In this episode of the Restaurant Technology Guides podcast, host Jeremy Julian interviews Brian Reece and Steve Crowley, co-founders of Service Physics, a consultancy focused on optimizing restaurant operations. The discussion delves into the concept of service physics, which helps improve productivity for staff and guest experiences in restaurants. Brian and Steve share their background, the principles of lean manufacturing and Kaizen, and how they align business goals with operational efficiency. They emphasize the importance of using data to drive changes, the value of customer and staff feedback, and methods to ensure long-term implementation success. The episode concludes with information on an upcoming workshop in Dallas aimed at making their methods accessible to a wider audience.

00:00 Service Physics

00:14 Introduction and Guest Welcome

01:29 Meet Brian and Steve: Background and Journey

04:08 Service Physics: Concept and Mission

06:58 Lean Manufacturing and Kaizen in Restaurants

12:41 Evaluating and Improving Restaurant Operations

16:01 Aligning Business Aspirations with Operations

19:41 Addressing Sacred Cows and Customer Feedback

23:50 Myth-Busting Customer Value

25:02 Empathy Through Technology

25:52 Empowering Staff Voices

26:56 Problem-Solving Acumen

29:33 Guest Experience Challenges

35:18 Engaging with Service Physics

42:10 Transforming the Industry