I'll Have What She's Having

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Friends of Branded!

Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.

For the readers of the H^2 that are from a younger generation than myself (I’m a Gen X, okay, I just made it insider the range to be an Gen X, but it still counts), the photo above is not an AI-created remake of the Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise Super Bowl commercial or an attempt to make Meg Ryan and Billy Crystal look younger.

It’s the OG, from the 1989 film When Harry Met Sally and the line “I’ll have what she's having” (which was made famous by Rob Reiner’s mother) wasn’t in the script. In fact, the whole scene came together as a result of a suggestion by Meg Ryan, in a read-thru, that it needed to take place in a public place, for example, in a restaurant. Billy Crystal added, and a customer should ask a waiter for whatever Meg Ryan was having. Rob Reiner knew immediately who should play the role, his mother. You can check this factoid out for yourself: Nora Ephron & Rob Reiner - the iconic scene

No, I’m not channeling my film studies from college, but that's the scene I thought about this week when I watched a table react to the excitement generated by a nearby table enthusiastically react and photograph a round of espresso martinis and then order a round of their own.

Yes, the company that made this ‘surprise & delight’ moment happen is Ripples and it’s a Branded portfolio company, but this mention of Ripples isn’t the point (although it seemed silly not to at least highlight it, right). ??

As long as I’m at it, to our friends at Rich's, do you have something that might help make printing with Ripples even easier & breezier? Maybe a collaboration of some kind could be considered?

Cool, I thought so! Cold Brew with Cold Foam

My point isn’t about the above-mentioned companies, but about the importance of the power of persuasion and how restaurant operators (at least the ones who understand and embrace it), are using it to influence guest behavior. While my example of a round of espresso martinis with photo of a guest printed on the foam is clearly a strategy for full-service & higher-end restaurants, the power of persuasion is used across the entire spectrum of restaurants including, of course, quick-service restaurants.

“Would you want to make it a meal” is the modernized upsell at McDonald’s and has replaced “would you like fries with that?” Actually, the modernized version of the power of persuasion for QSR’s is the upselling by kiosks (this is for you Mr. Barton and Bite). A human can ask maybe a single upselling question without being annoying, however, the kiosk has a range of tools

Shaquille O’Neal’s fast casual chain, Big Chicken, is making ordering at the kiosk a lot more entertaining).

I don’t know if the talented Dr. Melissa Hughes and her Food for Thought ‘column’ is rubbing off on me (and my grade in PSYC 105 in the first semester of my Frosh year at Wesleyan would suggest that I stay out of Dr. Hughes’ lane), but the phrase “I’ll have what she’s having” is a perfect example of one of six principles of persuasion identified by Dr. Robert Cialdini, the Regents’ Professor Emeritus of Psychology and Marketing at Arizona State University (who had Dr. Cialdini on their bingo card of this week’s Top of the Fold? Anyone?). ??

The idea is that people are more likely to want something if they see others enjoying it, especially if the enjoyment is displayed in a convincing way.

Ms. Ryan’s enthusiasm at the table with Mr. Crystal, of course, made for an iconic and humorous scene in this classic RomCom, but the point is that the enjoyment of something by one guest makes others curious and want to lean-in.

Seeing a line of people outside a restaurant or a full dining room makes people interested and suggests it’s a place that deserves attention. Creating a waitlist or even intentionally slowing down the seating of guests and having them start the night off at the bar, creates buzz (and possibly the upsell of the drink at the bar that may or may not have been ordered at the table…just saying). Limited-time offers (“LTOs”), along with seasonal dishes, trigger the powerful fear-of-missing-out (“FOMO”) and makes people want to act.

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The FIRST shoutout this week goes to a friend of Branded and one of my favorite writers that covers and provides insights on the hospitality, Kristen Hawley.

Kristen publishes the newsletter, Expedite, I’m an enthusiastic subscriber and I want to give her the first shoutout today and share her article on the Wonder acquisition of Tastemade.

I had intended to write about this purchase by Wonder this week, but instead I will proudly share Mr. Hawley’s newsletter here.

The sentence under the title of her article was too good and I’m simply going to tip my hat to Kristen and encourage you to read and subscribe to Expedite.

The SECOND shoutout this week goes to our friends and partners at Craveworthy Brands and their grand opening of Wander Dawgs at the Excalibur Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas.

As everyone knows, what happens in Vegas, inevitably ends up on Instagram! ??

This marks a massive milestone for Craveworthy Brands, as this emerging restaurant company officially brings its first concept to the Las Vegas Strip.

According to Founder & CEO, Gregg Majewski, “this is just the beginning.” (Mr. Majewski embraces brevity more than I do).

Vegas is a city built on energy, excitement, and bold ideas, and that’s exactly what Craveworthy brings to the table. Wander Dawg is the first of many incredible brands that Craveworthy is preparing to open across Las Vegas in the coming months and years.

I've pasted a picture below that I LOVE b/c it captures two of Branded’s partners, friends, and the respective CEOs driving both Craveworthy and Big Chicken forward!

I love this partnership between Craveworthy and Big Chicken and the opening of Wander Dawgs is the first of a whole lot of wins that will come from this dynamic duo!

Have a BIG day!

The THIRD and final shoutout today goes to our friends and partners at Fishbowl.

Branded is super proud to be a partner with the restaurant industry’s leading Guest Relationship Management platform.

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Branded invites readers of the?H^2?that are interested in learning more about our?portfolio companies, and?investment strategies?to become part of our?Access Hospitality Network.

This week Branded was very active with our focus on AI-solutions for restaurants and our partners at ARI Venture Studio.

We hosted a call with the leadership team from ARI-VS along with a diverse group of participants which included corporates, institutional investors, and family offices.

ARI-VS is an operating company uniquely focused on simultaneously building multiple AI-Native companies that support the global restaurant industry. ARI-VS is NOT a venture fund, but a venture studio that has a systemic and repeatable model to rapidly launch and scale start-ups.

It’s not often that Branded has the opportunity to partner with a group of experts that are even more narrowly focused on the hospitality industry (restaurants) and play at an even earlier-stage than we do.

ARI-VS’ has its own proprietary AI-powered development platform for rapid build, refinement and enhancement of multiple products. The ARI model will deliver (i) faster iterations (mitigating product risk); (ii) rapid testing (mitigating development risk); and (iii) anti-fragile software (mitigating scaling risk).

Our industry is undergoing a most meaningful transformation, and this places a heavy emphasis and value on digital and advanced AI-solutions.

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Featured Episode: Spicy Strategies: How El Pollo Loco Stays Hot in QSR

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Liz Williams, a powerhouse in finance, operations, and brand leadership, to explore how El Pollo Loco is redefining the quick-service restaurant (QSR) experience. Liz shares insights on modernizing restaurant design, leveraging technology to enhance operations, and balancing innovation with brand heritage.

Key topics include the growing demand for fresh, high-quality fast food, the role of digital engagement in customer loyalty, and how El Pollo Loco is merging QSR speed with fast casual quality. Plus, Liz dishes on the brand’s famous Salsa Verde, potential retail expansion, and the latest industry trends shaping foodservice.

Don’t miss this engaging conversation, complete with hot takes, trivia, and branding insights—all brought to you by Hospitality Hangout and Branded Hospitality Ventures. Stay tuned for more expert perspectives driving the future of hospitality!

Listen now and stay ahead of the game! ??

Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Liz Williams

You can tune in on:

Spotify: Click Here

Apple Podcasts: Click Here

Watch on YouTube: Click Here

Are you loving the Hospitality Hangout? Let us know! Please leave us a review here!

Who Made The B List?

FIND OUT HERE

MARKETING

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By: Rev Ciancio, Head of Revenue Marketing at Branded Hospitality Ventures

The Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit just concluded in Myrtle Beach, SC. The show attracts growth mindset, proactive brands who are interested in learning, sharing and improving. Its a GREAT show! Here are my KEY TAKEAWAYS...

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Breaking Free from Ideological Blind Spots: A Leader's Guide to Innovation

By:?Seth Temko, Solutions Services Partner at Branded Hospitality Ventures

Innovation requires challenging your own successful formulas.

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Food For Thought

Turning Special Occasions into Magical Memories

By: Dr. Melissa Hughes, keynote speaker & author

By turning special occasions into meaningful experiences, they forge deeper emotional connections with their guests. These small gestures make guests feel truly seen and valued, transforming an ordinary night out into an unforgettable celebration.?

Learn More

Beck To The Future

Tech Takes the Scenic Route to Hospitality: The Long, Winding Road from CES to Your POS

By: Michael Beck, INC Tank

The Long, Winding Road from CES to Your POS (A "Beck to the Future" musing).

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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 [email protected] 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