<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>Restaurants have crossed a line.AI adoption is accelerating. Digital sales are growing. Tech spend is rising.But here’s the problem… very little of it is actually working.In this episode, Carl sits down with Jen Kern (CMO at Qu) to break down the 2026 State of Digital Report and what it really tells us about the industry.This is not a conversation about trends. It’s a conversation about execution.Key themes include:<ul><li>Why 73% of brands are investing in AI, but only 9% see real impact</li><li>How fragmented tech stacks are holding back guest experience</li><li>Why digital growth is exposing operational weaknesses</li><li>The shift from experimentation to operational discipline</li><li>What “serving smarter” actually means in practice</li></ul>If you care about where restaurants go next, this is one to watch.Download and read the full report on Qu&apos;s website <a href='https://bit.ly/4rKdwrB'>here</a><a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support">Support the show</a>🔔 <a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'>Subscribe</a> to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'>YouTube </a>for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here! 📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant 🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at <a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'>www.theDigital.Restaurant</a> 🎙️📰Please subscribe to our <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'>newsletter</a> and connect with Carl&apos;s <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'>Delivering the Digital Restaurant </a>page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Restaurants have crossed a line.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;AI adoption is accelerating. Digital sales are growing. Tech spend is rising.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;But here’s the problem… very little of it is actually working.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;In this episode, Carl sits down with Jen Kern (CMO at Qu) to break down the &lt;b&gt;2026 State of Digital Report&lt;/b&gt; and what it really tells us about the industry.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This is not a conversation about trends. It’s a conversation about execution.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Key themes include:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why 73% of brands are investing in AI, but only 9% see real impact&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;How fragmented tech stacks are holding back guest experience&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;Why digital growth is exposing operational weaknesses&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;The shift from experimentation to operational discipline&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;What “serving smarter” actually means in practice&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;If you care about where restaurants go next, this is one to watch.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Download and read the full report on Qu&amp;apos;s website &lt;a href='https://bit.ly/4rKdwrB'&gt;here&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔔 &lt;a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'&gt;YouTube &lt;/a&gt;for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at &lt;a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'&gt;www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎙️📰Please subscribe to our &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'&gt;newsletter&lt;/a&gt; and connect with Carl&amp;apos;s &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'&gt;Delivering the Digital Restaurant &lt;/a&gt;page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail Restaurants have crossed a line. AI adoption is accelerating. Digital sales are growing. Tech spend is rising. But here’s the problem… very little of it is actually working. In this episode, Carl sits down with Jen Kern (CMO at Qu) to break down the 2026 State of Digital Report and what it really tells us about the industry. This is not a conversation about trends. It’s a conversation about execution. Key themes include: Why 73% of brands are investing in AI, but only 9% see ...

The State of Digital Report (2026) by QU Pos - Restaurants Are Done Experimenting. Now They Have to Execute

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>Carl is joined by Rishi Nigam, CEO of <a href='https://franklinjunction.com/'>Franklin Junction</a>, to break down the most important stories shaping restaurants and consumer technology as we close out 2025. From GoPuff’s latest funding round to Cloudflare’s massive outage and the rising role of synthetic data, this episode looks at how operators should prepare for a rapidly changing year ahead. Topics covered: • <a href='https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251113803496/en/Gopuff-the-Instant-Commerce-Leader-Raises-a-%24250-Million-Funding-Round-Led-by-Eldridge-Industries '>GoPuff’s new funding and whether it signals discipline or deeper trouble</a> • <a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/consumer-trends/consumers-are-still-dining-out-some-caveats'>Q4 softness and why consumer spending may diverge sharply by income level in 2026</a> • <a href='https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-evolves-ecommerce-offerings-to-improve-the-customer-experience-drive-profitable-sales-growth-302618604.html'>Kroger’s closure of e-commerce fulfillment centers and what it means for delivery economics</a> • <a href='https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/ai-and-synthetic-data-in-qsr-marketing-is-about-visibility-not-just-efficiency/'>How synthetic data is reshaping forecasting, pricing, and marketing</a> • <a href='https://www.businessinsider.com/cloudflare-outage-internet-down-x-open-ai-2025-11'>Why Cloudflare’s outage shows every restaurant needs a real contingency plan</a> Timestamps: 00:00 Intro 01:00 GoPuff funding analysis 06:00 Consumer spending outlook for 2026 12:00 Kroger closes fulfillment centers 15:00 Synthetic data and the 80 percent prediction 22:00 Cloudflare outage and industry riskListen, subscribe, and share your thoughts with us. Happy Thanksgiving from The Digital Restaurant.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support">Support the show</a>🔔 <a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'>Subscribe</a> to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'>YouTube </a>for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here! 📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant 🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at <a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'>www.theDigital.Restaurant</a> 🎙️📰Please subscribe to our <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'>newsletter</a> and connect with Carl&apos;s <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'>Delivering the Digital Restaurant </a>page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carl is joined by Rishi Nigam, CEO of &lt;a href='https://franklinjunction.com/'&gt;Franklin Junction&lt;/a&gt;, to break down the most important stories shaping restaurants and consumer technology as we close out 2025. From GoPuff’s latest funding round to Cloudflare’s massive outage and the rising role of synthetic data, this episode looks at how operators should prepare for a rapidly changing year ahead. &lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Topics covered:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• &lt;a href='https://www.businesswire.com/news/home/20251113803496/en/Gopuff-the-Instant-Commerce-Leader-Raises-a-%24250-Million-Funding-Round-Led-by-Eldridge-Industries '&gt;GoPuff’s new funding and whether it signals discipline or deeper trouble&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• &lt;a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/consumer-trends/consumers-are-still-dining-out-some-caveats'&gt;Q4 softness and why consumer spending may diverge sharply by income level in 2026&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• &lt;a href='https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/kroger-evolves-ecommerce-offerings-to-improve-the-customer-experience-drive-profitable-sales-growth-302618604.html'&gt;Kroger’s closure of e-commerce fulfillment centers and what it means for delivery economics&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• &lt;a href='https://www.qsrmagazine.com/story/ai-and-synthetic-data-in-qsr-marketing-is-about-visibility-not-just-efficiency/'&gt;How synthetic data is reshaping forecasting, pricing, and marketing&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;• &lt;a href='https://www.businessinsider.com/cloudflare-outage-internet-down-x-open-ai-2025-11'&gt;Why Cloudflare’s outage shows every restaurant needs a real contingency plan&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;b&gt;Timestamps:&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;00:00 Intro&lt;br/&gt;01:00 GoPuff funding analysis&lt;br/&gt;06:00 Consumer spending outlook for 2026&lt;br/&gt;12:00 Kroger closes fulfillment centers&lt;br/&gt;15:00 Synthetic data and the 80 percent prediction&lt;br/&gt;22:00 Cloudflare outage and industry risk&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;b&gt;Listen, subscribe, and share your thoughts with us.&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;br/&gt;Happy Thanksgiving from The Digital Restaurant.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔔 &lt;a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'&gt;YouTube &lt;/a&gt;for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at &lt;a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'&gt;www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎙️📰Please subscribe to our &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'&gt;newsletter&lt;/a&gt; and connect with Carl&amp;apos;s &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'&gt;Delivering the Digital Restaurant &lt;/a&gt;page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail Carl is joined by Rishi Nigam, CEO of Franklin Junction, to break down the most important stories shaping restaurants and consumer technology as we close out 2025. From GoPuff’s latest funding round to Cloudflare’s massive outage and the rising role of synthetic data, this episode looks at how operators should prepare for a rapidly changing year ahead.  Topics covered:  • GoPuff’s new funding and whether it signals discipline or deeper trouble  • Q4 softness and why cons...

Will Synthetic Data Drive 80% of all Restaurant Decisions?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>Special guest host <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdecarolis/'>Kim DeCarolis</a> joins Carl for a lively dive into the week’s biggest restaurant and tech stories for the last episode in Season 2.They start with American Express’s growing influence in restaurant loyalty and ask whether Amex has become the new partner of choice. Then they turn to Chipotle, where CEO Scott Boatwright is refocusing the brand around digital order accuracy — a move that says a lot about how consumer expectations have shifted.Next up: Yelp’s new AI Receptionist  - will it actually help operators, or just add more noise to the AI conversation? And in one of the week’s biggest business moves, Wonder’s acquisition of Spyce from Sweetgreen sparks a discussion on focus, automation, and where robotics fits into the future kitchen.Finally, Carl and Kim unpack the Uber + Toast partnership, a big move that could reshape the first-party and third-party delivery landscape.As always, The Digital Restaurant looks at how these headlines reveal where restaurant technology and the broader off-premise experience are headed next.01:30  – Q1: <a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/american-express-restaurant-tech-acquisitions-are-bearing-fruit'>Is Amex becoming the restaurant partner of choice?</a> 05:00 – Q2: <a href='https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/for-chipotle-accuracy-moves-atop-the-priority-list'>Chipotle turns its focus to order accuracy</a> 10:45  – Q3: <a href='https://restauranttechnologynews.com/2025/10/yelp-expands-ai-portfolio-with-new-tools-to-handle-restaurant-calls-bookings-and-guest-inquiries/'>Yelp Receptionist – Hype or Help for Operators?</a> 14:50  – Q4: <a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/sweetgreen-sell-spyce-technology-company-wonder-1864m'>Wonder buys Spyce from Sweetgreen – smart sale or bold gamble?</a> 19:40  – Q5: <a href='https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/uber-toast-enter-strategic-global-partnership/804484/'>Uber + Toast partnership – what it means for delivery’s future</a><a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support">Support the show</a>🔔 <a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'>Subscribe</a> to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'>YouTube </a>for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here! 📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant 🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at <a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'>www.theDigital.Restaurant</a> 🎙️📰Please subscribe to our <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'>newsletter</a> and connect with Carl&apos;s <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'>Delivering the Digital Restaurant </a>page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Special guest host &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/in/kdecarolis/'&gt;&lt;b&gt;Kim DeCarolis&lt;/b&gt;&lt;/a&gt;&lt;b&gt; &lt;/b&gt;joins Carl for a lively dive into the week’s biggest restaurant and tech stories for the last episode in Season 2.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;They start with &lt;b&gt;American Express’s growing influence&lt;/b&gt; in restaurant loyalty and ask whether Amex has become the new partner of choice. Then they turn to &lt;b&gt;Chipotle&lt;/b&gt;, where CEO Scott Boatwright is refocusing the brand around digital order accuracy — a move that says a lot about how consumer expectations have shifted.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Next up: &lt;b&gt;Yelp’s new AI Receptionist&lt;/b&gt;  - will it actually help operators, or just add more noise to the AI conversation? And in one of the week’s biggest business moves, &lt;b&gt;Wonder’s acquisition of Spyce from Sweetgreen&lt;/b&gt; sparks a discussion on focus, automation, and where robotics fits into the future kitchen.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Finally, Carl and Kim unpack the &lt;b&gt;Uber + Toast partnership&lt;/b&gt;, a big move that could reshape the first-party and third-party delivery landscape.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;As always, The Digital Restaurant looks at how these headlines reveal where restaurant technology and the broader off-premise experience are headed next.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:30  – Q1: &lt;a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/american-express-restaurant-tech-acquisitions-are-bearing-fruit'&gt;Is Amex becoming the restaurant partner of choice?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;05:00 – Q2: &lt;a href='https://www.nrn.com/fast-casual/for-chipotle-accuracy-moves-atop-the-priority-list'&gt;Chipotle turns its focus to order accuracy&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;10:45  – Q3: &lt;a href='https://restauranttechnologynews.com/2025/10/yelp-expands-ai-portfolio-with-new-tools-to-handle-restaurant-calls-bookings-and-guest-inquiries/'&gt;Yelp Receptionist – Hype or Help for Operators?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;14:50  – Q4: &lt;a href='https://www.restaurantbusinessonline.com/technology/sweetgreen-sell-spyce-technology-company-wonder-1864m'&gt;Wonder buys Spyce from Sweetgreen – smart sale or bold gamble?&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;19:40  – Q5: &lt;a href='https://www.restaurantdive.com/news/uber-toast-enter-strategic-global-partnership/804484/'&gt;Uber + Toast partnership – what it means for delivery’s future&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔔 &lt;a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'&gt;YouTube &lt;/a&gt;for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at &lt;a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'&gt;www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎙️📰Please subscribe to our &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'&gt;newsletter&lt;/a&gt; and connect with Carl&amp;apos;s &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'&gt;Delivering the Digital Restaurant &lt;/a&gt;page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail Special guest host Kim DeCarolis joins Carl for a lively dive into the week’s biggest restaurant and tech stories for the last episode in Season 2. They start with American Express’s growing influence in restaurant loyalty and ask whether Amex has become the new partner of choice. Then they turn to Chipotle, where CEO Scott Boatwright is refocusing the brand around digital order accuracy — a move that says a lot about how consumer expectations have shifted. Next up: Yelp’s ne...

Great Buy or Great Sell? - Spyce heads to Wonder

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>Are delivery marketplaces like DoorDash and Uber Eats about to be disrupted by ChatGPT?Carl welcomes Atul Sood, former McDonald’s and Kitchen United executive, to explore how AI and automation are reshaping the food world — from ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens.Together they cover:<ul><li>DoorDash’s new Dot delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15) <a href='https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/'>https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/</a></li><li>How ChatGPT’s App SDK could eliminate the need for delivery apps altogether (6m 35) <a href='https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/06/openai-launches-apps-inside-of-chatgpt/'>https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/06/openai-launches-apps-inside-of-chatgpt/</a></li><li>Aramark’s robotic kitchen for hospital meals (14m 15) https://chainstoreage.com/aramark-invests-food-service-robot-health-care-facilities</li><li>Insights from Toast’s 2025 restaurant report (16m 55) <a href='https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/2025-voice-of-restaurant-industry-survey'>https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/2025-voice-of-restaurant-industry-survey</a></li><li>How bot armies may have fueled Cracker Barrel’s viral logo controversy (22m 45) <a href='https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/cracker-barrel-s-logo-controversy-was-driven-by-bots-what-operators-should-learn-from-this'>https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/cracker-barrel-s-logo-controversy-was-driven-by-bots-what-operators-should-learn-from-this</a></li></ul>It’s a packed episode on the intersection of AI, automation, and restaurant innovation — and what it all means for operators, brands, and consumers.<a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support">Support the show</a>🔔 <a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'>Subscribe</a> to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'>YouTube </a>for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here! 📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant 🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at <a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'>www.theDigital.Restaurant</a> 🎙️📰Please subscribe to our <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'>newsletter</a> and connect with Carl&apos;s <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'>Delivering the Digital Restaurant </a>page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Are delivery marketplaces like DoorDash and Uber Eats about to be disrupted by ChatGPT?&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Carl welcomes &lt;b&gt;Atul Sood&lt;/b&gt;, former McDonald’s and Kitchen United executive, to explore how AI and automation are reshaping the food world — from ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Together they cover:&lt;/p&gt;&lt;ul&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;DoorDash’s new &lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt;&lt;em&gt;Dot&lt;/em&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;b&gt; delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/'&gt;https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;How ChatGPT’s App SDK could eliminate the need for delivery apps altogether (6m 35)&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/b&gt;&lt;a href='https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/06/openai-launches-apps-inside-of-chatgpt/'&gt;https://techcrunch.com/2025/10/06/openai-launches-apps-inside-of-chatgpt/&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Aramark’s robotic kitchen for hospital meals (14m 15)&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/b&gt;https://chainstoreage.com/aramark-invests-food-service-robot-health-care-facilities&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;Insights from Toast’s 2025 restaurant report (16m 55)&lt;/b&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/2025-voice-of-restaurant-industry-survey'&gt;https://pos.toasttab.com/blog/data/2025-voice-of-restaurant-industry-survey&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;li&gt;&lt;b&gt;How bot armies may have fueled Cracker Barrel’s viral logo controversy&lt;/b&gt; (22m 45)&lt;br/&gt;&lt;a href='https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/cracker-barrel-s-logo-controversy-was-driven-by-bots-what-operators-should-learn-from-this'&gt;https://www.nrn.com/casual-dining/cracker-barrel-s-logo-controversy-was-driven-by-bots-what-operators-should-learn-from-this&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/li&gt;&lt;/ul&gt;&lt;p&gt;It’s a packed episode on the intersection of &lt;b&gt;AI, automation, and restaurant innovation&lt;/b&gt; — and what it all means for operators, brands, and consumers.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔔 &lt;a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'&gt;YouTube &lt;/a&gt;for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at &lt;a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'&gt;www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎙️📰Please subscribe to our &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'&gt;newsletter&lt;/a&gt; and connect with Carl&amp;apos;s &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'&gt;Delivering the Digital Restaurant &lt;/a&gt;page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail Are delivery marketplaces like DoorDash and Uber Eats about to be disrupted by ChatGPT? Carl welcomes Atul Sood, former McDonald’s and Kitchen United executive, to explore how AI and automation are reshaping the food world — from ChatGPT’s new app integrations to robotic hospital kitchens. Together they cover: DoorDash’s new Dot delivery robot and smart scale (2m 15) https://foodondemand.com/10012025/doordash-ceo-tony-xu-unveils-delivery-robot-and-smartscale/How ChatGPT’s App...

Chat GPT & The End of Marketplaces?

<a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new">Send us Fan Mail</a>This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Jeremy Julian, host of the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast and CRO of CBS NorthStar, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of restaurant technology.We dive into highlights from FSTEC, explore new benchmarks from InTouch Insight’s QSR report on voice AI &amp; kiosks, and tackle the perennial build vs buy question that every brand faces. We also look at ChowBus’ surprising pivot from delivery platform to full-stack tech provider and dig into the often-overlooked value of digital menu boards.From hospitality’s enduring role to the realities of ROI, this episode is packed with insights operators and tech providers alike won’t want to miss.Timestamps01:00 – Insights from FSTEC – tech must enhance guest &amp; staff experience 05:00 – Voice AI in QSRs – findings from InTouch Insight’s report 15:50 – Build vs Buy – hidden costs and ROI realities 20:50 – ChowBus pivots from delivery to full-stack tech platform 24:50 – The untapped potential of digital menu boards <a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support">Support the show</a>🔔 <a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'>Subscribe</a> to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on <a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'>YouTube </a>for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here! 📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant 🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at <a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'>www.theDigital.Restaurant</a> 🎙️📰Please subscribe to our <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'>newsletter</a> and connect with Carl&apos;s <a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'>Delivering the Digital Restaurant </a>page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter.

<description>&lt;p&gt;&lt;a target="_blank" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/fan_mail/new"&gt;Send us Fan Mail&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;This week on &lt;em&gt;The Digital Restaurant&lt;/em&gt;, Carl is joined by Jeremy Julian, host of the &lt;em&gt;Restaurant Technology Guys&lt;/em&gt; podcast and CRO of CBS NorthStar, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of restaurant technology.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;We dive into highlights from FSTEC, explore new benchmarks from InTouch Insight’s QSR report on voice AI &amp;amp; kiosks, and tackle the perennial &lt;em&gt;build vs buy&lt;/em&gt; question that every brand faces. We also look at ChowBus’ surprising pivot from delivery platform to full-stack tech provider and dig into the often-overlooked value of digital menu boards.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;From hospitality’s enduring role to the realities of ROI, this episode is packed with insights operators and tech providers alike won’t want to miss.&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;Timestamps&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;01:00 – Insights from FSTEC – tech must enhance guest &amp;amp; staff experience&lt;br/&gt;05:00 – Voice AI in QSRs – findings from InTouch Insight’s report&lt;br/&gt;15:50 – Build vs Buy – hidden costs and ROI realities&lt;br/&gt;20:50 – ChowBus pivots from delivery to full-stack tech platform&lt;br/&gt;24:50 – The untapped potential of digital menu boards&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;&lt;a rel="payment" href="https://www.buzzsprout.com/1918078/support"&gt;Support the show&lt;/a&gt;&lt;/p&gt;&lt;p&gt;🔔 &lt;a href='https://thedigitalrestaurant.buzzsprout.com/'&gt;Subscribe&lt;/a&gt; to The Digital Restaurant Podcast and follow us on &lt;a href='https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx46snrpDlcTXYOB7gLIvmA'&gt;YouTube &lt;/a&gt;for more episodes that combine the love of food with the latest in technology. Your next restaurant tech adventure starts here!&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;📖  Get your copy of the Delivering the Digital Restaurant books at www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎤 Have Carl come and speak at your company conference! Learn more at &lt;a href='http://www.thedigital.restaurant'&gt;www.theDigital.Restaurant&lt;/a&gt;&lt;br/&gt;&lt;br/&gt;🎙️📰Please subscribe to our &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/build-relation/newsletter-follow?entityUrn=6951319245234343936'&gt;newsletter&lt;/a&gt; and connect with Carl&amp;apos;s &lt;a href='https://www.linkedin.com/company/deliveringthedigitalrestaurant/'&gt;Delivering the Digital Restaurant &lt;/a&gt;page on LinkedIn for their twice-a-month newsletter. &lt;/p&gt;</description>

Send us Fan Mail This week on The Digital Restaurant, Carl is joined by Jeremy Julian, host of the Restaurant Technology Guys podcast and CRO of CBS NorthStar, for a wide-ranging conversation on the state of restaurant technology. We dive into highlights from FSTEC, explore new benchmarks from InTouch Insight’s QSR report on voice AI &amp; kiosks, and tackle the perennial build vs buy question that every brand faces. We also look at ChowBus’ surprising pivot from delivery platform to full-sta...

Build vs Buy - The Question every Restaurant Exec must answer

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