In an industry where change is constant but execution is everything, a diverse panel of restaurant industry leaders spanning development, design and technology gathered at RestaurantSpaces to share their roadmap for transforming legacy brands and evolving concepts. Moderated by Nicole Poole, VP of Hospitality + Entertainment at HFA-AE, execs from Church's Chicken, Walk-On's Bistreaux, and Dine Brands explored how innovation takes shape when guest experience and operational excellence align with modern technological capabilities.
Three Game-Changing Perspectives
The AI Revolution in Quick Service
Picture a drive-thru that knows your order before you speak. This isn't science fiction—it's happening now at Church's Chicken, where Dan Meretsky, Vice President of Restaurant Technology, has transformed the ordering experience. His team's AI system doesn't just take orders; it creates personalized suggestions based on customer history. "It'll understand who you are and present what they think you might like to order," Meretsky explains, showcasing how AI can enhance rather than replace human interaction.
Small Space, Big Impact
"We don't really need 10,000 square feet to achieve that." With this bold statement, Jennifer Pecoraro-Striepling, Chief Development Officer at Walk-On's Bistreaux, challenged industry assumptions about restaurant size and success. The result? An innovative 5,300-square-foot prototype that maintains their impressive $4.5 million AUV while enhancing the guest experience through smart design, improved acoustics, and an amplified game-day atmosphere.
Reimagining Existing Assets
Traditional dining dayparts? Don Roberts is rewriting that rulebook. The Vice President of Architecture & Design at Dine Brands has orchestrated something unprecedented: a harmonious merger of IHOP and Applebee's under one roof. "What we have found is that breakfast is not just had during the AM," Roberts reveals. The outcome speaks for itself—dual-brand locations are doubling sales with minimal kitchen modifications, proving that sometimes the boldest innovation comes from reimagining existing assets.
The New Innovation Playbook
For restaurants considering their next evolution, this panel's collective wisdom points to three essential strategies:
- Listen to the Line - Your most valuable insights come from the team members in the trenches. "Talk to the guys that are working the fryer or working the flat top," Pecoraro-Striepling advises, noting how these front-line perspectives often reveal operational challenges no consultant would spot.
- Think Beyond the Box - Innovation isn't always about reduction or speed. Sometimes, like Dine Brands discovered, it's about finding unexpected synergies between existing concepts that create new opportunities for growth.
- Start with Stress Points - Before adding new technologies or processes, focus on eliminating existing friction points. As Meretsky notes, "We work because we have these restaurants, and if they're not running efficiently, our crew is stressed."
Tomorrow's Table
The future of restaurants won't be defined by any single technology or design trend. Instead, it will belong to brands brave enough to question conventional wisdom while staying true to their core promise. As these leaders demonstrate, the most powerful innovations often come from solving existing problems in surprisingly simple ways.
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