Alexios Milioulis

📣 Chowbus 📍 Chicago, IL 🍽️ Restaurant Tech / POS — A leading all-in-one-cloud-based point of sale system for restaurants. 💰 $81M Series E co-led by Prysm Capital and Left Lane Capital. https://lnkd.in/gcWSSJgc

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So you want to become a private chef? Hear from Chicago-based private chef Alfredo Acrobelli on where is think the future of the industry is headed on the latest episode with Claudia Saric and Spencer Michiel.

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Levy Restaurants has hired Steve Dolinsky, long known as “The Food Guy” in Chicago, where he spent 30 years covering the food beat, most recently with NBC 5 🍽️ In his new role, Dolinsky will serve as a culinary connector and collaborator focused on trend-spotting, relationship building, and creative execution across Levy’s venues — from sports and entertainment to festivals and cultural attractions. A 13-time James Beard Award and two-time Emmy winner, Dolinsky has appeared on Iron Chef America, Unique Eats, and led food festivals in Chicago, LA, and Nashville. Read more from Bret McCormick: https://ow.ly/Su9q50VUVrH

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Fast-Food Friction: The 2025 Restaurant Tech Report, based on a national survey of Americans who eat at quick-service restaurants, finds that technology influences where four out of five consumers eat.

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📉 Brand value is more than just revenue. It reflects customer connection, operational resilience, and future potential. And the trends here speak volumes, according to the latest Brand Finance 2025 Restaurant Rankings🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕🍕

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There’s no demand for “average”. Customers don’t line up for it. They don’t talk about it. They don’t come back for it. If you’re opening a business just to blend in, you’re already behind.

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In this week’s episode of the Chicago Techies Podcast, we sit down with Craig Silver, CEO and co-founder of Sous, a platform that connects people with personal chefs for in-home dining experiences. Craig shares his entrepreneurial journey, from early ambitions to launching Sous, offering honest insights into startup growth strategies. We discuss the importance of building and iterating quickly, even when things aren’t perfect, as well as the challenges of securing funding. Our conversation highlights the value of strong industry connections and learning from entrepreneurial communities, all while offering a fresh perspective on what it really means to innovate in the world of food and personal dining experiences. Give it a listen,  whether you’re into food, startups, or just want to hear what it’s really like to build something from scratch. 🎧 Listen to the full episode on your favorite podcast player. Spotify:  https://lnkd.in/gCSi6P_f Apple: https://lnkd.in/gV5QWRmH

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David Jobe, Founder of Prosper Company, joined me in Chicago for the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show and broke down a fundamental truth about leadership in hospitality: “The first thing you have to do is identify and then recognize. It's not only is great for the individual, but it's great for the company.” Recognition isn’t just a feel-good gesture—it’s a growth strategy. Spotting potential early, and celebrating it publicly, builds loyalty, drives motivation, and proves your brand is serious about investing in people. Smart leaders grow talent. Great leaders develop it. #LeadershipDevelopment #RestaurantIndustry #NRA2025

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Turnover is one of the restaurant industry’s most expensive problems. Michigan Rise portfolio company Shifty is tackling it head-on by helping restaurants train better, retain staff longer, and build stronger teams. Founded by veteran operator Beth Hussey, the platform has grown to more than 900 locations nationwide. Read the full startup story: https://bit.ly/4aED6b0

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International restaurant industry at a tipping point: more room for imperfection and meaning American trend consultant Robert Ancill predicts 10 global restaurant trends for 2026 https://lnkd.in/gDnjiYeK

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Portillo's faces continued fallout from growing too quickly in new markets. The fast-casual Chicago company will depend on incoming CEO, Brett Patterson, to guide it through this growth pullback http://ow.ly/Yvi6106v0b3

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Chicken is appearing more often on foodservice menus and helping to boost operators’ sales, according to Chicago-based Dataessential. #foodbusiness #foodandbeverage #foodservice https://ow.ly/AJfH50WqMme

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Fewer people are going out to eat at Chicago restaurants and are spending less when they do, as consumers brace for a potential recession. Restaurant operators report that revenue and foot traffic have slumped this year. While the first quarter is always tough for restaurants — people may be trying to eat healthier, pay off holiday debt or are simply hibernating — many operators say this year has been worse than normal. Now, with the weather warming, the crowds aren’t returning like they should be. “My customers are telling me, ‘We’re not going out to eat as much right now. Times are a little tough,’” said Dave Bonomi, owner of Peanut Park Trattoria in Little Italy and Coalfire, a pizza spot with locations in Lakeview and West Town. “The people you saw once a week, you’re now only seeing once a month. The people you saw once a month, you’re now seeing every couple of months.” Read more here: https://lnkd.in/g7KErtkU

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📌 1 Week On: Key Takeaways from the National Restaurant Association Show 📌 It’s been a week since National Restaurant Association Show 2025, and we’re still feeling inspired by the conversations, innovations, and connections we made in Chicago. Here’s some key insights that our team came home with: 🔧 Back-of-House Efficiency Is Taking The Spotlight Time-saving tools and less cash handling were everywhere. Operators want systems that reduce friction. 🤖 AI Is Getting Impressively Practical It’s not just hype. AI is starting to show real use cases. 💵📉 Cash Is Still on the Way Out Operators are done with envelopes and manual logs. Digital payouts are winning with speed and simplicity. 👥 Retention Still Leads the List Every conversation came back to this: keeping good people. Which is what we are focused on at eTip. Proud to be part of this fast-changing and exciting space. Until next year, #NRAShow ----- #RestaurantTech #HospitalityInnovation #DigitalTipping #StaffRetention

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The U.S. restaurant industry is projected to hit $1.55 TRILLION in sales in 2026. That’s +4.8% year-over-year growth and an industry supporting 15.8 million jobs with another 100,000 expected to be added this year. #Hospitality continues to be one of the most powerful economic engines in the country. Demand for restaurants hasn’t disappeared. In fact, 87% of adults say they enjoy going out to eat and 61% say #restaurants are an essential part of their lifestyle. The catch? Budgets are tighter. More than 70% of consumers say they would dine out more if they could afford to. Translation: value is the new battleground. Promotions, menu engineering, portion adjustments, supplier negotiations, and smarter #tech are becoming essential tools for operators trying to make the math work. The restaurant industry has always been resilient. It adapts faster than almost any other sector. 2026 will be a year where operators who balance value for the guest with discipline on costs will win. And if history tells us anything… hospitality always finds a way. Read More: https://lnkd.in/ggcfr6xS Branded Hospitality Hospitality Hangout #Hospitality #Restaurants #RestaurantIndustry #Foodservice Michelle Korsmo Hudson Riehle Brian Niccol Chris Kempczinski Scott Boatwright David Gibbs John Peyton

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I had the opportunity to attend the QSR Summit in Lombard, IL. From digital hospitality to next-gen loyalty strategies, the QSR Summit delivered incredible insights! Thanks to all the speakers for sharing their knowledge. ⭐Digital Hospitality Guest feedback now defines the brand. Listening across channels and acting on sentiment is no longer optional—it's expected. 💡Innovation Beyond Boundaries Leadership is evolving. It’s about showing up, aligning teams, and embracing continuous improvement with tools like Plus-Delta. 🎁 Loyalty Reimagined Transactional rewards aren’t enough. Building true customer relationships—with emotional connection and community—wins long-term. 💻Invisible Tech for Personalization The best tech is invisible—empowering staff, delighting guests, and scaling seamlessly. Think: guest preferences, real-time rewards, humanized AI. Biggest takeaway? Authenticity + Data = Loyalty that lasts. #DigitalTransformation #CustomerExperience #QSR #AI #RestaurantTech #Leadership #MarketingInnovation #LoyaltyStrategy

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