<a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bart Berkey</a>, founder of <a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Most People Don’t</a> and former Ritz-Carlton executive, shares why hospitality is ultimately about making people feel seen. After spending 16 years inside Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International, Berkey built a platform around storytelling, gratitude, and doing the things most people are afraid to do. This episode explores personal branding, podcasting, leadership, human connection, and why small moments of recognition still matter in an increasingly digital world.
<ul>
 <li>Hospitality Starts With Recognition – Bart Berkey believes great hospitality is not about luxury or perfection. It is about making people feel seen, valued, and acknowledged in small everyday moments.</li>
 <li>Most People Don’t Put Themselves Out There – From podcasting to storytelling to personal branding, Berkey argues that growth comes from doing the uncomfortable things most people avoid because they fear judgment or failure.</li>
 <li>Human Connection Still Matters In A Digital World – Even with AI, automation, and endless digital communication, Berkey believes personal interactions, phone calls, and genuine conversations are becoming even more valuable.</li>
</ul>
Episode Links
<ul>
 <li>Bart Berkey Online: <a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">http://bartaberkey.com/</a></li>
 <li>Bart Berkey LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/</a></li>
 <li>Bart Berkey Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/bartberkey/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/bartberkey/</a></li>
 <li>Bart Berkey Tik Tok: <a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bart.berkey?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.tiktok.com/@bart.berkey?lang=en</a></li>
 <li>Bart Berkey YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bartberkey" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/@bartberkey</a></li>
 <li>Bart Berkey Podcast: <a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592</a></li>
 <li>Text 33777 “Humanility” - Bart will train you on how to insert humanity into your business and into your life  Email Bart Berkey: <a href="mailto:bart@mostpeopledont.com" rel="noopener noreferrer">bart@mostpeopledont.com</a></li>
</ul>
Where to find Cali BBQ Media<ul><li><a href="https://calibbq.media">Visit our Website</a></li><li><a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/">Follow Restaurant Technology Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://betheshow.media">Learn About our Media Services</a></li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Bart Berkey&lt;/a&gt;, founder of &lt;a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Most People Don’t&lt;/a&gt; and former Ritz-Carlton executive, shares why hospitality is ultimately about making people feel seen. After spending 16 years inside Ritz-Carlton and Marriott International, Berkey built a platform around storytelling, gratitude, and doing the things most people are afraid to do. This episode explores personal branding, podcasting, leadership, human connection, and why small moments of recognition still matter in an increasingly digital world.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hospitality Starts With Recognition – &lt;/strong&gt;Bart Berkey believes great hospitality is not about luxury or perfection. It is about making people feel seen, valued, and acknowledged in small everyday moments.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Most People Don’t Put Themselves Out There – &lt;/strong&gt;From podcasting to storytelling to personal branding, Berkey argues that growth comes from doing the uncomfortable things most people avoid because they fear judgment or failure.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Human Connection Still Matters In A Digital World – &lt;/strong&gt;Even with AI, automation, and endless digital communication, Berkey believes personal interactions, phone calls, and genuine conversations are becoming even more valuable.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey Online:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="http://bartaberkey.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;http://bartaberkey.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/bartberkey/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey Instagram:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/bartberkey/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/bartberkey/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey Tik Tok: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.tiktok.com/@bart.berkey?lang=en" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;&lt;strong&gt;https://www.tiktok.com/@bart.berkey?lang=en&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey YouTube:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/@bartberkey" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/@bartberkey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bart Berkey Podcast: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/most-people-dont-but-you-do/id1556134592&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Text 33777 “Humanility”&lt;/strong&gt; - Bart will train you on how to insert humanity into your business and into your life &lt;br&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Email Bart Berkey: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="mailto:bart@mostpeopledont.com" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;bart@mostpeopledont.com&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find Cali BBQ Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://calibbq.media"&gt;Visit our Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/"&gt;Follow Restaurant Technology Substack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://betheshow.media"&gt;Learn About our Media Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Bart Berkey, founder of Most People Don’t and former Ritz-Carlton executive, shares why hospitality is ultimately about making people feel seen. 

How An Emotional Connection Can Drive Customer Loyalty

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Ross Franklin</a>, founder and CEO of <a href="https://www.puregvreenfranchise.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Pure Green</a> Franchise, joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix to discuss how he scaled one of the fastest-growing wellness franchise brands in the country. Franklin shares the lessons learned from launching Pure Green in New York City, building a national wholesale operation, franchising with operators who have no restaurant background, and creating systems focused on simplicity, hospitality, and community engagement. 
<ul>
 <li>Wellness Franchising Is Scaling Fast – Ross Franklin built Pure Green Franchise around smaller footprints, operational simplicity, and franchise partners passionate about health and wellness, helping the brand rapidly expand across the country.</li>
 <li>Hospitality Drives Frequency – Franklin believes language and culture matter inside every store. Pure Green trains employees to treat customers like guests, creating an experience that keeps people coming back multiple times per week.</li>
 <li>AI And Tech Are Reshaping Restaurant Operations – From first-party ordering to tools like Claude and Manus, Franklin explains how restaurant brands are using AI, automation, and smarter technology systems to improve efficiency while still protecting the human side of hospitality.</li>
</ul>
Episode Links
<ul>
 <li>Ross Franklin LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/</a></li>
 <li>Pure Green Franchise: <a href="https://www.puregreenfranchise.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.puregvreenfranchise.com/</a></li>
 <li>Pure Green Franchise Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/puregreen" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/puregreen</a></li>
 <li>Pure Green Franchise YouTube: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTqpHOK8aQz9tWmNh6luJQ?view_as=subscriber" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTqpHOK8aQz9tWmNh6luJQ?view_as=subscriber</a></li>
 <li>Pure Green Franchise Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/puregreenfranchise" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/puregreenfranchise</a></li>
 <li>Pure Green Franchise LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/puregreenfranchise/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/puregreenfranchise/</a></li>
 <li>Restaurant Leadership Conference: <a href="https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/</a></li>
</ul>
Where to find Cali BBQ Media<ul><li><a href="https://calibbq.media">Visit our Website</a></li><li><a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/">Follow Restaurant Technology Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://betheshow.media">Learn About our Media Services</a></li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Ross Franklin&lt;/a&gt;, founder and CEO of &lt;a href="https://www.puregvreenfranchise.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Pure Green&lt;/a&gt; Franchise, joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix to discuss how he scaled one of the fastest-growing wellness franchise brands in the country. Franklin shares the lessons learned from launching Pure Green in New York City, building a national wholesale operation, franchising with operators who have no restaurant background, and creating systems focused on simplicity, hospitality, and community engagement. &lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;Wellness Franchising Is Scaling Fast – Ross Franklin built Pure Green Franchise around smaller footprints, operational simplicity, and franchise partners passionate about health and wellness, helping the brand rapidly expand across the country.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;Hospitality Drives Frequency – Franklin believes language and culture matter inside every store. Pure Green trains employees to treat customers like guests, creating an experience that keeps people coming back multiple times per week.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;AI And Tech Are Reshaping Restaurant Operations – From first-party ordering to tools like Claude and Manus, Franklin explains how restaurant brands are using AI, automation, and smarter technology systems to improve efficiency while still protecting the human side of hospitality.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Ross Franklin LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/rossfranklin/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pure Green Franchise: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.puregreenfranchise.com/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.puregvreenfranchise.com/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pure Green Franchise Instagram:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/puregreen" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/puregreen&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pure Green Franchise YouTube: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTqpHOK8aQz9tWmNh6luJQ?view_as=subscriber" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfTqpHOK8aQz9tWmNh6luJQ?view_as=subscriber&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pure Green Franchise Facebook: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/puregreenfranchise" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.facebook.com/puregreenfranchise&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Pure Green Franchise LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/puregreenfranchise/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/company/puregreenfranchise/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Restaurant Leadership Conference:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://informaconnect.com/restaurant-leadership-conference/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find Cali BBQ Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://calibbq.media"&gt;Visit our Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/"&gt;Follow Restaurant Technology Substack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://betheshow.media"&gt;Learn About our Media Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Ross Franklin, founder and CEO of Pure Green Franchise, joins Shawn Walchef live from the Restaurant Leadership Conference in Phoenix to discuss how he scaled one of the fastest-growing wellness franchise brands in the country. 

How To Scale a Wellness Brand: Pure Green's Success Story

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/" rel="noopener noreferrer">John Smolen</a>, SVP Sales & Customer Success at <a href="https://www.atmosphere.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Atmosphere TV</a>, to discuss why traditional television fails inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and other commercial spaces. Smolen explains how Atmosphere built an entirely new category of entertainment designed specifically for businesses, why attention matters more than ever in hospitality, and how operators can use content to increase guest engagement, improve the in-venue experience, and drive additional revenue after live sports end.
<ul>
 <li>Restaurants Need Entertainment Built For Restaurants – John Smolen believes most television was designed for people sitting quietly on a couch at home, not for guests inside busy bars and restaurants. Atmosphere TV was built specifically for commercial spaces where attention spans are shorter, sound is often off, and operators need content that keeps guests engaged.</li>
 <li>Keeping Guests Longer Creates Real Revenue – Atmosphere focuses heavily on what happens after the game ends. Smolen believes restaurants spend enormous effort driving traffic for sporting events, but often lose guests the moment the final whistle blows. Engaging content helps operators extend visits, increase orders, and create a better in-venue experience.</li>
 <li>Simple Technology Wins In Hospitality – Atmosphere’s platform was designed to remove friction for operators. Restaurants receive a streaming device, plug it into an HDMI port, and immediately access more than 30 channels of curated programming, digital signage, trivia, sports content, and family-friendly entertainment without adding operational complexity.</li>
</ul>
Episode Links
<ul>
 <li>John Smolen LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/" rel="noopener noreferrer">LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/</a></li>
 <li>Atmosphere TV: <a href="https://www.atmosphere.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.atmosphere.tv/</a></li>
 <li>Atmosphere TV LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/atmospheretv/</a></li>
 <li>Atmosphere TV Instagram: <a href="https://www.instagram.com/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.instagram.com/atmospheretv/</a></li>
 <li>Atmosphere TV Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.facebook.com/atmospheretv/</a></li>
</ul>
Where to find Cali BBQ Media<ul><li><a href="https://calibbq.media">Visit our Website</a></li><li><a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/">Follow Restaurant Technology Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://betheshow.media">Learn About our Media Services</a></li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;John Smolen&lt;/a&gt;, SVP Sales &amp; Customer Success at &lt;a href="https://www.atmosphere.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Atmosphere TV&lt;/a&gt;, to discuss why traditional television fails inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and other commercial spaces. Smolen explains how Atmosphere built an entirely new category of entertainment designed specifically for businesses, why attention matters more than ever in hospitality, and how operators can use content to increase guest engagement, improve the in-venue experience, and drive additional revenue after live sports end.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Restaurants Need Entertainment Built For Restaurants&lt;/strong&gt; – John Smolen believes most television was designed for people sitting quietly on a couch at home, not for guests inside busy bars and restaurants. Atmosphere TV was built specifically for commercial spaces where attention spans are shorter, sound is often off, and operators need content that keeps guests engaged.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Keeping Guests Longer Creates Real Revenue&lt;/strong&gt; – Atmosphere focuses heavily on what happens after the game ends. Smolen believes restaurants spend enormous effort driving traffic for sporting events, but often lose guests the moment the final whistle blows. Engaging content helps operators extend visits, increase orders, and create a better in-venue experience.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Simple Technology Wins In Hospitality&lt;/strong&gt; – Atmosphere’s platform was designed to remove friction for operators. Restaurants receive a streaming device, plug it into an HDMI port, and immediately access more than 30 channels of curated programming, digital signage, trivia, sports content, and family-friendly entertainment without adding operational complexity.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;John Smolen LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/smolenjohn/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atmosphere TV: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.atmosphere.tv/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.atmosphere.tv/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atmosphere TV LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/company/atmospheretv/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atmosphere TV Instagram: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.instagram.com/atmospheretv/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Atmosphere TV Facebook: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.facebook.com/atmospheretv/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.facebook.com/atmospheretv/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find Cali BBQ Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://calibbq.media"&gt;Visit our Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/"&gt;Follow Restaurant Technology Substack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://betheshow.media"&gt;Learn About our Media Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

n this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with John Smolen, SVP Sales & Customer Success at Atmosphere TV, to discuss why traditional television fails inside restaurants, bars, gyms, and other commercial spaces. 

How Atmosphere TV Keeps Guests Watching And Staying Longer

<a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bala Subramaniam</a>, co-founder of <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Bites</a>, explains why the future of restaurant ordering may live inside AI platforms like ChatGPT instead of traditional delivery apps. After years at Amazon, Instacart, and LinkedIn, Subramaniam set out to solve one of hospitality’s biggest problems: delivery platforms that drive growth while draining margins and hiding customer data from restaurants. This episode explores AI-native ordering, the economics of food delivery, POS partnerships, and why controlling discovery may become more important than controlling delivery itself.
<ul>
 <li>AI Is Becoming The Next Discovery Channel – Bala Subramaniam believes platforms like ChatGPT could reshape how customers discover and order food, much like the App Store changed mobile behavior.</li>
 <li>Restaurants Need Their Guest Data Back – Third-party delivery platforms control most of the customer relationship today. Bytes is focused on helping restaurants regain ownership of guest data, loyalty, and direct engagement.</li>
 <li>Hidden Fees Hurt Restaurant Margins – Bala Subramaniam argues delivery itself is not the problem. The bigger issue is the hidden commissions and discovery fees built into traditional delivery platforms.</li>
</ul>
Episode Links
<ul>
 <li>Bala Subramaniam LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/</a></li>
 <li>Bites LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/</a></li>
</ul>
Where to find Cali BBQ Media<ul><li><a href="https://calibbq.media">Visit our Website</a></li><li><a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/">Follow Restaurant Technology Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://betheshow.media">Learn About our Media Services</a></li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Bala Subramaniam&lt;/a&gt;, co-founder of &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Bites&lt;/a&gt;, explains why the future of restaurant ordering may live inside AI platforms like ChatGPT instead of traditional delivery apps. After years at Amazon, Instacart, and LinkedIn, Subramaniam set out to solve one of hospitality’s biggest problems: delivery platforms that drive growth while draining margins and hiding customer data from restaurants. This episode explores AI-native ordering, the economics of food delivery, POS partnerships, and why controlling discovery may become more important than controlling delivery itself.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;AI Is Becoming The Next Discovery Channel – &lt;/strong&gt;Bala Subramaniam believes platforms like ChatGPT could reshape how customers discover and order food, much like the App Store changed mobile behavior.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Restaurants Need Their Guest Data Back – &lt;/strong&gt;Third-party delivery platforms control most of the customer relationship today. Bytes is focused on helping restaurants regain ownership of guest data, loyalty, and direct engagement.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Hidden Fees Hurt Restaurant Margins – &lt;/strong&gt;Bala Subramaniam argues delivery itself is not the problem. The bigger issue is the hidden commissions and discovery fees built into traditional delivery platforms.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bala Subramaniam LinkedIn: &lt;/strong&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/balachandergs/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Bites LinkedIn:&lt;/strong&gt; &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/company/bitesai/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find Cali BBQ Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://calibbq.media"&gt;Visit our Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/"&gt;Follow Restaurant Technology Substack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://betheshow.media"&gt;Learn About our Media Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

Bala Subramaniam, co-founder of Bites, explains why the future of restaurant ordering may live inside AI platforms like ChatGPT instead of traditional delivery apps.


How Bites’ AI Will Change Restaurant Delivery Forever

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/" rel="noopener noreferrer">Alexandra Fulea</a>, CEO and co-founder of <a href="https://www.yourbi.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer">YourBI</a>, to discuss why restaurants are overwhelmed with data but still struggling to make better decisions. Alexandra explains how disconnected systems create operational blind spots, why dashboards alone are not enough, and how clean data foundations are becoming essential for AI, forecasting, scheduling, and scalable restaurant operations.
<ul>
 <li>Connected Data Creates Better Decisions – Alexandra Fulea believes restaurants struggle when labor, inventory, sales, and guest data live in disconnected systems. YourBI helps operators see the full picture so they can make smarter operational decisions.</li>
 <li>Dashboards Need Context – Alexandra Fulea sees dashboards as tools, not solutions. The goal is giving the right people the right information at the right time so restaurant teams can stay aligned across the business.</li>
 <li>AI Starts With Clean Data – YourBI focuses on building reliable data foundations before layering in AI. Better data leads to better forecasting, scheduling, automation, and operational consistency.</li>
</ul>
Episode Links
<ul>
 <li>Alexandra Fulea LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/</a></li>
 <li>YourBI: <a href="https://www.yourbi.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.yourbi.nl/</a></li>
 <li>YourBI LinkedIn: <a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbi/posts/" rel="noopener noreferrer">https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbi/posts/</a></li>
</ul>
Where to find Cali BBQ Media<ul><li><a href="https://calibbq.media">Visit our Website</a></li><li><a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/">Follow Restaurant Technology Substack</a></li><li><a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on Instagram</a></li><li><a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/">Follow us on LinkedIn</a></li><li><a href="https://betheshow.media">Learn About our Media Services</a></li></ul>

<description>&lt;p&gt;In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;Alexandra Fulea&lt;/a&gt;, CEO and co-founder of &lt;a href="https://www.yourbi.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;YourBI&lt;/a&gt;, to discuss why restaurants are overwhelmed with data but still struggling to make better decisions. Alexandra explains how disconnected systems create operational blind spots, why dashboards alone are not enough, and how clean data foundations are becoming essential for AI, forecasting, scheduling, and scalable restaurant operations.&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;Connected Data Creates Better Decisions – Alexandra Fulea believes restaurants struggle when labor, inventory, sales, and guest data live in disconnected systems. YourBI helps operators see the full picture so they can make smarter operational decisions.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;Dashboards Need Context – Alexandra Fulea sees dashboards as tools, not solutions. The goal is giving the right people the right information at the right time so restaurant teams can stay aligned across the business.&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;AI Starts With Clean Data – YourBI focuses on building reliable data foundations before layering in AI. Better data leads to better forecasting, scheduling, automation, and operational consistency.&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Episode Links&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;
&lt;ul&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;Alexandra Fulea LinkedIn: &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexandra-fulea/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;YourBI: &lt;a href="https://www.yourbi.nl/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.yourbi.nl/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
 &lt;li&gt;YourBI LinkedIn: &lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbi/posts/" rel="noopener noreferrer"&gt;https://www.linkedin.com/company/yourbi/posts/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;
&lt;/ul&gt;
&lt;p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;strong&gt;Where to find Cali BBQ Media&lt;/strong&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://calibbq.media"&gt;Visit our Website&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://restauranttechnology.substack.com/"&gt;Follow Restaurant Technology Substack&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.instagram.com/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on Instagram&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://www.linkedin.com/company/calibbqmedia/"&gt;Follow us on LinkedIn&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;a href="https://betheshow.media"&gt;Learn About our Media Services&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;/p&gt;</description>

In this episode of Digital Hospitality, Shawn Walchef sits down with Alexandra Fulea, CEO and co-founder of YourBI, to discuss why restaurants are overwhelmed with data but still struggling to make better decisions.

Restaurants Have a Data Problem. YourBI Is Building the Fix

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.

Digital Hospitality

Details

Recent Episodes