From kitchens to tech hubs: Inside fast casual’s digital revolution

What happens when the fast-casual restaurant industry doubles in size over a decade? It stops just serving food and starts operating like a high-tech powerhouse. In the latest episode of the Restaurant Operator Podcast, Cherryh Cansler, publisher of FastCasual.com, sits down with Luke Wilwerding, Vice President of North America Sales at Elo Touch Solutions, to unpack the highly anticipated FastCasual Top 100 Movers & Shakers list. With forward-thinking brands like CAVA leading the charge, the conversation centers on an undeniable truth: tomorrow's industry leaders are winning through intelligent automation and sharp data strategies. "Restaurants are becoming a data center that serves food," Wilwerding said, emphasizing that surviving the next decade requires operators to truly get their arms around their customer data. From the blockbuster acquisition of Elo by Zebra Technologies to the deployment of AI-native platforms, this episode offers a masterclass in modern restaurant evolution. Cansler and Wilwerding dive deep into the practicalities of tech adoption for brands of all sizes, tackling the industry's burning questions: Where should an operator spend their very first AI dollar? Will conversational AI replace the human element, or are we moving toward a "beautiful orchestra of voice and touch"? How is Gen Z transforming self-service into a personalization tool? Whether you are curious about predicting demand or optimizing labor through smart kitchen displays, this episode is your blueprint for the future of hospitality. Listen to the full episode now on FastCasual.com