In this conversation, Angelo Esposito interviews John Florinis, EVP Product at MealTicket, about his journey in the fintech and payments industry and the evolution of restaurant technology. They discuss the importance of POS, inventory management, and labor management in the restaurant tech stack. They also explore the challenges of implementing back-of-house solutions and the need for professional services to assist operators.

This episode touch on the potential future trends in restaurant technology, including tighter integration with accounting systems and the use of AI for efficiency gains. John emphasizes the goal of helping restaurants become more profitable and saving them time to focus on what they love. John Florinis discusses the importance of understanding the needs of food distributors and suppliers in the food service industry. He highlights the challenges of managing rebates and incentives for distributors and the role of technology in optimizing their businesses.

Florinis also emphasizes the need for organizational alignment and customer impact when prioritizing product features and enhancements. He shares insights on crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic and the resiliency of the industry. Finally, he advises early-career professionals to stay open to new ideas, build a broad network, and understand the evolving needs of customers. ‍

• POS, inventory management, and labor management are crucial components of the restaurant tech stack.
• Implementing back-of-house solutions can be challenging, and professional services can provide assistance.
• Future trends in restaurant technology may include tighter integration with accounting systems and the use of AI for efficiency gains.
• The goal of restaurant technology is to help restaurants become more profitable and save time for operators. Understanding the needs of food distributors and suppliers is crucial in the food service industry.
• Managing rebates and incentives for distributors is a complex task that can be optimized with technology.
• Organizational alignment and customer impact should be considered when prioritizing product features and enhancements.
• Crisis management during the COVID-19 pandemic required a focus on helping the industry navigate uncertain times.
• Building resiliency and adapting to changing circumstances is essential for the hospitality industry.
• Early-career professionals should stay open to new ideas, build a broad network, and understand evolving customer needs.

‍Timestamps *Timestamps* ‍ ‍00:00 Introduction and Background

02:21 Meal Ticket: Helping Stakeholders in the Food Service Value Chain

04:24 John's Journey from Banking to Restaurant Tech

07:57 The Evolution of Restaurant Technology

13:06 Building a Successful Restaurant Tech Stack

22:42 The Future of Restaurant Technology

24:12 Converting Pen and Paper Users to Digital Solutions

25:02 Exciting Trends in Restaurant Technology

25:51 Understanding the Needs of Food Distributors and Suppliers

28:45 Optimizing Businesses through Rebate Management

31:49 Prioritizing Product Features and Enhancements

35:23 Navigating Crisis Management during COVID-19

42:26 Building Resiliency in the Hospitality Industry

48:22 Lessons for Early-Career Professionals

Stephanie Olson, the Founder and Campaign Director of RestauWant, discusses the inspiration behind founding RestauWant and how her journey began in the hospitality industry.

RestauWant offers full-service digital marketing solutions for restaurants, with a focus on optimizing ad spend and creating compelling storytelling campaigns. They help restaurants increase revenue by incorporating different event types, upselling, and diversifying campaigns.

Stephanie emphasizes the importance of integrating all marketing efforts and tracking the performance of ads to ensure cost-effectiveness. She also highlights the role of photography and video in capturing attention and conveying the unique value of a restaurant. Looking ahead, RestauWant is excited to work with new restaurants, grow their team, and continue making a difference in the industry.

• RestauWant offers full-service digital marketing solutions for restaurants, focusing on optimizing ad spend and creating compelling storytelling campaigns.
• Integrating all marketing efforts and tracking the performance of ads is crucial for cost-effectiveness and revenue growth.
• Photography and video play a significant role in capturing attention and conveying the unique value of a restaurant.
• RestauWant is excited to work with new restaurants, grow their team, and continue making a difference in the industry.

*Timestamps*

00:00 Introduction 01:22 Inspiration behind RestauWant 04:00 What RestuaWant works on 05:54 Integrating the art of story-telling to video strategy 08:17 Focusing revenue by incorporating marketing campaigns 14:24 Creating Efficient and Effective Marketing Strategies 20:55 Competing for restaurant customers with creative advertising 23:51 The Importance of Moments of Truth in the Restaurant Industry 25:35 Managing reputation by encouraging positive reviews online 29:02 Staying Up-to-Date with Marketing Trends in the Hospitality Sector 30:35 Advice for Improving Online Visibility and Engagement 32:46 The Role of Photography 34:48 Future Trends in Digital Marketing for Restaurants 36:06 Dream marketing campaign 38:11 What's Next for RestauWant

In this episode, Zach Goldstein, Founder and CEO of Thanx, discusses the creation and purpose of his guest engagement platform designed for restaurants. Thanx aims to drive customer lifetime value through data-driven insights, focusing on loyalty programs, data capture, marketing automation, and data visualization.

Zach highlights successful loyalty programs from brands like Velvet Taco, Chipotle, and Taco Bell, and introduces the concept of "Loyalty 3.0." He also explores the transformative role of AI and machine learning in personalizing customer experiences, the importance of CRM in marketing, and the future of guest engagement solutions.

Thanx offers modular, point-of-sale agnostic solutions to help restaurants achieve their business goals and stand out in a competitive market.

• Thanx is a guest engagement platform for restaurants that focuses on driving customer lifetime value.
• Data is crucial in understanding customer behavior and driving repeat visits.
• Thanx offers loyalty programs, data capture, marketing automation, and data visualization solutions.
• The platform aims to make data-driven marketing easy for small businesses and is point-of-sale agnostic.
• Thanx works with mid-market and enterprise brands in the restaurant industry. Thanx helps restaurants drive repeat business and increase customer lifetime value through personalized marketing and rewards.
• The company focuses on understanding guests as individuals and tailoring marketing efforts to their specific preferences and behaviors.
• Thanx offers a modular solution that integrates with other restaurant tech systems, allowing for customization and flexibility.
• Restaurants should evaluate solutions based on their ability to achieve business goals and provide long-term value, rather than just feature checklists.

00:00 Introduction 01:19 Overview of Thanx 03:38 The Challenge of Driving Repeat Visits 06:35 Measuring Success in Guest Engagement 09:16 Where Thanx Evolve to: Digital Ordering and Customer Data 11:33 Who's a Good Fit Customers for Thanx 12:42 Walkthrough Experience Using Thanx 16:26 Clients Success Story 20:00 How CRM works on Thanx 23:30 Future Ideas Thanx Working on 26:28 Where to Draw the Line in Personalized Marketing 29:11 Advice to Restauranteurs for Looking Solutions 33:21 Choosing Solutions Based on Business Goals and Long-Term Value 36:16 What's Next for Thanx 38:22 Where to Find Thanx