Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the Menu
Qu
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Shining a light on the change-minded Restaurant Leaders behind our favorite brands. Get inspired with innovative brand building, guest engagement, and revenue-driving strategies. Join host Jen Kern, long-time CMO, as she dishes with leading restaurant pros who are elevating their game and careers by staying agile in the face of uncertainty to help their brands shine and prosper.
Available episodes
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May 26, 2023
The Path to Digital Maturity
Two-time authors, Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn, join Restaurants Reinvented for the second time!
Hear their predictions about the next big restaurant concept > the digitally native restaurant and key snips from their new book *“The Path to Digital Maturity.”*
Moments to listen for:
* The key phases in the path to digital maturity
* How to better drive first-party data ownership
* The next new concept category to hit restaurants
* SVB's influence on the startup tech scene
* Improving efficiency through AI
* Innovative approaches to off-prem dining through ghost kitchens
Related Episodes:
* Delivering the Digital Restaurant – Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn
* Mastering the Digital Dance – Michael Chachula, CIO, Fat Brands
* AI Inside & Outside the Four Walls – Phil Crawford, CKE
Related Assets:
* 8 Digital Trends Shaping 2023
* The Path to Digital Maturity
Connect with Meredith & Carl on LinkedIn
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May 20, 2023
Bridging Communities: GiftAMeal & The Social Conscious Restaurant
In this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, host Jen Kern from Qu invites Andrew Glantz, the founder of GiftAMeal, and Dan Sokolik, Vice President of Marketing at Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken, to discuss their partnership that aims to fight hunger and support local communities.
GiftAMeal is a mobile app that enables users to provide meals to those in need by simply taking a photo of what they're eating at participating restaurants. The app has already facilitated the donation of 1.3 million meals and continues to expand its reach.
*Moments to Listen for: *
* A unique solution to food insecurity
* The role of technology in GiftAMeal's success
* Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken embraces GiftAMeal
* Building the GiftAMeal advisory board and team
* The benefits and impact of the partnership on Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken > increased loyalty and social media reach.
*Related Episodes: *
* How to Support Restaurant Employees in Need – Sheila Bennett, CORE
* AI Inside & Outside the Four Walls – Phil Crawford, CKE
* Accelerating Digital Transformation – Andy Rebhun, El Pollo Loco
*Related Assets:*
* GiftAMeal
* Lee's Famous Recipe Chicken
Connect with Dan on LinkedIn
Connect with Andrew on LinkedIn
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Mar 21, 2023
AI Inside & Outside the Four Walls - Phil Crawford CTO of CKE Restaurants
Join the man, the myth, the legend - Phil Crawford, CTO of CKE Restaurants, on how he’s using AI to drive better efficiencies for his brand and what he thinks “the store of the future” will operate like.
*Moments to Listen for: *
* Harnessing technology more efficiently to save time (labor efficiency), extract data easier (personalization efficiency), and please guests (revenue efficiency)
* How CKE is using new AI technologies at the drive-thru
* How CKE is using AI on the back end to build proactive algorithms
* Kitchen efficiency and optimization strategies
* The next generation - what they’ll expect
* True contextual personalization
* Two critical components of a healthy franchisor-franchisee relationship
* Giving back through GiftAMeal
* About the Star Wars figurines
*Related Episodes: *
* Savory’s Growth Formula Starts with Data Ownership – Josh Boshard
* The Future of Data Starts Here – Darien Bates
* Here’s What Innovation Looks Like – Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 2 of 3)
*Related Assets:*
* 2023 State of Digital for Enterprise Brands
* GiftAMeal
Connect with Phil on LinkedIn
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Feb 11, 2023
Savory’s Growth Formula Starts with Data Ownership (and it works!) - Josh Boshard COO
Josh Boshard, the COO of Savory, leads the Operations & Technology teams for their 10-brand portfolio. Since their first location in 2008, Josh + Savory have amassed a wealth of best practices that he shares openly in this episode.
*Key Moments to Listen for: *
* A solid foundation of data ownership & APIs
* Integrating systems to drive local store performance
* Partners must share the data
* A/B testing best-of-breed systems
* Growth playbooks, benchmarks, and KPIs
* Restaurants must continually innovate and right now it’s all about AI
* State-of-the-art technology has no value without the right people
* Stick-to-it-iveness makes things happen
* Putting owners’ goals & values first
*Related Episode: *
* The Future of Data Starts Here – Darien Bates
* Burn it Down & Fail Forward Fast – Justin Keenen
* What Does it Mean to Go “Beyond POS” – Amir Hudda
*Connect with Josh on **LinkedIn*
*Learn more about **Savory *
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Jan 21, 2023
The Future of Data Starts Here - Darien Bates, co-founder, Fourtop Solutions
If you’re wondering how to make sense of that ocean of data your restaurant is trying to wrangle, Darien has answers!
Formerly the CTO at &Pizza, Darien’s new company, Fourtop Solutions, is all about helping restaurants organize and activate their data -- while encouraging humans to do the discovery of data and using technology to automate that discovery.
*Top Moments to Listen For: *
* Technology is not a pre-packaged meal, it’s a set of ingredients with overlapping capabilities and core components
* Start by centralizing your data, or you’ll constantly be back-tracking
* Dashboards are where data goes to die - they don’t make good use of data - humans do
* “There are no bad systems, only bad architectures”
* Data is like water and you have an ocean that needs structures and flows
* Let robots be robots (automation) and humans be human (discoverers)
* The value of POS has been largely overlooked; it needs to be a hub to pull in centralized data
* Hart House is using Fourtop Solutions to deploy its employee-first operations
* Technology is not a purpose -- it’s a tool to accomplish something; start with your business objectives and then find the right-fit systems to support that.
* The future of automation and ChatGPT
*Related Episodes: *
* Burn it Down & Fail Forward Fast – Justin Keenen of Hart House
* Mastering the Digital Dance – Michael Chachula, CIO, Fat Brands
* Here’s What Innovation Looks Like – Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu
* Trailblazin’ CTO Completes Full Tech Refresh in Under 1 Year – Dawn Gillis Freebirds World Burrito
*Resources:*
* “Dashboards is where data goes to die” by Darien Bates
Connect with Darien on LinkedIn
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Dec 4, 2022
Mastering the Digital Dance - Michael Chachula, CIO of Fat Brands
The CIO of FAT Brands, Michael Chachula, brings the heat to our CTO Trailblazer series talking about all things technology, customer experience, marketing hacks, and how the restaurant world evolved from a show to a dance post pandemic.
Are you dancing with your customers? Or still operating a static show?
*Hot Takes: *
* *Training your guests on effectively using all the available order channels* is critical to *improving order accuracy *and avoiding defection.
* *5 Components of FAT Brands tech organization - *Technology, Data, Security, Digital, and Tech Ops.
* *Best of Breed, Distilled.* (hint: it's a mutt). Best of Breed is what's best for you.
* *Biggest barriers facing CIO/CTOs - *security, talent pool, supply chain
* *Hottest trends - *metaverse, bitcoin
* *How FAT is building a technology toolbox* that's flexible, future-proof and built on a solid foundation. Bolt-on is now glue-on. It's a living organism.
* *The Vision* (4 things) - Solid Foundation, Flexible Stack, Control of Data, Personalized Experiences.
* *Don't give up your soul to pursue your dreams.* Build a deep, rich network personally and professionally. Keep your people close, have fun at work, and include loved ones in your work travel!
* *Michael's Advice* - Listen and Love <3
*Related Episodes:*
Trailblazin’ CTO Completes Full Tech Refresh in Under 1 Year – Dawn Gillis, Freebirds
Burn it Down & Fail Forward Fast – Justin Keenen, Hart House
Here’s What Innovation Looks Like – Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 2 of 3)
Connect with Michael on LinkedIn
Learn more about FAT Brands
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Oct 22, 2022
Burn it Down and Fail Forward Fast - Justin Keenen CTO Hart House
Justin Keenen, CTO of Kevin Hart's plant-based QSR, Hart House is redefining the role of tech in restaurants with his burn-it-down, fail-forward mentality. Justin's willingness to embrace change in tech and use it to create a remarkable experience establishes him as a titan in the industry.
Find out how Justin built his restaurant tech stack from the ground up to align with the Hart House brand vision.
*Key Moments to Listen For:*
* Don't be afraid to burn it all down and start again. Fail forward.
* It's not legacy's fault that your restaurant tech hasn't been updated in 25 years
* Don't forget what you're running away from
* Tech is no longer optional in restaurants. It's a requirement
* Aligning tech with remarkability
* Best-of-breed vs all in one
* Putting your employees first
*Related Resources*
Here’s What Innovation Looks Like – Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 2 of 3)
Trailblazin’ CTO Completes Full Tech Refresh in Under 1 Year – Dawn Gillis Freebirds World Burrito
Who Comes First: The Employee or Guest? – Lauren Fernandez
Listen Up … (to your employees) – LeBaron Meyers, NotMe Solutions
Making Technology Invisible in the Restaurant – Amir Hudda CEO of Qu (Part 1 of 3)
Connect with Justin on LinkedIn
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Oct 8, 2022
Trailblazin’ CTO Completes Full Tech Refresh in Under 1 Year - Dawn Gillis Freebirds World Burrito
Dawn Gillis, CTO of Freebirds World Burrito, kicks off our new CTO series and we couldn't find a better pioneer in our space.
In true trailblazin' in fashion, she joined the fast-casual concept and took the brand by storm, revamping the entire technology stack - including POS, KDS, Back of House, and Online ordering - in under a year.
Dawn shares all her secrets and strategies for achieving the ambitious technology platform upgrade - as well as the early results she's achieved which are beyond impressive!
*Key Moments to Listen For:*
* The process of replacing 25-year-old architecture and 10-yr old systems with new technology
* Early results from the tech refresh with Qu > 98% decrease in training and labor hours; and 97% reduction in online ordering failures (lost transactions and sales)
* How to align your tech refresh with the brand values
* How to sell your stakeholders on a new tech vision
* The most common barriers faced by restaurant CTOs
* Why MACH matters
* Why being uncomfortable is a Good Thing!
*
Related Episodes:
*Here's What Innovation Looks Like (Part 2 of 3) - Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu
What Does it Mean to Go “Beyond POS” – Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu
Article: POS is Dead, Right?
Connect with Dawn on LinkedIn
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Sep 24, 2022
What Does it Mean to Go "Beyond POS" with Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 3 of 3)
In this 3rd and final part of our mini-series, Amir Hudda, the CEO of Qu discusses the evolution of POS technology in the restaurant industry and what it means to go “Beyond POS.”
Today, it's possible to build a platform from the ground up that will last for the next 20 years. The challenge is eliminating the mindset of fear restaurant operators have toward new technology. Find out how a strong foundation of trust between restaurant operators and tech providers helps restaurants embrace new technology.
*
Key Insights
🎙️Beyond POS is: *Uniforming the guest experience and driving operational efficiency by providing real data value. The data that flows in/from POS is more important than anything else for restaurant operators. Qu's system lets them *make decisions in a quasi-real-time fashion allowing them to serve guests in-store and digitally* in a more meaningful way.*
🎙️Out with the old. *POS companies cannot survive by doing things the old wa*y. *Allowing restaurant brands to be more nimble and efficient in serving guests anytime anywhere and going beyond traditional ways of building technology is critical.
*🎙️A glance back. *As with most companies, navigating the pandemic was difficult for Qu. Amir feels fortunate to have investors who put trust in them to innovate and a team who collectively stepped up to make these technology advancements happen.
“The investment we made in our people and our technology is here to stay and will add value to our brand partners and our customers for a very long time.”
*🎙️Looking forward. *"I'm excited to share everything we've built over the last 2 years. We've talked a lot about things like Notify and Edge Computing but there's a lot more to come and I'm looking forward to educating restaurants not only about what we created by why we created them."
*
Related Resources
*Making Technology Invisible in the Restaurant – Amir Hudda CEO of Qu (part 1)
*
*Connect with Amir on LinkedIn
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Sep 17, 2022
Here’s What Innovation Looks Like - Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 2 of 3)
In this 2nd part of our 3-part mini-series with Amir Hudda, the CEO of Qu, we discuss technology innovations that improve transaction speed, in-store redundancy, and uptime.
We dive into innovation areas like Edge Computing and how it helps reduce data loads (speed) when implemented on modern cloud architecture. We also discuss Voice Ordering and how Qu was "accidentally" led to integrate voice into our mobile reporting App, Notify.
*Bonus content:* Learn how real-time POS data can drive pricing, promotion, and production optimization.
*Key Insights*
*🎙️Removing technology as a burden
*You cannot afford downtime as a restaurant. You need technology with real-time capabilities and no lag times for optimal guest experiences and team member efficiencies.
*🎙️The Definition of Edge Computing
*Edge Computing brings data closer to the point of purchase, with deeper computing power to the store level. Results: Improved speed and redundancy.
*🎙️Experiments with Voice Ordering
*Voice ordering had multiple hops to the cloud and created lags for guests. We needed redundancy and speed. This was the genesis for looking into edge computing.
*🎙️Doubling Down on Innovation During the Pandemic*
While many companies had layoff and less innovation, our investors asked us to innovate in a way that would help the restaurants come out stronger. Edge computing was integrated into our platform during this time.
*Related Resources
*Making Technology Invisible in the Restaurant – Amir Hudda CEO of Qu (part 1)
Notify: App that Saves Franchisees Time & Money
How Edge Computing is Revolutionizing Restaurant Tech
Connect with Amir on LinkedIn
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Sep 10, 2022
Making Technology Invisible in Your Restaurant with Amir Hudda, CEO of Qu (Part 1 of 3)
In this 3-part mini-series, Jen interviews the CEO of Qu, Amir Hudda. We reflect on the past 2 years of sweeping industry changes and how we can collectively innovate to create a more sustainable and profitable future for restaurants.
Technology is just one piece of that puzzle, but a larger one than ever before. Jen and Amir explore the historically tense relationship between restaurants & technology - and how to make it less “friction-filled” - in this short and educational segment.
*Quotable Highlights:*
* Margins, not people, have challenged the industry when it comes to adopting the best foundational technology
* The recent pace of change (and pandemic) forced many large restaurants chains to bolt new technology onto old legacy architectural foundations, creating more friction with operator and guest experiences
* The goal is: How do we make technology invisible in the restaurant?
* Frictionless experiences are not the best goal - LESS FRICTION is the more attainabl…
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Aug 27, 2022
Reinventing BBQ & Busting Vegan Myths – Kerry Fitzmaurice, Founder of Pure Grit BBQ
If you want to hear what it’s like to open a restaurant in 2022 - listen to Kerry Fitzmaurice, Founder of Pure Grit BBQ. She found her Chef on Instagram during the pandemic, started with selling sauces, then did pop-ups, and recently opened her first location in NYC in May.
Not only is she reinventing what BBQ looks and taste like, but she’s on a mission to make it accessible and delicious for anyone - carnivores, omnivores and plant-eaters!
She shares her early journey with us, all the ups and downs, and the happy guest and team moments that make it all worthwhile.
*Show Highlights
*
* Feeling excluded from eating BBQ at SXSW led her to start Pure Grit
* Pure Grit isn’t only for vegans, it’s for anyone that wants a delicious meal
* Discovering her #1 selling item by accident (burning it!)
* The importance of being in the restaurant every day to see what’s happening
* How the NYC Restaurant community has embraced and supported her
* The growing vegan fast-casu…
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Jul 23, 2022
Listen Up … (to your employees) - LeBaron Meyers, NotMe Solutions
Do your employees feel safe speaking up?
It’s time to stop avoiding the topic of workplace harassment and misconduct in restaurants. Abusive environments will not prosper or attract employees. If you really want to improve your culture and employee retention you need to do two critical things:
* Listen to your employees
* Encourage them to speak up when harassment occurs
LeBaron Meyers, President of NotMe Solutions, is on a mission to improve work cultures and environments for employees. Their anonymous reporting app makes employees feel supported and heard.
*Show Highlights:*
* Businesses who put employees first will thrive
* Most workplace harassment issues take 90 days to escalate
* Reporting & addressing issues early de-escalates the problem
* Many people wait too long to speak up or address an issue
* Employee reports give management an opportunity to step-up
* Acknowledge and respect employees who speak up
* Happy employees create happy customers
* NotM…
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Jul 1, 2022
The New Way to Do Employee Training - Rachael Nemeth, Opus
Employee Training has been a big "miss" in the restaurant industry because the tools and techniques for training desk-less workers are dated or have not even existed .
The way we train restaurant employees needs a whole new perspective, approach, and strategy.
Enter Rachael Nemeth, CEO and Co-Founder of Opus. An expert trainer and life-long hospitality worker, Rachel knows what it takes to succeed in developing embraceable training that people actually learn from.
If you're serious about improving employee retention and attracting new employees, training must move to the top of your list!
Highlights from Rachael:
* Employee training is now an operations game, no longer an HR function
* Training must be delivered in small pieces or "micro segments" to increase the uptake (the global attention span is shrinking)
* Access to training has been the biggest problem - access to technology and apps that people want to use
* Training can't be done well in a classroom!
* Don't exp…
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Jun 3, 2022
How to Support Restaurant Employees in Need with Sheila Bennett
The Restaurants Reinvented community is committed to supporting our industry's children and employee by participating in *CORES Summer of Giving campaign**.*
1 in 4 restaurant workers are not able to pay a medical bill over $400
When unexpected medical crises arise, restaurant workers have limited financial options and resources. That’s where CORE -- Children of Restaurant Employees -- comes in.
CORE helps restaurant employees with children by providing financial support, through grants, when they face a medical crisis, death, or natural disaster.
The average CORE grant is $2,400; and 50% of grants go to single working parents.
*Want to get involved? *
* Spread the word on Social Media
* Refer restaurant employees with children in need to apply for a grant
* Share CORE's resources with your community
* Donate today. Every donation counts, regardless of size!
*In this episode, Jen Kern & Sheila Bennett, Executive Director of CORE, explore:*
* The story behind CORE…
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May 20, 2022
How to Prevent Employee Burnout with Milena Regos of Unhustle
Toxic work environments (and burnout) is the #1 reason employees quit their jobs.
Milena Regos is a “burnout expert.” An award winning marketer who had her own burnout experience - that led her to found the “Unhustle” movement.
Restaurant culture has been based on Hustle since the beginning of time.
YET … the majority of restaurant workers are BURNED OUT. Over-stressed. Over-worked. Under-paid. Under-appreciated. Under-rewarded.
Add to that a thinning workforce and severe labor shortages… and we have an industry in peril.
Creating a Healthy Work Culture that Prioritizes Employee Care IS JOB #1!
Things you’ll hear about:
* Nearly 1 million restaurant workers are burned out (80%)
* The definition - and signs of - burnout
* Generational changes in how work is performed
* Why “work-life balance” is a dated, irrelevant term and LifeWorkPlay Design is not.
* The power of building strong relationships and friendships at work.
* The need for Well-being in t…
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Apr 13, 2022
The Straight Talk Employees Want – Newton Hoang, 7 Leaves Cafe
The Great Resignation has turned into the Great Reshuffle and now the “*Great* *Re-Reckoning.”*
We invited *Newton Hoang from 7 Leaves Café* on to talk about the *“Culture of Care”* he’s building and how that fits in with the “Cultural Reckoning” the restaurant industry must address to improve employee retention, hiring, leadership, working conditions and care.
*[Newton defines a Culture of Care]* – it’s one where the company leaders listen to employees, uncover what they want, and then work to deliver the things they’re asking for. And it’s often not monetary!
*[What employees want]* is to understand the business and straight talk about the business. They’ve uncovered that employees have a real *thirst for knowledge and education*, and learning about the business operations.
*[Community involvement and local store marketing] *is an element of the culture of care -
Speaking at local colleges and encouraging leadership and store managers to get involved in t…
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Mar 24, 2022
Who Comes First: The Employee or Guest? - Lauren Fernandez of Full Course
Let’s talk about this folks…. Such an important question to suss out!
How do you prioritize it all and deliver awesome experiences with your brand one person at a time?
Tune in, because Lauren Fernandez delivers the goods. The future of our restaurant industry is bright with Lauren Fernandez at the forefront.
The recent NRN Power List maker answers the pivotal question - *“What comes first, the employee or guest experience?” *
This is EPISODE 5 of our Labor, Culture, and Leadership series. *
In this episode, Jen & Lauren explore:*
• Debunking Myths about the Wage War and War on Talent.
• The all-important definition of Employee Value Proposition and how restaurants have missed the mark in delivering it.
• Why employee training has been a overlooked and undervalued in our industry. There’s a need for more training, especially around the company’s brand, mission, and vision.*
*• Employee Retention issues in the restaurant industry - These problems are due to l…
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Mar 5, 2022
A Labor Equation that Makes Better Dollars & Sense - Jim Taylor of BenchmarkSixty
So far our labor series has touched on the need for emphatic leadership & positive modern company culture in restaurants. However, we have yet to discuss why restaurants ALSO need to modernize how they look at their P&L → ditch looking at labor costs as a percentage of gross sales. Your focus should instead be on *employee productivity*, zoning in on a ratio of *labor costs to guests*, rather than labor costs to sales.
To help us explore the importance of how labor data is viewed in modern restaurant operations, Jim Taylor joins us to continue our all-important conversation about the impact of an employee-first approach.
Jim Taylor is the CEO and Founder of BenchmarkSixty. After 20 years in restaurant operations, Jim is now helping restaurants change the way they look at and manage labor costs in order to protect both people AND profit!
*Moments to Listen For:
*• *Restaurants Only Need 4 Pieces of Data to Measure Success
*It’s high noon for restaurants to fully embrace data as…
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Feb 5, 2022
What's Self-Care Got to Do With It? - Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach
Our Labor Series continues with "The Restaurant Coach" who further validates that the restaurant industry is NOT suffering from a labor crisis, but rather a leadership, culture, and self-care crisis!
We explore these themes with our guest, Donald Burns, who discusses how *self-care and empathetic leadership *are so pivotal to improving restaurant cultures and teams -- one employee at a time.
Donald is an author, speaker, and trusted restaurant expert who has helped countless brands and owners turn around their operations for the better. He has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry as a restaurant owner, consultant, and was even an executive chef for Wolfgang Puck!
*Moments To Listen For:*
• *Outdated management styles no longer work.*
The stick & carrot mindset that many restaurant operators use to lead their team is from the 50s & 60s. It's basic (lazy) and outdated. Now is the time to think outside the box and lead with empathy rather than with punishments & in…
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Jan 8, 2022
We’re In The People Business - Amir Mostafavi of South Block Juice
This week, we continue our discussion on labor with another innovative restaurant leader, the Founder & CEO of her favorite local juice shop in the DC Area, *Amir Mostafavi of **South Block*.
South Block currently has 11 locations, all in the DC Area. Like many fast-food/quick-service brands, South Block was not immune to the COVID pandemic, however, he was able to keep all of his staff employed during the lockdowns.
Amir is THE model business owner for this new restaurant era. Company culture no longer takes a backseat, it must be front of mind for every brand & operator in the industry!
*Moments to Listen For:
*• *Rule #1: Don't be a jerk because your people will quit.
*Amir worked at his first food-service job for ONLY two weeks. His reason for quitting so soon was simple -- his manager was a jerk! Bad managers can easily affect your staff retention, because as Amir puts it, “people don't want to work for jerks”.
• *Rule #2: Put your team in your dream.
*To help create a…
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Dec 9, 2021
Labor Series: Using Technology to Create a Healthier Work Environment - Stacey Sikorski of 7shifts & Niko Papademetriou of Qu
Have you recently visited your favorite coffee shop or fast food joint and it’s taking longer than usual to get your order? Unfortunately, you are not alone.
Across the nation, operators are struggling to staff their restaurants and retain talent for the long term. This can lead to shortened store hours or even restaurants closing their doors altogether.
To solve these dire labor challenges, we believe broad sweeping changes are needed for a stronger future. This episode of Restaurants Reinvented is the start of a new series focused solely on labor and what operators can do to attract and retain employees.
This week, Jen welcomes *Stacey Sikorski*, Mid-Market Key Accounts Executive of *7shifts*, and *Niko Papademetriou*, SVP of Sales & Business Development of *Qu*, to discuss how operators can leverage modern technology solutions to improve working conditions for their team.
*Moments to Listen For:
*• *A job in the restaurant industry is more than just a career stepping stone.…
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Nov 16, 2021
Delivering the Digital Restaurant - Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn of Learn Delivery
Hear what these two digital restaurant savants and best-selling authors, Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn, have to say about the future of the restaurant industry and what possible challenges restaurant operators may face during the digital age.
Our guests had the idea to write their book, *Delivering the Digital Restaurant**, *as they ''want the industry to survive this big omnichannel shift. And to do that, they need some tools and a group discussion to talk about how to navigate this"!
*Moments to Listen For:
*• *The 2 Sides of Algorithmic Growth for Restaurants * - Not only has the digital age introduced new avenues for exponential growth for restaurants such as with ghost kitchens and online ordering, but it will also allow operators to use data and algorithms to optimize their advertising & operations to help grow their brand.
• *Bringing the Restaurant to the People - *The digital restaurant will allow brands to transcend their brick-and-mortar locations, and bring the…
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Nov 5, 2021
How to Get Closer to Your Customer & What Does POS Have to Do with It? - Solomon Choi, CEO & Founder of 16 Handles
Join this modern and savvy restaurateur and marketer, Solomon Choi, as we explore why POS has fallen into the “uncool” category in an industry sprinting to keep up with the digital consumer.
Solomon explains how he got into the “FroYo” business and found himself on point for figuring out the technology as well.
*Moments to Listen For: *
• *Omni-Channel is Not New to Consumers. *The consumer has been omni-channel for many years, it’s just that the hospitality and foodservice industry has been behind and is now starting to play catch up.
• *Legacy POS *- Solomon describes the ah-ha moment when he realized his POS was legacy - they told him it could not integrate with his loyalty provider. That was the point at which he knew he needed better solutions to serve his customers.
• *Weaponizing Data *- He loves to talk about not just accessing data, but then what do you do with it… he likes to weaponize his data to figure out how he can deliver above and beyond for his c…
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Oct 22, 2021
How to Balance Data & Ideation - Alice Crowder, CMO of Krystal Restaurants
For this 40th episode of Restaurants Reinvented, we're hosting the new CMO at Krystal Restaurants, Alice Crowder. Alice has a very distinct and innovative way of testing "new ideas" and it comes down to a detailed process hinging on research and data -- while still leaving tons of room for creativity.
*Show Highlights:
*• *Balancing Data and the Creative Process
*Alice's approach to marketing is a marriage of instinct & innovation supported by a process infrastructure. Hear how she and her team use data from focus groups & market research to iteratively whittle down from 100 ideas to a select few every six weeks.
• *Modernizing the Guest Experience
*In her first six months as CMO, Alice has spearheaded the launch of Krystal's first mobile app & retooled their website to facilitate loyalty, online ordering, and delivery for their guests. Guests can now meaningfully interact with Krystal like never before; via college athlete ambassadors & influencers on social media. *Early Result…
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Oct 7, 2021
Back in Person at FSTEC (Live!) - Marcus Viscidi of Winsight Media & Zack Oates of Ovation
Join us as we celebrate getting back to the first in-person conference in *18 LONG months. *This week's episode is with Marcus Viscidi (Winsight Media) & Zack Oates (Ovation), as they reflect on the sweeping changes and impacts to the hospitality industry and how that made this first live event even more meaningful.
*Marcus*, a hospitality expert and leading Winsight Media spokesperson, has his finger on the pulse of all the hot topics in restaurants today. He emphasized the true heart and soul of the industry -- SERVING OTHERS and discussed ways we can all do a better job of that.
He believes that restaurant operators are more forward-thinking today and that it has carried over to all aspects of the business. "We all have an eye on the future now ... How can we look ahead? What are the blindspots?" This is what Winsight is prioritizing across all its event content, from FSTEC to RLC.
*"I think we're going to see fewer events in the future, but the ones that do happen will be that m…
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Sep 24, 2021
Let's Think Outside the Bun, with Greg Creed - former CEO & CMO of Yum! Brands
Hear from The Godfather of restaurant marketing himself, Greg Creed, former CEO at Yum! Brands and CEO/CMO of Taco Bell where he spearheaded the famous “Think Outside the Bun” campaign. Another small feather in his cap…. Running the Dove brand for Unilever.
Most recently he’s co-authored a book with Ken Muench called *R.E.D. Marketing: The Three Ingredients of Leading Brands** *- *Relevance, Ease, and Distinctiveness.*
Greg is chock full of marketing wisdom and experience, and has the street cred to prove it - during his tenure as CEO at Yum! Brands the company saw tremendous sales and profit growth. He boasts an unconventional but refreshing leadership style that starts with *people, brands, and cultural relevance. *
All at once, Greg is relatable, down-to-earth, humble, self-deprecating, and brilliant. He cites his greatest achievement as building a culture where people felt valued, empowered, and courageous. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did!
*Some of Greg…
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Aug 24, 2021
Here’s How She Does It (One Sweet Episode) - Betsy Hamm, CEO of Duck Donuts
Today's female CEO super-star, Betsy Hamm, joins Restaurants Reinvented to talk about franchise marketing, branding, community involvement, empathetic leadership, & so much more!
Betsy is the new CEO of Duck Donuts, a successful donut shop franchise with 100+ stores worldwide. She entered the restaurant industry after working at Hershey Foods for 14 years. After that, Betsy started the formal marketing function at Duck Donuts, moved into operations, and is now the chief executive officer. From the time she joined the company five years ago, Duck Donuts has achieved 5x growth and continues to expand across the globe.
We're so excited to have a smart, strong, and courageous female marketer turned CEO on our show today!
*Show Highlights
*• *The beauty of a franchisee brand
*Betsy & Duck Donuts stresses the importance of community involvement and their franchisees excel at being extending the brand locally, anything from donating donuts to schools to dropping some off at the local fir…
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Aug 24, 2021
Making Tech + Food Work Together for Good - Peter Wiley, Co-Founder & CMO at Rapid Fired Pizza & Hot Head Burritos
This episode is a continuation of our interview with Peter Wiley, co-founder of two fast-casual chains and a technology superstar. We drill into today’s reality of technology in restaurants - Peter provides a great modern, fresh example of how busy operators can integrate fast, scalable tech into their daily operations to streamline both internal and external processes.
If you haven’t checked out the first episode, we suggest you listen to it as a warm-up for this one. Peter is currently the Co-Founder and Head of Marketing for Rapid Fired Pizza and Hot Head Burritos. He and his brother are definitely pushing the boundaries of technology in the restaurant world. Can you say “cryptocurrency”?!
*Key Insights
*• *Leveraging technology to improve employee productivity and engagement.
*Technology has become a major part of the restaurant industry during the past few years. As an experienced tech guy and huge innovator, Peter explains what technology represents for him. Above all…
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Jul 31, 2021
Mastering the Balance at P.F. Chang's —Tana Davila, CMO
Creating new in-restaurant dining experiences and balancing those with growing to-go-only concepts are the meat of this episode.
What is the secret of a successful restaurant chain? According to Tana Davila, the CMO at P.F. Chang's, it is about *brand distinctiveness*, *unique technology approaches*, and *being able to adapt quickly and creatively in a pandemic.*
Tana and her creative team of 30 people have reinvented P.F. Chang's due to a pandemic. They focused on To-Go concepts, delivery, e-commerce, creating a safe and effective restaurant space that customers would love to visit. And the fact that P.F. Chang's exists in 300 locations inside and outside the US proves its tremendous success and the ability to adapt under trying circumstances.
*Key Insights & Quotes*
• *A brand has to be highly differentiated to succeed.*
Hear from Tana about how embracing innovation can benefit a brand by providing unique guest experiences that can differentiate you from the myriad of competito…
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Jul 15, 2021
One Lean Mean Restaurant Machine - Peter Wiley, Co-Founder & CMO at Rapid Fired Pizza & Hot Head Burritos
Fasten your seat belts and get ready to hear from one of the Fast Casual industry's most innovative and cool restauranteurs -- Peter Wiley, the Co-Founder at Rapid Fired Pizza & Hot Head Burritos -- and super-human Qu account rep, Sean Brennan.
These two guys are driving the restaurant tech industry forward with new ways of embracing technology, modern processes, and restaurant trends - like cryptocurrency, just to name one.
*Key Insights & Quotes
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• *POS built from the cloud down versus from the POS up to the cloud. *Hear from Peter the big difference with modern tech built *first* from the cloud, and connected to all the other systems, like POS. *
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• *As new technologies emerge on the market, restaurants need to keep up.
*According to Peter, technology is no longer just a piece of your business or something you have to deal with. It is an integral part of running a restaurant nowadays, from the marketing all the way to the ops.
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*• *Modern & agile software reduces friction…
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Jun 11, 2021
Invest in Relationships - Paul Macaluso, President & CEO of Another Broken Egg Cafe
Paul Macaluso, President and CEO of Another Broken Egg Cafe, talks about the importance of investing in your staff, as taking care of your employees' career growth can lead to better relationships, business, and brand results. Paul also talks about the changes he’s seen across the restaurant landscape, namely the growth of digital media and the importance of technology in current restaurants.
Key Takeaways & Quotes
• *Implementing & scaling off-prem from 0 to 15% of business
*''We started promoting off-premise third-party delivery and our online ordering platforms. Now it's a significant part of our business, over 15% of our business. It carried us through the pandemic. We were able to keep things going, provide jobs for people, and keep the brand growing. That is now a big part of our business, and something that I think will be for a long time...
• *Invest in careers for your people
*Paul believes business growth depends on an organization's willingness to focus on its emplo…
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May 28, 2021
Refresh Your Brand (Now!) - Lidija Davidson of Sift, Cipher & Bloom
Meet Lidija Davidson, brand expert extraordinaire and restaurant innovator. This episode is all about the Power of Brand. If you haven’t thought about your brand in a while - start now.
The post-pandemic world is rife with opportunities to engage guests and grow your business to a whole new and different level. Communicating a relatable, relevant (and fun) brand to your employees, guests, franchisees, and partners is paramount to building that success in 2021.
As a passionate restaurateur, marketer, and innovator - Lidija discusses the most important and powerful components of brand refreshes - from concise messaging, purpose and positioning to personas, culture, training, and helping employees embody your brand’s mission and vision.
Plus, tips for bringing it all to life through packaging, ordering channels, digital properties, and wherever guests get your food.
Marketers and Owners... don’t miss this episode and all the valuable reminders and resources for crafting an aweso…
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Apr 24, 2021
Dickey's CEO on Spicy Performance, New Menu Items, and Female Leadership - Laura Rea Dickey, CEO of Dickey's Barbecue Pit
Meet the fearless female leader behind the smokin’ barbecue pit at Dickey’s!
After joining Dickey’s during the 2008 recession, to CIO and then CEO, Laura Rae Dickey shares how the technology infrastructure they built 10 years ago served to fortify the brand during the 2020 pandemic. The evidence is clear - they’ve had 11 straight months of sales growth and continue opening new locations every month.
Now celebrating their 80th anniversary, Laura and Jen dish on all things restaurants reinvented: from new menu items and virtual brands to new partnerships and marketing strategies PLUS (Bonus Content on perspectives about Female Leadership in a very traditional industry. You won’t want to miss Laura’s advice and both ladies’ book recommendations!
*HIGHLIGHTS: *
* 80th Anniversary - Dickey’s celebrating its 80th anniversary this year. The original location is the oldest, longest-running restaurant in Dallas. “That pit has been smokin’ since 1941”
* The intersec…
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Apr 16, 2021
The Sweet Spot Between Marketing & Operations - Heather Leed Neary, KBP Investments
Season 2 kicks off with a fierce female leader in honor of Women's History Month!
Join the former President of Auntie Anne's, Heather Leed Neary, on her new adventure as the EVP and General Manager at KBP Investments. KBP is a leading restaurant franchise group that operates many worldwide restaurants, including KFC and Taco Bell. Heather is overseeing the Taco Bell portfolio -- KBP Bells.
After serving as the President of Auntie Anne’s for five years, Heather decided it was time for a new challenge. Hear how she moved on gracefully, taking time for herself, before KBP created a new role for her at the company.
*Episode Highlights*
* *Opening Lobbies & the Importance of the In-Store Experience - *The Taco Bell lobbies were closed for the past year and one of the first things Heather tackled is opening up lobbies again.* *And guests are more than ready! “Bringing back those small nuggets of joy, I think are really important.”
* *The dynamic between the marketers and the op…
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Feb 20, 2021
Redefining Loyalty: From Points & Discounts to Understanding Your Customer - Diane Le and Olga Lopategui
Two top loyalty experts : Diane Le (Punchh) and Olga Lopategui (OLLO Consult) discuss how to build more meaningful relationships with your guests + all the fundamentals of a “modern day restaurant loyalty program.”
*Key Takeaways: *
* It all starts with the customer experience and 1:1 relationships. (Move from a transactional to relational mindset)
* How to use Data & Segmentation for Smart Marketing.
* What Can Ruin Your Loyalty Program? Lack of alignment b/t Marketing & Ops!
* The most important loyalty program metrics >> Participation rate, Visits, and Spend Lift.
* The 3 loyalty team members you need to successfully execute.
* The future is all about AI & Machine Learning.
* Bonus content on dispelling the myth of work-life balance in the pandemic and how these new moms stay positive and on top of their game. (hint: their partners)
Top Quotes:
“...a good metric, if you're starting off, is to aim for 10% participation rate. So one in every 10 people who walks…
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Feb 12, 2021
Outperforming the QSR Category with Clarity & Focus - Barry Westrum, Taco John's (Taco Series #5)
It’s often said that the brightest times follow the darkest times. We see this is indeed the case for Taco John’s and its fearless Marketing leader, Barry Westrum.
On this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, we take our Taco Series to new heights (and add a side of Potato Olés®) with 4-time CMO, Barry Westrum who’s turning up the heat for the Midwestern taco darling Taco John's, which operates nearly 400 restaurants in 23 states.
Hear how the chaos of COVID and a brand in flux became the positive instigator for growth that Taco John’s needed to inject new life into the 50-year old brand.
Barry relies heavily on clarity and focuses to guide all his marketing programs, and he stepped into the “big mess” in April 2020 with an immediate focus on optimizing drive-thrus to be more efficient and speedy. As a result, the chain has outperformed other QSR category leaders —with four points of same-store sales growth over pre-pandemic numbers.
“Everybody uses the word, but i…
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Jan 21, 2021
Performance Marketing from a Pro - Brandon Rhoten, CMO Potbelly
A self-taught digital marketing expert from his early days of crafting social for Wendy’s; to converting Papa John’s to a digital focus - Brandon Rhoten specializes in turnaround brands.
After spending nearly seven years leading marketing initiatives for the two brands, Brandon has developed a strong understanding of what makes a successful restaurant marketer — which he brings to Potbelly Sandwich Works as its Chief Marketing Officer.
On this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, host Jen Kern interviews Brandon about how his marketing approach revolves around brand positioning with a unique voice and performance marketing.
“You’ve got to get noticed. … You’ve got to do work that gets noticed and is interesting and is going to connect with the consumer.”
Brandon also shares his potentially surprising distaste for LTOs and discusses the type of data marketers should focus on to determine if their approach is working.
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Jan 15, 2021
How Chipotle Entices Digital Consumers - Jonathon Relkin, Chipotle (Taco Series #4)
Hear what baseball, authenticity, and America’s farmers have to do with Chipotle’s continued off-prem (r)evolution, starring Jonathon Relkin, Director of Digital & Off-Premises at Chipotle.
On this episode of Restaurant Reinvented, hostess Jen Kern dives into Jonathon’s impressive eComm background with brands like Vans, Mattel, and Reebok to discover which B2C best practices translate to the restaurant industry’s rapid digital transformation.
Learn tips on how to entice consumer purchasing at each step of the off-prem journey, including:
* Dressing your digital storefront with the best assets
* Getting vital guest feedback post-sale
* Building successful relationships across the value chain
* The metrics that matter to Chipotle’s digital team
* How Chipotle is committed to saving America’s farmers
* What’s up next for digital innovation and new menu items
Jen also talks with Jonathon about authenticity, staying true to the brand's mission, and creating an…
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Dec 19, 2020
The Marketing & Operations Dream Team at Dog Haus with CJ Ramirez and Raz Mahrouk
Hear how Dog Haus has managed to increase sales and revenue during a pandemic year through a tightly aligned, symbiotic partnership between Marketing & Operations.
Dubbed *"Markerations", *CJ Ramirez (CMO) and Raz Mahrouk (VP of Ops) of Dog Haus join Jen Kern and take listeners on a virtual journey into the inner-workings of the company's unique workplace and service culture.
The love is real! And it shows, not just on the inside but all the way to how food is prepared, partners are treated, and guests are cherished.
Top Takeaways:
* *More brands from one kitchen - *Dog Haus has been able to create, test, and launch 4-5 virtual brands out of one existing kitchen, repurposing their menu items and using delivery-only services.
* *YoY Sales Growth *- has increased, due to their adaptability and resourcefulness (not waiting to be perfect); plus extending (vs. shortening) operating hours during the pandemic.
* *Markerations = Marketing + Operations* is ONE team, vs. two. They meet…
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Dec 15, 2020
Giving Your Franchisees Lotsa Love - Scott Greenberg
Scott Greenberg, franchisee expert, author, and speaker talks with Jenifer Kern, CMO at Qu and host of the Restaurants Reinvented podcast about his new book, The Wealthy Franchisee: Game-Changing Steps to Becoming a Thriving Franchisee Superstar.
Scott provides insights into the challenges franchisees face and what those mean for marketers. His perspective will help you get inside the mind and psyche of franchisees - what motivates them, how they view marketing, and what they expect from their franchisors and corporate marketing teams.
He’s also passionate about customer experience and customer service as a critical marketing tool -- and it shows. Scott examines the emotional aspect of the customer experience and the joint responsibility of marketers & franchisee’s to communicate effectively, persuade, and work together to improve the experience while maximizing ROI.
*Where to Find Scott:* LinkedIn
*Company:* The NEXT-LEVEL Business
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Dec 4, 2020
Rev Up Your Sales: How to Attract & Retain Digital Customers - Rev Ciancio
Rev Ciancio, a digital hospitality and customer marketing expert, covers the crucial components of the customer journey/sales funnel and how to drive more frequency, revenue, and retention.
Passionate about “awareness, acquisition & retention marketing” -- Rev and Jen explore the increasingly important concepts of Revenue Marketing, the Sales Funnel & Customer Journey, Search Optimization, Digital Table Touches & Guest Feedback.
Key Takeaways:
* Reverse Engineer the Funnel: Top of the Funnel (TOFU) awareness marketing does not drive revenue, according to Rev. Restaurant marketers need to start at the Bottom of the Funnel (BOFU) to understand what’s converting customers.
* SEO & Search Optimization - brands need to own Search with unbranded keywords relevant to their menu and products. (2 out of 3 searches are unbranded).
* Single Menu Management drives improved efficiencies for managing SEO and Search.
* Digital Table Touches - are key to retaining customers and gettin…
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Nov 27, 2020
Shifting From Dine-In to Drive-Thru Experiences - Jodie Conrad, CMO of Fazoli’s
On this episode, Jodie Conrad, CMO talks candidly about how she's boosted the chain’s off-premise dining initiatives in the midst of the pandemic — and how *Speed, Value, and Cleanliness* have saved the day for the brand. In 2020 overall they are up 7% over 2020 sales!
With experience working at Wendy, Coca-Cola, Rax Roast Beef Restaurants, and The Pillsbury Company, Jodie is well positioned to help the brand thrive in difficult times.
*Episode Highlights:*
*Off-Prem Focus:* Drive-Thru optimization (with free breadsticks!), building an online ordering system, mobile app, loyalty program and partnerships with delivery platforms.
*Largest Traffic Source:* Drive-thru has been their workhorse and Jodie's doing creative things to optimize it further for guest experiences and revenue. The results are clear as they're experiencing 7% growth over 2020.
*Unique Brand Niche: *Fazoli's is a hybrid fast-casual/QSR serving hearty Italian meals at a very value-driven price point; and fast -…
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Nov 20, 2020
It's a Damn Good Episode - Scott Hudler, Torchy’s Tacos (Taco Series #3)
On this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Scott Hudler of Torchy's Tacos dives into how he's growing the brand—embracing the “damn good” promise across the product, customer experience, and marketing—and by creating a new category called “Craft Casual” for the unique concept.
Torchy's just announced new investors and plans to double growth by 2024. No doubt that Scott will get them there.
*Top Takeaways:*
1 - *Executing on* *the* *Brand Promise: *Be Damn Good at Everything, from the food to the customer experience, marketing, and community involvement. Rather than focusing on fast food, Torchy's focuses on "Craft Casual."
2 - *Smart Pandemic Strategies:* They created popular “Margarita Packs” to-go, rolled out curbside and formed a coalition of restaurants in Austin dubbed “Come and Take Out,” helping many local restaurants stay open during the difficult time.
3 - *Continually Improving the Experience: *To provide a “damn good experience” Scott is looking…
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Nov 13, 2020
Direct-to-Consumer Marketing Strategies: The New Frontier - Kelly Parriott of Flight and Flute
We need to get beyond "coupon crack" as Kelly calls it, and move to a Direct-to-Consumer (DTC) mindset in restaurant marketing.
On this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Kelly explains the most effective way marketers can collect useful data, how to sell directly to your consumers, the true meaning of loyalty, and more tips for meeting consumers where they are today.
*Top Takeaways: *
* *Test & Learn -* now is the best time for marketers to test and learn from customers. Customers are more forgiving right now.
* *Get Inside the 4 Walls *- marketers must go onsite to see what's happening in their local markets.
* *Recent Stats: *50% of guests have returned to on-prem visits; and weekday spikes way outperform weekends in the pandemic.
* *Lack of Trust in Data *- why some CMOs and CEOs don't trust data, esp mobile attribution data, and how to validate that.
* *The Psychology of TikTok* - we break it down and talk about recent viral campaigns.
"My hope is that restaurant own…
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Oct 29, 2020
One Juicy Recipe for Turnaround Brand Success - Alan Magee, Church’s Chicken
Alan Magee loves working with turnaround brands, guiding them through digital transformation and paving the way for stronger growth and customer experiences.
“It’s a tough balancing act” he says. Digital is supposed to make things so much easier but that’s not always the case. Alan is in Year 3 of his implementing a turnaround strategy for Church’s Chicken, a global chicken-lovers brand.
He advocates for engaging smart digital people to manage and optimize the technology -- you can’t set it and forget it -- and to help with the change management process involved with new tech adoption.
Highlights from this episode include:
* *Avoid being “data rich & insights poor” *- Alan believes having 40% of truthful, real-time data is better than 30-day old data. More on our data discussion here.
* *How to fend off dissatisfiers* in an increasingly complex omni-channel world. Tech can only do so much to solve it. It’s about the people.
* *Simplification and Storytelling…
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Oct 23, 2020
The Real Scoop on Data, Personalization & Taking Your Seat at the Table - Erin Levzow, Del Taco (Taco Series #2)
Del Taco created a new position for Erin Levzow: VP of Marketing Technology, and you’ll hear why on this episode. Erin’s fresh perspective includes challenging the status quo when it comes to everything from big data, RFPs, and personalization to loyalty and the real meaning of “no.”
An early digital marketing native, this tech-minded marketing executive brings years of experience in hotels -- and for leading restaurant brands like Wingstop and Freebirds -- to Del Taco where she’s focused on building a strong foundation for future growth and scale.
Highlights include:
* Erin’s refreshing and realistic expectations about restaurant technology, data, and digital maturity
* Building a strong foundation and tying together your data
* Her take on the future of loyalty & CRM, personalization and micro-segmentation
* Her approach to “always learning” in an ever changing digital world
* How she stays hyper-focused on the consumer
* “No” means she needs to fin…
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Oct 15, 2020
Staying Relevant with The Guest - Laura Purser, Fuzzy’s Taco Shop (Taco Series #1)
The First Episode in our Taco Series!
Meet Laura Purser, the VP of Marketing behind the rapidly growing and super-fun Fuzzy’s Taco brand. Laura talks about all the ways the brand has pushed through the pandemic to overcome common off-prem obstacles, while opening 4 new locations and always seeking to stay relevant with the guest.
The vibe is real and fun inside a Fuzzy’s Taco Shop and Laura talks about how her biggest challenge now is delivering that same vibe home with the food. With 40% take-away and 60% dine-in, she expects the off-prem surge to continue and discusses how her brand is embracing technology and data to better serve guests.
*Biggest takeaways : *
* The value of being a* “Value” brand*. Value is King in a pandemic.
* How Fuzzy’s is evolving and *maturing its curbside *and take-out programs.
* Using *data to better understand guests*; and prioritizing digital + technology.
* Putting* franchisees first *and engaging communities with local store marke…
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Oct 8, 2020
3 Secrets to Comp Sales Growth Success (in a Pandemic) - Justin McCoy, Cousins Subs
From entry-level to executive status, Justin McCoy has been at Cousins for over 14 years. And that long-term tenure and consistency has helped the brand fare better than most during the pandemic.
Several years ago Justin, VP of Marketing, and his executive team prioritized technology investments and contactless ordering solutions (delivery, online ordering, loyalty, drive-thru). That combined with his team’s keen data-driven focus and media chops landed Cousins Subs back on plan in early June.
In this episode, Jen talks to Justin about the evolving Wisconsin-based brand menu and the three key strategies—beyond early tech investments—that set the brand apart from the start of the pandemic:
* Partnering with finance teams internally to project best, worst, and mid-case scenarios
* Embracing media and PR, flooding airwaves with info about where/how to order food.
* Deploying transparent communications daily, from one source, their President.
Hear more about how Justin stay…
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Oct 1, 2020
Accelerating Digital Transformation - Andy Rebhun, El Pollo Loco
He’s got red-hot Digital DNA and he’s bringing it to El Pollo Loco (EPL). Meet Andy Rebhun, the digital leader behind this growing brand.
Get a glimpse into how EPL is transforming on all digital fronts—from its differentiated loyalty and offers programs to data-driven personalized marketing, super fast curb-side rollout in under 6 weeks.
Ever heard of the Digital Flywheel? Find out what that means to EPL.
Andy got his start in the industry by earning his first MBA at Chipotle *(Master Burrito Ambassador!) *and then moved on to Kellogg’s School of Management for his second MBA. *
*He cut his teeth in digital marketing at Ford and was one of the first hires on McDonald’s USA digital team. Now, at El Pollo Loco, he's setting the bar high for digital-first leadership and transformation.
Beyond his impressive resume, Andy is truly a passionate, visionary and humble leader working at a company that shares those same values.
“Remember, a brand doesn’t define you, Bosses d…
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Sep 25, 2020
Restaurant & Kitchen Tech, Simplified - Cody Jones, Qu
Dive deep into the brain of one the industry’s leading tech wizards, Cody Jones, sr. product manager and tech mastermind at Qu.
Learn everything you need to know about the ghost & host kitchen phenomenon, how to simplify enterprise technology, and how modern tech can power stronger marketing.
Cody has taken Qu’s POS one step further, into the kitchen, as the wizard behind our new product, KitchenUP.
“Nobody wants 10 tablets, operators need more simple and resilient approaches.”
Cody is all for operators getting new concepts spun up faster, and with a shorter learning curve. Thus, he advocates for a one tablet and one menu approach.
From the benefits of new tech models to the future of co-bots & robots, Cody covers all the bases -- while advocating for the unbreakable bond between marketing & tech throughout the food experience.
*Resources Quoted: *
* *Miso Robotics** *
* *Spyce Kitchens** *
* *ELO touch-less kiosk** *
* *Host Kitchens, by **Franklin Junction*
*…
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Sep 18, 2020
Thinking Outside the Physical Box - Angela Diffly of RTN
Meet Angela Diffly, co-founder of the Restaurant Technology Network (RTN), the leading industry think-tank and peer share organization that’s pushing the industry forward—while bringing us all together—with technology standards and virtual workgroups.
In this episode, Angela and Jen dish about the explosion of RTN membership, the fusion of marketing and technology, the fate of the industry and what hope she sees in the future.
She cites many recent examples from brands that are leading the way in tech + marketing—who all pivoted quickly—and encourages marketers to embrace new technologies that spark creativity. Look at these campaigns and get inspiration for your own: Burger King TikTok Dance competition; It’s Just Wings virtual concept by Brinker, Chipotelanes; Dominos drone testing; Torchy’s Tacos Cinco De Maio campaign, Taco Bell’s trucker drive-thrus, The McMuffin RIP headstone and many others.
“It's important for technologists to work with marketers and vice v…
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Sep 11, 2020
Paying It Forward During a Pandemic - Jodi Boyce, Teriyaki Madness
Jodi Boyce joined Teriyaki Madness 4 years ago as the EVP of Marketing. Since then, this irreverent and fun brand has experienced *3x growth* and is still opening new locations through the pandemic.
Hear Jodi's secrets to success - from simplicity, value, and menu innovation to technology upgrades, data collection, and thriving on a limited budget. But paramount to her success is her sharp focus on "getting more bowls in people's hands" and driving franchisee profitability.
Jodi also shares how the brand's “Pay it Forward” promotion fed more than 6,000 healthcare workers and first responders while also reviving business.
Episode Highlights:
* Jodi's journey from behind the wheel of the Oscar Mayer Wienermobile to marketing positions for brands such as Quiznos, Einstein Bros. Bagels and Smashburger.
* How to be a *successful marketer with a limited budget *and why your preexisting tools can be just as effective as fancy new ones.
* Their *Pay it Forward campaign* in May an…
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Sep 5, 2020
The Real Way to Build Brand Loyalty - Andy Hooper, President of &Pizza
Andy Hooper, the President of &Pizza, talks about all the unique ways this iconic and beloved DC-based pizza brand builds *loyalty & trust with their tribes, communities, and customers*. Andy also talks about how they're accelerating their growth plans during the pandemic and doubling-down on digital.
As one of the first all-in restaurants to stand up text messaging, their "do the right thing" people-first philosophy is paying dividends, as evidenced by *600% increase in digital sales* for some of their suburban pizza shops during the pandemic.
From promotions like Hero Pies to chanting for Bryce Harper to strike out - this is one brand going way above and beyond and “doing well by doing good.”
Key Status & Quotes:
* *All-In on Texting*: "During COVID our run rate for the number of text conversations has quintupled; and the number of new registered users coming into the top of the funnel has tripled versus the run rate pre-COVID."
* *Small But Mighty*: “We have about thre…
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Aug 28, 2020
An Unconventional Marketer Brings the Freshest Brand Perspective - Brian Hipsher, BIBIBOP and Charleys
For Brian Hipsher, being a “marketing outsider” served as an advantage. When he first started in the restaurant industry, his curiosity didn’t only help him get the job done — it helped him land the job in the first place.
“That's probably why I sounded so different because I didn't know, and I asked lots of questions. I was really curious and I knew I could figure things out if given the opportunity. I think I approached the business differently as a result of that,” says Brian, VP of Marketing for restaurant brands BIBIBOP and Charleys Philly Steaks.
In this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Brian talks about building two very different brands — BIBIBOP, a fast casual Asian cuisine brand, and Charleys, a cheese-steak chain with almost 600 locations in 17 countries.
He also discusses forging ahead with new, customer-centric innovative campaigns, how marketing has changed since the pandemic, the 4 P’s (now 5 P’s) of marketing, and how he addresses marketing cha…
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Aug 21, 2020
Dunkin’ Runs on Digital - Brandy Blackwell, Dunkin' Brands
Hear how Dunkin’ is brewing its digital and delivery strategy during a global pandemic (hint: It's not a light roast) with the original off-prem diva, Brandy Blackwell.
Jen Kern talks with Brandy about her restaurant marketing journey—how she went from an early off-prem pioneer at a local tex-mex chain to driving delivery and key digital strategies at global coffee/breakfast icon.
Brandy explains how Dunkin’ is adapting its business model to fit the changing needs of customers during a global pandemic (more delivery and curbside options, better functionality on its app and a renewed focused on maintaining relationships with loyal customers) and dissects the numbers from its recent earnings call and Q2 performance.
After nearly tripling the number of delivery locations, adding curbside options, and improving app functionality—Dunkin' is not slowing down anytime soon with Brandy on board. From prioritizing team, culture, and franchise relationships to keen financial acumen and…
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Aug 14, 2020
Pushing for a Better Customer Experience - Donna Josephson, Corner Bakery
The plan was for Donna Josephson to be a stay-at-home mom. But when Chick-fil-A recruited her for a grassroots marketing and training role that plan quickly dissipated. Now, five restaurant brands later, she’s the Chief Marketing Officer of Corner Bakery.
In this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern interviews Donna about her atypical entry into the industry, the lessons she’s learned about teamwork, and how Corner Bakery is adapting its business model to facilitate good customer experience during a pandemic.
Donna also explains the importance of marketing and operators/franchisees working closely together, while pushing for new ideas others might not think possible. She stresses the value of cross-functional teams and for marketers to embrace all aspects of the operation - from product R&D to interior design. *
Key Resources:
Donna on **Twitter** & **LinkedIn**
**Applebee's **
**Wendy's **
**McAlisters's Deli **
**Fazoli's *
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Aug 7, 2020
Nostalgia is Her Main Ingredient - Lokelani Alabanza of Saturated
How this executive pastry chef, turned creamery expert, launched a CBD Vegan Ice Cream business during the pandemic. The Nashville-based entrepreneur, Lokelani Alabanza, discusses reinvention and finding her own identity by mixing nostalgia with her roots to create a new kind of ice cream legacy.
With inspiration from black-authored cookbooks, she shares her love of storytelling by weaving the past into the future through photos, recipes, and now pop-up tents selling out of her ice cream.
*Key Links:*
See article in Food 52 magazine
Chris Kimball’s Milk Street
Hattie Jane’s creamery
Saturated
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Aug 2, 2020
Coffee, Community, and DIY Culture - Jessica Smith of Groundwork Coffee
In this episode, Jen talks with Jessica Smith, the Marketing Director at Groundwork Coffee LLC. Celebrating its *30th Anniversary*, Groundwork is staying afloat during the pandemic by employing a multi-channel strategy that includes selling its organic coffees in grocery, e-commerce, many foodservice outlets, and in its cafes on the West Coast.
Jessica highlights her journey in the restaurant industry, which started in early childhood with lots of nostalgic experiences, at Veggie Grill, and up to her current role at Groundwork. She covers a variety of topics, including the importance of tying a company’s mission to its community, the excitement of brand refreshes and the spark of a DIY culture during the pandemic. Hear about special partnerships and innovations with Chemex and how they're staying entrenched in local communities with multiple give-back, training, and artistic initiatives.
*Resources & Links:
*https://www.groundworkcoffee.com/
http://www.veggiegrill.com/
https://www.…
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Jul 23, 2020
Why Brand Innovation is Essential for Survival - Steph Hoppe
Jen Kern talks with Steph Hoppe, a two-time CMO at Bar Louie and LYFE Kitchen who most recently served as 7-Eleven’s VP of Marketing. Steph outlines her path from dishwasher to Chief Marketing Officer (CMO) and all the stops in-between, sharing how she’s kept a focus on innovation and transformation for restaurant brands. Steph currently provides fractional CMO services for clients, helping them grow brand performance, engagement and revenue.
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Jul 16, 2020
Achieving “First Female” Status using a Growth Marketing & Diversity Mindset - Rachel Layton of Taziki’s
During this podcast episode, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, talks with Rachel Layton. Rachel is the Vice President of Marketing and Growth at Taziki’s Mediterranean Cafe. Taziki’s is a fast-casual, Mediterranean concept that has elevated your typical fast-casual experience by bringing food to your table, focusing on guest services and providing a “scratch kitchen” where over a hundred items are made from scratch each day. The conversation featured Rachel’s perspectives on handling the pandemic, how she views growth as a marketer and why diversity is important within the industry.
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Jul 9, 2020
Creating Aligned Teams and Brands - Mark Mears of Saladworks
During this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, chats with Mark Mears, the Interim CMO at Saladworks. The podcast draws from Mark’s lengthy experience in the restaurant industry, with leadership positions at the Cheesecake Factory, Pizza Hut and Noodles & Co. Mark discusses the importance of building teams that are aligned and where everyone is focused on the “North Star.” Mark also takes a deeper dive into some of the guest programs created to support people during the pandemic.
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Jun 24, 2020
Elevating the Fast Casual Experience by Thinking Outside the Box - Matt Smith of Tocaya Organica
During this episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern, the Chief Marketing Officer of Qu, chats with Matt Smith, the Chief Marketing Officer of The Madera Group. During the episode, Matt talks about his experience transitioning from agencies to an in-house marketing team. He dives into the innovative fast casual experience created with the various brands offered by the Madera Group and discusses the creativity involved with a lot of the efforts made by his marketing team.
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Jun 11, 2020
Building Franchisee Relationships & Sparking Creativity During COVID - Justin Bartek of Jinya Holdings
As the former Head of Marketing at Halal Guys, Justin Bartek has a knack for helping emerging brands drive international growth and expansion. Now at Ramen-favorite JINYA Holdings, hear how he's building strong franchisee/operator relationships and designing creative marketing campaigns for JINYA's four different brand concepts. From working with influencers at the MMA to performing artists, Justin provides sound advice to marketers based on his many years of strategic and tactical marketing leadership.
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