Technology in restaurants is not about replacing people. It is about removing friction, improving operations, and creating a better experience for both staff and guests.

Javier Correa, CEO of Sombrero Mexican Food, sits down with James Tice to share how a third-generation taco shop has evolved into what he calls the “world’s most high tech taco shop.” He explains how his team evaluates new technology through a simple lens, whether it makes the job easier for staff and improves the guest experience. From rapidly adopting tools during COVID to now refining and optimizing their tech stack, Correa breaks down how operators can avoid chasing trends and instead focus on making technology actually work inside the business. He also shares how AI is opening new opportunities to better understand customers, personalize marketing, and unlock value from the data restaurants already have.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why technology should first remove friction for staff, not just impress customers

- How to evaluate new tools without getting distracted by hype

- Why refining your existing tech stack is more valuable than constantly adding new tools

- How AI can help personalize marketing and improve guest experience

- Why operational discipline determines whether technology actually works

Episode Links

- Sombrero Mexican Food – https://sombreromex.com

- Javier Correa on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/javier-correa-03821932/

Visit TabCommerce.com to see how restaurant-specific cards, built-in controls, and extended terms help operators clean up spend, protect margins, and create space to grow.

A great brand might get people in the door, but structure is what keeps the business growing.

Scott Snyder joins James Tice to break down what it actually takes to turn a strong brand into a scalable franchise system. From rebuilding Badass Coffee of Hawaii after years of stagnation to creating the infrastructure franchisees need to succeed, Snyder explains why growth only happens when brand and operations work together.

He shares how storytelling attracts the right operators, why early franchisees must believe before results show up, and how the shift from passionate individuals to professional multi-unit operators changes a brand. Snyder also dives into what makes a great franchisee, the importance of being a “hometown hero,” and why the best systems create freedom within a framework.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why brand alone is not enough without operational structure

• How storytelling attracts the right franchise partners early on

• What defines a strong franchisee in an emerging brand

• Why “freedom within a framework” drives better execution

• How infrastructure unlocks growth and higher unit economics

• Why the best operators balance hospitality with financial discipline

Episode Links:

Scott Snyder LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/

Badass Coffee of Hawaii: https://badasscoffee.com/

If a guest walks into your restaurant once, that’s marketing. If they come back, that’s everything else.

Pedro Uchoa joins James Tice to break down how Tap is building a Brazilian fast casual brand by focusing on the details most operators overlook. From how teams are trained to how stores feel, sound, and operate day to day, Uchoa explains why consistency in experience is what actually drives repeat business.

He shares how putting staff at the center of the business improves retention and hospitality, why most growth decisions come down to understanding your specific market, and how Tap is adapting between New York and Miami. Uchoa also walks through how data is shaping menu changes, guest feedback loops, and operational discipline as the brand expands.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why repeat customers are built through experience, not just product

- How small operational details impact hospitality and revenue

- Why putting staff first improves retention and guest satisfaction

- How to adapt your concept across different markets

- How data should guide menu and business decisions

- Why growth comes from consistency, not just expansion

Episode Links:

tap: https://www.eattap.co/

Pedro Uchoa LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/uchoapedro

What do the best restaurant finance leaders see in the numbers that others miss?

Domenic Bonacci, Executive Vice President at CLK HR Acquisition, LLC, joins Ty Wilson and James Tice to break down how finance leaders can move beyond reporting numbers and start using data to drive action inside restaurant operations. From analyzing sales trends and labor performance to understanding how culture shows up in the numbers, Bonacci explains how the best operators connect financial insights with what’s actually happening inside their restaurants.

The conversation explores why sales remain the most important metric to track, how AI can help operators reclaim time from administrative tasks, and why strong relationships with general managers are essential when scaling a restaurant brand across multiple locations. Bonacci also shares lessons from his career working across multiple restaurant concepts and why trust and culture ultimately determine operational success.

What You’ll Learn:

• Why sales is still the most important metric when evaluating restaurant performance

• How financial data should lead to operational decisions, not just reporting

• Why AI is helping restaurant leaders spend more time in stores and less time behind desks

• How culture and trust with general managers impact financial performance

• What metrics can reveal about operational problems inside a restaurant

Visit tabcommerce.com to learn how extended terms, higher limits, and smarter controls can power your growth.

Connect With Domenic Bonacci

Domenic Bonacci on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/

If a restaurant wants to grow, the product has to be the same every single time. Different store, different city, same experience.

Donald Clifford joins James Tice to explain why consistency and hospitality sit at the center of every successful restaurant brand. Drawing from decades in the industry, Clifford shares how proprietary manufacturing helps maintain consistent product quality across locations, why guest experience ultimately fills seats, and how great operators win customers one person at a time.

He also breaks down the operational discipline required behind the scenes. From theoretical food cost tracking to training managers to understand the P&L, Clifford explains why restaurants are truly a penny business where small details compound into real profit. The conversation also explores leadership, culture, and why the best operators stay close to the floor, the kitchen, and their teams.

What You’ll Learn:

-Why consistent product quality across locations builds lasting brands

-How hospitality turns first-time guests into repeat customers

-Why restaurants are a penny business and small details matter

-How teaching managers to read the P&L strengthens operations

-Why great restaurant leaders stay boots-on-the-ground

Episode Links:

-Donald Clifford LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/

-Soulshine Pizza: https://soulshinepizza.com/

If you don’t tell your story, someone else will.

Mike Ungaro, CEO and co-owner of San Pedro Fish Market, joins James Tice to explore what it really takes to scale a restaurant brand in today’s environment. From a 70-year family legacy serving millions of guests to building a media company around the business, Ungaro explains why brand is defined by experience, consistency, and storytelling. He shares why hard work alone does not guarantee growth, how controlling your narrative creates competitive advantage, and how viral moments can transform operations overnight. The conversation dives into scaling culture, maintaining quality across locations, and why modern restaurant brands must think like media companies to grow.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why brand is defined by experience and story, not logos or marketing

- How storytelling drives customer demand and long-term revenue growth

- Why working harder does not always lead to scalable results

- How becoming a media company helps control your narrative and attract customers

- The operational challenges of scaling hospitality, culture, and consistency

Episode Links:

• San Pedro Fish Market: https://sanpedrofish.com/
• Fi$H Factor Podcast: youtube.com/channel/UCvDmR88K1Y_qQxeNBvFOBPg/
• Kings of Fish (Amazon Prime Series)
• Mike Ungaro LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikeungaro

If you want consistency at scale, it starts with the smallest details.

Jason Berry, Co-Founder of KNEAD Hospitality + Design, joins James Tice to unpack the operational discipline behind scaling restaurants the right way. From Southern comfort food to steakhouses and French bistros, Berry explains why growth multiplies complexity and why systems must be stronger than ambition. He breaks down how consistency is built through structure, leadership presence, and relentless follow up. Whether it is measuring every pour, executing daily line checks, or fixing a single burned out light bulb, Berry believes excellence is not a moment. It is a habit repeated thousands of times.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why replicating a proven concept is often smarter than launching something new

- How small inconsistencies compound into major cost and quality issues

- Why details like lighting, uniforms, and bar tools shape culture

- How to balance hiring for attitude versus hiring for expertise

- Why growth is essential to retaining top talent

Episode Links:

Jason Berry LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jason-berry/

KNEAD Hospitality + Design: https://kneadhd.com/

If quick service is supposed to be about speed and efficiency, why are people still paying for hospitality?

Garrett Reed, CEO of Layne’s Chicken Fingers, joins James Tice to break down what’s really driving the brand’s explosive 100% year-over-year growth. From expanding beyond Texas for the first time to screening franchisees with extreme discipline, Reed explains why great food is only half the equation. Hospitality is what people are actually buying.

He shares how Layne’s evaluates new markets, why real estate and operations bookend success, and how culture must be intentionally built before growth accelerates..

What You’ll Learn:

- Why hospitality, not food alone, drives repeat business

- How Layne’s screens franchise partners for cultural alignment

- Why real estate and operations determine long-term success

- How investing in corporate support early protects culture at scale

- Why restaurant profitability is a game of pennies, not ego

Episode Links:

Garrett Reed LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/garrett-reed-5a724a152/

Layne’s Chicken Fingers: https://www.layneschickenfingers.com/

How do restaurant brands scale without losing the experience that made them memorable in the first place?

Adam Goldberg joins James Tice to share how Rock & Brews has grown across freestanding locations, casinos, airports, and concessions while protecting food quality, culture, and guest experience. He breaks down why training the trainers matters, why food and people are never negotiable, and how clear standards allow teams to deliver the same experience even as locations and formats change.

Goldberg also walks through how Rock & Brews approaches growth today, using flexible design, remodels, and music-driven environments to create spaces that feel unique without losing the core of the brand. The goal is not uniformity for its own sake, but consistency where it counts and freedom where it adds to the experience.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why training the trainers protects consistency

- Why food quality and people come first

- How experience drives repeat visits

- How flexible design supports growth without becoming generic

Adam Goldberg LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/adam-goldberg-473b6012/

Rock & Brews: Smarter Scheduling Tech

Is consistency the most underrated growth strategy in the restaurant business?

Mehdi Zarhloul, founder and CEO of Crazy Pita, joins James Tice to explain why kindness, consistency, and discipline have been the real growth drivers behind a 20-year restaurant brand. From designing a menu that never changes to embedding “Be Kind” into core operating standards, Zarhloul shares how culture only works when it is connected directly to food, service, and systems.

What You’ll Learn:

- Why kindness must be built into operations, not just values on a wall

- How consistency across food, service, and culture protects brands as they scale

- When technology supports hospitality and when it creates friction

- Why convenience and repeat visits matter more than one-time acquisition

- How Crazy Pita is approaching national expansion while staying disciplined

Visit Tab Commerce to learn how extended terms, higher limits, and smarter spend controls help restaurant operators grow with intention while keeping cash flow tight and predictable.

Mehdi Zarhloul LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mehdi-zarhloul-39625916/

Mehdi Zarhloul Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mehdi.zarhloul/?hl=en

Crazy Pita: https://www.crazypita.com/

Crazy Pita Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eatcrazypita/