Restaurant AI

Matt Wampler
  • 5.0 (9)
  • TECHNOLOGY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Restaurant AI with Matt Wampler is your weekly deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hosted by tech entrepreneur and industry insider Matt Wampler, this podcast explores how AI is reshaping everything from kitchen operations and customer service to marketing, labor management, and the guest experience. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, tech innovator, or hospitality enthusiast, each episode delivers insights, expert interviews, and real-world use cases that help you stay ahead in a competitive and tech-driven landscape.

  1. 1D AGO

    Josh Kopel on AI, Systems, and Why Restaurants Must Evolve Now

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Josh Kopel, restaurateur, coach, marketing strategist, and founder of the Restaurant Scaling System. Josh has built, scaled, and exited restaurants, including earning a Michelin star, but he’s blunt about what actually matters in this industry. From marketing myths to hiring systems powered by AI, this conversation dives into what separates restaurants that survive from those that scale. Josh shares why most restaurants are stuck in “performative marketing,” how to think differently about social media, why chasing awards won’t buy you freedom, and how AI can dramatically improve hiring and delegation. They also unpack the hard truth about industry consolidation, what “strategic ignorance” really means for owners, and why better questions, not more effort, unlock growth. Whether you’re an independent operator, founder, or scaling a multi-unit concept, this episode delivers sharp insights and practical frameworks you can apply immediately. Episode Links: Connect with Josh Kopel: https://joshkopel.comConnect with Matt Wampler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwamplerLearn more about ClearCOGS: https://www.clearcogs.com Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Coming Up 01:53 Welcome Josh Kopel 03:03 No Marketing → Performative Marketing → Effective Marketing 03:39 Why Social Media Is Low Intent 07:54 Why a Michelin Star Didn’t Create Freedom 09:43 “Do What You Think Is Cool” Philosophy 16:04 Using AI to Hire Better Employees 18:19 Hiring for Natural Predisposition 26:59 The Industry Reckoning: Top 30% Will Cannibalize 90% 52:34 Strategic Ignorance Explained 1:06:46 Why Knowledge Alone Isn’t Enough 1:07:26 Final Advice for Restaurant Owners

    1h 9m

  2. FEB 17

    Aaron Knape: Computer Vision, Privacy, and the Next Leap in AI

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Aaron Knape, Chief Revenue Officer at Amniscient, to unpack one of the most talked-about but least understood areas of AI: computer vision. While most AI conversations today focus on voice and text, Aaron explains why computer vision is different, and why it may be the missing layer that allows AI to finally understand the physical world. From grocery stores and restaurants to manufacturing and security, computer vision gives AI eyes, context, and ground truth data that language models alone can’t provide. Aaron breaks down what computer vision actually is, why it’s historically been so expensive and slow to adopt, and what’s finally changing. The conversation explores real-world use cases like self-checkout, inventory tracking, quality control, and operational visibility, along with the harder questions around privacy, data ownership, liability, and regulation. They also dive into the convergence of LLMs + computer vision, edge vs cloud processing, the future of robotics, deepfakes, and why adoption isn’t just a technology problem, it’s an education and implementation problem.Episode Links: Connect with Aaron Knape on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aaronknape/ Learn more about Amniscient: Connect with Matt Wampler on LinkedIn: /matthewjwampler Learn more about ClearCOGS: Chapters + Timestamps00:00 Intro & Coming Up 02:51 What Computer Vision Actually Is 04:15 CAPTCHA & Training AI 04:58 Why Computer Vision Stayed in Infancy 06:56 The “Autocomplete on Steroids” Moment 09:36 LLMs + Computer Vision: Giving AI Eyes 11:35 Why Video Hasn’t Delivered ROI Yet 13:17 Self-Checkout & Retail Use Cases 16:43 The SKU & Packaging Problem 19:35 Aaron’s Journey into Computer Vision 22:50 Cameras, 4K & Hardware Evolution 24:45 Edge vs Cloud Computing 29:47 Privacy, Data Ownership & Liability 35:00 Deepfakes & Regulation 41:58 The Risk of Too Much Visibility 46:18 AI, Education & The Next Generation 52:21 Where Computer Vision Is Headed 1:15:19 Final Thoughts & Where to Find Aaron

    1h 16m

  3. FEB 6

    How Kristen Corral Built a Community-Driven Restaurant Brand

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Kristen Corral, serial entrepreneur, TEDx speaker, and Co-Founder of Tacotarian, the fast-growing plant-based Mexican restaurant brand redefining how restaurants build community and loyalty. Kristen shares her unconventional journey from Las Vegas showgirl to restaurant founder, detailing how she built Tacotarian from an idea into a multi-location brand with a cult following. Along the way, she breaks down what most restaurants get wrong about marketing, why authenticity consistently beats polished advertising, and how operators can turn attention into real customers. The conversation dives deep into community-first marketing, converting social media followers into email subscribers, avoiding polarizing labels like “vegan,” and designing a brand that invites everyone in. Kristen also shares how she’s expanding Tacotarian into CPG and retail, how AI and modern tools give small brands an advantage over big chains, and why restaurants that listen to their customers win long term. Whether you’re a restaurant owner, founder, marketer, or simply curious about building a brand people genuinely care about, this episode offers practical insights, real examples, and a refreshing perspective on growth in hospitality. LINKS: Visit Tacotarian: https://eattacotarian.com Connect with Kristen Corral on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kristen-corral/ Connect with Matt Wampler on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler/ Learn more about ClearCOGS: https://www.clearcogs.com Chapters: 00:00 Intro & Coming Up Next 02:58 Kristen’s unlikely path: showgirl to entrepreneur 05:13 Launching Tacotarian and early success 07:28 Why plant-based without alienating guests 09:43 Community-first marketing and storytelling12:38 Turning social media followers into customers 15:28 Avoiding labels and meeting people where they are 18:43 Building loyalty through real engagement 22:13 Retail, CPG, and franchising strategy 25:58 Using AI and tools as a small brand advantage 29:58 Final thoughts and advice for founders

    51 min

  4. JAN 13

    The Future of POS with 'The Restaurant Technology Guy' Jeremy Julian

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Jeremy Julian, longtime restaurant technology leader, founder, and podcast host who has spent decades at the center of the POS and restaurant tech ecosystem. Jeremy brings a rare, long-range perspective on how restaurant technology has evolved — from hardware-heavy POS systems to payment-first platforms — and where AI may push the industry next. Together, they unpack why restaurant problems haven’t really changed, why technology stacks keep getting more complex, and how operators are being forced to navigate an increasingly noisy tech landscape.The conversation dives into the real tradeoffs between bundled vs best-in-class systems, why operators are losing trust in vendors that overpromise, and what it actually means for POS to become the “system of record” in an AI-driven future. Jeremy also shares why big tech companies struggle to solve restaurant problems, how robotics and automation are already reshaping kitchens, and why open ecosystems may be the only sustainable path forward. From RFP failures to robotic kitchens, and from operator pain points to the future of personalization, this episode offers a candid, insider look at what’s really happening behind the scenes of restaurant technology — and what operators and founders should be paying attention to next. 00:00 Intro & Coming Up Next02:47 Jeremy Julian’s background in restaurant technology05:02 Why restaurant problems never really change07:17 The explosion of restaurant tech and operator fatigue09:32 Bundled vs best-in-class systems12:27 Why operators are losing trust in tech vendors15:17 POS as the system of record18:32 Why big tech struggles with restaurant complexity22:02 AI, personalization, and the future of POS25:47 Robotics and automation in restaurant kitchens29:27 What founders and operators should focus on next32:47 Final thoughts and advice for the industry

    1h 11m

  5. 11/25/2025

    The Operator Who Made AI His First Employee

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, Matt Wampler sits down with Tim Martin, Co-Founder and Owner of BoxBox, a new Denver restaurant concept built around sharing food and connecting people. Tim isn’t just launching a brand, he’s building one of the most technologically advanced single-unit restaurants in the country. He explains how AI became his “first employee,” helping him document hundreds of hours of recipe R&D, organize his menu and brand vision, and even guide him through vibe-coding a completely custom, headless tech stack with no traditional POS. Together, Matt and Tim unpack how he mirrored kiosk orders to his team in real time, created a fully modifier-based menu architecture, built forecasting and prep systems in Google Cloud, and used AI to accelerate every part of operations without sacrificing hospitality. Tim also shares the emotional side of opening BoxBox, the cultural importance of designing a brand around shared meals, and why he believes AI creates an unprecedented competitive advantage for independent operators. This deep, inspiring conversation reveals what’s possible when a single-unit entrepreneur embraces AI as a true collaborator—and what the future of restaurant operations might look like because of it. Episode Links Visit ClearCOGS Online: https://clearcogs.com Connect with ClearCOGS LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/clearcogs Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler Visit BoxBox Online: https://orderboxbox.com Connect with Tim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tim-martin-90567735 00:00 Intro02:49 Tim Martin / BoxBox05:01 20 Years in Restaurants & the ChatGPT Switch06:29 The Emotional Rollercoaster of Opening07:40 What a Headless Tech Stack Means08:14 Modifier-Only Menu Architecture09:38 Ordering Without a Traditional POS11:04 Real-Time Kiosk Mirroring12:20 Homegrown Hardware Solutions14:06 Struggling With APIs (Until AI)15:21 Letting AI Teach You16:25 Building BigQuery and Dashboards17:14 Recording All R&D for AI18:53 Training AI on Brand and Voice19:50 Custom Forecasting Tools21:04 AI as a Collaborator22:22 Onboarding AI as an Employee24:29 Building Their Own Tech Stack25:52 Competitive Advantage for Independents30:01 AI Food Photography30:24 What AI Can’t Replace32:35 Practical Culinary Uses for AI34:01 BoxBox Mission & Concept35:47 Shared Meals vs. Individual Meals39:02 Chipotle’s Shareables Enter the Chat42:25 The Gap in 4–8 Person Meals43:02 Has His Life Gotten Worse?45:27 Building Boundaries as a Founder47:09 100 Days of Iteration49:09 Tech, Culture, and Human Connection52:19 AI, Labor, and the Future of Work53:20 Tim’s AI Playbook for Operators57:05 “Threaten Your AI”58:54 Where to Find BoxBox59:25 Outro

    59 min

  6. 11/18/2025

    How Zhong Xu Built a $1.4 Billion Restaurant Tech Powerhouse

    On this episode of The Restaurant AI Podcast, ClearCOGS co-founder and CEO Matt Wampler sits down with Zhong Xu, the visionary founder behind Deliverect, now valued at over $1.4 billion. Zhong opens up about the relentless execution and radical simplicity that powered Deliverect’s rise from a scrappy MVP to a global restaurant infrastructure platform used by thousands of brands. Zhong shares the unbelievable early story: validating the business before writing real code, onboarding 300 restaurants across multiple countries within months, and using this traction to fuel what would become one of the biggest success stories in restaurant technology. From there, he and Matt dive into the complexity of the modern digital restaurant stack and why Zhong believes AI agents and the Model Context Protocol (MCP) will change everything. They break down how MCP gives AI the context it needs to reason like a true operator, how agents will place orders, test systems, optimize menus, and even catch fraud in real time. Zhong also details the next wave coming to restaurants: drone delivery, autonomous logistics, AI-generated menus, refund-fraud prevention using camera intelligence, and operational automations that happen long before a human ever touches the POS. Packed with insights on execution, growth, AI strategy, and the future of restaurant tech, this is the definitive episode for operators, founders, and anyone watching the rapid acceleration of restaurant AI. Zhong’s billion-dollar journey is a masterclass — and his vision for what’s coming next is even bigger. Episode Links - Visit Deliverect: https://www.deliverect.com/en-us Connect with Zhong Xu: https://www.linkedin.com/in/zhongyuanxu Visit ClearCOGS: https://www.clearcogs.com/ Connect with Matt Wampler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler 00:00 Intro 01:36 Zhong’s entrepreneurial background 11:10 The catalyst for starting Deliverect 17:00 Why traditional Point of Sale (POS) systems couldn't solve the digital ordering problem  20:53 Fragmented POS market 28:55 The "Wizard of Oz" Minimum Viable Product (MVP) for Deliverect 31:55 Defining a working technology MVP in the restaurant industry  38:15 State of the relationship between third-party delivery and restaurants 41:21 The MCP is the "smart layer on top of the plumbing"  47:10 The challenge of large language models (LLMs) and the need for a protocol like MCP to prevent "hallucinations"  57:26 Building a 'firewall' to manage which AI agents can access a restaurant's private data. 1:01:00 The specifics of what Deliverect is currently building 1:07:15 Drone delivery isn’t far away 1:12:35 How technology can improve the poor economics of the restaurant industry  1:14:55 Final discussion on data visibility and how information should be shared across the different levels of restaurant management  1:18:56 Outro

    1h 20m

  7. 11/11/2025

    From Layoff to Legacy: How Charlie Eblen Built a BBQ Empire | 2025 Create Conference

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Charlie Eblen — founder of Single Tree BBQ and host of Single Tree Nation on ESPN Radio — to share one of the most inspiring stories in hospitality. When the pandemic hit, Charlie lost his corporate job overnight. Instead of playing it safe, he followed his wife’s advice: “Go do what you love.” Out of a 26-foot food trailer and a few thousand dollars in savings, Single Tree BBQ was born. What started as a way to feed his community became something much bigger — a movement built on authenticity, storytelling, and service. With zero media experience, Charlie picked up a phone, went live on Instagram, and started sharing his journey. Three years later, he’s running a thriving restaurant, hosting a nationally syndicated radio show, and partnering with Toast to grow his brand’s impact. Charlie shares how vulnerability and community connection fueled his success, the moment that changed his life forever, and why he believes “it takes a community to build a business.” From sending a child with cancer to Disney World to designing the next flagship BBQ restaurant, this is the story of what happens when you stop waiting for permission — and start betting on yourself. Episode Links: Visit Single Tree BBQ Online: https://www.singletreebbq.com/ Listen to Single Tree Nation: https://www.singletreebbq.com/podcast Connect with Charlie: https://www.linkedin.com/in/charlieeblen Visit ClearCOGS Online: https://www.clearcogs.com/ Connect with Matt: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler 00:00 Intro 00:45 Welcome, Charlie Eblen! 01:22 Restaurateurs becoming media companies 02:26 Charlie's story 04:40 Growing the Single Tree brand 06:40 Becoming the "Nike of BBQ" 07:50 Starting from a single food truck 08:20 Getting laid off was the "best worst day of my life" 10:30 The next Single Tree BBQ 11:45 The legacy of Single Tree BBQ 12:35 Outro

    13 min

  8. 11/04/2025

    Maria Zhang: Building Empathetic AI for the Hospitality Industry | 2025 Create Conference

    In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with Maria Zhang, Co-Founder and CEO of Polona, live from the 2025 CREATE Conference in Nashville. Together, they explore how artificial intelligence can enhance—not replace—the human touch that defines great hospitality. Maria shares her journey from leading engineering teams at Microsoft, Google, and Yahoo to launching an AI company purpose-built for restaurants. She discusses how her team is building “full-modality” AI—technology that can see, hear, and understand context—to bring efficiency, accuracy, and empathy to restaurant operations. The conversation dives into the complexity of restaurant challenges, from order accuracy to guest experience, and how AI can serve as an empowering teammate rather than a cold automation tool. Throughout, Maria emphasizes that the future of restaurant technology lies in connection—between humans and machines, data and hospitality, and innovation and care. Episode links: Subscribe to Palona on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCknBp0bKdgw4P9SmrxfdrWQ Visit Palona Oline: https://palona.ai/ Connect with Maria Zhang: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mariarenhuizhang Visit ClearCOGS Online: https://clearcogs.com Connect with Matt Wampler: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler 00:00 Intro 00:51 Welcome, Maria Zhang! 01:41 Maria's tech background 04:51 Technology company processes 06:39 Transition to restaurant technology 07:47 Palona AI 10:17 Maria's go-to dish to cook 11:12 Tech-driven vs problem-driven 16:35 Dominating Voice AI 19:11 The common language that ties their tech together 22:05 Understanding LLM's 24:33 The pace of AI acceleration 26:25 Humans training AI vs AI training humans 27:02 Building a product with changing infrastructure 28:58 Evolution of edge computing 29:56 Experimenting on the restaurant technology industry 31:52 Outro

    32 min
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Restaurant AI with Matt Wampler is your weekly deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hosted by tech entrepreneur and industry insider Matt Wampler, this podcast explores how AI is reshaping everything from kitchen operations and customer service to marketing, labor management, and the guest experience. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, tech innovator, or hospitality enthusiast, each episode delivers insights, expert interviews, and real-world use cases that help you stay ahead in a competitive and tech-driven landscape.

Information

  • Creator
    Matt Wampler
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    29
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © 50ea2b40-7e07-11f0-8ada-cb39d436df27
  • Show Website
    Restaurant AI