Friends of Branded!
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
On Thursday, the Yankees’ lefty Carlos Rodon struck out Brewers’ leadoff hitter Jackson Chourio in the Bronx, to open Major League Baseball’s 2025 season.
I wasn’t at the game, and neither did I see this opening on TV (did you JB?), but I love baseball, use references from America's pastime, and consider it the sport I lean on most when I think my own professional work as a cerebral sport.
Among the major US sports, baseball is the only one without a salary cap (MLB has a “luxury tax” while the other major US sports (NFL, NBA, NHL & MLS) all have "salary caps"). As a result, it’s the one league where big market, middle market, and small market clubs / teams compete and where payroll plays a MASSIVE role in determining the outcome with respect the league's champion each year.
Let’s put some numbers around this. For the 2025 season, the Los Angeles Dodgers have the highest payroll in MLB at approximately $322.6mm, while the Miami Marlins have the lowest payroll at about $47.9mm. Since I don’t believe there should be any math required on a Saturday morning, that’s a payroll disparity of roughly $247.7 million between these two teams.
There’s no crying in baseball, that’s the way the league is structured, and teams still need to go out and play the games.
My reason for using baseball as my go to sport for my work is b/c it’s the most honest and the way business and life works. I’ve got big love for the other leagues and that includes the financial constraints they’ve imposed to create parity, but that’s not how the real-world work works.
And yet in business (and we’ll keep this on business), there are no financial constraints imposed, and small businesses need to compete with larger ones and guess what, just like in baseball, sometimes, the small market teams win.
The last time a “small” market team won the World Series was in 2015 when the Kansas City Royals beat the New York Mets, but to be fair, both teams had mid-range payrolls that year (17th and 20th respectively out of 30 teams). The KC Royals do still represent the potential for teams with moderate payrolls to win championships.
There are so many amazing baseball movies and despite my searching an array of lists (I love lists), I couldn’t find a definitive source or answer to the question of the all-time greatest baseball movies. And that makes sense as the question itself is really matter of personal preferences.
In the spirit of candor, here’s my list of all-time favorite baseball films: Field of Dreams, Moneyball, Bull Durhan, The Sandlot, and The Bad News Bears (and Major League gets an honorable mention b/c of Charlie Sheen’s Oscar worthy performance as Ricky ‘Wild Thing’ Vaughn).
For anyone that takes issue with The Bad News Bears making my list (again, this is personal stuff my friends), please don’t forget that the original corporate partner of our Hospitality Hangout podcast was in fact Chico’s Bail Bonds (“Let Freedom Ring”)! We retired Chico’s after PepsiCo, Toast, DirecTV, Foodbuy and Olo became our (real life) corporate partners, but you never forget your first (even if it was a fictious sponsor). 😊
No matter how you rank your favorite baseball movies, I expect you’ll at least acknowledge that the speech by James Earl Jones in Field of Dreams was a great one.
“People will come, Ray. The one constant through all the years, Ray, has been baseball. America has rolled by like an army of steamrollers. It’s been erased like a blackboard, rebuilt, and erased again. But baseball has marked the time. This field, this game - it’s a part of our past, Ray. It reminds us of all that once was good, and it could be again. Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Ray. People will most definitely come.”
The above quote is a special one (at least to me) and you know who never said anything like this? A successful restauranteur!
Yes, that was a head fake, and I admit I may have lulled you into a moment of peacefulness, tranquility, and the wonderful, hopeful expression, that “people will come,” only to be told the truth, people will not come just b/c you opened your field…I mean…your restaurant.
If Field of Dreams was about a restaurant, the character, Mark, played by actor Timothy Busfield, would have been the only sane person in the film!
Now let’s get into!
No people will not just come b/c you open a restaurant. And let’s be clear, you can do something like 90% of the right things in terms of the location, the buildout, the staff, the menu, etc, but none of that means people will come.
The phrase “people will come” from Field of Dreams is about passion and creating something special that will bring people in. In the restaurant industry, the mindset is most certainly similar as most operators approach their business with passion and wanting to create something special (great food, a welcoming atmosphere, good energy) and like baseball, we want to create memorable experiences for our fans (guests).
But unlike the magic of baseball (or baseball movies), restaurants live and die because of execution, consistent & repeatable, execution!
Darth Vader my have said “if you build it, people will come,” but in the restaurant industry, the following saying is admittedly far less interesting, but it’s certainly far more honest: “if you build it, people might notice, they might even try it, but you’ve got to nail down the execution for people to really come or at least keep coming back.”
And this is where our industry gets so incredibly interesting and I dare say challenging b/c so much of the execution and the things a successful restaurant needs to nail down consistently are incredibly difficult and yet, they’re all table-stakes (meaning you’re dead without them).
- The food? Of course, it needs to be amazing (meet expectations) every single time. Consistency builds trust whether you run a food truck or a fine dining establishment.
- The Service? Yes! Friendly, attentive, a genuinely warm staff and good hearted. The importance of staff training can’t be understated and we’re not an industry where you can “set it and forget it.”
- Operations & Kitchen Efficiency? You know my view here; the front of the house is for show and the back of the house is for dough. The inventory, prep, and workflow must all run like a Swiss watch and there’s nothing easy about that.
- Cleanliness? Are you kidding me?!? Cleanliness is associated with care and quality.
But all the above are only part of what’s needed to execute successfully and most importantly, keep people coming in.
The other critical execution points are more qualitative, and I dare say subjective as they involve marketing, branding, visibility, identity and contribute mightily to value perception. I don’t like to say restaurants are “expensive” or “cheap,” but rather was the meal “worth it?” Our prices should match the quality and experience and there are many ways restauranteurs can boost their perceived value.
When a restaurant or brand can deliver on all the above, people don’t just come, they make you one of their “joints” and they write about you, post pictures on social media and they bring friends.
Ohhhhhhhh, people will come, Schatzy. People will most definitely come. 😊
In the Access Hospitality section, I draw from our friends at Evercore ISI and this amazing team of restaurant analysts who this week put out their takeaways from their Restaurant Tech Symposium 2025.
Spoiler alert #1: I’m not sharing the report b/c it’s not mine to share and I feel fortunate to be part of Evercore ISI’s community and wish to remain in good standing by respecting their work.
Spoiler alert #2: The takeaways in the Access Hospitality section are in-line with much of what Branded has been doing with its portfolio and our focus on AI-solutions, personalized marketing and guest engagement (and the emerging brands that embrace these critical technologies).
It takes a village.
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This week was loaded with action, so while I’ve included a bevy of shout outs, I’ve tried to make them “quick hits” since I went a little voluminous in an effort to be inclusive!
Who knows, maybe we’ll create a Quickfire version of the shoutouts like we have in our podcast! 😊
So, let’s roll!
Our FIRST shoutout goes to our friends & partners at Informa Connect and a most wonderful and strategic relationship we've had this industry leader for a number of years now. That, of course, included a collaboration that created Innovation Alley that for 4 consecutive years, was held at INFORMA’s event, FSTECH.
We’ve loved driving the Innovation Alley, but we also know we need to keep things fresh. I attribute the saying “if you’re standing still, you’re falling behind,” to my brother-from-another-mother, Mr. Wolf, so we’re changing things up and shifting some focus to INFORMA’s RLC 2025 event and have launched the Influencer Row in partnership with our friends from Foodbuy.
Together, with Foodbuy & INFORMA, we’re bringing some of the most dynamic, game-changing podcasters and influencers in the industry under one roof.
We’re super-excited to be heading to RLC this year and are looking forward to being part of Influencer Row and we’ll have other announcements about some the additional activities we’ve planned for this event along with our corporate partners.
If you’re planning to be out at RLC, we look forward to seeing you there!
You can read more about Branded’s Influencer Row in partnership with Foodbuy here: Branded Hospitality Partners with Informa to Launch Industry's First Influencer Row at Restaurant Leadership Conference
Our SECOND shoutout this week goes to our partners at the Co/Investor Club and specifically our friend Mike Pruitt.
Mr. Pruitt and the team at the Co/Investor Club have embraced Branded Hospitality as its experts-in-residence when it comes to the foodservice & hospitality industry and welcomed us into their community.
The Co/Investor Club provides its members with exclusive access to private investment opportunities and to work with lead investors and experts who have made it their business to discover, evaluate and capitalize on unique opportunities.
In the spirit of democratization, I appreciate that the Co/Investor Club’s mission is to work with its members, to help source high-return investments across a myriad of asset classes.
Branded’s focus is on the private markets and that’s where the Co/Investor Club focuses as well. The Co/Investor Club continues to be a big supporter of Branded, and I did an interview with them this week about what makes an interesting investment for Branded (as well what turns us off and represents red flags).
For more information on the Co/Investment Club, please click here: Co/Investor Club
To sign-up for the Co/Investor Club’s free weekly newsletter, please refer to the link here: Join the Co/Investor Club
Our THIRD shoutout this week goes to our partners at GoTab, the markets leading entertainment commerce platform designed to optimize experiences and efficiencies.
GoTab announced this week its acquisition of Opsi, an intelligent restaurant management solution designed to streamline kitchen operations and financial tracking.
With this acquisition, GoTab expands its capabilities beyond front-of-house solutions, offering restaurants a fully integrated system that connects teams from the point of the guest to the kitchen to accounting.
This acquisition is also helpful to me personally as I’ve calling for the consolidation of independent software vendors, so I appreciate GoTab and Ospi making an honest man out of me! 😊
GoTab’s acquisition of Opsi aligns with its long-term vision to help operators better manage costs, improve efficiency, and navigate economic uncertainty. By adding Opsi’s robust back-of-house capabilities, GoTab operators will have access to a comprehensive system that simplifies and enhances restaurant management.
Here’s a link to an article about this coming together: Game-Changing Restaurant Tech: Introducing GoTab + Opsi
Our FOURTH shoutout goes to our partners at ComAve and my daughter’s second favorite NBA basketball team, the Philadelphia 76ers!
ComAve is the world’s first super app dedicated to sports, revolutionizing how fans engage, shop, and get rewarded for their passion.
This week ComAve proudly announced it partnership with the 10, 9, 8, 76ers! marking its first NBA collaboration and the first US sports franchise partnership!
You can check out the LinkedIn post by the 76ers and the associated video here: 𝗕𝗥𝗘𝗔𝗞𝗜𝗡𝗚: 𝗖𝗼𝗺𝗔𝘃𝗲 𝘅 𝗣𝗵𝗶𝗹𝗮𝗱𝗲𝗹𝗽𝗵𝗶𝗮 𝟳𝟲𝗲𝗿𝘀!
With respect to the video, please note, the camera adds 10lbs, and I had 4 cameras on me. 😊
In all seriousness, ComAve is a unique sports fan engagement platform where fans and the teams they love win!
Branded’s interests lie in how operator-tech can help brands win and that’s what ComAve does in the world of sports.
- A global Marketplace – A one-stop shop for fans, ensuring fans have access to everything they need, no matter the season
- Immersive Gamification – Engage in team challenges and interactive games, earn points, and unlock exclusive team rewards
- Next-Gen Loyalty Program – Get rewarded for everything you do – whether shopping, ordering food, or participating in challenges – and redeem points for VIP access, discounts, and once-in-a-lifetime experiences
Our FIFTH shoutout goes to our partners at Curbit, the market’s leading kitchen capacity management solution for restaurants. For those less in the weeds, Curbit helps restaurant manage their pick-up and delivery orders efficiently, ensuring “happy handoffs” for all guests!
This week, the good people at Zippy’s Restaurants announced its embracement of Curbit and its implementation of Curbit’s dynamic order orchestration and real-time guest SMS updates. With this announcement I also have the privilege of including friends of Branded, QSR Automations KDS and Olo's order management systems for its seamless integrations with Curbit that resulted in a smooth and immediate implementation and immediate results for Zippy’s (I see you Angela and Noah). 😊
You want a village! How about this one that brings Curbit, QSR Automations and Olo together! Boom!
You can read about the collaboration between Zippy’s and Curbit here: Zippy's talks about how Curbit improves customer experience and operational performance
And finally, a rare, but SIXTH shoutout to Friend of Branded and one of the industry’s favorite sons, Bryan Solar, the Chief Product Officer at SpotOn.
I didn’t ask permission of Mr. Solar, but I'm prepared to ask for forgiveness.
I enjoyed his LinkedIn post (article) about his experience at the Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025 that took place this week, and I wanted to share it with the readers of the H^2.
Bryan’s article (which unlike my writings, is appropriately a 3-minute read) is, well, spot-on, and hits some highlights on tech trends every operator should know and includes a few thoughts on AI-solutions.
The Branded team appreciates you, Bryan!
3 Takeaways from Bar & Restaurant Expo 2025
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This week, the good people at Evercore ISI, the leading research department known for insightful and value-added content, put out its Restaurant Tech Symposium 2025 takeaways.
Each year, Mr. David Palmer, a Senior Managing Director at Evercore, along with his team, hosts its Evercore ISI Restaurant Tech Symposium in an effort to help investors better understand today’s accelerating pace of technology investment in this sector.
I’m referencing the work by Evercore and its takeaways b/c of how much it's on-brand, for, well, Branded!
This year’s symposium featured significant discussion around AI-solutions (ARI Venture Studio), along with equipment to help improve labor efficiency (Bite and PourMyBev) and digital & personalized marketing plus guest engagement (Fishbowl and Vistify).
No, the Symposium didn't include the companies I've included above in the parenthesis, that was my doing and reflects my self-interest.
While Evercore understandably focuses on the larger restaurant companies in the industry, one of the truly amazing things about the digital transformation that is underway is how it empowers brands of all shapes and sizes. I’ve long argued that our industry is among the most democratized anywhere.
Sure, Evercore’s focus is more on what companies such as Chipotle are doing in connection with personalized marketing, but companies like Fishbowl allow both enterprise and SMBs to leverage its toolkit for guest relationship management (read more here: The new look of Fishbowl GRM) and how QSRs can leverage Vistify’s digital menu boards to enhance the customer experience, optimize conversion and level-up guest engagement (read more here: Vistify's Digital Menu).
I’ve written about and shared what our friends at YUM! are doing in connection AI-solutions and the Branded team is thrilled to have our partner Michael Atkinson, one of the founders at ARI Venture Studio who is now contributing to the H^2 and bringing its content to our subscribers (The Strategic Advantage of Sector-Specific Venture Studios in ResTech).
Robotics and automation are both important sectors for ResTech (as highlighted by Evercore) but can also be a challenging one given the costs often associated with the equipment. Branded takes great pride in two of our portfolio companies, Bite and PourMyBev, b/c of the immediate return on investment that both of these platforms can deliver for its customers.
Bite’s “Lift," which is the company’s proprietary algorithm that maximizes order size and throughput, increases check averages by 20%. You can read more about the importance of the global self-service kiosk market & Bite here: global self-service kiosk market.
Leveraging PourMyBev can reduce headcount by as much as 75%, offers a fast-track to ROI within a year and boosts sales volume by 50%. It also creates a guest experience that is valued and embraced by your customers. You can check out some of PourMyBev’s insights here: PourMyBev/insights.
We appreciate and value the insights and research produced by the Evercore ISI team and if you want to explore how to put these themes into action, let’s connect.
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Featured Episode: Guest Experience as a Strategy with Mike Fiato of Eurest
In an industry built on human connection, Mike Fiato doesn’t just lead—he inspires. His approach to hospitality isn’t about job titles or departments; it’s a strategy rooted in care, purpose, and emotional insight. From his early days in restaurant ownership to his transition into hospitality leadership, Mike has spent a lifetime proving that small, meaningful actions create unforgettable guest experiences.
A trip to Disney first opened his eyes to the power of intentional service. Since then, he’s championed team empowerment, recognizing that the best guest experiences start with a culture of support and clear expectations.
Mike also reminds us that chefs aren’t just behind-the-scenes figures; they’re cultural touchpoints. He believes visibility, engagement, and recognition of kitchen staff bring authenticity and warmth to every interaction. Whether in a fine dining restaurant, a coffee shop, or an airline lounge, his philosophy proves that a castle isn’t required for a magical guest experience—just people who truly care.
And of course, our signature Hospitality Hangout segments kept things fun. Hot or Not sparked debate, Which Came First? settled hospitality history, and Fast Money confirmed that chicken tenders and pizza still reign supreme.
Listen now and stay ahead of the game! 🎧
Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Michael Fiato
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That’s it for today!
See you next week, same bat-time, same bat-channel.
It takes a village!
Jimmy Frischling
Branded Hospitality Ventures
jimmy@brandedstrategic.com
235 Park Ave South, 4th Fl | New York, NY 10003
Branded Hospitality Ventures ("Branded") is an investment and solutions platform at the intersection of foodservice, technology, innovation and capital. As experienced hospitality owners and operators, Branded brings value to its partners through investment, strategic counsel, and its deep industry expertise and connections.
Learn more about Branded here: Branded At-A-Glance