Friends of Branded!
Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.
The Coca-Cola Company was founded on May 8th, 1886, by inventor Dr. John Stith Pemberton, a pharmacist. The product was originally created as a medicinal tonic, and contained cocaine from coca leaves and caffeine from kola nuts. It was marketed as a cure for headaches and fatigue.
PepsiCo was founded on August 28th, 1898, by inventor Caleb Bradham, a pharmacist. The product was originally called “Brad’s Drink”, and was renamed Pepsi-Cola in 1898, inspired by the word “pepsin”, an enzyme that helps digestion, even though it never contained pepsin.
The “Cola Wars” have been going on for over 125 years, although the term “Cola Wars” itself really became popular in the 1980s. This battle for cola supremacy is one of the most iconic brand rivalries in history and as a consumer, it’s responsible for some incredible ads and amazing corporate drama.
But this week’s Top of the Fold isn’t about this over a century-old battle between two of America’s most successful companies, but rather about competition done the right way.
In 2006, an employee of Coca-Cola, Joya Williams, along with two accomplices, tried to sell confidential Coca-Cola trade secrets to PepsiCo. This trio offered the Coca-Cola secrets to PepsiCo for $1.5mm, but instead of playing dirty and accepting any such information, PepsiCo immediately contacted Coca-Cola and the FBI. The legendary line in a letter sent by PepsiCo to Coke stated: “We’re rivals, not criminals. Competition can be fierce, but it should also be fair and legal.”
There’s plenty of writing on this attempted scandal and I’ve included an article here if you’d like to read about it for yourself: The botched Coca-Cola heist of 2006
The restaurant industry is fiercely competitive, but it’s also an industry where competition (more often than not) is done the right way more than any other industry I’ve experienced. Yes, we have to be ultra-competitive, b/c margins are tight, the industry is saturated, and there are only so many meals and snacks that can be consumed every day (if Schatz could jump in here and tell a joke at my expense, this would be the moment he’d do it, but even I have my limit on the number of meals and snacks I can consume in a day). 😊
When emerging brands and new entrants to the market win the attention of consumers, by definition their success is another brand's loss of business. The restaurant industry is a zero-sum game: you’re either dining at my restaurant or you’re dining at one of my competitors restaurants. There’s nothing right or wrong about that, fair or unfair, it’s just the facts (ma’am, just the facts).
Our industry might be fiercely competitive, but we’re also incredibly collaborative and I dare say friendly with one another. A potentially politically incorrect comment here, but if the hospitality were a country, I’d say we’re Ireland (known as “the land of a thousand welcomes”) or Australia (known for its “no worries, mate” which isn’t just a stereotype, but a real expression of their down-to-earth and chilled-out mindset).
So why the telling of the botched Coca-Cola heist of 2006?
For over a hundred years two of the biggest and most successful foodservice companies have battled each other as hard as any two competitors possibly can, but when presented with an opportunity to potentially gain an advantage, PepsiCo rejected it in support of fair (and legal) competition.
One of my favorite comedians, Chris Rock, has a great saying about not getting credit for doing what you’re supposed to do (or conversely, not getting credit for not doing, what you’re not supposed to do).
I agree and embrace this line of thinking by Mr. Rock and if that’s the case, then why recognize what PepsiCo did here in the H^2 b/c that’s what they were supposed to do, right?
I’ve brought it up here b/c it’s not lost on me how many high-profile rivals (corporates, sports teams, and otherwise) have been accused of trade secret thefts or operating outside the law (or at least outside the lines) when it comes to how they compete. Maybe I’m taking issue with the timeless expression of “all is fair in love & war” which is actually the shortened version of the phrase attributed to John Lyly, an English writer, whose quote was “the rules of fair play do not apply in love and war” in his novel, Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit, written back in 1578 (like I said, this expression is timeless). 😊
I therefore think when integrity, honesty and fairness are displayed at the highest level of competition, it deserves to be called out and recognized.
The hospitality industry is a strong example of fierce-but-fair competition, and I’ll go further and share that I’m grateful for the community that Branded is part of, where the vast majority of people and companies are demonstrating that competition can also be fierce-but-friendly.
Branded proudly sits at the intersection of hospitality, technology, and capital, and we’re specifically focused on emerging companies (youthful companies), and there’s often at least some level of competition among our portfolio companies. These companies may not have started out that way, but roadmaps change, and market circumstances or opportunities can result in companies that may have launched in separate lanes, now finding themselves competing. Respect.
As long-term players in this industry, while it’s not an exact science, we do see a correlation among companies and specifically executives that embrace the competition but also see the value in collaboration or at least decency with their competitors, and the ones that perform well.
Our industry, as I’ve mentioned often, is fragmented and that means there aren’t one-size-fits-all solutions. Specifically in the technology space, the market is too broad and deep for your tech to be the right solution for everyone (it’s just not going to happen). In an industry that is experiencing a most meaningful digital transformation, if the goal is get operators to understand the value of your solution and get adoption, there’s strength in numbers.
One of Branded’s earliest investments, Bbot (an OG of onsite digital ordering and payment solutions), and specifically its CEO, was known to collaborate and work in support of a number of Bbot’s direct competitors. When asked why he was helping his competition, he explained that he needed both operators and guests to embrace Bbot's pay-at-the-table solution. This was a new application fror smart phones in connection with on-premises ordering and payments and guests needed to see this offering more. He understood that Bbot, at best, would only capture a small percentage of the market for this solution and that he needed his competitors to help bring awareness to the pay-at-the-table solutions.
While I can’t attribute the successful sale of Bbot to DoorDash, to CEO’s approach to friendly competition, Bbot always seemed to be bigger, more confident, and more attractive b/c they weren’t trashing their competition, they were supporting and lifting them up.
Think about how attractive confidence is vs how ugly hubris or arrogance are. Don’t you want to work, spend time with or acquire the confident company?
We see the collaboration among a number of our portfolio companies that might surprise folks both inside and outside our industry. While some of these collaborators appear to be direct competitors of one another, they’re clearly finding value together and have even gone as far as to refer business to one another.
Branded has the privilege of working and engaging with so many operators, but when asked for tech recommendations, we’ll never tell them to use one of our portfolio companies in connection with their tech-stack if we think there’s a better solution for them. If we believe we have the right solution, we’ll express that, but we’re also just as quick to tell a restaurant operator that there are more suitable solutions away from us (or in the case of operators with a relatively small unit count, we’ve often recommended that they use the suite of services offered by one of the POS companies that offers bundled and a complete suite of solutions).
You might be reading this week’s Top of the Fold and conclude that I’m not a competitive person given the views I’ve shared above. I respect your opinion, but you’d be wrong. I’m fiercely competitive, but not with my friends, family, partners. More importantly, being fiercely competitive doesn’t have to be incongruent with fairness or friendliness (and I dare say, they go wonderfully together).
It takes a village.
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The FIRST shoutout this week goes to our partners at Bite and their being recognized by Fast Company’s as one of the World’s Most Innovative Companies of 2025!
I’ve copied a few links below on this award, but I’ve pulled a quote from Bite’s CEO, Branded Barton, here: “The industry is in the early innings of what a great hospitality experience for guests feels like on a kiosk and Bite’s leading innovations are making guests feel that hospitality warmth through a digital in-store channel.”
- CEO Brandon Barton - LinkedIn post on Fast Company award
- Bite Named One of World’s Most Innovative Companies.
- Tech provider Bite wants to bring a human touch to kiosks
I’m sharing this quote b/c Branded very much agrees that we’re in the early innings of this digital transformation and b/c people often think technology means inhospitable, and that’s just not true.
I’ve written previously about Bite’s work with our partners at Big Chicken to elevate the guest experience (and increase revenues for this emerging restaurant company) by offering enhanced designs, integrating secret menu items and premium nudges. Bite is uniquely making its kiosks feel less like a transaction and more like an extension of the restaurant’s brand (and I dare say, entertaining).
You can read more about the collaboration between Bite & Big Chicken here: Big Chicken debuts 'O'Neal Family Secret Menu' on Bite kiosks
Congratulations to the entire team at Bite, to Big Chicken for being the brand that embraced this project, and together, are redefining what kiosks can do to create more engaging and rewarding experiences for guests.
The SECOND shoutout this week goes to our partners at Craveworthy Brands for its continued journey towards $1bn in sales in 5 years.
For those keeping score, I know Craveworthy gets a shout out often, but seriously, can you think of a brand that is more active in developing, acquiring and partnering with brands? I can’t!
This week it was announced that entrepreneur, investor, and former-NFL great, Ndamukong Suh, has joined forces with Gregg Majewski and his Craveworthy Brands. Mr. Suh has become an investor in Craveworthy and is rolling his Kinnamons, along with his BAE’s Fried Chicken and Fat Kitty Ramen into Craveworthy.
Below please find a link to the story by our friends at Restaurant Business about Craveworthy’s mission to reach $1 billion in sales in 5 years.
Here's the latest step in Craveworthy Brands' mission to hit $1B in sales in 5 years
As one of Branded’s partners, we understand that Craveworthy's growth strategy is different, and that at a very youthful age, this portfolio approach, as opposed to remaining focused on a single brand, is unconventional.
However, this isn’t Mr. Majewski’s first rodeo, and as you’ll see in the article, if you chose to give it a look, that both Gregg and Ndamukong, are fired up about this second act.
Craveworthy has both a playbook and platform that creates efficiencies with shared infrastructure and proven systems that will make this drive to $1 billion in sales in 5 years a reality.
I can’t guaranty this (there are limits to the guarantees I can make), but Branded is most certainly betting on it!
The THIRD and final shoutout this week goes to our friends at Yum Brands b/c leaders gotta lead, and that’s exactly what the good people at Yum are doing.
Go big or go home!
Branded wants to recognize Yum’s embracement of AI-solutions with its new partner, with Nvidia and its desire to accelerate the development of AI for its restaurants. The goal of this partnership is for Nvidia’s technology to support Yum’s proprietary tech-stack. Yum is Nvidia’s first restaurant partner and Branded believes this trend of both larger restaurant companies along with larger ResTech companies partnering with AI-solution providers is upon us.
Nvidia’s technology will support Yum’s proprietary tech system, Byte. Yum has been piloting several AI tools at some of its Pizza Hut and Taco Bell locations and now plans to roll out the tools to about 500 restaurants this year including KFC and Habit Burger.
Yum has always been a leader and on the front-end of the curve when it comes to leveraging tech as a competitive advantage vs its major competitors. I think it's important to note (b/c so many operators and consumers remain wary of AI for restaurants) that a big part of Yum’s work with Nvidia includes back-of-house solutions including computer vision. I believe too much attention on AI is given to pricing and the over-hyped issues associated with dynamic pricing. Remember, like golf (which is a sport I don’t play, but I do understand), driving is for show and putting is for dough. In restaurants, it’s the back of house where money is truly made or lost and Yum, working with Nvidia, to address back-of-house solutions is a clear tell of where this leading restaurant company is focused.
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This week I was reading a story about how Gen Z and Millennials are bringing their own sauces to restaurants.
That’s right, when selecting a restaurant, 34% of people check the available sauces and condiments first according to the Technomic Flavor Consumer Trend Report. Gen Z is leading this trend, but the report also said that 25% of young(er) diners are actually bringing their own condiments, particularly hot sauce, to restaurants.
This love of customization and personalization made me think about our partners at Mr Bing, the leading East Asian Street Sauces and Bold Flavors company!
Bringing your own bottle of sauce to a restaurant? Are restaurants going to need to charge a “saucing-fee”?
No, I don’t expect they will, but they should recognize that if guests are bringing their own sauces, then by definition, restaurants aren’t offering the flavors younger(er) diners desire.
Restaurants – give your guests what they want!
Now the boast for our partners at Mr Bing.
This company is bridging cultures through food with bold and easy-to-use east Asian street sauces. Global flavors, especially Asian flavors, are mainstreaming and becoming more “mashed-up” and desired by your guests.
Don’t hate the player, hate the game. Your guests, more than ever, crave novelty, meaning and they want different yet relatable flavors.
Mr Bing is a single-minded, sauce centric company. That’s right, they do one thing and in Branded’s opinion, they do it better than anyone in the industry.
In addition to the report from Technomic, I saw that Mr Bing and Fablish (Real Food. Unreal Flavor.) have collaborated and was a finalist for “Best Spices & Condiments” at the 2025 Nexty Award (streaming live on The Ocho 😊).
This seems like an amazing collaboration and a move by a restaurant to embrace what their guests are asking for.
If any of this strikes a chord with you, let’s connect and talk about Mr Bing.
Bing it on!
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Featured Episode: The Smartest Move in Restaurant Tech Is Simplicity and ScheduleFly Proves It
Success in hospitality isn’t just about getting bigger—it’s about getting better. For over 15 years, Will Brawley and the ScheduleFly team have built a company that puts independent restaurants first, proving that great service and strong relationships matter more than chasing big contracts. Their simple, effective scheduling software does exactly what it should—help restaurants run smoother—while their unmatched customer support helps operators thrive.
But Will’s impact goes beyond software. He was podcasting before podcasting was cool, launching Restaurant Owners Uncorked 12 years ago to give independent operators a platform to share their unfiltered stories. His philosophy mirrors the best-run restaurants: deliver a great product, take care of people, and give back to the community.
In this episode, we explore the balance between passion and practicality in hospitality—how technology can streamline operations without sacrificing the warmth that makes this industry special. Plus, our Hot Takes segment stirred up big opinions, Which Came First? settled some heated debates, and the ultimate pro tip emerged—smile if you want a bigger tip.
Listen now and stay ahead of the game! 🎧
Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Wil Brawley
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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