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 RestaurantJust Eat, Just Sold - The Global Marketplace Consolidation ContinuesSend us a textWelcome to this week’s episode of The Digital Restaurant Podcast! Carl is joined by special guest Olga Lopategui, a leading expert in restaurant loyalty and digital engagement, to break down the latest innovations shaping the restaurant industry.⏱ [01:07] – Just Salad Gets $200M InvestmentWhat makes Just Salad’s tech stack unique?How will this funding impact digital transformation in restaurants?Will they use the investment for expansion, technology, or both?⏱ [04:42] – Just Eat Takeaway’s Acquisition by ProcessWhat does this mean...
2025-03-0325 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
Wisking it allWhat's Missing in Your Restaurant's Loyalty Program?About the Episode
In this conversation, Olga Lopategui, founder of Restaurant Loyalty Specialists, shares her journey from corporate roles in international marketing to establishing her own consulting firm focused on restaurant loyalty programs.
She discusses the common pitfalls restaurants face when implementing loyalty programs, the evolution of these programs over the years, and the impact of third-party platforms on customer loyalty.
Finally, Olga emphasizes the importance of understanding customer data, key metrics for success, and the future trends in restaurant loyalty, including the integration of AI for better segmentation and analytics.
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2024-10-0839 min
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack OatesNext Level Loyalty with Olga LopateguiSend us a textIn this 300th episode of "Give an Ovation," host Zack Oates welcomes back Olga Lopategui, a seasoned restaurant marketing consultant and the Founder of Restaurant Loyalty Specialists. Olga shares her expertise in setting up and optimizing loyalty programs for restaurant chains, offering insights into the importance of process optimization and the role of technology in enhancing guest experiences. Tune in to learn about the best practices for maintaining customer loyalty, the impact of effective guest communication, and the strategies Olga recommends for improving guest satisfaction.Thanks, Olga!
2024-06-0323 min
The Local Marketing LabLocalization and personalization for brand loyalty with Olga LopateguiIn this episode of the Local Marketing Lab, Olga Lopategui, an expert in restaurant loyalty and rewards programs, shares valuable insights on the importance of localized marketing strategies and personalization for brand loyalty. With over 15 years of experience working with renowned brands like Pizza Hut and TGI Fridays, Olga’s expertise sheds light on the evolving landscape of personalized messaging and the impact it has on driving repeat business in the restaurant industry. Whether you’re seeking to optimize digital marketing channels, launch effective loyalty programs, or manage online reviews, Olga’s insights offer actionable steps for enhancing your marketin...
2024-03-2031 min
The Restaurant Technology Guys Podcast brought to you by Custom Business SolutionsRestaurant Loyalty Specialists Founder Olga LopateguiJoin Jeremy and Olga Lopategui where they talk about restaurant loyalty and how to maximize your brand message. After 15 years in brand marketing and international franchise marketing at Pizza Hut, KFC and TGI Fridays, Olga noticed that restaurant chains were getting proficient at collecting customer data, yet the skill of using that data for marketing seemed to be lacking in many organizations. Restaurant Loyalty Specialists, a boutique loyalty consulting firm, was founded right then. We offer expertise in Loyalty and CRM for restaurant chains. The key principle is simple: find out what your guest...
2023-07-2452 min
Get Personal with LoyaltyA Seat at the Table: Fostering Customer Loyalty for Your QSROlga Lopategui, the founder of Restaurant Loyalty Specialists, is a true expert in the restaurant industry with more than 15 years of experience. In this episode, Olga shares practical tips and insights on building customer habits and cultivating emotional loyalty. She dives into the nuances of emotional versus transactional loyalty, helping you to understand what truly motivates your customers to keep coming back. Whether you're a restaurateur, a marketer or just someone looking to learn more about the power of loyalty, tune in now to gain expert insights and takeaways you can put into action today.
2023-04-2540 min
ForktalesOlga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Restaurant Loyalty MavenOlga is the founder of OLLO Restaurant Loyalty which offers expertise in loyalty and CRM for restaurant chains. The company’s key principle is simple: find out what your guests already like, then give them more of that – at scale – to drive sales. Email segmentation works best for brands with larger email databases in excess of 25,000 contacts. When segmenting for clients, Olga prefers to focus on product preference, dayparting, and spend preference. Loyalty programs can be an effective way to get customers to share their contact information and share their purchasing information. There are many...
2022-09-2231 min
ForktalesOlga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Restaurant Loyalty MavenOlga is the founder of OLLO Restaurant Loyalty which offers expertise in loyalty and CRM for restaurant chains. The company’s key principle is simple: find out what your guests already like, then give them more of that – at scale – to drive sales. Email segmentation works best for brands with larger email databases in excess of 25,000 contacts. When segmenting for clients, Olga prefers to focus on product preference, dayparting, and spend preference. Loyalty programs can be an effective way to get customers to share their contact information and share their purchasing information. There are many...
2022-09-2231 min
VigorOlga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Restaurant Loyalty MavenAfter 15 years in restaurant marketing at Pizza Hut, KFC and TGI Fridays, Olga decided to focus her marketing expertise on loyalty and CRM. With that, OLLO Restaurant Loyalty was born and her clients include restaurant chains with five to 800 locations.
In this episode of Forktales, Olga talks about the challenges facing restaurant marketers today, how to put segmentation to work in your email marketing and how loyalty programs are a not-so-secret weapon when it comes to building your email database.
2022-09-2231 minQuenchOlga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Restaurant Loyalty MavenAfter 15 years in restaurant marketing at Pizza Hut, KFC and TGI Fridays, Olga decided to focus her marketing expertise on loyalty and CRM. With that, OLLO Restaurant Loyalty was born and her clients include restaurant chains with five to 800 locations.
In this episode of Forktales, Olga talks about the challenges facing restaurant marketers today, how to put segmentation to work in your email marketing and how loyalty programs are a not-so-secret weapon when it comes to building your email database.
2022-09-2231 minForktalesOlga Lopategui / Founder of Ollo Consulting & Restaurant Loyalty MavenOlga is the founder of OLLO Restaurant Loyalty which offers expertise in loyalty and CRM for restaurant chains. The company’s key principle is simple: find out what your guests already like, then give them more of that – at scale – to drive sales. Email segmentation works best for brands with larger email databases in excess of 25,000 contacts. When segmenting for clients, Olga prefers to focus on product preference, dayparting, and spend preference. Loyalty programs can be an effective way to get customers to share their contact information and share their purchasing information. There are many...
2022-09-2231 min
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack OatesThe Science of Loyalty with Olga LopateguiSend us a textOlga Lopategui is a restaurant marketing expert with experience as a Marketing Manager at Pizza Hut International and as the Director of Marketing for TGI Fridays. She also holds degrees from Harvard Business School and Georgetown University Law. Olga now works as a restaurant consultant, helping restaurants make data-driven decisions to improve loyalty and online ordering. On this episode, Olga and host Zack Oates discuss: The biggest mistakes restaurants make with loyalty programsThe most important loyalty metricsMaking online ordering frictionlessTesting email subject linesWhether Harvard or Georgetown is harderMoreThanks, Ol...
2021-12-2025 min
Restaurants Reinvented: Putting Growth Back on the MenuRedefining Loyalty: From Points & Discounts to Understanding Your Customer - Diane Le and Olga LopateguiTwo top loyalty experts : Diane Le (Punchh) and Olga Lopategui (OLLO Consult) discuss how to build more meaningful relationships with your guests + all the fundamentals of a “modern day restaurant loyalty program.” Key Takeaways: It all starts with the customer experience and 1:1 relationships. (Move from a transactional to relational mindset)How to use Data & Segmentation for Smart Marketing. What Can Ruin Your Loyalty Program? Lack of alignment b/t Marketing & Ops!The most important loyalty program metrics >> Participation rate, Visits, and Spend Lift.The 3 loyalty team members you need to successfully execute.The future is all ab...
2021-02-2050 min