The Enterprise CTO Podcast

Jim Balis, Shawn Walchef
  • 4.0 (1)
  • Technology
  • Updated Monthly

Real conversations about technology, leadership, and scaling modern restaurant brands Shawn Walchef, CEO of Cali BBQ Media, and Jim Balis, Head of Strategic Operations at CapitalSpring, host The Enterprise CTO Podcast, a long-form interview show exploring how technology decisions shape the future of hospitality. Through candid conversations with CTOs, operators, investors, and industry leaders, the show breaks down the real challenges behind growth at scale, from selecting the right tech stack and navigating AI to aligning teams, improving operations, and building smarter businesses. Each episode turns complex enterprise conversations into practical insight restaurant leaders can apply to their own companies.

Episodes

  1. Jul 29

    How Gong cha Scales Technology Across 2,200 Locations.  Convo w/ Chris Noffze

    How do you scale restaurant technology across 2,200 locations while keeping operations simple? Chris Noffze, Senior Operations Director at Gong cha Americas, joins Shawn Walchef and Jim Balis to share how the global beverage brand is bringing proven technology from international markets to the U.S.  From automated beverage systems and AI-powered decision making to kiosks and operational automation, Noffze explains why every technology investment begins with solving a real operational problem. He also shares how Gong cha pilots new technology, measures ROI, and scales the solutions that improve both the team member and guest experience. Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards Checkmate’s digital menu boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines. Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel Episode Links Chris Noffze LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/chrisnoffze/ Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/  Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  2. Jun 30

    Why Great Restaurant Technology Removes Friction. Convo w/ Tim Newton

    What does it take to modernize technology at a legacy restaurant brand while keeping operations simple for employees and guests? Tim Newton, Chief Technology Officer and Head of Brand Operations at Long John Silver's, joins Shawn Walchef to discuss how better data, simpler systems, and thoughtful technology create better experiences for both operators and guests. Newton shares his perspective on using AI to make data more useful, preparing for voice ordering, why the best technology removes friction instead of creating it, and how building in public on LinkedIn has helped Newton connect with the next generation of technology leaders. Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards Checkmate’s digital menu boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines. Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel Episode Links • Tim Newton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/timnewton/ • Long John Silver’s: https://www.ljsilvers.com/ • Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/ • Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

  3. May 27

    Building Restaurant Tech Across Nearly 900 Locations. Convo w/ Isaac Morton

    What does it really take to unify technology across nearly 900 restaurants operating under eight different franchise brands? Isaac Morton, Vice President of Information Technology at Sizzling Platter, joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef to break down the realities of enterprise restaurant technology from the franchisee side. The conversation explores managing multiple POS systems, building centralized data infrastructure, simplifying reporting for operators, surviving a major ransomware attack, and using Vision AI to improve throughput, inventory, and operational decision-making across hundreds of locations. What You’ll Learn: • Why franchise restaurant groups face completely different tech challenges than franchisors • How Sizzling Platter built a centralized data lake across multiple brands and systems • Why simplifying data for general managers matters more than creating more dashboards • What really happens during a large-scale ransomware attack on a restaurant company • How Vision AI is improving inventory counts, speed of service, and guest experience Episode Links • Isaac Morton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacmorton/ • Sizzling Platter:  https://sizzlingplatter.com/ • Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/ • Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/ Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines.  Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel

  4. Apr 29

    Why Restaurant CEOs Need to Think Like CTOs. Interview w/ Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch

    What happens when restaurant leadership, technology, and growth strategy all collide in one conversation? Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef for the debut episode of the Enterprise CTO Podcast. They discuss what today’s restaurant leaders need to understand about tech stacks, AI, vendor selection, and scaling systems across hundreds of locations. The conversation covers franchisee adoption, global expansion, and how strong operators use technology to create a real competitive edge.  What You’ll Learn:  • Why CEOs can no longer afford to ignore technology decisions  • How enterprise brands evaluate software vendors before signing contracts  • Why adoption matters more than buying the newest tool  • How franchise systems balance innovation with operator ROI  • Where AI is already creating real value inside restaurants  Episode Links  • Troy Hooper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtroyhooper/  • Pepper Lunch Restaurants: https://www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com/  • Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/  • Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/  Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines. Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel

  5. Apr 22

    Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer

    Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer

Trailer

About

Real conversations about technology, leadership, and scaling modern restaurant brands Shawn Walchef, CEO of Cali BBQ Media, and Jim Balis, Head of Strategic Operations at CapitalSpring, host The Enterprise CTO Podcast, a long-form interview show exploring how technology decisions shape the future of hospitality. Through candid conversations with CTOs, operators, investors, and industry leaders, the show breaks down the real challenges behind growth at scale, from selecting the right tech stack and navigating AI to aligning teams, improving operations, and building smarter businesses. Each episode turns complex enterprise conversations into practical insight restaurant leaders can apply to their own companies.

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