Every unanswered restaurant call puts a reservation, private event, takeout order, or future guest at risk.

Jay and Dom sit down with Randall and Vanessa from Hostie to explore how AI is changing restaurant communication while protecting the human side of hospitality.

Hostie answers calls and texts, books reservations, handles guest questions, supports multiple languages, and gives restaurant teams more time to serve the guests in front of them.

The numbers make missed calls hard to ignore. One restaurant receives 40 per cent of its calls outside business hours. Cactus Club Cafe recorded more than 100,000 calls across its locations in three days, with 60 per cent resolved by AI.

You’ll hear where restaurant AI is heading, how operators retain control of every guest interaction, and how Hostie gets a personalized virtual host running in about an hour.

If your phone keeps ringing while your team is in the weeds, this episode is worth hearing.

Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla welcome Australian direct response marketer John Dwyer, JD, founder of The Institute of Wow, for a blunt, funny, and practical conversation about restaurant marketing.

JD breaks down why restaurants lose revenue when they fail to collect customer data. He shares how one seafood restaurant built a 92,000-person database, filled empty seats with simple text messages, and used direct offers to drive real sales.

The episode covers Facebook contests, customer databases, high-value incentives, strong calls to action, and why random social posting is not a marketing plan.

With classic Late Night chaos, NEXT Food Expo talk, and a few wild ideas from Jay, this episode gives restaurant owners smart ways to bring guests back, increase visits, and build marketing systems that work.

Your food might be exceptional, but if your communication isn't, your customers never get the full story.

This week on The Late Night Restaurant Podcast, Jay Ashton and Domenic Pedulla sit down with Joshua from Beltway Media to explore one of the most overlooked areas in hospitality: strategic communications.

From building trust and shaping customer perception to branding, storytelling, AI, and the future of restaurant marketing, this conversation dives into why communications is no longer optional for restaurants and hospitality businesses.

Joshua explains the difference between marketing and communications, why authenticity outperforms perfection, and how every customer interaction, from your website and social media to your menu, music, and dining experience, shapes your brand.

If you're a restaurant owner, hospitality leader, marketer, or entrepreneur looking to strengthen your brand and build lasting customer trust, this episode is packed with practical insights you can apply today.