Brandon Barton is the CEO of Bite, a digital ordering platform for restaurants. He has worked in multiple start-ups, as a consultant, and has spent time at Patina Restaurant Group and Union Square Hospitality Group.

Here’s one featured takeaway from this episode and Brandon’s answers to the questions Zack asks each guest:

Featured Takeaway: Give The Same Attention To The Digital Guest Experience As You Do The In-Person Experience

Brandon pointed out that most restaurants have thoughtfully mapped out the customer journey from the moment the enter a restaurant or a drive-thru. But have they done the same thing with the customers digital ordering experience?

“I used to say to restaurants, you think your front door is at 123 Main Street. It’s actually online! That’s your real front door. That’s the moment they walk in and have your experience… Guess what? Digital is the same thing.” -Brandon Barton

1: What is the most important aspect of the guest experience today?

Brandon said that person-to-person interactions that make guests smile will always be most important, but noted that “Brands that don’t focus on the digital experience through the lens of their customers are failing.”

2: What is something successful you have seen or tried lately?

The identification of guests across all ordering channels. “Some of the work that we’re doing to identify the digital trail that a guest leaves… that’s some of the innovative stuff that is really working well.”

3: Who is someone in the restaurant industry that deserves an Ovation?

Lauren Sinclair, Principal Program Lead, Service & Hospitality at Chick-fil-A Corporate. “She’s so educated and smart on the subject of how you make a guest feel special.”