ABOUT ME

I’m Ryan, a lifelong optimizer and problem solver. I love thinking up creative ways to tackle challenges and make things work better. I’ve grown up in a mashup of the restaurant and technology industries, advising and helping operators like you make more money with less stress, less work, and happier guests and staff.

In 1999, I was a POS helpdesk technician answering phone calls from frantic restaurant staff: their kitchen printer stopped printing, their credit card swiper stopped swiping, their touchscreen stopped touching. Whatever the issue was, it was always during the rush: lunch, Saturday dinner, or… MOTHER’S DAY.

Fast-forwarding a bit, I worked my way up through installations, training, sales, and just about everything in-between. Throughout that trek, I kept my focus on integrity and treating people right.

Guest demands, market trends, and mobile technology evolved. The digital hospitality market exploded. Half-baked apps and subscriptions and services popped up everywhere. “Turn-and burn” companies came out of the woodwork to make a quick buck with expensive, sticky contracts.

I saw hard-working restaurateurs handing over their hard-earned dollars to these companies… but not getting the value they expected. It was clear that restaurant professionals needed an independent ally and partner to help guide them through the tangled web of subscriptions, pitfalls of bad agreements, and headaches of poor integrations.

I began working on 86’d Chaos: my own “digital hospitality consulting” company to do just that. Drawing on my wide range of experience, creative vision, and aptitude for solving problems, I can approach situations from a position that’s not tied to one particular POS or payment processor. I can work with my clients to determine what’s best for their needs and situation, and help craft a strategy to keep them competitive and relevant in the fast-paced hospitality biz.