https://simplecast.com The Enterprise CTO Podcast Real conversations about technology, leadership, and scaling modern restaurant brands Shawn Walchef, CEO of Cali BBQ Media, and Jim Balis, Head of Strategic Operations at CapitalSpring, host The Enterprise CTO Podcast, a long-form interview show exploring how technology decisions shape the future of hospitality. Through candid conversations with CTOs, operators, investors, and industry leaders, the show breaks down the real challenges behind growth at scale, from selecting the right tech stack and navigating AI to aligning teams, improving operations, and building smarter businesses. Each episode turns complex enterprise conversations into practical insight restaurant leaders can apply to their own companies. en Wed, 27 May 2026 12:08:48 +0000 Fri, 29 May 2026 15:02:49 +0000 https://the-enterprise-cto-podcast.simplecast.com The Enterprise CTO Podcast https://image.simplecastcdn.com/images/0f5055e8-ffa1-4f7f-a1a3-d101714f8c5c/3899a88c-0137-4926-8261-46939a5d88d6/3000x3000/enterprise-cto-20-1.jpg?aid=rss_feed https://the-enterprise-cto-podcast.simplecast.com episodic Real conversations about technology, leadership, and scaling modern restaurant brands Shawn Walchef, CEO of Cali BBQ Media, and Jim Balis, Head of Strategic Operations at CapitalSpring, host The Enterprise CTO Podcast, a long-form interview show exploring how technology decisions shape the future of hospitality. Through candid conversations with CTOs, operators, investors, and industry leaders, the show breaks down the real challenges behind growth at scale, from selecting the right tech stack and navigating AI to aligning teams, improving operations, and building smarter businesses. Each episode turns complex enterprise conversations into practical insight restaurant leaders can apply to their own companies. Jim Balis, Shawn Walchef false https://feeds.simplecast.com/H9t3Anup chief technology officer,point of sale,restaurant,restaurant technology Cali BBQ Media mike@calibbq.media 3f427b90-3907-42d3-9736-df1c5efcb1b5 Building Restaurant Tech Across Nearly 900 Locations. Convo w/ Isaac Morton What does it really take to unify technology across nearly 900 restaurants operating under eight different franchise brands?

Isaac Morton, Vice President of Information Technology at Sizzling Platter, joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef to break down the realities of enterprise restaurant technology from the franchisee side. The conversation explores managing multiple POS systems, building centralized data infrastructure, simplifying reporting for operators, surviving a major ransomware attack, and using Vision AI to improve throughput, inventory, and operational decision-making across hundreds of locations.

What You’ll Learn:

  • • Why franchise restaurant groups face completely different tech challenges than franchisors
  • • How Sizzling Platter built a centralized data lake across multiple brands and systems
  • • Why simplifying data for general managers matters more than creating more dashboards
  • • What really happens during a large-scale ransomware attack on a restaurant company
  • • How Vision AI is improving inventory counts, speed of service, and guest experience

Episode Links

  • • Isaac Morton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacmorton/
  • • Sizzling Platter:  https://sizzlingplatter.com/
  • • Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/
  • • Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards

Checkmate’s digital menu boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines.

]]> Wed, 27 May 2026 12:08:48 +0000 mike@calibbq.media (Cali BBQ Media) https://the-enterprise-cto-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/building-restaurant-tech-across-nearly-900-locations-convo-w-isaac-morton-cVMJrGTL What does it really take to unify technology across nearly 900 restaurants operating under eight different franchise brands?

Isaac Morton, Vice President of Information Technology at Sizzling Platter, joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef to break down the realities of enterprise restaurant technology from the franchisee side. The conversation explores managing multiple POS systems, building centralized data infrastructure, simplifying reporting for operators, surviving a major ransomware attack, and using Vision AI to improve throughput, inventory, and operational decision-making across hundreds of locations.

What You’ll Learn:

  • • Why franchise restaurant groups face completely different tech challenges than franchisors
  • • How Sizzling Platter built a centralized data lake across multiple brands and systems
  • • Why simplifying data for general managers matters more than creating more dashboards
  • • What really happens during a large-scale ransomware attack on a restaurant company
  • • How Vision AI is improving inventory counts, speed of service, and guest experience

Episode Links

  • • Isaac Morton LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/isaacmorton/
  • • Sizzling Platter:  https://sizzlingplatter.com/
  • • Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/
  • • Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/

Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards

Checkmate’s digital menu boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines.

]]> Building Restaurant Tech Across Nearly 900 Locations. Convo w/ Isaac Morton Cali BBQ Media 00:35:01 What does it really take to unify technology across nearly 900 restaurants operating under eight different franchise brands? Isaac Morton, Vice President of Information Technology at Sizzling Platter, joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef to break down the realities of enterprise restaurant technology from the franchisee side. The conversation explores managing multiple POS systems, building centralized data infrastructure, simplifying reporting for operators, surviving a major ransomware attack, and using Vision AI to improve throughput, inventory, and operational decision-making across hundreds of locations. What does it really take to unify technology across nearly 900 restaurants operating under eight different franchise brands? Isaac Morton, Vice President of Information Technology at Sizzling Platter, joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef to break down the realities of enterprise restaurant technology from the franchisee side. The conversation explores managing multiple POS systems, building centralized data infrastructure, simplifying reporting for operators, surviving a major ransomware attack, and using Vision AI to improve throughput, inventory, and operational decision-making across hundreds of locations. false full 2 424c68ab-79d7-4acd-88a8-18293d83c46b Why Restaurant CEOs Need to Think Like CTOs. Interview w/ Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch What happens when restaurant leadership, technology, and growth strategy all collide in one conversation? Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef for the debut episode of the Enterprise CTO Podcast. They discuss what today’s restaurant leaders need to understand about tech stacks, AI, vendor selection, and scaling systems across hundreds of locations. The conversation covers franchisee adoption, global expansion, and how strong operators use technology to create a real competitive edge. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why CEOs can no longer afford to ignore technology decisions 

• How enterprise brands evaluate software vendors before signing contracts 

• Why adoption matters more than buying the newest tool 

• How franchise systems balance innovation with operator ROI 

• Where AI is already creating real value inside restaurants 

Episode Links 

• Troy Hooper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtroyhooper/ 

• Pepper Lunch Restaurants: https://www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com/ 

• Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/ 

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/ 

Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines. Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel

]]> Wed, 29 Apr 2026 01:59:22 +0000 mike@calibbq.media (Cali BBQ Media) https://the-enterprise-cto-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/why-restaurant-ceos-need-to-think-like-ctos-interview-w-troy-hooper-ceo-of-pepper-lunch-Djo_FqZ6 What happens when restaurant leadership, technology, and growth strategy all collide in one conversation? Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef for the debut episode of the Enterprise CTO Podcast. They discuss what today’s restaurant leaders need to understand about tech stacks, AI, vendor selection, and scaling systems across hundreds of locations. The conversation covers franchisee adoption, global expansion, and how strong operators use technology to create a real competitive edge. 

What You’ll Learn: 

• Why CEOs can no longer afford to ignore technology decisions 

• How enterprise brands evaluate software vendors before signing contracts 

• Why adoption matters more than buying the newest tool 

• How franchise systems balance innovation with operator ROI 

• Where AI is already creating real value inside restaurants 

Episode Links 

• Troy Hooper LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jtroyhooper/ 

• Pepper Lunch Restaurants: https://www.pepperlunchrestaurants.com/ 

• Jim Balis LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-balis-5879a34/ 

• Shawn Walchef LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/shawnpwalchef/ 

Checkmate’s Digital Menu Boards help restaurants increase average check size by surfacing the right add-ons and offers at the right moment. In a recent 30-day test with a national QSR brand, average check size increased by nearly $1 per order, about a 6% lift, with no extra labor and no slower lines. Learn more at https://www.itsacheckmate.com/blog/how-restaurants-can-finally-treat-digital-menu-boards-like-a-performance-channel

]]> Why Restaurant CEOs Need to Think Like CTOs. Interview w/ Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch Cali BBQ Media 00:33:20 What happens when restaurant leadership, technology, and growth strategy all collide in one conversation? Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef for the debut episode of the Enterprise CTO Podcast. They discuss what today’s restaurant leaders need to understand about tech stacks, AI, vendor selection, and scaling systems across hundreds of locations. The conversation covers franchisee adoption, global expansion, and how strong operators use technology to create a real competitive edge. What happens when restaurant leadership, technology, and growth strategy all collide in one conversation? Troy Hooper, CEO of Pepper Lunch joins Jim Balis and Shawn Walchef for the debut episode of the Enterprise CTO Podcast. They discuss what today’s restaurant leaders need to understand about tech stacks, AI, vendor selection, and scaling systems across hundreds of locations. The conversation covers franchisee adoption, global expansion, and how strong operators use technology to create a real competitive edge. false full 1 5dd348b6-83e7-4ef6-93e9-37a78eded66f Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer 

]]> Wed, 22 Apr 2026 19:58:33 +0000 mike@calibbq.media (Cali BBQ Media) https://the-enterprise-cto-podcast.simplecast.com/episodes/enterprise-cto-podcast-trailer-GnDYLRr_ Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer 

]]> Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer Cali BBQ Media 00:00:40 Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer Enterprise CTO Podcast Trailer false trailer