Shows
The Digital RestaurantWhy Agile Marketing is the Essential Restaurant Skill in the Digital AgeSend us a textThis week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Jennifer Kern, CMO of Qu, for a fast-moving conversation about the headlines shaping restaurants, technology, and consumer behavior.We kick off with a surprising stat: half of adults are ordering kids meals. (01:00) What does this say about QSR value wars, portion sizes, and how brands like CAVA and Starbucks are reframing value through experience, not just price?Next, we examine Chipotle’s partnership with Zipline (05:00), which involves testing drone delivery in Dallas. Is th...
2025-09-0227 min
The Digital RestaurantBeware, Be Kind of Viral InfluencersSend us a textIn this episode of The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Emmy Award–winning storyteller Mike Duffy of Yum Crunch. Together they break down five timely stories shaping restaurants and tech:McDonald’s bets on web ordering through DoorDash—does convenience outweigh control?Yum Brands’ Byte platform fuels $9B in digital sales and rewrites the restaurant tech stack.Social listening lessons: Cracker Barrel’s backlash vs. KFC’s potato wedge comeback.Drone delivery’s tipping point—new FAA rules, Texas rollouts, pizza robots in LA, and the Ghost Kitchen 3.0 vision.The power and peril of inf...
2025-08-1845 min
The Digital RestaurantAEO is the new SEO: How AI is rewriting the digital playbookSend us a textCarl returns from a July break with Bernadette Heier of Food on Demand to unpack five stories that signal where restaurant tech is heading next.01:00 – Olo acquired by Thoma Bravo • $2B all-cash deal • A chance to reset outside the public markets • Could this unlock faster innovation?04:30 – OpenTable’s AI Concierge • Built with OpenAI and Perplexity • Answers 80% of diner questions • Visibility now depends on how up-to-date your listing is09:00 – Golden Corral’s Flybuy-powered pickup • Off-premises rebrand: Golden Corral F...
2025-07-2122 min
The Digital RestaurantAre Restaurants Getting Tired of Tech? - with Guest Host Bernadette HeierSend us a textWelcome to The Digital Restaurant! Carl is joined by Bernadette Heier, Managing Editor from Food on Demand, marking the first time a professional broadcaster joins the show.[00:01:07] Planes, (Trains?) & Automobiles – A New Kind of Off-Premise? Shake Shack is expanding its partnership with Delta Airlines, bringing its brand to first-class passengers. As restaurants seek new ways to expand off-premise, is the future in the skies—or even on freeways?[00:03:04] Dashboard Dining: The Rise of In-Car Ordering – SoundHound AI partne...
2025-03-1724 min
The Digital RestaurantWhy does Yum want to own the tech stack - with guest host Cijoy OlickalSend us a textCarl welcomes guest host Cijoy Olickal, a restaurant tech expert, to break down key industry trends.🔹 2025 Restaurant Industry Outlook – $1.5T in sales, shifting consumer habits, tech’s impact on profitability, and labor challenges. Articles One, Two, and Three🔹 Yum! Brands' Tech Strategy – Is building a proprietary tech stack the right move for a global franchise? Articles One and Two🔹 Wonder’s Expansion – Mark Lore’s meal kit & marketplace strategy—how does it compare to DoorDash and Uber Eats? Articles...
2025-02-1733 min