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The Digital Restaurant

Carl Orsbourn

115 episodes

3 weeks ago

Send us a text 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 ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens. Together they cover: DoorDash’s new Dot delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15) https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/How ChatGPT’s App S...

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All content for The Digital Restaurant is the property of Carl Orsbourn and is served directly from their servers with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.

Send us a text 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 ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens. Together they cover: DoorDash’s new Dot delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15) https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/How ChatGPT’s App S...

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Episodes (20/115)

The Digital Restaurant

Chat GPT & The End of Marketplaces?

Send us a text 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 ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens. Together they cover: DoorDash’s new Dot delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15) https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/How ChatGPT’s App S...

3 weeks ago

28 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Build vs Buy - The Question every Restaurant Exec must answer

Send us a text 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 dive into highlights from FSTEC, explore new benchmarks from InTouch Insight’s QSR report on voice AI & kiosks, and tackle the perennial build vs buy question that every brand faces. We also look at ChowBus’ surprising pivot from delivery platform to full-stack...

1 month ago

30 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Is First Party Ordering Losing the Fight?

Send us a text 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, customer experience, and hidden costs behind running your own fleet.Burger King’s security scare: An ethical hacker exposes vulnerabilities at RBI. What lessons should operators learn about digital risk and communication?DoorDash’s commerce platform expansion: Why...

1 month ago

29 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Why Agile Marketing is the Essential Restaurant Skill in the Digital Age

Send us a text 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: half of adults are ordering kids meals. (01:00) What does this say about QSR value wars, portion sizes, and how brands like CAVA and Starbucks are reframing value through experience, not just price? Next, we examine Chipotle’s partnership with Zipline (05:00...

2 months ago

27 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Beware, Be Kind of Viral Influencers

Send us a text 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 through DoorDash—does convenience outweigh control?Yum Brands’ Byte platform fuels $9B in digital sales and rewrites the restaurant tech stack.Social listening lessons: Cracker Barrel’s backlash vs. KFC’s potato wedge comeback.Drone delivery’s tipping point...

2 months ago

45 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

AEO is the new SEO: How AI is rewriting the digital playbook

Send us a text 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 outside the public markets • Could this unlock faster innovation? 04:30 – OpenTable’s AI Concierge • Built with OpenAI and Perplexity • Answers 80% of diner questions • Visibility now depends on how up-to-date your listing is 09:00 – Golden Corral’s Flybu...

3 months ago

22 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Who sells $1 Billion of Ads to Restaurants?

Send us a text 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 Garden’s off-premise engine is humming Uber Direct integration, buy-one-take-one offers, and nearly 7% same-store sales growth from delivery alone 05:25 – Yum China rolls out Q Smartt A voice-activated wearable assistant for managers, designed to su...

4 months ago

23 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Rethinking the Restaurant Tech Stack

Send us a text 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 room with 70 screens — and not one is for show.” 01:00 – Why restaurant tech stacks are broken Legacy systems, data silos, fragmented integrations, and the cost of doing nothing. POS replacements are “open heart surgery” for restaurantsTransformation takes 18–36 months on averageSucces...

4 months ago

29 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Will Autolane be the future for pickup?

Send us a text 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 AI. Packed with insights from the National Restaurant Show, this episode covers the latest in tech, data, and operations shaping the restaurant world. Timestamps: 00:00:40 – AI Dominates the National Restaurant Show AI matures beyond hype as operators st...

5 months ago

27 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Who wins the Super App Race? - with Guest Host Alayna Sullivan

Send us a text 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 landscape, including DoorDash’s mega acquisitions, Chipotle's new catering pilot with Olo, and the rising footprint of Wonder. Timestamps: 00:01:30 – Chipotle x Olo Catering Partnership Chipotle pilots Olo’s Catering Plus with promising early feature...

5 months ago

27 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

From Smart Kitchens to Smart Menus with Guest Host Jason Berkowtiz

Send us a text 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't — from Zume Pizza to Ghost Kitchens (4m 35)Why Chipotle's negative sales aren't just about the economy — and how training and tech are key to recovery (11m 05)A fascinating new look at menu personalization trends with EveryBite data (17m10)How technology can — and...

6 months ago

30 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

How will Tariffs affect Restaurants? - with Guest Host Deborah Matteliano from AWS

Send us a text 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 restaurant robotics. Drawing from her experience at Uber Eats and now at Amazon, Deborah offers sharp insights on how data, delivery, and design are reshaping the restaurant landscape. Topics include: 1m 15: How Chipotle’s avocado strategy is shie...

6 months ago

26 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Is Bolt Coming for Uber in America? - with Guest Host Yaro Tsyhanenko

Send us a text 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 PickPad 01:00 – Why did Yum Brands partner with Nvidia? 05:37 – What does Qu’s State of Digital 2025 Report reveal? 13:06 – Why did Starbucks acquire Empower Delivery? 18:47 – Are loyalty programs evolving or stuck in the past? 26:02 – Could Bolt disrupt Uber and Door...

7 months ago

24 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Are Restaurants Getting Tired of Tech? - with Guest Host Bernadette Heier

Send us a text 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 – A New Kind of Off-Premise? Shake Shack is expanding its partnership with Delta Airlines, bringing its brand to first-class passengers. As restaurants seek new ways to expand off-premise, is the future in the skies—or even on freeways? [00:03:04] Dashboard Din...

7 months ago

24 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Just Eat, Just Sold - The Global Marketplace Consolidation Continues

Send us a text 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 restaurant industry. ⏱ [01:07] – Just Salad Gets $200M Investment What makes Just Salad’s tech stack unique?How will this funding impact digital transformation in restaurants?Will they use the investment for expansion, technology, or both? ⏱ [04:42] – Jus...

8 months ago

25 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Why does Yum want to own the tech stack - with guest host Cijoy Olickal

Send us a text 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 labor challenges. Articles One, Two, and Three 🔹 Yum! Brands' Tech Strategy – Is building a proprietary tech stack the right move for a global franchise? Articles One and Two 🔹 Wonder’s Expansion – Mark Lore’s meal kit & marketplace strategy—how does it compare ...

8 months ago

33 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Our 100th episode, one host down but Chain of Thought Reasoning top of mind

Send us a text 🚀 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 bittersweet note—Meredith is off to Seattle to take on an exciting EVP role at Starbucks. We’ll miss her insights, but the show must go on! In this episode, Carl Orsbourn takes the mic solo to explore the next evolution of restaurant and retail tech: moving beyond SaaS into h...

9 months ago

21 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

The 2025 Prediction Show

Send us a textOn 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 IPOs in the year ahead. We also reflect on last year’s forecasts to see how they held up. Support the show🔔 Subscribe to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on YouTube for more episodes that combine the love of food with the...

9 months ago

25 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Tony Delivers takes on the marketplaces

Send us a textThis 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 food delivery landscape, reducing delivery volumes for platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats. Tony shares his journey from a side hustle as a delivery driver to creating a business aimed at empowering drivers and improving customer experien...

10 months ago

19 minutes

The Digital Restaurant

Data, Data Everywhere...Are Restaurants Finally Ready to Use It?

Send us a textIn 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 Yum! Brands, leveraging data to craft tailored offers for customers. The conversation then moves to the latest Toast Trend Report, revealing intriguing shifts in dining habits, such as the growing popularity of early-week and same-day res...

10 months ago

17 minutes