Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the Menu

We’re talking about all things loyalty in this block-buster episode with Zach Goldstein, the CEO of Thanx. Zach and Jen discuss why loyalty is broken, with 80% of Fast Casuals and QSRs looking to improve and invest in better loyalty strategies.   The conversation emphasizes that the future of restaurant loyalty is here, now. It's data-driven, personalized, dynamic, and poised to redefine how...

Welcome to Part 2 in our "Best of" Series.  This episode doubles down on data (not for) dummies as we explore the transformative power of data in the connected restaurant.  Our esteemed guests dive into all aspects of data beyond the numbers⸺specifically, its strategic role in driving innovation from the kitchen to the customer experience. Top takeaways include:  How API ecosystems impac...

This is the first of a short 3-part series with top 2023 sound bites that are resonating deeply in 2024: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Data, and Platforms. This first episode delves into one of the year's most talked-about subjects: Artificial Intelligence (AI). The guests paint a hopeful picture of technology as a tool for enhancement, efficiency and automation--rather than displacement. Joi...

Get ready for a blockbuster episode that's been cooking up for years! We've got the incredible Bobby Yazdani , the mastermind behind Cota Capital and lead investor in Qu, joining the party on Restaurants Reinvented with Jen Kern. Jen and Bobby take a  ride through the thrilling intersection of restaurant tech and investment, following Bobby's epic journey from Tehran to the tech cap...

Get ready to hear all the juicy data and trends that came out of Technomic's "State of Foodservice Technology" report. Our guest, Richard Shank is the Sr. Principal & VP of Innovation at Technomic and he shares all the leading insights from the report with us. We focus on three main pillars defining the future of restaurant tech:  1) the kitchen as the nucleus of the restaurant...

In the latest episode of Restaurants Reinvented, Jen Kern dives deep into the current frazzled, tenuous state of POS and tackles head-first the broad misconception that “POS is Dead.”  Jen clarifies market confusion by clearly stating that POS isn’t dead but is instead going through a massive transformation and evolution. POS is no longer the main dish, it’s the side dish. POS is neither Hero nor...

In this celebratory episode,  Chelsea Madden, Marketing Director at Qu, turns the tables on your hostess Jen Kern, CMO of Qu. Reminisce with Jen & Chelsea as we look back on the past 3 years of the podcast. 3 years, 70 episodes, and thousands of reinventions later, these two marketing mavens muse over the collective beauty and struggle we’ve all experienced in restaurants and technology. The B...

Join our special guest Kelly MacPherson, from the mega-James Beard award winning Union Square Hospitality Group (USHG). More than a trailblazer, she's been a Game Changer for her entire career.   Kelly shares her remarkable journey in hospitality and retail, from configuring her first POS network to becoming one of the early female CTOs -- and she continues to revolutionize how restaurants op...

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...

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&...

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...

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/...

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:  Technolog...

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 cr...

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 Hou...

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 achi...

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 str...

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 integr...

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 &...

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...

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 o...

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 ta...

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...

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....

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 o...