Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

This week on the Tech on Toast podcast I’m joined by Brett Robbins, CEO of Snapfix – the 📸 photo-first “brain at the centre of your building” that helps teams stay on top of maintenance, safety and day-to-day ops in one simple app. We chat about why simple software is secretly the hardest thing to build , how Snapfix grew from a seaside town in Ireland 🌊 to Dublin’s Docklands and beyond, and why...

In this episode, we explore how KATE Media’s dedicated on-table ordering and payment device is changing the way restaurants serve, sell, and scale. Host Chris Fletcher chats with Manuel Costin , Country Manager at KATE Media , about why a physical, brandable device outperforms QR codes — boosting guest control, staff efficiency, and average spend. 💡 What you’ll learn 📱 Why a physical device crea...

This series, Business in Better Shape, was born from new research by Tech on Toast and Square, The Long-Term Case for Smarter Tech Investment. We spoke to more than 150 hospitality leaders across the UK, uncovering an industry stuck between ambition and hesitation. Most hospitality teams buy tech only when something’s on fire - Square’s research shows just 6% plan purchases, while 94% react. That...

This week, Chris is joined (again!) by Christian Mouysset, Co-founder of Tenzo, the “glue” that brings sales, labour, inventory, reviews and reservations into one real-time view. We talk actionable KPIs over vanity metrics, why speed of feedback beats perfect dashboards, and how “performance ops” helps GMs move the needle on today’s shift, not next quarter’s report. Highlights From data overload t...

This series, Business in Better Shape, was born from new research by Tech on Toast and Square, The Long-Term Case for Smarter Tech Investment. We spoke to more than 150 hospitality leaders across the UK, uncovering an industry stuck between ambition and hesitation. Most hospitality teams buy tech only when something’s on fire - Square’s research shows just 6% plan purchases, while 94% react. That...

💡 Connectivity in hospitality is no longer optional — it’s as important as gas, water and electricity. Host Chris Fletcher chats with Andy Maynard (Head of IT services and Solutions Caffè Nero) and Joe Strudwick (Head of National Accounts, Sky Business) about why reliable networks now power everything from card payments to coffee machines — and how smart operators are treating connectivity like a...

AI isn’t here to replace ops, it’s here to amplify it. Laure Joyeux (Expansion & Partnerships, Inpulse) and Italo Vendramini (Head of Operations, La Maritxu) share how AI-driven forecasting powers inventory and purchasing, cutting order-building time, lifting availability, and reducing waste. We cover trust on the shop floor, onboarding and support, supplier integrations (incl. EDI/email), and...

This week, Chris sits down with Frederick Szydlowski , Co-founder of Embargo , to unpack how an all-in-one, best-in-class approach to loyalty, ordering and CRM can actually move the P&L—without burying teams in complexity. Freddy’s story runs from professional basketball in Poland to JOE & THE JUICE on King’s Road, to building one of the UK’s highest-rated food & drink apps (4.9★). We...

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast , host Chris Fletcher sits down with David Dillon , Founder and CEO of UROCKED , the digital tipping platform making gratuities transparent, compliant, and fair for everyone in hospitality. Born from a real operator problem, watching his mum spend hours calculating tips by hand, David built UROCKED to make life easier for hospitality teams and ensure ev...

This series, Business in Better Shape, was born from new research by Tech on Toast and Square, The Long-Term Case for Smarter Tech Investment. We spoke to more than 150 hospitality leaders across the UK, uncovering an industry stuck between ambition and hesitation. The data showed that while most operators see technology as essential to their future, only 18% would currently recommend their existi...

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with Joel Robinson, founder of Openr – a data orchestration platform transforming how enterprise hospitality brands manage their tech stacks. Joel shares his journey from Sainsbury’s digital transformation team to leading digital strategy at Azzurri Group, before building Openr to solve one of hospitality’s biggest headaches: f...

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with Sean Trevaskis, co-founder of Growdash , to explore how restaurants can turn delivery data into powerful marketing strategies. Sean shares his journey from working at Talabat and Deliveroo to launching Growdash, a restaurant growth platform that integrates with aggregators like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. Together,...

Chris chats with James Fahy , co-founder of JustTip , about building a tipping and tronc platform straight out of school, the UK’s evolving tipping legislation, and why faster, more transparent payouts matter for teams. James shares what he’s learnt as a first-time founder, how operators can save £5–6k per year through compliant tronc schemes with no NIC for businesses or staff (as discussed), and...

This week, Chris sits down with Victor Lugger , co-founder of Big Mamma and Sunday , to unpack how “invisible tech” (think: pay-at-table that just works) can lift guest experience, speed up service, and actually reduce the tech clutter on the floor. From 31 trattorias across 8 countries to Sunday now processing $4.2bn and hitting ~90% adoption in London, Victor shares the operator’s lens on what m...

What  is  great service in 2025? In this episode of  Tech on Toast , powered by  Zonal , we unpack why hospitality is still (and always will be) a people business—and how that truth fuels loyalty. Host  Chris Fletcher  is joined by: Antony Pender  — Founder, Yummy Collection (people-first pubs, bars & seafood concepts) Darren Smith  — Head of Operations, Flat Iron (consistent, craveable steakh...

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast , powered by Zonal, we dig into the misunderstood but powerful world of personalisation in hospitality. With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shrinking, how do brands stand out without becoming pushy — or worse, creepy? Host Chris Fletcher is joined by: Tom James , Managing Director at Bill’s Restaurants, leading the brand through a digital matur...

AI in Business: How Dojo is Turning Proof of Concept into Real Impact This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast , we’re live at Dojo HQ with Rob Howes, Senior Vice President of Technology , to explore what AI in business really looks like beyond the hype. Rob breaks down how Dojo are embedding AI across payments, customer service, and fraud prevention — moving from proof of concept experiments to pro...

Customer loyalty has evolved. Today, it’s less about “collect 10 stamps, get a free coffee” and more about personalisation, value, and belonging . But what does that look like in practice for pubs, hotels, and restaurants? In this episode, Chris Fletcher , Founder & CEO of Tech on Toast, sits down with: Amy Clarke – Head of Marketing, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts Gillian Nicholson – Sales Dire...

🍽️ The Return to Experience-Led Dining — Live from Caravan Fitzrovia Powered by Shift4 & Lunchbox This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast, we’re bringing you something special — a live panel recording from our recent event at Caravan Fitzrovia , all about the return to experience-led dining in 2025. Big shout out to Adam at Captive Wifi for the content! Guest host Phil Street (Caterer.com) is j...

In this special episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast 🎙️, brought to you in partnership with Zonal , we dig into one of hospitality’s most overused — and misunderstood — buzzwords: loyalty . Host Chris Fletcher is joined by: John Sills 📖 – Author of The Human Experience , who argues loyalty doesn’t really exist — usefulness does. Ruth Carpenter 🍕 – Head of Marketing at Pizza Pilgrims , sharing ho...

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast , Chris Fletcher welcomes back Dominic Child, VP of Sales at Ingredifind, for a conversation that goes beyond compliance and into the real operational and emotional impact of allergens in hospitality. Together, they explore why allergen management is still largely manual in a digital-first industry, how it affects staff confidence, guest trust, and oper...

In this episode, Chris Fletcher sits down with Sonny Wells, founder of Sonny’s – the soon-to-launch fast-casual food brand with a mission to make eating out safer and more inclusive for people with allergies, especially coeliacs. Sonny shares his personal journey through a difficult diagnosis, what sparked the idea for Sonny’s in Dubai, and how a chance encounter with Sir Richard Branson turned in...

Cybersecurity with Naveed Islam, CISO at Dojo In this special edition of the Tech on Toast Podcast, host Chris Fletcher sits down with Naveed Islam , Chief Information Security Officer at Dojo , to unpack the state of cybersecurity in today’s AI-powered, hyper-digital world. From phishing scams and data breaches to quantum threats and ransomware-as-a-service , this episode breaks it all down in a...

Guest: Gab Lopez, MD at 24social (MVG Media) Host: Chris Fletcher Series: Tech on Toast Season Sponsored by Deliverect This Week’s Slice: What if building a pub website took less time than pouring a pint? Chris sits down with Gab Lopez, MD of 24social, to talk about making websites work for hospitality – not the other way around. From their AI-powered “MyPlace” product for venue managers to scalab...

This week, Chris Fletcher is joined by two guests with serious flavour and flair: James Packham, founder of cult bacon sandwich brand Le Swine , and Nick Clark, founder and MD of Sheffield-based creative studio 93FT . What starts with a bacon butty turns into a masterclass in brand building, creative bravery, and how friendship can drive business success. Together, they unwrap: How a stolen sandwi...