Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

Customer loyalty has evolved. Today, it’s less about “collect 10 stamps, get a free coffee” and more about personalisation, value, and belonging. But what does that look like in practice for pubs, hotels, and restaurants? In this episode, Chris Fletcher, Founder & CEO of Tech on Toast, sits down with: * Amy Clarke – Head of Marketing, Wyndham Hotels & Resorts * Gillian Nicholson – Sales Director, Zonal * Jamie Queen – Chief Growth Officer, Butcombe Group Together, they unpack: 🍷 The business case for loyalty – how programmes drive repeat visits, higher spend per head, and measurable ROI. 📲 The digital shift – moving from physical loyalty cards to Apple Wallet and Google Wallet, and why simplicity is key. 📊 The power of data – how operators can use guest behaviour, segmentation, and AI to deliver more relevant offers. 👩‍🍳 Team buy-in – why front-of-house staff are vital to signing up customers and how Butcombe’s teams doubled their contactable database in two years. 🌍 Global vs local loyalty – Wyndham’s challenge of tailoring rewards for millions of members across 90+ countries versus Butcombe’s pub-level programmes. 🤝 Partnerships & innovation – from Wyndham linking hotel stays with restaurant delivery apps, to Zonal powering bespoke loyalty journeys for operators of every size. 🛠️ Trends to watch – members-only pricing, gamification, festival-style loyalty, and the growing role of AI in hospitality. 💡 Expect a practical, behind-the-scenes look at loyalty programmes that actually work — the kind that make customers feel recognised, not marketed to. 🔗 Connect with the guests: * Amy Clarke – Wyndham Hotels & Resorts [https://www.linkedin.com] * Gillian Nicholson – Zonal [https://www.zonal.co.uk] * Jamie Queen – Butcombe Group [https://www.linkedin.com]

🍽️ The Return to Experience-Led Dining — Live from Caravan Fitzrovia Powered by Shift4 [https://www.shift4.com/] & Lunchbox [https://www.lunchbox.io/] This week on the Tech on Toast Podcast, we’re bringing you something special — a live panel recording from our recent event at Caravan Fitzrovia [https://www.caravanandco.com/], all about the return to experience-led dining in 2025. Big shout out to Adam at Captive Wifi [https://www.captivewifi.com/] for the content! Guest host Phil Street [https://www.linkedin.com/in/phil-street-4a2b0a4/] (Caterer.com) is joined by an incredible line-up of industry leaders: ✨ Tom James [https://www.linkedin.com/in/tom-james-73711625/] – Managing Director, Bill’s Restaurants [https://bills-website.co.uk/] ✨ Harry Ridley [https://www.linkedin.com/in/harryridley/] – Director of Innovation, Levy UK & Ireland [https://levy.co.uk/] ✨ James Walker [https://www.linkedin.com/in/james-walker-6928531/] – CEO, Lunchbox [https://www.lunchbox.io/] ✨ Sean Weeraratna [https://www.linkedin.com/in/shaun-mcmahon-9468241b1/] Group Operations Director, Gaucho [https://www.gauchorestaurants.com/] & M Restaurants [https://mrestaurants.co.uk/] Across stadiums, casual dining, fine dining, and tech platforms, our panel dives into: 💡 Balancing speed & storytelling – keeping service efficient without losing personality 🤖 Tech as an enabler – removing friction, not the human touch 🎯 “Moments of magic” – how to wow guests without blowing the budget 🛠️ Test, learn, kill – knowing when to double down or ditch the tech 🤝 Partnership power – why creative collaborations matter 🕰️ Experience redefined – how guest expectations shift by time of day and occasion From personalised service and guest data, to AI crowd management and handwritten cards in deliveries, this episode is packed with practical tips, creative ideas, and honest insights from operators who are living it every day. 🎧 Tune in for real-world stories, fresh inspiration, and a few laughs along the way.

In this special episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast 🎙️, brought to you in partnership with Zonal, we dig into one of hospitality’s most overused — and misunderstood — buzzwords: loyalty. Host Chris Fletcher is joined by: * John Sills 📖 – Author of The Human Experience, who argues loyalty doesn’t really exist — usefulness does. * Ruth Carpenter 🍕 – Head of Marketing at Pizza Pilgrims, sharing how guest feedback, authenticity, and joy drive repeat visits. * Gillian Nicholson 💡 – Sales Director at Zonal, bringing insights from 17,000+ hospitality customers and the tech powering their guest experiences. They explore: * 🔍 Has “loyalty” been replaced by usefulness? * 📉 How the cost-of-living crisis is reshaping dining habits — from earlier booking times to lighter menu choices. * 🤝 Keeping the human touch when tech runs in the background. * 📦 Subscription models — convenience or commercial trap? * ♿ The growing demand for accessibility, sustainability, and purpose-driven brands. * 📨 Why personalisation might be overhyped — and what really drives engagement. Expect candid stories about burnt pizzas, stolen deliveries, subscription fatigue, and the surprising social trends — from sleep habits to bottomless brunches — shaping hospitality in 2025. Whether you’re an operator, marketer, or tech provider, this episode blends data, humour, and hard truths about what it really takes to keep guests coming back.

In this episode of the Tech on Toast Podcast, Chris Fletcher welcomes back Dominic Child, VP of Sales at Ingredifind, for a conversation that goes beyond compliance and into the real operational and emotional impact of allergens in hospitality. Together, they explore why allergen management is still largely manual in a digital-first industry, how it affects staff confidence, guest trust, and operational flow – and how Ingredifind is changing the game. Dominic explains how their platform tackles the three biggest pain points: * The lack of trust between suppliers and operators * Friction between guests and servers * The burden on staff under pressure to get it right This isn’t just a conversation about technology — it’s a call to modernise how we handle one of the most sensitive parts of service. 🔥 What You’ll Learn: * Why allergen management is the final digital frontier in hospitality * The operational and reputational risks of ‘just ticking the compliance box’ * How self-service allergen tools boost repeat visits by 26% month-on-month * Why training alone won’t solve the problem — and what will * How Ingredifind’s plug-and-play platform works with existing systems * The surprising scale of dietary needs — beyond the ‘top 14’ allergens 📊 Key Stats Mentioned: * 74% of customers prefer to self-serve allergen info * 30% of adults avoid certain foods due to adverse reactions * 40% of diners will avoid restaurants if they can’t view menus in advance * Diagnosed allergies affect 2 million UK adults – with children’s rates even higher 📲 Links & Extras: 🎥 Watch the full webinar demo of Ingredifind’s platform [insert link] 🛍 Visit Ingredifind on the Tech on Toast Marketplace [insert link] 📩 Contact Dom: dchild@ingredifind.com 📌 Coming Soon: Ingredifind is teasing a major summer announcement that could revolutionise allergen matrices — keep an eye on their LinkedIn for updates.

In this episode, Chris Fletcher sits down with Sonny Wells, founder of Sonny’s – the soon-to-launch fast-casual food brand with a mission to make eating out safer and more inclusive for people with allergies, especially coeliacs. Sonny shares his personal journey through a difficult diagnosis, what sparked the idea for Sonny’s in Dubai, and how a chance encounter with Sir Richard Branson turned into national visibility and a wave of investor interest. They talk about why “gluten-free” often isn’t really gluten-free, the lack of trust coeliacs feel in mainstream restaurants, and the operational minefield most hospitality brands face when trying to serve guests with allergens. Plus, Sonny gives a sneak peek into how he’s building a scalable, confidence-first QSR brand—with tech, training, and trust at the core. 💡 Key Topics Covered: * The painful diagnosis that inspired Sonny’s * What “truly gluten-free” actually means—and why most brands get it wrong * The difference between clean, allergen-free fast food and processed options * His pitch to Sir Richard Branson and winning the “Elevator of Dreams” * How Sonny plans to scale the business through tech, training, and franchising * The role of kiosks, face-to-face service, and roving allergen experts * Challenges with dairy-free cheese and lessons from early advisors * Why confidence is the brand’s core value—and what that means in practice * The untapped market of allergy-conscious consumers, and why it’s growing fast * The vision for Sonny’s in the UK and beyond 🔗 Connect with Sonny: * Instagram: @sonnystheceliac [https://www.instagram.com/sonnytheceliac] * Business Page: @sonnys_food [https://www.instagram.com/sonnys_food] * LinkedIn: Sonny Wells [https://www.linkedin.com/in/sonny-wells] 💬 Chris’s Take: “Sonny’s isn’t just a food brand—it’s a confidence brand. It’s answering a real, growing need in hospitality with compassion, energy and commercial smarts.”