RA Ventures runs a growing family of restaurant brands that includes 110 Grill, Evviva Trattoria, and Oar & Iron, with 55 locations powered by smart systems and even smarter people. In this Digital Hospitality episode, Shawn Walchef spotlights how a team of behind-the-scenes leaders brought major change to daily operations through Kickfin, the digital tipping platform that replaced hours of manual cash handling with instant, secure payouts. Renie Faddoul, Stephanie Sundberg, and Brianna Jordan share how technology like Kickfin improves safety, retention, and transparency while freeing managers to focus on what really matters: training teams and delivering great hospitality.
Interview Takeaways:
- Digital Tips, Real Impact – Kickfin didn’t just modernize tip-outs for RA Ventures. It gave hours back to managers, increased safety for employees, and made pay transparent and immediate. For a company built on hospitality, technology that saves time and builds trust is worth every investment.
- Technology Should Start With Pain, Not Hype – Before adding new tools, the team studies real operator challenges and only moves forward if the solution makes daily work easier. Kickfin became the model for what good tech looks like, simple, responsive, and built for restaurants, not around them.
- Systems That Serve People – Renie Faddoul, Stephanie Sundberg, and Brianna Jordan see technology as a way to support people, not replace them. Automating repetitive tasks lets their teams spend more time training, connecting, and creating hospitality moments that guests actually feel.
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