Restaurant AI with Matt Wampler is your weekly deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hosted by tech entrepreneur and industry insider Matt Wampler, this podcast explores how AI is reshaping everything from kitchen operations and customer service to marketing, labor management, and the guest experience. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, tech innovator, or hospitality enthusiast, each episode delivers insights, expert interviews, and real-world use cases that help you stay ahead in a competitive and tech-driven landscape.
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Restaurant AI with Matt Wampler is your weekly deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hosted by tech entrepreneur and industry insider Matt Wampler, this podcast explores how AI is reshaping everything from kitchen operations and customer service to marketing, labor management, and the guest experience. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, tech innovator, or hospitality enthusiast, each episode delivers insights, expert interviews, and real-world use cases that help you stay ahead in a competitive and tech-driven landscape.
Danny Klein on Why Truth Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI
Restaurant AI
1 hour 32 minutes
5 months ago
Danny Klein on Why Truth Matters More Than Ever in the Age of AI
In this episode of the Restaurant AI podcast, Matt Wampler, CEO and Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, sits down with Danny Klein, Editorial Director of QSR Magazine, for a wide-ranging conversation on the evolving role of journalism in the restaurant industry, the rise of AI-powered tools, and the importance of trust in a saturated media landscape.
Danny shares his unexpected journey from sports writing to restaurant trade journalism, how QSR Magazine builds and protects editorial trust, and what it means to serve a B2B audience that values data over dining reviews. The two dive into the challenges and opportunities of AI in journalism, including QSR's new AI-powered internal search tool and the shifting role of editors in the "truth-telling economy"—where brand trust and personal voice matter more than ever.
They also explore the tension between technology and hospitality in restaurants, what defines a winning brand in today’s landscape of falling traffic and digital overload, and why experience still drives loyalty in a post-COVID, omnichannel restaurant world. From Texas Roadhouse's smart tech moves to the dangers of overbuilding, this episode delivers real insights for operators, marketers, and media professionals alike.
Links:
QSR Magazine: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/
Connect with Danny: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dannyklein14/
Listen to QSR Uncut: https://www.qsrmagazine.com/podcast/
ClearCOGS: https://www.clearcogs.com/
Connect with Matt on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler/
00:00 Intro
02:14 Danny's introduction to restaurant journalism
08:20 "We're not food writers"
12:15 The business behind food
16:40 What is AI doing to journalism?
21:00 Community building and the future of the Editor role
23:54 The future of brands and publishing companies
27:00 LinkedIn's algorithm
31:55 The future of human influence on AI
35:26 The truth-telling economy
42:58 The future of writing
50:14 Which facts are true?
58:57 Technology and hospitality in restaurants
1:05:55 Experiential restaurants vs technology
1:11:39 Restaurants buying too much technology or the wrong technology?
1:15:15 Where AI is headed in the restaurant industry
1:18:26 Loyalty programs
1:20:30 The importance of technology vendors
1:23:52 Drone delivery
1:24:10 Smartest source of truth on the restaurant industry
1:25:00 Robotic kitchens or humans running automation
1:25:30 The best restaurant CEO
1:28:00 The most interesting topic to Danny
1:31:00 Intro
Restaurant AI
Restaurant AI with Matt Wampler is your weekly deep dive into the rapidly evolving world of artificial intelligence and its transformative impact on the restaurant and hospitality industry. Hosted by tech entrepreneur and industry insider Matt Wampler, this podcast explores how AI is reshaping everything from kitchen operations and customer service to marketing, labor management, and the guest experience. Whether you’re a restaurant operator, tech innovator, or hospitality enthusiast, each episode delivers insights, expert interviews, and real-world use cases that help you stay ahead in a competitive and tech-driven landscape.
