The Simmer
The Simmer
The Simmer explores and explains hot topics in restaurant technology and the future of hospitality. It's led by two industry veterans with a lot of opinions. Kristen Hawley has spent over a decade covering the beat for her newsletter Expedite and top titles including Fast Company, Business Insider, Bon Appetit, Eater, and Food & Wine. Brandon Barton is CEO of Bite, an industry-leading intelligent kiosk ordering software provider with nearly two decades of experience in restaurant tech. Each episode, the hosts interview some of the smartest people in hospitality to dissect what's happening now
Episodes
Mentioned books
Mar 31, 2026 • 42min
Sam Bakhshandehpour, President, Local Merchants, Bilt
Former Jose Andres Group CEO Sam Bakhshandehpour recently joined Bilt, a $10 billion loyalty platform that rewards people for paying their rent and mortgage on Bilt cards, helping to fuel the so-called “points economy.” Recently, the company released a flashy video full of top-name chefs and restaurateurs to launch Bilt Hospitality, a kind of digital concierge service targeted at restaurants. But what is it, exactly? And how does it work? In this episode, Sam answers these questions and more — including when we might see a launch video with more than one woman in it.
Mar 10, 2026 • 49min
Ben Leventhal, Founder & CEO, Blackbird
Ben Leventhal, founder and CEO of Blackbird and serial entrepreneur who launched Eater and Resy, talks restaurant tech and strategy. He explains Blackbird’s tap-to-check-in loyalty puck and staff perks. Payments, tokenized processing, and POS partnership hurdles come up. They debate reservations competition, DoorDash moves, and where premium restaurants can win.
Feb 25, 2026 • 37min
Pablo Rivero, CEO, Resy (round 2)
Pablo Rivero, CEO of Resy and SVP/Head of Amex Global Dining, who led Resy’s integration with Tock and Amex partnerships. He explains the Resy–Tock unification, how key Tock features will be preserved, Resy Credit and its revenue lift for restaurants. Discussion covers discovery challenges, API and POS integrations with Toast, AI-driven personalized discovery, and rollout timing.
Feb 10, 2026 • 41min
Maxx Freedman, Founder of Spice
It’s been a minute (actually, years) since ghost kitchens and virtual brands dominated conversations about restaurant delivery. While those businesses have largely fallen out of view (with a few notable exceptions), restaurants still need a viable digital strategy. In this episode, we talk to Maxx Freedman, founder of Spice, a growth and marketing agency for restaurants, about what restaurants are asking for — and what they need — now.
Jan 8, 2026 • 34min
Welcome, 2026!
In this special edition of The Simmer, Kristen and Brandon talk through that viral Reddit delivery post (and its aftermath), look back on what they got wrong (and right!) about 2025, and offer a few thoughts on the year ahead.
Dec 16, 2025 • 42min
Jill Adams, Chief Marketing Officer, El Pollo Loco
It’s a good time to be a chicken chain. New concepts are taking off and legacy brands, like the 50-year-old El Pollo Loco, are poised for serious growth. The fire-grilled chicken brand, currently open in eight states, is planning a larger expansion. In this episode, Jill Adams, the brand’s chief marketer, talks customer expectations, AI for better and more efficient marketing efforts, and why she’s optimistic restaurants will have a good 2026.
Dec 9, 2025 • 45min
Avi Goren, Co-founder and CEO, Marqii
It’s been almost a decade since Avi Goren launched Marqii to help restaurants get found on the internet. That challenge remains, but search and discovery methods and technology have changed… a lot. In this episode, we talk about discovery in the age of generative AI and the continued challenge of reputation management for restaurants.
Dec 2, 2025 • 46min
Chris DeSaye, VP of Information Technology, Gibson’s Restaurant Group
Longtime restaurant exec and OpenTable advisory board member Chris DeSaye knows the bookings business as well as anyone and has a clear view of what comes next. In this episode, we talk DoorDash, artificial intelligence, and, of course, the always-evolving reservations biz.
Nov 4, 2025 • 42min
Rachael Nemeth Co-founder & CEO, Opus Training
Rachael Nemeth, Co-founder and CEO of Opus Training, leads a tech company focused on empowering multi-unit restaurant workers. She shares insights on modern training approaches, emphasizing the irreplaceable value of human interaction despite advances in AI. Rachael discusses how Opus employs AI for efficient content creation and employee training while highlighting real success stories of reduced ramp-up times. They also debate the balance between utilizing camera data and maintaining trust, envisioning a future where hospitality truly prioritizes exceptional guest experiences.
Oct 21, 2025 • 47min
Elizabeth Tilton, Founder & CEO, Oyster Sunday and OS Benefits
Elizabeth Tilton started her career cooking in New Orleans before moving to join the marketing team at Momofuku in New York City. Years later, she’s translated that back-of-house experience to her own consultancy, Oyster Sunday, which acts as a back office for restaurants across the country. That led to a second company, OS Benefits, which provides ACA-compliant health insurance and wellness benefits to independent hospitality businesses across the country. In this episode we talk through all the facets of dining out in 2025, and what we’re all excited for in the future.
