Digital Hospitality

Keegan Conrey , CEO of Decision Logic , joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference to discuss why successful restaurant technology depends on adoption, not just innovation. Conrey explains why AI starts with quality data, how operators can improve food and labor costs through better operational habits, and why helping restaurant teams embrace change is just as important as...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Noah Palansky , CEO and co-founder of TAIV, presents a platform that transforms in-venue TVs into revenue-generating marketing channels for restaurants and bars. By using AI to detect commercial breaks in real time, TAIV seamlessly replaces broadcast ads with brand-safe content, in-house promotions, and paid advertising from approved partners. Operators gain control...

Shawn Walchef shares why creating content is no longer optional for entrepreneurs and operators who want to grow their business. He explains how visibility drives opportunity, why waiting for the perfect moment holds leaders back, and how anyone can start with simple tools like a smartphone. Walchef encourages leaders to build in public, embrace discomfort, and use repetition to strengthen their m...

Storytelling and vulnerability took center stage on Rising Tides Live  as  Shawn Walchef  and the community explored a powerful question: what story are you afraid to tell, and why does it matter? From failed ghost kitchens and leadership missteps to personal sacrifices, ethical dilemmas, and the messy middle of building something new, entrepreneurs and operators shared honest moments of fear, fai...

Ben Morgan , Tyler Morgan , and Mallory Morgan of 1925 PubHouse in Anderson, Indiana join Digital Hospitality to share how a family restaurant is evolving in public. From losing a job during COVID to embracing smartphone storytelling, they discuss blending old-school marketing with modern tech. This episode explores leadership on camera, leveraging Toast and integrated tools, and why embracing the...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Scott Siegel , co-founder and CEO of Curbit , introduces a real-time order orchestration platform built to help restaurants manage digital order flow and reduce wait times. Curbit connects to kitchen and ordering systems to monitor production, adjust promise times, and communicate accurate pickup updates to guests. Instead of relying on static estimates or turning o...

Shawn Walchef shares the four leadership lessons he learned the hard way after nearly losing his restaurant and building a media company from zero revenue to millions in sales. He explains why storytelling drives vision, how calm creates speed, why curiosity matters more than skill, and why asking for help is a true leadership strength. This episode explores practical insights on building teams, m...

AI writing took center stage on Rising Tides Live as Eric Farrell filled in for Shawn Walchef and led a candid conversation on how to use AI without losing your humanity. Restaurant operators, creators, and business leaders shared how they leverage tools like ChatGPT to draft content, analyze contracts, develop recipes, and clarify ideas, while warning against the growing wave of robotic “AI slop....

Julia Tinajero , co-owner of Basilico Italiano in Concord, North Carolina, joins Digital Hospitality to share how a one-pound mozzarella stick and a chicken Caesar wrap went viral and transformed her 85-seat restaurant. She explains how building menu items in public, embracing transparency, and responding to critics fueled real growth. This episode explores the power of short-form video, the reali...

Pricing took center stage on Rising Tides Live as Christian Fischer filled in for Shawn Walchef , guiding the community through one of the toughest questions in business: how much to charge and what customers truly value. Restaurateurs, creators, and operators shared candid stories about confidence, value, and fear. A clear theme emerged: pricing is emotional, but better decisions come from listen...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Michael Diego , president and CEO of relish , introduces a fully managed creator marketing platform built to help multi-location brands turn local voices into measurable growth. Relish connects restaurants and retailers with verified local creators who visit stores, document their experience, and share authentic content with their communities. Instead of chasing one...

Shawn Walchef breaks down how brands should approach partnerships with business creators in the B2B economy. He explains why working directly with operators beats agency-managed scripts, why follower count matters less than decision-maker density, and why measuring likes misses the real impact. The conversation reframes influencer marketing for serious brands, showing how long-term relationships,...

Pricing took center stage on Rising Tides Live  as  Shawn Walchef and the community wrestled with one of the hardest questions in business: how much to charge, when to change it, and what customers are actually responding to. From secret-menu mozzarella sticks and buffet coupons to 20/20 value promotions and paid discovery calls, restaurateurs, creators, operators, and service providers traded can...

Shawn Walchef sits down with Chef Christophe Cevasco , owner of Beeside Balcony , to talk about building a restaurant with focus, presence, and ownership. Cevasco shares what he learned leaving corporate dining, buying his first restaurant just before COVID, and resisting the urge to scale too fast. The conversation explores storytelling through YouTube , using technology to support hospitality, a...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Will Stewart , founder of rightwork , pitches a labor scheduling platform built to help restaurant managers make better decisions before the week begins. Rightwork forecasts demand, turns it into clear labor targets, and guides managers toward schedules that balance service, staffing, and profitability. Instead of static spreadsheets or guesswork, the platform gives...

Public speaking does not generate revenue by selling from the stage. It generates revenue by building belief. Shawn Walchef breaks down why pitching kills trust, why stories outperform sales decks, and how serving an audience creates leverage long after the room clears. From stage theory to the courage required to start small and stay consistent, this piece reframes public speaking as a long game...

Patrick Cattoor , Vice President of Operations at My Burger , joins Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to discuss how the Twin Cities burger brand has scaled to 11 locations without losing its focus on people and service. Cattoor shares how his background in public accounting shaped his approach to operations, labor, and leadership, and why hospitality in a quick service environment requires int...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Kim Modeste , founder and CEO of S’more AI , shares what she learned from years of watching how restaurants actually try to drive sales. She explains the simple truth about contests: they work, but only for as long as people stay excited about them. Kim walks through why most contests fizzle out once the spreadsheets come out, and how S’more AI keeps the energy goin...

Shawn Walchef f did not build a media company by buying better cameras. He built it by learning how to use the tools already in his hands. For him, the smartphone became a studio, the camera became a business engine, and publishing became a daily habit instead of a marketing tactic. Over time, documenting replaced waiting, and consistency replaced perfection. Now, artificial intelligence has becom...

Belief took center stage on Rising Tides Live as Shawn Walchef and the community explored what it really takes to build credibility before you have results to point to. From running small experiments and finding champions to showing up consistently and being willing to look foolish in public, founders, operators, creators, and leaders shared real stories about earning trust before earning proof. A...

Paul Krug , founder of Glaze Teriyak i, joins Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to share how a Seattle staple became a New York fast-casual mainstay. Krug reflects on scaling thoughtfully, learning hard lessons about expansion, and building systems that support people instead of adding pressure. He explains how partnering with KitchenSync gave Glaze financial clarity, empowered managers, and he...

In this Pitch The Tide session, Matt Haselhoff , founder of One Goal Consulting , breaks down why the restaurant technology ecosystem has become noisy, fragmented, and increasingly hard for operators to navigate. Drawing on decades of experience across restaurant tech and integrations, Matt explains how sales pressure, vendor sprawl, and broken trust have created a confusing buying environment for...

Andre and Suheir Williams share how S2 Grills grew from a nightclub food concept into a multi-state brand with nine locations and over a million lamb chops sold. They break down what it really takes to scale without drowning in back-office chaos, why sales tax nearly became a monthly nightmare, and how automating it with Davo changed everything. The conversation explores building a “championship v...

2026 goals took center stage on   Rising Tides Live  as the community gathered to reflect on the lessons of 2025 and set intentions for the year ahead. With Mike Bisceglia and Elizabeth Doss filling in for  Shawn Walchef , operators, creators, technologists, and founders shared stories about growth, resilience, and the power of simply showing up during busy and uncertain seasons. From building new...

Shawn Walchef’s relationship with Sam The Cooking Guy reveals how mentorship, authenticity, and proximity shape modern influence. Built through real conversations and shared experiences, their connection highlights why being yourself scales further than performing, why relationships matter more than platforms, and why today’s most durable restaurant brands and media companies grow from trust, cons...