Hospitality Hangout – Détails, épisodes et analyse

Perry talks about recently receiving the prestigious IFMA Oberkfell Award and what it means to be recognized for his leadership and impact. He also reveals that he will soon retire after an impressive 30 years at Nestlé! Perry provides insights into Nestlé Professional’s innovative efforts to embrace technology and better serve operators and consumers as he emphasizes the importance of understanding operators’ needs and leading the industry forward during a time of rapid change.

Key Takeaways:
Live from Pepsi Studios at the International Food Manufacturing Association’s President’s Conference in Scottsdale, Arizona.
Introducing Perry Miele, President and CEO of Nestlé. Perry talks about his path to 30 years at Nestlé and a passion for the food industry
Perry awarded the IFMA’s Oberkfell Award for leadership and impact
Highlights include “Making more possible,” embracing robotics, and using AI to drive traffic and profitability.
How Nestlé is using AI to help operators drive traffic and their bottom line. Innovations inspired by the COVID pandemic.
Breaking news: Perry announces retirement after three decades at Nestlé, sharing plans to stay involved in the hospitality industry.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

John’s first job as a dishwasher at Au Bon Pain nurtured his relationship within hospitality eventually leading him to Cornell University School of Hotel Administration. John furthered his career in the hospitality industry by opening up his first restaurant, Gin Lane, in Manhattan and then later founding the original Scarpetta and LDV Hospitality bringing La Dolce Vita around the globe.

Key Takeaways:
• Scarpetta an Italian restaurant, opened in New York 16 years ago, “… it was really game-changing what you did with an Italian restaurant—the coolness, the hipness, the great food, the whole thing.”
• John shares Scarpetta’s expansion to major cities like Las Vegas, Philadelphia, and international locations including London, Doha, Tokyo, and Rome. John discusses the importance of adapting each restaurant to its local market.
• Breaking News: LDV Hospitality plans to open new Scarpetta locations after three years of focusing on international growth while maintaining its unique appeal in different markets.
• John shares a family anecdote about "Good Time Charlie," a bar located on the rooftop at Scarpetta NYC
• Schatzy and Jimmy explore the resilience of New York City's restaurant scene, particularly during the challenging times of the COVID-19 pandemic. They discuss the unique characteristics that make certain neighborhoods thrive (office-dense vs. mixed-use) and discuss the importance of community.
• The Pareto Principle (80-20 Rule) in hospitality management.
• The lifestyle and personalized service at LDV Hospitality, including the use of CRM platforms like SevenRooms to enhance guest experiences and the significance of creating a seamless and integrated guest experience at properties like The Maidstone Hotel, where every detail contributes to a unified and memorable stay.
• Talking Back: John poses a thoughtful and somewhat romantic question to Schatzy and Jimmy asking them to imagine their ultimate last day in New York City before retiring, detailing what their perfect dining and social itinerary would look like.

Listen in as John, Schatzy, and Jimmy entertain the audience with fun segments like, “What’s Hot and Not”, “Name that Recipe”, “Branded Quick Fire”, and “Trivia Tuesday”.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In today’s episode of the Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy”, and Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy”, are joined by 5-time returning guest Josh Halpern, founder and CEO of Big Chicken and Beer Park.

Josh narrates how he began his business and how the relationships he has fostered with shareholders like Dr. Shaquille O’Neal has become invaluable. He also delves into what it is like to own a franchise, walks us through the mindset needed to run one, and uncovers the often forgotten demographics businesses must consider serving in pursuit of success. describes what it takes to bridge the gap between coworkers from multiple generations.

Key Takeaways:

• Breaking News: Josh Halpern’s business Big Chicken goes global with its first international location opening in the United Kingdom. Having started originally in Seattle, when Co-Op Live, Europe’s largest live music venue, opens this year, Big Chicken will be revealed. Josh shares that Big Chicken will be introduced to Canada in a similar fashion later this year. On top of this, Big Chicken will be expanding to parts of Central America where brick-and-mortar restaurants are already being built.
• Market Growth Strategy: Josh opens up about his strategic plan to expand globally and his mindset behind it. When franchising a business, Halpern says, you are not simply in the restaurant business, but also the franchise business. From the time he first dreamt of this idea to now global expansion, Josh has always made it known his sole business objective is a maniacal focus, meaning they are constantly optimizing their product and business model.
• Developing Relationships: The business relationship and friendship Josh has developed with Dr. O’Neal is one he deeply charishes and appreciates. Josh stresses the importance of finding sponsors that identify with your brand the same way Shaquille O’Neal resonated with Big Chicken, being reminded of his mother’s cooking when he was a child.
• Do Fathers Ever Get to Choose? Sit back and enjoy listening to Jimmy, Schatz, and Josh discuss who gets to pick where to eat out and why it’s never the father.
• Michael Schatzberg never fails to make guests of the podcast laugh with his playful nature and quick wit and today is no different. Enjoy as Jimmy lets him narrate Josh and his road to success with plenty of repartee to go around.
• You came for the entree, but stay to indulge in the best dessert the show can offer as Jimmy Frischling, “The Finance Guy”, quizzes Michael Schatzberg, “The Restaurant Guy”, in today’s episode of Trivia Tuesday.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

This month on Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy” are taking a break from their usual interview episodes and bringing you a Best Of season of all your favorite segments. They bring back “Best Of” old favorites such as “Top of the Tech Stack” and “The Branded Quickfire.”

In this episode they feature a Best Of Talking Back with special guest and Co Founder & CEO at Chowly, Inc., Sterling Douglass. When Schatzberg and Frischling started Hospitality Hangout podcast to talk to people in the industry, they quickly learned that their guests had questions for them as well. They created Talking Back to give their guests the opportunity to ask them questions.

This episode shares several great questions from many industry leaders. David Bloom, Chief Development and Operating officer at Capriotti’s and Wing Zone had a three part question. He asked, “What are you the most excited about for the future of tech?” Frischling answered he was most excited and loves the optionality and the large “menu” of tech available to operators. Bloom also asked, “What is the biggest lever a brand can pull to position themselves ahead of the curve?” Frischling said that the biggest lever would be to leverage AI and automation to address the issue of labor shortage and that he’s interested in a combination of data and analytics dominated decision making.

Marty Hahnfeld, Chief Customer Officer at Olo was a guest on season 4 and he asked, “What is one thing that is a normal part of the restaurant experience today that will be gone in 5 years?” Schatzberg answered, Handwriting menus and written reservation books will be a thing of the past. Everything will be done on mobile. Also the idea of walking into a McDonalds and an employee asking what you would like, that will become fully automated.

When Anand Gala, Managing Partner at Gala Capital Partners asked, “What does Branded think about restaurant companies buying tech companies?” Frischling believes no one size fits all and that there are opportunities for restauranteurs to be good investors in tech companies, as well as good clients in tech companies. It depends on the company goals. Schatzberg said being a good customer is key, but maybe as a defensive measure, a restaurant could invest in a company to stop it from going exclusively to a competitor.

To hear Dan Rowe, CEO of Fransmart ask about trends, CEO of Piestro, Massimo Noja De Marco’s question about helping smaller operators and Steven Elinson, Head of Worldwide Business Development, Restaurant, Catering and Food Service Industries for Amazon Web Services ask about opening a new restaurant during the pandemic plus get the guy’s answers, check out this best of episode on Hospitality Hangout.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” are bringing their listeners a “Best Of” season series with all of your favorite segments. Frischling says, “ We are bringing back Best OF old favorites such as Top of the Tech Stack and Which Came First as well as tried and true favorites Talking back and The Crystal Ball Moment. And of course – we can’t leave out the most popular segment (at least according to Schatzy…) The Branded Quickfire.” This episode features the Best of The Crystal Ball moments, with special guest, the Amazing Kreskin. They ask their guests to put on their “Kreskin Hat” and predict the future as it relates to hospitality and technology. And now I’m going to ask you the same question. Where do you see hospitality and technology in 2 years from now?

Hospitality Hangout kicks off the Best Of with Brian Anton, Managing Director at Citi, who was the first official guest to get the official Crystal Ball moment on season one, episode ten. Anton’s response to the question was, “People will want to go back to dining in person… and experience more valuable 2 years from now. People will want to be with their friends and share terrific experiences. BUT behaviors for dining in person will shift as customers now value convenience and technology. Friction points around health and speed will shift – fewer menus will be printed… it will be easier to pre-pay… and more menus will be on the phone.”

The next guest Andrew Smith, Managing Director of the Savory Fund, answered the question and said, Restaurants will strengthen their foundation, have a better tech stack, more touchless, less interaction with humans. On the menu side…food qualities will improve and we’ll see more foreign ingredients. On the experience side…. People will enjoy being together in person…. He believes everyone wants to get back in person and restaurants will thrive better than ever.

Kimberly Grant who is now with Four Seasons Hotels and Resorts as the Global Head of Restaurants and Bars at the time of the episode she was with FAST Acquisition Group, said during her crystal ball moment, there will be continued blurred lines between fast casual and dining. Think of a food hall with a diverse business model. Her prediction is that hotels, movie theaters and retail are going to move to new models in how they serve food – whether that is operating something similar to food halls, or host virtual kitchens or allowing outside food via delivery. Lines blurred in how we consume and source our food and experiences. Also hopefully that restaurants can still provide beverage experiences through delivery.

To hear all of the guests' crystal ball moments, including Robert Earl owner of Earl Enterprises, Brita Rosen Partner at Culterra Capital and Bryan Solar, General Manager of Restaurants at Square check out this best of episode on Hospitality Hangout.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy” and Jimmy Frischling “ The Finance Guy” chat with Taj Adhav, chief executive officer at Leasecake, a platform that lets tenants, brokers and landlords manage location-related services, ranging from lease management to lease accounting to insurance agreements.

Adhav shares his background and says, “So you know, first generation kid, youngest son of an immigrant family. My parents said hey you better get into business so I was a CPA for fifteen years, big four, spent a decade at Disney as an imagineer being involved in lots of large scale commercial projects, hotels, restaurants and business launches. One of them was the Disney Cruise line billion dollar project and launching a couple of cruise ships with that business. A phenomenal kind of experience and I decided I needed to repot myself so I joined a small tech company.”

Leasecake was started over a cup of coffee at a diner, says Adhav. “After a great ride of successes and failures in life I met a gentleman in the commercial real estate space and he looks at me and he's managing this really large commercial real estate portfolio $50 million probably 50 tenants and nine buildings and he said to me, he's like listen you're a business guy and you're a tech guy, I'm losing track of things. I'm losing track of rent increases and lease expirations renewals and month-to-month rents. And he's like we should build an app,” Adhav shares. Jim Banks, the co-founder and Adhav’s idea while meeting over coffee created Leasecake, an operating system for location management and the reason it’s called Leasecake is because it is so easy.

Frischling says, what they love so much about Leasecake is that Adhav was highlighting the fact that they have applied a tech solution to an otherwise antiquated model. He adds, “So many small and mid-sized property owners for all intensive purposes forgotten about when it comes to creating a solution to organize tenant leases and get ready folks. Nearly 80% of the one trillion dollar global rental market falls into that category.”

Adhav is asked about how Leasecake is truly a solution for the multi-unit restaurant and food service operator. He says, “It's having the most accurate accessible answers in something that's easy to use and that allows them to stay focused on running an amazing restaurant experience not to be sidetracked by some time wasting effort because some permits have not been established or understanding.”

To hear more about managing your commercial lease portfolio, learn about the other tools Leasecake offers and winning Techstars, check out this episode of Hospitality Hangout.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Stratis Morfogen, Book Author and Co-Founder of Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, to discuss Dons, dumplings, and disruption.

Frischling asks Morfogen about his background in the industry. Morfogen shares that although he has owned Chinese restaurants for the last 17 years he actually grew up in a typical Greek family. He talks about his family of restauranteurs running 14 different restaurants when he was a child, including the Chelsea Chop House which his father owned. The guys talk about Morfogen’s concept for Brooklyn Chop House and his commitment to creating a menu that he says, “married Beijing Chinese food to an American steakhouse and I made both cultures true to each other.” He talks about innovating the restaurant's appetizer selection by reinventing and reimagining two subcategories: dumplings and sandwiches. He says, “Everything that was once a sandwich I converted it into a dumpling.” He adds, “When we opened in 2018, we doubled our projections, the restaurant just went gangbusters and everyone was ordering a bunch of dumplings.”

The guys talk about Morfogen’s new book and his unique pastime as a child. Morfogen shares that as early as age 6, he was hanging out with mobsters at the Fulton Fish Market. He talks about even declining trips to Disney with his siblings so that he could spend time with his dad a the infamous fish market which happened to be run by Alphonse "Allie Shades" Malangone of the Genovese crime family, or “uncle” as a young Morfogen would come to know him by. Morfogen talks about seeing the hustle and bustle of the scene and learning a lot there that he says, “they’re just not gonna teach you in school.” He adds, “My father didn't hide it from me, you know, and I believe that was one of the greatest things he did for me because he really grew me up quickly and basically showed me the real world at a very early age.” Morfogen's experience includes running nightclubs, and 40 restaurants on his own, and becoming a published author. When asked about his new book, he says, “I got to tell you for the last twenty years people would say, “you got to write a book, you got to write a book” and this is what I did with Simon and Schuster, I wrote ‘Be a Disruptor.’”

Morfogen talks about the recent MURTEC conference where he was a guest speaker. He tells the guys that one of the members of the audience addressed him with profanity and accused him of stealing jobs. Instead of shying away from the subject, Morfogen decided to use the platform to provide education and insights. He shares that the person was referring to automation. Morfogen explains that he didn’t create automat for safety, it was created for economics and efficiencies because the number one reason a majority of restaurants go out of business is due to excessive payroll costs. 

He says, “If 7 out of 10 restaurants are failing because of 30 to 40% payroll and we have a method and it's proven now, it's not just hype, that you could bring this down to 14 to 18%, you got a chance of not just surviving but thriving.”

To hear more from Morfogen about his new book, his thoughts on the rise of technology, and news on franchising the Brooklyn Dumpling Shop, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!

This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Buck Jordan, Founder and CEO of Wavemaker Labs, to discuss his early fascination with automation, scaling brands through robotics, and why he thinks franchising is dead.

Frischling asks Jordan to share a little about his background and Wavemaker Labs. Jordan talks about first being exposed to automation 20 years ago, when he was an armor officer going through tank training in Fort Knox, Kentucky. He vividly recalls seeing four, unmanned, armored, personnel carriers whizzing by at 40 miles per hour and how that moment planted a seed that would blossom into a career in automation, which ultimately led him to found Wavemaker Labs. He shares that the company’s mission is to automate the supply chain of food, from seed to fork, with the outcome being higher quality food, with less cost to the masses. He explains that they take the highest consumption food categories in the United States and automate them. He says, “We believe that our business will end up kind of along two tracks, one, supplying the existing brands with automation solutions and helping them, you know, kind of modernize and reinvent themselves. And then two, we are also building a suite of digitally native brands that we'll be operating.”

The guys talk about ways Wavemaker Labs is solving some of the biggest problems in the restaurant industry. Jordan tells the guys that he has always liked the idea of robots doing jobs that are too dangerous for humans to do or simply tasks that they don't want to do. As an example, many operators, clients, and friends complain about dishwashing. Jordan talks about not only automated dishwashing but also, fryers as well as other robotic kitchen assistants. Jordan shares that while he is excited to build his brand, it’s also about, he says, “Really enabling existing brands to scale faster and better.”

When Jordan is asked to elaborate on a quote that he made about franchising being dead, he talks about the logistics and challenges around the franchise model. Jordan says, “Well, let me just walk you through the logic, right? So in the ’60s and ’70s, every QSR went 99% franchising as fast as they possibly could. Why’d they do that? Because it costs anywhere from half a million to three million to build a restaurant. And then you gotta manage dozens and dozens of people on and off a shift, and so just offload that expense and that management headache to the franchisees. That’s what the brands did.” He adds, “But the future, if the future really is 100% fully automated and if the future successful brands are going be digitally native brands, meaning that their menus have been designed to be a hundred percent automated, then do you really need franchising again?” He talks about how vending machines will be able to make and deliver Michelin-level, incredible food. Jordan asks, “Do you really need to have a franchisee do that? Especially when you're a big brand and you can finance the cost of that machine.” 

To hear Jordan share more about, automation, robotics, and his thoughts on the democratization of venture investing, tune into this episode of Hospitality Hangout on Spotify.

This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with John Davie, CEO and Owner of The Buyers Edge Platform, to discuss his mission to help local restaurants, the importance of clean data, and how he is leveraging tech to help the environment. 

Frischling asks Davie about his background. Davie shares that he has spent his entire career helping small, independent, local, mom-and-pop restaurants, get some of the same advantages as the larger chains. He talks about recognizing a need in the industry because smaller restaurants simply could not compete when it came to real estate, technology, software, and buying power. Davie, along with some insights from his father, decided to “even the playing field”, by developing a company, 25 years ago, that would give those businesses the same leverages and collective buying power as the big brands. Their concept evolved into Buyers Edge Platform, which is a digital procurement network, that leverages over $2 billion in collective food spend.

The guys talk about the company’s culture and how it helped them not only navigate the pandemic but rise to a new level together as a team. Davie talks about working with his own family at Buyers Edge Platform. His father, siblings, inlaws, and cousins, make up part of the team, but the family-oriented feel extends throughout the entire company and is a key to their culture. He shares that during the pandemic, both he and his father suspended their salaries and several employees voluntarily took temporary pay cuts to protect each other and the company as a whole. Davie shares that they were able to keep nearly the entire 700-person staff employed throughout that pandemic and collectively they spent that time building tools and software to make everything they did easier from a remote scenario. Davie shares how those efforts paid off. He says, “We added over 30,000 new restaurant locations in 2020.” He adds, “Then in 2021, last year, we came roaring back and we were 50% up over pre-Covid, but it was all due to our team really seizing the moment and sacrificing, voluntarily and then over-performing tremendously, to where now the company is just more than double up, versus pre-Covid.”

When asked about the company’s efforts regarding building incentives for restaurants to use, and switch to more sustainable solutions, Davie shares that it all goes back to data and analytics. He says, “The core thing that I learned early on with trying to bring restaurants together, is that you got to have clean, normalized data to be able to do any of the cool stuff with software and really help operators, manufacturers, and distributors.” He shares that as the company has grown they have been committed to giving back and doing great things for the environment. He shares that from an ESG perspective, they are able to leverage their massive amount of data to find products that are better for the environment. He acknowledges that while eco-friendly packaging tends to be more costly, Buyers Edge Platform offers rebates and assistance to help operators make the transition away from products like styrofoam. The goal is to find eco-products that hold the food temperature better and perform better for the operator. He says, “They will hopefully see the value in going into a little more expensive packaging, that ultimately gives them a better experience for their guests, especially in the takeout and delivery space.”

To hear more from Davie about clean data, his predictions on BOH rapid technology adoption, and breaking news on the company's new partnership, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!

This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com

In the latest episode of Hospitality Hangout, Michael Schatzberg “The Restaurant Guy'' and Jimmy Frischling “The Finance Guy'' chat with Tom Gordon, President and CEO of Slim Chickens Restaurants, to discuss, launching a fast-casual chicken concept, robotics, and why technology is key to survival.

Gordon talks about the early days of his career. He shares that after college, armed with a finance and real estate degree, he was on the stockbroker track, but he quickly learned that he loathed the path. He decided to leave the world of Wallstreet for the restaurant industry, where he started waiting on tables and bartending. Gordon tells the guys that in 2001, he and his business partner, Greg Smart, began conceptualizing Slim Chickens, a fast-casual chicken tender restaurant. He shares memories of developing recipes in Smart’s garage, along with their friends, who provided feedback on everything from breading, sauces, and sides. Gordon says, “You know we really are still tracking with the majority of stuff we put together back then in the garage. From the garage, we found our first spot, and the rest is, you know, 19 years of history.” Gordon shares some growth metrics around Slim Chickens, which officially launched in 2003. He says the brand currently has 170 units, including 23 International locations, and has plans to scale to 600 units by 2026.

Frischling asks Gordon about the company’s early adoption of technology and why it is a key to survival. Gordon talks about recognizing the importance of technology early on and embracing it. He says, “We were early adopters of better POS systems, digital menu boards, and being able to change products and LTOs on a quick pace and a quick run.” He adds, “I think the most consequential investment we made, and the thing we did was, we invested in a really robust app and loyalty system about a year before Covid showed up.” He talks about technology being table stakes for the future and shares how tech helped the brand sell, maintain comps, and communicate with their guests through Covid. He admits that without the technology being implemented early on, Slim Chickens would have been in a much different position today. He adds “That embracing of technology, app-based ordering, online ordering, curbside delivery through the app and then all the ancillary parts and pieces, I mean made the year 2020 for us, and made sure 2021 stayed on track and here we are in 2022.”

Schatzberg talks about tech and innovation and asks Gordon to share more about the reactions employees are having to the food-running robots popping up in some of the Slim Chickens locations. Gordon shares that some franchises are testing the food-running robots and that they have been very open to embracing this type of technology. He says that while it’s been fun for everyone to see the new robots, there were concerns from some team members who worried about the robots making mistakes, such as delivering food to the wrong table. However, once they saw the robot in action, working successfully over and over again, they realized the usefulness of such technology. Gordon is quick to point out that while robots are helpful, they aren’t currently a complete replacement for people. He says, “Hospitality is hospitality. You got to take care of the guests, you got to seat people, and look them in the eyes and make sure they're happy. But I think this is an adaptable technology with the right footprint in a restaurant.” He adds, “It's a useful piece of the puzzle.”

To hear Gordon’s thoughts on automation, robotics, and more from his chat with Schatzberg and Frischling, check out this episode of The Hospitality Hangout on iTunes!

This syndicated content is brought to you by Branded Strategic Hospitality.

Episode Credits:

• Produced by: Branded Hospitality Media
• Hosted by: Michael Schatzberg, JImmy Frischling
• Producer: Julie Zucker
• Creative Director: Adam Levine
• Show Runner: Drewe Raimi
• Post Production: Three Cheers Creative

www.thehospitalityhangout.com