Christopher Staples, owner of Toast New American Gastro Pub in Richmond, Virginia, joins Digital Hospitality to share how patience, community, and disciplined operations helped grow his restaurant brand to three locations. Staples explains why Richmond’s neighborhood loyalty shapes restaurant strategy, how Toast POS powers his tech stack, and why guest relationships always come first. The conversation explores expansion lessons, the challenges of outside capital, and why building a restaurant brand is always a slow grind toward trust.

• Community Restaurants Win Locally – Christopher Staples built Toast by understanding Richmond’s neighborhood culture. Guests rarely cross the bridge for dinner, so each location focuses on becoming a trusted local staple. Restaurants grow faster when they earn loyalty block by block instead of chasing citywide hype.
• Technology Should Remove Friction – Staples adopted Toast POST early because he saw how the point of sale shapes the entire operation. Payroll, ordering, marketing, and scheduling all run through the same system. When technology works quietly in the background, teams can focus on hospitality instead of troubleshooting tools.
• Growth Comes From Patience – Toast did not expand overnight. The first location ran for years before the second opened, and the third followed a decade later. Staples believes lasting restaurant brands are built through steady operations, disciplined pricing, and consistency that keeps guests coming back.

Episode Links

• Toast Online: https://toastrva.com/
• Toast RVA Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/toastrva/?hl=en
• Email: Chris@toastrva.com
• Toast POS: https://pos.toasttab.com/

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Vishal Agarwal shares how a frustrating airport restaurant experience, where he was nearly late for a flight because he couldn’t find a way to pay his bill, sparked the idea that became Checkmate. What began as a mobile payment concept quickly pivoted into integrating third party delivery platforms directly into restaurant POS systems. In this episode, Agarwal explains how solving real operational problems helped Checkmate grow into a platform supporting thousands of restaurant brands.

• Real Problems Build Real Products – Checkmate did not start as a delivery integration platform. Vishal Agarwal’s first idea was a mobile payment app. The company pivoted after a restaurant operator showed him the real problem: a counter full of delivery tablets pulling staff away from guests.
• Enterprise Sales Runs on Timing – Checkmate’s first enterprise client, Five Guys, came from an elevator conversation at a conference. Agarwal believes large brands buy on their own timeline. Founders must stay available, build trust, and be ready when the moment comes.
• Menus Are the Hidden Challenge – Most POS systems were built for in-store ordering. Today restaurants manage menus across delivery apps, kiosks, websites, and more. Extracting menus from the POS allows operators to optimize each channel while maintaining brand consistency.

Episode Links

• Vishal Agarwal LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/vishalagarwal82/
• Checkmate Online: https://www.itsacheckmate.com/
• Checkmate LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/itsacheckmate/
• Checkmate YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCKDPX--cVJ2uPtnS_6sC1hA
• Checkmate Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/itsacheckmate
• Checkmate Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/itsacheckmate/

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Nora Hermann, COO of MOTO Pizza, joins Digital Hospitality to break down how the fast-growing brand is scaling with discipline. With seven locations and more on the way, MOTO relies on rightwork to forecast demand, optimize labor, and build smarter schedules before the week begins. Nora shares how planning for busy protects margin, strengthens culture, and reduces burnout, proving that sustainable growth starts with organized operations and strong technology partnerships.

• Labor Is Won Before the Week Starts – MOTO uses rightwork to forecast demand and set labor targets before schedules go live. Instead of reacting mid shift, managers see overstaffing or gaps in advance. Margin protection starts in planning, not in panic.
• Partnership Makes the Platform Work – Rightwork’s impact is not just AI. It is access. MOTO’s GMs can message the founder directly, suggest features, and see fast updates. Technology scales best when operators feel heard.
• Plan for Busy, Then Grow – MOTO prepares for volume before it hits. From Super Bowl projections to stadium surges, growth is intentional. Organized chaos only works when systems are strong.

Episode Links

Nora Hermann LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nora-hermann-0074699b/

MOTO Pizza Online: https://motopizza.com/

MOTO Pizza LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/xoxomoto/

MOTO Pizza on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/motopizzashop

MOTO Pizza on TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@MOTOPIZZA

MOTO Pizza on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/motoseattle/

rightwork: https://right.work/

rightwork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightwork-inc/

Where to find Cali BBQ Media

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