In a compelling interview on “Data Delicacies” with host Arun Kumar, Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, shared insights on focus, customer-centric strategies, and the future of AI in personalization.

Watch now to learn about the importance of a singular focus, being the “anti-survey” company, and the future of AI in hospitality.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

Chapters:

[03:13] - The "Why" Behind Ovation

[06:51] - Balancing Work, Family, and Business Commitments

[10:35] - Becoming Obsessed with Building Value

[27:04] - Defining Loyalty

[35:08] - Closing the Education Gap in the AI Era

[45:16] - Utilizing AI Day to Day

Episode Links:

• Ovation Online
• Zack Oates Instagram
• Zack Oates Facebook
• Zack Oates LinkedIn
• Ovation Podcast
• Dating Never Works . . . Until It Does: 100 Lessons from 1,000 Dates (Book)

"You Can Do Anything. You Can't Do Everything" - Zack Oates’ dad Bart carved out a successful NFL career. Zack Oates attributes that success to Bart being able to do “one thing deep” and focus on being good at that thing. That mentality was passed down to Zack and it has served him well in his own business endeavors.

Surveys with the Customer in Mind - Zack Oates has branded Ovation as the “Anti-Survey” company. They have differentiated themselves from other survey companies by beginning with collecting data on how customers preferred being surveyed as opposed to simply forcing customers to inefficiently answer long questionnaires.

The Future of AI in Personalization - Ovation uses Artificial Intelligence, but Zack Oates values the personal touch of in person conversations. He does, however, see the future of AI adding to the personalization of hospitality by adding a layer to the customer satisfaction.

ABOUT ZAK OATES –

Zack Oates is an accomplished author, devoted husband, and proud father. Recognized as one of the Top 100 Entrepreneurs, he has had the honor of ringing the NASDAQ bell and winning the world’s largest business competition. With an MBA from BYU, Zack has founded three companies and provided customer experience consulting for Fortune 100 companies. His expertise in dating and customer experience consulting led him to create Ovation, a leading tool for actionable guest feedback in restaurants, where he serves as Founder and CEO.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, and machine learning.

Produced by: Incentivio - https://www.incentivio.com/

Alistair Levine is the CEO of multiple restaurant concepts and a Partner and Head of Business Development at KitchenSync. He shared his vision with Data Delicacies powered by Incentivio. A vision that includes leveraging a hybrid approach that capitalizes on the unique strengths of both technology and human expertise.

Listen now to learn about the importance of human touch and technology, the strategic usage of dynamic pricing, and making good decisions with good data.



Technology vs. Human Touch - Alistair Levine understands that both human touch and emerging technology are both important pieces of today’s hospitality industry. He has a goal at Kitchen Sync to create a hybrid approach that takes advantage of the strengths that both entities have to offer.

Dynamic Pricing for Better Guest Experience - When it comes to technology, Alistair Levine believes that as the options become more complicated, restaurants will have to narrow their focus to find root problems on the path to solutions.

Making Good Decisions with Good Data - Even though Alistair Levine believes that hospitality is a human driven industry, he also believes that Artificial Intelligence will serve a purpose of helping businesses make better decisions based on their ability to receive enhanced data from reliable sources.

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• KitchenSync Online: https://www.kitchensync.us/
• Alistair Levine Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/alistairlevine/
• Alistair Levine LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alistair-levine-6997b359/
• KitchenSync LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/kitchensync3/
• Left Bank Brasserie: https://www.instagram.com/leftbankbrasserie/
• LB Steak Santana Row: https://www.instagram.com/lbsteaksantanarow/
• Meso Restaurant: https://www.instagram.com/meso.restaurant/
• Petite Left Bank: https://www.instagram.com/petiteleftbank/
• Rollati Ristorante: https://www.instagram.com/rollatiristorante/

Branden McRill, a restauranteur and CEO and Co-Founder of 5-Out, envisions a future where restaurants operate with unparalleled efficiency. Powered by Toast, 5-Out harnesses the potential of artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive profitability.

Watch now to learn about revolutionizing restaurant operations, adopting AI and machine learning, and properly vetting AI resources.

Follow Incentivio on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@incentivio

Chapters:

[01:06] - Braden McRill's Background

[07:23] - Pulling from Prior Experience

[16:48] - The 5-Out Origin Story

[28:01] - The Early Days of Forecasting

[34:34] - Skepticism Around AI and Machine Learning

[48:24] - Vetting Effective AI/ML Options

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Episode Links:

5 Out Online: https://www.5out.io/

Branden McRill Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brandenmcrill/

Branden McRill LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/branden-mcrill-35b1baa/

5 Out Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5out_io/

Takeaways:

Revolutionizing Restaurant Operations with 5-Out - With 5-Out powered by Toast, Branden McRill has a vision to use artificial intelligence, machine learning, and predictive analytics to drive efficiency in restaurant operations to make restaurants more profitable.

Emerging Adoption of AI and ML in Restaurant - As Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AIML) continues to emerge, more companies will adopt the technology. Branden McRill is already beginning to see quick and full service begin to adopt the AIML as a part of their business model and tech stack.

Vetting Artificial Intelligence Resources - Artificial Intelligence and machine learning, or AIML, is in its very early stages of business integration. According to Branden McRill, proper vetting of potential resources is important to the effectiveness of their product, and specific questions should be asked and answered.

***

ABOUT BRANDEN MCRILL—

Branden McRill brings over 26 years of hospitality industry experience to his most current role as co-founder and CEO of 5-Out where he is responsible for driving the vision, strategy, and implementation of 5-Out. McRill’s extensive background also includes founding and co-founding successful restaurants and cafes like The Post PHL, Walnut Street Cafe, Rebelle, and Pearl & Ash. Additionally, he served as beverage director and manager for esteemed chefs and groups such as Marcus Samuelsson, Jean-Georges, David Burke, and Alain Ducasse.

ABOUT DATA DELICACIES—

Data Delicacies is a weekly podcast that dives deep into the world of technology and data as it pertains to restaurants. Host Arun Kumar interviews some of the best and brightest in the industry about all things hospitality tech, artificial intelligence, machine learning.

Data Delicacies on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/29ExS0n9X3Z3FyK4HuSPKH

Incentivio Online - https://www.incentivio.com/

Incentivio Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/incentivio/

Produced by: Incentivio - https://www.incentivio.com/