Have you ever wondered how to better leverage your technology? Or what integrating your technology can mean for your guests? Pete Gibson, former CIO of Friendly’s and Johnny Rockets, has a solid record of successfully leveraging tech, improving operations, and developing high-performing teams globally. As a Chief Information Officer, Pete has extensive experience in improving revenue and technology organizations.

Here are a few highlights from this episode:

What is the most important aspect of the guest experience?

Customer intamacy.

“Knowing the customer is crucial. Gone are the days of an email loyalty program, or what I effectively call a spamming program. I need to start taking a look at what people want. I work in data science and I think it’s very powerful tool for the restaurant industry. We’ve got to get to the point, from a technology standpoint, where we have systems that allow us to go into them and say, can I get the right product to the right customer at the right time AND at the right price point.”

What are some successful tactics you’ve seen or tried lately?

“Some of the best ideas don’t necessarily come from inside the industry, they come from looking at other industries and picking up some of their ideas and bringing it in house.”

Who deserves an ovation in the industry?

The IT guys.

“Tech touches anything from pricing strategy to revenue management, the IT guys do it all.”