Digital Hospitality

Demetri Tsolakis grew up in his family’s restaurant, where he learned English from guests and discovered his love for hospitality. After a brief career in finance, he returned to the dining room and opened Greco , a fast-casual Greek street food concept in Boston built on warmth and authenticity. Through Xenia Greek Hospitality , he now leads a family of restaurants rooted in philoxenia , the beli...

In this session, Chris Munz presented Qubriux , a customer engagement platform redefining restaurant loyalty through emotion, not just points. A 20-year restaurant technology veteran and Chief Revenue Officer at Qubriux, Chris has helped major brands connect data with meaningful guest experiences. Frustrated by fragmented systems and one-size-fits-all rewards, he joined a team of seasoned restaura...

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef , the conversation focused on the power and value of partnerships, exploring what makes collaboration work, why so many fail, and how to build relationships that last. The group agreed that true partnerships thrive when both sides take time to build trust, communicate clearly, and define expectations early on. Strong relationships devel...

Dennis Postema believes the biggest mistake creators make is staying invisible. As founder of the Motivation and Success TV Network , Postema helps podcasters and entrepreneurs turn shows into global television programs and attention into opportunity. In this episode of Digital Hospitality, he joins Shawn Walchef to talk about the power of distribution, the importance of personal branding, and how...

In this session, Naki Soyturk presented Accross Restaurant Consulting , a firm built to help restaurant operators profit and scale without the stress. A former CFO and PwC accountant who spent two decades building systems for global brands and major restaurant groups, Naki has seen how poor financial visibility and inconsistent operations can sink even the best concepts. Through Accross, he applie...

Producers Mike Bisceglia and Cam Hardy, from Cali BBQ Media and filling in for host Shawn Walchef , break down how YouTube collaborations are changing the game for creators and brands. They explain how the new feature lets videos appear across multiple channels, why collaboration is still the fastest path to growth, and how aligning with the right audiences drives lasting impact. The discussion di...

When Ty Fulcher opened Social , he turned a forgotten Fort Collins basement into one of Colorado’s most celebrated cocktail bars. What started as a bold move in a beer-dominated town grew into a community built on collaboration, creativity, and genuine hospitality. Alongside his second concept, Union Bar and Soda Fountain , Ty has helped redefine what hospitality means in Northern Colorado. From m...

What makes a keynote unforgettable? In this episode of Digital Hospitality , Shawn Walchef sits down with his media mentor, David Meltzer , as he prepares to headline the Restaurant Transformation Festival in San Diego. Meltzer shares how he turned his worst keynote into a lifelong lesson, why stories change beliefs more than slides ever will, and the power of repeating your greatest hits on stage...

In this session, Spencer Michiel stepped up to present Back of House , a restaurant technology consultancy and marketplace that helps operators cut through the chaos of endless software options. A former steakhouse manager who learned firsthand how clunky tech can cripple efficiency, Spencer shared how Back of House flips that frustration into clarity. Acting as a “CIO on retainer” for independent...

Producers Mike Bisceglia and Kyle Pfluger, from Cali BBQ and filling in for host Shawn Walchef, break down how Cali BBQ Media turns ideas into a repeatable production engine. They dig into the balance of art and science in content, why team buy-in matters, and how the right mix of generalists and specialists keeps work moving. The room swaps practical systems too, including Notion for tracking, sh...

Kimberly Smith , CEO of Copia , is on a mission to turn surplus food into community impact. Copia’s technology connects restaurants with local nonprofits in real time, ensuring edible meals go to people who need them instead of landfills. For operators, the solution is simple and profitable. Businesses are protected from liability, earn enhanced tax deductions, and save on disposal costs. Employee...

In this session, Elizabeth Doss took the stage to present IzzyInc Studios — a creative studio helping restaurants, brands, and leaders stand out through custom animated GIFs. With more than 6 billion views on her personal creations and another 5 billion across client libraries, Elizabeth showed how GIFs can do more than make people laugh — they can drive attention, spark conversations, and even cl...

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Shawn Walchef , the focus was on delegation—why it’s so difficult, how to improve, and what leadership looks like when you let go. Shawn admitted his own struggles as a restaurant owner trying to juggle manager and owner duties, and how becoming a father forced him to rethink what he should hand off. Midway through, he even delegated hosting to Chris...

Tab Commerce is redefining finance for restaurants by turning the humble corporate card into a cash flow lifeline. CEO and founder Ty Wilson shares how his background in restaurants and banking inspired him to tackle the chaos of paper checks, vendor payments, and tight margins head-on. Today, thousands of operators use Tab to simplify spending, access higher credit limits, and extend terms up to...

This weekly Friday series gives founders the mic to share their vision and get unfiltered feedback from a community of operators, leaders, and peers. In this session, Jason Berkowitz took the stage to present Arrow Up Training — a platform built by restaurant operators, for restaurant operators, to help teams become safer, stronger, and more prepared for the realities of the industry. From cutting...

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Mike Bisceglia filling in for Shawn Walchef, the focus was on the power of storytelling—why it matters, how to practice it, and what makes a story stick. Mike opened up about his own journey creating the Bad Weather Fans podcast, sharing how a chance Twitter argument, a towed car, and years of late-night persistence turned into a 279-episode show now...

Running a restaurant through text messages and group chats may feel convenient, but it often leads to chaos. In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Zenzap co-founder and CEO Guy Weiss explains why hospitality needed a better solution — one that feels as simple as chat, but is secure, structured, and built for work. From onboarding and shift swaps to sales updates and task delegation, Zenzap gives...

Welcome to the first Pitch the Tide, hosted by Shawn Walchef . This new Friday series puts founders on stage to share their vision and get real-time feedback from a community of operators, leaders, and peers. In our kickoff session, Erin Hooper introduced Franchise Systems Ai , a platform designed to help brands scale smarter by systematizing processes and unlocking data-driven growth. Interview T...

In this session of Rising Tides Live, hosted by Matt Wampler , CEO & Co-Founder of ClearCOGS , filling in for Shawn Walchef , the conversation centered on how restaurants can harness AI as a form of “learned intelligence.” Matt opened with his own story of struggling through the early days of restaurant ownership, sleeping in the back of his Jimmy John’s, and realizing the value of having a tr...

Danny Klein , Vice President of Editorial at QSR and FSR Magazine , has spent the last decade chronicling the restaurant industry’s evolution. From his early, nerve-wracking days at the National Restaurant Show to launching packed conferences, Klein has built a career on amplifying the voices of operators. He’s watched trends shift from SEO to curated storytelling, from robotics hype to AI results...

In this session of   Rising Tides Live , hosted by  Shawn Walchef , the spotlight was on engagement—what it really means, how to build it, and why it matters. From “the truth vibrates the fastest” to the art of making stories sticky, the conversation moved through practical lessons on creating attention, trust, and loyalty. Guests explored how speed and relevance fuel social media, how to mine eve...

In this episode of Digital Hospitality , host Shawn Walchef sits down in Las Vegas with two industry powerhouses: Matt Plapp , CEO of America’s Best Restaurants, and veteran restaurant coach David Scott Peters . Together, they unpack why storytelling is the most powerful weapon independents have against chains and why events like Pizza Expo are vital for growth and energy. If you’re a restaurant o...

PodPitch is helping entrepreneurs, creators, and businesses land more podcast interviews without the manual grind. Co-founded by Parker Olson, the platform automates research, qualification, and outreach, enabling users to connect with the right shows at scale. In the past year alone, PodPitch has powered more than one million outreach emails, representing nearly 8% of all podcast interviews booke...

Robbie Schloss , founder of Castle Hospitality Group , joins Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to share how he built Shore Club Chicago and scaled JoJo’s ShakeBAR . Robbie explains how nostalgia, immersive experiences, and over-the-top shakes turned JoJo’s into a social media sensation. He also breaks down why tech partners like Toast and F3 are critical for growth. From Winter Wonderland pop-u...

In this session of   Rising Tides Live , hosted by  Shawn Walchef , the focus was on public speaking and the “Stage Theory”—how showing up on stage, online, or in front of a camera creates opportunities far beyond the moment. Guests opened up about their own fears, breakthroughs, and lessons learned, from corporate presentations to casual livestreams, highlighting how preparation, confidence, and...