Toast Announces 2024 Customer Advisory Board Members

BOSTON, MA -  Toast (NYSE: TOST), the all-in-one digital technology platform built for restaurants, today announced new members to its 2024 Customer Advisory Boards (CABs). Toast's Customer Advisory Boards, established in 2021, is composed of industry leaders from across the Toast customer network, from small to medium-sized businesses, to enterprise hospitality organizations with hundreds to thousands of locations. These groups provide Toast with valuable insights to help guide the future of Toast and the restaurant industry while also creating a deeper connection to the restaurant community within Toast and in their local networks.

"The Toast Customer Advisory Board is pivotal in creating a deeper connection to the restaurant community," said Katherine Kerr, Director of Product Marketing, Community & Advocacy. "From providing insights and feedback that help inform our product roadmap to building community and connection, each CAB member brings a unique perspective and set of experiences, which help make Toast a trusted partner that allows restaurants to thrive. We're humbled and proud to welcome the 2024 CAB members to our family." 

Building a supportive and impactful restaurant community

Together with the Customer Advisory Boards, Toast aims to build a collaborative food community that’s built on hospitality, technology, and deeper connection.

The Toast CABs convene quarterly to brainstorm and collaborate on developing innovative tools and solutions to tackle some of the biggest challenges faced by the industry. Members work together to enhance technology workflows and provide advice and best practices that can be shared within their local networks. The CABs also provide direct feedback on Toast products so that we can best support the restaurant industry to thrive. 

Recently, the CABs helped inform Toast’s development of its Restaurant Management Suite with features for growing and enterprise brands including Advanced Restaurant Analytics, improved Multi-Location Reporting, Menu Manager and Publishing Center, and Multi-Location Management. In addition, the CABs also advised on a new Benchmarking tool (currently in Beta) that will enable leaders to compare restaurant and menu category performance against aggregated data from peer Toast restaurants in their area.

"I joined the CAB because I felt that I could have a positive impact on the growth of Toast and Toast Products,” said Julie Nguyen, Director of Operations at Crawfish Cafe, a full-service seafood restaurant concept that operates four locations in the Houston area. “I'm most looking forward to learning from other CAB members how Toast works for them and working with them to contribute to fine-tuning all the features of Toast. I believe Toast is already a top-tier product, and I'm excited to help make it even better to support other growing businesses." 

“As Caribou Coffee begins implementing Toast technology across our coffeehouse footprint nationwide, we are eager to join Toast’s Enterprise Customer Advisory Board,” said Scott Kennedy, Chief Financial Officer at Caribou Coffee. “We welcome the opportunity to further establish a solid feedback loop between Caribou teams and Toast’s enterprise team, and we are excited to stay on top of product development as Toast continues to innovate in the enterprise restaurant space.”

Meet Toast’s SMB CAB members:

Denise Dixon - CEO, Yeah Man Jamaican Restaurant, Mableton, GA

Charlie Eblen - Founder, Single Tree BBQ, Murfreesboro, TN

Raheel Gauba - Partner, Malika - Pakistani Chai Canteen, Charleston, SC

Shaz Khan - Co-founder, Tono Pizzeria + Cheesesteaks, St. Paul, MN

Jeff Kirshenbaum - Co-Owner, Kirshenbaum Baking Co., Westfield, NJ

Tom Kuntz- President, Red Lodge Pizza Co., Red Lodge, MT

Sarah Lieberman -  Co-Owner,  Dandelion Café, Bellaire, TX 

Franco Lozano -  Owner, BuenoMalo, Andover, MA

Jefferson Macklin -  Partner, Traveler Street Hospitality, Boston, MA

John Myers - CTO, Big Tree Hospitality, Portland, ME

Julie Nguyen - Director of Operations, Crawfish Cafe, Houston, TX

Danny Pizarro - CMO, The Salty Donut, Miami, FL

JT Riley - VP of Operations, Taste of Belgium, Cincinnati, OH

Jim Rowe - Owner, Wing Central Restaurant Group Inc., Ellensburg, WA

Eric Soller - Owner/Operator Old Scratch Pizza, Dayton, OH

Robbie Soskin -  Co-Owner of yum! Kitchen & Bakery, Minneapolis, MN

Andrei Stern - Co-Founder/CFO, SuViche Hospitality Group, Miami, FL

Shone Tran - Co-Founder, Chicken Meets Rice, Santa Clara, CA

Shawn Walchef - Owner, Cali BBQ, Spring Valley, CA

Joy Zarembka - COO, Busboys and Poets, Washington, D.C.

Meet Toast’s Enterprise CAB members:

Cathy Watkins - Sr. Director, Enterprise Products – Point of Sale, Marriott International 

Brian Anderson - Senior Director of Technology, Upward Projects Restaurant Group

Scott Anderson - COO, The Human Bean

Randy Barnett - VP of Innovative Technology, Systems and Data, Front Burner Brands, Inc.

Dave Conger - Senior Director of Technology, Costa Vida, Fresh Mexican Grill

Gordon Davenport - Senior Director of Software Development, 99 Restaurants (Restaurant Growth Services)

Breckyn Eckberg - Technology Manager, City Brew Coffee

Kevin Forsberg - SVP of Retail Technologies, 99 Restaurants (Restaurant Growth Services)

Roberta Frierson - SVP Of Technology, Bar Louie

Andy Giacone - Principal, Roark Capital

Michael Haley - CIO and Executive Partner at Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants

Al Hank -  COO, BBQ Holdings, Inc.

Jason Keshishian, VP, Restaurant Systems, Papa Gino's Pizzeria & D'Angelo Grilled Sandwiches

Adam Kinsinger - Director Of Technology, WaBa Grill Franchise Corp

Mark Landes - VP of Technology at Snooze an A.M. Eatery

Sean Lee - IT Manager, Paris Baguette

Tom Licitra -  SVP, Strategy and Technology, Founders Table Restaurant Group

Grant Lieberman - VP of Technology, Lessing’s Hospitality Group

Massimo Mallozzi - Vice President of IT and Systems, Convive Brands

Alfredo Miro - COO, Baker's Drive Thru

Bruce Peavey - Senior Director of Information Technology, The Food Hall Co.

James Perry - Operational Systems Support Manager, José Andrés Group 

Gerrit Plantage -  Manager, IT Store Systems,  Caribou Coffee

Sean Power - Director of Information Technology, Ford Restaurant Group

Kat Ryder - VP of Ops Services & Technology, Tatte Bakery & Cafe

Jason Saposnik - VP of Information Technology,  FSC Franchise Co.

Tiffany Saylor - VP of IT, Front Burner Society

Tyler Schack - VP of Technology, Walk-Ons Sports Bistreaux

John Shattinger - Vice President of Technology, Robeks

Joe Shmait - CFO, Anthony's Restaurants

Susan Taylor - President and CEO, Juice It Up!

Jeremy Theisen - Chief Growth and Development Officer, Craveworthy Brands

Vinny Torregrossa - Senior Director of Technology,  Nothing Bundt Cakes

Sean Welindt - IT/POS Manager, Eggs Up Grill

Scott Wise - Manager of  IT, The Human Bean, Inc.

Aaron Yang - SVP, Din Tai Fung Restaurant Group