The Tech Chef, Restaurant, Hospitality and Hotel Technology Business Podcast

Back with us today is Managing Director of ConStrata Consulting, Mr. Toby Malbec. This episode is dedicated to the two hospitality shows that recently happened, the industry standard, HITEC, brought to you by HFTP, which was held in Toronto and the brand new Hospitality Show put on by AHLA in Las Vegas at the Venetian Hotel. Both of these shows happened at the same exact time, so Toby and I decided to divide and conquer as so many others did as well. Today’s recap will highlight overall arching themes, similarities as well as differences between the two shows. Enjoy!

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Next week I am excited to share the time I had to chat with Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America, best known for their outrageously popular and delicious restaurant, Pepper Lunch. Troy has quite a bit to share with us regarding the growth of the organization including building out a tech stack for an international operation.  How is he going to pull it off? Tune in and find out!

Joining the show today is our special guest, Nabeel, CEO and Co-Founder of Lunchbox. Nabeel was born in Bangladesh, moved to Kuwait 7 years later, and to Queens, New York 7 years after that. Nabeel began his career as the first busboy at the Bareburger flagship store in Astoria, and spent his free time devising marketing objectives for the CEO. In 2019 he founded Lunchbox, a next-gen online ordering company, that was built out of the frustration of trying to build his own digital ordering system at Bareburger. In just a short period, Lunchbox has established itself as the premiere product in the digital ordering space, partnering with industry leaders such as Firehouse Subs, Papa Gino’s, Clean Juice, Wings Over, Bareburger and more.

Today’s show is NOT about Lunchbox. It is about AI and the new, free AI application that can be found online to allow restaurants generate food pictures for their online ordering guests.  We take this much further into the legalities around intellectual properties, regulation and the future of this technology.

We have some fundamental differences of opinion around the IP side of things but, at the end of the day, we are all trying to figure out where this all lands and are in it together.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Busy and crazy times in our industry right now. This also happens to be a very timely subject today, especially around the online ordering and virtual kitchen side of things as we are starting to see a slowdown in online ordering and a significant shakeup in that side of the industry. I would also love to hear your thoughts on where YOU think the digital restaurant is headed. I will be out at the new Hospitality Show in Vegas next week… who is going to be there? Ping me if you are so we can hook up and say “hello.”  Guess who our next guest might be? Let’s just say I will have my portable recording rig with me to capture some amazing guests!

Joining the show today is Aaron Hoffman, Co-Founder & Head of Strategy at DeliverThat - a white label, last-mile delivery platform focused on catering delivery and setup. Aaron and I break down what a successful delivery operation looks like for your business: best practices, process changes, considerations for success and so much more.  We will also dig deeper into the catering side of the restaurant business and how this can be a game changer if you not spending much time and effort to perfect that side of the business.

You will get lots of great juicy nuggets from this show. Bon Appetit!  Oh, and by the way, Alan Hickey…. I hear Aaron is a better golfer than you. Just sayin’,..

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Next week, I have Nabeel from Lunchbox joining us to talk about the new AI Food Generator application they developed, and we go pretty deep into the AI in general.  Nabeel is a well known industry expert that people look up to and it was a privilege to have him join me.  Certainly, an episode you won’t want to miss.

Joining the show today are two individuals who I am sure you have seen all over social media and at conferences if your business is restaurants and technology.  Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland join the show to talk about their new book, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant; The Path to Digital Maturity.” This falls on the heels of the must have book from last year, “Delivering the Digital Restaurant: Your Roadmap to the Future of Food.”

Meredith Sandland is the CEO of Empower Delivery, a software company that enables restaurants to profitably and sustainably serve off-premise demand. Meredith met with every major restaurant company, food-tech company, real estate company, and VC investor who is exploring the online food revolution. In Empower Delivery, she found what she had been looking for: a restaurant tech company built from the ground up to service the on-demand consumer. Prior to Empower Delivery, Sandland created and drove disruptive growth as Chief Development Officer at Taco Bell, America’s largest Mexican-inspired restaurant, and as COO at Kitchen United, a ghost-kitchen start-up that is rolling out nationally.

Carl Orsbourn is a global retail executive and board member whose experience spans blue-chip companies, disruptive start-up ventures, and restaurants. As COO of Juicer, Carl leads business development, partnerships, and operations for this innovative start-up supporting the development of dynamic pricing capability for restaurants. At Kitchen United, Carl established the operating model and led operations & customer success for one of the country’s foremost ghost kitchen providers.

Carl and Meredith serve as advisors and board members at several food-service and tech start-ups. They have been recognized as Power Players by Nations Restaurant News and Business Insider for their thought leadership in supporting restaurants to adapt to the challenges and opportunities offered through digitization, technology, and automation.

Don’t worry, this episode is not just a sales pitch for the book. We dig much deeper in conversation about things like figuring out what “digital” means to the restaurant industry, order throttling, dynamic pricing, converting 3rd party to a 1st party customers, the gig workforce and even talk about the good and evil of AI.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Next week, I have a CIO from a rapidly growing chicken concept that is expanding so fast, it is making my head swim! Think you know who it is? Want to learn how to create a tech stack that can be part of a franchisee-based ecoculture that can handle this level of growth? If you said yes, well, you better tune in next week, same time same place.

I have an unbelievable treat for you today with another industry rockstar; the man, that I have heard many times before, to have the Midas touch because he has the reputation that everything he touches turns to gold.

At this point, you are saying to yourself, “who is this person.” Today, the one and only, Chris Artinian joins us to talk about technology through the years and his personal formula for a successful organization. Chris serves as President & CEO at Condado Tacos and Tequila, an emerging NextGen growth brand that specializes in tacos, margheritas and tequilas, with expansion plans to expand up to 100 company owned and operated restaurants by 2026, as it expands to many new markets.  Chris has over 30 years of restaurant and retail experience, with both private and public companies, and has extensive experience in restaurant and consumer services.  He currently serves on the Board of Directors of Another Broken Egg, Ted’s Cafe Escondido, and Condado Tacos.

Chris joined Condado Tacos to partner with the team in charting the next phase of meteoric growth. He continues to serve as an Operating Director at The Beekman Group, and prior to that lead TooJay’s Gourmet Deli, Bakery & Restaurant, serving as the company’s President and Chief Executive Officer.  Prior to that, he served as President and CEO of Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill, and previously, was President and CEO of Morton’s Steakhouse, the largest fine dining brand in the world. Chris was a success story at Morton’s, starting in a back of the house kitchen position and rising through the ranks to eventually become the CEO of this leading publicly-traded steakhouse.

Throughout his career Mr. Artinian has been recognized for leveraging his deep operational experience in developing winning strategies and exceptional teams. Passionate about the restaurant business, Chris has provided key insight and commentary on the industry to numerous media outlets including CNBC, Fox Business and Bloomberg News, and is a sought-after guest speaker and panelist for industry conferences and events.

If anybody has industry chops, I can think of nobody better to bring on this show. We have some amazing conversation around some of the key elements he looks for and corrects when being involved with a new organization. Obviously, he is usually brought onboard to identify inefficiencies and other operational issues, make course corrections and create a plan to take that company to the next level. A key factor of this, obviously, is based around technology in today’s world. Trust, me, Chris can talk technology and I was fascinated with our engaging conversation. Please sit back, relax and enjoy and make sure you have a pen and paper handy to take some notes. You are about to hear from one of the industry greats.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Next week, you guessed it, we continue to have some more amazing talent on our show. The very well-known Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland come on the show to talk about their new book. Now, it’s not just a sales pitch, there is tons of applicable content that will leave you riveted. Converting 3rd party to a 1st party customer, the gig economy workforce and even talk about the good and evil of AI. I can’t wait to share that discussion with you!

Today, I have another special guest that I recorded while I was at MURTEC recently.  Kevin Seo and I had the opportunity to present a fire chat at the show on the Metaverse 101. I thought it only fair to sit down with him and record, 1-on-1, for all of you, our thoughts on this matter and share it here on this show.

Kevin is truly a superstar in this space. He started in Fortune 500, leading to side hustling through e-commerce and into start-ups, always being the loudest brand voice in the room. Kevin left his corporate, white picket fence dream to chase something bigger than himself. Focusing on community building and innovation, teamed up with a couple of partners to create Bored and Hungry, Food Fighters Universe and Secret Sauce Society.  Kevin is determined to create amazing memories for communities through branded concepts, food experiences and building unforgettable life changing technology.

You will quickly realize why Kevin is the Chief Megaphone and Co-Founder for these companies and why he is always the loudest voice in the room. I love his infectious laugh and I hope you enjoy this time I spend with him.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

Next week is another jam-packed episode with yet another, well respected, industry expert. I will keep it under wraps for now, which means you are going to have to tune in next Tuesday to find out who it is!

Today, as promised, is our 2023 MURTEC recap show. It was a short two weeks ago we were gathered together at the Paris Hotel in Las Vegas right in the middle of one of the best conferences I have been to in a very long time. Anybody who has listened to this show for any length of time knows that a recap show is a must for anybody who did not have a chance to attend OR did not have a chance to see all the sessions. 

Having said that, time is too short on this show to talk about every single fire chat, keynote and breakout session that was available, however, my colleague (Toby Malbec) and I dig into some interesting aspects of the show. Hopefully you will enjoy this quick 30 minute, jam packed episode of all the informative and fun stuff surrounding MURTEC.  I have one more surprise for you related to the show so scroll down to find out what’s coming next week!

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

While at MURTEC , I had the honor to host a kickoff fire chat with Kevin Seo for a session on the metaverse and breaking it down to it’s basics and the power behind the potential of where this technology is headed and, most importantly, how it could potentially impact you in the restaurant and hospitality world. Shortly after the public session, I sat down with Kevin 1-on-1 and we had a discussion around this so that I could bring it to you here on The Tech Chef. Next Tuesday is a MUST HEAR episode!

I have to say, once again, that MURTEC was amazing in many ways. As a matter of fact, I had promised you a Toby and Skip MURTEC recap show, however, we had so many great networking opportunities and vendor discussions that we are still catching up from the show! Having said that, we WILL bring you that re-cap episode but it will have to wait another week. However, I am brining you another special episode today which I also recorded at MURTEC with my good friend, Robert Peterson to talk about some big announcements from the Restaurant Technology Network, especially the results of the KPI workgroup and other groups that Robert is heavily involved with.

Robert Peterson…. Some know him as the Area Vice President for New Business of North America at Oracle Food and Beverage. Others, however, know him as a leader and a superstar of both the RTN and the IFBTA.

Robert Peterson’s fervor for data governance has flourished during his 20 years in the restaurant industry. His career includes technical, sales, and strategic roles at various hospitality technology companies where he developed a deep understanding of the guest experience and its accompanying data flow.

Today his passion to see operators succeed. He is also a contributing member of RTN’s Vendor Advisory Council. Another fact about Mr. Peterson is that he is an 80’s BMX World Champion, he can still be spotted in San Diego with one of his four children showing off on his bicycle. Or experimenting with plant-based recipes at home with his wife, Julie.

Robert is such a dedicated individual and really cares about seeing technology not only progress in our industry but leading and pioneering a whole new era of how we think about the technology and data in the foodservice sector. I had such a good time catching up with Robert at the show… enjoy this chat I had with him while I was there.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

I PROMISE you that Toby Malbec will be on the show with me next Tuesday to give you the recap you thought you were going to hear today. After that, I recorded some more guests that are just as fun.  We have good times ahead and a plethora of amazing thought leaders that will blow you away with what they have to share.

For all of you that saw me speak over the past couple of days, I hope you enjoyed yourselves. You were fun and engaged audiences! Web3 and the metaverse can really stoke different thoughts and emotions in people and I had fun exploring the technology as a whole with you and hearing YOUR thoughts on where this technology is headed. It is still the wild west out there when it comes to these topics, and we have yet to see where it all lands. Hopefully you had some good takeaways and are challenging yourself a little more now that you understand the technologies a little bit better.

So here we all are at MURTEC. Hopefully you are all having a fantastic show and are winning lots of money here at the Paris Hotel in Vegas. The content of this show has been absolutely fantastic thus far and it has been a while since I have seen this many people at one of these shows. This might be the record for attendance to MURTEC!S

Today on The Tech Chef, we will be talking about “Crafting A Digital Palette.”  To talk about how he pulled this off, Scott Lawton the CEO and Co-Founder of bartaco joins the show.  Bartaco is a coastal-inspired restaurant serving fresh, upscale street food in a relaxed environment. Scott has over twenty five years of leadership experience in the hospitality arena, and rejoined bartaco in 2020 under the new private ownership of L Catterton, where he oversees the concept’s overall vision and growth.

That year, Lawton led the rollout of bartaco’s on- demand hospitality dining model, and continues to pave the way for other restaurant leaders looking to create a seamless guest experience. Under his leadership, bartaco was recognized by Hospitality Technology’s MURTEC Breakthrough Awards in 2022 for the restaurant’s signature “on-demand hospitality.”

Prior to becoming CEO of bartaco, Lawton was Chief Operating Officer of Barteca, managing development, day-to-day operations and personnel recruitment. Lawton previously held key leadership roles with Tribeca Grill, Buckhead Life and Big Time Restaurants.

If you have never eaten at bartaco before, do yourself a favor and check them out. Not only is the food amazing but the experience is a real treat as well. Something about being able to control your own experience through the ordering process to the payment at the end of your visit makes it special. Of course, as Scott talked about, hospitality and service is NOT compromised through these digital methods. Technology should never be used to replace hospitality and touch points. Hospitality is such an important part of the value proposition you bring to your guests.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

We have so many awesome guests scheduled to come on the show but there is nobody more awesome than my partner in crime, Mr. Toby Malbec. He is here with me at MURTEC and you know what that means, right? You got it…. Next week will be our obligatory coverage of the show so for those of you who are not able to attend, be on the lookout for that podcast next Tuesday!

Thank you to RTN and HT for making this event one to remember. The connections, relationships and networking were second to none. I always know that when I go to an RTN event, I am going to walk away with good solid takeaways and great new friends.

Tomorrow I am headed back home so, for all of you traveling over the next few days, please travel safe, stay healthy and stay hungry my friends.

The conference season has officially kicked in and I will be seeing many of you this next week.  Starting off on Sunday, I will be speaking at the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York that will be held at the Javits Center. I will be talking about how technology is changing the landscape of restaurants and digging into the world of web3 and how it could change the way you approach the concept of loyalty with your guest. If you are attending this show, I will be speaking at 3pm so make sure you don’t miss it!

Without a moment to spare, I will be uttering my last words as I head out the door to catch a flight to Vegas. There I will see you at MURTEC at the Paris Hotel and be speaking at 1pm on Sunday. It is going to be an awesome Firechat where Kevin Seo, Co-Founder of Bored and Hungry, and I will be doing a session on the metaverse 101. It has evolved so much, just in the past few months, I can’t wait to share our thoughts on where it was and where it is going. A fascinating chat that is a must see and one that people will be talking about the rest of the conference.

Big show today…. Big, big show.  Did I mention this is a big show? He’s been here before and I am honored to have him back.  Celebrity Chef Robert Irvine joins me for a riveting conversation about all the things that are going on in his life. Everything he does touches or contributes in one way or another to the Robert Irvine Foundation whose sole mission is to strengthen the physical and mental well-being of our service members, veterans, first responders and their families.

Of course, we will be talking about his new book, Overcoming Impossible and having some very interesting conversations around his thoughts of how technology is a key element to success. We even go so far to discuss if AI is going to take over the human race…. Is it? Well, you will have to listen to find out. I really enjoy talking to Robert and I hope you also enjoy our chat.

• Website: https://SkipKimpel.com (all archived shows and show notes will be posted here)
• Website: https://ConStrata.io
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/skipkimpel
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/skipkimpel
• Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/skipkimpel1/
• TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/skipkimpel
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/constrata-consulting
• You can also hear all these new episodes on the ConStrata website at ConStrata.io
• Email me at [email protected]

So, New York Food Show, MURTEC, lots of places to meet up and say hello so please do so. I always look forward to hanging out and catching up with all of you. And if you would like to be on this show and are up to something that you think this audience would like to hear, let me know as I will have my recording gear with me during this trip.

Also, for anybody that is interested in the world of Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality and want to learn how this is going to impact the world of hospitality, this would also be a good time to strike up a conversation. I have just started up a brand-new committee for the VR/AR Association and we are looking for like-minded leaders that what to help revolutionize the customer experience. This billion-dollar industry is literally untapped when it comes to the hospitality space.

You know, after MURTEC, that Toby Malbec and I must do our obligatory coverage of the show so for those of you who are not able to attend, be on the lookout for that podcast very soon! Time to prepare, pack and get ready for these upcoming trips. 

So to all of you, I say stay safe, stay healthy and stay hungry my friends.