Episode 13 - Angela Diffly
jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:00:00] Hi, this is Jen Kern and welcome to Restaurants Reinvented. I am your hostess of the show. And today I'm excited to be joined with Angela Diffly from Restaurant Technology Network, otherwise known as RTN. Hi Angela.
[00:00:38] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:00:38] Hi, Jen. Thank you for having me. Happy to be here.
[00:00:41] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:00:41] So excited to have you join the show and let's just dive right into it. And for folks that may not be familiar with your organization, which again, I know as RTN very broadly, but there may be folks that have never heard of you. Can you give us some background about RTN, its mission and its purpose and what you guys are up to?
[00:00:59] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:00:59] Absolutely. Yeah. RTN, the Restaurant Technology Network it's only been alive in, I should say for like about a year and a half. We launched in 2019 and really what it is the biggest broadest picture is that we connect technology talent and the restaurant space. So we bring the worlds together from the restaurants and the technology players in the supplier side. And we've matched the technology talent to tackle challenges that the restaurant's been facing for quite some time and to really try to come up with solutions that help everyone in the industry innovate faster. And that's really what we do with the core. And the kind of folks in the network are mostly technologist.
[00:01:40] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:01:40] Okay. And you are a member-based organization. Correct?
[00:01:44] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:01:44] Exactly. It's a member-based organization, and made up of primarily three groups of restaurants, suppliers, and industry consultants and the restaurant tech space.
[00:01:53] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:01:53] Okay. And what is your membership level, like today?
[00:01:58] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:01:58] We have about 200 members, probably 200 plus, and that's great because like I said, we just launched and not even two years ago. So we have just grown like wildfire and I think there was a real hunger out there in the restaurant tech space to have this type of community that collectively put brain power, put tech power, tech talent I should say, together to solve challenges. And I think there are a lot of these challenges are long overdue for the industry.
[00:02:22] And so that's why it exists. And that's how far we've come today.
[00:02:26] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:02:26] That's awesome. And those 200 members, are they all brand slash operators? Or does that comprise that brands and suppliers?
[00:02:34] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:02:34] Brands, suppliers, and some consultants. The majority are restaurant brands.
[00:02:38]jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:02:38] Okay. Yeah. I've seen you posting on LinkedIn. I've seen some really big and impressive and marquee brand names. So kudos. That's awesome. So tell me a little bit about yourself and your background and what led you to RTN.
[00:02:51] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:02:51] Yeah. I have had an existing background in retail, eCommerce, and hospitality technology. I was with Epson America, as we all know, it's a sort of a, Gold star hardware provider in the space. I was with them for 13 years. So my marketing background, and I'd like to say I'm like a traditional marketer.
[00:03:07] I really had a corporate communications and public relations background. But more from a thought leadership industry influencer early on in that role. So I spent 13 years at Epson and then I went to eBay. I've been at eBay. I was at Ebay for awhile. And then I was doing executive communications at eBay for the eCommerce space, really looking at how eBay could compete with Amazon.
[00:03:27] And that was such a compelling and cool role because I got to look at cool new technologies at the time. Artificial intelligence and machine learning and what they were doing there and that space with. And also with voice, what was going on with voice with Google and Alexa. So yeah, it's kind of embedded me in the tech space and solidified my love for tech.
[00:03:43] And I've always wanted to be a writer, I guess you could say. And so I wrote for a couple of magazines. Started my own e-magazine and then, with Abby Lordon the vice president of brand for hospitality technology, came to me and said, look, we've got this idea. You think you're the one that headed up?
[00:03:58] I jumped at the chance because Abby and I have known each other for 15 years in the industry and have always thought alike and worked really well together. And you know, when you work with someone and you really jive and you really feel like there's chemistry and great magical things can happen when your minds come together.
[00:04:13] So that's when I jumped on board with her, and we went forward with it.
[00:04:17] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:04:17] That's so great. Well, I've had the pleasure of meeting Abby. I really enjoy spending time with her. And so had you guys worked together at eBay?
[00:04:25] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:04:25] No, not at eBay, but definitely at Epson. When I went to write for one of the magazines was an formerly agile, now EnsembleIQ Publication. I used to write for a channel magazine that was under the EIQ brand, but that sense has been dissolved. So not only do I know way too much about the ins and outs of the technologies and the players there, but also the channel and the distribution and reseller and ISP channels and the space do. So that's kinda good. Comes in handy sometimes do it in this role.
[00:04:51] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:04:51] Oh, I bet. I bet. And so you're both at RTN now. And so was RTN Abby's brainchild.
[00:04:58] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:04:58] RTN was Abby's brainchild. she likes to say it was like an idea on the back of a napkin for a while. And in her mind, I think for many years she had been brewing with the idea. Wow, we need a, you know, a neighborhood, a community, if you will, for all this tech talent and CIO is from restaurants. Again and again, we're coming up to Abby at shows like MarTech saying,
[00:05:16] you know, we really enjoy having these buyer seller conversations with the sales folks here. And a lot of them are really deep domain expertise and they're super smart to talk to. But what we'd really like to do is get behind the curtain and talk to the technology folks behind the scene that make all this cool stuff happen.
[00:05:29] And that's when she first started percolating on the idea. And when she brought me in, we just saw something really special happening in the industry. And we were just really honored and thrilled that we could bring it to life.
[00:05:41] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:05:41] Yes. And technology is obviously very near and dear to my heart. And I've been a tech CMO for Oh goodness. Many years. Let's just say many years. I've always been in technology. I've got in technology in the late nineties actually. And just watching the explosion of technology and particularly as marketers, what I got so jazzed about was once marketing and technology were fused into one area. And marketers are really all of a sudden able to elevate ourselves within the organization because we had so much access to the data into technology.
[00:06:20] I just love that. And then when I came here to the hospitality industry, it was really interesting to me because as I'm sure, you know, we have a bit of a reputation that hospitality is lagging behind with technology.
[00:06:30] It's obvious why? It's hard with the brick and mortars, right? So think about the audience here and the marketing folks from restaurants that might be listening What are some of the things that you've seen interacting with the technologists on the operator side that you think are so pivotal to marketing into the role of marketing within restaurants today
[00:06:53] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:06:53] Well I think never before has there been an opportunity for a technology of marketing to fuse forces and I see it especially in the wake of this pandemic so much creativity coming out of the restaurants and restaurant technology can fuel the craziest marketers idea a drink Right So I think that I've seen time and time again And you see the magic really happen when those two functions are well aligned under the umbrella of a brand So I think it's important for technologists to work with marketers and vice versa really closely especially with new generations to bring them into the mix because what used to work doesn't work anymore And that's never been truer than right now so you have to find more creative out of the box ways to capture your audience and bring them in I've seen brands do it geniusly just recently like burger King for example did the Tik Tok Dance challenge to get a dollar a Whopper if you did that Tik Tok Dance for Burger King And that was brilliant And then taco bell had their trucker drive-throughs At their California headquarters which was really smart because truckers out there couldn't go through the drive through and couldn't go in dining rooms have been closed and then just silly things like the Twitter Wars between Wendy's and McDonald's when Wendy's brought out its breakfast that was pretty cool And the headstone with the rip for the mini muffin and just back and forth it was just joy to watch it it's like these brands are really showing their personalities and I think that's how they bring in The generation Z is out there and then genzennials as we call them so that's a kind of stuff I like to see out there and then you know on a more serious note showing your values and putting those out there like on Twitter I know that mod pizza did social injustice A really cool visual play that said social justice has no place at our table And it started with a heart and then the heart eventually became the mud shield brand logo So that kind of stuff from a marketing and branding perspective is gold and then you can infuse that into everything you do from a technology perspective just when you touch the customers when you reach out and do loyalty campaigns and all that good stuff
[00:08:55] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:08:55] Those are some great examples when you mentioned Wendy's I remember right when the pandemic hit they actually ran a commercial It wasn't for gen Zs because it was playing song from like the eighties or nineties That was like super nostalgic And I can't remember what it was right now but I remember the ad so much because the frosty it was essentially giving away Frosties for free and it ended by saying and who doesn't need a little bit of extra comfort right now
[00:09:25] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:09:25] Yeah
[00:09:26] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:09:26] just being able to really speak to where consumers and guests are right now And it's changing every day It's changing every day and you're absolutely right
[00:09:37] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:09:37] They just raised some levity to it right burger King had their social distancing Walker piled high with onions I think that bring some laughter into it too I mean Yeah sure recognize people where they are and certainly give them a pick me up I mean that's what hospitality is all about Right Making people warm inside Making me feel welcome And if we can't open our doors then we could certainly still open our hearts and make you laugh a little along the way Maybe you know
[00:10:00] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:10:00] absolutely Yeah that's such a good point And like you're saying marketers are at the forefront now of that right Its putting that brand out when people can't come into your restaurant how is your brand connecting and hitting on those emotions like they did with me with that ad it was like it was a throwback right To the nineties And I'm like yes so those are all really great examples Thank you for sharing those so more about RTN and how you're structured and how you've been built I remember when I joined Qu last year it was in March and I think I first met you at MarTech in March last year And you only had a couple of members at the time And now like you said you were over 200 strong and then the pandemic hits and Everyone's kind of in shock and operators are just of course struggling to keep their doors open and stay in business and you guys went ahead and I remember very vividly You guys went ahead and you stood up some work groups really quickly You got people engaged and you got information out and you really did a great service I believe to the industry at that time tell our listeners some of the things that you've been doing through the pandemic to keep operators Engaged and connected
[00:11:13] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:11:13] Right So that was very important for us So work groups are these virtual think tank style teams that we put together cross pollination between restaurants and supplier technology teams where we solve problems And that's the core and the foundation of everything that we do ongoing but during the pandemic we saw both sides panic right Suppliers were like what can we do to help everyone's shutting down everyone's off to do other projects What do we do And restaurants on the other hand we're like what is everybody else doing What are the restaurants doing to get by So we very quickly stood up two very distinctive work groups around the coronavirus pandemic one with restaurants to restaurants so that they could have a true peer share environment where they could really just brainstorm ideas every week about what was going on and who was doing what And we had amazing turnout on those calls and we've just had incredible open kimono type sharing with restaurant to restaurant like I've never seen before because it's not anything proprietary we're all just trying to survive at this point and then the supplier side we quickly came up with an off prem playbook which allowed all of the technology minds in this space to collaborate I think there were over 50 suppliers in that work group that really brought together in really short order a book a flip book if you will that's live on our website restaurant technology that we're back on You can just go grab it And basically just from online ordering to QR codes to turning your parking lot into a drive through to how you're getting your word out there to the grocerant concept to how do you just pivot your business to completely off prem as quickly as you can and what kinds of technologies are driving that So that's what we put together very quickly so those two groups running concurrently or just like our emergency response unit to what was going on And I think it was really helpful just for general sharing and for other folks to get ideas I mean restaurants were sharing things like It was around Easter when someone was to sharing thing about we're making these like little sugar cookie packets for kids to take home with their families and they could decorate at home and we're selling those and we're creating quarantine meals and we're able to sell alcohol now And their Chewey's was selling alcohol and they were selling out of the every day You know just trying to find ways to keep yourself afloat really and sharing those ideas was huge I think just for that the collective wellbeing of the industry
[00:13:23] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:13:23] absolutely and the off prem playbook I've seen pieces of it and you all did an amazing job and jumped really quickly to help both sides Like you're saying and I participated in one or two of those work groups and found it really enlightening So appreciate what you guys have done there And then talk to me a little bit about the standards that you're working on the API standards that I know you've been pushing for quite a while that we're also big participants in advocates of How was that going and where do you see that coming to culmination
[00:13:57] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:13:57] Yeah I mean the API framework we've been working on it for about a year and when I say we it's one of those work groups I mentioned where we get the restaurants and suppliers together to come up with some key tenets that we would wrap around a framework There are eight key principles that we have currently And then we also have a ton of substantiating documentation for each of those principles and we are vetting it now with our board of governors and our vendor advisory councils we're going through the necessary steps and we anticipate the API framework for the restaurant industry to be out in January And that is really a big deal because an open API or an API framework will be the standard by which moving forward All suppliers will be beholden to that it'll have some really straightforward requirements to consider yourself having an open API We've had restaurants on our board very very large brands say that they will probably make it a line on them in an RFP that you subscribed to that open API framework And or that you play nicely with it and that you have most of it done and it's on your roadmap for completion to even be considered in the RFP So it's a pretty big deal for the industry Restaurants are really ready for significant transformation and innovation and they can't do it with closed systems So that's what this open API framework will do for the industry And we hope that it will just foster a lot of innovation moving forward
[00:15:16] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:15:16] Yeah that's great And so January that will be released
[00:15:20] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:15:20] think that's what we're targeting
[00:15:22] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:15:22] Okay the dates Jen
[00:15:27] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:15:27] a lot of homework to do because we're betting yet We're really making sure it's solid We're jumping through a lot of hoops with us we're even asking the suppliers and you will be asked to for example to take an API framework readiness survey to show where you are like all of the RTN members will be asked To tell us where they are on the scale and what their roadmap looks like for meeting all of the eight tenets So that kind of thing is we're going to do all of that legwork before we announced it to the industry and certainly have the backing of a lot of restaurants before we go to the community and say this is what we all agree is the best way forward
[00:15:57] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:15:57] And do you foresee any restaurant brand being able to adapt those regardless of size or segment
[00:16:03] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:16:03] Yes absolutely It's universal
[00:16:06] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:16:06] Okay Awesome And it will be accessible to everyone
[00:16:08] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:16:08] It will be Yep
[00:16:10] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:16:10] Okay So in these work groups that you're having with operators I think it would be helpful to know what are the most common questions that you're getting today
[00:16:20] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:16:20] I think restaurants are trying to reinvent themselves that's a necessity And it's really cool that they're thinking outside the box I mean the physical store box when you think of in-store closing down and everything converting to off-prem you might be thinking that okay off-prem is the way to go That's our revenue stream That's wherever we can do off breath But really when you got to think even outside of that box imagine like a pod concept where you have 10 concepts working out of that kitchen or like for example breaker Chili's just announced its new virtual brand called it's just wings They launched over a thousand stores just last month It's a virtual brand which means it only exists in the digital space and its orders are fulfilled via some kind of ghost kitchen So Chili's parent Brinker said that this delivery only virtual brands it's called it's just wings It'll grow to 150 million annual sales in its first year And it's introduced on Doordash in June I think it's posting 3 million average weekly sales So that kind of a out of the box really seriously out of the box I mean out way out like not even in the box And then for example Chuck E Cheese you look at Chuck E Cheese and you think What are they going to do during this pandemic And they brought in Pasquale's pizza and started making their pizzas in their kitchen So they've become a host kitchen So things like that are just like the incredible innovation that's going on and that's the kind of questions people are asking like how do we bring delivery for example out of marketplaces and do our own data delivery And how do we take advantage of any revenue stream that we have that was not even on our bat before So the innovation and the outward thinking is really reaching a crescendo And you think about how marketing can be wrapped around all of that I mean I don't even think these stories are being told as well as they should you see it out ther You see a headline and then it'll fade into the distance but I'm like wow Some of the stuff is just Amazing that I want to see more and more of how they did it what they did so hopefully you know some of the conferences that are coming up will help dive into some of this stuff and like the thinking behind it and what they're going to do to really promote it Because I mean you look at those numbers that Brinker's claiming about that it's just wings concept You think about They have got to be doing some really stellar marketing I mean their team is a marketing genius team anyway but you know you think about what they must be doing to reach those kinds of numbers with a new concept like that It's crazy
[00:18:33] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:18:33] right And it's the delivery only concept right I think you're right I haven't heard a lot of these stories that you're rattling off And there is a little bit of information overload out there I was talking yesterday to Brandy Blackwell from Dunkin brands and she was talking about how marketers need to cut through the clutter And there is there's just so much information out there and there's a lot of organizations that are publishing news And like you said you see it fly across your screen but it's You know we're also busy even though we're in this pandemic uh you know it's hard to keep up with it all but I think sometimes marketers don't do themselves enough service marketing themselves You know it's was one thing I was taught at one point in my career I was like you gotta market yourself internally to the organization and externally And sometimes that's usually the last thing we get around to doing Cause we're so busy making sure our brands whether it's it's just wings or whatnot or getting their success that they need it's an interesting comment though we could help We could get help
[00:19:32] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:19:32] yeah absolutely
[00:19:34] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:19:34] And you mentioned some of the creative campaigns that you had seen early on in the pandemic can you give a few other examples of restaurants that are just really killing it right now with innovation around technology specifically
[00:19:48] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:19:48] Yeah absolutely there's some brands that I just love you know just love because I love But you just read the headlines on any of the restaurant technology website hospitality technology restaurant dive even the food on demand conferences these past three days was just amazing Sneakers and content but you look at what's going on and you see the brands that are speaking out are really doing cool stuff Panera is a success story Chipotle's a success story Chipotle is turning a ton of lanes into Chipotle lanes and they've been very vocal about their digital sales and how fast they've grown and gone since the pandemic I mean even a brand like Dickey's barbecue is doing some really cool stuff They pivoted very quickly And anyone of these restaurants brands who's pivoted really quickly during the pandemic is alive and well to talk about it And you know of course the pizza brands Domino's and Papa John's and pizza hut I know Domino's have been doing extremely well and some of those brands have been really vocal about it And then you see Domino's doing cool things like Domino's made the famous Claim to fame that we're a technology company that makes pizza I believe they're the ones that said that And that they did it a drone pilots has some beach in Amsterdam where they brought a drone and delivered a pizza and they had a huge splash about that That's a cool marketing campaign from a technology perspective So technology doesn't have to be all boring and in the weeds Right I mean that was super cool And even like some of these robot delivery like I know Postmates had a little robot delivery guy that they used to show around every now and then But I just don't think that stuff's getting enough play but even these lockers where you can pick up your food and don't have to interact with anyone like contactless solutions you know obviously are really huge You can do so many cool things just wrapped around that and that just think Domino's is doing it right And they're speaking very highly of what they're doing also McDonald's is obviously a brand to be reckoned with They have really stepped up their digital game and by acquiring artificial intelligence company dynamic yield they're doing some really cool things with hyper personalization and their drive through I think that COVID probably slowed Down a little bit of what they were going to do in store with their kiosk and so forth But restaurants that have drive throughs have just been very exceptionally well for obvious reasons I mean brands that just do well for brand's sake and I think are memorable brands and brands that kind of put their brand front and center always And they are unapologetically who they are and they just don't change no matter what the pandemic is going on you know and if you follow them on Twitter you'll get to know them very quickly
[00:22:11] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:22:11] I love you talking about Twitter You're talking my language now
[00:22:13] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:22:13] Yeah Yeah
[00:22:14] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:22:14] get on the socials The stat I saw I think a month end to COVID was US-based adults have increased their social intake times three during the pandemic So we're spending three times more time on social during the pandemic than we did prior to the pandemic That was true for me In fact I had to do a social media fast I did a 21-day social media fast because I was getting too much but here's something I'd love your input and thoughts on from a technology perspective If there was one thing that operators Don't embrace from a technology perspective what would you say that is what would be the biggest miss for an operator to not do say in the next year
[00:22:59] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:22:59] I think taking risks I do believe that there are going to be practical things that they have to do I think contactless technologies are certainly fall in that bucket but I think the biggest winners will be those that are doing really outside the box concepts Like those virtual brand concepts anything that's not physical that doesn't have to have physical space or say for example Sonic Sonic's reinventing it's drive thrus you know they've been a very unique concept from the beginning and certainly fare well I think during the coronavirus as far as their model was already built for That kind of contactless serving but now they're reinventing their drive-throughs and they're making them slick and cool-looking and like Chipolte lanes And Chipolte lane is like those two brands are really innovating when it comes to drive through which you know drive through is really where the money is right now And not to say it will always be there you have to diversify but diversify might mean more than just in-room dining and off prem It might mean virtual brands come into your kitchen and make things so I just think people who have those types of out of the box really not afraid to take that plunge and go there and try things are going to be the real big winners in the end and then people like McDonald's that's investing in technology heavily and I think if you're just not investing in it those are the ones that are going to be at risk because you just have to innovate right now You just have to And unfortunately there are going to be a lot of casualties just of the unprecedented crisis that we're going through regardless of what they do it's just a sad time I think for this industry but at the same time I hate it to even say that there's a silver lining with all of this technology innovation that's going on but from a tech perspective you really do CIOs being able to embrace projects maybe that they've wanted and thought about for awhile And now they're just being able to run full force with it which is encouraging but it does it lessen than the fact that there's a lot of folks out there that are not going to make it through this unfortunately just because of the way it keeps stopping and starting on us
[00:24:51] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:24:51] Yeah You've mentioned a lot of big brands I mean obviously we have our darlings and there's the Panera's of the world and the McDonald's that you've mentioned Sonic what about the midsize or what I would call like the mid market brands that are anywhere from 50 to a hundred locations you have the booming fast casual segment before COVID and these folks need to have pretty much all the same technologies They need to be on three or four delivery chain channels And I assume most of them trying to get to single menu management and they have all that same struggles but they don't have all the resources that some of the other teams have what are the things that they need to be doing and thinking about from a technology standpoint to make it through this time and come out on top
[00:25:33] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:25:33] Yeah I would say just get involved right Because like if they were on those RTN peer to peer share COVID calls that we had with the restaurant industry They would hear from big brands and small brands alike I think they can all learn from each other Sometimes when you're smaller you can be more nimble and you can move faster than the larger brands sure they might have the financial backing to do it but you might be more nimble and have a scrappier of your team that can do things quicker so we have seen that for example a brand Torchy's tacos They're like one of my favorite logos You know I just love the logo If you don't know Torchy's tacos you got to look them up I've never even walked into the restaurant because I don't have one anywhere in my area but I have grown such a love for the brand because they're just cool right the look was cool Their marketing is great their technology executives are wonderful and for example they got slammed on Cinco de Mayo you know with their off-prem orders and deliveries and they would just slammed and they had to issue an apology on Twitter and they did it in such a great way and they did it so quickly I think that's another of course marketers golden rule principle right React as quickly as you can to something and you know get it out there And they've just been really proactively reactive to the industry at large and out there and showcasing who they are and they're not a huge brand but they're making a big impact So I think you can do that like you said if you have the strong marketing to back you then you can make a big splash
[00:26:53] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:26:53] Yeah So there was a stat that came out and one of your reports very recently it was your 2020 technology report And I know you're Affiliated with hospitality tech organization as well and this stat reads like this 71% of restaurants plan to add update or change digital ordering software in the next year Can you explain and provide more context behind that quote
[00:27:18] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:27:18] I think that everyone's looking for a digital online ordering I think what's really cool We have a native delivery worker going on right now And if you want to I mean I heard that quote yesterday I think it was on food on demand Someone said you have to be on all the channels You have to be on all the marketplaces and then because marketplaces have different demographics of people ordering food then you should be everywhere You shouldn't just be exclusive So the exclusivity chains are kind of coming Handcuffs are coming off in that regard But I think that if you really want To take control of your own destiny and that from a marketing perspective certainly you want to own your customer right You don't want to let that customer slip between your fingers and start becoming the customer of a third party delivery company But at the same time you know they have the marketing dollars just to get out there front and center And they've got that attention of that customer So I think what they're doing is looking at online ordering to make it native to go with like maybe a native delivery strategy and or A delivery as a service which we'll call calling DAS a strategy where you would have a hybrid strategy and let the third party delivery marketplaces become the logistical arm of your delivery So you could still have your online presence and people will be ordering from you directly And then the delivery drivers would be from Door Dash or whoever wherever so I think that online ordering is being reconsidered in light of the fact that people are not just strolling by your restaurant and walking in because I can't and I think that it's changing consumer behavior to such an effect that if you don't already have an online delivery channel directly or if it's subpar you're looking to upgrade that or you're looking to Polish that and make it that new perfection Because that's how everyone's doing it And everyone will continue to do that because consumer behavior will be changed forever after this
[00:28:58] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:28:58] Yeah it must be a tenuous balance for the operators because on one hand their revenues are down And on the other hand they're needing to invest in new technologies Or update their technologies
[00:29:10] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:29:10] right Yeah I mean you think about it some of them are saying their revenue is up and they've survived the storm and there are some that are touting they've done really well And that's another thing I would point to for the mid market brands and other brands is just read the trade magazines See who's doing what successfully who's saying that they're getting through and how are they doing it You know And those are the kinds of models to follow and it maybe your guide if you will and joining the restaurant technology network is a great thing because you can connect with the brands and sort of learn from your peers and also you know tap the supplier community technology talent that's out there And that's what we allow them to do which I think is unique And it really allows you to go to the technology Talent and say I've got this challenge what would you suggest And the technology suppliers are really rolling up their sleeves at a time when the restaurants need them the most So not only as you know offer services for sometimes free and trial periods and reduce rates or you know sometimes just free but also they're trying to solve problems for them and help them in any way they can And I've seen the restaurant industry come together in just ways that make you proud to be in the industry Really
[00:30:12] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:30:12] Oh yeah it's actually been quite heart warming for me to watch And it is a people first industry I mean we say that and it's easy to take it for granted but when you actually see how people have come together and helped each other and a lot of the walls have been broken down it's really quite lovely it's quite nice to see
[00:30:30] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:30:30] Yeah I mean there was always good you know you can sort of look at and point to and hopefully concentrate and put your focus toward the good
[00:30:38] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:30:38] So something I'm really passionate about as marketers being involved in technology decisions that the company's making because ultimately we need to get the guests data and need to be able to see all of the trends around purchasing and revenue in order to be able to market the product better how often I don't know if this is something you can talk to but how often do you see marketers involved in the technology decisions
[00:31:02] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:31:02] I think it's getting more symbiotic I do think the worlds are merging more than they ever did before especially in light of what's going on I think it's you know Who's got a seat at the table And I think technology has a seat at the table Like they never had before And marketing has a seat at the table More than they ever had before So inevitably I believe those worlds are gonna collide more in great ways Like the examples we've reviewed I think there are some really cool things happening and I believe personally that when you see a great technology solution and there's a great marketing element to it or slant to it or promotion to it that's when the magic happens So I think that's a winning combination and I hope I see more of than the industry
[00:31:45] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:31:45] Absolutely me too Me too That's what I'm pushing for So I'm pushing for here We don't see them enough in my opinion here in the bigger brands you do in the midsize brand sometimes it just depends on the brand how far we're looking The brand is how modern the brand is But to me it's a huge miss not to have the marketers involved in the technology decision And I think a lot of people would agree with us there what would you say is the biggest challenge facing restaurant owners today
[00:32:15] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:32:15] besides just survival it's reinvention they've got to reinvent themselves if you don't have what you've always depended on which is your dining area and how does hospitality true hospitality translate How does the heart of that brand translate and permeate the different ways it has to do business today And I think that is a real challenge to both marketers and all restaurant brands throughout the country and throughout the world really it's like how do you carry that brand heart and soul hospitable feeling that you could easily translate if someone were to walk through your doors How do you bring that to every bag that you see a lot for delivery How do you bring that into the parking lot when you hand it off to the customer How do you communicate that through a drive through you know having a mask and gloves and you're reaching out I saw a picture of a fast food restaurant in Canada reaching out with a hockey stick with a payment device on the end of it So they could facilitate the payment transactions but I think everybody understands right I think people are really forgiving and understanding right now And everybody knows that the restaurants are trying to make it Everybody wants to eat great restaurant food and the restaurants want to get it to them But it's just a huge challenge I mean we've never seen anything like this in our lifetime and I hope we never do again So it's just who's going to weather the storm Who's going to be able to think creatively and keep their businesses alive And stretch out of their tentacles out and do everything they can not just on prem dining and off-prem but some of these cool other concepts but they might need to consider
[00:33:44] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:33:44] Yeah The virtual brands that I've seen are Pretty cool That's a really neat concept and you've touched on ghost kitchens and host kitchens that we recently partnered with Franklin junction who's started the host kitchen concept What are your predictions there on the ghost kitchen and host kitchen side of things what do you think will happen in over the next six 12 months
[00:34:03] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:34:03] No I think it's going to explode I think it already has during the coronavirus and I just think it's going to get bigger and bigger of a concept because I think consumers the more they try it I think the more they'll like it and the more operators can perfect It Like I heard someone mention it I believe was kitchen United on the food on demand conference call yesterday the CEO said something like the biggest problem they had in Austin right now is traffic backing up their kitchen parking lot because as restaurants they tend to want to like not fire up the food until someone's on prem like right there they don't want to hand it over cold They tend to hold back on cooking it Whereas this goes kitchen world It needs to be cooked Fast orders need to come out really fast because when consumers drive up they want their food and they want to leave as fast as they can it's a timing issue And I think technology will drive that to a big step like Chick-fil-A has done some brilliantly with their geo-fencing you drive up you go to a parking place and they run it out and it's really brilliant
[00:34:56] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:34:56] They're amazing There's only been a handful of podcasts I've done where the guest did not bring up Chick-fil-A I mean it's unbelievable
[00:35:03] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:35:03] a lot of folks are getting it right with technology and had been working on types of technology like that for awhile So they were just well-positioned for it because they had already been doing it but I think with ghost kitchens that type of technology is going to be critical so that you don't have those frustrating customers Yeah So the customers can come in get their food When they drive up and leave with 10 concepts of food in the back of their car And it's carried to their office with 24 people who are ready to eat anything from Chinese to pizza I think that the ghost kitchen concept is interesting I also think these pod kitchens are interesting cause that way you could drive through and pick it up and it would maybe be delivered from a ghost kitchen and It'd be closer to where you live You know these pods can be put anywhere pretty much So those kinds of concepts are cool and I just see them growing in importance the longer this goes on I think the more popular they'll become
[00:35:48] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:35:48] So what's next for RTN and Angela
[00:35:52] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:35:52] Oh we've got a lot going on Like I said the API framework is pretty much the biggest thing we've got going on right now We also have a menu synchronization standard coming out which sounds really dull and boring techie but it's going to really change the way menu data is consumed with third parties And I think that's going to be a huge you know minimize a lot of complexity there when you get to where you're sharing menus across different networks With third party delivery companies especially
[00:36:17] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:36:17] So a menu synchronization standard is that what you call it
[00:36:21] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:36:21] Yep Menu synchronization standard coming out We've got the API framework coming out We also have a virtual conference coming up called restaurant next We're hosting it with MarTech in partnership with our parent brand hospitality technology So that's coming up in mid October It's going to be a really cool It's going to be different it's going to be like these virtual restaurant environments where different technologies live and you can go see what's going on and then we're going to have some really really heavy hitter speakers and content as MarTech has always known to do We always have the schedule jam packed of restaurant speakers not really suppliers so much but the restaurant speakers that talk about some interesting supplier installations and innovations they've done So that's gonna be cool So two day conference so you just tune in from your home And hopefully it'll be a little bit more dynamic It's not going to be like a stale zoom or webinar call We're trying to make it a lot and inject a lot more vigor into it and certainly the big brands are going to be there So that's gonna be exciting
[00:37:14] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:37:14] Yeah And I got to see a little demo of that last week it does look really cool I mean the virtual experience that you've built there is very different and cool So I'm really excited about that So that's cool I did want to talk about events just gosh I went to 12 events last year maybe even more as a marketer in this space that's a big part of our strategy the in person events And do you see those coming back
[00:37:37] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:37:37] Oh yeah yeah I don't know When is the magic question we should be taken odds on that Vegas but we'll come back but I'm going to just hope and pray and keep my fingers crossed that we're back by March because I really would love to see it in person MarTech in 2021 But you know it's anyone's guess as to what really we're able to do I know that I've seen people comment on social and on LinkedIn that they really miss it They really miss being in front of people and having a cocktail at the bar and gathering in that FaceTime and those connections that are made So I hope we can get back to it
[00:38:07] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:38:07] Yeah I did too As we wrap I'd like to ask what major advice the most important advice would you have for restaurant marketers right now
[00:38:16] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:38:16] I would just say be bold there's never been a better time to be bold and embrace your culture and your personality and draw your customers closer than you've ever been able to now's the time right You have people's attention more than ever If you can get it you have the opportunity I should say to grab their attention more now than ever and bring them in close because people are sitting in their homes more bored than usual So you know they're looking for something to do They're looking for places to go out and grab their favorite meal or look towards a brand to cheer them up and make them feel good I didn't know Some of the QSR brands were writing inspiring notes on the little takeout bags or the little drive through bags and little things like that You know I just think it's a time to be bold with technology But also embrace your culture be bold reaching out to your customers and cultivate new ones in ways that might be more creative than you ever have
[00:39:08] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:39:08] Yes it's a great message to end on We want to be entertained We're a little bit bored We want comfort food go grab the reins Get her done
[00:39:19] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:39:19] And be bold with the technology because people are starting to embrace the tech because they have to too You're like let's remember that consumers have to do things they never done before either And the more we can train the consumer to do the cool new tech thing. The more we're going to love it, as consumers, we're going to expect it and love it.
[00:39:37] And it's going to be just the way we move forward, you know? And I just think we're going to be better for that. As far as the technology adoption and consumer embracing it.
[00:39:47] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:39:47] Hundred percent. My hope for the industry is that we end up leapfrogging ahead. You know, that we were a little bit behind before, but with this pandemic went and leapfrog right ahead. We'll be ahead of retail.
[00:39:59] We'll be ahead of Amazon.
[00:40:01] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:40:01] We can only hope that we can embrace the technologies and certainly work together too minimize complexity around technology, like never before. And I think that's what we need to do collectively as an industry to help restaurants survive and thrive into the future. We need to minimize complexity and take the headaches away.
[00:40:20] That's the last thing they need right now, is it an integration headache when they're trying to keep their business afloat?
[00:40:26] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:40:26] Yup, but it will require change. As she said, we can't keep doing things the way we used to. It's going to require a lot of change and a lot of taking the risks, as you said, and trying new things. So we can do it.
[00:40:39] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:40:39] That's all right. We can.
[00:40:40] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:40:40] Well, thank you so much for your time today, Angela. It's really been fun talking to you and hearing from you, from RTN, from the operators that you're talking to, what they're hearing, and then just providing some encouragement and Gusto for our restaurant marketing peeps out there. So thank you so much.
[00:40:57] And I hope to see you soon on the event.
[00:41:00] angela-diffly_1_08-13-2020_130205: [00:41:00] So to Jen, if we can't get together physically, then we'll definitely have to do the zoom call where we're video chatting. But thank you so
[00:41:07] jenifer-kern_1_08-13-2020_140203: [00:41:07] got it. It has have a great day.
[00:41:36]