Vendor Perspectives
Vendors brought their own insights into the scaling equation.
Tony Fernandez, CEO and President of MTech Mobility, likened each operator’s tech puzzle to a Rubik’s Cube. “While there are common challenges in scaling, every restaurant’s situation is unique. Our role as a solution integrator is to help restaurants align their existing tech with new tools to achieve their scaling goals.”
Richard Newman, Chief Strategy Officer at Scale Computing, emphasized cost control: “It’s really all about the Benjamins. It’s about cost, for almost all restaurant operators,” Newman said. When scaling costs are critical, because costs can quickly get out of control, he stressed.
“Nobody scales to make less money. It’s about delivering more to your guests while managing costs, which can spiral out of control if you’re not careful.”
When dealing with franchises, think about the tech strategy (and its costs) and its impact on the operators, advised Tim Tang, Hughes: “With franchising, you’re dealing with independent business operators who will resist any technology that feels like a burden. To scale, adoption must come with a clear value proposition.”
Building a Foundation
For operators at every size, Newman stressed the importance of starting with a stable, scalable infrastructure. “To go with best-of-breed solutions, you need an agile network that can adapt and change,” he said.
That foundation allows flexibility: a five-unit chain will have very different needs than a 1,000-unit operator. Newman also warned against transactional vendor agreements that take a cut of every ticket: “That becomes an immediate obstacle to scaling.”
