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\n\t\tOpinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.\t<\/p>\n
Before a customer places an order, the restaurant already knows it\u2019s their 100th visit. A free cookie is waiting for them.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s digital hospitality,\u201d Deborah Matteliano, Global Head of Restaurants at Amazon Web Services<\/a> (AWS), says. \u201cIt\u2019s using technology to make somebody feel seen, understood and special.\u201d<\/p>\n For Matteliano, that moment has nothing to do with the cookie. It\u2019s about making a guest feel recognized before they ever take a bite.<\/p>\n After helping restaurants navigate the rapid growth of online ordering at Uber Eats, Matteliano joined AWS. Amazon\u2019s cloud computing business was originally built to help Amazon deliver on the promises it made to customers. Today, it provides the technology and infrastructure that power companies around the world, including many restaurant brands.<\/p>\n \u201cAmazon has always been obsessed with the customer,\u201d Matteliano says. \u201cIt\u2019s about delivering on the promise you make every single time.\u201d<\/p>\n Hospitality, she says, now extends far beyond the four walls of a restaurant.<\/p>\n \u201cThe first level is delivering great food and great service,\u201d Matteliano explains. \u201cThe next is creating memorable moments. The third is using technology to make those moments personal at scale.\u201d<\/p>\n When a restaurant recognizes a milestone visit, remembers a guest\u2019s favorite order or anticipates what they need before they ask, technology fades into the background. The guest doesn\u2019t remember the software that made it possible. They remember how the experience made them feel.<\/p>\n \u201cThe magic is making people feel recognized,\u201d Matteliano says. \u201cTechnology simply gives us the opportunity to do that in ways we couldn\u2019t before.\u201d<\/p>\n For Matteliano, the first question isn\u2019t what technology a restaurant should adopt. It\u2019s what kind of hospitality it wants to deliver.<\/p>\n \u201cI would encourage restaurant owners to work backward from what is their perfect moment of hospitality that they\u2019re chasing,\u201d Matteliano says. \u201cHow do you want customers to feel? Then design the technology around that.\u201d<\/p>\n That philosophy grew out of her years at Uber Eats, where she helped restaurants experiment with virtual brands. Her team analyzed customer demand to identify cuisines that restaurants could launch from their existing kitchens.<\/p>\n \u201cWe used AI to surface what are the three types of cuisines we think this restaurant could offer,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n The recommendations made business sense. They didn\u2019t always make hospitality sense.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is an example of where super smart people don\u2019t always get it fully right because you miss the soul layer.\u201d<\/p>\n An Italian restaurant might have an opportunity to sell sushi, but that doesn\u2019t mean it should.<\/p>\n \u201cThe data\u2019s real,\u201d Matteliano says. \u201cBut are they passionate about that? Is that part of their mission for hospitality? Are they going to execute at quality and scale?\u201d<\/p>\n The operators who succeeded weren\u2019t chasing trends. They found concepts that fit who they already were. Matteliano points to Miami Wings, a virtual brand that helped one restaurant owner grow sales dramatically.<\/p>\n \u201cHe would call us and say, \u2018I\u2019m putting my kids through college. I\u2019m paying off equipment debt,’\u201d she says. \u201cWings were a lot easier to execute than maybe sushi.\u201d<\/p>\n Today, Matteliano applies that same philosophy at AWS, helping restaurant brands use technology to strengthen relationships with their guests.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you own the customer data, you own the relationship, and then you own the hospitality,\u201d she says. \u201cThis is the time to get really smart and tight on your first-party data.\u201d<\/p>\n For Matteliano, technology should never define a restaurant. It should help operators deliver the hospitality they\u2019re already passionate about.<\/p>\n The technology may power the experience, but guests remember the hospitality.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/a>\u00a0is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point-of-sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience. Toast \u2014 Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about\u00a0Toast<\/a>.<\/p>\n Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders. Check out PepsiCo Foodservice<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\nThe soul layer<\/strong><\/h2>\n
About\u00a0<\/strong>Restaurant Influencers<\/em><\/strong><\/h2>\n