Showing Up Is 80% of Success — Laura Wilber Says Consistency Makes the Difference
Getting comfortable telling your story does not happen overnight. For Laura Wilber, it came from consistently showing up, raising her hand and getting involved. What started with listening to conversations during the Clubhouse days eventually led to becoming an active member of the Rising Tides community, leading conversations and speaking at industry events. “I believe […]
Restaurant Growth Isn’t Just About More Locations — Aaron Lyons Says the Numbers Have to Make Sense
Opening a second restaurant can be a bigger leap than opening the first. Aaron Lyons learned that firsthand while growing Dish Society. About eight months after opening his first location, Lyons signed a lease for restaurant No. 2. His son had recently been born, the original restaurant was not yet cash-flow positive, and the company […]
Rising Tides Live – Weekly Meetings That Actually Work
Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live conversation focused on how to make weekly meetings more productive, where restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared what makes meetings worth having and what causes them to waste time. From setting clear agendas and keeping the right people in the room to using AI transcripts for accountability and ending with […]
Old Carolina Built 40% of Its Business Around Catering — Brian Bailey Says Trust Makes It Work
Most restaurant operators want catering to become a bigger part of their business. But when catering grows, restaurants have to figure out how to get more orders out the door without pulling employees away from the operation. For Old Carolina Barbecue Company, that challenge became increasingly important as catering grew to 40% of its business. […]
Pitch The Tide – Keegan Conrey: CEO of Decision Logic
Keegan Conrey, CEO of Decision Logic, pitched directly to a panel of restaurant operators on Pitch The Tide, sharing how the back-office platform helps multi-unit brands manage inventory, labor, food costs, and operational data. The pitch led to a conversation about what restaurant operators actually need from their technology partners, including clearer ROI, stronger integrations, […]
Rising Tides Live: How Do You Measure Quality?
Shawn Walchef led this Rising Tides Live conversation focused on a question every business has to answer: How do you measure quality? Restaurant operators, entrepreneurs, and hospitality leaders shared how they define quality through consistency, customer expectations, value, relationships, and the overall experience. From asking customers what success looks like before the work begins to understanding how […]
Restaurant Training Can’t Be One And Done | Chat w/ Jordan Boesch
Restaurant training has traditionally depended on binders, paperwork, and experienced employees showing new hires how things are done. According to Jordan Boesch, that approach becomes a problem when restaurants start to grow. As CEO and co-founder of 7shifts, Boesch has helped build a platform used by approximately 55,000 restaurants. While 7shifts is best known for […]
Jennifer Pope Runs Two Restaurants. She Says DAVO Is One Technology She’ll Never Go Without
Most restaurant owners get into the business because they love food, hospitality, and taking care of people. Then they discover how much of the job happens behind the scenes. For Jennifer Pope, owner of Louie’s Bistro and Venice Island Coffee in Venice, Florida, sales tax became one of those responsibilities she never wanted to get […]
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 forced him to build stronger training […]
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 faster than ever as digital ordering becomes a larger part […]