Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

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Are you ready for an intro? David McDougall has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry. With high-level experience at Denny's, Cinnabon, Focus Brands, NexCen Brands, and Back Yard Burgers, he is now the CEO of Your Pie Franchising, a brand with 77 locations and 40 in the works. Get ready for a power-packed 25 minutes!

On this episode, David and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• The importance of surrounding yourself with good people and how to keep them
• Common operational mistakes
• To franchise or not to franchise?
• The two most important aspects of the guest experience in the digital age
• David gives Ovations to  Brian Niccol of Chipotle and Paul Brown of Inspire Brands
• More

Thanks David! 

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Aaron Mortensen is a 10-year CMO veteran, currently serving as the CMO of hungr. A nationwide online ordering and food delivery service, hungr is a favorite among restaurant owners due to their low commissions and free sharing of data with restaurants. Aaron is a thought leader and one of the nicest in the biz, so we hope you enjoy this episode!

On this episode, Aaron and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• Why restaurants love hungr
• Do's and don'ts of online ordering and delivery
• Extending hospitality off-premise
• Aaron gives a shoutout to robotics companies in the industry
• More

Thanks Aaron!

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Josh Kopel is the President of the L.A. chapter of the California Restaurant Association, he's a Michelin-rated restaurateur with over 20 years of experience in the industry, and is the CEO of FLO Hospitality Solutions. 

On this episode, Josh and host Zack Oates, discuss: 

• Josh's unique story of blending southern and west-coast culture
• Most restaurateurs don't know what business they're in
• How operational efficiency can increase top-line sales by 15% in two weeks
• Transactional and experiential tasks
• How technology improves hospitality
• More

Thanks, Josh!

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Aaron Noveshen has created or co-created over 25 restaurant concepts, including San Francisco staples such as Starbird and Pacific Catch. He is also the founder and chairman of The Culinary Edge, a food and beverage innovation agency working with top chains such as Starbucks and McDonalds. What a catch!

On this episode, Aaron and host Zack Oates discuss: 

•  Staff and Aaron's hiring tips
• The biggest area that Aaron sees restaurants make mistakes in
• Humility
• Omnichannel 
• The sensation that is Dutch Crunch bread
• More

Thanks Aaron!

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Mehdi Zarhloul is the CEO of Crazy Pita Restaurant Group LLC, and the founder of Crazy Pita, a fresh Mediterranean restaurant with three locations based in Nevada. Mehdi has turned Crazy Pita into a hit through his focus on quality food, and excellent service. Not to mention he's one of the nicest guys in the business!

On this episode, Medhi and host, Zack Oates, discuss: 

• The 4 determinants of customer loyalty
• Connecting with your community
• How to insert the WOW factor into your guest experience
• More

Thanks, Mehdi! 

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Lindsey Blackburn is a Solution Specialist at DriveMind Group, which provides businesses with organizational safety solutions including health safety products and services to battle the continued spread of germs, virus, and pathogens. DriveMind's award-winning technology actively cleans air and surfaces, making restaurants a more "healthful" place to be. 

On this episode, Lindsey and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• Some less-known do's and don'ts for restaurant sanitation
• Why there are a lot of reasons to up your cleaning game beyond the corona virus
• Why passive air filters are less effective than DriveMind's "Enhanced hydrogen peroxide plasma technology", the coolest sounding phrase ever uttered on Give an Ovation
• More

Thanks Lindsey!

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Robbert Jan De Veen is the owner of the De Daltons restaurant in the Netherlands. He is also the owner of the world record for the most expensive burger ever made and sold! From gold leaf to white truffles, we learn all about the history of the Golden Boy Burger and how every restaurateur can deliver a fantastic experience on this episode. 

On this edition, Robbert and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• How COVID led to the creation of the Golden Boy
• What ingredients make up a $6000 dollar burger
• How Robbert used the Golden Boy to benefit his community
• Robbert's thoughts on delivering a memorable guest experience
• More

Thanks Robbert!

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Spencer Saylor is the Founder of The Wizard of Za, a fabulously successful pizza joint in Columbus, Ohio, that has largely grown through word of mouth and exclusivity (customers are making reservations months in advance!). Perhaps more impressive, The Wizard of Za started during the onset of the COVID pandemic! We were so glad to speak with the man behind the curtain and know you'll enjoy listening.

On this episode, Spencer and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• The rise of Wizard of Za
• Spencer's tips for social media success
• Creating a novel guest experience
• Expanding the menu while staying true to the brand
• More

Thanks Spencer!

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Eric Bam is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Perfect Crust Pizza Liners & IncredibleBags.com. Eric has decades of experience in the industry, including over 20 years as a food distributor, and loves restaurant people! Eric brought the BAM to this episode. 

On this edition, Eric and host, Zack Oates, discuss: 

•  Pushing a vision instead of a product
• The future of the restaurant industry - smaller footprints, tighter menus, ghost kitchens, bigger delivery areas
• The power of social media and why businesses should be posting 3x per day
• More

Thanks Eric!

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Noah Glass is a former cashier, delivery driver, and bartender. Oh, and we should probably also mention that he is the Founder & CEO of Olo, a publicly-traded online ordering and delivery platform worth over 3 billion dollars! We were honored to have such a special guest on the show. 

On this episode, Noah and host Zack Oates discuss: 

• Insights from Noah on founding a company and leading it through to an IPO
• Why Noah founded Olo and the role it plays in the industry
• The future of the restaurant industry, and the impact of digital
• The importance of service model choice as part of guest experience
• 1 very successful thing Noah has tried lately
• More

Thanks, Noah!