The physical world is not a collection of isolated objects. It is a stream of interactions. A customer operating a vending machine.A guest occupying a table.An employee handling food.A container left on the floor.A person looking at a menu board.A car entering another vehicle’s blind spot.A robot aligning a tool with an object. In each case, the important signal is not the presence of a single object. The value comes from understanding how people, objects, places, and processes relate to each...
The World Cup ended in dramatic fashion this Sunday, as Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time. Congratulations to Spain, and apologies to the Argentina fans reading this. But the tournament also brought an interesting development to the restaurant industry: for six weeks, restaurants from quick-service to fine dining started airing the games. The result was watch parties that rivaled those of sports bars. While it may seem counterintuitive, the numbers suggest it was worth it. 🔔...
Last year, Cali BBQ’s new AI phone agent proved it could survive the busiest day of the year without dropping a single call. This year, it proved something bigger. A smarter, fully integrated version helped drive an 18% increase in sales, a 2,309% surge in call-ahead orders, and $1,905 in revenue from orders the restaurant would not have accepted otherwise. This week’s post is about what changed between year one and year two, and why the second year is the one that actually proves...
For decades, brands built flagship stores to show customers who they were. Now they use something much simpler. Food. Today, RH serves meals inside its design galleries. Ralph Lauren turns its world into coffee, cocktails, and dinner. Tesla turned car charging into a diner, drive-in, and brand experience. So why would a furniture brand or a car company want to run a restaurant? They are not doing it to sell food. They are doing it to get customers’ time, emotion, and loyalty. This...
I get a version of the same question a lot: “You were the CTO at Tinder. Why didn’t you just build another dating app?” This week’s post is my honest answer, and why I started Palona instead. 🔔 THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE Why I left Tinder for restaurants, a Knicks champion bets on salad, and the Fancy Food Show wraps up with a trend name almost too good to be true. 🍽️ THE MAIN COURSE People assume that after Tinder, building another dating app would have been the obvious move. I knew...
A report came out this week and I have not been able to stop thinking about it. Jersey Mike’s just won the restaurant industry’s biggest prize, ending an eleven-year reign from Chick-fil-A. This week’s post is about how they did it, and the important lesson for operators. 🔔 THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE Jersey Mike’s dethrones Chick-fil-A, Starbucks reimagines its iconic Pike Place store, and restaurants post a bright spot for job growth. 🍽️ THE MAIN COURSE Jersey Mike’s just dethroned an...
I’ll be honest, I spent part of Saturday night watching the Knicks win their first championship in 53 years, and I couldn’t help but think about restaurants. 53 years of losing came down to one missing piece. The Knicks finally found it. This week’s post is about whether your restaurant has it too. 🔔 THIS WEEK AT A GLANCE Championship lessons, a fast food identity crisis, and KFC’s big reinvention. It’s a busy week in the restaurant world. 🍽️ THE MAIN COURSE Saturday night, the...