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Friends of Branded!

Happy Saturday and I hope you had a great week.

I started working on my Top of the Fold submission late on Thursday night and was planning (as I almost always do), to complete it on Friday morning.

A LinkedIn post caught my attention as I was working on my piece, and it was from one of the hospitality industry’s favorite sons, Mr. Wil Brawley (affectionately known by his LinkedIn handle, “Wil B.”)

Wil B.’s post made me smile and I shared a quick comment on his page, but as I rode the subway to the office, his post stayed with me and a new topic emerged for this week.

For whatever its worth, I can tell you that my original idea for this week had the potential to be the most interesting Top of the Fold ever shared with this community (that’s an easy and (hopefully) humorous thing for me to write b/c that piece will remain behind the curtain for now).

First, I want to share Wil B.’s post, b/c otherwise I feel I’m writing in code (and my writing is long and convoluted enough, so I want to make sure you have the basis for this week’s Top of the Fold).

Here’s Wil B.’s LinkedIn post: Wil B.'s Friday 12-6 Linked post

Second, a few disclaimers (b/c Schatzy says I’m 10% attorney), Branded is not an investor in Wil B.’s company, Schedulefly, our restaurants aren’t customers of his company, and unless Wil B. corrects me, I’ve never met the gentleman. We’re LinkedIn friends, I enjoy the content he posts, the energy he puts out, and his love and desire to protect the industry that I love – the hospitality industry and specifically restaurants.

Stay with me friends, we’re going to dive in, but a few comments on Wil B.’s post. He’s an honest and balanced broker. While he called out a person sending cold e-mails to Schedulefly’s customers (and all is fair in love and war), but he clearly writes that there are two buckets when it comes to providers in the restaurant employee scheduling software space.

Specifically taken from the post:

· One bucket contains all our competitors. VC-backed or owned by private equity, aggressive sales and marketing, shiny new tech, tons of integrations, big trade show spends, etc. Same playbook.

· The other bucket contains Schedulefly. Simple software, legendary customer service, low price point. We don't have a playbook. We figure it out as we go, always focusing on making sure our software is simple and reliable, our service is phenomenal, and our product is affordable (no price increase since we started in 2007).

He makes it clear that neither bucket is the right one for ALL restaurants and that there’s room in the industry for lots of players and Wil B. of course, takes pride in the bucket Schedulfly lives in.

Wil B.’s comments resonated with me, and they’re remotely limited to the employee scheduling software. There’s an abundance of restaurant technology software in the market as well as heavy & healthy debate about best-in-class vs best-in-suite strategies and players.

His comments also made me think of a Jon Bon Jovi‘s concert at Madison Square Garden (the world’s most famous arena according to my Bostonian friend JB 😊) that my wife took me to as a surprise well over a decade ago. During a break between songs, JBJ talked to the audience about his love of doing what he does for well over 3 decades (now over 4 decades) and his appreciation for the audience at MSG (which of course made the audience roar with delight and enthusiasm). But he also talked about the beauty of music and how there’s room for all artists, from Justin Timberlake to Justin Beber. I remember him saying, he’s a lover of music, of other artists, and of performing in front of audiences. The MSG crowd roared some more.

As I’ve written, the restaurant industry is among the most fragmented industries in the world. In America, over 70% of the restaurants are independents or small & medium sized businesses (“SMB”).

Branded’s friends at Toast POS support over a 100,000 or about 10% of the restaurants in the US. The company is on a financial tear with a market now over $20 billion, and again, they’ve got only about 10% of the market. We’re a fragmented industry and there’s room at our table (restaurant pun intended) for lots of value-added players.

Wil B.s post may have been a little directed at a company that’s going after his customers and to be clear, his target in the post is a company Branded is also not invested in, that we don’t work with, and that I’ve never met. Nothing negative here and I’m not trying to throw any shade at the enthusiastic salesperson that’s doing his job and trying to win business. As I was told decades ago, you want to be in sales, get ready to hear the word “no,” a lot (and I mean a lot)!

To me, the post was an awesome reminder that the restaurant industry is not a technology business. We’re people business, a food & beverage business, often an experiential business and of course a tech-enabled business.

CONTINUE READING HERE

This week’s first shoutout goes to one of our restaurant partner companies, Handcraft Burgers & Brew, Branded’s restaurant evangelist, Rev Ciancio and our newest portfolio company, Mr Bing Foods.

There’s a great deal of joy that comes from working with emerging and early-stage companies, and that joy is only magnified when our partners come together to make some magic happen together.

Andy that’s what happened this week when Handcraft launched its newest LTO (limited time offer) that combines its awesome burgers with Mr Bing’s Sriracha Mayo and Chili Crisp.

The crew at Handcraft always subscribes to my Pop’s mantra that while it’s nice to be important, it’s important to be nice. $1 from the sale of every Bing Bang Fried Rice Burger sold in December goes to benefit Toys for Tots in NYC. Through the gift of a new toy or book, Marine Toys for Tots’ Programs deliver joy and send a message of hope to America’s disadvantaged children.

Here’s a link to video of this special burger: Hancraft Burgers + Mr Bing

Yes, Branded is having a great deal of fun with the market’s leading East Asian Street Food sauces company (and we’re just getting started). 😊

Bing it on!

The second shoutout this week goes to Branded Hospitality OG, and by that, I mean our very first investment, PourMyBeer & PourMyBev.

Branded Restaurants was a customer of the technology before we invested into the company. The self-pour beverage system exceeded our expectations around labor savings, eliminating waste (and theft) and created an unrivaled guest experience.

While the attached story isn’t our own, we liked what Mr. John Felico did with Auggie’s Draft Room, that we wanted to share his success with our hospitality (and investor) community.

From $200K to $2 Million: John Felico's Secrets to Restaurant Success

And finally, a third shoutout to Mr. Brian Ronholm and Food Dive for the opinion piece of the importance of food traceability and the time embrace the upcoming food traceability rule.

CONTINUE READING HERE

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.

LEARN MORE HERE

Featured Episode: Mario Del Pero from Busser to Boardroom

In this episode of Hospitality Hangout, Mario Del Pero, founder of Mendocino Farms and co-founder of Dom Food Group, shares his journey of mentorship, innovation, and strategic partnerships that have shaped his success in the restaurant industry. He discusses the concept behind Dom Food Group as a food venture studio, focused on helping emerging restaurant brands thrive from the start. Additionally, Mario dives into his latest venture, Neighborly, which brings multiple dining experiences together under one roof, maximizing space and culinary diversity.

Schatzy and Jimmy engage Mario in thought-provoking discussions about the future of virtual kitchens, the challenge of balancing quality, affordability, and fair wages, and how convenience stores are disrupting the restaurant landscape. They also explore the role of AI in the industry before wrapping up with lively games like "Trivia Tuesday" and "What's Hot and Not." This episode is packed with insights for restaurant operators and entrepreneurs looking to innovate while staying true to their brand's authenticity.

Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Mario Del Pero

Re-Run of the Week:

In this special re-run episode of Hospitality Hangout, hosts Michael Schatzberg ("The Restaurant Guy") and Jimmy Frischling ("The Finance Guy") revisit their insightful conversation with Morgan Harris, Co-Founder and Chief Customer Advocate of Restaurant365. He discusses the unique challenges that restaurants face and how his vision led to the creation of Restaurant365, a solution that integrates accounting and inventory management to streamline operations for restaurant operators.

Key takeaways include Morgan's emphasis on the critical role of inventory management in restaurant accounting and the importance of generating profits for long-term sustainability. He also touches on how outdated technology initially hindered adoption and how Restaurant365 overcame these barriers through strategic partnerships with accounting firms. This episode is a must-listen for those interested in understanding the complexities of restaurant accounting and how Restaurant365 is helping operators thrive in a competitive landscape.

Tune into the episode and subscribe to our channel here: Hospitality Hangout With Morgan Harris

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

TECHNOLOGY

Blindside-Proof Your Business: Lessons from the Unexpected

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

Life throws curveballs at businesses—terrorism, recessions, natural disasters. Here’s how to prepare for the worst so you can weather the storm.

Continue Reading Here

MARKETING

The Year-End Wrap-Up: How to Drive More Engagement From Guests During The Holiday Season

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

It's the holiday season, which is generally a time of increase in the hospitality business. That doesn't make it easy; everyone is trying to capture that business, and that just makes it more opportune.

Continue Reading Here

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