Restaurant Technology Podcast

This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit restauranttechnology.substack.com

For years I’ve used Ring to keep my family safe at home. But I never seriously asked myself the obvious question: What if I brought Ring into my restaurant? This year, we finally did it at Cali BBQ . We didn’t just hang a single doorbell and call it a day. We unboxed a full Ring setup, installed it in under two hours, and now I can pull up my home feed and my restaurant feed from the same app—whet...

Quick Lessons from Food On Demand * Technology isn’t the future — it’s the foundation. * AI isn’t hype — it’s a tool. * Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation — it happens when the right people gather in the same room. This year, I finally got to see it firsthand at the Food on Demand Conference in Las Vegas — a gathering that’s quickly become the Super Bowl for anyone building the future of resta...

When we opened Cali BBQ back in 2008, I’ll be honest — our systems were a hot mess. Schedules on paper, notes on whiteboards, updates yelled across the kitchen. It worked sometimes… until it didn’t. I’ll never forget walking into our break room one morning and realizing the printed schedule we’d posted the day before was gone. Not moved — just gone. Torn down, misplaced, whatever. And with it? Hal...

At Sushi by Bou , the music is loud. The lights are low. The vibe? Immaculate. Guests walk through unmarked doors, down hotel corridors, or into back rooms and find themselves inside a tightly choreographed omakase experience. But behind the scenes, the brand’s digital presence needs to be just as precise as its platings. Every hour, every menu item, every phone number—those details need to be rig...

Quick Google Tips * Keep your menu structured and searchable * Upload high-quality menu photos * Stay active on your Google Business Profile * Listen to feedback from your customers * Verify your business profile properly What’s next for restaurants on Google Search? That was the topic of this talk I had with Mike Nagy, a product engineer at Google , during my trip inside their Chicago offices. Yo...

Four generations. 2 million customers a year. San Pedro Fish Market is powered by impressive technology and digital storytelling. San Pedro Fish Market Tech Stack * Point of Sale: Toast * Accounting and Operations: Restaurant365 * Reservations: OpenTable * Table Ordering: me&u * Preventative Maintenance: Maintain IQ * Security: Verkada * Digital Displays: Wand * Music & Entertainment: Mood Media *...

I’m standing in Terminal One at the San Diego Airport. The same place my team and I dreamed of seeing Cali BBQ on the wall one day. We were in the final running to bring our slow food fast concept here. Two incredible hospitality groups reached out, and for a while, it felt like we were really doing it. We made it through the presentations, the tastings, and the interviews. We believed. My wife wa...

Fry the Coop Tech Stack * Point of Sale: Toast * Customer Feedback & Reviews: Ovation * Scheduling & Team Communication: 7shifts * Financial Management: NetSuite * Delivery: Uber Eats, DoorDash, Grubhub (integrated with Toast) * Music & Entertainment: Soundtrack (Spotify-owned), Roku TV * Security: Alarm Detection Systems + Ubiquity Protect cameras * Kitchen Tech: Solstice fryers + Armadillo filte...

We go inside Google's Chicago Offices to learn how new search features help restaurants showcase freshness, energy, and real-time experiences to attract more guests. Fast Facts * Google launched a feature that lets restaurants showcase live events, specials, and experiences directly in search results. * Freshness matters — regularly updated menus, photos, and descriptions help restaurants rank hig...

Alexandra Lourdes “creator tech stack” looks nothing like the typical restaurant technology stack—but it’s just as powerful. With three iPhones, a handful of apps, and a relentless commitment to storytelling, she’s redefining what hospitality looks like in the creator economy. Dr. Alexandra Lourdes has built one of the most influential restaurant storytelling platforms in the country, turning dail...

Sommelier Zack Vasilev has built a half-million-dollar wine program at Barry’s Downtown Prime inside Circa in Las Vegas. Technology in restaurants doesn’t always mean flashy new platforms or AI dashboards. Sometimes it’s as simple as mastering Excel — or as innovative as wearing smart glasses to bring guests into a once-in-a-lifetime bottle opening. This is a public episode. If you would like to d...

At Pepper Lunch, the plate sizzles at 500 degrees — and the tech stack is just as hot. Many restaurant tech stacks are duct-taped together. That’s ineffective and expensive. So what do you do when more than a dozen different tools still can’t do what you need. If you’re Troy Hooper you and your team rebuild the tech stack yourself — and make it scalable enough to power hundreds of locations. At Pe...

If you’re a restaurant operator, AI might feel like a buzzword — something for Silicon Valley, not your kitchen line. But the truth is, it’s already affecting your business, whether you’re using it or not. This isn’t a prediction. It’s what’s happening right now. And restaurant leaders embracing AI in simple, strategic ways are getting back something precious: time. At the 2025 Food on Demand Conf...

On this episode, learn about the restaurant technology that is helping Irv's Burgers expand their roadside burger enterprise into a new era. https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/ When you walk into an Irv’s Burgers location, it feels like classic America — Route 66 vibes with smash burgers, hot dogs, and soda pop. But behind the counter? That’s all 2025. I traveled to Las Vegas and caught up...

At Sami & Susu in New York City’s Lower East Side, Mediterranean flavors and neighborhood vibes come together in a cozy wine bar. It’s also a place where smart technology quietly powers the experience behind the scenes. In this episode, owner Amir Nathan shares how he and his partner Jordan Anderson navigated the challenges of opening their first business — and how tools like Toast POS, Resy reser...

Welcome to Restaurant Technology. On this episode I visit El Primo Red Tacos in Downtown Miami to see how technology like DAVO and Toast is helping them run faster and better. Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am (PST) TECH IN THIS EPISODE: * TOAST * DAVO This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bon...

The true cost of employee turnover is higher than you think. Our Rising Tides Community got a chance to sit with 7shifts CEO Jordan Boesch to talk about his company's new 2025 Restaurant Labor Cost & Profitability Survey and more. READ THE REPORT: https://www.7shifts.com/restaurant-labor-costs-playbook Rising Tides is our weekly LIVE streaming show where we’re joined by some of the top thinkers an...

Nadine De La Fuente, marketing manager for Marqii, shares 8 ways to make your Google Business profile serve up more traffic for your restaurant. This is the Restaurant Technology Substack series where we give you insights and ideas to improve your operations with tech. Please subscribe and share this post. TECH IN THIS EPISODE: MARQII - Digital Hospitality, Simplified Marqii organizes and automate...

This is the Restaurant Technology Substack series where we give you insights and ideas to improve your operations with tech. Please subscribe and share this post. Our partners at Marqii got together three restaurant marketing masterminds ( Josh Kopel , David Rev Ciancio , and Shawn Walchef ) to explain the ways that regular restaurant owners can use readily available tools to spread the word about...

Welcome to the Restaurant Technology Substack Series. On this episode I visit Hidden Craft in San Diego to learn about the technology and tools they use to make their restaurant run better. Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am (PST) TECH IN THIS EPISODE: * TOAST * DAVO * POUR MY BEER This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other sub...

Welcome to the Restaurant Technology Substack Series. On this episode we talk to Marqii CEO Avi Goren about how the tool helps restaurant and hospitality operators work faster and better. Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am (PST) TECH IN THIS EPISODE: MARQII - Digital Hospitality, Simplified Marqii organizes and automates SEO-critical tasks for you from on...

Welcome to the Restaurant Technology Substack Series. On this episode we go inside Tahini Street Food in San Diego to see how the fast-casual Middle Eastern restaurant uses technology in their operations Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am (PST) TECH IN THIS EPISODE: TOAST - Point-of-Sale and Management System RESTAURANT365 - Back-Office Software DAVO - Sa...

Welcome to the Restaurant Technology Substack Series. On this episode we look at how Marqii's Suggested Review Response software helps restaurants like ours respond easier to feedback online. Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every Wednesday and Friday at 10am (PST) TECH IN THIS EPISODE: * MARQII This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get acc...

Welcome to the Restaurant Technology Substack Podcast. On this episode I share how my restaurant switched from Aloha to Toast in 2020 and what it did to transform my business and our tech stack journey. Listen now to learn about restaurant technology integrations you can try out to help with your payments, ordering, delivery, reporting, and more. Join the conversation on Rising Tides Live every We...