The Digital Restaurant
The latest on technology affecting the restaurant industry - for better and for worse.
Episodes
115 episodes
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Chat GPT & The End of Marketplaces?
Are delivery marketplaces like DoorDash and Uber Eats about to be disrupted by ChatGPT?Carl welcomes Atul Sood, former McDonald’s and Kitchen United executive, to explore how AI and automation are reshaping the food world — from C...
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Season 2
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Episode 16
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28:00
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Build vs Buy - The Question every Restaurant Exec must answer
This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Jeremy Julian, host of the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast and CRO of CBS NorthStar, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of restaurant technology.We div...
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Season 2
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Episode 15
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30:03
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Is First Party Ordering Losing the Fight?
This week, Carl welcomes special guest host Markus Pineyro of Oomi Kitchen to dive into five major stories shaping restaurants and technology.Is first-party delivery really the answer? We explore the economics, c...
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Season 2
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Episode 14
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29:36
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Why Agile Marketing is the Essential Restaurant Skill in the Digital Age
This 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: ha...
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Season 2
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Episode 13
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27:33
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Beware, Be Kind of Viral Influencers
In 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...
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Season 2
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Episode 12
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45:45
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AEO is the new SEO: How AI is rewriting the digital playbook
Carl 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 ou...
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Season 2
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Episode 11
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22:32
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Who sells $1 Billion of Ads to Restaurants?
This week on The Digital Restaurant, I’m joined by a new co-host — Alex, an AI avatar — as we break down five headlines showing how delivery, automation, and AI are shaping the next wave of restaurant operations:01:10 – Olive Ga...
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Season 2
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Episode 10
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23:33
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Rethinking the Restaurant Tech Stack
What’s Inside This Episode?00:00 – Live from the National Restaurant Show Carl visits Chicago and joins Rich Faltot at Point B’s new Restaurant Technology Innovation Center.“We're stood in a roo...
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Season 2
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Episode 9
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29:54
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Will Autolane be the future for pickup?
This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by restaurant real estate expert and 10Rep founder Kyle Inserra. Together they explore the rise of kitchen automation, curbside robotics, and why DoorDash is pausing its Voice ...
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Season 2
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Episode 8
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27:47
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Who wins the Super App Race? - with Guest Host Alayna Sullivan
In this week’s episode of The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Alayna Sullivan, Senior Director of Corporate Comms at Olo, fresh from Food on Demand. Together, they cover five big stories shaping the restaurant and off-premise lan...
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Season 2
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Episode 7
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27:29
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From Smart Kitchens to Smart Menus with Guest Host Jason Berkowtiz
This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl and guest co-host Jason Berkowitz dive into:Qu's move toward smart kitchens with integrated IoT systems (0m 50s)A sharp reflection on the restaurant "disruptors" that weren...
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Season 2
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Episode 6
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30:20
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How will Tariffs affect Restaurants? - with Guest Host Deborah Matteliano from AWS
This 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 restauran...
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Season 2
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Episode 5
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26:20
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Is Bolt Coming for Uber in America? - with Guest Host Yaro Tsyhanenko
This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Yaro Tsyhanenko, founder of PickPad, to break down the headlines shaping restaurants and tech:⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro: Meet guest host Yaro, CEO of Pic...
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Season 2
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Episode 4
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24:57
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Are Restaurants Getting Tired of Tech? - with Guest Host Bernadette Heier
Welcome 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 ...
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Season 2
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Episode 3
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24:50
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Just Eat, Just Sold - The Global Marketplace Consolidation Continues
Welcome 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 restauran...
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Season 2
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Episode 2
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25:38
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Why does Yum want to own the tech stack - with guest host Cijoy Olickal
Carl 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 l...
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Season 2
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Episode 1
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33:35
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Our 100th episode, one host down but Chain of Thought Reasoning top of mind
🚀 The Digital Restaurant Podcast - 100th Episode Special! 🎉Welcome to a milestone episode of The Digital Restaurant! This is our 100th episode, and while it's a moment of celebration, it also comes with a bitterswe...
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Season 1
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Episode 100
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21:20
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The 2025 Prediction Show
On today's episode of The Digital Restaurant, we dive into bold predictions for the year ahead, including the rise of Indian cuisine in delivery, the growing role of automated restaurant technology, and speculation on potential acquisitions and...
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25:28
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Tony Delivers takes on the marketplaces
This episode of The Digital Restaurant features Tony Illes, founder of Tony Delivers, a new food delivery service disrupting the Seattle market. The conversation delves into the impact of Seattle’s “Pay Up” legislation, which has reshaped the f...
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19:38
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Data, Data Everywhere...Are Restaurants Finally Ready to Use It?
In this festive episode, Carl and Meredith explore five transformative trends in the restaurant industry as we wrap up 2024. They kick things off by discussing how personalization is finally becoming a reality for big brands like McDonald’s and...
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17:28
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Are Restaurants Ready to Lead with AI?
In this episode of The Digital Restaurant, Carl and Meredith dive into the hottest topics shaping the future of the restaurant industry. From Touch Bistro’s bold 2025 State of Restaurants Report to the resurgence of ghost kitchens, the conversa...
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26:58
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Why Wonder Brought Grubhub
In this episode of the Digital Restaurant Podcast, we dive into several key industry trends and developments. We discuss Wonder's surprising acquisition of Grubhub at a steep 91% discount, exploring how this deal could bolster Wonder's vision o...
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20:20
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What Can Restaurants Learn from Retail?
Articles mentioned in the video:DoorDash and Toast are quietly becoming ShopifyRelated Article: ...
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19:46
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Is Delivery A Luxury? Or A Public Service?
Is drone delivery the future of dining convenience, or simply a fleeting trend? Let's unveil the groundbreaking partnership between Serve's robot delivery and Wing's drone technology, poised to revolutionize how food finds its way to your doors...
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25:25