Conor Sheridan, founder and CEO of Nory, explains why restaurants don't need more dashboards, they need better decisions. After leaving a career in quantitative finance to launch the fast-growing restaurant brand Mad Egg, Sheridan experienced firsthand how difficult it is to scale operations while maintaining consistency and profitability. This episode explores agentic AI, restaurant forecasting, demand planning, operational consistency, Toast integration, and why the future of restaurant technology will be defined by software that takes action, not just provides insights.

• More Data Doesn't Create Better Decisions – Conor Sheridan built Nory after realizing restaurant operators were overwhelmed with dashboards but still lacked clear answers. He believes technology should tell operators what to do, not just what happened.
• Restaurant Managers Need More Than Reports – Most managers are experts at hospitality, not finance or data analysis. Sheridan says AI should handle forecasting, labor planning, purchasing, and prep so teams can focus on guests.
• The Future Of Restaurant AI Is Action, Not Insights – Sheridan believes the next generation of AI won't simply identify problems. It will automatically recommend and execute operational changes that improve profitability while keeping operators in control.

Episode Links:

• Conor Sheridan on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/sheridanconor/
• Nory Online: https://www.nory.ai/
• Nory on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/asknory/
• Nory on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@asknory
• What's Cooking? | A Podcast from Nory: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/whats-cooking-a-podcast-from-nory/id1825066598
• Nory on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/asknory/?utm_source=linktree&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=linkedin

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Mick Carr, founder and CEO of Grub Lab, believes restaurants have overlooked one of their biggest opportunities: creating better experiences for families. Drawing from his own experiences as a father, Carr explains why reducing the stress of dining with kids leads to happier guests, longer visits, and more repeat business. He shares how Grub Lab helps independent restaurants compete on experience, turning family meals into memorable moments that keep parents and children coming back.

• Families Are Worth More Than a Kids Meal – Carr reminds restaurant operators to think beyond the price of a kids meal. A positive experience for one child can influence where an entire family chooses to dine again and again.
• Great Hospitality Removes Friction – From interactive entertainment to a more enjoyable dining experience, Grub Lab is designed to reduce the stress parents often feel when eating out with young children, giving families more reasons to stay longer and return.
• Independent Restaurants Can Compete on Experience – Carr believes family-friendly experiences shouldn't be limited to large chains. Grub Lab helps independent restaurants create memorable moments that build loyalty while showcasing their own brand.

Episode Links:

Mick Carr on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mick-carr1/

Grub Lab: https://www.grublab.co/us

Grub Lab on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/grublab__

Grub Lab on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/grub-lab/

Grub Lab on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GrubLab.io/

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Steve Mandell, chairman and CEO of Game Plan Entertainment, explains why he became an advisor and investor in Swob after negotiating more than 1,000 licensing and brand agreements throughout his career. Drawing on decades of experience in sports, entertainment, and business, Mandell shares how he evaluates founders, why solving real problems matters more than chasing trends, and how AI is transforming restaurant hiring. This episode explores execution, curiosity, hiring innovation, and why the best operators never stop learning.

• Great Companies Solve Real Problems – Steve Mandell has evaluated businesses throughout his career as an attorney, advisor, and investor. What convinced him to back Swob was not the technology itself, but its ability to remove friction from one of restaurants' biggest operational challenges: hiring hourly workers.
• The Best Founders Listen Before They Build – Mandell believes successful entrepreneurs spend more time understanding customers than pitching solutions. He was impressed that Swob's founders listened to restaurant operators, identified the shortcomings of traditional hiring, and built a platform around those real-world pain points.
• Execution Matters More Than Ideas – Throughout the conversation, Mandell returned to one theme: execution. Great ideas are common, but businesses succeed when they consistently solve customer problems. For Swob, that means helping restaurants hire faster through AI-powered matching, QR codes, and a hiring experience designed specifically for today's workforce.

Episode Links:

• Steve Mandell LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/mandell-steve-08011593/
• Steve Mandell Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stevemandellgameplan/?hl=en
• Stephanie Florio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-florio-51397765/
• Alexander Florio LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alexanderflorio/
• Swob: https://www.swobapp.com/
• Swob Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/swobapp/
• Swob Tik Tok: https://www.instagram.com/swobapp/
• Swob LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/swob-inc/?originalSubdomain=ca

Where to find Cali BBQ Media

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• Learn About our Media Services