Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast is your backstage pass to the minds of hospitality leaders, innovators, and operators who are redefining what it means to serve. Hosted by Zack Oates, founder of Ovation, each episode dives into real-world tactics and inspiring stories from restaurant pros who know how to create five-star guest experiences—both in-store and off-premise.
From fast casual to fine dining, catering to curbside, learn how to drive loyalty, empower your staff, and deliver hospitality that hits home. Whether you're a restaurant owner, operator, marketer, or tech partner, this podcast will leave you with practical insights and plenty of reasons to celebrate and Give an Ovation.
Episodes
446 episodes
"Thinkking" Up Digital Marketing Strategies With Jennifer Kaminski
Jennifer Kaminski is a seasoned marketing pro with over 20 years under her belt underscored by her trendsetting work in social media for over 15 years. As Founder and Managing Director of Social Thinking, Kaminski works with busines...
Hospitality Sliced Right With Brandon and Zane Hunt
Brandon and Zane Hunt are brothers who have shaken and shaped the pizza industry since they opened Via313 in 2011. Brandon and Zane began Via313 out of a trailer in Detroit determined to expand and serve everyone up a slice. Now as a multi-unit...
Brand Empowerment Through Ad Building With Patrick Pleiss
Patrick Pleiss is the Co-Founder and Head of Operations at Hyperlocology. Hyperlocology is a a marketing platform that enables franchise brands to centrally control local advertising, across the most powerful digital channels, for their hundred...
Clearing Up Demand Planning With Matt Wampler
This week's episode welcomes on Matt Wampler, CEO and Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, a company utilizing AI to automate demand planning. If you've ever wondered how to balance profitability and the guest experience, tune in to Matt's expertise on pre...
Marketing Strategy: The Mediterranean Way With Julie Wade
Julie Wade is the Senior Director of Marketing at Taziki's, a cafe with a fresh take on the Mediterranean diet. On this week's episode of Give an Ovation, Julie brings her extensive marketing expertise (strategy, product development, brand, etc...
Augmented Restaurant Reality With Mike Snow
Mike Snow is a 14 year entrepreneur whose most recent venture, Ocavu, is shaking up the restaurant industry. Ocavu has changed the way we approach ordering a menu item in a restaurant by placing a true to life size, high-fidelity scan in the co...
Off The Charts Off-Prem Tactics With Nick Petrocci
This week's episode of Give An Ovation welcomes on Nick Petrocci, current Director of Off Premise for the fast-casual brand, Zaxby’s. Nick lead an Off Premise Growth team focused on the health of digital ordering channels including the custom-b...
Putting Discipline and Dedication in the Ring With Diamond Dallas Page
Many of you know him from the wrestling ring, but whether he's delivering a total smackdown or instructing a DDP Yoga course, Diamond Dallas Page (DDP) is a prime example of transforming and chasing your passions. Now as the Founder and C...
Leaps and Bounds in Business Development With Dan Posner
Dan Posner is the VP of business development at Big Leap. Big Leap is an award-winning digital marketing agency founded on trust, focused on relationships, and motivated by your long-term success. While Dan is unarguably well versed in SEO and ...
Increasing Orders on Autopilot With Gary Chaglasyan
Gary Chaglasyan is a restaurateur and serial entrepreneur with over 25 years experience launching 65+ hospitality projects. Gary is an expert in automation and helping businesses becomes more efficient while still maintaining a sense of control...
Communication and Crisis Management With Tim McIntyre
Tim McIntyre is the former EVP of Domino's and current Founder of T/M Communications LLC. McIntyre has 35 years of experience under his belt in communications and public relations. His expertise in communications enables him to advise on optimi...
Franchising Fundamentals With Ray Titus
Ray Titus is the CEO of United Franchise Group and its affiliated companies. Ray has elevated franchising from a career to a calling. His philosophies on growth, positive attitude, and family, influence the core values that have driven success ...
Technology Stack Expertise with Tamy Duplantis
After 27 years of delivering restaurant tech transformations for iconic brands including Friday's, Applebee's, Potbelly, CrunchTime, US Foods, Main Event, and Le Duff America, Tamy Duplantis is now the Founder and CIO of Return on Information. ...
Magicking Up Memorable Brand Experiences With Christine Staley
This week's episode welcomes on Christine Staley, Founder and CEO of Magic City Hoagies. Magic City Hoagies is all about bringing a new and exciting approach to sandwiches. Christine does so effortlessly with her passion for spreading positivit...
Ovation Launches Call-to-Text Feature with Derek Morgan
This weeks episode of Give An Ovation welcomes on our very own Chief Experience Officer (CXO) and Co-Founder, Derek Morgan. Derek's expertise in product engineering and customer success enables him to speak as to why Call-to-Text is the most re...
Given an Inch Yet Making a Mile With Ed Baklor
Ed Baklor is a former Disney/WestJet/JetBlue Executive with a solid business foundation focused on Operational Excellence and Guest Experience. Ed is skilled at curating an excellent guest experience from very little. Learn from his experience ...
Perfecting Your Niche With Amir Hudda
Amir Hudda is a technology entrepreneur who has founded and grown four startups in the past 20 years. Amir’s passion has been to create and bring new technologies and products to market, his technology depth and business skills have helped laun...
Winning in the Digital Space with Sterling Douglass
Sterling Douglass is the Co-Founder & CEO of Chowly, a leading restaurant technology company helping restaurants optimize off-premise sales and operations. Sterling began his career in data analytics as an actuary before foundi...
Taking Digitalization Seriously With Meredith Sandland & Carl Orsbourn
On this week's edition of Give An Ovation, Carl Orsbourn and Meredith Sandland join us for another forward thinking and innovative episode. With the publication of their second book in the Delivering The Digital Restaurant series, The Path to D...
A Slice of Pizza Industry Expertise With Nick Bogacz
Nick Bogacz is the President/Founder of Caliente Pizza and Draft House. With over 20 years experience within the restaurant industry, Nick has held many positions has grown a business from the ground up. If you are an entrepreneur who enjoys th...
Strategy That Transcends Industry With Jeff Fenster
Jeff Fenster is the Founder and CEO of Everbowl, a superfood bowl that encourages consumers to "unevolve™" - to live actively and eat "stuff that's been around forever™". Fenster is serial entrepreneur whose expertise in curating real rel...
The Restaurant Industry Uncut With Mike Bausch
Mike Bausch is Owner at Andolini's Worldwide Restaurant Group, a Guinness World record holder, and Author of Unsliced. Mike Bausch strives to keep giving back within the restaurant industry and has accomplished just that through his experience ...
A Culture of Dissatisfaction With Blaine Hurst
Blaine Hurst, former CEO of Panera Bread, has an extensive 40 year long career working with the likes of Boston Market and Papa John's. Now as an advisor, Blaine believes that a strategic mindset is developed rather than inherent. Blaine helps ...
Next Level Quality In Restaurant Solutions With Jeremy Julian
Jeremy Julian is the COO of CBS Northstar, an industry leader in hospitality POS technology, helping restaurants maximize efficiency and profitability. With its software, hardware, and portfolio of services, CBS offers thousands of restaurants ...
Building A Business Vs An Organization With Ryan Thorman
Ryan Thorman is the Co-Founder and CEO of Bango Bowls, a growing health food and quick services chain. Ryan knows how to develop the fundamentals of your business, bur more importantly, maintaining a "bigger picture" perspective. Ryan's experti...
