Episodes

Bart Berkey, founder of Most People Don’t and former Ritz-Carlton executive, shares why hospitality is ultimately about making people feel seen. After spending 16 years inside Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International, Berkey built a platform around storytelling, gratitude, and doing the things most people are afraid to do. This episode explores personal branding, podcasting, leadership, human connection, and why small moments of recognition still matter in an increasingly digital world. Hospital...

Ross Franklin, founder and CEO of Pure Green Franchise, joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix to discuss how he scaled one of the fastest-growing wellness franchise brands in the country. Franklin shares the lessons learned from launching Pure Green in New York City, building a national wholesale operation, franchising with operators who have no restaurant background, and creating systems focused on simplicity, hospitality, and community engagement. Welln...

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with John Smolen, SVP Sales & Customer Success at Atmosphere TV, to discuss why traditional television fails inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and other commercial spaces. Smolen explains how Atmosphere built an entirely new category of entertainment designed specifically for businesses, why attention matters more than ever in hospitality, and how operators can use content to increase guest engagement, improve the in-venue experience,...

Bala Subramaniam, co-founder of Bites, explains why the future of restaurant ordering may live inside AI platforms like ChatGPT instead of traditional delivery apps. After years at Amazon, Instacart, and LinkedIn, Subramaniam set out to solve one of hospitality’s biggest problems: delivery platforms that drive growth while draining margins and hiding customer data from restaurants. This episode explores AI-native ordering, the economics of food delivery, POS partnerships, and why controlling dis...

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with Alexandra Fulea, CEO and co-founder of YourBI, to discuss why restaurants are overwhelmed with data but still struggling to make better decisions. Alexandra explains how disconnected systems create operational blind spots, why dashboards alone are not enough, and how clean data foundations are becoming essential for AI, forecasting, scheduling, and scalable restaurant operations. Connected Data Creates Better Decisions – Alexa...

Krish Sridhar, founder and CEO of KNOW, explains why restaurant operations become harder when teams are forced to juggle disconnected systems, paper binders, and endless apps. From digital checklists and health inspections to AI-powered workflows, KNOW helps operators simplify execution and create consistency across every location. This episode explores frontline operations, operational discipline, proactive health and safety systems, and why the best restaurant technology should quietly remove ...

Anthony Valletta, CEO of bartaco, shares how a 30-plus location restaurant brand is built through people, empowerment, and community connection, not rigid systems. From losing an entire staff as a young GM to building a culture centered around hospitality-first leadership, Valletta explains why great restaurants are defined by how they recover from mistakes, not how they avoid them. This episode explores digital hospitality, storytelling through design, modern restaurant tech stacks, and why rea...

Jegil Dugger, founder and CEO of Pye, shares how his journey from Division I athlete to restaurant technology entrepreneur shaped his approach to digital hospitality. After rebuilding his life through innovation and entrepreneurship, Dugger created kiosk technology designed to help operators reduce friction, improve service, and support every customer, including those who still rely on cash payments. This episode explores automation as a tool for hospitality, why accessibility still matters in r...

Trace Smith, CEO of Next Glass, shares how an unexpected leap from private equity into the beverage alcohol industry led to building a platform that connects producers, operators, and consumers at scale. From acquiring Untappd to powering menu management for thousands of restaurants, he explains why great products and real customer value drive lasting growth. This episode explores building in a fragmented industry, using data to drive foot traffic, and how technology and AI can enhance hospitali...

Dan Kablaoui of PubKey shares how a neighborhood bar became something much bigger: a gathering place where hospitality, Bitcoin, media, and community intersect. From rebuilding a post-COVID community in New York to launching an ambitious Washington, D.C. venue with a stage, studio, and event space, he explains why physical spaces still matter in a digital world. This episode explores sponsorship-driven growth, content as a business model, and how great hospitality can make complex ideas feel app...

Aaron Hoffman shares how a college side hustle turned into DeliverThat, a national platform helping restaurants take control of delivery and grow catering with confidence. From a viral tweet and bike deliveries on campus to serving major brands through smarter logistics, he explains why restaurants should own the guest relationship. This episode explores first-party delivery, the value of catering, the new Toast integration, and how technology can create simplicity instead of friction. Origin S...

Khara Mangiduyos, co-founder of Kalei's Kitchenette, shares how humble beginnings at farmers markets grew into a thriving Hawaiian comfort food brand built on authenticity, resilience, and community. From launching with her husband as a two-person team to opening a brick-and-mortar after years of persistence, she explains why real connection matters more than polished marketing. This episode explores storytelling as a growth tool, building loyalty through shared values, and how hospitality can r...

Amanda Kahalehoe, COO of Vicious Biscuit, shares how an emerging restaurant brand is scaling through systems, not chaos. From building the operational backbone behind growth to choosing technology that actually removes friction, Kahalehoe explains why modern operators need more than great food to expand. This episode explores franchise growth, smart tech stacks, vendor partnerships, and how the right systems create better hospitality. Technology Should Remove Friction First – Amanda Kahalehoe d...

Stephanie Florio and Alexander Florio share how Swob is helping restaurants hire faster through simpler systems, smarter automation, and a better candidate experience. From responding within 24 hours to building stronger careers pages and reducing no-shows with AI, they explain how operators can compete for talent in a changing labor market. This episode explores digital hospitality and why hiring starts long before day one. Speed Wins the Best Candidates – Restaurants often lose applicants not...

Shawn Walchef sits down with Cesar Vallin, co-owner of Cloak and Petal, to talk about rebuilding after failure and leading with authenticity. Vallin shares the lessons learned from bankruptcy, the mindset shift that shaped his restaurant, and why storytelling and vulnerability matter in hospitality. The conversation explores resilience, daily practices for staying present, and why long-term consistency matters more than short-term success. Authenticity Builds Real Connection – Vallin does not s...

Matt Lattanzio, President of Supply & Demand Consulting and former revenue leader at 7shifts, breaks down why most restaurant tech companies struggle to scale. From building repeatable go-to-market systems to defining a true target account list, he shares practical insights on sales, marketing, and growth. This episode explores the shift from single-channel inbound to distributed strategies and why consistency, not early traction, is what drives long-term success. Repeatability Is the Real Grow...

Shawn Walchef sits down with Enrique Medina, owner of Crest Cafe in San Diego, to talk about consistency, community, and running a restaurant on your own terms. Medina shares what it means to return to a family business, lead through one of the toughest periods in hospitality, and build a culture centered on regulars and relationships. The conversation explores operating without traditional restaurant technology, trusting your team, and why the feeling inside the restaurant will always matter mo...

Brett Spiegel, Vice President of Direct Ordering at Checkmate, breaks down why the menu has become one of the most powerful and overlooked tools in modern restaurants. From managing constant menu changes across multiple channels to turning digital screens into revenue drivers, he explains how leading brands are using data, testing, and technology to increase average order size and improve the guest experience. This episode explores how Checkmate helps operators simplify complexity and scale smar...

Alistair Levine, CEO of Vine Hospitality, shares how a 7-location, 350-employee restaurant group is built on discipline, not trends. From lessons on leases and financial fundamentals to using YouTube as a demand and hiring engine, Levine explains how modern operators can blend old school principles with new school tools. This episode explores digital hospitality, intentional tech stacks, and why telling your story is now a competitive advantage. Old School Discipline Still Wins – Alistair Levin...

Benjamin Berg, CEO of E-Card Systems, joins Digital Hospitality to explain why gift cards are one of the most overlooked revenue tools in restaurants. Serving more than 100,000 brands each year, his company helps operators simplify both physical and digital gift card programs. Berg shares how gift cards became a lifeline during the pandemic, why most restaurants underutilize them, and how they can drive cash flow, customer acquisition, and retention. This episode breaks down the operational and ...

Tamar Mizrahi, founder of Goddess and the Baker, joins Digital Hospitality to share how she built and scaled a fast-casual café concept across Chicago. Mizrahi explains how focusing on simple menus, strong systems, and operational discipline helped the brand grow to multiple locations. She also discusses the role technology and partners like F3 play in supporting installs, networking, and POS infrastructure so her team can stay focused on guests. Build the Concept Around the Guest Experience – ...

Christopher Staples, owner of Toast New American Gastro Pub in Richmond, Virginia, joins Digital Hospitality to share how patience, community, and disciplined operations helped grow his restaurant brand to three locations. Staples explains why Richmond’s neighborhood loyalty shapes restaurant strategy, how Toast POS powers his tech stack, and why guest relationships always come first. The conversation explores expansion lessons, the challenges of outside capital, and why building a restaurant br...

Vishal Agarwal shares how a frustrating airport restaurant experience, where he was nearly late for a flight because he couldn’t find a way to pay his bill, sparked the idea that became Checkmate. What began as a mobile payment concept quickly pivoted into integrating third party delivery platforms directly into restaurant POS systems. In this episode, Agarwal explains how solving real operational problems helped Checkmate grow into a platform supporting thousands of restaurant brands. Real Pro...

Nora Hermann, COO of MOTO Pizza, joins Digital Hospitality to break down how the fast-growing brand is scaling with discipline. With seven locations and more on the way, MOTO relies on rightwork to forecast demand, optimize labor, and build smarter schedules before the week begins. Nora shares how planning for busy protects margin, strengthens culture, and reduces burnout, proving that sustainable growth starts with organized operations and strong technology partnerships. Labor Is Won Before th...