In this final episode recorded on the floor at the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show TechBytes host Rob Grimes is joined by Kelly Esten, Head of Marketing & Partnerships at Toast. The pair discuss their experience walking the show, Kelly’s perspective on various partnerships and the technology ecosystem at large.Beginning with their show observations, the topics of robotics, AI and data are top of mind. When thinking of the future, data sharing is a key focus for Toast, who has over 200 application partners. “When you think of AI, data is the foundation… and POS can be that hub of data for the broader partner ecosystem” mentions Kelly. She cautions however, that data is not the full picture. Having a pulse on the industry also means having conversations to bring context to the data at hand.
The conversation shifts in the second half of the episode where Kelly and Rob talk about the future of the industry. Looking to the future of technology within the restaurant industry, it’s important to be able recognize shifts that are happening in real time – aka automation and AI. Toast credits much of its success during the last 10 years to taking advantage of mobile, and applying technology to make restaurant staff job’s easier.
Enjoy this episode of TechBytes and gain insights on how to create successful tech partnerships, using and sharing data, and enabling the exciting technology exhibited at the 2024 National Restaurant Association Show.
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