AI isn’t here to replace ops, it’s here to amplify it. Laure Joyeux (Expansion & Partnerships, Inpulse) and Italo Vendramini (Head of Operations, La Maritxu) share how AI-driven forecasting powers inventory and purchasing, cutting order-building time, lifting availability, and reducing waste. We cover trust on the shop floor, onboarding and support, supplier integrations (incl. EDI/email), and what changes as you scale from one site to many.
Presented by Lightspeed Restaurant.
Guests
Laure Joyeux — Inpulse
Italo Vendramini — La Maritxu (Basque cheesecake bakery, London)
Key takeaways
• ~90%+ production accuracy trending to ~95% as models learn
• Pre-filled orders save ~50% time; managers keep final say
• Better availability, less spoilage, clearer supplier comms
• Two years’ sales history = day-one accuracy; new sites settle in ~2–3 months
Chapters
00:00 Intro & sponsor
02:00 Meet Laure & Italo
06:30 What Inpulse does
12:00 Trusting AI on site
18:30 Purchasing & suppliers
25:00 Onboarding & support
31:00 Scaling to multi-site
36:00 Final takeaways
This week, Chris sits down with Frederick Szydlowski, Co-founder of Embargo, to unpack how an all-in-one, best-in-class approach to loyalty, ordering and CRM can actually move the P&L—without burying teams in complexity.
Freddy’s story runs from professional basketball in Poland to JOE & THE JUICE on King’s Road, to building one of the UK’s highest-rated food & drink apps (4.9★).
We dig into why hospitality still loves loyalty but hates complexity, why first-party data beats data scrapbooks, and how Embargo’s product philosophy (own the journey end-to-end) drives adoption, repeat visits and higher direct sales, operators are reporting ~60% higher delivery volume via their own channels versus marketplaces.
We also cover Embargo’s expanding toolkit (web & table ordering, kiosks, payments), rapid onboarding (often live in 5–10 minutes per channel), and how their new AI models turn weather, behaviour and lookalike patterns into recommended campaigns you can run in minutes, not months.
Brought to you by Lightspeed. This festive season, let your tech do the heavy lifting. Close the year strong with Lightspeed Restaurant.
In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, host Chris Fletcher sits down with David Dillon, Founder and CEO of UROCKED, the digital tipping platform making gratuities transparent, compliant, and fair for everyone in hospitality.
Born from a real operator problem, watching his mum spend hours calculating tips by hand, David built UROCKED to make life easier for hospitality teams and ensure every pound of gratuity reaches the people who earned it.
A year on from the UK Tipping Act, Chris and David unpack what’s changed (and what hasn’t), how technology is helping to close the trust gap, and why transparency is now essential to both compliance and culture.
They cover:
💡 The origins of UROCKED and how it simplifies tipping for operators and staff
⚖️ One year on from the Tipping Act – has it worked?
📱 Why digital tipping boosts transparency, retention, and guest trust
💷 What customers still misunderstand about service charges
📊 UROCKED’s latest research, 65% of staff rely on tips as part of their income
🤝 How tech can balance fairness, compliance, and business sustainability
From “tipping land” to the future of cashless gratitude, this is a refreshingly honest look at how digital innovation can make hospitality fairer, and how small changes can make a big difference to people’s lives.
🎧 Listen now and find out why UROCKED is redefining what it means to earn your tips.
🔗 Learn more at urocked.com
💚 Explore hospitality tech at techontoast.community
📍 Follow Tech on Toast on LinkedIn and Instagram for more industry conversations
This series, Business in Better Shape, was born from new research by Tech on Toast and Square, The Long-Term Case for Smarter Tech Investment.We spoke to more than 150 hospitality leaders across the UK, uncovering an industry stuck between ambition and hesitation.The data showed that while most operators see technology as essential to their future, only 18% would currently recommend their existing systems, and a striking 94% only adopt new tech when absolutely necessary. Fear of disruption, complex integrations, and a lack of vendor support are holding progress back.Download the research hereThat insight inspired this series, real conversations with operators who are finding ways to move forward, to simplify, to modernise without losing what makes hospitality human.In this first episode, host Chris Fletcher talks with Maria McCann, Operations Director at Blacklock, about fear of change, leading people through transformation, and how curiosity and courage can help hospitality get into better shape.Maria’s career spans Hard Rock Café, Shake Shack, Living Ventures, and now Blacklock, where she’s helping scale one of London’s most characterful restaurant brands without losing its soul.This conversation dives into the industry’s long-standing fear of change, how to lead teams through disruption, and why curiosity and calculated risk-taking are essential for hospitality’s future.Episode Highlights🥩 Blacklock’s identity: A modern British chop house, famous for roasts, chops, and sharing culture.🎓 Career path: From studying dietetics to falling in love with hospitality via Hard Rock, then on to Shake Shack and now Blacklock.😨 Why we fear change: Hospitality people are problem solvers who learn from crises, so change is often associated with past mistakes.💬 Communication platforms: When Meta shut down Workplace, Blacklock had to pivot fast without losing team connection.🤖 Tech adoption: The secret is listening to staff frustrations first, then finding solutions to those exact pain points.📊 Sentiment analysis: A “quiet revolution” for guest feedback, giving operators clarity without the overwhelm.🚴 Personal challenge: Maria is training for a 400km cycle in Cuba with the hospitality community, despite being scared of bikes!This series is powered by Square, helping hospitality operators put their business in better shape through connected commerce, payments, and restaurant technology.
In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with Joel Robinson, founder of Openr – a data orchestration platform transforming how enterprise hospitality brands manage their tech stacks.Joel shares his journey from Sainsbury’s digital transformation team to leading digital strategy at Azzurri Group, before building Openr to solve one of hospitality’s biggest headaches: fragmented data and disconnected systems.💡 What you’ll learn in this episode:Why mid-market operators (20–30+ sites) need dedicated digital leadership earlier than ever.How Openr creates a single source of truth for product, pricing, and menu data across POS, delivery, websites, kiosks, and more.The three big wins for operators: efficiency, agility, and accuracy.How Stonegate Group went from updating prices just 3–4 times a year to hundreds of changes with confidence.Why Joel prefers “agile pricing” over “dynamic pricing” in hospitality.How AI is helping automate event menus and unlock new revenue streams.The future vision for Openr: optimising profitability across sales, volume, and margin.🎶 Bonus: Joel reveals his surprising past as a classical singer, with appearances at Carols from King’s and even on stage with Dizzee Rascal!Chapters:00:00 – Intro & Lightspeed sponsor02:00 – Meet Joel Robinson, Founder of Openr06:30 – Lessons from Sainsbury’s digital transformation13:40 – Moving into hospitality tech at Azzurri Group19:25 – Why mid-market brands need digital leaders sooner24:50 – The birth of Openr: solving fragmented data32:15 – Efficiency, agility & accuracy – Openr’s three key outcomes39:10 – Stonegate case study: price changes at scale47:30 – Agile pricing vs. dynamic pricing53:50 – Integrations & sweating your tech stack1:02:00 – Practical AI use cases in menu management1:11:20 – ROI stories & customer success1:18:40 – Openr’s future vision1:23:00 – Joel’s unexpected singing career 🎤1:28:00 – Where to find Joel & OpenrLinks & Resources:🌐 Openr: https://www.weareopener.com🔗 Connect with Joel Robinson on LinkedIn: Joel Robinson
In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with Sean Trevaskis, co-founder of Growdash, to explore how restaurants can turn delivery data into powerful marketing strategies.
Sean shares his journey from working at Talabat and Deliveroo to launching Growdash, a restaurant growth platform that integrates with aggregators like Deliveroo, Uber Eats, and Just Eat. Together, they discuss:
Why restaurants often struggle with overwhelming delivery data
How Growdash helps operators measure incrementality vs. cannibalisation
The role of AI agent Aisha in becoming “the analyst in your pocket”
Key marketing metrics every operator should track
Differences between the Middle East and UK restaurant markets
The future of AI in restaurant marketing
If you’re a marketer or operator navigating the complexities of delivery platforms, this episode is packed with insights to help you optimise campaigns, grow sales, and take control of your data.
👉 Learn more about Growdash at mygrowdash.com
Chris chats with James Fahy, co-founder of JustTip, about building a tipping and tronc platform straight out of school, the UK’s evolving tipping legislation, and why faster, more transparent payouts matter for teams.
James shares what he’s learnt as a first-time founder, how operators can save £5–6k per year through compliant tronc schemes with no NIC for businesses or staff (as discussed), and why partnerships now beat cold calls.
We also touch on weekly “JustTip Tuesdays”, EU expansion, and practical AI use across support and outbound sales.
Thanks to our friends at Lightspeed — the point-of-sale and payments platform helping restaurants run smoother during peak season.
James Fahy — Co-founder, JustTip
Web: justtip.net / justtip.co.uk
Origin story: a coffee-shop moment that sparked JustTip at age 19
What JustTip does (the “CAT” pitch): Compliance, Automation of payouts, and Tax savings
Tronc clarity: paying tips correctly so no NIC for business or staff (as discussed)
Weekly payouts and transparency for teams (“JustTip Tuesdays”)
UK vs Ireland: legislation, grey areas, and why big brands move first
Cost pressures: using tronc compliance to unlock savings and time back
Holiday pay, agencies, and the realities of complex staffing models
From cold calls to partnerships and integrations (scaling the lean way)
EU growth and embedded tipping with merchant services partners
Sane AI adoption: repeat-issue support bots and smarter outbound — without losing the human touch
Founder lessons: impatience, resilience, and being the final line of defence as CEO
Transparency + speed = trust. Weekly, predictable tip payouts boost morale and word-of-mouth.
Compliance can save real money. Correct tronc flows can mean £5–6k annual savings for a typical site (as discussed).
Legislation is tightening. UK requirements (e.g., paying collected tips into staff accounts within a month) are pushing operators to formalise tronc and record-keeping.
Partnerships scale better. Integrations and ISO/VAR channels beat one-by-one selling once the product fits.
AI helps with the boring bits. Use it for repeat support and structured outbound — keep people for nuanced, emotional interactions.
Founder reality. Titles mean little; being there “when it goes wrong” is what wins and keeps customers.
“They don’t care about the product — it’s, are you going to be there when it goes wrong?”
“JustTip Tuesdays became a thing — like a mini payroll each week.”
“If you push tips correctly through a tronc scheme, the business pays no NIC and the employee pays no NIC.”
“I got one of the lowest grades in entrepreneurship — then learnt it all on the job.”
Intro & sponsor
James’s backstory and the coffee-shop spark
What JustTip does (CAT: Compliance, Automation, Tax)
UK/Ireland legislation & tronc reality
Weekly payouts, team impact & transparency
Cost savings, holiday pay & agency complexity
Scaling: partnerships, integrations, embedded tipping
Practical AI in support and sales
Founder lessons & what’s next
JustTip — justtip.net / justtip.co.uk
Slush (Helsinki) — tech conference referenced by James
Connect with James Fahy via the JustTip website.
If you’re an operator reviewing tipping and tronc, map your current flow and payout cadence — then compare the potential NIC and admin savings from a compliant scheme.
Subscribe to Tech on Toast for more operator-first, tech-that-works conversations.
Host: Chris Fletcher
Guest: James Fahy, Co-founder at JustTip
Producer: Tech on Toast
This week, Chris sits down with Victor Lugger, co-founder of Big Mamma and Sunday, to unpack how “invisible tech” (think: pay-at-table that just works) can lift guest experience, speed up service, and actually reduce the tech clutter on the floor. From 31 trattorias across 8 countries to Sunday now processing $4.2bn and hitting ~90% adoption in London, Victor shares the operator’s lens on what matters: faster, simpler payments; more time for hospitality; and real-world KPIs that move the P&L.
Why “less tech, better service” wins: replacing terminals with phone-based payment, not piling on more tools.
Adoption that sticks: 70% in months → ~85–90% in the UK when teams offer the option properly.
Guest experience uplift: table turns +12–16% at busy brands; reviews surge when the Google prompt sits right after payment.
Tips up, teams happier: 2–4× tips (UK) and ~+12% (US) thanks to AI-powered tip prompts.
Loyalty that finally works in full-service: ~52% of Sunday payers enrol vs 2–5% on terminals; earn/burn becomes seamless.
Enterprise scale: POS-agnostic (24+ integrations), terminals + pay-at-table + hybrid ordering where it fits.
The “guest app” vision: payment as the universal touchpoint to identify 70–100% of guests and trigger CRM/loyalty, not just bookings.
00:00 Intro & sponsor: Lightspeed Restaurant
01:05 Meet Victor: Big Mamma (affordable luxury) → Sunday (pay-at-table)
07:20 Why paying is broken — and how Sunday made it 5-second simple
12:10 Staff first: freeing servers for real hospitality, not card machines
16:40 Adoption drivers: the team makes the metric
21:15 Fine dining vs casual: why higher spenders adopt more
25:30 Reviews & revenue: faster turns, Google love, real KPIs
31:45 Loyalty that isn’t cringe: enrol, earn, burn without friction
38:20 US scale, data-led operators, +12% tips
44:05 AI in practice: smarter tip options; ordering patterns; service recovery
51:10 UK market maturity: bookings, POS, checkout, CRM
56:00 What’s next: Dubai & US for Big Mamma; Sunday’s guest-app flywheel
59:30 Where to find Sunday & wrap-up
“We’re not adding tech — we’re replacing old tech with something guests already have in their pocket.”
“Give guests the option. If 82% choose phone, we’re doing something right.”
“With Sunday, tips are 2–4× higher in the UK and about +12% in the US.”
“On Sunday payments, ~52% of guests enrol to loyalty. On terminals it’s 2–5%.”
“Dishoom Shoreditch went from ~10k reviews at 4.4 to ~38k at 4.8 in 18 months.”
Victor Lugger — Co-founder, Big Mamma & Sunday
Website: sundayapp.com
(Also live on the Tech on Toast Marketplace.)
Lightspeed Restaurant — the point of sale and payments platform helping operators fly through the festive rush and beyond.
Big Mamma: 31 sites, 8 countries; Dubai opening; US expansion.
Sunday: pay-at-table, terminals, hybrid ordering; 24+ POS integrations; $4.2bn processed YTD.
Operators: want the numbers behind adoption, tips and table turns? Take our Tech Check and we’ll map your stack and intros.
Suppliers: interested in a case study or Shift Talk slot? Get in touch via Tech on Toast.
What you’ll learnChapter markersPull quotesGuestSponsorLinks & mentionsCall to action
What is great service in 2025? In this episode of Tech on Toast, powered by Zonal, we unpack why hospitality is still (and always will be) a people business—and how that truth fuels loyalty.
Host Chris Fletcher is joined by:
Antony Pender — Founder, Yummy Collection (people-first pubs, bars & seafood concepts)
Darren Smith — Head of Operations, Flat Iron (consistent, craveable steakhouse experiences)
Gillian Nicholson — Sales Director, Zonal (tech that blends into brilliant service)
They dive into:
Defining modern service: “relaxed rigor,” natural interactions, and letting guests drive the experience
Training that sticks: stories, shadowing, and Gen Z–friendly, bite-size learning
Tech that empowers (not replaces): surfacing the right info at the right time, seamlessly
Culture and retention: flexibility, share schemes, meaningful recognition, and clear, kind feedback
Protecting brand magic: value over hard sell; community, authenticity, and doing one thing exceptionally well
Pull quotes
“Hospitality is the job of making people happy.”
“It’s kind to be clear; it’s unkind to be unclear.”
“We’re far more emotionally intelligent than AI—especially right now.”
Catch up on the series: Missed an episode? Dive into the rest of our Loyalty Series to get fully up to speed.
In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, powered by Zonal, we dig into the misunderstood but powerful world of personalisation in hospitality. With inboxes overflowing and attention spans shrinking, how do brands stand out without becoming pushy — or worse, creepy?
Host Chris Fletcher is joined by:
Tom James, Managing Director at Bill’s Restaurants, leading the brand through a digital maturity journey with a strong focus on customer insight.
Dan Brookman, CEO of Airship & Toggle, who helps 400+ UK hospitality brands turn customer data into meaningful engagement and revenue.
Gillian Nicholson, Sales Director at Zonal, a technology provider supporting operators for over 45 years.
☕ Grab a coffee and listen in as we cover everything from handwritten notes in delivery bags to AI-powered customer insights.
🔥 What You’ll Learn in This Episode:
Why personalisation should feel like magic, not marketing
The importance of the value exchange — what customers actually get in return for their data
How brands like Bill’s and Pizza Express use loyalty to drive genuine connection, not just discounts
The role of automation and segmentation in building brand voice at scale
Why creepiness vs. annoyance is a real debate when using customer data
Which channels are working best right now: email, SMS, WhatsApp, and apps
How to measure success: from cover growth to visit frequency and customer lifetime value
Where AI is taking us next — from predictive insights to smarter, real-time personalisation
🎧 Perfect for:
Operators, marketers, and tech leaders who want to use data more effectively to build loyalty, grow frequency, and keep guests coming back — without falling into the trap of discount dependency.
👉 Listen now and discover how to make your personalisation strategy feel truly personal.
AI in Business: How Dojo is Turning Proof of Concept into Real Impact
This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast, we’re live at Dojo HQ with Rob Howes, Senior Vice President of Technology, to explore what AI in business really looks like beyond the hype.
Rob breaks down how Dojo are embedding AI across payments, customer service, and fraud prevention — moving from proof of concept experiments to production-grade impact.
We cover:
🔄 Automation, augmentation, amplification — the spectrum of AI adoption
📊 Why many businesses stall at proof of concept (and how to push through)
🧩 Grassroots vs. top-down adoption — how ChatGPT accelerated uptake
💡 The use cases delivering ROI fastest: ops, customer service, and cybersecurity
⚖️ Transparency, ethics, and building trust in AI-driven decisions
🚀 Dojo’s AI Trailblazer programme with Imperial College and Google
🔮 What’s next: hyper-personalisation, agentic AI, and explainability
If you’re wondering where to start with AI in your business — from building a roadmap to picking the right use cases — this episode is packed with insights you can take straight back to your team.
👉 Learn more about Dojo at dojo.tech.
Customer loyalty has evolved. Today, it’s less about “collect 10 stamps, get a free coffee” and more about personalisation, value, and belonging. But what does that look like in practice for pubs, hotels, and restaurants?
In this episode, Chris Fletcher, Founder & CEO of Tech on Toast, sits down with:
Amy Clark – Head of Marketing, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts
Gillian Nicholson – Sales Director, Zonal
Jamie Queen – Chief Growth Officer, Butcombe Group
Together, they unpack:
🍷 The business case for loyalty – how programmes drive repeat visits, higher spend per head, and measurable ROI.
📲 The digital shift – moving from physical loyalty cards to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and why simplicity is key.
📊 The power of data – how operators can use guest behaviour, segmentation, and AI to deliver more relevant offers.
👩🍳 Team buy-in – why front-of-house staff are vital to signing up customers and how Butcombe’s teams doubled their contactable database in two years.
🌍 Global vs local loyalty – Wyndham’s challenge of tailoring rewards for millions of members across 90+ countries versus Butcombe’s pub-level programmes.
🤝 Partnerships & innovation – from Wyndham linking hotel stays with restaurant delivery apps, to Zonal powering bespoke loyalty journeys for operators of every size.
🛠️ Trends to watch – members-only pricing, gamification, festival-style loyalty, and the growing role of AI in hospitality.
💡 Expect a practical, behind-the-scenes look at loyalty programmes that actually work — the kind that make customers feel recognised, not marketed to.
🔗 Connect with the guests:
🍽️ The Return to Experience-Led Dining — Live from Caravan Fitzrovia
This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast, we’re bringing you something special — a live panel recording from our recent event at Caravan Fitzrovia, all about the return to experience-led dining in 2025.
Big shout out to Adam at Captive Wifi for the content!
Guest host Phil Street (Caterer.com) is joined by an incredible line-up of industry leaders:
✨ Tom James – Managing Director, Bill’s Restaurants
✨ Harry Ridley – Director of Innovation, Levy UK & Ireland
✨ James Walker – CEO, Lunchbox
✨ Sean Weeraratna Group Operations Director, Gaucho & M Restaurants
Across stadiums, casual dining, fine dining, and tech platforms, our panel dives into:
💡 Balancing speed & storytelling – keeping service efficient without losing personality
🤖 Tech as an enabler – removing friction, not the human touch
🎯 “Moments of magic” – how to wow guests without blowing the budget
🛠️ Test, learn, kill – knowing when to double down or ditch the tech
🤝 Partnership power – why creative collaborations matter
🕰️ Experience redefined – how guest expectations shift by time of day and occasion
From personalised service and guest data, to AI crowd management and handwritten cards in deliveries, this episode is packed with practical tips, creative ideas, and honest insights from operators who are living it every day.
🎧 Tune in for real-world stories, fresh inspiration, and a few laughs along the way.
In this special episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast 🎙️, brought to you in partnership with Zonal, we dig into one of hospitality’s most overused — and misunderstood — buzzwords: loyalty.
Host Chris Fletcher is joined by:
John Sills 📖 – Author of The Human Experience, who argues loyalty doesn’t really exist — usefulness does.
Ruth Carpenter 🍕 – Head of Marketing at Pizza Pilgrims, sharing how guest feedback, authenticity, and joy drive repeat visits.
Gillian Nicholson 💡 – Sales Director at Zonal, bringing insights from 17,000+ hospitality customers and the tech powering their guest experiences.
They explore:
🔍 Has “loyalty” been replaced by usefulness?
📉 How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping dining habits — from earlier booking times to lighter menu choices.
🤝 Keeping the human touch when tech runs in the background.
📦 Subscription models — convenience or commercial trap?
♿ The growing demand for accessibility, sustainability, and purpose-driven brands.
📨 Why personalisation might be overhyped — and what really drives engagement.
Expect candid stories about burnt pizzas, stolen deliveries, subscription fatigue, and the surprising social trends — from sleep habits to bottomless brunches — shaping hospitality in 2025.
Whether you’re an operator, marketer, or tech provider, this episode blends data, humour, and hard truths about what it really takes to keep guests coming back.
In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher welcomes back Dominic Child, VP of Sales at Ingredifind, for a conversation that goes beyond compliance and into the real operational and emotional impact of allergens in hospitality.
Together, they explore why allergen management is still largely manual in a digital-first industry, how it affects staff confidence, guest trust, and operational flow – and how Ingredifind is changing the game.
Dominic explains how their platform tackles the three biggest pain points:
The lack of trust between suppliers and operators
Friction between guests and servers
The burden on staff under pressure to get it right
This isn’t just a conversation about technology — it’s a call to modernise how we handle one of the most sensitive parts of service.
🔥 What You’ll Learn:
Why allergen management is the final digital frontier in hospitality
The operational and reputational risks of ‘just ticking the compliance box’
How self-service allergen tools boost repeat visits by 26% month-on-month
Why training alone won’t solve the problem — and what will
How Ingredifind’s plug-and-play platform works with existing systems
The surprising scale of dietary needs — beyond the ‘top 14’ allergens
📊 Key Stats Mentioned:
74% of customers prefer to self-serve allergen info
30% of adults avoid certain foods due to adverse reactions
40% of diners will avoid restaurants if they can’t view menus in advance
Diagnosed allergies affect 2 million UK adults – with children’s rates even higher
📲 Links & Extras:
🎥 Watch the full webinar demo of Ingredifind’s platform [insert link]
🛍 Visit Ingredifind on the Tech on Toast Marketplace [insert link]
📩 Contact Dom: dchild@ingredifind.com
📌 Coming Soon:
Ingredifind is teasing a major summer announcement that could revolutionise allergen matrices — keep an eye on their LinkedIn for updates.
In this episode, Chris Fletcher sits down with Sonny Wells, founder of Sonny’s – the soon-to-launch fast-casual food brand with a mission to make eating out safer and more inclusive for people with allergies, especially coeliacs. Sonny shares his personal journey through a difficult diagnosis, what sparked the idea for Sonny’s in Dubai, and how a chance encounter with Sir Richard Branson turned into national visibility and a wave of investor interest.
They talk about why “gluten-free” often isn’t really gluten-free, the lack of trust coeliacs feel in mainstream restaurants, and the operational minefield most hospitality brands face when trying to serve guests with allergens. Plus, Sonny gives a sneak peek into how he’s building a scalable, confidence-first QSR brand—with tech, training, and trust at the core.
💡 Key Topics Covered:
The painful diagnosis that inspired Sonny’s
What “truly gluten-free” actually means—and why most brands get it wrong
The difference between clean, allergen-free fast food and processed options
His pitch to Sir Richard Branson and winning the “Elevator of Dreams”
How Sonny plans to scale the business through tech, training, and franchising
The role of kiosks, face-to-face service, and roving allergen experts
Challenges with dairy-free cheese and lessons from early advisors
Why confidence is the brand’s core value—and what that means in practice
The untapped market of allergy-conscious consumers, and why it’s growing fast
The vision for Sonny’s in the UK and beyond
🔗 Connect with Sonny:
Instagram: @sonnystheceliac
Business Page: @sonnys_food
LinkedIn: Sonny Wells
💬 Chris’s Take:
“Sonny’s isn’t just a food brand—it’s a confidence brand. It’s answering a real, growing need in hospitality with compassion, energy and commercial smarts.”
Cybersecurity with Naveed Islam, CISO at Dojo
In this special edition of the Tech on Toast Podcast, host Chris Fletcher sits down with Naveed Islam, Chief Information Security Officer at Dojo, to unpack the state of cybersecurity in today’s AI-powered, hyper-digital world.
From phishing scams and data breaches to quantum threats and ransomware-as-a-service, this episode breaks it all down in a way every operator – whether you’re running a single site or leading a national brand – can understand and action.
🎯 Topics Covered:
• What does a CISO actually do?
• The rise in high-profile breaches (M&S, Co-op etc.)
• Why small businesses are especially vulnerable
• Common attack vectors: phishing, credential theft, outdated software
• AI in cybersecurity – the good and the bad
• The dark SaaS world of “Ransomware-as-a-Service”
• Why card data is digital gold
• PCI compliance made simple
• The hygiene basics every business should master
• Why cybersecurity needs to be on the boardroom agenda
• What the future holds: Agentic AI, identity as the new perimeter, and post-quantum risk
🔮 3 Cybersecurity Trends to Watch:
Agentic AI – AI that defends autonomously, without human input
Identity is the new perimeter – verifying who is accessing systems is now more critical than where they’re doing it
Post-Quantum Risk – data stolen today could be decrypted tomorrow. Some attackers are already harvesting.
🔐 Key Takeaways:
• Cybercrime is getting slicker and cheaper – anyone can launch an attack
• AI is a double-edged sword – it’s being used by both defenders and attackers
• Security hygiene matters – MFA, strong passwords, regular updates
• Only 27% of UK boards prioritise cyber – that needs to change
• Payments are prime targets – card data can fetch up to $30 per record
🛡️ How Dojo Protects Its Customers:
• Point-to-point encryption
• Hosted payment pages
• AI-powered threat detection
• Light-touch PCI support for SMEs
🎧 Listen now
📱 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts & everywhere you get your podcasts.
Guest: Gab Lopez, MD at 24social (MVG Media)
Host: Chris Fletcher
Series: Tech on Toast Season Sponsored by Deliverect
This Week’s Slice:
What if building a pub website took less time than pouring a pint?
Chris sits down with Gab Lopez, MD of 24social, to talk about making websites work for hospitality – not the other way around. From their AI-powered “MyPlace” product for venue managers to scalable enterprise tools for group operators, 24social is transforming how pubs, restaurants and bars show up online – mobile-first, lightning-fast, and without the headache.
You’ll hear about:
🍽️ How the “AI menu” turns a phone snap into a full food menu online
📱 Why venue managers can build a live website from their mobile in minutes
🎯 Why websites still matter more than ever – even in a world dominated by social media
⚙️ How 24social’s platform grows with operators – from one venue to 100
🎉 Real operator stories (like Punching Palooka’s cocktail bar journey)
🔗 Seamless integrations with booking systems, events, and even live sport
🧠 The UX and accessibility trends redefining digital presence for hospitality
🎤 And yes, Gab’s side gig as a school compère and 10K-running dad!
Whether you’re a GM drowning in PDFs or a head office team managing 50 sites – this episode is for you.
👀 Learn more
🤝 Find Gab Lopez on LinkedIn
Brought to you by Deliverect – powering order management across thousands of hospitality businesses to reduce errors, streamline service, and deliver better guest experiences.
Subscribe to Tech on Toast and discover the stories shaping the future of hospitality – one shift at a time.
This week, Chris Fletcher is joined by two guests with serious flavour and flair: James Packham, founder of cult bacon sandwich brand Le Swine, and Nick Clark, founder and MD of Sheffield-based creative studio 93FT. What starts with a bacon butty turns into a masterclass in brand building, creative bravery, and how friendship can drive business success.
Together, they unwrap:
How a stolen sandwich sparked a business
Turning a street food truck into a brand with national reach
Designing a café that feels nostalgic and new
Why great design is more than just visuals – it’s storytelling
The rise of ‘hole-in-the-wall’ dining and micro-concepts
Working with heritage suppliers and building guest experiences that last
Expect plenty of laughs, some seriously tasty storytelling, and honest chat about scaling without selling out.
🔥 Why Listen?
Whether you’re running one site or rolling out fifty, this is a must-listen for anyone building a hospitality brand from the ground up.
🛠️ Guests:
James Packham, Founder, Le Swine
Nick Clark, Founder & MD, 93FT
🍳 Highlights:
The “bacon epiphany” moment in Clerkenwell
Designing with intention: from colour palettes to reclaimed floors
Navigating Covid with care kits and delivery hacks
The importance of supplier relationships in hospitality storytelling
Becoming an employee-owned creative agency
📦 Try it yourself:
Head to leswine.co.uk to grab a bacon kit or visit the café in East Sheen.
Design inspo? Visit 93ft.com or connect with Nick Clark on LinkedIn.
In this episode, Chris is joined by Nikki Perry, VP of Product at TripleSeat, who flew in from Boston for her very first visit to London. They dive into Nikki’s journey from bussing tables at 13 to leading product strategy at one of the most exciting events platforms in hospitality tech.Expect a brilliant blend of real-world hospitality experience and cutting-edge product thinking — from how TripleSeat is cutting admin, increasing conversions, and transforming pre-orders in the UK, to how AI is quietly becoming the venue’s best friend.They also cover: • The rise of 3D event planning (think The Sims, but for weddings and private dining) • The difference between US and UK event culture (spoiler: pre-ordering cocktails is wild to Americans) • How AI integrations like AdSalt are streamlining inbound calls and converting more leads • Why TripleSeat’s newest tool, PartyPay, is making painful event payments a thing of the past • What’s coming next in the product roadmap (hint: AI assistants, natural language reports, and hotel tech upgrades)Nikki shares how TripleSeat remains laser-focused on one core user: the event manager — and how the team stays close to the ground through regular customer visits, product feedback loops, and actual party-throwing.✨ Key Takeaways: • 📊 Built by Operators – Most of the TripleSeat team has worked in restaurants or events, making the product truly hospitality-first. • 🧠 AI for Admin – From call-handling bots to natural language reporting tools, AI is embedded in the TripleSeat future. • 🍽 UK vs US – The cultural difference around pre-ordering food and drinks highlights the importance of local product nuance. • 🛒 Self-Service Sales – Tools like TripleSeat Direct and guest portals allow for faster bookings and better guest experiences. • 💳 Payments Solved – PartyPay means no more faxed credit card forms (yes, that was still a thing). • 🧭 Always Iterating – The product roadmap is fuelled by customer feedback, and prioritised by real impact, not just loud requests.🔗 Mentioned in this episode: • TripleSeat • AdSalt AI for hospitality • Tech on Toast📣 Connect with us:Got feedback, questions, or want to be featured?👉 Visit techontoast.community👉 Follow us on LinkedIn: Tech on Toast
