve a purpose of helping businesses make better decisions based on their ability to receive enhanced data from reliable sources.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

• KitchenSync Online: https://www.kitchensync.us/
• Alistair Levine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alistairlevine/
• Alistair Levine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-levine-6997b359/
• KitchenSync LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitchensync3/
• Left Bank Brasserie: https://www.instagram.com/leftbankbrasserie/
• LB Steak Santana Row: https://www.instagram.com/lbsteaksantanarow/
• Meso Restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/meso.restaurant/
• Petite Left Bank: https://www.instagram.com/petiteleftbank/
• Rollati Ristorante: https://www.instagram.com/rollatiristorante/

Branden McRill, a restauranteur and CEO and Co-Founder of 5-Out, envisions a future where restaurants operate with unparalleled efficiency. Powered by Toast, 5-Out harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive profitability. 

Watch now to learn about revolutionizing restaurant operations, adopting AI and machine learning, and properly vetting AI resources.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

Chapters:

[01:06] - Braden McRill's Background

[07:23] - Pulling from Prior Experience

[16:48] - The 5-Out Origin Story

[28:01] - The Early Days of Forecasting

[34:34] - Skepticism Around AI and Machine Learning

[48:24] - Vetting Effective AI/ML Options

***

Episode Links:

5 Out Online: https://www.5out.io/

Branden McRill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandenmcrill/

Branden McRill LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/branden-mcrill-35b1baa/

5 Out Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5out_io/

Takeaways:

Revolutionizing Restaurant Operations with 5-Out - With 5-Out powered by Toast, Branden McRill has a vision to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive efficiency in restaurant operations to make restaurants more profitable. 

Emerging Adoption of AI and ML in Restaurant - As Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) continues to emerge, more companies will adopt the technology. Branden McRill is already beginning to see quick and full service begin to adopt the AIML as a part of their business model and tech stack.

Vetting Artificial Intelligence Resources - Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, or AIML, is in its very early stages of business integration. According to Branden McRill, proper vetting of potential resources is important to the effectiveness of their product, and specific questions should be asked and answered.

***

ABOUT BRANDEN MCRILL—

Branden McRill brings over 26 years of hospitality industry experience to his most current role as co-founder and CEO of 5-Out where he is responsible for driving the vision, strategy, and implementation of 5-Out. McRill’s extensive background also includes founding and co-founding successful restaurants and cafes like The Post PHL, Walnut Street Cafe, Rebelle, and Pearl & Ash. Additionally, he served as beverage director and manager for esteemed chefs and groups such as Marcus Samuelsson, Jean-Georges, David Burke, and Alain Ducasse.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, machine learning.

Data Delicacies on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/29ExS0n9X3Z3FyK4HuSPKH

Incentivio Online - https://www.incentivio.com/

Incentivio Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/incentivio/

Produced by: Incentivio - https://www.incentivio.com/

1. Changing the Branding Script - Davide Macchi knew that his food was good. However, in the US, unlike in Italy, aesthetic branding, and overall ambiance is as much a part of the product as the food itself. Macchi and his partner reluctantly hired help that switched a few small things in the restaurant, and the results were immediately positive.
2. Using Data from Incentivio to Propel Business - As the world and restaurant industry become more digital, the amount of data available increases. Davide Macchi and Due' Cucina have partnered with Incentivio to provide such data, but they are charged with parsing that information to efficiently use the data as their business expands.
3. A Brand Promise of Variety - Davide Macchi believes that variation can be an excellent thing. With that in mind, the pizzas at Due' Cucina are made by hand, which means each pizza is slightly different but equally delicious.

Meet Davide Macchi, the visionary CEO and Co-Founder behind Due' Cucina. 

As a native of Italy, Macchi studied Business Administration at Cal-Berkeley and received his MBA from the vaunted MIT. During this time, he and his business partner waited tables in London, where they obtained restaurant experience, learned English, and sparked their idea to own a restaurant.

“We learned (about the restaurant industry) in the other experiences that we had across the globe because we both worked internationally. That’s kind of what led us to think: what if we put these two things together and we build a brand with the best in class technology and a data-driven approach.” reminisces Macchi to host Arun Kumar of Incentivio in the latest episode of Data Delicacies. “But something also built for people that really love the personable and the interpersonal aspect of hospitality.”

Aesthetic Branding Mastery

Jumping into building a restaurant, Macchi leaned heavily into his Italian background of having great food offerings. However, he soon recognized the importance of ambiance alongside exceptional cuisine and redefined Due' Cucina's identity in the competitive US market. 

"We came up with three cheap things we could do that could change the script. We painted the walls, changed the lighting, and added string lights," he shares. “Within a week, the moment the ceiling was painted and the lighting changed, revenue was up 35%.”

Harnessing Data with Incentivio

As Due’ Cucina expands in the digital era, Macchi is learning to leverage cutting-edge tools like Incentivio to harness customer data, such as dining patterns, personal data, and order frequency effectively. DataThe insight provided drives targeted marketing and personalized experiences, optimizing Due' Cucina's expansion strategy.

"Customer data platforms help us merge profiles and understand preferences. They're pretty well established. And once again, we need to have good leads." he explains. 

“We don't yet have a fully grown customer data platform, but with Incentivio, we have a lot of features that are a good proxy.”

Variety as a Brand Promise

At Due' Cucina, authenticity shines through handmade pizzas—a nod to Italian culinary heritage. Being handmade gives each pizza a personal touch and makes each slightly unique. For Macchi, it is important for Due’ Cucina to lean into customer loyalty and tap into the idea of slight variations to their favorites, evoking the nostalgia and excitement of eating Grandma’s cooking.

“Our brand promise is to make it from scratch. And in making from scratch, it's always going to be great but it might taste slightly different. And that's exciting. Because when you would go to your Italian Grandma’s on Sunday for lunch, it [the food] wasn't always exactly the same because she wasn't even measuring things all the time. But it was always very good.”

Episode Links:

Due’ Cucina Online - https://duecucina.com/

Due’ Cucina Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/duecucina

Due’ Cucina TikTok - https://www.tiktok.com/@duecucina

Due’ Cucina Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/duecucinaitaliana/

Due’ Cucina App on Google - https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.ce.android.brand.duecucina&hl=en_US&gl=US&pli=1

Due’ Cucina App on Apple - https://apps.apple.com/us/app/due-cucina/id1509690249

Davide Macchi Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/davmacchi/

Davide Macchi LinkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/davidemacchi/

ABOUT DAVIDE MACCHI

Davide Macchi is the Co-founder & CEO of Due' Cucina, a unique fast-casual concept specializing in authentic Italian pasta. Due' Cucina currently operates four locations in Seattle, WA (with one more on the way) and, following a recent equity round, is about to open three additional units in Texas. Before Due’, Davide worked as a strategy consultant for Kearney, and in a variety of management roles in Australia and the US for Rocket Internet and Amazon. Davide studied media, economics, and business administration at University of Bologna, UC Berkeley, and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he received his MBA in 2016.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES

This is where a show description will live. We can work together to come up with one that will fit your mission and vision that will be attached to every episode.

Produced by: Incentivio

Data is king!

Every hospitality business uses data to make important decisions. Knowing how to obtain efficient, effective data is paramount for business success. 

Incentivio, the “fully automated intelligence-driven guest engagement platform for restaurants & virtual kitchens”, introduces Data Delicacies; which will present those data conversations to the public.

Host Arun Kumar, who also serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships at Incentivio, says “we’re going to be talking to some of the best and brightest in the industry. We’re going to be talking all things hospitality, we’re going to be talking a lot of tech, and AI, machine learning, and all the fun stuff”

Debuting on Wednesday, May 7, Data Delicacies will release weekly on YouTube with interviews from the industry leaders, restaurant owners, and special appearances from Incentivo insiders. 

Be sure to follow Incentivio on all platforms and subscribe to the newsletter to stay up to date with all things Data Delicacies. 

As Kumar says in anticipation of the show’s debut, “Can’t wait to build this amazing community.”