Ep. 88: Turn Any Bar into a Vegas Experience—Union COO Gary Ross Reveals the Tech Making It Happen

In this episode, host JC Granger chats with Gary Ross, the COO of Union — the only hospitality-focused operating system built specifically for high-volume bars and restaurants.

Union is transforming the guest experience by eliminating service bottlenecks and unlocking new ways for venues to serve faster, smarter, and more profitably. With guest-led ordering, NFC-powered table service, and real-time data flowing through every transaction, Union helps venues boost efficiency and increase revenue — often by as much as 28%. Beyond the tech, Union gives operators the tools to personalize service, recognize VIPs, and make every customer feel like a regular, all while making staff jobs easier and more rewarding.

Gary shares how Union is not only reshaping the way bars operate, but also giving brands and marketers a direct, measurable way to engage with consumers in-venue — something that’s long been missing in the industry. He also discusses the challenges of scaling in a traditionally analog sector, the importance of staff adoption, and how Union’s growth is now outpacing onboarding capacity.

If you’re interested in hospitality tech, smart service models, or how data and design are colliding to reinvent the bar experience, this episode offers a firsthand look at how Union is bringing a Vegas-style guest experience to bars.