Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

Chris Fletcher
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Connecting hospitality with the tech that makes it better. Hosted by Chris Fletcher — former operator, now tech matchmaker — Tech on Toast brings you sharp, unfiltered conversations with the people shaping hospitality’s future. Each week, we sit down with operators, founders, and innovators to unpack the tech, tactics, and trends transforming how the industry works. From smarter kitchens and AI-driven scheduling to loyalty apps and next-gen EPOS, we cut through the noise to find what really works on the ground. Whether you run a pub, lead a restaurant group, or build tech for the sector

  1. Perfection or Perception? With The Mandrake, The Other House and Kula

    3D AGO

    Perfection or Perception? With The Mandrake, The Other House and Kula

    In this special live panel from our Service event at BrewDog Waterloo, three leading hospitality operators share honest insights about creating memorable guest experiences in modern hotels. From sensory design to technological innovation, discover what really makes guests come back. 🏨 What Guests Really RememberThe panel opens with a fundamental question: "When you think about your own hotels, what do guests remember most—the flawless execution or how the experience made them feel?" Eljesa kicks off the discussion by explaining how The Mandrake is specifically built for the senses, with their "stay beyond yourself" ethos creating feelings at the forefront of every guest's experience. Why people remember care over service perfectionThe importance of human connection versus flawless executionHow elevated service can create bigger problems when mistakes happenThe debate: do you need operational excellence before emotional connection?✨ Creating Memorable Moments The critical importance of first impressions and initial interactionsMoving beyond scripted service to authentic human connectionsThe Mandrake's unique character-finding check-in process using shapesWhy the beginning of any relationship matters most🎯 Personalisation at Scale Balancing boutique experiences with operational growthEmpowering teams to create personalized interactions"Freedom within a framework" - giving teams autonomy within clear boundariesHow 77% of guests now expect personalized experiences💻 Technology's Role in Hospitality Using tech as an enabler, not a replacement for human interactionThe importance of getting your tech stack right from the startWhy contactless payments represent the gold standard of hospitality techWhatsApp vs. email for building genuine guest relationshipsThe danger of COVID-era efficiency replacing experience🎭 Design vs. Experience The balance between architectural design and service designWhy we spend millions on buildings but underinvest in experience designCreating experiences that work in any physical spaceThe Mandrake's "portal" - a black space designed to separate guests from the outside world💡 Key Takeaways Operational excellence provides the foundation, but emotional connection drives loyaltyKnow your brand identity and who you're NOT forAim for perfection, even if you don't achieve it every timeHospitality's core purpose: changing someone's day for the better through careThe emotional connection starts within your team, then flows to guests"No one ever fell in love with a QR code." - Paul Spencer "Service is about trying to find a way of delivering something that feels special, but also doing it in a way that feels human." - Paul Spencer "Once you figure out who you do not want to be and who you are not, you can then pinpoint exactly who you are." - Eljesa Saciri "If you have the chance to make someone's day, take it." - Host "Forget how perfect your drink is, but remember the person that brought it to you." - Paul Spencer Eljesa SaciriStephen NashPaul SpencerListen now to discover how these hospitality leaders are redefining guest experiences in 2026 and beyond. Part of the Tech Podcast four-part Service event series featuring operators from Fulham Shore Group, Wahaca, Bill's, Cote, Kerb, and more.

    50 min
  2. Scaling Hospitality with Chaos & Control with Marcel Khan, Caroline Ottoy, Matt Bigland and Gemma Glasson

    FEB 25

    Scaling Hospitality with Chaos & Control with Marcel Khan, Caroline Ottoy, Matt Bigland and Gemma Glasson

    🎙️ LEADERS SERVICE: Scaling Hospitality with Chaos & Control A live panel from BrewDog Waterloo featuring hospitality leaders sharing raw insights on growth, culture, and operations. 🎤 HOST:Phil Street - Founder, Hospitality Meets Podcast 🎯 PANELISTS: Marcel KhanCaroline OttoyMatt BiglandGemma Glasson⚡ KEY TAKEAWAYS: On Managing Complexity: Vision clarity beats speed every time10-15 core processes are enough - don't overcomplicate"Automate the boring, focus on guests"Red lines create space for creativity within structureOn Scaling Systems: EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)90-day planning cycles with quarterly "rocks" (goals)Weekly structured meetings: on track = move on, off track = solve itWatch House achieved 26% turnover and 14% 90-day turnover using intentional cultureOn Culture Under Pressure: Clarity > Speed. Always.Right people, right seat - track it weekly"Calmness is a competitive advantage" - MarcelNever compromise on product or people, even when cutting costsOn Leadership Philosophy: "Done is better than perfect" is BS - aim for perfect pizzas (Marcel's hot take)Hire slow, fire fast - but have difficult conversations earlyThe gift of silence: let people fill the space with their own solutionsAccountability charts prevent chaosOn Protecting What Matters: Stay true to core focus (Watch House example: stopped chasing matcha trends)Platform over personality (Blend's brand accelerator model)Communication platforms are critical at scaleAnnual festivals to reconnect everyone to the vision (Wahaca's "Wahaca Fest")💡 STANDOUT QUOTES: "The unreasonable person adapts society to themselves. Therefore all progress is due to the unreasonable person." - George Bernard Shaw (via Matt) "If the CEO can't have a conversation during service, that's the beginning of the end." - Matt "We scale platforms, not personalities." - Matt on food halls "Chaos is fun - but without control, it's carnage." - Gemma "Done is better than perfect? I flipping hate that phrase. I want perfect pizzas." - Marcel 📚 RESOURCES MENTIONED: EOS (Entrepreneurial Operating System)"People Dare to Build an Intentional Culture"Insights DiscoveryPeople Analyzer🎯 BIGGEST MISTAKES SHARED: Not hiring the right people at the right time (being too tight on salary)Ignoring values misalignment when too busyNot creating clear accountability charts early enoughGetting lost in detail instead of hovering above the business🔥 FINAL WISDOM:When asked what matters most - people, systems, or purpose? Caroline: People. Vision is irrelevant without the right people.Gemma: All of the above (but especially people + purpose)Marcel: Purpose underpins everything elseMatt: People and purpose togetherPowered by Lightspeed EPOS Recorded live at Service, BrewDog Waterloo, February 10th

    51 min
  3. Hype is Dead, Long Live Habits: Why 70% of Your Customers Ghost You (And How to Fix It) - Recorded LIVE at SERVICE 2026

    FEB 18

    Hype is Dead, Long Live Habits: Why 70% of Your Customers Ghost You (And How to Fix It) - Recorded LIVE at SERVICE 2026

    What's the difference between a viral moment and a loyal customer base? In this live panel from Service 2026, hospitality marketing leaders from Dave's Hot Chicken, Rolled, Cote, BlackRock, and Kerb reveal why 70% of guests never return, and exactly how to fix it. Forget follower counts. This is about building habits that drive real revenue. Recorded live at BrewDog Waterloo | Powered by Lightspeed Why 70% of first-time guests never come backThe metrics that actually matter (hint: not followers)How to turn hype into sustainable habitsLoyalty strategies that work (and don't require discounts)What to do with £10K in marketing budgetHandling bad reviews like a proThe role of influencers in 2024Why your team is your best marketing assetLaura Reed Marketing Director KERBAnaïs Dixie Brand Manager Côte Brasserie Keyana Mohammadi Head of Marketing Dave's Hot Chicken JJ Miller Marketing Manager RolledRuth Carpenter Sales & Marketing DirectorBlack Rock Restaurants Hosted by: Chris Fletcher - Tech on Toast 00:00 - Intro: The 70% problem05:30 - Why hospitality struggles with repeat visits12:45 - Case study: Pizza Pilgrims' 10th birthday pilgrimage (£750K ROI)18:20 - Dave's Hot Chicken: Building hype into lifestyle24:10 - Coates' "Happiest Menu" campaign (100K new app users)29:40 - The metrics that actually matter35:15 - Why follower count is a vanity metric41:50 - Loyalty without discounts: BlackRock's approach48:30 - The £10K question: Where would you spend it?56:20 - Biggest marketing shift for 20241:04:15 - Influencer strategy: Macro to micro cascade1:12:40 - Handling bad reviews1:18:30 - Empowering your team for hospitality excellence 🔥 "Don't manufacture loyalty—be worthy of loyalty." - JJ Miller, Rolled 🔥 "It costs zero pounds to know your brand." - JJ Miller 🔥 "Our job as marketers is to get people in, but if the experience doesn't match what we marketed, they're not coming back." - Anis, Coates 🔥 "Shit happens. Sorry. Here's how we're gonna fix it." - Ruth Carpenter, BlackRock 🔥 "Don't try too hard—guests can see right through it." - Kiana, Dave's Hot Chicken Lightspeed EPOS systemPizza Pilgrims' Naples pilgrimage campaignCoates loyalty appBlackRock's Polaroid fridge magnet strategy#Hospitality #Marketing #RestaurantMarketing #CustomerLoyalty #HospitalityIndustry #FoodAndBeverage #PodcastNotes Key Topics Covered:Featured Guests:Timestamps:Quotable Moments:Resources Mentioned:Connect:

    42 min
  4. Why Integrations Matter More Than Features in Hospitality Tech with Colin Jackson, Dojo

    FEB 13 · BONUS

    Why Integrations Matter More Than Features in Hospitality Tech with Colin Jackson, Dojo

    Great hospitality tech should work quietly in the background. When it doesn’t, operators feel it immediately.In this episode of the Tech on Toast podcast, Chris is joined by Colin Jackson, Head of Partner Technology at Dojo, to unpack why integrations are one of the most important and most overlooked parts of hospitality technology.They discuss what good integration really looks like, why the word seamless is often overused, and how poor connections between systems create hidden costs, lost revenue, and operational headaches for teams on the ground.The conversation explores payments and EPOS integrations, guest expectations around flexible ordering and payment, and how clean data flow helps operators make better commercial decisions.Colin also shares Dojo’s approach to open partnerships, why no single provider can do everything well, and what operators should look for when choosing technology partners at scale.This episode is a practical look at how integrations underpin reliability, trust, and better guest experiences across modern hospitality.

    24 min
  5. Dojo Pocket and the Future of Table Service Payments with Tom Usher

    FEB 6 · BONUS

    Dojo Pocket and the Future of Table Service Payments with Tom Usher

    Payments should never slow service down, but too often they do.In this episode of the Tech on Toast podcast, Chris is joined by Tom Usher, Engineering Manager at Dojo, to explore how modern payments technology is being built specifically for the realities of hospitality.The conversation dives into Dojo Pocket, a handheld ordering and payments device designed to keep teams on the floor, reduce friction during service, and help operators turn tables faster without compromising guest experience.Tom shares why Dojo chose to build its own hardware and payments stack, how reliability and uptime are critical in hospitality, and why even small moments of friction can have a big impact on revenue, staff stress, and customer satisfaction.The episode also covers cloud infrastructure, resilience at scale, security and trust at the point of payment, and why intuitive design matters in an industry with high staff turnover.If you’re thinking about tableside payments, handheld devices, or how to give time back to your team, this episode is a must listen.

    24 min
  6. Making Hospitality training simple, engaging, and actually useful with Tayl

    FEB 4

    Making Hospitality training simple, engaging, and actually useful with Tayl

    In this episode, Chris Fletcher is joined by Blair Lundie, Head of Business Development at Tayl, a learning management system built with one obsession: ease of use.They dig into why training in hospitality often becomes a tick-box exercise, what good looks like when you want real engagement, and how operators can use learning content to solve genuine business problems, from improving guest experience to reducing early staff churn.You’ll also hear a practical take on personalising induction, making compliance feel less painful, and why involving frontline teams in content creation can massively lift adoption.What you’ll hear in this episodeAn honest look at why compliance training gets treated like a chore, and what to do about itHow Tayl helps operators keep the basics simple: assign, track, complete, repeatWhy personalisation matters just as much in training as it does in CRMHow to build an induction pack that makes new starters feel welcome, not overwhelmedPractical ideas: GM welcome videos, local tips, “how we do things here”, and FAQs that stop managers repeating themselvesWhy relevance drives engagement, especially on high-risk topics like allergensThe trade-off between customising course content and keeping accreditationWhy short, TikTok-style videos made by frontline teams can outperform top-down training contentHow adoption differs by generation, and how to get older cohorts comfortable tooWhat mid-market operators (10+ sites) typically struggle with before switching LMSHow reporting should work in the real world: simple, readable, and actually usedBlair’s view on AI in training: helpful for speeding up content creation, but risky for compliance if accuracy slipsWhat “good” looks like in numbers: 75–85% completion as a common benchmark, and why 85%+ is strongUsing training as a strategic lever: tying learning to Google reviews, service confidence, retention, and early tenure drop-offStandout momentsTraining should start with culture, not compliance: make new starters feel like the company caresThe easiest wins often come from reducing repeated questions and giving staff instant answersGeneric e-learning can tick the box, but real examples from your menu and your operation drive learning that sticksCustomer support and onboarding matter as much as features if you want adoption to lastAbout TaylTayl is a learning management system designed to make hospitality training easy to roll out and easy to complete, with a focus on simple user experience for both deskless teams and managers.Find TaylWebsite: tayl.netConnect with Blair on LinkedIn: Blair Lundy

    28 min
  7. Making Tech Change Stick: Connectivity Rollouts, 24/7 Uptime, and the Realities of Multi-Site Delivery, with Shona Goodlad, Sky Business.

    JAN 28

    Making Tech Change Stick: Connectivity Rollouts, 24/7 Uptime, and the Realities of Multi-Site Delivery, with Shona Goodlad, Sky Business.

    Reliable connectivity now sits alongside water and electricity for modern hospitality. In this Sky Business–powered episode, Chris sits down with Shona Goodlad (Head of Existing Accounts, Sky Business) to unpack what really happens when you move from “one site” to “thousands of sites”. They talk honestly about why tech projects feel risky, what commonly goes wrong, how strong governance and communication reduce downtime, and why operators should start with the problem (not the product). If you’re planning a rollout in 2026, this is your practical playbook for making change land smoothly across sites, teams, and suppliers.What you’ll learnWhy connectivity is the foundation that enables every other tech decisionHow big rollouts break down (and how to plan for the uncontrollables)The role of governance, comms, and internal ownership in rollout successHow to avoid “speed obsession” and fix the real causes of poor experienceWhat a strong 30/60/90-day post-go-live cadence looks likeHow to align suppliers to business KPIs (loyalty, data, CX, risk)Why operators should bring partners in early to shape the journey, not just quote the priceKey moments00:00–01:20 Sky Business series intro + why “solve the operator problem” beats “sell the product”01:20–03:30 Shona’s background and what her team does for existing mid-market customers03:30–05:20 One site vs one thousand sites: what changes at scale05:20–07:30 Cost vs cyber vs downtime: what operators say they worry about vs what they really fear07:30–10:20 “Things will go wrong”: building trust, credibility, and mitigation plans10:20–12:40 Comms failures, site readiness, third parties, and why rollouts slip12:40–16:10 Post-go-live reality: stragglers, service cadence, and staying close to strategy16:10–18:20 Being unapologetically commercial (and why ROI matters for both sides)18:20–21:10 Connectivity as a utility + the real cost of downtime21:10–23:40 What operators should ask suppliers: “What will go wrong and how do we handle it?”23:40–26:20 Where mid-market operators should invest time when they don’t have a CTO26:20–28:40 Openreach realities: escalation paths, process, and why hospitality finds it alien28:40–29:50 How to reach Sky Business + meet the team at Tech on Toast’s February eventReach out to SKY at https://business.sky.com/s/medium-business

    30 min
  8. From Scheduling to Decision-Making: How Sona Helps Every Site Run Like Your Best GM, with Ben Dixon, Co-Founder Sona

    JAN 21

    From Scheduling to Decision-Making: How Sona Helps Every Site Run Like Your Best GM, with Ben Dixon, Co-Founder Sona

    Workforce is still the biggest lever (and constraint) in hospitality. Labour costs keep rising, guest expectations keep rising, and “just work harder” isn’t a strategy. In this episode, Ben Dixon — Co-founder and CTO at Sona — breaks down why Sona is approaching workforce management differently: not as another scheduling tool, but as a way to scale great operator decision-making across every site. We get into forecasting and demand (and why outlier days matter more than averages), how to build trust with managers, what “nudging” looks like in real life, and where agentic AI is heading over the next 12–18 months — including the idea of an AI “chief of staff” for GMs. In this episode, we cover: Why “people” is the #1 limiter to growth for many operators The “best GM in the worst site” thought experiment — and what it proves How Sona encodes great decision-making across staffing, onboarding, and coaching Forecasting done bottom-up: why each location behaves differently Building trust: showing the “why” behind forecasts and recommendations Why agentic AI is more than dashboards — it’s prioritisation and action Realistic ROI: where savings can show up quickly (and what it depends on) Vibe coding vs SaaS: what vendors must prove going forward Scaling globally: labour compliance rules engines with AI + human validation Guest: Ben Dixon, Co-founder & CTO, SonaWebsite: getsona.com Subscribe for more conversations on hospitality technology, operators, and what actually works on the floor. #hospitality #restaurants #workforce #labour #operations #AI #forecasting #SaaS #management #hospitalitytech

    33 min
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About

Connecting hospitality with the tech that makes it better. Hosted by Chris Fletcher — former operator, now tech matchmaker — Tech on Toast brings you sharp, unfiltered conversations with the people shaping hospitality’s future. Each week, we sit down with operators, founders, and innovators to unpack the tech, tactics, and trends transforming how the industry works. From smarter kitchens and AI-driven scheduling to loyalty apps and next-gen EPOS, we cut through the noise to find what really works on the ground. Whether you run a pub, lead a restaurant group, or build tech for the sector

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