Brian Smetana of 25/7 Digital Labs and Adam Salinas of LG Electronics explain how digital signage and real-time pricing are transforming restaurant operations and the customer experience.
Key Takeaways
- The Rise of Digital Signage
- Dynamic Pricing Isn’t New—It’s Just Faster
- Technology Is Reshaping the Customer Experience
The restaurant industry is in the middle of a quiet—but powerful—transformation. What once felt like futuristic concepts—digital menu boards, dynamic pricing, and interactive ordering—are quickly becoming the new standard.
Filmed live at Crave Con 2025, guest host Josh Halpern sat down with Brian Smetana of 25/7 Digital Labs and Adam Salinas of LG Electronics USA to unpack exactly how and why this shift is happening—and what it means for operators trying to keep up.
The Rise of Digital Signage
Not long ago, digital signage was viewed as a luxury—an expensive upgrade reserved for major chains. Today, that perception has flipped.
Adam explains, “digital menu boards are a staple now… they’re being installed everywhere from the smaller mom and pops to the larger chain restaurants.”
The shift isn’t just about aesthetics—it’s about long-term value. Operators are rethinking how they invest over time, replacing static materials with flexible systems.
But the key is a phased approach. As one guest explained, “crawl, walk, run is a great approach… replace the same things you have now. Don’t go crazy.” Start simple, then gradually introduce more dynamic features and offers.
Dynamic Pricing Isn’t New—It’s Just Faster
Dynamic pricing may sound new, but the core idea has always existed.
As Brian puts it, “you have different segments of business… and there’s always a price point for those customers.” Restaurants have always adjusted pricing based on demand—it just wasn’t as fast or precise.
The real shift is in how it’s communicated. “It’s how it’s… portrayed and positioned in the marketplace from a communication and marketing perspective.”
That framing matters. Charging more at peak times can feel negative, while discounting during slower periods feels like a win—even if the strategy is fundamentally the same.
Technology Is Reshaping the Customer Experience
Beyond pricing and signage, the broader transformation is how customers interact with restaurants.
Over time, technology has changed expectations. “They’ve shifted the consumer dynamic and made it become acceptable to engage with customers that way.”
What started with large chains is now spreading to smaller operators as well. “Now we’re starting to see that push into… small businesses that don’t have the big bandwidth and don’t have the big budgets.”
As costs come down, more restaurants can adopt the same tools—bringing digital experiences to a much wider audience.
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ABOUT JOSH HALPERN
Currently the CBO for Craveworthy Brands and CEO of Big Chicken. Over 20 years of professional and leadership experience in industries ranging from Consumer-Packaged Goods (CPG), to retail and now the restaurant business.
About Gregg Majewski
Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.
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