ZACK OATES

Restaurant Tech Speaker and CEO

Request Speaking info

ZACK OATES

Restaurant Tech Speaker and CEO

Request Speaking info

Bring ENERGY to your audience!

Zack Oates is an author, husband, father, entrepreneur, and hot tub aficionado (but not in that order, necessarily). He was voted Top 100 Entrepreneurs, rang the NASDAQ bell, won the world’s biggest business competition, and started 3 companies.

He received his MBA from BYU and did customer experience consulting for fortune 100 companies. He took his dating and customer experience consulting to start his current venture: Ovation. Ovation is The Actionable Guest Feedback Tool for restaurants where he serves as the Founder and CEO.

Two men in blue hoodies pretend to argue as they grab Zack Oates, who wears a white shirt and bow tie, standing between them with a funny, surprised expression. They are indoors on a patterned carpet near a small stage.
Zack Oates, wearing a blue Ovation t-shirt, speaks on stage, gesturing with his hands. A dark curtain and a lit screen with blurred content are visible in the background.
Zack Oates, in glasses and a red patterned shirt, speaks into a microphone at a podium labeled Fast Casual during an event, with a red background featuring the hashtag #FCSUMMIT.
Five people, including Zack Oates, sit on the Tech and Innovation Stage: A Closer Look at a conference. The moderator holds a microphone as the panelists engage in conversation with the audience seated in rows.
Two men, including Zack Oates, sit on stage in armchairs, speaking at the Digital Transformation in Fast Casual & QSR Summit 2022. A large banner with a burger and fries image is behind them; audience members are visible in the foreground.
Three men, including Zack Oates, stand on stage at the Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit—one at a podium, while the other two engage in conversation. A red and white event banner is displayed in the background.
Three men sit at a table in a podcast studio with microphones, headphones, and audio equipment. A neon Dinner sign glows behind them as Zack Oates smiles and takes a selfie.
Four people, including Zack Oates, sit on a stage panel with microphones, discussing in front of an “On Trend” backdrop. Plants line the stage edges, a large chandelier hangs overhead, and two projection screens are visible on either side.
Zack Oates, in a red patterned shirt, presents in front of a screen displaying a graph titled "Is a Bad Experience Bad?" The chart compares customer loyalty over time with and without service failure and recovery.
A man wearing glasses, a red patterned shirt, jeans, and sneakers stands on stage holding a microphone at the Fast Casual Executive Summit, with a bright orange backdrop behind him—Zack Oates delivers his presentation.
Five people sit on director’s chairs in front of a backdrop that reads “On-Trend Concepts.” Zack Oates, on the left, gestures while speaking to the other four attentive panelists. Name cards and water bottles are visible.
Zack Oates, wearing a blue shirt and jeans, stands on stage holding a microphone and pointing to his right as several people in the audience watch. Green lights illuminate the backdrop behind him.

Bring ENERGY to your audience!

Zack Oates is an author, husband, father, entrepreneur, and hot tub aficionado (but not in that order, necessarily). He was voted Top 100 Entrepreneurs, rang the NASDAQ bell, won the world’s biggest business competition, and started 3 companies.

He received his MBA from BYU and did customer experience consulting for fortune 100 companies. He took his dating and customer experience consulting to start his current venture: Ovation. Ovation is The Actionable Guest Feedback Tool for restaurants where he serves as the Founder and CEO.

  • Five people, including Zack Oates, sit on the Tech and Innovation Stage: A Closer Look at a conference. The moderator holds a microphone as the panelists engage in conversation with the audience seated in rows.
  • Two men in blue hoodies pretend to argue as they grab Zack Oates, who wears a white shirt and bow tie, standing between them with a funny, surprised expression. They are indoors on a patterned carpet near a small stage.
  • Zack Oates, wearing a blue Ovation t-shirt, speaks on stage, gesturing with his hands. A dark curtain and a lit screen with blurred content are visible in the background.
  • Two men, including Zack Oates, sit on stage in armchairs, speaking at the Digital Transformation in Fast Casual & QSR Summit 2022. A large banner with a burger and fries image is behind them; audience members are visible in the foreground.
  • Three men, including Zack Oates, stand on stage at the Restaurant Franchising Innovation Summit—one at a podium, while the other two engage in conversation. A red and white event banner is displayed in the background.
  • Three men sit at a table in a podcast studio with microphones, headphones, and audio equipment. A neon Dinner sign glows behind them as Zack Oates smiles and takes a selfie.
  • Four people, including Zack Oates, sit on a stage panel with microphones, discussing in front of an “On Trend” backdrop. Plants line the stage edges, a large chandelier hangs overhead, and two projection screens are visible on either side.
  • A man wearing glasses, a red patterned shirt, jeans, and sneakers stands on stage holding a microphone at the Fast Casual Executive Summit, with a bright orange backdrop behind him—Zack Oates delivers his presentation.
  • Zack Oates, in a red patterned shirt, presents in front of a screen displaying a graph titled "Is a Bad Experience Bad?" The chart compares customer loyalty over time with and without service failure and recovery.
  • Five people sit on director’s chairs in front of a backdrop that reads “On-Trend Concepts.” Zack Oates, on the left, gestures while speaking to the other four attentive panelists. Name cards and water bottles are visible.
  • Zack Oates, in a blue polo shirt and jeans, holds a microphone and gestures with his other hand while speaking on stage, framed by a green-lit background.

AUDIENCES INSPIRED BY ZACK’S MESSAGES

  • Logo for the Fast Casual Executive Summit, featuring "Fast Casual" in orange gradient above a red banner stating "Executive Summit" in white letters—designed in collaboration with Zack Oates.
  • Black text inside a thin black circle reads "bar & restaurant expo" in a modern, lowercase font, referencing Zack Oates. The circle is slightly open on the right side, set against a light gray background.
  • A circular logo for the International Restaurant & Foodservice Show of New York, featuring a blue center with Zack Oates-inspired text and a purple border that reads Education • Networking • Products. Utensil icons appear at the bottom.
  • Logo with a green map pin containing a fork and knife, inspired by Zack Oates, next to the text THE RMDA in large, outlined letters.
  • Logo for the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, featuring an orange fork and globe incorporated into the text. The bold orange, red, and black lettering on a light background reflects the innovative spirit of Zack Oates.
  • Logo for On-Trend Concepts, founded by Zack Oates, featuring a black light bulb with a green center as the O in On-Trend. The word CONCEPTS appears below in bold green uppercase letters.
  • White background with faint, light gray text displaying the word FStec, reminiscent of designs by Zack Oates.
  • Circular logo for the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Show, featuring the event name in orange and green with a small pineapple icon, plus “& Educational Summit & FRLA Board Meeting” around the edge—highlighting guest speaker Zack Oates.

About Zack’s Speeches

Zack is known for bringing life and energy to whatever stage he’s on. He’s prepared to speak on anything related to restaurant tech, hospitality, or running a business. Specifically, he loves to share insights on how to build relationships with your customers, and inspires teams on why to do it.

Zack is also not afraid to go outside of the box – such as when he refereed the Dog Vs Chicken Showdown, or when he emceed the Perfect Pitch Competition.

Book now
A man in a colorful plaid shirt, identified as Zack Oates, stands on stage giving a presentation, gesturing with his hands. Behind him is a wooden background with the partial word tamar and an orange striped graphic in the top right corner.

See Zack in Action

What People Are Saying

Zack Oates, a smiling man in a black suit, white dress shirt, and watch, stands with his arms crossed against a plain light background.

“If you need an inspiring speaker to anchor your event, call Zack Oates. I have had him speak twice at my 3-day event and he always delivers! Zack is the kind of speaker that draws the crowd in and keeps them hypnotized by his knowledge, humor, and endless energy. He is the perfect person to kick-off or end your event on a high note!’

Donald Burns, The Restaurant Coach
A smiling woman with long blonde hair wearing a white dress with black polka dots stands in front of a dark backdrop with faint logos, possibly at a Zack Oates event. She accessorizes with elegant earrings and a necklace.

“Zack is one of my favorite speakers in the restaurant industry. Whether he’s moderating a panel, hosting a debate or presenting detailed info, he is always hilarious, energetic and has a way of captivating any audience. I try to get him on stage at as many of my company’s annual events as possible.”

Cherryh Cansler, Fast Casual
Zack Oates, a smiling man with short light brown hair, is wearing a white collared shirt and a dark jacket. The background is softly blurred with framed art pieces visible on the wall.

“In addition to having data-driven information and insights, Zack Oates is an engaging speaker. Whether he is doing a stand-alone presentation, serving on a panel, or moderating, Zack brings the information to life, connects with the audience, and leaves attendees energized and educated. He is a great addition to any agenda.”

Pete Cook, OnTrend Concepts

To Request Zack to Speak, email hello@ovationup.com with your event details!

A smartphone screen displays a podcast episode titled Give an Ovation featuring Kelly MacPherson discussing Ovation Pricing. The top corner shows the podcast's purple icon with a stylized A and headphones.

HEAR ZACK HOST EVERY WEEK ON

Give an Ovation

Give An Ovation is the number one resource for ad-free, bite-sized interviews with restaurant experts. Zack would love you to be a guest or to be a guest on your podcast!

A rectangular button with a purple Apple Podcasts logo and the text Listen on Apple Podcasts on a black background—perfect for earning an ovation from your audience.
A black rectangle with the Google Podcasts logo, featuring the words "Listen on Google Podcasts" in white text—an ovation-worthy way to access your favorite shows.
A rectangular Ovation button with the Spotify logo on the left and the words Listen on Spotify in white and green text on a black background.