CHATGTM FIELD NOTES

From the floor.
Into the conversation.

Ideas, lessons and practical perspectives from our interviews with the people moving hospitality forward.

Anthony Presley

Food On Demand

What Last Week’s Schedule Cannot Tell You

TimeForge’s Anthony Presley on treating scheduling as an operating decision, accounting for employees’ real availability and protecting the team’s ability to serve and sell.

Arnav Kaushik

RSPA RetailNOW

Build the Difference, Not the Whole POS

Quantic’s Arnav Kaushik on giving specialist software businesses a commerce foundation, and why owning the customer experience still requires clear integration responsibilities.

Audrey Hogan

RSPA RetailNOW

What Earns a Second Look?

LINGA’s Audrey Hogan on rebuilding partner confidence through supported hardware, useful enablement and direct conversations about what has changed.

Bill Nulf

RSPA RetailNOW

The Partnership Is a Product, Too

MicroTouch’s Bill Nulf on reseller economics, trust and the structures a growing channel business needs to support its partners.

Brad Miller

RSPA RetailNOW

The Printer Is Part of the System

Epson’s Brad Miller explains how receipt and kitchen workflows connect hardware, software and the channel partners who make the pieces work together.

Brett Berger

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

The Forecast Has to Change the Work

SynergySuite’s Brett Berger on ingredient-level forecasting, software adoption and evaluating restaurant technology by what changes in the operation.

Chris Gannon

Restaurant Leadership Conference

Build the Bench Before the Next Growth Spurt

Bolay’s Chris Gannon on bringing experienced people into a growing restaurant company, strengthening the team already there, and choosing partners who believe in the brand.

Craig Miller

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

Getting Through the Messy Middle

Bricks and Clicks co-author Craig Miller on Sonic’s digital journey, shared ownership and proving business value before asking for the next investment.

Daniel Martinez

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

The Network Beneath the Growth Plan

QNS founder Daniel Martinez on restaurant infrastructure, inherited technology decisions and planning the foundation before the next location opens.

Jeff Perera

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

Protect the Bagel. Protect the Promise.

Jeff’s Bagel Run co-founder Jeff Perera on fresh baking, technology built around the product and the leadership habits that become a franchise’s culture.

Jeremy Julian

RSPA RetailNOW

Leave the Show With Something You Can Use

CBS NorthStar’s Jeremy Julian on arriving with questions, turning learning into action and building a business that does not depend on the leader being everywhere.

Jim Roddy

RSPA RetailNOW

Growth Without Losing the Room

RSPA’s Jim Roddy on bringing new people into a mature industry, making introductions useful and protecting the focus that gives a community its value.

Jim Roddy

RSPA RetailNOW

The Business Value of Belonging

RSPA’s Jim Roddy explains how a channel community helps technology businesses find partners, share hard-earned knowledge and build relationships that continue after the show.

Jimmy Durham

RSPA RetailNOW

The Apron Test

nCLOSE founder Jimmy Durham on designing payment hardware around the hands, pockets, charging routines and unexpected conditions of restaurant work.

Joe Monastero

Texas Restaurant Show

The Support System Beyond Your Four Walls

Joe Monastero of the Texas Restaurant Association on turning membership into useful support, sharing the work of hospitality and remembering what restaurants mean to their communities.

John Smolen

Restaurant Leadership Conference

The Restaurant Experience You Forgot to Curate

At RLC, Atmosphere TV’s John Smolen connects two overlooked opportunities: what plays on a restaurant’s screens and what happens between the scheduled conference sessions.

Julie Wade

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

Marketing Needs More Than a Good Ad

Julie Wade on restaurant marketing fundamentals, useful data and keeping human judgment at the center of the brand.

Kerry Leo

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

Start With the Person Ordering

Shipley Do-Nuts technology leader Kerry Leo on easier ordering, listening to shop teams and making technology useful to the people who live with it.

Koen Lavrijssen

RSPA RetailNOW

A POS That Remembers the Guest

Winston POS founder Koen Lavrijssen on designing for table service, recognizing returning guests and growing through partners who understand the kind of restaurant being served.

Michael Tash

RSPA RetailNOW

The Work After the POS Sale

Essential Systems Solutions’ Michael Tash on the people, preparation and relationships that turn a technology purchase into a working installation.

Ramsey and Jamie Gilbertsen

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

The Cup Is Part of the Growth Plan

Budget Branders’ Ramsey and Jamie Gilbertsen on packaging consistency, supply interruptions and the branding that leaves the restaurant with the guest.

Randall Hom

MURTEC

The Phone in the Restaurateur’s Pocket

Hostie co-founder Randall Hom turned the interruptions of running a restaurant into a question about AI: could better guest communication give operators more time on the floor?

David “Rev” Ciancio

Restaurant Leadership Conference

Show Me How to Use the Thing

Rev Ciancio on relevant outreach, better product instructions and the hospitality lesson hiding in a ballpark promotion.

Scott Smith

RSPA RetailNOW

Design for the Shift, Not Just the Demo

A MicroTouch booth tour with Scott Smith turns screens, straps and connectors into a practical conversation about the conditions restaurant technology must survive.

Sriram Subramanian

Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit

The Integration Question to Ask Before the Sale

LinkToAny’s Sriram Subramanian explains why a connector list leaves important questions unanswered, and how integration work affects sales, onboarding and ongoing operations.

Vladimir Avakyants

RSPA RetailNOW

Ask Before You Switch

Pecan Solutions’ Vladimir Avakyants on choosing restaurant POS, knowing when to integrate and asking the questions that prevent painful assumptions.