What Keeps the Restaurant C-Suite Up at Night? Well...

The thing that sparked the idea for this article was when I asked myself what a "day in the life" of a modern restaurant C-suite exec looked like.

I mean, tech and ops executives in our industry don’t often make headlines—but they probably should. While AI demos and shiny new tools dominate many conference stages, the real work of keeping tech running smoothly, securely, and strategically across a restaurant enterprise falls on the shoulders of CTOs and COOs working quietly behind the scenes.

I spoke with almost a dozen brand executives—from fast-casual innovators to large-scale QSR brands—and while their logos may differ, their struggles don’t.

From navigating endless RFPs to integrating misaligned tech stacks and dodging vendor social media hype, today’s restaurant C-suite executive is part firefighter, part architect, and part diplomat.

Here’s what they had to say—anonymously and honestly...

“Everyone wants innovation—but first, we need stability.”

While the industry pushes toward AI, personalization, and robotics, most execs we spoke to are focused on something far less glamorous: getting the basics right.

“We’re trying to stabilize our core systems before we chase the next shiny thing. If Workday’s not syncing right, or our POS can’t stay online, none of that innovation matters.”

For one fast-casual group, refreshing their aging POS infrastructure and streamlining the RFP process are top priorities. Another CTO in the chicken QSR space cited cybersecurity and tech stack reliability as urgent concerns.

“We had a system that kept breaking down. We’ve moved on, but I’m still not convinced the new provider can scale with our growth. It keeps me up at night.”

This push-pull between operational reliability and innovation is a recurring theme—and it’s reshaping how CTOs think about evaluating new vendors.

“Integration is the real battlefield.”

Ask any restaurant CTO where they spend most of their time, and it’s not on flashy new tech—it’s trying to make their current stack work together.

“The loyalty system doesn’t talk to our POS. The POS doesn’t speak to Workday. The data’s there—we just can’t use it in any meaningful way.”

One CTO from a growing brand described to me their current environment as “inward-facing”—a maze of half-connected platforms creating unnecessary manual work. Even mature systems often fail to deliver because the connections between them were never properly prioritized.

“It’s like building a house with smart appliances but no electricity. Vendors love to demo the appliance, but nobody helps wire the place.”

This is why so many tech leaders are cautious when vendors show up with innovation buzzwords but fail to understand the integration burden.

In practice, a tool that plugs in cleanly often beats one that’s objectively better on paper.

“Don’t pitch me AI. Solve a problem.”

Despite the surge in AI-related pitches, most COOs have developed a strong filter for hype.

“If your entire pitch hinges on the word ‘AI’ and nothing else, I’m out.”

Instead, what stands out are vendors who take the time to understand the business and ask the most important question up front: “Is this even relevant to you?”

“The best ones open with a specific pain point. They say, ‘Here’s what we solved for a fast casual group like yours—sound familiar?’ That gets my attention.”

Pitches that are generic, untethered to business outcomes, or clearly copy-pasted don’t stand a chance. And you probably won't get another shot any time soon.

I did find it interesting that several leaders said that a well-timed cold email can spark interest—if it addresses a specific, current challenge. So, perhaps email isn't dead, after all.

“If I see something in the subject line that mirrors what’s on my whiteboard that week? I’ll take the call.”

“The RFP process is broken—but we still rely on it.”

Many CTOs expressed frustration with the traditional RFP process. While it offers structure and comparison points, it’s often time-consuming, inconsistent, and fails to capture a vendor’s true capabilities.

“RFPs drag on for months, and half the responses are just boilerplate fluff. It’s a slog.”

Still, when used thoughtfully and in conjunction with peer feedback and vendor trials, RFPs remain a necessary evil.

“I lean on my network a lot—especially at trade shows or in CTO groups. Real talk from peers beats a polished RFP answer any day.”

Some leaders emphasized a more objective-driven approach: starting with a clear problem or goal and building tech evaluations from that anchor—not from the vendor’s feature set.

“Trust is earned. Friendship is optional.”

Relationships matter—but not in the way some vendors think.

“I don’t need another best friend. I need someone who will pick up the phone when things break.”

Several CTOs and COOs noted that a personal connection or prior working relationship helps a vendor get their foot in the door. But attempts to force familiarity too soon—especially after a cold intro—tend to backfire.

“I get turned off when someone’s trying to grab drinks after one email. Show me value first.”

What builds trust is authenticity, humility, and long-term thinking.

“Even if I’m not ready now, if you’re helpful and honest, I’ll remember you when I am.”

“This job is always on.”

The weight of responsibility was palpable in nearly every conversation. Whether it’s managing risk, avoiding outages during peak hours, or keeping up with rapid brand growth, today’s restaurant exec is under constant pressure.

“We don’t get holidays. We get paged when the online ordering goes down during the Super Bowl.”

The emotional toll is real—but so is the pride in getting it right. These are leaders committed not just to technology but to the people and experiences that technology supports.

“At the end of the day, it’s not about servers or code. It’s about making sure our teams can deliver great hospitality at scale. If I do my job well, nobody notices. That’s the point.”

Modern execs are sitting at the intersection of operational complexity, digital transformation, and constant disruption. They are strategic, battle-tested, and often underappreciated.

If you’re selling into this space, understand this: their inboxes are flooded, their problems are layered, and their time is scarce. Respect that. Solve real problems. Be a partner—not a pitch.

As one tech leader put it best:

“We’re not anti-vendor. We’re just pro-results.”

So, If You’re Selling to the C-Suite, You Need a Partner Who’s Been There

At OGC, we don’t just understand restaurant technology—we actually live it.

We’ve sat in the war rooms, navigated the integration nightmares, and seen firsthand how hard it is to earn a brand executive’s trust. That’s why our approach isn’t about hype. It’s about clarity, credibility, and aligning the right solutions to the right problems—at the right time.

If you’re a technology company trying to connect with restaurant decision-makers or a brand looking to make sense of your tech stack, OGC can help you cut through the noise, craft a smarter go-to-market plan, and move forward with confidence.

Because in an industry where trust is earned one decision at a time, you don’t need just another vendor and certainly not another logo hat.

You need a partner who just gets it.

Let’s talk. Visit One Goal Consulting to learn more or reach out to me directly at matt.haselhoff@onegoalconsulting.com