Episode Player

Eric Knott of Tiki Taco on Turning Feedback into Action

Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates

Chapters
0:00
Welcome And Guest Intro
1:32
Lessons From Outback To PDQ
3:20
Building Systems At Tiki Taco
6:40
Feedback As A Growth Engine
10:15
Humanizing Two-Way Text Responses
13:10
Changing The Menu With Data
16:40
Product Mix And Quarterly Reviews
Give an Ovation: The Restaurant Guest Experience Podcast with Zack Oates
Eric Knott of Tiki Taco on Turning Feedback into Action
Oct 30, 2025
Ovation

Send us Fan Mail

Eric Knott, CEO of Tiki Taco and former PDQ leader, joins Zack Oates to talk about scaling hospitality, refining menu strategy, and building genuine guest connections. With experience ranging from Outback to Tiki Taco, Eric shares how structure and community drive lasting success. He explains how to use guest feedback as a growth tool, why operators must be the “mayor” of their market, and what’s changed most about the modern guest.

Zack and Eric discuss:

  • Lessons learned from Outback, PDQ, and Tiki Taco
  • The power of guest feedback loops
  • Knowing when to remove or refine a menu item
  • Shifting guest expectations after COVID
  • Building connection through kindness

Thanks, Eric!

Links:

https://www.linkedin.com/in/eric-knott-96504973/
https://www.linkedin.com/company/tikitaco/
https://www.tikitaco.com/