Matt Plapp, founder of America's Best Restaurants, reveals the marketing strategies that have helped over 2,000 restaurants grow their sales. Learn the 3 critical tactics every restaurant must implement: customer data capture, strategic email/text marketing, and authentic video content that builds community connections.

Discover how one pizza restaurant generated $6,500 in sales from just $700 in Facebook ads, why storytelling beats coupons, and how independent restaurants can compete with major chains. Matt shares real examples, including a viral Mother's Day campaign and practical tips you can implement immediately no massive budget required.

Perfect for restaurant owners, operators, and hospitality managers looking to grow sales through smarter, more effective marketing.

Guest: Matt Plapp, founder of America's Best Restaurants (serving 2,000+ restaurants since 2008)

In this episode, Jay and Dom talk with the team behind Pivot, a Montreal restaurant tech company that's actually built by people who've worked in restaurants.

They get into one of the biggest headaches in the industry: scheduling, payroll, and trying to make five different systems talk to each other. The Pivot founders walk through how their AI scheduling works (it's literally one click), how tips and payroll sync up automatically, and why connecting your existing tools is way smarter than piling on more software.

Pivot basically acts like the brain of your operation—connecting your POS, reservations, and payroll so you're not chained to a laptop in the back office. More time on the floor, with your team, with guests. You know, the stuff that actually matters.

They also share some real numbers: restaurants cutting scheduling time from 12–16 hours a week down to under an hour. The whole conversation is about simplicity, not complexity—and why tech built by people who've actually worked a Friday night dinner rush just gets it in a way most software doesn't.

Worth a listen if you run a restaurant, manage multiple spots, or you're just curious how AI can actually help day-to-day ops without making your life harder.

Learn more about Pivot : https://www.pivotapp.ca/en

What do a rubber duck, local search optimization, and soggy burgers have in common? They all show up in this high-energy, no-fluff conversation with the legendary David Rev Ciancio aka Rev... restaurant owner, hospitality marketing expert, and unapologetic pickle-hater.

In this episode of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Rev spills the secret sauce on:

• The 67% rule that proves Google was built for restaurants

• Why most operators are chasing squirrels instead of guests

• The one marketing fix that boosted beer sales at his restaurant by 800%

• Why posting on Instagram isn't marketing and what actually is

• The marketing tool every restaurant needs (that costs less than a good steak)

Whether you're a seasoned operator or just opened your first food truck, this episode is a masterclass in restaurant growth packed with real talk, killer stats, and laugh-out-loud moments. Yup, this is a keeper.

🍔 🍺 Bring your appetite. Leave with a blueprint.

In one of the most inspiring episodes of The Late Night Restaurant Podcast to date, we sit down with Brooks Kirchheimer, the visionary behind Utah’s celebrated Hill Top Hospitality Group. From playing pretend restaurant as a kid to running five thriving restaurants with a 300+ person team, Brooks’ story is a testament to what happens when you lead with heart, not ego.

We dive deep into:

• His people-first philosophy that includes paid mental health support, full benefits, and daily family meals

• How he transformed Utah’s dining scene, focusing on locals-first instead of tourist traps

• Creative ways he thrills guests from Polaroids to handwritten birthday menus

• The power of community enrichment including hands-on work with disability programs and farm dinners that raise money for cancer institutes

Brooks proves you don’t need to cut corners to build success you just need to do the right thing, consistently.

Whether you’re running a restaurant, leading a team, or just looking for hope in hospitality, this one’s for you.

Rob Hood joins us for an honest conversation about the realities of modern hospitality. From dish pits in 1988 to executive leadership across Canada, Rob shares the journey that shaped his perspective on what truly matters in this industry.

We explore how technology is reshaping hotels—AI at the front desk, robotics in the kitchen, and evolving guest expectations. Rob explains which innovations actually improve the experience and which are just noise.

The conversation turns to what real hospitality looks like: the difference you feel when ownership is present, when leaders genuinely care about their people, and when the details matter. Rob shares stories from London and Vancouver that reveal how leadership directly impacts the guest experience.

We discuss why authenticity matters more than ever in restaurants, how diners now use their phones to drive demand, and why experience has become the true competitive advantage in a commoditized market.

Rob opens up about the Burnt Chef Project and why addressing mental health in hospitality isn't optional anymore. He talks about available resources, what leaders can do to protect their teams, and the collective responsibility we share to create safer, healthier workplaces. We don't shy away from the hard topics—loss, pressure, passion, and the toll this industry can take.

This episode delivers direct, actionable insight for anyone leading or working in hotels and restaurants. It's about building better, not just building more.

Learn more about the Burnt Chef Project at https://www.theburntchefproject.com/

Juan Cifuentes from MenuLink joins the Late Night Restaurant Show to discuss how his Toronto-based startup is helping restaurants reclaim revenue by slashing pickup order fees from 15-30% down to just 1%.

In this episode, Juan shares MenuLink's mission to give restaurants ownership over their revenue, explains the simple 5-minute signup process.

We dive into practical tips for restaurants using third-party platforms from proper packaging choices to surprise-and-delight marketing tactics inside delivery bags.

Juan also shares his unconventional journey from philosophy student to telecom manager to restaurant tech disruptor, and why now is the time for the industry to have more options beyond the big platforms.

Plus: Dom gets AI-transformed into a woman wearing slippers, Jay pitches marketing ideas, and the team reminds everyone about Next Food Expo coming to Calgary September 13-14.

Key Topics:

• How MenuLink reduces pickup fees to 1% (and delivery to 2% coming soon)
• Self-enrollment process for restaurants across Canada and the US
• Marketing strategies for delivery orders (packaging, in-bag promotions, handwritten notes)
• The importance of Google Maps optimization for restaurants

Visit menulink.ca to learn more or email juan@menulink.ca

Robin Apel, President at Barmetrix Vancouver, joins The Late Night Restaurant Podcast to reveal how restaurants are losing thousands of dollars every week without even knowing it.

Key Takeaways:

The Numbers Are Shocking

• One restaurant was losing $600/week on a single item (Kahlua in espresso martinis) due to bartenders overpouring by just a quarter ounce
• 15% of draft beer commonly goes unaccounted for - that's one in every seven kegs simply disappearing
• With proper inventory management, most of these losses are completely preventable

The Real Problems

• Post-COVID brain drain has left many restaurants with undertrained staff managing complex inventories
• Modern bars carry hundreds of SKUs compared to a handful decades ago
• Restaurants think they're doing okay because there's money in the bank, but they're leaving massive profit on the table

How Barmetrix Works

• Uses barcode scanners and digital scales to track inventory to the tenth of a gram
• Compares actual inventory against POS sales data to identify gaps
• Provides actionable insights: "Here's what left the building vs. what got rung in"
• No contracts, no obligations - prove the value in one month or walk away

Wild Stories from the Field

• Caught staff adding water to bottles to cover theft (froze bottles to test - liquor doesn't freeze, watered-down liquor does)
• Discovered a broken beer line in a wall by swapping tap positions
• One client put theft footage on screen at staff party and fired half the crew

The Bottom Line Robin's philosophy is simple: "I'm not going to change your prices, fire your staff, or switch your suppliers. I just want to get you paid for what's leaving the building." For restaurants doing any volume, the ROI is immediate and substantial.

Barmetrix operates across North America and internationally. No contracts. Just results.

Learn more: https://www.barmetrix.com/

This episode hits home. After 51 years in hospitality, Tom shares how burnout shaped his life and why he’s leading The Burnt Chef Project across North America. We talk about mental health in restaurants, leadership, loneliness, and the simple things that help like saying thank you, or texting someone, “You’re awesome.”

You’ll hear real talk about empathy, the pressure to be perfect, and how small acts change everything. Tom’s story will make you rethink how you lead your team, take care of yourself, and look at the industry you love.

Learn more... https://www.theburntchefproject.com/