Restaurant AI & Technology Report

Paul Barron sits down with Chris Bomgaars, the founder of pig health and management tool EveryPig. Barron and Bomgaars discuss the agtech industry at large, the unique struggles that swine producers, veterinarians, and caregivers currently face, and how EveryPig is using complex artificial intelligence algorithms to revolutionize the swine industry.

Today we take a look at the latest generation to take over the populous in the buying power for restaurant and retail - Gen Z (Generation Z). Understanding their very different traits and habits will make or break your business in the next five years with Shelley Balanko, Ph.D. - Senior VP, The Hartman Group

Paul Barron sits down with Jon Sewell, the chief executive officer of Motus and owner of restaurant chain D.P. Dough. Sewell helped form the cooperative delivery service CHOMP in Iowa City with fellow restaurant owners and industry leaders, and has since expanded the service to other cities through his company Motus.

Host Paul Barron sits down with Anmol Oberoi, the chief executive officer of Emitrr. The platform offers businesses the opportunity to create and publish storefront apps on Alexa and Google Home. Barron and Oberoi explore voice adoption concerns and the possibilities for voice command interfaces in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Leah Cotterman and Rose Phillips share their backgrounds in the industry and the vision behind the WD Partners strategy team.

Hear Wood’s advice for handling the predicted downturn coming to the industry, how Suzy’s Swirl won this year’s WBENCPitch, and Wood’s plans for the company’s expansion in the next few years.

On this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with Lisa Merkle, the co-founder and executive director of Box Greens. A former yoga teacher and holistic health coach, Merkle co-founded Box Greens in 2018 with business partner Cheryl Arnold. Box Greens offers urban South Florida access to hydroponic box farms filled with fresh leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens. Barron and Merkle explore the science behind hydroponic farming, the growing national interest in plant-based eating, and current adoption of agriculture technology in Florida.

“A big part of our mission is using the business as a platform to talk about sustainable farming practices,” says Merkle. Restaurants and individual consumers who use local sources for ingredients can trust that there is minimal to “no impact on the environment from the transportation of the food.”

Box Greens transforms old shipping containers into indoor hydroponic farms. Racks, an irrigation system, an HVAC system, and lighting are fully built into each container. No dirt is used—the plants are not placed in any soil, and absorb all necessary minerals from the water. Box Greens uses floating rafts to allow for a constant flow of recirculated water as farmers monitor the minerals and pH levels.

On average, a functioning container can produce about 600 to 800 heads of lettuce per week all year round, and a 320 square foot hydroponic farm yields the same amount of produce as a traditional 1-2 acre farm.

For Merkle, education is key. “One of [Florida’s] biggest economic industries is agriculture,” notes Merkle, “and it’s behind when it comes to adopting technology.” She has found that many people do not realize the lettuce they consume for lunch was likely harvested weeks ago in California, and has changed hands many times. “And in the process,” she adds, “it’s lost its nutritional value to a pretty serious degree, and flavor.”

Plant-based diets, to Merkle, are the future. “Leafy greens have the highest concentration of vitamins and minerals,” says Merkle. “Food for a lot of people comes down to access—both in terms of physical accessibility and price point.” And hydroponic farming is “an incredible opportunity to turn people on to plant-based eating.”

Check out the podcast above to learn more about how Box Greens began, using hydroponic farming with vegetables and fruits, and possible partnerships with local restaurants and research universities. And if you would like to keep listening, check out The Barron Report podcast on iTunes Now!

For Calvo, real estate is always “second on the list to your product.” Having made her first restaurant—located in a strip mall—a success, and started Cracked as an artisan-driven chef sandwich food truck, she argues that location is not everything. Having a compelling brand and consistent flavor is key. “People will drive as long as it’s a good product.”

Calvo notes that her experience is uncommon to most female chefs because she owns her business. Many women struggle to rise and are quietly, but swiftly blacklisted from the industry if they have a family. Even those who do rise have to struggle with the gender pay gap and earn less than a man for the same work.

“It’s a delicate dance, the restaurant industry,” says Calvo. “I was researching how many executive chefs are women in hotels. There’s a handful in America. They can’t go up the ladder. Men are at the top of the chain.”

Calvo does not think the industry is without hope. “Roles are changing,” she notes. Men are beginning to share the load of taking care of a family. However, as Calvo adds, “It’s not going to start in the kitchens of hotels—it has to start in society as a whole.”

Check out the podcast above to learn more about the Cracked menu, crafting a “league of exceptional chefs,” and her advice for the next generation of chefs. And if you would like to keep listening, check out The Barron Report podcast on iTunes Now!

Leaving or closing a business is challenging, and many operators wait long after their restaurant has stopped generating revenue to make a clear, though painful decision.

On this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron sits down with author Kevin Alexander. Alexander is the recipient of the James Beard Award and the Mark of Excellence Award from the Society of Professional Journalists. Just released last month, Alexander’s book Burn the Ice: The American Culinary Revolution and Its End, discusses the culinary revolution that began in 2006. Barron and Alexander chat about the predicted recession and restaurant business meltdown coming for the industry.

In the United States alone, catering has grown into a $60 billion market—making demand generation essential to every restaurant and industry operator’s marketing strategy. Of that $60 billion, $24 billion is concentrated in business catering. And some brands are feeling the pressure to broaden their digital and marketing efforts to keep consumers coming to their door.

On this episode of The Barron Report, host Paul Barron chats with David Meiselman. Meiselman is the chief marketing officer for ezCater, the world’s largest online marketplace for business catering. The company works with over 62,000 restaurant and catering partner locations throughout the United States.

According to Meiselman, studies show “that 70 percent of catering buyers want delivery with their order, but only about 44 percent of catering orders are delivered.” With ezCater, he adds, “about 97 percent of the orders that come through our marketplace are delivered.”

For ezCater, the mission is simple: partner with dependable, high-quality catering partners to help connect restaurants and operators with their current customers while also building that base. The company utilizes three online platforms—ezOrdering, ezManage, and ezDispatch—to accomplish this goal. Business class catering and delivery is provided via a network of local couriers and companies. Membership is free and there is no cost to be part of the marketplace itself; ezCater simply takes a small percentage of each order from the restaurant.

Listen to The Barron Report episode above to learn more about what makes the catering business unique and how the movement toward online ordering may help restaurants and operators focus on doing what they do best: making great food.