The Main Course

The restaurant industry has historically been slow to shift and adopt new technology. Ben Simmons, Co-founder and COO of Table Needs recalled a meeting in 2012 when a restaurant owner was considering building a website. Websites were pretty mainstream, but it shows an example of generalization. Today, as reported by Restaurant Dive, 77% of diners look up the restaurant online before visiting.

Table Needs, in simple terms, is a point of sale company. However, it’s much more than that. It interconnects multiple systems for seamless updates. It started as a QR menu company and has evolved into something bigger. Simmons compares it to the gap between Square and Toast. Most restaurant technology is disjointed. “There are all these different sectors of tech that flow back into each other. You gotta stitch together seven tools to get them to all work together,” said Simmons.

Table Needs focuses on small quick-service restaurants. It connects the online menu and the website, which allows management to make changes once but for that update to flow across the connected spaces. “Becoming nimble is a big asset in [times of] volatility,” pointed out host Barbara Castiglia. Table Needs focuses on a small segment of the restaurant market and covers all its needs in one product.

Simmons and Castiglia turn the conversation to how things changed during covid. Simmons noticed that the pandemic “increased the speed of adoption, still a lot of hesitancy within the restaurant space.” Restauranteurs want simplicity and reliability. What Simmons hears consistently from his clients is, “how simple can you make it and for it to just work?”

Table Needs sets every client up for success with an extensive and detailed onboarding process. The company takes care of set up details, inputting the menu, and training the staff.

“Ignoring this digital presence is just money left on the table,” said Simmons. It opens up an entirely different revenue stream from current customers. For restaurants ready to tackle new technology, they should consider small changes with the most significant impact. Alternatively, remove the barrier to entry. Restaurants grow when they get their product out there and build their brand.

Groupon has it wrong. Or at least partially. Taking a deep dive into customer data and analytics, Zach Goldstein, CEO & Founder of Thanx, a loyalty, CRM, and guest engagement platform shares his insight on what it means to build customer loyalty with host Barbara Castiglia.

Our understanding of what loyalty is, is wrong. While the Groupon model of offering discounts will get customers in the door, it won’t make them come back. This model of offering discounts is outdated and ineffective. According to Goldstein, loyalty should mean something else.

Goldstein explained, “Loyalty means maximizing customer lifetime value. Loyalty means building relationship with your best customers and it starts with knowing who those people are. Discounts can be one tool but they can’t be the only tool or you are stuck in a rote rewards program which really is not maximizing loyalty.”

The way customers engage with restaurants today has changed over the last three to four years, accelerated by the pandemic. Now, customers are ordering online and dining off site, with some portion of that revenue going to third party delivery.

When a similar situation began happening in a different industry, brands came up with a solution. Goldstein said, “The only way those brands fought back…by having a loyalty program and encouraging consumers to book directly or in the case of restaurants, purchase directly.”

There is a reason airlines have loyalty programs and why hotel chains have stuck around for so long: loyalty programs that provides the correct incentives and recognizes the customer. The system should be the same for restaurants. Loyalty programs with incentives specific to the customer are no longer niceties, but necessities.

Using guest engagement technology, Goldstein is able to “talk” to customers without them being in the restaurant. Incentivizing consumer behavior can help bring customers into the restaurant AND have them spend more money while there. Goldstein said this is key.

Barbara Castiglia interviews Maribeth Dela Cruz, President of Jollibee North America, to discuss Jollibee and its presence in North America. Jollibee is on the fastest growing Asian restaurant companies in the world. Cruz has been with the Jollibee company for thirty years and has worked her way from shift manger to her current role as president of North America. “It was a rough start” said Cruz. Expanding to North America was a key goals for the Jollibee company. Although there have been tough times Cruz has been committed to help Jollibee grow in North America.  

The vision of the company is to become one of the top five restaurant companies in the world which initially drew Cruz to this company. “I so love the mission of spreading the joy of eating to everyone” said Cruz. Aside from success as a business the values that Jollibee sets keeps employees and customers engaged in why they should choose their brand. It remains important for Jollibee to receive feedback on how the company is doing as a server to the community.  

The pandemic did bring many challenges. An essential priority for Jollibee’s was keeping their employees safe. Drive throughs and door dash were outlets that were useful for Jollibee locations when needing to adapt to pandemic essentials. Coming out of the pandemic Jollibee makes sure to include standards on FSC (Food, Service, and Cleanliness). The FSC program is implemented across the company and is observed by the quality management group. “We’re capitalizing on a team that actually goes out and do random quality checks in our stores” said Cruz.  

The co-CEO and co-founder of Biggby Coffee, Mike McFall, talked with host Barbara Castiglia of the podcast “The Main Course,” about the rise of his coffee chain. Founded in Lansing, Michigan over 27 years ago, today Biggby Coffee is one of the most popular coffee chains in the Midwest region. McFall said decades ago he took a leap into an industry that was fairly new. Brewing a coffee business from the ground up took a lot of work, and more importantly, it took even more for two business partners to know they could expand and operate their company under the franchise model.

“It was a natural fit for my partner and I. We both tend to lean into being teachers, we love working with other people as partners, and the franchise business model is very much that,” said McFall.

Under the mentorship of Fred Deluca, the founder of Subway franchise, McFall added that they were able to see the positive benefits of franchising, and why the framework allowed them to significantly grow. Owners of Biggby Coffee franchises are equipped with their own skill sets in the making of a thriving business, and McFall said he favors that above all.

“Franchise owners, locally, they’re not your employees, that is for certain, and they’re independent business people … all of them come with some degree of success in another arena,” said McFall. “They’re very experienced people and we really like that. There’s a lot of energy in the franchise business model that way.”

Another highlight of Biggby Coffee’s success was their take on menu item names, opting for creative terms for their lattes that often incorporate pop culture terms, such as Caramel Marvel. But a major highlight for the company came at the height of their business boom. Initially called Beaner’s Coffee, about a decade into operations, McFall and his partner realized they needed to change the entire company’s name. Unfortunately, the former portion of the original business name is also an ethnic slur for Mexican-Americans.

“It was something that we obviously weren't aware of originally right when we formed it, we became aware of it very quickly.

After much discussion between himself and his partner, McFall decided that the name change would occur and every location they had would become Biggby Coffee. He said his eyes were opened and “it just became very apparent that you don't want to have a name in any way derogatory toward anybody,” McFall said.

However, the name change process contractually required the franchise owners to foot the bill of the cost of the change that needed to be reflected in signage, and the price tag was quite hefty. But it was a commitment he was willing to abide by and McFall shelled out almost $1 million to ensure that all Biggby Coffee franchises were under the new name.

McFall stated that the franchise business model was the best decision for his company. Although he claims not every franchise owner can have a positive experience, and has had some challenges in the past, he added that to guarantee a lucrative franchise company is knowing the best types of partners to collaborate with.

Healthy Pour is a consultancy whose mission is to improve the mental health and well-being of individuals, communities, and organizations within the hospitality and adjacent sectors through education, coaching, intervention development, and research. Laura Louise Green, Founder of Healthy Pour, joined Barbara Castiglia to talk about this critical concern in the restaurant and hospitality industry.

Green, a licensed professional counselor and organizational consultant from Chicago, IL, spent nearly 20 years in the hospitality industry and understood the challenges, pressures, and needs. Those pressures led to her switching careers and becoming a licensed therapist. And now, with those skills in hand, Green realized she possessed the tools to address those needs and help others in the industry.

“I decided to start focusing my career on mental health in the hospitality industry to see if I could do something to address these issues,” Green said. And the deeper she went into her research, the more she realized that the stresses and problems are more significant than an individual experiencing burnout; the entire surrounding environment needs help. Healthy Pour, as a company, evolved over the past few years to consult with companies to turn stressful environments into positive ones.

“We work with bars and restaurants, and sometimes brands and communities, in general, to assess what’s going on in the space, and help bars and restaurants be healthier, so that their workplace is healthier,” Green said.

Burnout is a genuine issue and concern in the hospitality industry, and most may recognize it as tired. But Green said that is merely the first step. Quickly, that exhaustion can turn into apathy and an eventual lack of productivity. It’s essential to recognize signs of burnout and develop intervention plans before it becomes widespread, and a toxic environment ensues. “Social support and organizational support are both ways to mitigate burnout in the workplace.”

Jessica Valenzuela conceptualized the GoGoGuest system while using the free wifi at cafes around Europe. What started as a wifi marketing solution has evolved into a more significant consumer connection. The company's capabilities connect the consumer to the restaurant amenities and leverage their information back to the restaurant. Today, GoGoGuest services over 300 customers across the US. Valenzuela joins The Main Course to sit down with Barbara Castiglia on how technology is crucial to harnessing restaurant customer loyalty.

“We still call ourselves a start-up, with twelve people working remotely,” said Valenzuela. GoGoGuest is ideal for restaurants, including full-service, fast-casual, bars, and boutique breweries. It targets restaurants with an in-store presence, online sales, and ordering for pick and delivery.

Hospitality Technology Magazine recognized Valenzuela with the Rising Star honor for Top Women in Restaurant Technology Award winners, chosen by the magazine and members of its Research Advisory Board.

Based in San Francisco, CA, GoGoGuest provides hospitality brands with much-needed help to better understand the data they collect. Their suite of customer intelligence solutions uses AI- and data-driven insights to empower restaurants, coffee shops, and bars of all sizes to increase revenue through personalized cross-channel loyalty management, market basket analysis, and customer analytics.

Food Truck Operator reported that restaurants take back control of customer data after two years of third-party delivery systems. The report parallels hotels facing travel platforms a decade ago. Today, restaurants are demanding more control and transparency from third-party delivery systems.

Valenzuela says, “how we help businesses strengthen their relationships with their customers” is at the heart of GoGoGuest. From customers who are just getting their feet wet with data and online messaging to the tech-savvy restauranteurs. GoGoGuest is ready to push its capabilities further and solve problems beyond the customer journey. They ultimately make it more beneficial for the restaurant, increase profit, and enhance the customer experience.

Americans love breakfast. A recent survey indicated that 62% of Americans chose breakfast as their favorite meal of the day. That sounds like an opportunity. Kirk Ruoff, Founder and CEO of Turning Points Restaurant, thinks so as he embarks on turning his award-winning restaurant into a franchise concept. He spoke with The Main Course about his 24-year journey and why now is the right time to spread good breakfast cheer to others.

When Ruoff purchased Turning Points, it was a failing lunch and dinner establishment. It didn’t take him long to realize the dinner crowd wasn’t cutting it, and he switched to breakfast and lunch. Within three-to-six months, Ruoff had a hit on his hands.

Ruoff said he finds today’s diners are shifting their eating behaviors. They aren’t always having three big meals a day, and they’re choosing breakfast as their big-meal day starter. Often, a hearty breakfast will take folks straight through till dinner. “This concept of having brunch, this meal between breakfast and lunch, is gaining a lot of traction,” Ruoff said.

Even the concept of breakfast is changing. Over the past couple of years, Ruoff’s restaurant began offering vegan choices and other menu items that people might not expect during the traditional bacon, eggs, and pancake hours. It’s about keeping things new and exciting and giving diners a chance to try something they might not be able to make at home easily.

It’s a competitive market, and for any restaurant owner & operator, it’s critical to look for ways, both large and small, to differentiate. Ruoff employs a beverage manager to explore new beverage options, source quality beans for their coffee, and create a fun assortment of drinks for the kids. Creating an experience around breakfast gives a customer a reason to seek out a particular restaurant, and Ruoff now wants to expand his brand beyond the New Jersey region. Turning Points Restaurant currently has 21 locations serving three states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.) Ruoff envisions expansion along the eastern seaboard with franchising the preferred method.

“Looking at our industry, and how restaurant managers and people who run restaurants are treated on a day-in, day-out basis, they typically clock anywhere from 65-80 hours a week,” Ruoff said. “They’re working almost every night. They’re missing valuable with their families.” A breakfast/lunch franchise offers these people an opportunity to succeed while achieving a healthy work/life balance.

Americans love breakfast. A recent survey indicated that 62% of Americans chose breakfast as their favorite meal of the day. That sounds like an opportunity. Kirk Ruoff, Founder and CEO of Turning Points Restaurant, thinks so as he embarks on turning his award-winning restaurant into a franchise concept. He spoke with The Maine Course about his 24-year journey and why now is the right time to spread good breakfast cheer to others.

When Ruoff purchased Turning Points, it was a failing lunch and dinner establishment. It didn’t take him long to realize the dinner crowd wasn’t cutting it, and he switched to breakfast and lunch. Within three-to-six months, Ruoff had a hit on his hands.

Ruoff said he finds today’s diners are shifting their eating behaviors. They aren’t always having three big meals a day, and they’re choosing breakfast as their big-meal day starter. Often, a hearty breakfast will take folks straight through till dinner. “This concept of having brunch, this meal between breakfast and lunch, is gaining a lot of traction,” Ruoff said.

Even the concept of breakfast is changing. Over the past couple of years, Ruoff’s restaurant began offering vegan choices and other menu items that people might not expect during the traditional bacon, eggs, and pancake hours. It’s about keeping things new and exciting and giving diners a chance to try something they might not be able to make at home easily.

It’s a competitive market, and for any restaurant owner & operator, it’s critical to look for ways, both large and small, to differentiate. Ruoff employs a beverage manager to explore new beverage options, source quality beans for their coffee, and create a fun assortment of drinks for the kids. Creating an experience around breakfast gives a customer a reason to seek out a particular restaurant, and Ruoff now wants to expand his brand beyond the New Jersey region. Turning Points Restaurant currently has 21 locations serving three states (New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware.) Ruoff envisions expansion along the eastern seaboard with franchising the preferred method.

“Looking at our industry, and how restaurant managers and people who run restaurants are treated on a day-in, day-out basis, they typically clock anywhere from 65-80 hours a week,” Ruoff said. “They’re working almost every night. They’re missing valuable with their families.” A breakfast/lunch franchise offers these people an opportunity to succeed while achieving a healthy work/life balance.

While technology isn’t new, its addition into the restaurant industry has been slow and hesitant. However, the increasing use of automation is driving changes in the industry. Founder and President of CrunchTime! Bill Bellissimo has recognized the importance of technology for over 25 years. Bellissimo chats with host Barbara Castiglia about technology in the restaurant industry and the increasing use of automation into the future.

Growing up in the restaurant business, Bellissimo knew how difficult the industry is but despite this, he said, “There’s always a calling to come back.”

After expanding his parents' restaurant from a single name to over 40 in the course of ten years, Bellissimo set out to build what he wished he had: a technology platform that utilizes data and computers to provide sales forecast, inventory management, team scheduling, labor law compliance, and procurement.

Bellissimo said that while, “The product is radically different today than it was certainly back then,” CrunchTime “really made sure that every customer mattered.” This paid off and provided them with loyal and steadfast clients as well as a constant feedback loop for CrunchTime! to develop their product.

Bellissimo noted, “The whole technology ecosystem has changed.” But CrunchTime! has been really adaptive through this, “us[ing] data science to automate a lot of these capabilities.”

CrunchTime!’s goal is not to eliminate jobs but to help make sure “people are making informed decisions” and to “let the technology help guide them.”

Castiglia said this, “Enables the people to focus on aspects of the job that they do well.”

The goal, Bellissimo reiterated, is to “empower the people…these automations…let the people that define the brand just be out with the guests, coaching their coworkers…” and not worry about inventory, deliveries etc…

For CrunchTime! automation means easing the burden,“destress[ing] their jobs, let[ing] them do things that are more fulfilling,” said Bellissimo.

Wing It On! is a QSR brand focused on providing chicken lovers with better wings and sandwiches in a takeout and delivery model. Matt Ensero, Wing It On’s CEO, launched his first location in 2011 in Waterbury, CT. Today, Wing it On! is in ten locations with one food truck and nine brick & mortar establishments. Ensero spoke with Barbara Castiglia on his concept of building a better wing.

“When we say building a better wing concept, we mean building a better takeout and delivery wing concept,” Ensero explained. While there are many sports bars and sit-down restaurants with extraordinary wings, Ensero believes there’s an opening in the takeout and delivery market to provide exceptional and authentic Buffalo-style wings.

Ensero’s formula for a successful QSR venture starts with homemade sauces and toppings for all menu items. Next Ensero developed what he calls, a whole bird strategy. Wing It On!’s menu includes items that include breast meat for sandwiches and thighs. Not only does this approach make more use of the bird, but it provides cost savings for the franchise operations.

Wing It On! is not immune to the challenges brought on by the pandemic and some of the supply-chain shortages. Still, Ensero said they moved quickly to identify 5-8 SKUs of a potential need to keep inventory levels stable. As for the other challenge brought on by the pandemic—staffing shortages, Ensero said they’d navigated that situation too.

“We’ve just focused on and doubled down on what we’ve always done, and that’s to hire great people, pay them a fair, livable wage, and make work a fun place to be,” Ensero said.

As Wing It On! Seeks to expand its operations with new food trucks and brick & mortar franchise locations, the recipe for success is to keep the store footprint small to drive high sales per square foot. Finding small area locations is not as easy as before the pandemic because Ensero said everyone these days is looking for a smaller footprint.