Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with Jonny McKenzie, co-founder and CEO of Bustle, the cafe management platform built by operators for operators. Jonny flew all the way from Auckland, New Zealand, for this conversation—and it shows in the insights shared.Jonny’s story is anything but ordinary. From launching cocktail bars in his early 20s to running a full-service cinema and now building Bustle, he’s lived every shift, every challenge, and every spreadsheet that independent hospitality operators face.☕ What’s in your cup this episode? • Why Jonny left IT to shake cocktails—and how that shaped his tech career • The pain of running multiple venues without visibility—and how Bustle fixes that • Bustle’s “88% Rule” for building features that work for real operators • The myth of rapid transformation: why real clarity takes time • Emotional loyalty vs points-based systems—what real recognition feels like • Why Bustle celebrates when their customers outgrow them • Why most POS systems fail creatives—and what Bustle is doing differently • The rise of bakery as the new coffee shop culture • How price confidence, not just cost control, can help operators sleep at night👀 Who should listen?This one’s for independent owner-operators, hospitality creatives, and anyone who wants to use tech without losing the soul of service.📍Want to meet the Bustle team?Find them at heybustle.com, or pop by their stand at London Coffee Festival (just follow the treasure hunt 👀).💡 “We’re not trying to replace the human behind the counter—we’re just helping them stay in business.”⸻Brought to you by Lightspeed, the EPOS and payments platform trusted by hospitality leaders like Big Mamma, Mallow, Mildred’s and more. Check out lightspeed.co.uk/techontoast to book a free demo—real-time insights and slick service await.🎧 Follow us for more fresh takes on hospitality + tech.#TechOnToast #HospitalityTech #POS #CafeLife #Bustle #HospitalityCommunity

Ready to get quizzical? 🧠🍻 In this laugh-out-loud episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher sits down with ✨ Mark Walsh ✨ – the fashion-journo-turned-tech-founder behind Kwizzbit, the interactive quiz platform shaking up the pub game across the globe! From loading up fashion mags in the 90s to loading quizzes into over 47 countries, Mark’s journey is anything but ordinary. He shares how his love of music, people, and pub culture led to creating Kwizzbit – a platform where anyone can run a full quiz night from their phone. No pens. No paper. No faff. Just proper fun. In this episode, we chat: ✅ From fashion journalism to hospitality tech ✅ How Rock and Roll Bingo paved the way for Kwizzbit 🎸 ✅ Why the smoking ban created opportunity, not chaos ✅ How venues can drive footfall, capture data & boost sales with one smart quiz ✅ What it means to build tech that your mum could actually use 👵📲 ✅ Plus: Chris joins a live quiz mid-show (and rates himself a bit too highly) Mark also shares: 🔧 Why they built Kwizzbit to be plug-and-play 💸 How hospitality venues can try it for £60 for 3 months – unlimited quizzes included! 📺 What’s coming next: Kwizzbit Live and Quizbit Solo (spoiler: it’s big) Whether you’re a pub operator, restaurant group, hotelier or just nostalgic for those classic quiz nights – this one’s for you. 👉 Try Kwizzbit: www.kwizzbit.com [https://www.kwizzbit.com] 📲 Follow Mark on LinkedIn: Mark James Walsh [https://www.linkedin.com/in/markjameswalsh/] 🎯 Explore the Tech on Toast marketplace: www.techontoast.com [https://www.techontoast.com] 💬 As ever, brought to you by our mates at Lightspeed [https://www.lightspeedhq.co.uk/] – the platform powering over 165,000 venues to scale at, you guessed it, the speed of light. ☕✨ Tune in, laugh along, and maybe even beat Chris in the quiz (it’s not hard).👇

🎧 Flex Appeal: How YoungOnes Is Flipping Hospitality Staffing Guest: James Medd, COO, YoungOnes Host: Chris Fletcher, Tech on Toast Podcast Recorded at BrewDog Waterloo, this episode explores how flexible staffing is reshaping hospitality. Chris sits down with James Medd to uncover how YoungOnes, the freelance staffing platform, is empowering operators to find vetted, on-demand talent in minutes — and giving Gen Z more control over when, where, and how they work. In this episode: ✅ Why flexibility is the future of hospitality staffing ✅ How Gen Z and side-hustle culture are changing the game ✅ Why YoungOnes isn’t an agency — and why that matters ✅ How operators are cutting labour costs and improving service quality ✅ The tech James wishes existed… Whether you’re scaling a team or freelancing for freedom, this one’s packed with insight. 🔗 Links 🌐 YoungOnes [https://www.youngones.works] 💼 James Medd on LinkedIn [https://www.linkedin.com/in/jamesmedd] ⚡ Explore Lightspeed EPOS [https://www.lightspeed.co.uk/techontoast] ⏱️ Timestamps 00:00 – Intro 02:15 – What is YoungOnes? 06:42 – Freelance lifestyle & Gen Z work culture 10:00 – How it works for operators 14:25 – Trust, ratings & smart matching 18:40 – Planning vs panic: The flexi-labour approach 23:10 – The future of staffing 28:00 – The tech James wants to see 31:00 – Where to find YoungOnes 🎙️ Subscribe for fresh conversations every week with the sharpest minds in hospitality & tech. #HospitalityTech #FreelanceWork #StaffingSolutions #TechOnToast #YoungOnes #FlexibleStaffing

Welcome back to the Tech on Toast Podcast, where we serve up fresh conversations with the sharpest minds in hospitality and tech. In this episode, Chris sits down with the brilliant Catherine Allan, Head of Sales at Beds & Bars – and former NHS children’s nurse – to explore how empathy, agility and tech have shaped her unique approach to driving results in hospitality. From revamping bookings with +180% growth to cutting system admin time by 87%, Catherine’s story proves that real connection beats pushy sales tactics every time. Whether you’re an operator overwhelmed by too many platforms or a tech company looking to genuinely support venues, this one’s packed with sharp insights and big laughs. We also hear how Catherine’s new venture, Tidr, is on a mission to reduce reactive labour and boost ROI by helping operators manage their third-party platforms more efficiently. Want to join the pilot programme? Grab a free trial here 👉 tidr.co.uk/techontoast [https://tidr.co.uk/techontoast] * Catherine’s journey from NHS nurse to sales powerhouse * Why empathy is the secret sales superpower * What most people get wrong about booking platforms * How Beds & Bars doubled auto-confirmed bookings * The truth about tech adoption (and how to actually roll it out) * What “Data Detangle Day” revealed about internal comms * Why operators must update their listings or risk wasting time * Launching Tidr to tackle reactive sales chaos, Tidr aims to improve efficiency and increase ROI to third party private hire listing platforms * Catherine’s dream venue (yes, Jessie J is involved) * And why caring might just be the ultimate KPI 👉 Try Tidr for free: tidr.co.uk/techontoast [https://tidr.co.uk/techontoast] 👉 Book a Lightspeed demo: lightspeed.co.uk/techontoast [https://www.lightspeed.co.uk/techontoast] 💬 Like what you hear? Don’t forget to follow, rate and share this episode with your team. 🎧 Available on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and everywhere else you get your audio fix. #TechOnToast #HospitalitySales #EmpathyInTech #HospitalityInnovation #TIDR #HospitalityTech #DataStrategy #SalesLeadership #HospitalityOperators 🧠 What we cover in this episode:🔗 Useful links:

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher is joined by JP Kloppers, Managing Director at Omnisient, to explore how hospitality operators can unlock the hidden value in their customer data—without compromising privacy. JP explains how data collaboration works when it’s done responsibly, and how encrypted, anonymised data can create entirely new revenue streams, enable smarter AI adoption, and improve consistency across operations. Whether you’re running a multi-site group or managing a single site, this episode breaks down where AI and data intersect—and why this matters more than ever in a sector under pressure. 👉 Topics covered: * Why AI adoption in hospitality is still under 5% * What encrypted data collaboration actually looks like * The real-world value of restaurant CRM data * How to automate guest profiling and team support with AI * The role of large language models in streamlining operations * How retailers and banks are already collaborating—and why hospitality should follow 💡 “Every operator is sitting on a goldmine of data—they just don’t know how to activate it yet.” – JP Kloppers