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PODCAST

Digital Hospitality

Shawn P. Walchef

Digital Hospitality is an interview podcast series that explores the ways successful people have harnessed the power of the Internet and social media. The show is hosted by Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn P. Walchef.

business marketing

All Episodes

00:28:45

What It Really Takes to Grow a Restaurant Brand

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/25

Khara Mangiduyos, co-founder of Kalei's Kitchenette, shares how humble beginnings at farmers markets grew into a thriving Hawaiian comfort food brand built on authenticity, resilience, and community. From launching with her husband as a two-person team to opening a brick-and-mortar after years of persistence, she explains why real connection matters more than polished marketing. This episode explores storytelling as a growth tool, building loyalty through shared values, and how hospitality can reach

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00:11:50

The Tech Strategy Fueling Vicious Biscuit’s Next...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/15

Amanda Kahalehoe, COO of Vicious Biscuit, shares how an emerging restaurant brand is scaling through systems, not chaos. From building the operational backbone behind growth to choosing technology that actually removes friction, Kahalehoe explains why modern operators need more than great food to expand. This episode explores franchise growth, smart tech stacks, vendor partnerships, and how the right systems create better hospitality.Technology Should Remove Friction First – Amanda Kahalehoe does

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00:15:35

Swob Is Helping Restaurants Hire Faster by Bringing...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/13

Stephanie Florio and Alexander Florio share how Swob is helping restaurants hire faster through simpler systems, smarter automation, and a better candidate experience. From responding within 24 hours to building stronger careers pages and reducing no-shows with AI, they explain how operators can compete for talent in a changing labor market. This episode explores digital hospitality and why hiring starts long before day one.Speed Wins the Best Candidates – Restaurants often lose applicants not

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00:26:37

He Lost Everything Then Built a Michelin Recognized...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/08

Shawn Walchef sits down with Cesar Vallin, co-owner of Cloak and Petal, to talk about rebuilding after failure and leading with authenticity. Vallin shares the lessons learned from bankruptcy, the mindset shift that shaped his restaurant, and why storytelling and vulnerability matter in hospitality. The conversation explores resilience, daily practices for staying present, and why long-term consistency matters more than short-term success.Authenticity Builds Real Connection – Vallin does not

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00:29:36

From First Customers to Fifty More: The System Behind...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/06

Matt Lattanzio, President of Supply & Demand Consulting and former revenue leader at 7shifts, breaks down why most restaurant tech companies struggle to scale. From building repeatable go-to-market systems to defining a true target account list, he shares practical insights on sales, marketing, and growth. This episode explores the shift from single-channel inbound to distributed strategies and why consistency, not early traction, is what drives long-term success. Repeatability Is the Real Growth

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00:25:26

Why This Restaurant Owner Still Runs on Handwritten...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/04/01

Shawn Walchef sits down with Enrique Medina, owner of Crest Cafe in San Diego, to talk about consistency, community, and running a restaurant on your own terms. Medina shares what it means to return to a family business, lead through one of the toughest periods in hospitality, and build a culture centered on regulars and relationships. The conversation explores operating without traditional restaurant technology, trusting your team, and why the feeling inside the restaurant will always matter more

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00:29:22

How Checkmate Helps Restaurants Optimize Menus and...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/30

Brett Spiegel, Vice President of Direct Ordering at Checkmate, breaks down why the menu has become one of the most powerful and overlooked tools in modern restaurants. From managing constant menu changes across multiple channels to turning digital screens into revenue drivers, he explains how leading brands are using data, testing, and technology to increase average order size and improve the guest experience. This episode explores how Checkmate helps operators simplify complexity and scale

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00:29:48

350 Employees, 7 Locations, and a YouTube Strategy...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/25

Alistair Levine, CEO of Vine Hospitality, shares how a 7-location, 350-employee restaurant group is built on discipline, not trends. From lessons on leases and financial fundamentals to using YouTube as a demand and hiring engine, Levine explains how modern operators can blend old school principles with new school tools. This episode explores digital hospitality, intentional tech stacks, and why telling your story is now a competitive advantage.Old School Discipline Still Wins – Alistair Levine

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00:27:23

Turning Gift Cards Into a Cash Flow Engine

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/23

Benjamin Berg, CEO of E-Card Systems, joins Digital Hospitality to explain why gift cards are one of the most overlooked revenue tools in restaurants. Serving more than 100,000 brands each year, his company helps operators simplify both physical and digital gift card programs. Berg shares how gift cards became a lifeline during the pandemic, why most restaurants underutilize them, and how they can drive cash flow, customer acquisition, and retention. This episode breaks down the operational and

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00:24:04

Tamar Mizrahi on the Systems Behind Scaling Goddess...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/16

Tamar Mizrahi, founder of Goddess and the Baker, joins Digital Hospitality to share how she built and scaled a fast-casual café concept across Chicago. Mizrahi explains how focusing on simple menus, strong systems, and operational discipline helped the brand grow to multiple locations. She also discusses the role technology and partners like F3 play in supporting installs, networking, and POS infrastructure so her team can stay focused on guests.Build the Concept Around the Guest Experience –

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00:27:42

The Reality of Scaling a Restaurant Business: A Chat...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/11

Christopher Staples, owner of Toast New American Gastro Pub in Richmond, Virginia, joins Digital Hospitality to share how patience, community, and disciplined operations helped grow his restaurant brand to three locations. Staples explains why Richmond’s neighborhood loyalty shapes restaurant strategy, how Toast POS powers his tech stack, and why guest relationships always come first. The conversation explores expansion lessons, the challenges of outside capital, and why building a restaurant brand

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00:27:54

How Checkmate Helps Restaurants Eliminate Tablet...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/09

Vishal Agarwal shares how a frustrating airport restaurant experience, where he was nearly late for a flight because he couldn’t find a way to pay his bill, sparked the idea that became Checkmate. What began as a mobile payment concept quickly pivoted into integrating third party delivery platforms directly into restaurant POS systems. In this episode, Agarwal explains how solving real operational problems helped Checkmate grow into a platform supporting thousands of restaurant brands.Real

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00:35:03

How This Pizza Chain Automated & Scaled Their...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/03/02

Nora Hermann, COO of MOTO Pizza, joins Digital Hospitality to break down how the fast-growing brand is scaling with discipline. With seven locations and more on the way, MOTO relies on rightwork to forecast demand, optimize labor, and build smarter schedules before the week begins. Nora shares how planning for busy protects margin, strengthens culture, and reduces burnout, proving that sustainable growth starts with organized operations and strong technology partnerships.Labor Is Won Before the

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45:12

Pitch The Tide – Noah Palansky: CEO & Co-Founder of TAIV

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/27

In this Pitch The Tide session, Noah Palansky, CEO and co-founder of TAIV, presents a platform that transforms in-venue TVs into revenue-generating marketing channels for restaurants and bars. By using AI to detect commercial breaks in real time, TAIV seamlessly replaces broadcast ads with brand-safe content, in-house promotions, and paid advertising from approved partners. Operators gain control over what appears on their screens, unlock incremental ad revenue through a shared model, and drive

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6:05

Are You Struggling To Make Content?

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/25

Shawn Walchef shares why creating content is no longer optional for entrepreneurs and operators who want to grow their business. He explains how visibility drives opportunity, why waiting for the perfect moment holds leaders back, and how anyone can start with simple tools like a smartphone. Walchef encourages leaders to build in public, embrace discomfort, and use repetition to strengthen their message.Interview Takeaways:Content Creates Visibility, and Visibility Drives Opportunity – If you

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1:00:14

Rising Tides Live: What Story Are You Afraid to Tell?

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/24

Storytelling and vulnerability took center stage on Rising Tides Live as Shawn Walchef and the community explored a powerful question: what story are you afraid to tell, and why does it matter? From failed ghost kitchens and leadership missteps to personal sacrifices, ethical dilemmas, and the messy middle of building something new, entrepreneurs and operators shared honest moments of fear, failure, and growth. A clear theme emerged: the stories we hesitate to share often create the strongest

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Embrace Your Cringe: How 1925 PubHouse Is Building in...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/23

Ben Morgan, Tyler Morgan, and Mallory Morgan of 1925 PubHouse in Anderson, Indiana join Digital Hospitality to share how a family restaurant is evolving in public. From losing a job during COVID to embracing smartphone storytelling, they discuss blending old-school marketing with modern tech. This episode explores leadership on camera, leveraging Toast and integrated tools, and why embracing the cringe might be the most powerful growth strategy in 2026.Interview Takeaways:Embrace the Cringe to

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00:32:35

Embrace Your Cringe: How 1925 PubHouse Is Building in...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/23

Ben Morgan, Tyler Morgan, and Mallory Morgan of 1925 PubHouse in Anderson, Indiana join Digital Hospitality to share how a family restaurant is evolving in public. From losing a job during COVID to embracing smartphone storytelling, they discuss blending old-school marketing with modern tech. This episode explores leadership on camera, leveraging Toast and integrated tools, and why embracing the cringe might be the most powerful growth strategy in 2026. Embrace the Cringe to Unlock Growth –

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1:05:37

Pitch The Tide: Scott Siegel – Co Founder and CEO of...

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/19

In this Pitch The Tide session, Scott Siegel, co-founder and CEO of Curbit, introduces a real-time order orchestration platform built to help restaurants manage digital order flow and reduce wait times. Curbit connects to kitchen and ordering systems to monitor production, adjust promise times, and communicate accurate pickup updates to guests. Instead of relying on static estimates or turning off orders during busy periods, brands gain live visibility into kitchen capacity. The focus of the pitch

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5:34

Leadership Lessons

Digital Hospitality ·

2026/02/18

Shawn Walchef shares the four leadership lessons he learned the hard way after nearly losing his restaurant and building a media company from zero revenue to millions in sales. He explains why storytelling drives vision, how calm creates speed, why curiosity matters more than skill, and why asking for help is a true leadership strength. This episode explores practical insights on building teams, making decisions, and leading with clarity, resilience, and purpose in business.Interview

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643 results

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