PODCAST · business
Digital Hospitality
by Shawn P. Walchef
Digital Hospitality is an interview podcast series that explores the ways successful people have harnessed the power of the Internet and social media. The show is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef.
Episodes
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How Restaurant Menu Boards Are Becoming Digital Billboards
David Boerlin’s work with restaurant displays began in 2001 with drive-thru screens that helped guests confirm their orders. Today, at LG, he works with restaurant brands on digital signage inside their stores and out in the drive-thru. On Digital Hospitality with Shawn Walchef, Boerlin discusses...
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Serving the Community, Learning the Business: Genesis Le Bleu Waters Restaurant
Jennifer Holmes and Maxine Smith opened Genesis Le Bleu Waters Restaurant to honor Genesis Holmes’ dream of cooking for people and serving his community. Today, the family keeps his memory alive through meals he loved and a restaurant built around caring for their neighbors. On Digital…
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From Grateful Dead Tapes to 50 Locations: The Music Behind McMenamins
Shannon McMenamin grew up riding in her dad’s keg delivery van with bootleg Grateful Dead tapes playing along the way. Today, as president of McMenamins, she helps carry that love of music into more than 50 locations across Oregon and Washington. On Digital Hospitality with Shawn Walchef…
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Why Kelsey Bush Is Building Restaurants That Can Run Without Her
A restaurant’s story includes the decisions customers never see. Kelsey Bush, chef-owner behind Bloomsday, Loretta’s and Green Engine Coffee Co., joins Shawn Walchef to share how she’s building connections through her businesses. Blogs give her team room to explain everything from seasonal menus…
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How Eating Europe Makes Travelers Feel Like They Have a Local Friend
What does it take to turn neighborhood food walks into a business across 23 cities? Kenny Dunn, founder and CEO of Eating Europe, joins Shawn Walchef to share how introducing friends to his favorite people and food in Rome became a business. As the company expanded, full-time salaries in cities...
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Why Pluckers Follows Good Restaurant Technology Instead of Chasing It
What does it take to grow a restaurant brand without losing sight of food and service? Sean Greenberg, co-founder of Pluckers Wing Bar, joins Shawn Walchef to share lessons from 31 years in business. Opening their second restaurant 210 miles from the first forced the partners to build systems…
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Keep Hospitality Human—How Jason Berry Uses AI to Free His Team to Focus on Guests
What does it take to grow a restaurant company while giving your team more time for guests? Jason Berry, co-founder of KNEAD Hospitality + Design, joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE conference to discuss building a company with 1,000 employees and creating opportunities for them to advance. For...
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Give Operators Their Time Back—How Nory Automates Restaurant Decisions
How can restaurant technology solve bigger operational problems instead of responding to everyday frustrations? Raphaël Daverio, vice president of product at Nory, joins Shawn Walchef to explain how the company is building an AI operating system for multi-unit restaurants. Daverio shares how Nory...
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How Stage Theory Turns Content Into Community w/ David Meltzer
Waiting for more time or better content could be costing your business valuable connections. David Meltzer joins Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to explain how entrepreneurs can turn everyday conversations into content and build relationships through storytelling. They discuss why quantity,...
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People First, Tech Second—How Michel Falcon Is Scaling Brasa Peruvian Kitchen Without Losing Its Soul
How can a restaurant operator scale a multi-location brand without sacrificing authentic human connection in a digital world? Michel Falcon, CEO of Brasa Peruvian Kitchen, joins Shawn Walchef on Digital Hospitality to share his playbook for building a people-first culture in the restaurant...
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From Morning Coffee to Happy Hour: How Colada Shop Sets the Mood With Music
Daniella Senior built Colada Shop to be a place people could visit throughout the day, from morning coffee to lunch and happy hour. On Digital Hospitality, she talks with Shawn Walchef about the café’s unexpected start, its expansion into an airport and the details that make guests feel welcome....
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Grow Slow, Stay Local—How Ggiata Is Building the Modern Neighborhood Deli
What does it take to grow a restaurant brand without losing the neighborhood hospitality that made it special? Jack Biebel of Ggiata Delicatessen joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE conference after Ggiata received the Emerging Brand Award. Bible explains how three childhood friends from New Jersey...
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Roulette and Tom Brady—The Unlikely Story Behind F3 Technologies
What does it take to keep a restaurant’s technology running while building a company through dark times? Dan Diaz of F3 Technologies joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE conference to explain how F3 supports restaurants by managing their networks, POS systems, loyalty platforms and Wi-Fi. Diaz…
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Know Your Numbers—How Don Connor Uses Financial Discipline to Build Better Restaurants
What does it take to turn a love for hospitality into a profitable restaurant business? Don Connor of Whiskey ‘N Rye Smokehouse joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE conference to explain why restaurant operators must understand the numbers behind their business. Connor shares how his experience in...
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Post for Strangers—How Shootz Uses Content, Influencers and AI to Grow
What does it take for an emerging restaurant brand to reach new customers and prepare for its next stage of growth? Harold Walters of Shootz joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE conference to explain how the Hawaiian-Asian fusion brand approaches content, advertising and restaurant technology.…
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Seth Cohen Explains Sweetfin’s Growth Strategy
How can restaurant founders step away from daily operations without losing control of the business? Seth Cohen, co-founder and president of Sweetfin, joins Shawn Walchef at CREATE to share how the 15-location poké brand uses detailed systems, strong general managers and weekly financial reviews…
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Mom Approved—How Scott Conant Brought His Family Story to the Sauce Aisle
Scott Conant talks about finding new fulfillment after four decades in the restaurant industry. The two-time James Beard Award winner and longtime “Chopped” judge explains why he expanded into consumer packaged goods with Martone Street, a tomato sauce brand inspired by his grandparents’ home in...
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More Than a Chain—Why Franchises Are Local Businesses
Matt Haller, president and CEO of the International Franchise Association, explains how franchising helps restaurant brands grow while creating opportunities for first-time business owners. Recorded at CREATE for Emerging Restaurants in Rancho Palos Verdes, Haller discusses the promise brands…
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Built For Busy—How Toast Is Building for the Modern Restaurant
Kelly Esten, chief marketing officer at Toast, talks about building technology for the reality of running a busy restaurant. Recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Esten breaks down Toast’s “Built for Busy” campaign, its evolution from point-of-sale platform to…
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The Sound of Hospitality — How Ole & Steen Creates the Right Atmosphere
Josh Pickens, president of Ole & Steen US, joins Shawn Walchef to share how the Danish bakery is building its business and hospitality experience in New York City. From first discovering Ole & Steen as a customer to rebuilding the culture inside its production facility, Pickens explains why…
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Doubling Down at 48—How Scott Kleckner Built a Growing Catering Business
Scott Kleckner of Olive Wood Pizza talks about leaving the corporate restaurant world at 48 to bet on himself. Recorded at CREATE for Emerging Restaurants in Rancho Palos Verdes, Kleckner traces his path from renovating iconic venues such as Lambeau Field and Citi Field to acquiring a mobile...
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Turning Goals Into Rewards—How Pryze Helps Restaurants Improve Employee Performance
Tim Hylton of Pryze explains how gamification helps restaurants improve employee performance by turning business goals into achievable tasks and rewards. Recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Hylton outlines how points, recognition, and incentives such as paid days off...
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Turning Signals Into Sales—How Signal to Sale Helps Restaurants Find Catering Opportunities
Sylvester Raymond, creator of Signal to Sale, explains how his AI engine helps restaurants find catering opportunities and approach potential customers at the right time. Recorded at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, Raymond outlines how the tool identifies decision-makers,...
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How Bushfire Kitchen Grew To 11 Locations | Chat w/ Oliver Barwin
Oliver Barwin, CEO of Bushfire Kitchen, shares how he left Wall Street to lead his family’s restaurant business and grow it to 11 Southern California locations. From choosing a strategic capital partner to building the systems and team needed for expansion, he explains why a strong foundation…
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Turning A Garage Hobby Into A Business | Chat w/ Mark Ray of Stowe Cider
Mark Ray, owner of Stowe Cider, shares how a passion project in a Vermont garage transformed into a premier craft beverage brand distributing across six states. From the defining shift into cans to navigating the complex nuances of commercial cider production, he explains how partnering with Ekos...
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Christian Mouysset Built Tenzo to Answer One Question: Where’s the Money?
Christian Mouysset grew Hummus Brothers to six locations, but still struggled to understand where the money was going. That experience led him to build Tenzo, a restaurant operations platform that brings sales, labor, inventory and other business data together in real time. Mouysset joins Shawn...
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Showing Up Is 80% of Success — Laura Wilber Says Consistency Makes the Difference
Laura Wilber, director of strategic partnerships at Dinova, joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE Conference to share how consistently showing up helped her become a stronger storyteller and build deeper relationships across the restaurant industry. Wilber explains how Dinova connects restaurants…
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Restaurant Growth Isn’t Just About More Locations — Aaron Lyons Says the Numbers Have to Make Sense
Aaron Lyons, founder of Five 12 Restaurant Concepts, joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE Conference to share how he grew from one restaurant to seven locations across two concepts. Lyons explains why the jump from one location to two was the hardest, how building strong teams has helped the company...
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Old Carolina Built 40% of Its Business Around Catering — Brian Bailey Says Trust Makes It Work
Brian Bailey, founder of Old Carolina Barbecue Company, joins Shawn Walchef at the CREATE Conference to share how catering has grown to 40% of Old Carolina’s business. Bailey explains how the eight-location brand manages catering growth and why partnering with DeliverThat helps the team handle...
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Restaurants Have Tech for Everything — Josh Sharkey Says Recipes Deserve Their Own Place
Josh Sharkey, founder and CEO of meez, shares why staying focused has become one of the biggest lessons in building restaurant technology. From creating better tools for chefs and kitchens to earning trust through consistent storytelling, Sharkey explains why meez is doubling down on recipes,...
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Building a Restaurant Brand Without Losing What Made It Special
Shaz Khan and Antonio Gambino of Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks share how they are growing the restaurant brand while protecting the culture and identity that made it successful. They explain why scaling requires more than opening locations, from building the right leadership team to creating…
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Restaurant Training Can’t Be One And Done | Chat w/ Jordan Boesch
Jordan Boesch, CEO and co-founder of 7shifts, joins Shawn Walchef live from the National Restaurant Association Show to discuss why restaurant training needs to go beyond onboarding. Boesch explains why ongoing microlearning matters, how better training can help restaurants improve employee...
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The Real Work Behind Running Louie’s Bistro In Venice, Florida | Chat w/ Jennifer Pope
Jennifer Pope, owner of Louie’s Bistro and Venice Island Coffee in Venice, Florida, joins Shawn Walchef to share what she has learned from running two restaurants and why the right technology can make the business easier to manage. Pope explains how DAVO took the stress out of managing sales tax,...
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Scaling a Restaurant Brand Without Rushing the Process
Tom Holt, founder and owner of Urbane Cafe, joins Shawn Walchef at CREATE io share how he has grown the fast-casual brand from one restaurant in 2003 to nearly 50 locations. Holt explains why learning the operation inside and out became critical before expanding and how reaching five locations...
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Why Restaurant Brands Can’t Afford to Fall Behind on Technology
Chris Lybeer, chairman of the board at Onosys, joins Shawn Walchef at the Food On Demand Conference in Dallas to share why restaurant technology has reached a turning point. After nearly four decades in the industry, including leadership roles, Lybeer believes restaurants are adopting technology...
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Why Barry’s Downtown Prime Is A Modern Hospitality Masterclass
Yassine Lyoubi of Barry’s Downtown Prime joins Shawn Walchef from the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, where the Barry’s team came with a clear goal: find new ways to make the restaurant better. In a Las Vegas market built around volume, Barry’s has taken a different approach,...
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How L&L Hawaiian Barbecue Is Growing To 500 Locations | Chat w/ Elisia Flores
Elisia Flores, president and CEO of L&L Hawaiian Barbecue, joins Shawn Walchef from CREATE Conference in Rancho Palos Verdes to discuss leading the restaurant brand her father, Eddie Flores Jr., helped build into a global franchise. As a second-generation leader, Flores shares why franchisee...
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Why Repeat Customers Start With Better Ordering | Chat w/ Jeff Kopple
Jeff Kopple, co-owner of Sicilian Pizza and Pasta, joins Shawn Walchef to share how an independent restaurant has stayed competitive through more than 15 years of industry change. He explains why investing in digital ordering and strong technology partners has helped the business compete with...
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85 Million Americans Need Better Menus — Lucy Logan Is Helping Restaurants Deliver
Lucy Logan, co-founder and president of EveryBite, joins Shawn Walchef to discuss why personalized dining experiences are quickly becoming an expectation for restaurant guests. Drawing on nearly two decades of experience in nutrition analysis, Logan explains how ingredient-first menus help...
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How The Right Music Can Change A Restaurant Experience | Chat w/ Ola Sars, CEO of Soundtrack
Ola Sars, founder and CEO of Soundtrack, joins Shawn Walchef to explain why music is one of the most overlooked parts of the restaurant experience. Sars shares how operators can use music to strengthen their brand, improve the guest experience, and even increase sales. He also explains why…
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Why Restaurant Data Has To Be Simple For Managers | Chat w/ Nick Straten
Nick Straten, Head of Data and Operations at 3WO Horeca Group, shares how the Amsterdam-based restaurant group is using YourBI to turn data into better decisions across nearly 40 restaurants. From managing rising labor costs to giving restaurant managers simple, actionable forecasts, Straten...
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As Bubbakoo's Burritos Grows — Chris Ives Turns to Atmosphere to Scale the Guest Experience
Chris Ives, CEO of Bubbakoo's Burritos, shares how the fast-casual brand is using Atmosphere to create a consistent guest experience as it grows toward 300 locations. From building a custom in-store TV channel that reflects the company's Jersey Shore roots to using technology that strengthens...
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Stop Reading Scripts — Pepper Lunch CEO Explains Why Authenticity Wins
Troy Hooper, CEO of Hot Palette America, the parent company of Pepper Lunch, joins Shawn Walchef to explain why authentic storytelling has become one of the most valuable tools restaurant leaders have today. Hooper shares why scripted content falls flat, how curiosity creates stronger business...
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Restaurants Are Leaving Money on the Table by Underinvesting in Catering
John Zinno shares how restaurants can turn catering from an operational expense into a profitable growth channel. As co-founder of DeliverThat, he explains why some brands generate up to 30% of their revenue from catering, why quality matters more than speed for large orders, and how operators…
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He Helped Build Starbucks' Labor Systems — Now He's Helping Independent Restaurants
Still running your restaurant on gut feel? Ovation helps you catch guest issues before they turn into bad reviews. Their AI-powered platform gives restaurants real-time guest feedback so operators can fix problems in the moment, improve experiences, and naturally drive more five-star reviews.…
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Restaurant Tech Only Works If People Use It | Chat w/ Keegan Conrey
Keegan Conrey, CEO of Decision Logic, joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference to discuss why successful restaurant technology depends on adoption, not just innovation. Conrey explains why AI starts with quality data, how operators can improve food and labor costs…
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He Saw the Technology Chaos Inside Restaurants — Now Dan Diaz Is Cleaning It Up
In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with Dan Diaz, founder and CEO of F3 Tech, to discuss why restaurant technology starts with strong infrastructure, not just great software. Diaz shares how his team helps operators navigate POS transitions, simplify complex IT...
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CREATE 2026: The Event for Emerging Restaurateurs | Chat w/ Sam Oches
Sam Oches, editor-in-chief of Nation's Restaurant News, joins Shawn Walchef to discuss what separates memorable restaurant brands from the rest. Drawing on 17 years covering the industry, Oches shares why storytelling, hospitality, and relationships matter as much as great food, how he defines an...
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The Restaurant AI Lesson Every Operator Should Hear: A Chat w/ Conor Sheridan of Nory
Conor Sheridan, founder and CEO of Nory, explains why restaurants don't need more dashboards, they need better decisions. After leaving a career in quantitative finance to launch the fast-growing restaurant brand Mad Egg, Sheridan experienced firsthand how difficult it is to scale operations…
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He Saw a Problem Every Parent Knows — Now Mick Carr Is Helping Restaurants Solve It
Mick Carr, founder and CEO of Grub Lab, believes restaurants have overlooked one of their biggest opportunities: creating better experiences for families. Drawing from his own experiences as a father, Carr explains why reducing the stress of dining with kids leads to happier guests, longer…
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Digital Hospitality is an interview podcast series that explores the ways successful people have harnessed the power of the Internet and social media. The show is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef.
HOSTED BY
Shawn P. Walchef
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does Digital Hospitality have?
Digital Hospitality currently has 600 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is Digital Hospitality about?
Digital Hospitality is an interview podcast series that explores the ways successful people have harnessed the power of the Internet and social media. The show is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef.
How often does Digital Hospitality release new episodes?
Digital Hospitality releases new episodes frequently with a large back catalog of 600 episodes. Check the episode list for recent publication dates.
Where can I listen to Digital Hospitality?
You can listen to Digital Hospitality on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts Digital Hospitality?
Digital Hospitality is created and hosted by Shawn P. Walchef.
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