Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

In this episode, Chris is joined by Nikki Perry, VP of Product at TripleSeat, who flew in from Boston for her very first visit to London. They dive into Nikki’s journey from bussing tables at 13 to leading product strategy at one of the most exciting events platforms in hospitality tech.Expect a brilliant blend of real-world hospitality experience and cutting-edge product thinking — from how TripleSeat is cutting admin, increasing conversions, and transforming pre-orders in the UK, to how AI is quietly becoming the venue’s best friend.They also cover: • The rise of 3D event planning (think The Sims, but for weddings and private dining) • The difference between US and UK event culture (spoiler: pre-ordering cocktails is wild to Americans) • How AI integrations like AdSalt are streamlining inbound calls and converting more leads • Why TripleSeat’s newest tool, PartyPay, is making painful event payments a thing of the past • What’s coming next in the product roadmap (hint: AI assistants, natural language reports, and hotel tech upgrades)Nikki shares how TripleSeat remains laser-focused on one core user: the event manager — and how the team stays close to the ground through regular customer visits, product feedback loops, and actual party-throwing.✨ Key Takeaways: • 📊 Built by Operators – Most of the TripleSeat team has worked in restaurants or events, making the product truly hospitality-first. • 🧠 AI for Admin – From call-handling bots to natural language reporting tools, AI is embedded in the TripleSeat future. • 🍽 UK vs US – The cultural difference around pre-ordering food and drinks highlights the importance of local product nuance. • 🛒 Self-Service Sales – Tools like TripleSeat Direct and guest portals allow for faster bookings and better guest experiences. • 💳 Payments Solved – PartyPay means no more faxed credit card forms (yes, that was still a thing). • 🧭 Always Iterating – The product roadmap is fuelled by customer feedback, and prioritised by real impact, not just loud requests.🔗 Mentioned in this episode: • TripleSeat • AdSalt AI for hospitality • Tech on Toast📣 Connect with us:Got feedback, questions, or want to be featured?👉 Visit techontoast.community👉 Follow us on LinkedIn: Tech on Toast

What do Isle of Wight ferries, dirty tables, and KFC at midnight have in common? This episode. Chris is joined by the silky-voiced Jamie White, Head of Business Development at WRS, fresh off the back of a brand revamp (RIP “Systems”) and full of stories from hospitality, media, and SaaS trenches. 🧠 Whether you’re a single-site pub or a 100-venue group, Jamie’s here to talk about: • ✨ Why WRS dropped the “Systems” and what it says about where tech is going • 🎙️ Jamie’s radio past (he needs his own podcast – we said it first) • 💸 How kiosks are quietly boosting spend and smoothing service • 🤯 Why putting in tech without fixing your process first is like driving a Ferrari at 20mph • 📊 The surprising POS reports helping operators win back 80 hours a week • 🤖 What AI actually means in hospitality right now (hint: not magic robots… yet) • 🤝 Why consultative selling and relationships still rule the tech game 🍞 Bonus: hear Chris confess to a KFC bucket at 12:30am. We’ve all been there.🚀 Want to future-proof your tech stack? Take your free Tech Check and find out where the gaps are – from kiosks to kitchen screens. 📌 Stuff we mention: • WRS LinkedIn • Cornish Bakery (spoiler: Jamie wants one on the Isle of Wight) • Isle of Wight Festival – yes, there are stories… • Deliverect – our brilliant podcast partners keeping orders flowing 🎧 Subscribe, share, or shout at us from across the pass – just make sure you’re listening.

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris chats with Rob Bowie, co-founder of Marker, the UK’s first standardised sustainability rating for hospitality. Rob shares the journey behind launching Marka with co-founder Chiara, and how their gamified platform is helping restaurants, pubs and cafés take tangible steps toward sustainability—without the overwhelm.💡 What’s inside: • Why Marka is like a “food hygiene rating for sustainability” • How gamification and AI help operators drive real impact • The commercial value of shouting about your sustainability wins • How Marka's rating system works (and what it really takes to get ‘Outstanding’) • The challenges (and wins) of scaling a purpose-led business from NewcastleWe cover the shifting consumer mindset, the reluctance from operators to be first movers, and why sustainability needs to be team-led—not dumped on one overworked person.🍻 Expect plenty of laughs, a few digs at food hygiene ratings, a surprising Hard Rock Café chat, and serious insight into how sustainability can be a differentiator rather than a tick-box.👣 Start your journey at wearemarka.co.uk

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher chats with Archie Heaton, Head of Commercial at Level, the salary-linked financial wellbeing platform that’s making waves in hospitality. We dive into: * Archie’s journey from Microsoft and Xbox to startup life * What on-demand pay really is—and why it’s not a debt trap * How Level compares to WageStream and why many operators are making the switch * The real impact of financial flexibility on retention and team morale * Why hospitality is next in line for a financial wellbeing revolution * And how Level is now powering platforms for other providers, like US giant Daily Pay 💬 “You only get one chance to mess up someone’s pay. People don’t forget.” 💡 This one’s for the operators, people directors, and GMs who want to do things better—for their team and their business. 🔗 Learn more: 👉 Explore Level on the Tech on Toast Marketplace [https://www.techontoast.community/marketplace/level] 📧 Contact Archie: aah@levelft.com 🔍 Follow Chris: @techontoast [https://www.linkedin.com/company/techontoast] 🧡 Like what you hear? Follow the show, leave a review, and share with someone who needs to hear this!

This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris sits down with the always-insightful Joe Heather, Regional General Manager for Northern Europe at Deliverect, the Order Management Platform powering thousands of digital orders across hospitality and retail.From deep dives into the ever-evolving world of kiosk tech, third-party logistics, and marketplace dominance, to spontaneous chats about dogs, golf, and growing teams across borders, this one is packed with both insights and energy.What we cover:🍕 Why Deliverect is more than an integration platform📦 The retail delivery boom, and how Deliveroo and co-op might just replace your corner shop🛍️ How customer expectations from Amazon and Uber Eats are shaping hospitality tech🧠 Joe’s take on operator loyalty, tech partnerships, and the psychology behind marketplace ordering📊 How Pulse and Dispatch are giving operators more control over downtime, data and delivery🐶 Why a Labrador named Mars might be the best career move Joe’s ever made, seriouslyTop Takeaways: • The mid-market restaurant squeeze is real, and QR, kiosk and speed are winning. • Operators aren’t just thinking about “tech stacks” anymore, they’re thinking about order flow. • Retail’s on-demand revolution is just beginning, and Deliverect is building the rails. • Consumer convenience to price point. And speed is becoming non-negotiable.💬 “If it’s an order, and it needs managing, we want to be the platform to control it.” Joe Heather🔗 Want to connect with Joe? He’s very available on LinkedIn: Joe Heather on LinkedIn🖥️ Learn more about Deliverect: www.deliverect.com🎧 Like what you heard? Hit follow and check out more from Season 12 of the Tech on Toast Podcast, proudly supported by our pals at Lightspeed. For a demo of their all-in-one EPOS, head to lightspeed.co.uk/techontoast