The system isn’t the point—what it unlocks is.
Nina Weiland went from making pizzas at Domino’s to helping restaurant operators modernize the back-of-house with COGS-well’s intuitive, chef-friendly software. In this episode, we dive deep into what makes a system actually usable in a kitchen—not just feature-rich on paper.
You’ll hear why most tech tools fail chefs, how when it comes to promoting a podcast episode. what is the ideal method (platforms, days times)? for this example let's say the episode goes live at 8am on Tuesday morning. both on standard RSS feeds and Youtube. COGS-Well handles the setup for you (yes, really), and why operators are finally seeing the connection between systems and profitability. If you’ve ever struggled to get buy-in on tech or felt overwhelmed by inventory, menu costing, or purchasing—this one’s for you.
We cut through the fluff and talk real kitchen realities: scaling recipes, waste tracking, menu contribution, and the shift from clipboards to clarity.
Connect with Nina
• Website: https://www.cogs-well.com/
• LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/nina-weiland-885326b5
Connect with Simon
Email: simon@culinarymechanic.com
Book a Call: https://calendly.com/culinarymechanic/discovery
Website: https://www.culinarymechanic.com
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
You're listening toHeritage Radio Network.
I.
From kitchen chaos to well-oiled machines.
Get ready for newfangledtechnology and old school Know-how
(00:21):
stories and a good bit of fun.
I'm Simon, and this iscalled Area Mechanic.
Simon (00:31):
Joining me today is Nina Whelan from Cogswell.
Nina, welcome Leman Pie.
Thank you.
Hey,
xx (00:38):
hey.
Simon (00:39):
Um, so glad you're here.
Um, I wanna hear, I wanna just presson the gas and like get down to it.
How'd you get into therestaurant industry?
How, how'd you come to hospitality?
How, how did that happen?
Nina (00:53):
Well, my very first job was with Domino's Pizza back in, oh, the
nineties when I was in high school.
And, uh, I was old enoughto get a work permit.
I was one of five kids, so Ireally wanted to make my own money
and, uh, you know, buy my ownclothes and I. Things like that.
So I started working as a phone chick.
(01:15):
We were allowed to be calledphone chicks back then.
Um, obviously not even allowed thesedays, but, uh, so I was a phone chick.
We actually answered the phone,took handwritten orders, stuck
the, the order onto a box.
They were made and, uh,obviously delivered.
Then when I was 18, I really wanted to.
(01:37):
Start delivering and making those tips.
So I had worked my way throughpizza maker to expo and cutting
the pizzas and started delivering.
Then I decided I wanna go to culinaryschool and couldn't afford that.
So I went to a small, uh, cheftraining school out in Los Angeles.
(01:57):
I got a certificate.
All the while still working at Domino'suntil I was 23 and I thought there's gotta
be more to food service than just pizza.
But shout out to Domino's forputting me through school.
Had my own apartment, my owncar, paid for my own insurance.
It was great.
Um, and then I decided I really wantedto get into a full service restaurant,
(02:22):
see what all that was all about.
Maybe dabble in bartending,something like that.
And, uh, continued to, youknow, live on my own and, uh.
Went from fast casual to quick casualto full service, uh, fine dining.
Uh, worked with InnovativeDining group in la.
(02:43):
Shout out to BOA and Katana.
Yeah, nice, uh, sushi Rokuand uh, just sushi Roku.
Just really found myself.
Loving hospitality, whetherI was a hostess, whether I
had to take a food delivery.
Um, you know, back when, whendomino, you know, in the nineties
there was a big map on the wall.
There was no GPS, I didn'teven have a cell phone.
(03:05):
So I really learned howto navigate freeways and
neighborhoods by a Thomas guide.
I, I swear that's how it was back then.
Oh yeah.
So all you, all you kids have theluxury now of GPS and pretty much
having everything automated for you.
But, um, no, I, I, I really loved,um, not only cooking because
(03:29):
I, I, I did, uh, get my shit.
Professional chef certificate, um, thatI would plan parties for my friends
and family and just love to entertain.
So I've literally.
Hospitality began for me as a job at15, but I was one of five kids and my
(03:52):
mom cooked dinner every night and forall of us, and I learned how to cook
when I was probably old enough to see.
On top of the counter andshe trusted me with a knife.
I was probably seven, eight yearsold and you don't cook for just two.
You know, there was seven or eightof us sometimes neighbors came over.
So I got into, you know, big plattersand making big salads and uh, and I
(04:15):
love the fact, you know, entertainingand catering way back when.
So it's, it's kind of been in,in my blood and shout out to my
mom for always teaching me thatcustomer service is key and, um.
You know, how how you treat othersis, uh, is indicative of, of
how they're going to treat you.
So just be kind, be hospitable.
(04:37):
So, yeah, that's, that's it.
Innu.
Awesome.
That's the long of it, Simon.
Thanks for that.
I love it.
I love it.
That's
Simon (04:43):
that, uh, that, that's a great synopsis, right?
But I think, yeah, I love thefundamentals in that, right?
Mm-hmm.
Like mom, mom says customerservice is important.
Hell yeah.
Right?
Yes.
Good job, mom.
Um.
All right, so tell me how that turns intoworking for a a restaurant tech company
(05:05):
and tell us a little bit about Cogswell.
Nina (05:08):
You know, I, I, I love what I do, and let me tell you why.
So a couple years ago I was onLinkedIn and I thought, I really
want to do something, uh, differentbut still in hospitality, still
with, with food and restaurants.
And I, I applied for a sales position.
(05:29):
With Cogswell and didn't think theywere gonna call me because I, I was
shopping around for a job for, formonths and, um, I thought, well,
may, maybe I'll dabble in sales.
Who knows?
Bill Lindsay, shout out toBill Lindsay, who called me.
I was talking to my mom on the phonethat day and I said, mom, I gotta go.
Some, some guy named BillLindsay is calling me.
(05:49):
I, I think it's about a job.
And so kicked her off the phone, picked upBill's call and that was um, June of 2023.
And he said, uh, sawyour resume on LinkedIn.
Love to talk to you more.
And I said, sure.
Um.
And fast forward two years,I've learned more about software
(06:14):
interfaces and integrations.
Partnerships, um, referrals.
More than anything.
I can demo the software,that's cool, but also I.
How it works in the restaurantis dependent on who's using it.
So when I'm talking to a chefsuch as yourself, I'm going to.
(06:37):
Gear, that conversation towards menuanalytics and menu engineering and how
to build that recipe, what it lookslike, different versions of, of recipes.
And, and then maybe I'm talking to ACFO and I'm talking about our reporting
and, uh, accounting integrationsand, and just things like that.
So, um, Cogswell has really givenme the opportunity to not only.
(07:03):
Talk about what I love, which is food andhospitality, but also offering solutions,
um, best in class solutions, uh, to ourprospects and leads and, and also taking
our customers business to the next level.
Automation, as you know, it's soimportant and I think some people
(07:23):
might be afraid to start it.
Once you get into Cogswell, it'sjust so, it's easy, it's simple.
We do the setup for you.
So, um, yeah, I've really learned alot about, uh, putting two and two
together, um, not only for myselfand continuing my education in
(07:43):
hospitality, but, uh, to help ownersand operators and chefs like yourself
get the best out of, of the software.
Um, right.
It's, it's, it's, it's really cool.
Simon (07:57):
Right on.
Um, you know, I think having beenin the industry a while and just
had the opportunity to, to, to stareinto the abyss on a number of these
products, I, I will tell you that allon paper, a lot of 'em look the same.
Mm-hmm.
They, they really do.
It's like, oh, you do, you do inventory.
(08:18):
Amazing.
Um, I can get you have a dashboard sick.
That's great.
So without being.
It's just the, the honest truth is theyall look, they all kind of on paper
do the same thing more or less, right?
Sure.
Yep.
Tell me, tell me what sortof sets Cogswell apart?
(08:38):
Um, what are the, what are the features,what are the things that like, catch
your eye and, and kind of make itsomething special for you to be kind of.
Across the table.
Nina (08:51):
Sure.
Thank you for asking.
So Cogswell, uh, this is their, thisis our fifth generation software,
so it's, it's not our first rodeo.
Um, all four founders have been at thisfor decades, so that's what, 200 years?
Well, I shouldn't age themlike that, but that's okay.
Two, 200 years worth of experiencefrom, you know, the tech side
(09:12):
development, implementation,obviously sales and things.
But, uh, when you're looking at ourdashboard, you could have 10 tabs
open within your dashboard insteadof all kinds of browser windows.
And that causes me anxietyjust looking at that.
But, um, uh, you, you've got.
You've got things that stick out.
So you want to click on thingsright away and alert or a transfer.
(09:34):
Transfer function in, um, in Cogswellis so friendly to those, uh, multi-unit
operators that have like a commissary andnow you're transferring items to different
locations and talk about locations.
You can transfer items,be, uh, between each other.
You could also transfer.
(09:56):
Let's say a a a two gallon batch of, uh,bloody Mary mix from one bar to another.
Your bar A made that bloody Mary mix.
There's a cost for making that.
So when you're transferringthat bloody Mary mix from bar
A to bar B, bar B is now gonna.
Pay that labor cost too, so you candebit in credit one and go to the other.
(10:19):
Um, when you, when you transferfrom a, it's gonna deplete all
the ingredients as a prepped itemand send it over to, to bar B.
That's just, I mean, that's just a,a, a small example, but, um, uh, the
user experience is super friendly.
It's easy to navigate, clear again.
(10:39):
All kinds of different reportingyou can have open at the same time
and, and toggle between all of them.
And then for like a systemadministrator or an owner operator,
you can, you can choose which.
Or what you want to see,you can transfer, uh, sorry.
You can toggle betweendifferent locations.
(10:59):
You can see all of your sites consolidatedin rows and columns, or if you just
wanna see how one particular site isdoing, and we call them sites instead
of restaurants or stores or locations.
We, we call them sites.
Um.
And it's, uh, you know, we,and we try to make it fun.
You know, I am, I turned 50 years oldthis year, and, uh, and I say, you
(11:22):
know, these kids now who are usingthis software, these 18 and 22 year
olds gotta make it fun because they're,they might be playing video games
or on their phone a lot, or TikTok.
We wanna make it.
Almost engaging, if that makes sense.
We wanna make themabsolutely want to use it.
Now they're, they're at their job site,they're getting paid to do this, so we
(11:44):
may as well make it fun, engaging, um,and not super analytical or boring either.
Simon (11:53):
Right.
That's awesome.
Um, first of all, welcome tothe club 50, the fifties have.
Let's pause for a second.
If you're serious about building a kitchenthat leads from the top runs on systems
and actually feels good to work in, makesure you're following culinary mechanic.
(12:13):
This show is all about helping youlead better, scale smarter, and
stop white knuckling your business.
And if you're ready to dig in deeper,you'll find a link in the show
notes to connect with me directly.
But you know, it's, I think it's a really interesting thing
to start to understand that theseyounger generations, they interact
with computers and technology mm-hmm.
(12:36):
In a different way.
Like, I feel like for me, fora long time it was like, ah, I
gotta go deal with the computer.
xx (12:43):
Mm-hmm.
Now it's
Simon (12:44):
like, it's just second nature, right?
The phones, um.
The, the phones have made, uh, userexperience something that is personal.
So, um, it makes a lot of sense to methat, that, uh, a computer software
has some engagement characteristics.
xx (13:02):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Simon (13:02):
That's, that makes a, a ton of sense.
Uh, I'm glad to hear it.
Um.
What, what have you seen, like, whathave you seen with, with your, you know,
you're, you're interacting with, withrestaurants and restaurant companies.
What are some of the biggest thingsthat, that you see as sort of outcomes?
(13:24):
Um, with using coxwell?
Nina (13:28):
Well, obviously cogs, cost of goods sold.
They wanna see accurate numbers,which is what, what we do.
Um.
A lot of restaurateurswant to see waste tracking.
That is huge these days, and we can,we can handle that for you as well.
Um, menu costing.
What's, what's that costing menu.
(13:50):
Engineering, what's popular, what'snot working, what's popular but
not profitable or vice versa?
Uh, our analytics andreporting is very robust.
Um.
Simon (14:07):
No, that's great.
I think that I, you, youhit on something for sure.
Like menu engineering isone of those things mm-hmm.
That I, I feel like when people hear it,they're like, huh, what does that mean?
Um, but I think understanding likehow, how much money you're actually,
you know, I, a lot of my clients andI, we talk about contribution, right?
(14:30):
So like mm-hmm.
What.
One, you, you make it and then you,you make it and you sell it, and it
costs a certain amount to make it.
Um, and then what do youget to play with after that?
Um, and, and so being that sortof profit contribution, um.
Because I think that there's this reallyinteresting thing that happens with
(14:52):
chefs, and I'm sure that you've seen this.
It's like, oh, this is oneof our bestselling dishes.
Is it really chef?
Or this is, you know, when it, whenwe, in reality, what we're talking
about is I love making that dish.
xx (15:05):
Right.
Simon (15:05):
I spent hours figuring out that sauce and I'm so proud of it.
And in reality, you sell 10 a weekand you don't make shit off of it.
But oh my God, that's oneof our best selling dishes.
No numbers don't lie.
I'm sorry to tell you.
And so I think that getting.
Personally, as somebody who advisesand consults restaurants and chefs,
(15:29):
getting people to start to really lookat the cold hard truth of numbers.
Yes.
Um, and understandingit is, is pretty vital.
Um, I, yes.
I don't know.
I like, I love menu engineering.
I geek out on it, but not everybody does.
Right?
Like, not everybody's like, oh, but.
Truly, when you understand that youcan change the tide on, uh, an okay
(15:55):
sort of profitable business andturn it into a bloody cash cow, just
with a few tweaks here and there.
Nina (16:02):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Our.
The, the reporting is,is just, is amazing.
But how we get that reporting starts,obviously with our implementation.
When we're setting up a new,a new customer, we, we do
the setup for the customer.
Um, what does that mean?
We, uh, do not.
Let the customer sit there with oursoftware and enter every single line item
(16:26):
detail for every item that they purchase.
Could be 400 items, could be 2200items, food and beverage, both.
We do the setup for them, whichjust takes a couple of days.
Um, no other vendor software thatI know of on the market right now
does that for their customers.
So they say, great.
(16:47):
Sign up for our, our.
Platform, but it's gonna takeyou weeks or months to input
everything that you purchase.
We have other parties that we work withto scan in your historical invoices.
We set up everything you've already beenpurchasing and you already bought, you
already have in the back of your house,and we set up your database for you.
(17:09):
We also maintain that database.
Here's a little bit of, geeme geeking out as a chef.
So when you.
Have a new item.
Maybe you're trying something new,doing a little r and d. You have to
stop what you're doing and go to yourspreadsheet and enter that line item,
detail in how it comes packed, yourvendor, vendor, item, code, price, this
(17:30):
and that, where it's gonna be stored.
We actually do that for you.
All you have to do is maybe combine itwith another item or rename it something,
but we do the maintenance for you.
So when you buy new stuff,we automatically set that up.
And the caveat off of that.
When you enter a new item in your pointof sale, automatically maps to Cogswell.
(17:53):
So a lot of the heavy lift and a lotof the, uh, I like to say harmonious
inter integrations in the backgroundhappen while you're sleeping.
You wake up and you seeyour sales mix fantastic.
But, uh, we, we do a lot of theheavy lift for our customers, not
only with setting up the database,but maintaining it on a daily basis.
Simon (18:13):
Right.
What about recipes?
So who, like the chef, chefcomes up with a new recipe.
Is that something that he, he or she canthen, uh, go in and enter that recipe?
Is it, I mean, how does that work?
Nina (18:26):
Yes.
They'll go in and, uh, add theingredients to that recipe.
It'll start populating the numbersbecause everything's automated.
And if you're coming up with a new recipe,let's say you are, you already have, uh,
fish tacos, and now you're, maybe you'rejust changing the fish or putting a new
salsa on it, you can go into that existingrecipe and do a second version of it.
(18:48):
So maybe you're just changing arecipe and you're adding something.
So you can s look six months intothe, uh, six months later you can look
back and say, how has this worked?
We changed this one ingredient.
Or we add, we tweak this.
How, how is it, uh, uh, performingfrom the past six months to
(19:10):
the, is that, am I making sense?
xx (19:12):
Yeah.
Nina (19:13):
How is it performing?
From the other version that we were doingfor six months and then this six months,
we're doing a, a different version.
So instead of doing something brandnew, you could just change a version
of a recipe too, and, and toggleback and forth, which is pretty cool.
I
xx (19:27):
like that.
I like that.
Nina (19:28):
So adding a new recipe, just you just point and click and add
the ingredients and boom, it's,it's in, you can add pictures
and step-by-step instructions.
Uh, you can scale any recipe.
If you have a, a, a party of 15coming in, they're all ordering
the same appetizer or, uh, maybea delivery of, of, you know, 12.
Club sandwiches going out.
(19:49):
Um, even if it's a pre-order, if youhave something coming in this weekend
or a catering and, uh, you gonna need toorder more product because now you've got
this party coming in, or you know, bigdelivery going out, which is pretty cool.
Simon (20:05):
Nice.
I, I like, I feel like that's oneof those things that got missed in
what I would describe as the, asthe last generation of, of mm-hmm.
Of restaurant management systemsis they weren't scaling recipes.
Uh, I worked with a couple,you know, say 10 years ago and
it's like, oh, this is great.
I can take my inventory and there are myrecipes and my recipe costs are coming
(20:27):
out, but there's no sort of way to use it.
So I'm happy to hear thatyou guys have kind of.
Gone into that step of beingable to utilize the recipe for
more than just cost tracking.
Yep.
'cause that's, that's wherethe last generation of those
tech pieces actually sort ofleft off, if that makes sense.
Nina (20:49):
Yeah.
We, we have a lot of catering companiesand country clubs on under our umbrella
that do exclusively banquets and largeorders and parties and things like that.
Um, and.
Some of those have actually sentin, in support requests saying, can
you enhance this reporting X, y, Zto reflect something, and so we're.
(21:13):
Always listening to our users andenhancing our product, which is why
we just can't let it lie as it is now.
Because with technology changing andfood changing and dynamic pricing and
everything, uh, we have to keep up withthem just like they're keeping up with us.
Awesome.
Really important.
Simon (21:33):
Um, what about like the sort of the ordering function?
Is there anything thatcan be, that you can use?
Within there that kind of allow,helps with the, with ordering.
'cause honestly, like mm-hmm.
Having trained a lot of chefson, Hey, this is how you order.
I know that there's a lot of repetition.
(21:54):
So when I think repetition,I think automation.
So what, what about Cogswellcan kind of help me with that.
Nina (22:00):
Sure, we can set you up with all, most of your, uh, main broadline vendors.
We could set you up your team up witha, a template so they're only supposed
to order the, the items they're supposedto be ordering from, from each vendor.
Um, we not only do that,but we can put in an alert.
Hey, your Cisco order is due attwo at two o'clock on every Friday.
(22:22):
Um, it's one o'clock and we haven't,you haven't sent your order yet.
When you send your order to, uh, USFoods, shamrock, all of those guys,
you could also send a copy to yourkitchen manager, to yourself, to your
accountant, whoever you wanna send it to.
Um.
And it's, it's really a good place todo everything in, in one, so you're
(22:45):
not in another portal, on anotherscreen looking at something when
you're ordering through Cogswell.
You could do suggestedordering based on par levels.
Um.
You could also do suggestedordering based on what's already
been ordered and coming tomorrow.
So if you're ordering for Friday andsomething's already coming on Wednesday,
(23:08):
you're already expecting something, somaybe you wanna order something extra
for the weekend, so on and so forth.
Um, even if something is beingtransferred or there's a transfer
going on between that particularlocation, we're gonna let you know.
Simon (23:23):
Nice.
Yeah, it's really cool.
So, so in essence, you're tellingme that you can use, you can
use Cogswell as a, as a portal
xx (23:30):
you can for,
Simon (23:31):
for your ordering?
xx (23:32):
Yes.
Simon (23:32):
Um, 'cause that's, that's a different thing too.
I, yeah, I kind of dig that.
Nina (23:37):
You could also set up a purchase order.
You can set up, uh, an approval system.
So, um, maybe anything over athousand dollars you'll, you're.
GM needs to approve before itgoes out, something like that.
So it's
Simon (23:52):
Right.
Nina (23:53):
Pretty cool.
Simon (23:54):
Right on.
Yeah.
I mean, uh, as a, as a crusty oldchef, I, I just, it always makes
me go, wow, I can't believe that.
How, just very much like you weresaying, like once upon a time there
was no GPS and there was only map.
Mm-hmm.
The Thomas Guide and Maps.
I wonder sometimes how I operatedrestaurants in, you know.
(24:16):
Whether it be 20, 25 years ago.
Mm-hmm.
Um, to think, to stop and thinkabout like how we used to do it, um,
uh, versus now what is available.
Right.
Um, do you find that restaurantsor companies that are not
(24:37):
doing much tracking at all.
Adopt Cogswell or do you find thatthey kind of already have a system
in place and then moving to youguys is either an upgrade or, or a
lateral move because maybe you'reeasier or what are you finding there?
Nina (24:54):
Are you, are you talking about waste tracking?
Simon (24:56):
I mean, just like I know that there's a hundreds, maybe
even thousands of restaurants thatare still on Excel spreadsheets.
Oh, oh.
But I also know that there's plentyof guys and gals out there who,
um, for lack of a better term, costtheir, they'll cost their fettuccine
Alfredo on a, on a cocktail napkinand go, oh, yeah, it's about 30%.
(25:18):
And you know that thatdish is gonna be 25%.
Oh, okay.
Um, and then maybe they havea clipboard and all their
cocktail napkins live on there.
Um, where like, are you finding,do you see, what do you see?
Do you see people goingfrom zero to Cogswell?
Do you find that thebest customers, um, are.
(25:39):
Are already using, like arethey logging with spreadsheets?
Are they u are you finding that, thatyou're, you're getting a company that's
using this, this software over here, andthey're going, nah, it's not working for
me, so now we're gonna move to Cogswell.
What are you like, what are you seeing?
Nina (25:56):
That's a great question.
You know, I, I have to say whetherit's a, a brand new chef opening
his own, his or her own first.
You know, restaurant, they've alreadyused software in their previous restaurant
and maybe it, they weren't a big fanof it, so they're looking for something
(26:18):
new and they already kind of know how touse software and know how to, you know.
Use inventory tracking.
Great.
So that's, that's, that's one.
Second is, uh, multi-unit conceptswho are looking to, um, advance their
knowledge of their current inventorysystem, but their current inventory
system just can't handle transfers.
(26:40):
It has clunky menu engineering.
Can't do everythingthat that Cogswell can.
Um, and three, it's sometimes it isan educational experience for me,
Simon, talking to somebody who's neverused software before, whether it's
an owner operator, sous chef, host.
Um, trying to get themto see the value in it.
(27:05):
Uh, we're a monthly subscription andI always say, you know, if you, if you
can't figure it out in a couple of months,cancel, I know you'll be able to, 'cause
it's easy and you're not gonna cancel.
You're gonna love us.
Um, but we, we are best in class.
We're not an all-in-one.
All-in-ones tend to get alittle too clunky in my opinion.
Um, so.
(27:27):
So taking a a, a, a brand new personto a brand new person to inventory
software and showing them Cogswell isprobably the easiest for me to get some.
Oh, wow.
To try to, you know, uh, because I've beenthere, I've been there without inventory
software and I want to make it, um.
(27:49):
Just again, easy and simple.
That's what a lot ofpeople are looking for.
No matter if you've usedsoftware for 50 years or not.
Easy, simple.
Let's see these inputs, let's share data.
We, um, we pull from 40 plus, maybe 30,35 different point of sales systems.
We work friendly with a lot of,uh, a lot of, uh, other vendors.
(28:13):
Um.
We'll collect the data, we'll share itwith your accounting system, um, and it.
You know, it, again, I, I think itreally depends on who I'm talking to.
If I'm talking to a chef, my, myattention goes and targets to what
he or she is going to be looking forin their requirements for software.
(28:34):
If I'm talking to A CFO, I go rightinto implementation, how our data
flows and our harmonious integrationswith, uh, with, with other software.
So.
It's, um, it's easy for, I can say,it's easy for me to have a conversation
with no matter who I'm talkingto, a brand new user, a seasoned
user or someone who's implementingit for their brand new business.
Simon (28:58):
Right.
Yeah.
'cause I, I think for me,honestly, like for I see somebody
that isn't doing anything.
xx (29:04):
Mm-hmm.
I tell
Simon (29:05):
them, I'm like, do something first.
Yeah.
And then go softwarebecause if you don't know.
I think it can be, I'veseen it a couple times.
You see somebody who has no trackingof any, any kind, and they put in a new
system and it just, it bulls the chefover and it bulls the manager over and,
(29:26):
and before you know it, the damn thing'ssitting on the computer and it's not
getting used 'cause it was too much.
Right.
Right.
And so I think that, I think it'sas simple and easy as it can be.
It's like, it's the difference between.
Between sitting, still crawling and rot.
Nina (29:46):
True.
I, you know what?
Be, because we do the setupfor our customers, um, that's,
that's a big heavy lift.
So if, if I'm saying, you knowwhat, send me your spreadsheets.
I'm gonna au I'm gonnaautomate this for you.
And they're thinking, what?
You can do that?
I said, yeah, let's get thatclipboard out of your hand.
Let's get you back into the kitchenwhere you belong and let us do all
(30:10):
the automation in the background.
Uh, and some people just don't believe it.
And then when it happens, they'relike, wow, Cogswell iss like this.
Just that this, thisis, this is saving us.
Wow.
We're at 17% here, but 32% here.
I had no idea.
So, uh, again, it's um.
We'll take that spreadsheet.
(30:31):
We'll, we will take your tracking forthe last four months and automate it
for you, and then it's just a matterof now using the software once a day,
once a week, however, it's gonna work.
However you count inventory.
Now you can do it on a tablet.
There is no weird spreadsheets thatyou're funneling through and marking
(30:52):
up and getting spilling your coffee on.
Forget about it.
Get that outta your hand.
Simon (30:57):
Put coffee on the tablet.
Right?
Nina (30:58):
You.
Well,
Simon (31:00):
that's true.
I mean, that's true.
Come on, it happens.
Nina (31:05):
Uh, I remember walking through the kitchen with the clipboard, with the
coffee on top of the clipboard because,you know, I'm using it as a, as a tray.
That was never a good ideaand kids not a good idea.
So, um.
But now that you're counting inventorya lot faster and more efficient, you can
set your coffee down and come back to it.
(31:25):
It'll still be hot.
Simon (31:27):
There you go.
Nina (31:28):
There you go.
Simon (31:29):
Well, awesome.
We've covered some, someserious ground here.
Um, all the way from Domino's Pizza.
xx (31:36):
Yeah.
And,
Simon (31:36):
and pre GPS to the future.
Um, yeah.
Uh, honestly, really, truly thankyou very much for joining me and
my little tiny sandbox of theworld that is culinary mechanic.
Um.
It's fun to hear a chef who has kindof transcended and gone into doing
(31:57):
something else, um, especially tech.
Um, because I think that, uh, like I said,in our fifties, things are different.
Uh
Nina (32:06):
Yep.
We have to keep up with these kids.
It's crazy.
You sure do.
Simon (32:10):
And you gotta use whatever tools you can use.
So, um, I will make sure thatin the show notes, we can find,
uh, both you and Cogswell.
Um, and all you out there, um, we areon YouTube and we are, wherever you
consume podcasts, I promise you, youcan find culinary mechanic please,
(32:31):
uh, like, follow, subscribe, um, aswell as leave us a five star review.
'cause those are the thingsthat really keep, um.
Culinary mechanic humming along.
So nice.
Nina, once again, thank you so muchfor coming and all you out there.
I'll catch you on the flip side.
Nina (32:48):
My pleasure, Simon.
Take care.
See you next time.
Yeah,
I.
You've been listeningto Culinary Mechanic.
This show exists to help you leadwith more clarity, build systems
that actually work and create akitchen culture worth showing up for.
If this episode helped you moveeven one step in that direction, do
me a favor, leave a quick review.
(33:10):
It helps more chefs and operators stop thechaos and start leading with intention.
You're listening toHeritage Radio Network.
I.
From kitchen chaos to well-oiled machines.
Get ready for newfangledtechnology and old school Know-how
(00:21):
stories and a good bit of fun.
I'm Simon, and this iscalled Area Mechanic.
Simon (00:31):
Joining me today is Nina Whelan from Cogswell.
Nina, welcome Leman Pie.
Thank you.
Hey,
xx (00:38):
hey.
Simon (00:39):
Um, so glad you're here.
Um, I wanna hear, I wanna just presson the gas and like get down to it.
How'd you get into therestaurant industry?
How, how'd you come to hospitality?
How, how did that happen?
Nina (00:53):
Well, my very first job was with Domino's Pizza back in, oh, the
nineties when I was in high school.
And, uh, I was old enoughto get a work permit.
I was one of five kids, so Ireally wanted to make my own money
and, uh, you know, buy my ownclothes and I. Things like that.
So I started working as a phone chick.
(01:15):
We were allowed to be calledphone chicks back then.
Um, obviously not even allowed thesedays, but, uh, so I was a phone chick.
We actually answered the phone,took handwritten orders, stuck
the, the order onto a box.
They were made and, uh,obviously delivered.
Then when I was 18, I really wanted to.
(01:37):
Start delivering and making those tips.
So I had worked my way throughpizza maker to expo and cutting
the pizzas and started delivering.
Then I decided I wanna go to culinaryschool and couldn't afford that.
So I went to a small, uh, cheftraining school out in Los Angeles.
(01:57):
I got a certificate.
All the while still working at Domino'suntil I was 23 and I thought there's gotta
be more to food service than just pizza.
But shout out to Domino's forputting me through school.
Had my own apartment, my owncar, paid for my own insurance.
It was great.
Um, and then I decided I really wantedto get into a full service restaurant,
(02:22):
see what all that was all about.
Maybe dabble in bartending,something like that.
And, uh, continued to, youknow, live on my own and, uh.
Went from fast casual to quick casualto full service, uh, fine dining.
Uh, worked with InnovativeDining group in la.
(02:43):
Shout out to BOA and Katana.
Yeah, nice, uh, sushi Rokuand uh, just sushi Roku.
Just really found myself.
Loving hospitality, whetherI was a hostess, whether I
had to take a food delivery.
Um, you know, back when, whendomino, you know, in the nineties
there was a big map on the wall.
There was no GPS, I didn'teven have a cell phone.
(03:05):
So I really learned howto navigate freeways and
neighborhoods by a Thomas guide.
I, I swear that's how it was back then.
Oh yeah.
So all you, all you kids have theluxury now of GPS and pretty much
having everything automated for you.
But, um, no, I, I, I really loved,um, not only cooking because
(03:29):
I, I, I did, uh, get my shit.
Professional chef certificate, um, thatI would plan parties for my friends
and family and just love to entertain.
So I've literally.
Hospitality began for me as a job at15, but I was one of five kids and my
(03:52):
mom cooked dinner every night and forall of us, and I learned how to cook
when I was probably old enough to see.
On top of the counter andshe trusted me with a knife.
I was probably seven, eight yearsold and you don't cook for just two.
You know, there was seven or eightof us sometimes neighbors came over.
So I got into, you know, big plattersand making big salads and uh, and I
(04:15):
love the fact, you know, entertainingand catering way back when.
So it's, it's kind of been in,in my blood and shout out to my
mom for always teaching me thatcustomer service is key and, um.
You know, how how you treat othersis, uh, is indicative of, of
how they're going to treat you.
So just be kind, be hospitable.
(04:37):
So, yeah, that's, that's it.
Innu.
Awesome.
That's the long of it, Simon.
Thanks for that.
I love it.
I love it.
That's
Simon (04:43):
that, uh, that, that's a great synopsis, right?
But I think, yeah, I love thefundamentals in that, right?
Mm-hmm.
Like mom, mom says customerservice is important.
Hell yeah.
Right?
Yes.
Good job, mom.
Um.
All right, so tell me how that turns intoworking for a a restaurant tech company
(05:05):
and tell us a little bit about Cogswell.
Nina (05:08):
You know, I, I, I love what I do, and let me tell you why.
So a couple years ago I was onLinkedIn and I thought, I really
want to do something, uh, differentbut still in hospitality, still
with, with food and restaurants.
And I, I applied for a sales position.
(05:29):
With Cogswell and didn't think theywere gonna call me because I, I was
shopping around for a job for, formonths and, um, I thought, well,
may, maybe I'll dabble in sales.
Who knows?
Bill Lindsay, shout out toBill Lindsay, who called me.
I was talking to my mom on the phonethat day and I said, mom, I gotta go.
Some, some guy named BillLindsay is calling me.
(05:49):
I, I think it's about a job.
And so kicked her off the phone, picked upBill's call and that was um, June of 2023.
And he said, uh, sawyour resume on LinkedIn.
Love to talk to you more.
And I said, sure.
Um.
And fast forward two years,I've learned more about software
(06:14):
interfaces and integrations.
Partnerships, um, referrals.
More than anything.
I can demo the software,that's cool, but also I.
How it works in the restaurantis dependent on who's using it.
So when I'm talking to a chefsuch as yourself, I'm going to.
(06:37):
Gear, that conversation towards menuanalytics and menu engineering and how
to build that recipe, what it lookslike, different versions of, of recipes.
And, and then maybe I'm talking to ACFO and I'm talking about our reporting
and, uh, accounting integrationsand, and just things like that.
So, um, Cogswell has really givenme the opportunity to not only.
(07:03):
Talk about what I love, which is food andhospitality, but also offering solutions,
um, best in class solutions, uh, to ourprospects and leads and, and also taking
our customers business to the next level.
Automation, as you know, it's soimportant and I think some people
(07:23):
might be afraid to start it.
Once you get into Cogswell, it'sjust so, it's easy, it's simple.
We do the setup for you.
So, um, yeah, I've really learned alot about, uh, putting two and two
together, um, not only for myselfand continuing my education in
(07:43):
hospitality, but, uh, to help ownersand operators and chefs like yourself
get the best out of, of the software.
Um, right.
It's, it's, it's, it's really cool.
Simon (07:57):
Right on.
Um, you know, I think having beenin the industry a while and just
had the opportunity to, to, to stareinto the abyss on a number of these
products, I, I will tell you that allon paper, a lot of 'em look the same.
Mm-hmm.
They, they really do.
It's like, oh, you do, you do inventory.
(08:18):
Amazing.
Um, I can get you have a dashboard sick.
That's great.
So without being.
It's just the, the honest truth is theyall look, they all kind of on paper
do the same thing more or less, right?
Sure.
Yep.
Tell me, tell me what sortof sets Cogswell apart?
(08:38):
Um, what are the, what are the features,what are the things that like, catch
your eye and, and kind of make itsomething special for you to be kind of.
Across the table.
Nina (08:51):
Sure.
Thank you for asking.
So Cogswell, uh, this is their, thisis our fifth generation software,
so it's, it's not our first rodeo.
Um, all four founders have been at thisfor decades, so that's what, 200 years?
Well, I shouldn't age themlike that, but that's okay.
Two, 200 years worth of experiencefrom, you know, the tech side
(09:12):
development, implementation,obviously sales and things.
But, uh, when you're looking at ourdashboard, you could have 10 tabs
open within your dashboard insteadof all kinds of browser windows.
And that causes me anxietyjust looking at that.
But, um, uh, you, you've got.
You've got things that stick out.
So you want to click on thingsright away and alert or a transfer.
(09:34):
Transfer function in, um, in Cogswellis so friendly to those, uh, multi-unit
operators that have like a commissary andnow you're transferring items to different
locations and talk about locations.
You can transfer items,be, uh, between each other.
You could also transfer.
(09:56):
Let's say a a a two gallon batch of, uh,bloody Mary mix from one bar to another.
Your bar A made that bloody Mary mix.
There's a cost for making that.
So when you're transferringthat bloody Mary mix from bar
A to bar B, bar B is now gonna.
Pay that labor cost too, so you candebit in credit one and go to the other.
(10:19):
Um, when you, when you transferfrom a, it's gonna deplete all
the ingredients as a prepped itemand send it over to, to bar B.
That's just, I mean, that's just a,a, a small example, but, um, uh, the
user experience is super friendly.
It's easy to navigate, clear again.
(10:39):
All kinds of different reportingyou can have open at the same time
and, and toggle between all of them.
And then for like a systemadministrator or an owner operator,
you can, you can choose which.
Or what you want to see,you can transfer, uh, sorry.
You can toggle betweendifferent locations.
(10:59):
You can see all of your sites consolidatedin rows and columns, or if you just
wanna see how one particular site isdoing, and we call them sites instead
of restaurants or stores or locations.
We, we call them sites.
Um.
And it's, uh, you know, we,and we try to make it fun.
You know, I am, I turned 50 years oldthis year, and, uh, and I say, you
(11:22):
know, these kids now who are usingthis software, these 18 and 22 year
olds gotta make it fun because they're,they might be playing video games
or on their phone a lot, or TikTok.
We wanna make it.
Almost engaging, if that makes sense.
We wanna make themabsolutely want to use it.
Now they're, they're at their job site,they're getting paid to do this, so we
(11:44):
may as well make it fun, engaging, um,and not super analytical or boring either.
Simon (11:53):
Right.
That's awesome.
Um, first of all, welcome tothe club 50, the fifties have.
Let's pause for a second.
If you're serious about building a kitchenthat leads from the top runs on systems
and actually feels good to work in, makesure you're following culinary mechanic.
(12:13):
This show is all about helping youlead better, scale smarter, and
stop white knuckling your business.
And if you're ready to dig in deeper,you'll find a link in the show
notes to connect with me directly.
But you know, it's, I think it's a really interesting thing
to start to understand that theseyounger generations, they interact
with computers and technology mm-hmm.
(12:36):
In a different way.
Like, I feel like for me, fora long time it was like, ah, I
gotta go deal with the computer.
xx (12:43):
Mm-hmm.
Now it's
Simon (12:44):
like, it's just second nature, right?
The phones, um.
The, the phones have made, uh, userexperience something that is personal.
So, um, it makes a lot of sense to methat, that, uh, a computer software
has some engagement characteristics.
xx (13:02):
Mm-hmm.
Right.
Simon (13:02):
That's, that makes a, a ton of sense.
Uh, I'm glad to hear it.
Um.
What, what have you seen, like, whathave you seen with, with your, you know,
you're, you're interacting with, withrestaurants and restaurant companies.
What are some of the biggest thingsthat, that you see as sort of outcomes?
(13:24):
Um, with using coxwell?
Nina (13:28):
Well, obviously cogs, cost of goods sold.
They wanna see accurate numbers,which is what, what we do.
Um.
A lot of restaurateurswant to see waste tracking.
That is huge these days, and we can,we can handle that for you as well.
Um, menu costing.
What's, what's that costing menu.
(13:50):
Engineering, what's popular, what'snot working, what's popular but
not profitable or vice versa?
Uh, our analytics andreporting is very robust.
Um.
Simon (14:07):
No, that's great.
I think that I, you, youhit on something for sure.
Like menu engineering isone of those things mm-hmm.
That I, I feel like when people hear it,they're like, huh, what does that mean?
Um, but I think understanding likehow, how much money you're actually,
you know, I, a lot of my clients andI, we talk about contribution, right?
(14:30):
So like mm-hmm.
What.
One, you, you make it and then you,you make it and you sell it, and it
costs a certain amount to make it.
Um, and then what do youget to play with after that?
Um, and, and so being that sortof profit contribution, um.
Because I think that there's this reallyinteresting thing that happens with
(14:52):
chefs, and I'm sure that you've seen this.
It's like, oh, this is oneof our bestselling dishes.
Is it really chef?
Or this is, you know, when it, whenwe, in reality, what we're talking
about is I love making that dish.
xx (15:05):
Right.
Simon (15:05):
I spent hours figuring out that sauce and I'm so proud of it.
And in reality, you sell 10 a weekand you don't make shit off of it.
But oh my God, that's oneof our best selling dishes.
No numbers don't lie.
I'm sorry to tell you.
And so I think that getting.
Personally, as somebody who advisesand consults restaurants and chefs,
(15:29):
getting people to start to really lookat the cold hard truth of numbers.
Yes.
Um, and understandingit is, is pretty vital.
Um, I, yes.
I don't know.
I like, I love menu engineering.
I geek out on it, but not everybody does.
Right?
Like, not everybody's like, oh, but.
Truly, when you understand that youcan change the tide on, uh, an okay
(15:55):
sort of profitable business andturn it into a bloody cash cow, just
with a few tweaks here and there.
Nina (16:02):
Absolutely.
Yeah.
Our.
The, the reporting is,is just, is amazing.
But how we get that reporting starts,obviously with our implementation.
When we're setting up a new,a new customer, we, we do
the setup for the customer.
Um, what does that mean?
We, uh, do not.
Let the customer sit there with oursoftware and enter every single line item
(16:26):
detail for every item that they purchase.
Could be 400 items, could be 2200items, food and beverage, both.
We do the setup for them, whichjust takes a couple of days.
Um, no other vendor software thatI know of on the market right now
does that for their customers.
So they say, great.
(16:47):
Sign up for our, our.
Platform, but it's gonna takeyou weeks or months to input
everything that you purchase.
We have other parties that we work withto scan in your historical invoices.
We set up everything you've already beenpurchasing and you already bought, you
already have in the back of your house,and we set up your database for you.
(17:09):
We also maintain that database.
Here's a little bit of, geeme geeking out as a chef.
So when you.
Have a new item.
Maybe you're trying something new,doing a little r and d. You have to
stop what you're doing and go to yourspreadsheet and enter that line item,
detail in how it comes packed, yourvendor, vendor, item, code, price, this
(17:30):
and that, where it's gonna be stored.
We actually do that for you.
All you have to do is maybe combine itwith another item or rename it something,
but we do the maintenance for you.
So when you buy new stuff,we automatically set that up.
And the caveat off of that.
When you enter a new item in your pointof sale, automatically maps to Cogswell.
(17:53):
So a lot of the heavy lift and a lotof the, uh, I like to say harmonious
inter integrations in the backgroundhappen while you're sleeping.
You wake up and you seeyour sales mix fantastic.
But, uh, we, we do a lot of theheavy lift for our customers, not
only with setting up the database,but maintaining it on a daily basis.
Simon (18:13):
Right.
What about recipes?
So who, like the chef, chefcomes up with a new recipe.
Is that something that he, he or she canthen, uh, go in and enter that recipe?
Is it, I mean, how does that work?
Nina (18:26):
Yes.
They'll go in and, uh, add theingredients to that recipe.
It'll start populating the numbersbecause everything's automated.
And if you're coming up with a new recipe,let's say you are, you already have, uh,
fish tacos, and now you're, maybe you'rejust changing the fish or putting a new
salsa on it, you can go into that existingrecipe and do a second version of it.
(18:48):
So maybe you're just changing arecipe and you're adding something.
So you can s look six months intothe, uh, six months later you can look
back and say, how has this worked?
We changed this one ingredient.
Or we add, we tweak this.
How, how is it, uh, uh, performingfrom the past six months to
(19:10):
the, is that, am I making sense?
xx (19:12):
Yeah.
Nina (19:13):
How is it performing?
From the other version that we were doingfor six months and then this six months,
we're doing a, a different version.
So instead of doing something brandnew, you could just change a version
of a recipe too, and, and toggleback and forth, which is pretty cool.
I
xx (19:27):
like that.
I like that.
Nina (19:28):
So adding a new recipe, just you just point and click and add
the ingredients and boom, it's,it's in, you can add pictures
and step-by-step instructions.
Uh, you can scale any recipe.
If you have a, a, a party of 15coming in, they're all ordering
the same appetizer or, uh, maybea delivery of, of, you know, 12.
Club sandwiches going out.
(19:49):
Um, even if it's a pre-order, if youhave something coming in this weekend
or a catering and, uh, you gonna need toorder more product because now you've got
this party coming in, or you know, bigdelivery going out, which is pretty cool.
Simon (20:05):
Nice.
I, I like, I feel like that's oneof those things that got missed in
what I would describe as the, asthe last generation of, of mm-hmm.
Of restaurant management systemsis they weren't scaling recipes.
Uh, I worked with a couple,you know, say 10 years ago and
it's like, oh, this is great.
I can take my inventory and there are myrecipes and my recipe costs are coming
(20:27):
out, but there's no sort of way to use it.
So I'm happy to hear thatyou guys have kind of.
Gone into that step of beingable to utilize the recipe for
more than just cost tracking.
Yep.
'cause that's, that's wherethe last generation of those
tech pieces actually sort ofleft off, if that makes sense.
Nina (20:49):
Yeah.
We, we have a lot of catering companiesand country clubs on under our umbrella
that do exclusively banquets and largeorders and parties and things like that.
Um, and.
Some of those have actually sentin, in support requests saying, can
you enhance this reporting X, y, Zto reflect something, and so we're.
(21:13):
Always listening to our users andenhancing our product, which is why
we just can't let it lie as it is now.
Because with technology changing andfood changing and dynamic pricing and
everything, uh, we have to keep up withthem just like they're keeping up with us.
Awesome.
Really important.
Simon (21:33):
Um, what about like the sort of the ordering function?
Is there anything thatcan be, that you can use?
Within there that kind of allow,helps with the, with ordering.
'cause honestly, like mm-hmm.
Having trained a lot of chefson, Hey, this is how you order.
I know that there's a lot of repetition.
(21:54):
So when I think repetition,I think automation.
So what, what about Cogswellcan kind of help me with that.
Nina (22:00):
Sure, we can set you up with all, most of your, uh, main broadline vendors.
We could set you up your team up witha, a template so they're only supposed
to order the, the items they're supposedto be ordering from, from each vendor.
Um, we not only do that,but we can put in an alert.
Hey, your Cisco order is due attwo at two o'clock on every Friday.
(22:22):
Um, it's one o'clock and we haven't,you haven't sent your order yet.
When you send your order to, uh, USFoods, shamrock, all of those guys,
you could also send a copy to yourkitchen manager, to yourself, to your
accountant, whoever you wanna send it to.
Um.
And it's, it's really a good place todo everything in, in one, so you're
(22:45):
not in another portal, on anotherscreen looking at something when
you're ordering through Cogswell.
You could do suggestedordering based on par levels.
Um.
You could also do suggestedordering based on what's already
been ordered and coming tomorrow.
So if you're ordering for Friday andsomething's already coming on Wednesday,
(23:08):
you're already expecting something, somaybe you wanna order something extra
for the weekend, so on and so forth.
Um, even if something is beingtransferred or there's a transfer
going on between that particularlocation, we're gonna let you know.
Simon (23:23):
Nice.
Yeah, it's really cool.
So, so in essence, you're tellingme that you can use, you can
use Cogswell as a, as a portal
xx (23:30):
you can for,
Simon (23:31):
for your ordering?
xx (23:32):
Yes.
Simon (23:32):
Um, 'cause that's, that's a different thing too.
I, yeah, I kind of dig that.
Nina (23:37):
You could also set up a purchase order.
You can set up, uh, an approval system.
So, um, maybe anything over athousand dollars you'll, you're.
GM needs to approve before itgoes out, something like that.
So it's
Simon (23:52):
Right.
Nina (23:53):
Pretty cool.
Simon (23:54):
Right on.
Yeah.
I mean, uh, as a, as a crusty oldchef, I, I just, it always makes
me go, wow, I can't believe that.
How, just very much like you weresaying, like once upon a time there
was no GPS and there was only map.
Mm-hmm.
The Thomas Guide and Maps.
I wonder sometimes how I operatedrestaurants in, you know.
(24:16):
Whether it be 20, 25 years ago.
Mm-hmm.
Um, to think, to stop and thinkabout like how we used to do it, um,
uh, versus now what is available.
Right.
Um, do you find that restaurantsor companies that are not
(24:37):
doing much tracking at all.
Adopt Cogswell or do you find thatthey kind of already have a system
in place and then moving to youguys is either an upgrade or, or a
lateral move because maybe you'reeasier or what are you finding there?
Nina (24:54):
Are you, are you talking about waste tracking?
Simon (24:56):
I mean, just like I know that there's a hundreds, maybe
even thousands of restaurants thatare still on Excel spreadsheets.
Oh, oh.
But I also know that there's plentyof guys and gals out there who,
um, for lack of a better term, costtheir, they'll cost their fettuccine
Alfredo on a, on a cocktail napkinand go, oh, yeah, it's about 30%.
(25:18):
And you know that thatdish is gonna be 25%.
Oh, okay.
Um, and then maybe they havea clipboard and all their
cocktail napkins live on there.
Um, where like, are you finding,do you see, what do you see?
Do you see people goingfrom zero to Cogswell?
Do you find that thebest customers, um, are.
(25:39):
Are already using, like arethey logging with spreadsheets?
Are they u are you finding that, thatyou're, you're getting a company that's
using this, this software over here, andthey're going, nah, it's not working for
me, so now we're gonna move to Cogswell.
What are you like, what are you seeing?
Nina (25:56):
That's a great question.
You know, I, I have to say whetherit's a, a brand new chef opening
his own, his or her own first.
You know, restaurant, they've alreadyused software in their previous restaurant
and maybe it, they weren't a big fanof it, so they're looking for something
(26:18):
new and they already kind of know how touse software and know how to, you know.
Use inventory tracking.
Great.
So that's, that's, that's one.
Second is, uh, multi-unit conceptswho are looking to, um, advance their
knowledge of their current inventorysystem, but their current inventory
system just can't handle transfers.
(26:40):
It has clunky menu engineering.
Can't do everythingthat that Cogswell can.
Um, and three, it's sometimes it isan educational experience for me,
Simon, talking to somebody who's neverused software before, whether it's
an owner operator, sous chef, host.
Um, trying to get themto see the value in it.
(27:05):
Uh, we're a monthly subscription andI always say, you know, if you, if you
can't figure it out in a couple of months,cancel, I know you'll be able to, 'cause
it's easy and you're not gonna cancel.
You're gonna love us.
Um, but we, we are best in class.
We're not an all-in-one.
All-in-ones tend to get alittle too clunky in my opinion.
Um, so.
(27:27):
So taking a a, a, a brand new personto a brand new person to inventory
software and showing them Cogswell isprobably the easiest for me to get some.
Oh, wow.
To try to, you know, uh, because I've beenthere, I've been there without inventory
software and I want to make it, um.
(27:49):
Just again, easy and simple.
That's what a lot ofpeople are looking for.
No matter if you've usedsoftware for 50 years or not.
Easy, simple.
Let's see these inputs, let's share data.
We, um, we pull from 40 plus, maybe 30,35 different point of sales systems.
We work friendly with a lot of,uh, a lot of, uh, other vendors.
(28:13):
Um.
We'll collect the data, we'll share itwith your accounting system, um, and it.
You know, it, again, I, I think itreally depends on who I'm talking to.
If I'm talking to a chef, my, myattention goes and targets to what
he or she is going to be looking forin their requirements for software.
(28:34):
If I'm talking to A CFO, I go rightinto implementation, how our data
flows and our harmonious integrationswith, uh, with, with other software.
So.
It's, um, it's easy for, I can say,it's easy for me to have a conversation
with no matter who I'm talkingto, a brand new user, a seasoned
user or someone who's implementingit for their brand new business.
Simon (28:58):
Right.
Yeah.
'cause I, I think for me,honestly, like for I see somebody
that isn't doing anything.
xx (29:04):
Mm-hmm.
I tell
Simon (29:05):
them, I'm like, do something first.
Yeah.
And then go softwarebecause if you don't know.
I think it can be, I'veseen it a couple times.
You see somebody who has no trackingof any, any kind, and they put in a new
system and it just, it bulls the chefover and it bulls the manager over and,
(29:26):
and before you know it, the damn thing'ssitting on the computer and it's not
getting used 'cause it was too much.
Right.
Right.
And so I think that, I think it'sas simple and easy as it can be.
It's like, it's the difference between.
Between sitting, still crawling and rot.
Nina (29:46):
True.
I, you know what?
Be, because we do the setupfor our customers, um, that's,
that's a big heavy lift.
So if, if I'm saying, you knowwhat, send me your spreadsheets.
I'm gonna au I'm gonnaautomate this for you.
And they're thinking, what?
You can do that?
I said, yeah, let's get thatclipboard out of your hand.
Let's get you back into the kitchenwhere you belong and let us do all
(30:10):
the automation in the background.
Uh, and some people just don't believe it.
And then when it happens, they'relike, wow, Cogswell iss like this.
Just that this, thisis, this is saving us.
Wow.
We're at 17% here, but 32% here.
I had no idea.
So, uh, again, it's um.
We'll take that spreadsheet.
(30:31):
We'll, we will take your tracking forthe last four months and automate it
for you, and then it's just a matterof now using the software once a day,
once a week, however, it's gonna work.
However you count inventory.
Now you can do it on a tablet.
There is no weird spreadsheets thatyou're funneling through and marking
(30:52):
up and getting spilling your coffee on.
Forget about it.
Get that outta your hand.
Simon (30:57):
Put coffee on the tablet.
Right?
Nina (30:58):
You.
Well,
Simon (31:00):
that's true.
I mean, that's true.
Come on, it happens.
Nina (31:05):
Uh, I remember walking through the kitchen with the clipboard, with the
coffee on top of the clipboard because,you know, I'm using it as a, as a tray.
That was never a good ideaand kids not a good idea.
So, um.
But now that you're counting inventorya lot faster and more efficient, you can
set your coffee down and come back to it.
(31:25):
It'll still be hot.
Simon (31:27):
There you go.
Nina (31:28):
There you go.
Simon (31:29):
Well, awesome.
We've covered some, someserious ground here.
Um, all the way from Domino's Pizza.
xx (31:36):
Yeah.
And,
Simon (31:36):
and pre GPS to the future.
Um, yeah.
Uh, honestly, really, truly thankyou very much for joining me and
my little tiny sandbox of theworld that is culinary mechanic.
Um.
It's fun to hear a chef who has kindof transcended and gone into doing
(31:57):
something else, um, especially tech.
Um, because I think that, uh, like I said,in our fifties, things are different.
Uh
Nina (32:06):
Yep.
We have to keep up with these kids.
It's crazy.
You sure do.
Simon (32:10):
And you gotta use whatever tools you can use.
So, um, I will make sure thatin the show notes, we can find,
uh, both you and Cogswell.
Um, and all you out there, um, we areon YouTube and we are, wherever you
consume podcasts, I promise you, youcan find culinary mechanic please,
(32:31):
uh, like, follow, subscribe, um, aswell as leave us a five star review.
'cause those are the thingsthat really keep, um.
Culinary mechanic humming along.
So nice.
Nina, once again, thank you so muchfor coming and all you out there.
I'll catch you on the flip side.
Nina (32:48):
My pleasure, Simon.
Take care.
See you next time.
Yeah,
I.
You've been listeningto Culinary Mechanic.
This show exists to help you leadwith more clarity, build systems
that actually work and create akitchen culture worth showing up for.
If this episode helped you moveeven one step in that direction, do
me a favor, leave a quick review.
(33:10):
It helps more chefs and operators stop thechaos and start leading with intention.
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