S2E37 - The Future of Restaurants Is Digital with Carl Orsbourn

About the Episode

In this episode, Carl Orsbourn, Author of "Delivering the Digital Restaurant" and Consultant in the hospitality space, shares his journey from working at big companies like BP to diving into the startup world. He discusses the importance of operational experience and the lessons he learned during his transition to entrepreneurship. Carl also talks about the inspiration behind his book, highlighting key concepts such as leveraging marketplaces and transitioning to a direct channel. He emphasizes the significance of collecting customer data and remarketing to create a personalized customer experience.

Additionally, Carl Orsbourn discusses various topics related to the restaurant industry, including capturing customer data, direct ordering, the future of delivery and logistics, dynamic pricing, and the role of technology in restaurants. He also talks about his involvement with Juicer and the concept of data-driven pricing. Carl shares his insights and experiences, providing valuable information for restaurant owners and operators.

Takeaways

• Operational experience is valuable and can be applied across different industries and company sizes.
• The restaurant industry needs to embrace digitization and off-premise dining to stay competitive.
• Marketplaces provide access to incremental customers, but restaurants should aim to transition to a direct channel to build customer loyalty.
• Collecting customer data is crucial for remarketing and creating personalized experiences. Capturing customer data is crucial for restaurants to build relationships and communicate with customers in the future.
• Restaurants should consider using their on-premise business to promote their direct ordering channels and loyalty programs.
• The future of delivery and logistics in the restaurant industry is still evolving, with potential solutions including alternative delivery channels and automation.
• Dynamic pricing can be a powerful tool for restaurants to optimize revenue and provide personalized experiences for customers.
• The integration of technology and data in the restaurant industry is essential for improving operations and enhancing the customer experience.

Timestamps:

00:00 Introduction and Background 01:20 Transition from Big Companies to Startups 05:40 Writing the Book on Restaurant Digitization 08:30 Venturing into Juicer and Advisory Roles 09:03 Lessons from Transitioning to Entrepreneurship 10:38 Overview of the Book: Delivering the Digital Restaurant 13:02 Insights from Being a DoorDash Driver 16:11 Leveraging Marketplaces and Transitioning to a Direct Channel 22:29 Capturing Customer Data and Direct Ordering 24:02 The Future of Delivery and Logistics 28:11 Dynamic Pricing and Consumer Perception 32:14 Introduction to Juicer and Data-Driven Pricing 40:45 Carl's Current Endeavors and Future of Restaurant Technology 45:00 Where to Find Carl and His Work