Our next guest is on a mission to support restaurants and reclaim market share in a sector her company helped revolutionize 26 years ago. Debby Soo, CEO of OpenTable, the pioneering platform for restaurant reservations, founded in 1998 in San Francisco. Today, OpenTable remains the leader in online reservations as part of Booking Holdings Inc., but being the first and largest doesn’t automatically mean it’s the best.
Debby took the helm in 2020 during an extraordinarily challenging time for the restaurant industry, facing stiff competition and an evolving dining landscape. Over the years, platforms like Resy and Tock have gained traction, partnering with top-tier restaurants and renowned chefs, raising the bar for what reservation platforms can deliver.
Determined to reclaim OpenTable’s position, Debby and her team have embraced an ambitious, offense-driven approach, recently announcing a partnership with Visa to enhance their offerings. A recent article in The San Francisco Chronicle described OpenTable as “shedding its reputation as an old-guard.” Debby echoed this commitment, stating, “I want to make the best reservations system on the planet.”
In this episode, we’ll dive into her strategic vision, her perspective on innovation, and her plans for the future of OpenTable.
Learn more about OpenTable:
Follow OpenTable on Instagram:
Follow Debby Soo on Instagram:
Watch On The Pass Original: RARE, A Chef's Story:
Follow On The Pass on Instagram:
Follow our Host, Gabriel Ornelas:
Learn more about On The Pass:
Lets work together! Get in contact:
Stuff You Should Know
If you've ever wanted to know about champagne, satanism, the Stonewall Uprising, chaos theory, LSD, El Nino, true crime and Rosa Parks, then look no further. Josh and Chuck have you covered.
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
On Purpose with Jay Shetty
I’m Jay Shetty host of On Purpose the worlds #1 Mental Health podcast and I’m so grateful you found us. I started this podcast 5 years ago to invite you into conversations and workshops that are designed to help make you happier, healthier and more healed. I believe that when you (yes you) feel seen, heard and understood you’re able to deal with relationship struggles, work challenges and life’s ups and downs with more ease and grace. I interview experts, celebrities, thought leaders and athletes so that we can grow our mindset, build better habits and uncover a side of them we’ve never seen before. New episodes every Monday and Friday. Your support means the world to me and I don’t take it for granted — click the follow button and leave a review to help us spread the love with On Purpose. I can’t wait for you to listen to your first or 500th episode!