In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Joe Guszkowski, Senior Editor at Restaurant Business. With years of experience reporting on the industry’s biggest shifts, Joe offers a journalist’s perspective on how artificial intelligence is reshaping restaurants—from the back office to the front of house.

He unpacks where AI is making a real difference today, the challenges operators face in separating hype from practical value, and why thoughtful adoption will be key to long-term success. Joe also discusses the human side of AI: how technology can enhance creativity, empower teams, and allow restaurants to better tell their own stories in a crowded marketplace.

This conversation is both a reality check and a roadmap—showing how operators, technologists, and storytellers can work together to ensure AI strengthens the restaurant experience rather than diluting it.

Episode Links:

00:00 Intro

01:30 Restaurant Business' new podcast series on AI

05:00 The people behind the technology

07:00 Democratizing AI

13:41 Restaurant technology is fashion

16:07 AI technology is iterative

20:45 The AI drive-thru

24:40 Restaurant technology moves too slow

30:40 Predictive analytics

33:38 Embracing AI technology in restaurants

37:33 How AI gets implemented

42:00 The benefits of AI to restaurant owners

48:18 Creating a more sustainable industry

51:08 Franchisor benefits from higher prices

53:00 The next 5-10 years

57:38 AI capabilities

1:00:40 Restaurant reporting

1:02:51 The business of restaurants

1:06:11 Outro