Rise to the Top: The Story of Wow Bao's Geoff Alexander | Restrocast
Restrocast
Chapters
0:00
Introduction
4:17
Initial experience in the F&B Industry
13:32
Joining Wow Bao and scaling its growth through technology
19:27
On being an early adopter of self-ordering technology
23:06
On balancing human touch and technology
26:16
Are we pushing the technology too far?
32:58
On Wow Bao using NFTs
40:05
The next steps for Wow Bao
44:12
How Wow Bao collects customer feedback and uses social media
55:30
On being a spin instructor
1:02:05
On building a team and nurturing talent
Restrocast
Rise to the Top: The Story of Wow Bao's Geoff Alexander | Restrocast
Mar 27, 2023
Restrocast
Are you curious about the secrets to running a successful restaurant business? In this episode of F&B Talks, we welcome Geoff Alexander, a seasoned professional in the restaurant industry, to discuss his journey into the hospitality industry, the lessons learnt, and interesting insights.
Geoff Alexander began his career as a fry cook, grill cook, bartender, and chef supervisor. He worked his way up from a number four manager to a number two manager at Big Bowl, a small Asian concept restaurant in Chicago, before eventually becoming the CEO of Wow Bao, a fast-casual Asian restaurant chain that specializes in steamed buns, dumplings, and other Asian dishes.
In this interview, you'll learn about,
Geoff Alexander began his career as a fry cook, grill cook, bartender, and chef supervisor. He worked his way up from a number four manager to a number two manager at Big Bowl, a small Asian concept restaurant in Chicago, before eventually becoming the CEO of Wow Bao, a fast-casual Asian restaurant chain that specializes in steamed buns, dumplings, and other Asian dishes.
In this interview, you'll learn about,
- How Alexander adopted the self-ordering kiosk technology back in 2008, way before it was a common thing,
- How embracing technology helped Wow Bao increase its check average, triple its flow through, and reduce payroll costs.
- Why Geoff considers the concept of 'hospitechality’ important which emphasizes balancing technology with the human touch,
- How he went against the norm during the pandemic by ripping out all the machines and going back to counter service, and
- How Alexander plans to use NFTs to create a community and a direct relationship with customers who invest in the restaurant by buying an NFT
Wow Bao hopes to restore the connection between the restaurant and customers by offering different tiers of customers with corresponding benefits and creating a dialogue with owners of the NFT. Additionally, via NFTs, restaurants can exchange ideas, share feedback, and offer a personalized experience to a select group of loyal customers.
If you're interested in learning more about nurturing talent in the restaurant industry, then this podcast interview is perfect for you. Alexander talks about how to properly nurture staff, create a nurturing work environment, and provide effective management. You'll also find out about his vision for the future of Wow Bao.
Tune in as we talk to Geoff Alexander and learn from his experience and insights in the restaurant industry.
If you prefer reading over listening, we have published the transcription of the podcast here! Go on and scroll away.
Find us online: Ashish Tulsian - LinkedIn | Geoff Alexander - LinkedIn
If you're interested in learning more about nurturing talent in the restaurant industry, then this podcast interview is perfect for you. Alexander talks about how to properly nurture staff, create a nurturing work environment, and provide effective management. You'll also find out about his vision for the future of Wow Bao.
Tune in as we talk to Geoff Alexander and learn from his experience and insights in the restaurant industry.
If you prefer reading over listening, we have published the transcription of the podcast here! Go on and scroll away.
Find us online: Ashish Tulsian - LinkedIn | Geoff Alexander - LinkedIn
