In this episode of Room for Seconds, Gregg Majewski sits down with Tony Smith, CEO and co-founder of Restaurant365, to explore how technology is transforming the restaurant industry. Tony shares the story behind founding Restaurant365, discusses key challenges like labor and inventory management, and highlights how AI and data insights are shaping the future of restaurant operations. They also dive into the company’s recent focus on employee training, upcoming innovations, and their partnership with CORE (Children of Restaurant Employees). Plus, Tony offers his take on remote work and the evolving needs of the industry. Tune in for insights on leadership, technology, and the future of hospitality.

Takeaways:

1. The Power of AI in Restaurant Operations - Tony Smith sees AI as a tool to enhance, not replace, restaurant teams by improving efficiency and accuracy. Restaurant365 uses AI to automate tasks like processing paper invoices and coding them to cost categories, reducing manual effort. Additionally, they're leveraging AI and big data to uncover insights that help restaurants optimize operations and boost profitability.
2. Investing in Employee Training to Reduce Turnover - Recognizing the high costs of employee turnover, Tony shares the importance of efficient training: "It's estimated that turning over an employee can cost you $5,000. So, the two things we want to help restaurants with are providing a better training experience so employees are confident and a more efficient experience so they onboard faster."
3. The Importance of Staying Customer-Centric - Tony emphasizes the evolving role of guest engagement and data in enhancing customer experiences: "There's a lot around guest engagement in the data... Can you market and reach out to them via text or email, but in a much more individual way?"

EPISODE LINKS:

• Vist Restaurant365 Online
• Connect with Restaurant 365 on LinkedIn
• Connect with Tony on LinkedIn
• Follow Restaurant365 on Instagram
• Follow Restaurant365 on Facebook
• Subscribe to Restaurant365 on YouTube
• Visit Children of Restaurant Employees online
• Listen to Behind the Numbers

ABOUT TONY SMITH

Tony Smith is Chief Executive Officer and a Co-founder of Restaurant365. Tony’s career has centered on using software to solve business issues across various industries. Prior to starting Restaurant365, he was Director of Services at Dynamic Methods, a software consulting company focused primarily on designing and implementing accounting and operations software solutions. From the beginning at Restaurant365 he spent the majority of his time designing and creating an innovative product that would move the restaurant industry forward. Today he primarily focuses on the company vision, culture, growth and long-term strategy. He earned his bachelor’s degree in business management and information systems, magna cum laude, from Brigham Young University. Tony enjoys life while trying out new restaurants, spending time with his girls – wife and 4 daughters, singing and watching college football.

ABOUT GREGG MAJEWSKI:

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands.

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