Behind the Tab

Sales tax isn’t the most exciting part of running a hospitality business—but it might be one of the riskiest.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Cristine Vickery from DAVO by Avalara to unpack why sales tax compliance continues to trip up even the most experienced operators. From cash flow surprises to audit exposure, Cristine shares what’s really happening behind the scenes—and why so many businesses don’t realize ...

Food halls are evolving from quick dining stops into full-scale cultural destinations.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, GoTab’s Adam Howe sits down with Andrew Colicchio of Colicchio Consulting to discuss how intentional design and programming can dramatically increase dwell time, guest engagement, and food hall profitability.

Andrew shares insights from working with more than 100 food hall projects across the country and explains ...

Social media used to be the easiest way for breweries to connect with their guests. Today, those platforms control who actually sees your posts.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, Patricia Mejia sits down with Ross Stensrud of TapWyse to talk about how breweries can reclaim their customer relationships.

Ross shares why the idea that “people won’t download brewery apps” is largely a myth, how social media reach has dropped to just a f...

Food halls are no longer just trendy dining destinations—they’re becoming powerful anchors for modern real estate development.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Megan Flanagan from Urban Land Institute Minneapolis to explore why developers, operators, and investors are increasingly turning to food halls to activate underutilized properties, drive foot traffic, and create community-centered destinations.

From adaptiv...

Self-pour beverage systems are transforming how guests experience food halls—and how operators drive revenue.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, GoTab’s Adam Howe sits down with Josh Goodman, CEO of PourMyBev, to explore how self-pour technology is reshaping beverage service across food halls, breweries, and multi-use hospitality venues.

Josh shares the entrepreneurial story behind PourMyBev (formerly PourMyBeer), from spotting a sim...

Food halls were built to be dynamic. Movement. Energy. Discovery.
So why are so many operators still treating events like an afterthought?

In this special episode of Behind the Tab, I sit down with Emily Young, Director of Strategic Partnerships at Tripleseat, to talk about the panel she’s moderating at the upcoming Future of Food Halls Conference:

One Roof, Many Concepts: Mastering Events in Food Halls & Multi-Use Properties

W...

Ever felt let down by hotel restaurants — overpriced menus, underwhelming service, and generic dishes? In this episode of Behind the Tab, we talk with hotel restaurant hospitality expert Kenneth Scharlatt to unpack why hotel food & beverage has fallen behind and how forward-thinking operators are flipping the script.

We explore how reimagining the hotel restaurant’s identity, leveraging a modern point-of-sale strategy, and embr...

Are you overwhelmed by spreadsheets and fragmented systems? In this episode of Behind the Tab, GoTab and Tenzo team up to tackle one of the hospitality industry’s biggest pain points: turning scattered data into real-time decisions.

Join Sebastian Arrese, Director of Partnerships at Tenzo, as he shares the story behind Tenzo’s origin and why operators struggle to make sense of data across POS, labor, inventory, and more. Learn how ...

In Part 2, Adam Howe and Seth Burtis, COO of 5&5, build on their earlier discussion by examining how modern restaurant technology directly impacts the guest experience. Seth shares thoughtful perspectives on kiosks, QR ordering, handhelds, and drive-thru AI—emphasizing that technology should support hospitality, not replace it.

The conversation dives into growing guest price sensitivity, especially around third-party delivery ma...

In Part 1 of this two-part conversation, Adam Howe sits down with Seth Burtis, COO of 5&5, to discuss how restaurant operators should approach technology, systems, and outside support. Seth shares why tech alone doesn’t fix broken operations—and how process, empathy, and operator buy-in determine whether new tools succeed or fail.

This episode kicks off a two-part conversation between Adam Howe and Seth Burtis, COO of 5&...

Shorter theatrical release windows have changed how movie theaters operate—and profitability depends on adapting fast.

In this episode of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Codi and Ken from Clark Film Buying, the team behind film programming and negotiations for ~160 theaters across the U.S., from single-screen Main Street cinemas to dine-in theaters and multiplexes.

They share what they’re seeing on the ground: how tighter release wi...

In Part Two of Behind the Tab with Parker Loudermilk of Fait La Force Brewing, the conversation shifts from philosophy to execution — and what it takes to build a sustainable brewery experience today.

Adam and Parker dive into how Fait La Force balances craft beer enthusiasts with casual drinkers, including how the team educates guests without overwhelming them. Parker explains the thinking behind their menu design, staff training, ...

In this episode of Behind the Tab, host Adam Howe sits down with Parker Loudermilk, co-owner of Fait La Force Brewing in Nashville, to unpack the brewery’s origin story and creative vision.

Parker walks through how he and his business partner Zach transitioned from engineering careers into professional brewing, driven by a shared passion for Belgian and European beer styles that were largely missing from the Nashville market. They d...

In the Season 2 premiere of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Will Donaldson of Politan Row to unpack what’s actually happening inside food halls as we head into the new year.

With more than a decade focused exclusively on food halls, Will shares a hospitality-first perspective shaped by restaurant operations, real estate realities, and human behavior. This isn’t a “trends” episode—it’s a reality check.

You’ll hear:

• Why food halls ...

In Episode 11 of Behind the Tab, we continue the conversation with Noel Rodriguez, a longtime hospitality professional and Customer Success leader at GoTab, to unpack a deceptively simple question:

What do operators think is “new” in restaurant technology—and what actually isn’t?

From Kitchen Display Systems and buzzers to QR ordering and hybrid service models, Noel explains why many “new” tools have been around for years—and why suc...

What does it really take to run a great hospitality operation in 2026?

In this episode of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Noel Rodriguez, a longtime hospitality professional turned Customer Success leader at GoTab.

Noel’s journey—from high-volume restaurants and events to supporting operators through modern hospitality technology—offers a rare, operator-first perspective. This conversation goes beyond features and platforms to explo...

Part 2 of our conversation with Ashley Owens of CourtReserve and Tim McLaughlin of GoTab zooms out from CourtReserve’s funding story into the broader racquet-sports and hospitality landscape.

Ashley and Tim dig into why pickleball, padel, tennis, and multi-sport venues are exploding, and how automation is reshaping both the operator and player experience. They compare the racquet-sports surge to past boom-and-bust cycles like craft...

In Part 1 of our conversation with Ashley Owens, co-founder of CourtReserve, and GoTab co-founder Tim McLaughlin, we unpack how CourtReserve grew from a simple tennis court booking idea into a leading facility management platform. Ashley shares her personal origin story, why she and her husband chose to become operators themselves, and what their $54M growth investment means for product quality, integrations, and the future of racq...

In this episode, Patricia sits down with Andrew Coplon, founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals, for a deep dive into the habits, data, and guest-experience strategies that separate good taprooms from great ones.

Andrew shares how a “crazy idea” in 2017—launching a mystery-shopping service for breweries—sparked his journey into the industry and inspired the creation of an 18,000-member community dedicated to brewery ed...