Hey Hot Potatoes,

Welcome to the latest edition of the Hot Potato Newsletter. Well firstly, how is everyone doing? You feeling those January blues? I personally can’t stand this tripe weather, but the days are getting longer and another day down is another day closer to summer! Anyway, today we're diving into something that's been on my mind lately - the tech tools that are genuinely transforming how restaurants operate. In an industry where margins are tight and efficiency is everything, having the right digital arsenal can make all the difference. The world of restaurant technology can feel like a confusing place to navigate, so I've handpicked six game-changing solutions that are helping restaurants work smarter, not harder. Let’s get into it!

In today’s email: Restaurant Tech Simplified: 6 Tools That'll Transform Your Business Ops

Read Time: Approx 5 mins

Candid Hospitality: Your Staff Management Superhero

Category: Operations & Staffing


Having trouble hiring? Well did you know that 70% of candidates out there aren’t actively looking for jobs?

With that being said, I’d like to introduce you to Candid. Candid have flipped the traditional hiring model on its head; at the core of their hiring process is ‘The 3 C’s Model’ - Culture, Competencies and Compensation.’ They have also created the 'Candid Oath', meaning candidates can protect their identities and keep their profiles anonymous. Ultimately, Candid have created a sort of dating app style for employees to be matched to the opportunities that suit them best. And for employers, no more endless CV sifting or reading time-consuming cover letters. Find perfectly matched candidates and say goodbye to unconscious bias. It's about time someone made hiring in hospitality this smooth!

Check their website out here: https://candidhospitality.co.uk/

Tenzo: Where Data Meets Decisions

Category: Analytics & Forecasting


Here's something that'll make data lovers rejoice (and help everyone else make sense of their numbers). Tenzo is like having a super-smart business analyst in your pocket. By connecting all your systems - POS, labour, inventory, you name it - into one platform, everyone's finally speaking the same language. Want to know how your sites stack up against each other? Or where you're missing upselling opportunities? Tenzo's got your back.

Check their website out here: https://www.gotenzo.com/

Toast: The Swiss Army Knife of Restaurant Tech

Category: All-in-One Restaurant Management


If you're looking for the Swiss Army knife of restaurant tech, Toast is it. They've thought of everything: POS, handheld devices, self-ordering kiosks, digital ordering, payments, gift cards, delivery management - the works! Whether you're running a food truck or a restaurant chain, they've scaled their solution to fit. The best part? You can ditch all those multiple tablets cluttering up your counter space. Serve guests quicker with handheld devices and self ordering kiosks, ramping up your operational efficiency!

Check their website out here: https://pos.toasttab.com/

Nory AI: The AI insights that you actually need

Category: AI powered restaurant insights

Nory is the new kid on the block. Imagine having an AI assistant that actually understands restaurants. Nory crunches through your sales, performance, inventory and staffing data in real-time, spotting trends before you even notice them. I for one have always been a slow adopter to technology and AI, but I really can see the benefits here. This tool is like having a crystal ball for your restaurant, helping you nail everything, from forecasting demand, inventory, to stock management and staff scheduling. The future of restaurant operations is happening right now.

Check their website out here: https://nory.ai/

Urban Piper: Taming the Delivery Beast

Category: Order Management & Delivery Integration


In today's delivery-dominated world, juggling multiple platforms can feel like a balancing act and a headache to manage. Urban Piper is your ringmaster, bringing order to the chaos. It consolidates all your delivery orders from the likes of Deliveroo, UberEats and Just Eat into one system, cutting down errors and making your operations run smoother than a well-oiled machine. If food deliveries are a big part of your business, this is a game-changer.

Check their website out here: https://www.urbanpiper.com/uk

Trail: Making Compliance Actually Manageable

Category: Operations & Compliance


Let's face it - compliance and checklist management isn't exactly the sexy side of running a restaurant, but it's crucial to get right. Trail turns all those paper checklists and scattered communications into streamlined digital tasks. It's almost as if you’ve got your own assistant who never forgets anything. Perfect for multi-site operations looking to keep standards high across the board. Simplifying routine tasks and compliance checks means improved operational efficiency and reduced human error, what’s not to like!

Check their website out here: https://trailapp.com/

Today we’ve run through a few of the different technologies that in my opinion are changing the game in hospitality operations. Which technologies stand out to you? Would you implement any of them?

In the next edition of Hot Potato, we'll explore one of hospitality's greatest success stories: Dishoom. I absolutely love the brand and what they’ve built as a business… the bacon naan rolls, just epic. We’re going to do a deep dive into their story and explore the factors that have made them so successful today.

Thanks for reading as always! Want more game-changing restaurant insights and tips delivered straight to your inbox? Hit that subscribe button and join our growing community!

Bon appétit,

Max Shipman, Founder, Hot Potato

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