Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

Send us Fan Mail Casey Hilder is the Director of Marketing at Starbird Chicken, one of strongest and fastest-growing restaurant brands in the country. We were excited to have him on this edition of Give an Ovation! On this episode, Casey and Zack discuss:  The importance of adapting Gaining inspiration from others TikTok for restaurants Loyalty: amount vs frequency? More Thanks, Casey!

Send us Fan Mail Scott Landers is the Co-Founder of Figure 8 Logistics, a digital service that is helping to pioneer the world's leading food delivery experts of tomorrow. From workshops and industry insights to on-demand support, Figure 8 Logistics truly lends a helping hand to those look to commandeer food delivery systems. Tune in to hear Scott's expertise and first hand experience pe...

Send us Fan Mail Lauren Fernandez understands what it means to hustle. Whether it's paving the way as a first generation Cuban American, starting her own business, or helping restaurant brands grow from 1 to 2 units, to 10, and then to 20 and beyond. Lauren is the Founder and CEO of Full Course. Full Course partners with restaurants to optimize existing operations, develop sustainable growth...

Send us Fan Mail Tanvir Bhangoo is truly a jack of all trades. As a digital executive and advisor working with global brands, member of the Forbes Technology Council, former VP of Tech at Freshii, AND Director at Restaurant Brands International, Tanvir understands the tech and tools needed to meet consumers in their space. The list could go on and on but now, Tanvir is the Owner of TBX Digital, a...

Send us Fan Mail James Passafaro is the Co-Founder of Opsi, a daily management tool built to progress the way modern operators manage their restaurant. James channeled his experience as a chef and the issues he saw with tech and employees into restaurant tech. His hands on experience and initiative, James understands what it means to truly help the heart - back of house employees - of restaurants....

Send us Fan Mail There may not be anyone with a more impressive hospitality marketing pedigree than Erin Levzow! We can't list it all here, but she has experience marketing for Caesars, MGM, Palms Casino, Wingstop, and is now the VP of Marketing Technology at Del Taco. She is also the recipient of many awards, such as 40 under 40 Brand Innovators, Top Women in Retail, and CMO of the year.  On...

Send us Fan Mail Carl Starkey is the Co-Founder of AWSM Sauce, the world's first sustainability focused sauce and condiment company. If that doesn't scream innovation, I don't know what does! Carl is an expert in all things CPG (consumer packaged goods). Carl provides an interesting perspective to the podcast as his expertise is in sending the consumer home with an excellent custome...

Send us Fan Mail Kathleen Wood! She has 30 years of restaurant leadership experience, she was the Co-founder and President of the Leadership Institute at Elliot Group, President and COO of Rasing Cane's Chicken Fingers, Founder of Suzy's Swirl, and for 14 years has served as Founder and CEO of Kathleen Wood Partners. And she is the author of Founderology - wow! On this episode, Kathleen...

Send us Fan Mail With a stack of credentials, Marie Smith has established herself as a leader inside and out of the restaurant industry. As the CIO and Co-Founder of Data360, Smith has dedicated herself to helping the non-tech savvy individuals conquer tech and data. Marie and host Zack Oates discuss:  Optimizing the use of tech Helping individuals to normalize data Curating online relationships M...

Send us Fan Mail Xavier Jackson is a former D1 basketball player turned entrepreneur, and the President of Coinlete. Coinlete's mission is to create a community of brands and athletes that recognize the power that each one holds in the relationship + continue giving athletes the resources they need to be successful. Xavier and host Zack Oates discuss:  How restaurants can use local and nation...

Send us Fan Mail Arne Saupe is the  VP of  technology at Farmer's Fridge. Farmer's Fridge started out offering smart fridges but have grown into at home delivery. Farmer's Fridge's goal? To provide fresh healthy meals whether you’re on the go or at home. Given his experience in tech, Arne understands all aspects of system design and development. Tune in to hear how his expertis...

Send us Fan Mail Paul McEnany is a content strategist, product wizard, Host of the Tastemakers podcast, and Co-CEO of Plein Air Agency - a creative company for restaurant brands. Paul brought a breath of fresh/plein air to Give an Ovation! On this episode, Paul and Zack discuss:  The biggest mistake restaurants make in advertising The importance of understanding what role ad spend plays within the...

Send us Fan Mail Lloyd Oshiro is the VP of Marketing Innovation at The Food Connector. The Food Connector helps companies to develop and execute marketing plans. With heightened innovation and the ability to see the bigger picture, Lloyd brings his expertise to this weeks podcast episode! On this edition, Lloyd and Zack discuss:  Restaurant industry pipeline Food service distribution Tips for sale...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Roberts is the President and Executive Producer at Rising Tides Creative, an all in one creative resource which is used by some of the most forward-thinking restaurants in the industry such as Cali BBQ. Rising Tides Creative is known for bringing restaurants and other brands to life online, and brought those same creative juices to this episode of Give an Ovation! On this ed...

Send us Fan Mail Tim McLaughlin is a restaurateur and restaurant tech extraordinaire. Having owned two restaurants, Tim understand the grit, innovation, and drive that it takes to run a business in the restaurant industry.  Now, as the CEO of GoTab, Tim applies this experience to making payment processes easier and other operations run more smoothly. On this episode, Tim and Zack discuss:  Empower...

Send us Fan Mail What's the record for person involved in the most organizations at one time? It might just be our guest today, Ellis Winstanley with 11 active positions currently listed on his LinkedIn, some of which include Board Member of the Texas Restaurant Association, President of El Arroyo in Austin, and President of Axial Shift, an operations platform for restaurants. Whichever posit...

Send us Fan Mail Joe Monastero is the COO of Texas Restaurant Association. TRA aims to serve as an indispensable resource for the hospitality and foodservice industry. TRA membership enables your company to build customer loyalty, rewarding careers and financial success. Joe  understands what it means to grow a business. Through TRA he is dedicated to helping any and all restaurants and restaurate...

Send us Fan Mail Jason Berkowitz is the Founder of ARROW UP, a highly-designed training tool for reducing liability, insurance premiums, and building a stronger culture in restaurants. He has extensive restaurant experience, having been involved in over 40 restaurant openings and was most recently the COO of Tocaya Organica.  On this episode, Jason and Zack discuss:  How to retain staff for free H...

Send us Fan Mail Juan Orrego, Co-Founder and CEO of Cuboh, knows what it takes to provide an optimal third party experience. Cuboh consolidates all your online ordering tablets in one device. Juan's middle man perspective has raised him an expert in efficiency, visibility, and post ordering experience. On this episode, Juan and host Zack Oates discuss:  Ghost Kitchens Third party delivery Cus...

Send us Fan Mail Clay Dover is a true restaurant marketing vet with over 30 years in the industry (even though he barely looks 30 years old)! Clay is the CEO and President of Velvet Taco, a concept known for its gourmet tacos and strong brand. He has former experience as a Marketing Manager for Chili's, the VP of Marketing for Apex Restaurant Group, the CMO of Raising Cane's, and more. ...

Send us Fan Mail Bryan Solar, GM of Restaurants at Square, is a pro at using tech to help restaurant owners, staff, and customers to bridge gaps. Square builds common business tools in unconventional ways so more people can start, run, and grow their businesses. Tune in to learn how you can optimize tech within your business! On this episode, Bryan and host Zack Oates discuss:  Leveraging tech Con...

Send us Fan Mail *Editor's note: Jodie was the Chief Marketing Officer of Fazoli's at the time of this podcast recording. She has since become the CMO of Donatos Pizza. Jodie Conrad is a restaurant marketing veteran with over 30 years in the industry and experience in marketing at Wendy's, Coca-Cola, Fazoli's, and more. She's now the Chief Marketing Officer at Donatos Pizz...

Send us Fan Mail Colin Webb is the Co-Founder and CEO of Sauce Pricing. Sauce allows you to leverage your restaurant data to increase profit margins and grow sales. In just a few clicks, your company can scale expert pricing strategies. With an eye for data optimization, Webb's expertise enables him to unlock a goldmine of data for companies.  On this episode, Colin and host Zack Oates discus...

Send us Fan Mail Sam Caucci is the CEO and founder of 1Huddle, a training platform that aims to improve staff performance and better prepare employees for the workforce. 1Huddle has changed the training game by engaging employees with quick paced games that are customizable to the company's brand and can be played in under five minutes.  If you're feeling déjà vu, this is our 2nd episode...

Send us Fan Mail Rachael Nemeth truly understands what it means to work in the restaurant industry, from line cook to manager! Nemeth now takes on being CEO at Opus, a powerful training technology designed for your "deskless" workforce.  Opus creates multimedia lessons and distributes them over mobile, helping you to strengthen your workforce.  On this episode, Zack and Rachael discuss: ...