In this repurposed episode of Fast Casual Nation, industry leaders Gregg Majewski, CEO and Founder of Craveworthy Brands, and Heather Leed Neary, President and CEO of Taco John's International, Inc., sit down to discuss the evolving landscape of restaurant technology.

Key Takeaways

The Future of Restaurant Tech
Turning Mistakes into Marketing Wins
The Key to Customer-Centric Innovation

In this repurposed episode of Fast Casual Nation, industry leaders Gregg Majewski, CEO and Founder of Craveworthy Brands, and Heather Leed Neary, President and CEO of Taco John's International, Inc., sit down to discuss the evolving landscape of restaurant technology. Recorded live at the 2024 Prosper Forum, the conversation dives into the challenges and opportunities of integrating technology across multi-unit operations, balancing franchisee adoption, and maintaining seamless tech integration.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into how Gregg's leadership has propelled Craveworthy Brands into a dynamic multi-brand powerhouse and how Heather is steering Taco John's, a legacy brand, into a future defined by digital innovation and customer engagement. Key topics include the rise of TikTok as a primary marketing platform, the importance of operator-focused tech solutions, and how tech consolidation may redefine the industry's future.

The Future of Restaurant Tech

Gregg Majewski highlights the growing complexity and cost of restaurant technology, noting, “Right now, there’s so much in this space that it’s so confusing… No one does anything fully.” He predicts an industry-wide consolidation of tech platforms, explaining, “The restaurant industry is not going to continue to pay a service fee or monthly subscription fee for all these different platforms.”

With operators spending upwards of $1,500 per unit monthly on fragmented tech solutions, Gregg believes mergers are inevitable. “You’re going to see somebody come in and start to consolidate the pieces.”

He points to companies like Restaurant365, which have already begun acquiring platforms to create all-in-one solutions. For smaller tech players, Gregg warns, “The smaller ones are going to have to catch up.” Consolidation, he argues, is the next major phase for restaurant technology.

Turning Mistakes into Marketing Wins

Gregg Majewski emphasizes the importance of authenticity and transparency in building trust with customers across Craveworthy Brands. He shares how his hands-on approach to quality control, including publicly addressing food preparation issues, has created meaningful connections with customers.

Reflecting on a viral video where he critiqued his own food, Gregg notes, “That was like our best thing we ever did because it was authentic. It was, hey, somebody actually gives a crap about what we're doing.” He also reveals an innovative initiative to handle customer complaints, explaining, “We're going to start personally delivering to them remade food or correction and show the win back.”

By showcasing their commitment to quality and accountability, Craveworthy Brands transforms operational challenges into powerful marketing moments.

The Key to Customer-Centric Innovation

Gregg Majewski emphasizes that “the first thing and the only thing that matters is, is the customer getting the most easy way to order wherever they are.” Instead of investing in individual mobile apps, Gregg developed Craveworthy Kitchen, an integrated online ordering platform that ties all his brands together.

“We spent all our money on Craveworthy Kitchen… to build this just kick-ass online ordering system and app and everything else, and then skin them for each brand.” This strategy allows customers to order multiple brands from a single location, driving incremental revenue.

Gregg also challenges the belief that tech primarily simplifies management, stating, “Every piece of tech that we bring in to me has to bring in top line sales.” His approach prioritizes seamless ordering experiences and revenue growth, setting a clear standard for tech innovation in fast-casual dining.

Episode Links:

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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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Do you know someone who would be great on this show? Let us know by emailing us at roomforsecondspodcast@gmail.com or sending a DM on social media @craveworthybrands

Room for Seconds is produced and published by Cali BBQ Media on behalf of Craveworthy Brands

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Tech, Transparency, and Transformation: The Future of Fast-Casual Dining