Rob Grimes is the Founder and CEO of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association (IFBTA), a nonprofit trade association, that promotes the use of technology within the global food and beverage industries. Rob is paving the path for restaurant tech and is passionate about how emerging technologies can enhance company profitability and enrich the guest experience.

Here are a few highlights from this episode:

What is the most important aspect of the guest experience?

Adapting the “guest experience” to the guest.

“We have to change our view of the guest experience, because the guest is going to experience us in many different ways, and they choose how they want to do it. The guest may be experiencing you without ever meeting you or coming inside your establishment. They experience your food.“

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

“As I look at technology, the number one strategy I do is go with the consumer regarding any technology that i’m going to focus on -including texting. I take the lead from consumer technologies across the board. Let the consumer technologies drive what we’re doing.”

Who deserves an Ovation in the restaurant industry?

The IT people working in the restaurant industry.

“Front and back end workers can’t operate without the technology available to them, whether it’s smart kitchen equipment, food, or technology itself. It all comes down to using tech to make the consumer happy.”