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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Ben Morgan, Tyler Morgan, and Mallory Morgan of 1925 PubHouse in Anderson, Indiana join Digital Hospitality to share how a family restaurant is evolving in public. From losing a job during COVID to embracing smartphone storytelling, they discuss blending old-school marketing with modern tech. This episode explores leadership on camera, leveraging Toast and integrated tools, and why embracing the cringe might be the most powerful growth strategy in 2026.

• Embrace the Cringe to Unlock Growth – Mallory Morgan didn’t wait for perfect lighting or polished campaigns. Putting real servers, real shifts, and real leadership on camera immediately increased engagement. When operators stop hiding behind food photos and start showing people, connection grows faster than reach.
• Lead From the Front – If you want your team on camera, you go first. Ben Morgan and Tyler Morgan understood that visibility starts at the top. When leadership is willing to be seen, the staff follows. Culture is not what you say in meetings. It is what you model in public.
• Old School + New School Wins – 1925 PubHouse still invests in mailers and sports radio. But pairing those community-rooted tactics with smartphone storytelling multiplies impact. The restaurants that grow today respect traditional marketing while building digital presence at the same time.

Episode Links

• Ben Morgan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-morgan-84040711/
• Tyler Morgan LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tyler-morgan-786b7a130/
• 1925 PubHouse Online: https://www.1925pubhouse.com/
• 1925 PubHouse Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/1925_pubhouse_courtyard
• 1925 PubHouse Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@1925pubhouse7
• Mallory Morgan Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@hearmalout

Where to find Cali BBQ Media

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Julia Tinajero, co-owner of Basilico Italiano in Concord, North Carolina, joins Digital Hospitality to share how a one-pound mozzarella stick and a chicken Caesar wrap went viral and transformed her 85-seat restaurant. She explains how building menu items in public, embracing transparency, and responding to critics fueled real growth. This episode explores the power of short-form video, the realities of sudden demand, and why pressing record can change a restaurant’s trajectory.

• Build in Public Creates Momentum – Julia didn’t wait for the perfect menu launch. She tested, tweaked, and shared the chicken Caesar wrap and mega mozzarella in real time. Inviting the internet into the process turned customers into collaborators and momentum into measurable sales.
• Viral Only Works If Operations Hold – A one-pound mozzarella can drive 300 orders, but only if the team can execute. Turning off online ordering, prioritizing the dining room, and communicating clearly protected the guest experience.
• Transparency Builds Trust – Posting one-star reviews, explaining tough decisions, and sharing hard days strengthened community loyalty. Honesty travels further than perfection, and authenticity converts attention into long-term growth.

Episode Links

• Julia Tinajero LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julia-tinajero-2b37b8393/
• Basilico Italiano: https://basilicoitaliano.com/
• Basilico Italiano Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/basilicoitaliano/?hl=en
• Basilico Italiano Tik Tok: https://www.tiktok.com/@basilicoconcordnc
• Basilico Italiano Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/basilicoitaliano.concord/

Where to find Cali BBQ Media

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• Ownership Creates Clarity – Cevasco’s shift away from corporate dining was not about freedom for its own sake. It was about control. Control of the food, the room, the culture, and the decisions. By starting with a restaurant he could actually operate, he built clarity into the business before chasing growth.
• Telling the Story Is Now Part of the Job – Beeside Balcony did not grow because of polished marketing. It grew because Cevasco stopped outsourcing his identity and started documenting the work himself. YouTube and social platforms became tools for showing the reality of running a restaurant, not selling a highlight reel. Authentic storytelling turned presence into visibility and trust.
• Systems Support Hospitality – Technology plays a role in keeping the operation tight, but Cevasco is clear about its place. Tools help manage complexity so operators can stay present. Hospitality still happens face to face, through table touches, conversations, and consistency. When systems work quietly in the background, people can focus on people.

• Christophe Cevasco LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/christophe-cevasco-8925793a4/
• Christophe Cevasco YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chefchristophec
• Beeside Balcony: https://beesidebalcony.com/
• Beeside Balcony Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beesidebalconylajolla/?hl=en
• Beeside Balcony Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/beesidebalconylj/

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• Scheduling Is a Decision Problem, Not a Communication Tool – Most platforms stop at posting shifts. rightwork focuses on helping managers make better labor decisions upfront by tying schedules to demand, budgets, and real constraints.
• Confidence Before the Week Starts Changes Everything – By grading schedules against forecasted demand and labor targets, managers know whether they are overstaffed or understaffed before service begins, not after the P&L review.
• Better Systems Give Managers Time Back on the Floor – When forecasting, budgeting, and schedule adjustments happen in one place, managers spend less time fixing spreadsheets and more time leading teams and serving guests.

• Will Stewart LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/will-stewart-23339b66/
• rightwork Online: https://right.work/
• rightwork LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/rightwork-inc/
• Cali BBQ Media: https://content.calibbq.media/
• Join Our Next Show: https://betheshow.media/rising-tides/
• Shawn Walchef on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

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• Service Creates Revenue – Public speaking works when the goal is connection, not conversion. Stories and lessons build trust. Trust turns into opportunity long after the stage is gone.
• The Stage Is a Multiplier – A room is only the starting point. Recording and distributing talks turns moments into assets and expands impact far beyond the audience in front of you.
• Courage Compounds Over Time – Confidence is not a prerequisite. Reps are. Small stages, imperfect starts, and consistency reward the people willing to stay visible long enough to earn trust.

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/
• Shawn Walchef Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/shawnpwalchef/?hl=en
• Cali BBQ: https://calibbq.media/

DAVO automates every step of the sales tax process — from collecting to filing to paying...

Marqii is designed to create unforgettable customer experiences...