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The Simmer

The Simmer
Restaurant Technology
Opentable
Doordash
Hospitality
Artificial Intelligence
RESY
Tock
Olo
Reservations
Hospitality Industry
Bonchon
Byte
Technology In Restaurants
Fast Casual Dining
Loyalty Programs
Point Of Sale Systems
Restaurant Industry
Kiosks
Amex
Sevenrooms

The Simmer explores and explains hot topics in restaurant technology and the future of hospitality. It's led by two industry veterans with a lot of opinions. Kristen Hawley has spent over a decade covering the beat for her newsletter Expedite and top titles including Fast Company, Business Insider, Bon Appetit, Eater, and Food & Wine. Brandon Barton is CEO of Bite, an industry-leading intelligent ... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes57Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategory
Technology

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Artwork for The Simmer

Latest Episodes

Maddy Shannon started her career as a Bain consultant before pivoting to the back office at some of the country’s most prestigious restaurants. It’s given her a nuanced perspective on the right balance of tech and hospitality that we appreciate. In t... more

Hostie, an AI-powered “restaurant concierge” headquartered in the Bay Area, just announced $12 million in Series A funding. Randall Hom is Hostie’s co-founder and CEO. He’s also a San Francisco restaurateur who knows firsthand the challenges of engag... more

In this special episode, Kristen and Brandon discuss two major developments in the reinvigorated reservations wars: American Express moves to acquire European booking platform TheFork for $700 million and DoorDash-owned SevenRooms launches a tool (an... more

Kristen and Brandon have shaken out the cobwebs and are back with a new episode of The Simmer featuring friend-of-the-pod, Joshua Sharkey, founder and CEO of Meez, a culinary operating system and recipe management tool. Pre-Meez, Josh spent time in t... more

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Recent Guests

Randall Hom
Co-founder and CEO of Hostie
Hostie
Episode: Randall Hom, Co-Founder & CEO, Hostie
Josh Sharkey
Founder and CEO of Meez
Meez
Episode: Joshua Sharkey, Founder & CEO, Meez
Judith (Judy) Thelen
CEO of Beli, co-founder/operator
Beli
Episode: The Simmer Live: Judy Thelen, Co-founder and CEO, Beli
Sam Bakhshandehpour
President, Local Merchants, Bilt Hospitality, Travel, Dining, and FinTech
Bilt
Episode: Sam Bakhshandehpour, President, Local Merchants, Bilt
Ben Leventhal
Co-founder of Eater, co-founder of Resy, CEO and co-founder at Blackbird
Blackbird
Episode: Ben Leventhal, Founder & CEO, Blackbird
Maxx Freedman
Founder of Spice; restaurant growth agency focused on online/digital transactions and off-premise growth
Spice
Episode: Maxx Freedman, Founder of Spice
Jill Adams
Chief Marketing Officer
El Pollo Loco
Episode: Jill Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, El Pollo Loco
Avi Goren
Co-founder and CEO of Marqii
Marqii
Episode: Avi Goren, Co-founder and CEO, Marqii
Chris DeSaye
Vice President of IT at Gibson's Restaurant Group
Gibson's Restaurant Group
Episode: Chris DeSaye, VP of Information Technology, Gibson’s Restaurant Group

Hosts

Kristen Hawley
Host of The Simmer, founder/editor of Expedite
Brandon Barton
Host of The Simmer, CEO of Byte

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 35 ratings
  • Great Hang

    Great topics. Great conversation. Great guests. A great hang if you’re anyway involved in the restaurant industry.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    G Dot
    United States4 months ago
  • Educational and entertaining

    Great conversations with industry leaders about how technology is affecting hospitality this very moment.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    L.R. Laggy
    United Statesa year ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Great topics and conversations resonate with those in the restaurant ecosystem.
Educational and entertaining with industry-leading insights into restaurant tech today.
Guests consistently bring practical, real-world perspectives on tech and hospitality.

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Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

Randall Hom, Co-Founder & CEO, Hostie
Q: What's unique about Hostie's AI stack and how do you address customization for different restaurant policies?
Hostie uses OpenAI as the base model, 11 Labs for voices, and Deepgram for speech-to-text; it's designed to be configurable to each restaurant's policies (dog policies, service charges, event rules) and to integrate with their management systems for tailored guest interactions.
Randall Hom, Co-Founder & CEO, Hostie
Q: How does Hostie integrate with major reservation platforms and POS systems, and what's the timeline for deeper integrations?
Hostie integrates with major reservation platforms like OpenTable, Resy, and Seven Rooms, and has recently added POS integrations (e.g., Toast), with ongoing efforts to expand and streamline onboarding for smaller operators.
Randall Hom, Co-Founder & CEO, Hostie
Q: What exactly ended with the Visa dining collection and what replaced it, if anything?
The Visa dining collection ended in the US, with Gold Tables and a new loyalty approach taking its place, including access options tied to loyalty rather than direct premium card requirements.
Rob Edell, GM & Head of DashPass, DoorDash
Q: What is the next technology that will move the restaurant industry forward beyond third-party platforms?
Rob argues that AI, kiosks, POS improvements, and robotics will be pivotal, with AI enabling personalization, kiosks streamlining ordering, and robotics helping labor-related challenges while preserving guest experience.
Avi Goren, Co-founder and CEO, Marqii
Q: How has your background shaped Marqii, and what was the original vision ten years ago?
Avi's path from Yelp to Yext and beyond shaped a localSEO-powered concept that helps SMBs and independents caption and distribute content across listings, social channels, and menus to drive visibility and demand.

Audience Metrics

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Frequently Asked Questions About The Simmer

What is The Simmer about and what kind of topics does it cover?

A technology-focused show that brings together restaurant operators and software founders to dissect how platforms, data, and AI are reshaping dining. Episodes frequently center on restaurant discovery, reservations ecosystems, loyalty and payments, direct ordering vs third-party marketplaces, and the integration of housing, neighborhood data, and frontline training into guest experiences. Notable strengths include candid conversations with seasoned founders and operators, a willingness to critique hype, and a practical bent on implementing tech without sacrificing hospitality. The format often features in-depth interviews, real-world operator perspectives, and strategic takes on consolidation and data ownership across the hospitality tech ... more

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Which podcasts are similar to The Simmer?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Simmer:

1. Odd Lots
2. How I Built This with Guy Raz
3. Invest Like the Best with Patrick O'Shaughnessy
4. Pod Save America
5. SmartLess

How many episodes of The Simmer are there?

The Simmer launched 2 years ago and published 57 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Simmer?

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What guests have appeared on The Simmer?

Recent guests on The Simmer include:

1. Randall Hom
2. Josh Sharkey
3. Judith (Judy) Thelen
4. Sam Bakhshandehpour
5. Ben Leventhal
6. Maxx Freedman
7. Jill Adams
8. Avi Goren

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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