In this episode of “Give an Ovation,” host Zack Oates interviews Seth Cohen, President and Co-founder of Sweetfin. Seth shares the inspiring journey of Sweetfin’s inception, its innovative approach to fast-casual dining, and the emphasis on guest experience that has driven their success. From mastering the art of poke in a market that had never heard of it to building a robust digital ordering and loyalty platform, Seth provides valuable insights into maintaining consistency and innovation in the restaurant industry.

Here are some highlights:

What’s the most important aspect of the guest experience? (4:38)

“We spent a lot of time educating our team members and making sure that if the guests were to come in and they were new to our concept, we were able to effectively communicate what the concept was and what really our menu items were, and hopefully we could speak to guests in a way where we could provide our recommendations and really help them build their own bowl based off of their flavor, what they like from a flavor standpoint.”

Any tactics or tools that you specifically have found to be successful in creating a great guest experience? (8:59)

“Just little things, I mean from packaging… We created this amazing little bento box called the squee box during COVID. That’s on our menu. We try to put an insert card in all of our bags… It serves two purposes it talks about ordering first party, but there’s also an educational component associated with it.”

Who’s someone who deserves an Ovation in the restaurant industry? (12:55)

“Oh man, I’m going to be so cliche here. First person that comes to mind, of course, is Danny Meyer… I really appreciate just his ability to take the idea of hospitality… and the way he’s been able to be consistent throughout so many different form factors in his restaurants… is impressive.”