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

Send us Fan Mail Kristen Barnett is the founder and CEO of Hungry House, a ghost kitchen that is shedding light on the culinary leaders of our tomorrow. Yet Kristen's innovation is one of many skills she is bringing to the table. Having earned her bachelors degree from Cornell University, we are fortunate to have met with one of the brightest minds helping to  develop the restaurant industry...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Rebhun is an accomplished Global Marketing Executive, who delivers first-to-market products and profitable growth for billion-dollar brands across Fortune 50 companies.  Andy Rebhun currently works his magic as the senior vice president of marketing and digital office of El Pollo Loco. Rebhun has a sharp eye for digital transformation and customer service; tune in to learn ho...

Send us Fan Mail Zach Goldstein, CEO and founder of Thanx, is an expert in retail, customer satisfaction, retention, and loyalty.  Thanx enables customers to automatically earn rewards at your favorite merchants - no plastic cards necessary. Zach's cutting edge innovation  grows customer lifetime value through data-driven engagement and a modern digital experience. On this episode, Zach Golds...

Send us Fan Mail Josh Sharkey is the Founder and CEO of Meez, a software that organizes your recipes so you can document, cost, scale, train, collaborate and prep like never before. Josh has touched every part of restaurant business in his career, as he's been a line cook, a restaurant owner, and a COO among other positions. He dropped some wisdom on this episode! On this episode, Josh and ho...

Send us Fan Mail Dave Dittenber is the CEO and Founder of BYOD (Bring Your Own Data), a restaurant solution that helps operators in real-time by using AI. He is also the owner of DRI, a restaurant group based in Michigan. With over 24 years in the restaurant industry and plenty of other successful ventures, it's clear that there's nothing artificial about this guy's intelligence.  O...

Send us Fan Mail Get ready for a knowledge-packed episode! Kelley Jones is the Principal of Kelley Jones Hospitality and a sought after speaker who has spoken at the world's largest conferences. He also works as the President & COO of Hospitality Alliance, and has developed several other successful restaurant organizations.  On this episode, Kelley and host Zack Oates discuss:  Interactiv...

Send us Fan Mail Meredith Sandland and Carl Orsbourn are the authors of the Amazon #1 Best-selling book, "Delivering the Digital Restaurant".  Meredith comes with experience at Bain & Company, Yum! Brands, and Kitchen United. Carl has previously worked as the Head of Retail at bp, VP of Operations at Kitchen United, and Managing Director at People's California. We are excited to...

Send us Fan Mail Lindsey Hoell is the CEO of Dispatch Goods, a reusable container marketplace that partners with restaurants, businesses, and consumers to provide reusable container options to enable brick-and-mortar businesses to enable reuse.  On this episode, Lindsey and host Zack Oates discuss:  How Dispatch Goods works The surprising premium customers are willing to pay for reusables Sustaina...

Send us Fan Mail Justin Bartek is the Chief Marketing Officer of JINYA Holdings Inc., a group consisting of JINYA Ramen Bar and 3 other world-class ramen brands. Justin is a master marketer with experience as the Marketing Director at the Halal Guys, Veggie Grill, Qdoba, and others. He has also executed over 5000 campaigns for brands such as Domino's and Ace Hardware.  On this episode, Justin...

Send us Fan Mail Olga Lopategui is a restaurant marketing expert with experience as a Marketing Manager at Pizza Hut International and as the Director of Marketing for TGI Fridays. She also holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Georgetown University Law. Olga now works as a restaurant consultant, helping restaurants make data-driven decisions to improve loyalty and online ordering.  On th...

Send us Fan Mail Andy Pforzheimer is the CEO of Tastemaker Acquisition Corp, a hospitality-focused special purpose acquisition company (SPAC). Andrew holds board seats at many institutions, including at US Foods and Upward Projects Restaurant Group, and has filled just about every role in the restaurant industry. On this episode, Andy and host Zack Oates discuss:  What is a SPAC What types of rest...

Send us Fan Mail Are you ready for an intro? David McDougall has over 40 years of experience in the restaurant industry. With high-level experience at Denny's, Cinnabon, Focus Brands, NexCen Brands, and Back Yard Burgers, he is now the CEO of Your Pie Franchising, a brand with 77 locations and 40 in the works. Get ready for a power-packed 25 minutes! On this episode, David and host Zack Oates...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Mortensen is a 10-year CMO veteran, currently serving as the CMO of hungr. A nationwide online ordering and food delivery service, hungr is a favorite among restaurant owners due to their low commissions and free sharing of data with restaurants. Aaron is a thought leader and one of the nicest in the biz, so we hope you enjoy this episode! On this episode, Aaron and host Zac...

Send us Fan Mail Josh Kopel is the President of the L.A. chapter of the California Restaurant Association, he's a Michelin-rated restaurateur with over 20 years of experience in the industry, and is the CEO of FLO Hospitality Solutions.  On this episode, Josh and host Zack Oates, discuss:  Josh's unique story of blending southern and west-coast culture Most restaurateurs don't know...

Send us Fan Mail Aaron Noveshen has created or co-created over 25 restaurant concepts, including San Francisco staples such as Starbird and Pacific Catch. He is also the founder and chairman of The Culinary Edge, a food and beverage innovation agency working with top chains such as Starbucks and McDonalds. What a catch! On this episode, Aaron and host Zack Oates discuss:   Staff and Aaron's h...

Send us Fan Mail Mehdi Zarhloul is the CEO of Crazy Pita Restaurant Group LLC, and the founder of Crazy Pita, a fresh Mediterranean restaurant with three locations based in Nevada. Mehdi has turned Crazy Pita into a hit through his focus on quality food, and excellent service. Not to mention he's one of the nicest guys in the business! On this episode, Medhi and host, Zack Oates, discuss:  Th...

Send us Fan Mail Lindsey Blackburn is a Solution Specialist at DriveMind Group, which provides businesses with organizational safety solutions including health safety products and services to battle the continued spread of germs, virus, and pathogens. DriveMind's award-winning technology actively cleans air and surfaces, making restaurants a more "healthful" place to be.  On this ep...

Send us Fan Mail Robbert Jan De Veen is the owner of the De Daltons restaurant in the Netherlands. He is also the owner of the world record for the most expensive burger ever made and sold! From gold leaf to white truffles, we learn all about the history of the Golden Boy Burger and how every restaurateur can deliver a fantastic experience on this episode.  On this edition, Robbert and host Zack O...

Send us Fan Mail Spencer Saylor is the Founder of The Wizard of Za, a fabulously successful pizza joint in Columbus, Ohio, that has largely grown through word of mouth and exclusivity (customers are making reservations months in advance!). Perhaps more impressive, The Wizard of Za started during the onset of the COVID pandemic! We were so glad to speak with the man behind the curtain and know you&...

Send us Fan Mail Eric Bam is the Vice President of Sales & Marketing at Perfect Crust Pizza Liners & IncredibleBags.com. Eric has decades of experience in the industry, including over 20 years as a food distributor, and loves restaurant people! Eric brought the BAM to this episode.  On this edition, Eric and host, Zack Oates, discuss:   Pushing a vision instead of a product The future of t...

Send us Fan Mail Noah Glass is a former cashier, delivery driver, and bartender. Oh, and we should probably also mention that he is the Founder & CEO of Olo, a publicly-traded online ordering and delivery platform worth over 3 billion dollars! We were honored to have such a special guest on the show.  On this episode, Noah and host Zack Oates discuss:  Insights from Noah on founding a company...

Send us Fan Mail Jamie Greer is the Vice President of Operations at the fabulously successful Sticky's Finger Joint based in New York City. With previous experience at Legends Hospitality and Magnolia Bakery, Jamie Greer brings over a decade of experience and insights from one of the most loved brands in NYC to this edition of Give an Ovation.  On this episode, Jamie and host Zack Oates discu...

Send us Fan Mail You've heard of her, now hear from her! Emily Williams Knight, Ed. D., is the President & CEO of the Texas Restaurant Association. With more than 50,000 restaurants employing 1.3M Texans and posting sales of 70B in 2019, in her first year, Knight is at the forefront of leading one of the most important industries through the COVID 19 pandemic. On this episode, Emily and h...

Send us Fan Mail Joseph Szala is a Principal, Creative, and Strategist at Vigor Restaurant Branding, a restaurant and beverage branding and marketing studio based in Atlanta, Georgia, but servicing the world. Joseph has worked with hundreds of restaurants over his career, and has written a new book distilling all of his knowledge called "The Bullhearted Brand: Building Bullish Restaurant Bran...

Send us Fan Mail We were in the presence of royalty on this episode as we were joined by one of the Earl's of Sandwich himself, Robert Earl! Robert has set the bar for restaurateurs, as the man behind Planet Hollywood, MrBeast Burger and other Virtual Dining Concepts, and growing Hard Rock Cafe.  On this episode, Robert and host Zack Oates discuss:  Robert's advice to restaurants now and...