Have you ever encountered a store on a delivery app in your area that you've never seen in person? It's probably a Virtual Concept inside another business.

In episode 7 of The SaaS Cafe, we're joined by Conor Fergus, co-owner and founder of MTIPLY. This virtual concept provider helps restaurants expand revenue channels by adding virtual brands to delivery apps. Conor delves into these brands' origins, implementation, and restaurant profit margins.

Timestamps:

00:00 Highlight Intro

01:12 Show & Guest Introductions

04:07 Conor's Background & Birth of MTIPLY

06:57 Early Days of MTIPLY

10:10 How do Virtual Brands fit into a business?

13:55 Average earnings and revenue share

21:30 What goes into building a new concept?

29:00 Leveling up MTIPLY & the Wild West market

35:25 Importance of quality control

37:37 Restaurant partner review process

39:20 MTIPLY tech stack and optimization

42:00 Future of the virtual concept market

46:20 The virtual concept ruse

49:00 Can you tell a concept from not on an app?

56:38 Dream celebrity concept?

55:45 Weirdest concept you've created?

57:19 Common misconception about concepts?

1:00:39 Funny stories working with restaurants

1:03:28 General advice for restaurants

1:05:08 one thing done well vs one thing could be better

1:07:35 Where can people find MTIPLY?

1:08:29 Show Outro

Full Episode Video: https://youtu.be/CzSDuVyUMLo

Want to learn more about mtiply? https://www.mtiply.co/

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and share your thoughts in the comments!

#podcast #restaurant #motivation #techinnovation #technology

In episode 6 of The SaaS Café, we're joined by William Lee, partner of LA Spud Guys. A fresh UK loaded potato pop-up in Los Angeles that's been making waves.

William discusses the early days in the streets and how social media revolutionized their business. He also explains his background in online retail and how his expertise has helped convert social media traffic to sales, allowing LA Spud Guys to open their first brick-and-mortar location.

Curious to learn more? Check out their website: https://spudguysla.com/

Timestamps: 00:00 Show Highlights 01:04 Intro & Restaurant History 05:00 E-Commerce Background 08:00 Restaurant Consulting 10:00 Joining LA Spud Guys 12:45 Adapting to the LA Market 20:50 Owner Relationship Dynamic 23:45 TikTok and Social Media 31:26 Finneas & Influencer Visits 34:32 Impact of Great Hospitality 39:00 Customers Traveling to Try 41:30 Tech Stack 45:40 Approach to Delivery Apps 53:00 Franchising Long Term 54:40 Concept Ideas for LA Spud Guys 57:00 Final Banger 59:00 Internet Food Debate Topics 01:03:30 Future Plans and Hours 01:06:00 Random Ideas and Chat

🎧 Prefer the video version? Check it out on YouTube: https://https://youtu.be/xnNTyvMBrUA

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and share your thoughts in the comments!

#podcast #restaurant #motivation #techinnovation #technology

In episode 5 of The SaaS Cafe, we're joined by Art Andreasyan, co-founder of Bread & Breakfast, a two-location Armenian/Mexican fusion restaurant in North Hollywood and Burbank, California.

Art shares his experience of finally owning his own business, only to be immediately blindsided by the COVID-19 pandemic. They survived on the back of a viral Instagram post, but now face massive egg costs amid the 2nd Bird Flu wave. Still thriving, can anything take this business down?

Curious to learn more? Check out their website: https://breadandbreakfastla.com/

Timestamps:

00:00 Show Teaser

01:05 Guest Intro

03:07 Business Origin & Early Operation

07:44 Restaurant Life During Covid Lockdown

12:00 Preserving The Original Location

14:25 Educating People On Armenian Meats

15:50 Building a Breakfast Business & Operating Hours

20:21 Social Media & 40m+ Viral Post

33:24 Technology Choices

38:51 Catering Trend in Restaurants

40:30 Social Media Impact & Importance

44:45 Review Strategy & Philosophy

55:20 Crazy Egg Prices

1:00:50 Food Supplier Price Gouging

1:02:12 Forced Price Increases & Consumer Fatigue

1:07:00 Future For Bread & Breakfast 1:09:07 Final Banger

1:11:04 Internet Food Debate Questions & Random Food Discussion

1:19:48 Outro & Wrap Up

Watch the full video: https://youtu.be/nAnh4IuBX3A

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and share your thoughts in the comments! #podcast #restaurant #motivation #techinnovation #technology

In episode 4 of The SaaS Cafe, Andy Krkyan, founder of Pizza on Bus, joins us. A food truck concept with a unique twist, it's a full-sized pizza kitchen on a decommissioned school bus!

Andy opens up about his journey from traditional brick-and-mortar restaurants to the food truck industry and his experience building restaurant kitchens. We delve into the real cost of owning and operating a food truck, from regulations, parking, and dispel people's misconceptions about the business.

If you'd like to check out Pizza on Bus, view their website here: https://www.pizzaonbus.com/

Check out the full video version: https://youtu.be/P_gtw5m9MLQ

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and share your thoughts in the comments! #podcast #fooddelivery #techinnovation #thesaascafe #businessmindset #entrepreneur #pizza #foodtruck

In episode 3, we sat down with Armen Martirosyan, the heart and hustle behind Mini Kabob, a family-run Armenian restaurant tucked into a tiny corner of Glendale, CA. Passed down from his father after nearly 30 years, Armen has carried the torch—sharing the warmth of his culture while navigating the emotional and physical toll of restaurant life.

In this episode, Armen discusses the often untold realities of running a small restaurant in Los Angeles. From burnout and mental health struggles to the legacy of family ownership, he brings honesty, humor, and heart to the table.

Key Discussion Topics:

1 – The legacy of Mini Kabob and taking over the business from his father

2 – The realities of restaurant ownership and how it impacts mental health

3 – Challenges of operating a small restaurant in a competitive, high-cost market

4 – The role of technology in modernizing and sustaining the business

If you'd like to check out Mini Kabob, view their website here: https://mini-kabob.com

🎧 Prefer an audio version? Find us on all platforms here: https://thesaascafe.podbean.com

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and share your thoughts in the comments!

#podcast #fooddelivery #techinnovation #thesaascafe #businessmindset #entrepreneurmindset #entrepreneur #mediterranean

In episode 2, we sat down with Lida Danielyan, the owner of Café Amara, a cozy underground gem tucked beneath the buzz of Beverly Hills. With no prior restaurant experience and a background in customer service, she shares what inspired her to leap into hospitality.

We explore lessons learned as a first-time operator, how her perception of the restaurant industry shifted, and the unique challenges she faces with such an unusual location.

Key Discussion Topics:

1 - Why did you buy Cafe Amara, and how did your customer service experience play a role?

2 - What lessons did you learn as a first-time restaurant operator? Did your perspective change about the industry? 3 - What challenges does Cafe Amara's unique location cause?

4 - What role has technology played in the growth of the business?

If you'd like to check out Cafe Amara, view their ordering website here: https://food.orders.co/cafeamara

Check out the full video of this episode on our YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PYQGSXHugLU

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and any suggestions you may have for future shows!

What happens when an engineer decides to open a pizza shop? We sat down with Armond Zarookian, owner of Slash Pizza, to hear how he tackled the transition into the restaurant world. From handling tough competition to leveraging new technology, Armond shares valuable insights from his first-time restaurant journey.

Key Discussion Topics: 1 - Why the restaurant business, and how did your background impact day-to-day operations? 2 - Lessons learned as a first-time restaurant operator? Advice to others.

3 - Does size matter? Competing with major chains.

4 - How technology helped evolve Slash Pizza for the modern customer.

If you'd like to check out Slash Pizza, view their ordering website here: Slash Pizza

We hope you enjoyed the episode. Please leave us a review and any suggestions you may have for future shows!