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Friends of Branded!

Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.

Merriam-Webster defines a “restaurant” as a business establishment where meals or refreshments may be purchased.

Cambridge Dictionary defines a “restaurant” as a place where meals are prepared and served to customers.

Both definitions are of course accurate (I’m not crazy enough to challenge the definitions authored by Merriam-Webster or Cambridge), but neither of the above are very interesting or sexy.

Let’s work a little harder on this definition and come up with something we can be a little prouder of - a “restaurant” is more than just a place to eat - it's a stage where culinary artistry meets human connection. It’s a dynamic space where chefs transform raw ingredients into memorable dishes, where flavors tell stories, and where people gather to celebrate, unwind, or simply savor the moment.

Now we’re getting somewhere, right? This last definition is far more romantic and appealing. Good, b/c now it’s bait & switch time!

What if I said a “restaurant” is a vehicle to identify, vet and validate technology & innovation?

Well, that’s a most sterile definition!

Maybe the right answer lies in the place I went towards far too often on standardized tests: E, all the above.

Of course, we all know that a restaurant is a business where meals can be purchased, and of course it’s a place where meals are prepared and served to customers. And some may accept that a restaurant is also where culinary artistry meets human connection.

But very few people (and I’m specifically directing this comment to restaurant operators) will believe or accept that a restaurant can also be a vehicle to identify, vet and validate technology & innovation.

Let’s rewind the clock a few years! It’s February 5th, 2017, and the New England Patriots, overcome a 28 – 3 deficit, and come back to defeat the Atlanta Falcons and win their 5th Super Bowl (JB: enjoy this gift my friend, b/c I don’t expect to ever do this again).

At the same time, Branded Restaurants has renovated one of our restaurants on the upper east side of Manhattan (83rd and second avenue to be exact) – Duke’s Original Roadhouse and a new technology that offers a self-pouring beverage system that engages guests differently as well as reduces labor and eliminates waste.

This restaurant, which was really a joint on the upper east side, had a nice run where many good times were had. But more than anything else, when I think of this single store, I think about the technology and innovation it helped Branded identify, value, and ultimately invest into.

This single unit was where Schatz and I were introduced to and lead to the investments in PourMyBeer; and only a short while later, Chowly; Bbot and GoParrot.

Bbot was acquired by Doordash and GoParrot was acquired by Square. PourMyBeer and Chowly remain independent companies and continue to be among the strongest allies to operators in our portfolio of now over 50 companies.

One restaurant, four technology companies, two exits and a wealth of value that helped us launch Branded Hospitality Group, our investment, solutions, and media platform.

This coming week, hundreds of public and private company management teams, institutional investors, sell-side research analysts, investment bankers, and private equity professionals will arrive in Orlando for the 27th annual ICR Conference.

Ahead of this conference, Branded Hospitality fully embraced the lesson so many of us learned from School House Rock (where “Three is a Magic Number") and announced with pride a partnership with Craveworthy Brands and Everstar Asset Management.

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I’m not going to lie, the Shoutout section is becoming a little more difficult one to pull together as so many companies in our community are doing rockstar things that deserve attention.

I also respect (and continue to welcome) folks sharing some of the things they’ve got cooking in an effort to help keep me informed (and maybe they're also lobbying for inclusion in this section).

The FIRST Shoutout this week didn’t need any prodding, but I did receive some overwhelming support from many friends in connection with the good people at Toast POS and specifically its “One of Those Nights” short film.

Branded uses Toast in our restaurants and we also love working with this dynamic and operator-centric company.

We want to give a big shoutout and congratulations to our friend Kelly Esten, the Chief Marketing Officer at Toast on this campaign and collaboration with Matty Matheson, Chef PJ Calapa, and the entire Marea restaurant team.

You can read about this amazing campaign here: Little Things, Big Impact: Toast and Matty Matheson Celebrate the Details That Define Great Hospitality

And you can view the short film here: One of Those Nights

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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.

In Q4 2024, Branded proudly announced our joining the good people at ARI Venture Studio as a Founding a member and this week I want to use the Access Hospitality section to dive a little more into this company.

Branded’s investment strategy when it comes to ResTech has been to work with early-stage companies and that have a minimally viable product and ideally some threshold of proof of concept as a result of their producing revenues.

We LOVE working with emerging and early-stage companies b/c its where we believe Branded is best positioned to add-value. As companies find success along the maturation curve, we understand that their needs change and growth capital become more of a priority than the nailing down of their product, market, fit and go-to-market strategy.

An area of the business we’ve been very interested in is the ideation stage and the work specifically that venture studios perform in connection with the active building and developing of start-ups. I fully recognize this is a very different business model than Branded’s, but one that we believe is very synergistic and aligned with our platform.

When the opportunity presented itself to partner with some good friends and experienced business builders at ARI Venture Studio, that's exclusively focused on the ResTech sector, we enthusiastically got on board.

ARI Venture Studio creates and scales start-ups that address operational inefficiencies and management challenges in the restaurant industry. As an investor in operator-centric technology companies, ARI’s focus and desire to be an ally to operators is incredibly aligned with Branded’s ethos.

ARI leverages a unique studio model, combining the financial backing of venture capital, the structure of accelerators, and the innovation of start-up entrepreneur founders. This hands-on approach systematically builds business and turns ideas into scalable companies.

Here’s what Branded is certain about – death, taxes and that everyone we know will eat and drink, every day, for the rest of their lives.

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Featured Episode: The #1 Burger in the Universe! Habit Burger Crushes the Burger Wars

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, we sit down with Shannon Hennessy, the powerhouse behind one of the fastest-growing brands in the quick-service restaurant industry, Habit Burger. Shannon shares her incredible journey—from filing papers at her father's pediatric office to leading a brand that’s become famous for its award-winning burgers, innovative campaigns, and commitment to customer loyalty.

During our conversation, Shannon dives into Habit Burger’s unique recipe for success, from their "Best Burger in America" title to creative campaigns that sparked the "better burger wars." She also discusses how AI is revolutionizing their drive-throughs, how they’re meeting customers where they are with digital platforms, and what it’s like being part of Yum! Brands while maintaining their signature cook-to-order approach.

Don't miss out on insights about everything from kiosks in every store to hot takes on AI-powered operations and California’s minimum wage increase. Tune in now for a taste of Habit Burger’s journey to the top!

Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Shannon Hennessy

Re-Run of the Week: Olo’s Founder Noah Glass: The Restaurant Tech Gold Medalist

In this REWIND episode of The Hospitality Hangout, we chat with Noah, the visionary behind Olo, who has transformed the restaurant industry through cutting-edge technology. With roots in Political Science from Yale and an impressive journey from service stations to tech startups, Noah founded Olo to streamline digital ordering and delivery for restaurants. Now a leader in hospitality tech, Olo is empowering restaurants to merge digital and traditional payment systems, enhancing both the customer experience and operational efficiency.

Noah shares insights into Olo’s latest innovation—introducing card-present payment processing through Olo Pay—and discusses how data is key to driving sales and building personalized guest experiences. He highlights the balance between traditional, in-person transactions and the industry’s ongoing digital transformation, demonstrating how Olo integrates "the old fashioned way" with modern technology to keep the human touch alive while leveraging data-driven decisions.

Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Noah Glass

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Who Made The B List?

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TECHNOLOGY

Unlocking Business Insights: The Power of Sales Win-Loss Analysis

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

Exploring the overlooked discipline of sales win-loss analysis reveals its crucial role in refining business strategies and enhancing performance.

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MARKETING

The 4 Restaurant Business Shows You Need To Consider in Q1

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

Wondering how I learn all this stuff that I know about marketing? A lot of it is testing at my restaurant, Handcraft Burgers and Brew or with the clients I am consulting for, but I learn A LOT by attending trade shows and conferences. That's a huge reason I go to so many.

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Food For Thought

Decoy Pricing

By: Dr. Melissa Hughes, keynote speaker & author

How to Use the Decoy Effect to Boost Restaurant Profits.

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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