In this repurposed episode of Fast Casual Nation, industry leaders Gregg Majewski, CEO and Founder of Craveworthy Brands, and Heather Leed Neary, President and CEO of Taco John's International, Inc., sit down to discuss the evolving landscape of restaurant technology. Recorded live at the 2024 Prosper Forum, the conversation dives into the challenges and opportunities of integrating technology across multi-unit operations, balancing franchisee adoption, and maintaining seamless tech integration.

Listeners will gain valuable insights into how Gregg's leadership has propelled Craveworthy Brands into a dynamic multi-brand powerhouse and how Heather is steering Taco John's, a legacy brand, into a future defined by digital innovation and customer engagement. Key topics include the rise of TikTok as a primary marketing platform, the importance of operator-focused tech solutions, and how tech consolidation may redefine the industry's future.

Key Takeaways

1. The Future of Restaurant Tech - Gregg highlights the growing complexity and cost of restaurant technology. With operators spending upwards of $1,500 per unit monthly on fragmented tech solutions, Gregg believes mergers are inevitable.
2. The Key to Customer-Centric Innovation - Gregg emphasizes the importance of authenticity and transparency in building trust with customers across Craveworthy Brands. He shares how his hands-on approach to quality control, including publicly addressing food preparation issues, has created meaningful connections with customers.
3. Turning Mistakes into Marketing Wins - Instead of investing in individual mobile apps, Gregg developed Craveworthy Kitchen, an integrated online ordering platform that ties all his brands together. This strategy allows customers to order multiple brands from a single location, driving incremental revenue.

EPISODE LINKS:

• Visit the Prosper Forum online
• Visit Fast Casual Nation online
• Listen to Fast Casual Nation on YouTube
• Listen to Fast Casual Nation on Apple Podcasts
• Listen to Fast Casual Nation on Spotify
• Connect with Paul Barron on LinkedIn
• Connect with Paul Barron Network on LinkedIn
• Connect with Heather Leed Neary on LinkedIn
• Visit Taco Johns online
• Connect with Stacey Kane on LinkedIn
• Visit Emerging Brands online

ABOUT GREGG MAJEWSKI:

Gregg Majewski has a vast amount of experience as a corporate executive in the restaurant industry. As the former CEO of Jimmy John’s, he played a major role in expanding the franchise from 33 to 300+ stores in just 5 years by surrounding the company’s marketing strategy around the innovative approach of delivering sandwiches and being “freaky fast”. Majewski has worked to develop restaurant concepts over the last two plus decades, before starting Craveworthy Brands in 2023, which currently includes a growing portfolio of restaurant brands. Craveworthy Media is Majewski’s gift back to the industry that has given him so much. The goal of Craveworthy is to inspire the up and coming industry leaders by providing important information, stories, and insights from titans past and present.

Connect with Craveworthy

• Follow Gregg Majewski on Instagram
• Follow Craveworthy Brands on Instagram
• Visit Craveworthy Online
• Connect with Gregg Majewski on LinkedIn
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NOMINATE A GUEST — Do you know someone who would be great on this show? Let us know by emailing us at roomforsecondspodcast@gmail.com or sending a DM on social media @craveworthybrands

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