The Digital Restaurant

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What’s Inside This Episode?

00:00 – Live from the National Restaurant Show
Carl visits Chicago and joins Rich Faltot at Point B’s new Restaurant Technology Innovation Center.

01:00 – Why restaurant tech stacks are broken
Legacy systems, data silos, fragmented integrations, and the cost of doing nothing.

• POS replacements are “open heart surgery” for restaurants
• Transformation takes 18–36 months on average
• Success requires aligned leadership and future-facing thinking

06:00 – Customer obsession: the north star for tech decisions
Rich outlines how leading brands maintain focus—on the guest experience, not shiny tools.

• The best operators spend time in-store, watching, listening, learning
• Every tool must make things easier for the team and better for the customer

13:00 – Point B’s ‘Digital Safari’ and art-of-the-possible workshops

• Real-world immersion through drive-thru, kiosk, and delivery UX testing
• Cross-industry inspiration (NASCAR, Disney) drives better solutions

20:00 – Inside the tech center
Carl takes a walking tour of the new Tech Center, featuring:

• Multiple full-stack POS environments: Toast, PAR, Qu, Aloha and more
• Integrated back-of-house systems: Restaurant365, SynergySuite, Decision Logic
• Training and deployment environments built for test, learn, and change management

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

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This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by restaurant real estate expert and 10Rep founder Kyle Inserra. Together they explore the rise of kitchen automation, curbside robotics, and why DoorDash is pausing its Voice AI. Packed with insights from the National Restaurant Show, this episode covers the latest in tech, data, and operations shaping the restaurant world.

Timestamps:

00:00:40 – AI Dominates the National Restaurant Show

• AI matures beyond hype as operators start real implementation
• Back-of-house robotics everywhere—from fryers to vid machines
• Tariff uncertainty stalls investment for some tech vendors
   🗨️ “I saw so much automation for the back of house—everyone was there this year.” — Carl

00:05:10 – AutoLane Launches Curbside OS for Autonomous Pickup

• Think of it as air traffic control for self-driving food pickups
• Testing in SF and Austin ahead of Tesla robo-taxi launches
• Cuts pickup time from 2 minutes to 1 — massive implications
   🗨️ “It’s choreography for self-driving cars—and it's coming fast.” — Carl

00:09:40 – Wingstop Goes All-In on Smart Kitchens

• Proprietary AI forecasts demand and halves cook times
• Rollout success across franchise system — rare in the space
• Shows power of in-house tech stacks over integrations
   🗨️ “Wingstop isn’t trying to beat the competition—they’re trying to beat themselves.” — Kyle

00:12:10 – DoorDash Trend Report: Robots, TikTok & Global Palates

• Men more likely to trust AI-cooked meals; Gen Z shops by photo
• Garlic naan, pad thai, miso soup among top 10 DoorDash orders
• Half of users take 5–10 minutes deciding what to eat
   🗨️ “If you aren’t in the carousel, you’re not in the consideration set.” — Carl

00:20:00 – DoorDash Pauses Voice AI, Names Preferred Tech Partners

• Voice AI project shelved—for now—due to underperformance
• Integration partners now include Toast, Square, Otter, Checkmate
• More scrutiny coming for tech vendors to meet Doordash standards
   🗨️ “Most GenAI projects fail because they’re poorly tested—DoorDash just pressed pause.” — Carl

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

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🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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In this week’s episode of The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Alayna Sullivan, Senior Director of Corporate Comms at Olo, fresh from Food on Demand. Together, they cover five big stories shaping the restaurant and off-premise landscape, including DoorDash’s mega acquisitions, Chipotle's new catering pilot with Olo, and the rising footprint of Wonder.

Timestamps:

00:01:30 – Chipotle x Olo Catering Partnership

• Chipotle pilots Olo’s Catering Plus with promising early features
• Average catering check size = $350+
   🗨️ “We are going to see more and more improvements when it comes to the digital interface for catering.” — Carl

00:05:00 – DoorDash Acquires Deliveroo & SevenRooms

• $5B+ in acquisitions as DoorDash shifts toward platform dominance
• SevenRooms' CRM tools broaden DoorDash’s value prop
   🗨️ “DoorDash is betting the next wave of restaurant tech is about owning the guest journey.” — Carl

00:10:20 – Huddle House’s Off-Premise Reboot

• Three new footprints designed for off-premise and drive-thru
• Even breakfast gets a modern makeover
   🗨️ “This is a blueprint for aging brands to boost frequency and convenience.” — Alayna

00:13:20 – Black Box Data: Industry Outlook

• Traffic down, oversaturation looming, value now a critical consumer trigger
   🗨️ “When joy is greater than fear, economic growth begins.” — Lisa Miller (via Carl)

00:21:35 – Wonder Raises $600M, Hits $7B Valuation

• Rapid expansion plans, full-stack food experience, and smart acquisitions
   🗨️ “Wonder is playing in spaces like ghost kitchens that haven’t worked for others—yet investors are all in.” — Alayna

👉 Follow, rate & review wherever you listen, and don’t forget to subscribe on YouTube!

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

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This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl and guest co-host Jason Berkowitz dive into:

• Qu's move toward smart kitchens with integrated IoT systems (0m 50s)
• A sharp reflection on the restaurant "disruptors" that weren't — from Zume Pizza to Ghost Kitchens (4m 35)
• Why Chipotle's negative sales aren't just about the economy — and how training and tech are key to recovery (11m 05)
• A fascinating new look at menu personalization trends with EveryBite data (17m10)
• How technology can — and should — help restaurants become more sustainable (23m 20)

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

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This week, Carl is joined by Deborah Matteliano, the Global Head of Restaurants at AWS, for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from tariffs and avocados to AI strategy, Seamless’s surprising comeback, and the limits of restaurant robotics. Drawing from her experience at Uber Eats and now at Amazon, Deborah offers sharp insights on how data, delivery, and design are reshaping the restaurant landscape.

Topics include:

• 1m 15: How Chipotle’s avocado strategy is shielding it from tariff turbulence
• 9m: Why Grubhub's Revival of Seamless Could Be Wonder's Secret Weapon
• 16m 55: The real reason Kernel scrapped its robots
• 22m 20: The DoorDash + Domino’s partnership.
• 30m: Boston's permit requirements on the delivery companies.

If you're serious about restaurant tech and the off-premise channel, this one’s a must-listen.

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Yaro Tsyhanenko, founder of PickPad, to break down the headlines shaping restaurants and tech:

⏱️ Timestamps
00:00 – Intro: Meet guest host Yaro, CEO of PickPad
01:00 – Why did Yum Brands partner with Nvidia?
05:37 – What does Qu’s State of Digital 2025 Report reveal?
13:06 – Why did Starbucks acquire Empower Delivery?
18:47 – Are loyalty programs evolving or stuck in the past?
26:02 – Could Bolt disrupt Uber and DoorDash in North America?
30:00 – What is PickPad, and how is it improving restaurant pickup?

🔥 Topics covered:

• Yum’s push into site-level AI
• Why loyalty without data is just a discount
• How fast casuals are quietly overtaking QSRs in digital
• Empower Delivery’s big leap into Starbucks
• Bolt’s entry into Canada — and what it signals for North America
• A smart startup (PickPad) fixing off-prem chaos with sensors + ML

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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Welcome to The Digital Restaurant! Carl is joined by Bernadette Heier, Managing Editor from Food on Demand, marking the first time a professional broadcaster joins the show.

[00:01:07] Planes, (Trains?) & Automobiles – A New Kind of Off-Premise? Shake Shack is expanding its partnership with Delta Airlines, bringing its brand to first-class passengers. As restaurants seek new ways to expand off-premise, is the future in the skies—or even on freeways?

[00:03:04] Dashboard Dining: The Rise of In-Car Ordering – SoundHound AI partners with Chrysler, Hyundai, and Kia to bring voice ordering into vehicles. while the team explores how Mavi shares insights into how personalized ordering could reshape the drive-thru experience.

[00:04:29] Is Tech Fatigue Real? Some operators are reassessing their technology investments. McDonald’s pulls back on voice AI, and Chipotle’s Autocado robot returns to the lab. Are restaurants overwhelmed, or is the industry just demanding stronger ROI?

[00:10:15] Wonder Acquires a Media Powerhouse – Wonder, fresh off acquiring Grubhub, now buys Tastemade. With 160 million social followers, this move could redefine how food content drives sales.

[00:13:07] Starbucks Rethinks Store Design – As mobile pickup surges, Starbucks looks to rebalance digital and in-store orders. What can the industry learn from their approach?

[00:19:24] Agentic AI in Restaurants – Yum Brands is testing AI-powered restaurant managers through its Byte AI Restaurant Coach, signaling a shift toward automated decision-making in fast food.

[00:22:32] Food On Demand Conference Preview – Bernadette shares why Food on Demand (May 5-7 in Las Vegas) is the must-attend event for off-premise and restaurant technology leaders.

🔊 Listen now to stay ahead in restaurant innovation!

#Restaurants #OffPremise #AI #DriveThru #TechFatigue #FoodOnDemand #Wonder #Starbucks #ShakeShack

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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Welcome to this week’s episode of The Digital Restaurant Podcast! Carl is joined by special guest Olga Lopategui, a leading expert in restaurant loyalty and digital engagement, to break down the latest innovations shaping the restaurant industry.

⏱ [01:07] – Just Salad Gets $200M Investment

• What makes Just Salad’s tech stack unique?
• How will this funding impact digital transformation in restaurants?
• Will they use the investment for expansion, technology, or both?
  
  

⏱ [04:42] – Just Eat Takeaway’s Acquisition by Process

• What does this mean for global food delivery consolidation?
• How does it compare to previous acquisitions like Grubhub?
• Could DoorDash face challenges in global expansion?
  
  

⏱ [09:09] – The Digital Guest Experience & UX Innovation

• How should restaurant UI/UX evolve for better ordering?
• Why should apps customize the interface for individual users?
• What lessons can restaurants learn from brands like Taco Bell’s Veggie Mode?
  
  

⏱ [14:19] – What Are Digital Twins & Why Do They Matter?

• How do digital twins work in the restaurant industry?
• Can virtual simulations replace traditional prototype testing?
• How might predictive maintenance reduce restaurant downtime?
  
  Additional Paper here
  
  

⏱ [19:53] – Dutch Bros, Panda Express & Domino’s on Mobile Ordering

• How did Dutch Bros perfect their mobile app launch?
• What improvements are Panda and Domino’s making?
• Why is mobile ordering crucial for customer loyalty and convenience?

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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Carl welcomes guest host Cijoy Olickal, a restaurant tech expert, to break down key industry trends.

🔹 2025 Restaurant Industry Outlook – $1.5T in sales, shifting consumer habits, tech’s impact on profitability, and labor challenges. Articles One, Two, and Three
🔹 Yum! Brands' Tech Strategy – Is building a proprietary tech stack the right move for a global franchise? Articles One and Two
🔹 Wonder’s Expansion – Mark Lore’s meal kit & marketplace strategy—how does it compare to DoorDash and Uber Eats? Articles One, Two, and Three
🔹 CPK’s Vending Machines – Can automated pizza machines change the game for restaurant growth? Article One
🔹 DoorDash’s Power Shift – With advertising revenue booming, is DoorDash now a marketing giant first, a delivery service second? Articles One, Two, and Three

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. 

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🚀 The Digital Restaurant Podcast - 100th Episode Special! 🎉

Welcome to a milestone episode of The Digital Restaurant! This is our 100th episode, and while it's a moment of celebration, it also comes with a bittersweet note—Meredith is off to Seattle to take on an exciting EVP role at Starbucks. We’ll miss her insights, but the show must go on!

In this episode, Carl Orsbourn takes the mic solo to explore the next evolution of restaurant and retail tech: moving beyond SaaS into holistic reasoning and AI-driven orchestration.

Key Topics Discussed:

✅ The Downside of SaaS & Siloed Systems
SaaS unlocked incredible capabilities for restaurants and retailers, but it also created fragmented systems that hinder efficiency. APIs were meant to solve this, yet they often fail to integrate seamlessly.

✅ The Need for Data Unification
APIs, when implemented, are usually linear and siloed. Carl explains why data unification is essential—moving from fragmented systems to a connected web of insights.

✅ AI Agents & Chain of Thought Reasoning
Businesses can’t rely on isolated software. The future lies in AI-driven models that adapt and learn. Carl explores Chain of Thought (CoT) Reasoning, which threads insights across departments, bridging silos and improving decision-making.

✅ What Amazon’s 2002 API Mandate Teaches Us
Carl discusses Jeff Bezos’ API mandate, which forced Amazon to break down silos and create an interconnected platform. This move helped Amazon become an AI-driven powerhouse—a model businesses should consider.

✅ Real-World Use Cases
AI-driven orchestration can transform demand forecasting, merchandising, supply chains, and personalization. Imagine:

• Localized marketing & staffing auto-adjusted in real-time.
• Retail shelving resets triggered by AI-detected sales patterns.
• Hotels personalizing guest experiences dynamically.

✅ The Urgency of Fixing Data Quality First
Carl shares a key quote from Invisible’s CEO:
"When great AI meets bad data, the data always wins."
With only 8% of AI models making it to production, clean data, model training, and continuous learning are essential.

🔮 The Future: From SaaS to Model-Driven Innovation
Companies waiting for SaaS integrations will be left behind. The winners will be those shifting toward AI agents that dynamically align decisions with business goals.

Support the show

🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!

📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at www.theDigital.Restaurant

🎙️📰Please subscribe to our newsletter and connect with Carl's Delivering the Digital Restaurant page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.