In the midst of the tumultuous impact of COVID-19 on the restaurant industry, Andrew Simmons, the CEO of Mamma Ramona’s Pizzeria, and forward-thinking leader, leveraged technology to navigate the challenges. Recognizing the need for adaptability, Simmons witnessed a surge in restaurants embracing change, particularly in reclaiming control over their data and managing partnerships to shield themselves from third-party companies.

 

While interviewing with show host Shawn Walchef of Cali BBQ Media and Voosh co-founder, Priyam Saraswat, Simmons notes, “Everybody did everything the way they’ve always done, and then COVID hit, and then suddenly we had to pivot to learn how to do delivery. We had to pivot to learn how to sell online.” 

 

Simmons’ innovative approach extends beyond adaptation to proactively building community. By introducing a revenue share subscription model for pizza sales, he not only fosters a sense of community but also provides a unique investment opportunity for subscribers. This inventive strategy not only engages the community but also injects a collaborative spirit into the pizza-making process.

 

You subscribe for either $300 or $500,” says Simmons. “And in return, I will give you two cents for every pizza that I produce that’s a saleable pizza.” 

 

Simmons embraces the future of AI and robotics in the hospitality sector. Introducing a robot named Rosie, Simmons streamlines the dining experience by minimizing trips between the kitchen and tables, ensuring consistent food temperatures, and expediting table turnover. In doing so, he exemplifies how technology can be seamlessly integrated into the dining experience to enhance both operational efficiency and customer satisfaction. 

 

“For us, it allows us to bring out all the food all at once or to bust a table quicker.”As Simmons succinctly puts it, “That allows me to stay within that small footprint because I don’t have to have a food runner. I don’t have to go three trips back and forth to the kitchen. So we call her Rosie, and she’s super helpful for us, and then again to go and bring her back after all the guests have left, load up all the plates and send her to the kitchen so that someone can wash those dishes and we can turn the table faster.”

 

As the industry continues to evolve, Andrew Simmons serves as a beacon, inspiring others to embrace change, foster community, and leverage cutting-edge solutions for a more resilient and dynamic dining experience.

 

Listen and watch the full interview to learn more about the incredible innovation from Andrew Simmons and Mamma Ramona’s.

Watch HERE















Episode Links:

 

• Mamma Ramona Online: https://mammaramonas.com/

• Mamma Ramona’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mammaramonas/?hl=en

• Andrew Simmons LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/pizzarobot/

• Mamma Ramona’s Investment Opportunities: https://pizzaroboto.io/

• Priyam Saraswat Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/priyamsaraswat/

• Voosh Online: https://voosh.ai/

• Voosh Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/vooshusa/

Interview Takeaways:

The Transformation of Restaurants in the Face of COVID-19

COVID through the entire world into a tailspin, but few industries were affected like the restaurant industry. Luckily, for Andrew Simmons, he was ahead of the technology curve which allowed him to help other restaurants and build a business of his own.

 

Innovative Subscription Model for Pizza Sales

Building community is essential to Andrew Simmons’ growth as a restaurant leader. From building an audience on LinkedIn to funding expansion, Simmons relies on the community. He has taken that a step further by leaning into his love of subscriptions to create an innovative rev share model for pizza sales.

 

The Future of Robotics in Hospitality

Artificial Intelligence has made its way to the restaurant industry, but not everyone is on board. For Andrew Simmons, he has found a way to implement AI and Robotics into his dining spaces to increase efficiency and improve hospitality.

Cali BBQ Media

Digital Hospitality is an interview-based video podcast hosted by business owner Shawn P. Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) and produced by his Cali BBQ Media company. The weekly digital series explores the ways successful businesses and entrepreneurs have merged old and new with innovative digital strategies that harness the power of the Internet and social media. Shawn is the founder of Cali BBQ Media and creator of the Restaurant Influencers podcast on Entrepreneur Media.

 

➤ Restaurant Influencers — https://link.chtbl.com/RIpodcast

➤ Business Coaching — https://forms.gle/cnQ3sefMcAxQXbKa6

➤ Cali BBQ Content — https://content.calibbq.media

/*! elementor - v3.17.0 - 08-11-2023 */
.elementor-widget-social-icons.elementor-grid-0 .elementor-widget-container,.elementor-widget-social-icons.elementor-grid-mobile-0 .elementor-widget-container,.elementor-widget-social-icons.elementor-grid-tablet-0 .elementor-widget-container{line-height:1;font-size:0}.elementor-widget-social-icons:not(.elementor-grid-0):not(.elementor-grid-tablet-0):not(.elementor-grid-mobile-0) .elementor-grid{display:inline-grid}.elementor-widget-social-icons .elementor-grid{grid-column-gap:var(--grid-column-gap,5px);grid-row-gap:var(--grid-row-gap,5px);grid-template-columns:var(--grid-template-columns);justify-content:var(--justify-content,center);justify-items:var(--justify-content,center)}.elementor-icon.elementor-social-icon{font-size:var(--icon-size,25px);line-height:var(--icon-size,25px);width:calc(var(--icon-size, 25px) + (2 * var(--icon-padding, .5em)));height:calc(var(--icon-size, 25px) + (2 * var(--icon-padding, .5em)))}.elementor-social-icon{--e-social-icon-icon-color:#fff;display:inline-flex;background-color:#69727d;align-items:center;justify-content:center;text-align:center;cursor:pointer}.elementor-social-icon i{color:var(--e-social-icon-icon-color)}.elementor-social-icon svg{fill:var(--e-social-icon-icon-color)}.elementor-social-icon:last-child{margin:0}.elementor-social-icon:hover{opacity:.9;color:#fff}.elementor-social-icon-android{background-color:#a4c639}.elementor-social-icon-apple{background-color:#999}.elementor-social-icon-behance{background-color:#1769ff}.elementor-social-icon-bitbucket{background-color:#205081}.elementor-social-icon-codepen{background-color:#000}.elementor-social-icon-delicious{background-color:#39f}.elementor-social-icon-deviantart{background-color:#05cc47}.elementor-social-icon-digg{background-color:#005be2}.elementor-social-icon-dribbble{background-color:#ea4c89}.elementor-social-icon-elementor{background-color:#d30c5c}.elementor-social-icon-envelope{background-color:#ea4335}.elementor-social-icon-facebook,.elementor-social-icon-facebook-f{background-color:#3b5998}.elementor-social-icon-flickr{background-color:#0063dc}.elementor-social-icon-foursquare{background-color:#2d5be3}.elementor-social-icon-free-code-camp,.elementor-social-icon-freecodecamp{background-color:#006400}.elementor-social-icon-github{background-color:#333}.elementor-social-icon-gitlab{background-color:#e24329}.elementor-social-icon-globe{background-color:#69727d}.elementor-social-icon-google-plus,.elementor-social-icon-google-plus-g{background-color:#dd4b39}.elementor-social-icon-houzz{background-color:#7ac142}.elementor-social-icon-instagram{background-color:#262626}.elementor-social-icon-jsfiddle{background-color:#487aa2}.elementor-social-icon-link{background-color:#818a91}.elementor-social-icon-linkedin,.elementor-social-icon-linkedin-in{background-color:#0077b5}.elementor-social-icon-medium{background-color:#00ab6b}.elementor-social-icon-meetup{background-color:#ec1c40}.elementor-social-icon-mixcloud{background-color:#273a4b}.elementor-social-icon-odnoklassniki{background-color:#f4731c}.elementor-social-icon-pinterest{background-color:#bd081c}.elementor-social-icon-product-hunt{background-color:#da552f}.elementor-social-icon-reddit{background-color:#ff4500}.elementor-social-icon-rss{background-color:#f26522}.elementor-social-icon-shopping-cart{background-color:#4caf50}.elementor-social-icon-skype{background-color:#00aff0}.elementor-social-icon-slideshare{background-color:#0077b5}.elementor-social-icon-snapchat{background-color:#fffc00}.elementor-social-icon-soundcloud{background-color:#f80}.elementor-social-icon-spotify{background-color:#2ebd59}.elementor-social-icon-stack-overflow{background-color:#fe7a15}.elementor-social-icon-steam{background-color:#00adee}.elementor-social-icon-stumbleupon{background-color:#eb4924}.elementor-social-icon-telegram{background-color:#2ca5e0}.elementor-social-icon-thumb-tack{background-color:#1aa1d8}.elementor-social-icon-tripadvisor{background-color:#589442}.elementor-social-icon-tumblr{background-color:#35465c}.elementor-social-icon-twitch{background-color:#6441a5}.elementor-social-icon-twitter{background-color:#1da1f2}.elementor-social-icon-viber{background-color:#665cac}.elementor-social-icon-vimeo{background-color:#1ab7ea}.elementor-social-icon-vk{background-color:#45668e}.elementor-social-icon-weibo{background-color:#dd2430}.elementor-social-icon-weixin{background-color:#31a918}.elementor-social-icon-whatsapp{background-color:#25d366}.elementor-social-icon-wordpress{background-color:#21759b}.elementor-social-icon-xing{background-color:#026466}.elementor-social-icon-yelp{background-color:#af0606}.elementor-social-icon-youtube{background-color:#cd201f}.elementor-social-icon-500px{background-color:#0099e5}.elementor-shape-rounded .elementor-icon.elementor-social-icon{border-radius:10%}.elementor-shape-circle .elementor-icon.elementor-social-icon{border-radius:50%}


Facebook




Twitter




Youtube




Apple




Instagram




Linkedin




Spotify