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
Food on DemandFood On Demand Conference Series Part 3 with Carl Orsbourn of Invisible Technologies and Deborah Matteliano of Amazon Web Services Fresh off their “Demystifying AI” panel at the Food On Demand Conference, Carl and Deborah join us to break down how AI can help operators across the industry. From voice AI in the drive-thru to predictive data modeling, they share real-world use cases, unexpected wins, and what operators should focus on next.
2025-06-2622 min
The Digital RestaurantHow will Tariffs affect Restaurants? - with Guest Host Deborah Matteliano from AWSSend us a textThis week, Carl is joined by Deborah Matteliano, the Global Head of Restaurants at AWS, for a wide-ranging conversation that covers everything from tariffs and avocados to AI strategy, Seamless’s surprising comeback, and the limits of restaurant robotics. Drawing from her experience at Uber Eats and now at Amazon, Deborah offers sharp insights on how data, delivery, and design are reshaping the restaurant landscape.Topics include:1m 15: How Chipotle’s avocado strategy is shielding it from tariff turbulence9m: Why Grubhub's Revival of Seamless Could Be Wonder's Secret Weapon16m 55...
2025-04-1426 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 minFood on DemandAI Restaurant Use Cases + Deborah Matteliano of Amazon Web Services (AWS)Deborah Matteliano, Global Head of Amazon Web Services discusses how AI, predictive ordering, and chatbots are transforming the restaurant industry, plus dives into the future role of tech in hospitality. She also shares valuable, actionable leadership tips for women in tech, focusing on confidence, resilience, and empowering others.
2024-12-1930 min