Tom Doyle

This was such a fun and informative Distill Ventures seminar I got to participate in moderated by Derek Brown. This is part of a series with topics Derek and DV have designed around all aspects of navigating the non-alcoholic category. 🍸🍹 People tend to lump what we are seeing with NA options into “the latest trend,” but really, this is unlike anything any of us have seen before, (mostly because we weren’t alive!) This isn’t like the tequila craze, or the bourbon boom; those were/are trends resulting from the masses RE-discovering, ( with a little help from celebrities and marketing 💰) a spirit, and then the world deep diving into them. Those options were always around, people just started paying more attention. With non-alcoholic spirits, what we are witnessing is the result of pure innovation! This is a BRAND NEW category (that didn’t even exist prior to 2015 ) JUST getting going. It’s like seeing the invention of gin in the 1500’s or vodka in the 1100’s! 🤯This is an entirely new spirit category and an option that I would guess ( based on everyday conversation) 1/3 people still don’t realize exists for them. If you haven’t checked these seminars out, definitely do! They have already covered some great topics, and will continue to do so. And a big thank you to Derek and Distill Ventures for creating this platform for education so that we can navigate this new category together, and watch as NA spirits make their mark on history! #nonalcoholic #spiritindustry #cocktails #menu #innovation

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Enhancing Your Menu with Frozen Beverage Machines: A Guide for Restaurants Looking To Increase Revenue.

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“How’s the show going for you?” It’s the go-to icebreaker at every tradeshow. So how was #SSW24? Our show went great but I can't say the same thing for the protein bars that Ian Heieie made because they didn't make it! Let’s just say, they hit a bump in the road. Turns out, tradeshows are as much about rolling with the punches as they are about showing up. It didn't phase the team as we still brought other products and what we do best: the ingredients that elevate good food...(yes we can put protein in that). Those MIA bars? They had P870H hydrolyzed protein for that soft, gooey caramel center that stays fresh, plus Protein Pea Crisps (6086PS) for that perfect crunch. Thanks to the P2.0 protein in the chocolate coating these bars are Protein-packed and delicious. So yeah, missing bars were a bummer. But if you’re interested in what we’re doing with these ingredients, come by our lab in Minneapolis – or we’ll bring them to you. Big shoutout to Anna Gustafson, RDN, LDN for making this our best show yet. With or without the bars, the PURIS team was making moves. 👊 ☝ #protein #PlantBasedProtein #UpcycledIngredients #FoodInnovation #SupplySideWest

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I completely agree with this article from MeasureMetrix (MMX)! Empowering our frontline leaders is key to our collective success. Restaurants with empowered leaders tend to achieve higher weekly sales, lower turnover, and better cost management, all of which positively impact the bottom line. In my own Little Caesars Pizza Restaurants, I’ve seen firsthand how excellent leaders thrive when given the autonomy to steer their own ship. This not only fosters their growth but also allows me to focus on expanding our business. Let’s continue to prioritize empowering our teams!

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There's one simple way to get your servers and bartenders to sell more loyalty cards. Give them more time. Your FOH staff are your sales force. Once your marketing gets your guests in the door, it's up to your servers and bartenders to maximize sales. It's not about selling guests things they don't want. It's a restaurant, not a used car lot. However, you do want to make guests aware of as much of your offerings as possible. One of those key offerings is loyalty cards. We all know that loyalty cards build email lists, and email marketing is still the most direct way to put offers in front of customers. That's why you want your staff to sell as many loyalty cards as possible, right? But they can't sell loyalty cards when they're running around in survival-mode. When your FOH staff is just trying to survive, the last thing they're thinking about is selling loyalty cards. So how can you help them? Invest in improving their workflow, so they can be as efficient as possible. Efficient workflow processes keep your staff out of survival mode, and allows them to be in sales mode. Your staff is much more profitable when they can do their jobs faster and stay in the right mindset. Omni-Rinse equipment helps your staff stay out of survival mode by decreasing drink ticket times. The faster your servers get their drinks, the faster they can get back to their tables and sell. Seconds really do matter in the restaurant business. Come see us at the National Restaurant Association Show in May--we'd love to tell you more about how we can make your FOH more efficient! #bars #restaurants #cocktails #foodserviceequipment

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𝗕𝗔𝗪𝗞 𝗕𝗔𝗪𝗞- 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗸𝗲𝗻 𝗿𝘂𝗹𝗲𝘀 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗿𝗼𝗼𝘀𝘁 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝗰𝗼𝗻𝘀𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗿𝘀 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗼𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗼𝗿𝘀 Wings, tenders and chicken sandwiches continue their winning streak, finds a new survey from Revenue Management Solutions. Chick-fil-A Restaurants, KFC, Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen are the top three chicken destinations. RMS survey states that flavorful sauces are the main reason customers cluck for chicken.

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McDonald’s is cranking up the heat on the discount wars next week, as they roll out a $5 meal deal promotion aimed to draw in value-conscious customers. With economic anxiety on the rise, and our recent data showing a notable pullback in consumer spending across dining, entertainment, and retail, will the move be enough to pull customers away from competitors? Thanks again Nation's Restaurant News for featuring my article! Curious to see which chains might feel the heat and which ones are better positioned to weather the storm? Click the link below for the full insights! #restaurants #discounting #customerexperience #value #nrn

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45 Days post launching a Dallas-based start-up Toucan Cocktails For the last 12 months the team and I have been building the foundation for all our future distribution, digital, and sales efforts. It has been a GRIND. We had only hoped that people would love our product. You know that common thought with founders of “what if nobody buys?” Well, here’s the mistake we all easily fall into. We are so concerned with what can go wrong that we often don’t think about what if everything goes great? Thankfully we have a team of big thinkers, dreamers, and doers.. so although we did not anticipate the growth and response we’ve had over the last 45 days we positioned ourselves with the right foundation. How does this translate into a digital strategy? ✅ We have a website that can sustain high volumes of traffic. We also made sure that the appropriate tracking components were enabled, a beautiful thing we’ve experienced is being able to collect data as we grow our audience and reach. ✅ We built email/SMS campaigns and put them in place so we had different touch points through any customer interaction. We now have our 7k email subscribers! 😳 ✅ We also had great content in place so we could keep momentum going. We’ve increased our followers by 10k on Instagram and 6k on tik tok! 🤩 Now the bigger question is, how do we continue to build? Follow for more on how I implement digital strategies to help build a start-up. Oh, and check out our website we have a 3-day flash sale on our lemon drop martini starting tomorrow in celebration of #VodkaDay. Special recognition goes out to our digital partners Hannah Smith, MS Boost Your Brand Marketing David Dubrino Jody Turnbow John Dallager Steven McCarthy John Terry

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There is a lot of buzz around franchising. And it certainly works for many chains, but it’s not the only way to grow and attain good margins. Some large restaurant chains with a moderate part of their systems franchised have also been able to engineer better-than-average profitability. Some examples of publicly traded restaurants doing this in the U.S. are Dave & Buster’s, Chipotle, and Darden. The three are in different categories: eatertainment, fast-casual, and casual dining. As Einstein said, a problem can’t be solved with the same line of thinking that created it. And while its hard for restaurant chains to maintain margins, many do very well. For those looking to improve their company’s bottom line, rather than just keep track of it, the most powerful lever at their disposal is to act as their own activist. We recommend a holistic approach be applied to looking at the organization, working across functional areas and down individual line items of the restaurant P&L while reviewing factors impacting performance both inside and outside the business — also, some outside help never hurt. #restaurants #finance #EBITDA

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McDonald's Defies Tradition: Open 24 Hours on Thanksgiving As Americans sit down for their traditional Thanksgiving feast, a select McDonald's location in Healdsburg, CA is breaking the mold by staying open 24 hours, highlighting the complex role of foodservice in American culture. Foodservice is deeply ingrained in American culture, reflecting the country's values of convenience, flexibility, and freedom. This phenomenon is rooted in our nation's history, with the rise of diners, drive-ins, and fast-food chains revolutionizing the way we eat. This particular McDonald’s has opted to keep its doors open on Thanksgiving, providing a welcome refuge for those seeking a quick bite or a late-night snack. Thanksgiving is a time to come together, but not everyone has family or friends nearby. Or perhaps it is a weary traveler heading down 101 in need of a meal on a day when most places are closed. I imagine the staff will have some joy serving those looking for a familiar place to eat and a friendlly face on Thanksgiving, no matter the hour. For the employees, they can capture extra hours with holiday pay, a chance to make some additional money. While some might view a 24-hour McDonald's on Thanksgiving as unconventional, for others, it's a blessing. What are your thoughts on McDonald’s 24 hour Thanksgiving plan? #foodservice #mcdonald's #fastfood #thanskgiving

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Getting the first round of drinks on the table ASAP is so critical, because it sets the stage for the entire dining experience. The sooner the server can get back to a table after taking that first drink order, the sooner they can: ✅ start selling ✅ build rapport ✅ turn the table But they can't do that if they're stuck in line waiting. That's why servers are always in a hurry to get their drink orders from the service bar. They know that they can't manage the guest experience if they're not in front of the guest. More face time = more sales. 💰 It's pretty simple. So how can you speed up your service bars? Automatic Rinsing with Auto-Rinse™.🚿🚀 Auto-Rinse™ reduces ticket times because bartenders no longer have to rinse their tools manually. Auto-Rinse™ does the rinsing for them, so they can start making the next drink. Over the course of the night, the time saved per drink adds up and has a compounding effect. This allows servers to get back to their tables faster, so they can have more control over the guest experience. Again, the more the servers are present, the more revenue they can generate. Investing in automatic rinsing with patented, award-winning Auto-Rinse™ pays for itself because it helps you sell more drinks. Find out more here: https://lnkd.in/et9MuYD #bars #restaurants #cocktails #inventions #foodservice

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This picture is what a year of hard work and adversity looks like… here are 5️⃣ lessons (of a million) I have learned over the last year of growing Silverbelly Whiskey 🥃 From a single 2 year old whiskey SKU to three SKUs with a 4 year old straight bourbon whiskey, 5.5 year old Single Barrel and a very limited 6.6 year old special release celebrating country music legend Alan Jackson. It’s been a journey… 1️⃣ Doing things right takes time. I have willed my way through it working overtime, but to really execute at the highest level you must measure 6 times, cut once, and fix fast. 2️⃣ Effort and the the ability to overcome adversity are the difference makers in business and life. “Where there is a will, there’s a way” 3️⃣ Distributors are glorified deliverymen (as they should be). All you can ask for is ones that care and communicate like humans. We have some awesome distro partners, but when you are a small brand, you cannot expect anyone to bend over backwards to help you when you are 1% of their revenue. It would be bad business on their part. It’s on US to grow our brand, when they lean in…. Even better! 4️⃣ There are a MILLION moving parts in the liqour industry and often times it can feel like quicksand but if I had to rank the top 3 things to focus on: 1) Brand Story/Marketing 2) Quality of product in the bottle 3) Playing YOUR cards, not other people’s (what unique differentiator can set you apart) 5️⃣ This business is and should be fun. Way worse ways to try and make money, I’m doing my best to enjoy the journey into the quicksand and the million line task lists. I have some big plans for 2025, hope you do too! 🥃

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As Sunday night winds down, it’s the perfect time to reflect and prepare for the week ahead. In the world of QSR, embodying the Mamba Mentality means striving for consistency, excellence, and the relentless pursuit of improvement—day in and day out. 🏀🔥 Success in this industry isn’t just about serving great food fast; it’s about the systems we build behind the scenes. A strong system ensures consistency, no matter who is on the shift or how busy the day gets. It’s what keeps Yelp and Google reviews glowing, builds trust with customers, and strengthens our reputation one meal at a time. Reputation management begins with reliable systems that deliver exceptional service and empower teams to thrive under pressure. Systems are the secret ingredient that allows us to scale greatness while maintaining control over the smallest details. Without them, growth is just a dream. As we gear up for Monday, let’s ask ourselves: What systems can we fine-tune to take our operations to the next level? Let’s start the week with intention and keep that Mamba Mentality alive. 💪 #MambaMentality #QSR911 #ReputationManagement #CGlassSolutions #Yelp #GoogleReviews #SystemsMatter #AMEnterpriseExec #AmericasPlaceToEat

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Lessons learned. Wishing the best of luck to individuals and their families embarking on new job journeys due to poor management at Red Lobster. #redlobster #badmanagement #foodcostingsoftware #foodcost #cheflife #corporateBS #ExcelTemplate https://foodcostchef.com

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Exciting insights from Zaxby's Franchising LLC Chief Marketing Officer, Patrick Schwing, in this latest CMO Roundtable discussion! Learn about the innovative strategies and forward-thinking approaches that are driving Zaxbys success in the competitive franchise market. A must-read for anyone interested in franchise marketing and growth.

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A big acquisition in the works. This will certainly broaden the reach of PFG in the southeast and continue to solidify itself as the 2nd largest foodservice distributor.

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Are you meeting the expectations of your guests and potential guests? Check out this QSR article for detailed analysis on the traffic you could be capturing!

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