Toby Malbec joins the Tech Chef Podcast to talk about the future of restaurant technology and the key insights from the recent MURTEC Executive Summit. He emphasizes the importance of getting foundational technology in place before diving into advanced innovations like AI. Toby shares his experiences as the Vice President of Global Restaurant Technology for Church's Chicken and highlights how operators need to prepare for upcoming changes in the industry. The conversation dives deep into the collaboration necessary among brands to tackle common challenges and improve operations. Overall, this episode is a serious look at how technology can lead to success in the hospitality sector.

Takeaways:

• Restaurant operators to get their digital house in order before the next wave of technology changes hits the industry.
• The importance of foundational technology to leverage advanced innovations like AI and machine learning.
• There is a significant distinction between operational success and the technology tools used, highlighting the need for seamless integration in restaurant operations.
• Insights on the evolution of hospitality tech and the importance of collaboration among industry leaders to succeed.

In this episode of The Tech Chef Podcast, Skip Kimpel welcomes Chris Herd, co-founder and CEO of Olive, the AI-powered platform that’s redefining how businesses approach vendor selection, RFPs, and strategic sourcing. Chris shares his journey from tech sales to entrepreneurship, the pain points that inspired Olive’s creation, and why the traditional RFP process is fundamentally broken.

Together, they explore how Olive eliminates bias, accelerates decisions, and empowers consultants, operators, and vendors to collaborate more effectively. Whether you’re tired of bloated spreadsheets or questioning the future of your consulting model, this conversation offers a refreshing, forward-thinking take on how to evaluate and adopt technology in a smarter way.

The RFP Is Broken: Traditional RFPs are slow, manual, and often biased. Olive offers a collaborative, agile alternative powered by AI.

AI as an Assistant, Not a Replacement: Rather than replacing consultants, Olive empowers them to work more efficiently, scale faster, and deliver more value by automating tedious tasks.

Vendor Fairness & Objectivity: Olive doesn’t accept vendor payments, reducing bias and ensuring a level playing field in the selection process.

Smarter, Faster Decisions: From consolidating stakeholder input to auto-analyzing vendor responses, Olive dramatically shortens timelines and improves project outcomes.

Beyond Hospitality: While widely used in restaurants and hotels, Olive’s platform is industry-agnostic and scalable across enterprise sectors.

The Future of RFPs? According to Chris, the term “RFP” might be obsolete in five years. Instead, decision-making platforms will lead the way

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This week on Tech Chef, host Skip Kimpel dives into a post-MURTEC 2025 recap with first-time guest and hospitality tech veteran Tom Seeker. Fresh off the show floor, they discuss everything from shifting conference venues to the biggest tech themes making waves in the restaurant and hospitality space.

Tom brings the dual perspective of a vendor and operator, offering sharp insights on what made this year’s event stand out. The conversation centers on how data has become the true king, replacing cash as the core currency of innovation, and how restaurants must own and control their data to stay competitive.

From the evolving role of AI and VR in training and operations to conversations around legacy tech, security, and personalization, this episode is packed with strategic takeaways for operators, tech providers, and hospitality pros alike.

• Data is the New Currency: The dominant theme of MURTEC 2025 was clear—data is king. Operators need to prioritize data ownership, clean pipelines, and interoperability between systems to future-proof their businesses.
• AI is Just a Tool: The buzz around AI has matured. It’s no longer seen as a silver bullet, but rather as a data enhancement tool, helping restaurants normalize, visualize, and act on information more effectively.
• Training is Going Virtual: With limited resources and expanding footprints, operators are increasingly turning to virtual and extended reality (XR) solutions to meet employees where they are. VR-based onboarding and training are on the rise, driven by both need and innovation.
• Legacy Tech Still a Major Pain Point: Many brands remain handcuffed by outdated systems. There’s a growing push to modernize the tech stack while ensuring data continuity and seamless integration with modern tools.
• Security Still Matters (Even If It's Not Trendy): While AI dominated past headlines, cybersecurity remains mission-critical. Large restaurant brands continue to be high-profile targets, making awareness and proactive defense essential.
• The Guest Experience is Assumed, but the Employee Experience is Rising: Guest experience is now table stakes. The bigger surprise? A growing emphasis on employee-facing tech—tools that empower teams, improve shift management, and optimize training.
• MURTEC Venue Shift & Community Vibes: While there was skepticism about the move from Paris Las Vegas to Caesars Forum, Tom praises the new setup, calling it a “family reunion” with great energy and flow. Still, the familiar charm of Paris has its fans.
• RTN Standards & Collaboration: The Restaurant Technology Network (RTN) is playing a vital role in shaping the future. From RFP standards to possible mentorship programs and showroom tours, there’s a strong push for industry-wide collaboration.

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