884: Massimo Noja De Marco Co-Founder of Kitchen United and CEO of Piestro

With excitement, allow me to introduce you to today's guest, Co-founder of Kitchen United, CEO of Piestro, Board of Directors member at Miso Robotics, Strategic Board Member of Ghost Kitchen Brands, Equity Partner at KRP and nurish, Massimo Noja De Marco.

Because of his constant pursuit for Innovation in the Food Industry, Massimo made the Top Ten in the 2020 NRN Power List of Restaurant Leaders changing the industry at # 7.

This year’s list focused on technology and innovation, and featured individuals bringing game changing solutions and unrivaled creativity to the biggest issues facing restaurants today.

As CEO and Co-Founder of Piestro, a Fully Automated Pizzeria, Massimo is now raising funds for this new revolutionary Company that will deliver a delicious Artisanal Pizza in 3 minutes or less.

After launching Kitchen United in 2017, Massimo drove all aspects of design innovations of KU Kitchen Centers. As KU “Idea Man” Massimo's goal became to design and deliver a perfect workspace for Virtual restaurants.

With a keen eye for Innovation and Technology, Massimo sits on the Board of Miso Robotics, has a stake in Bowlton Robotics where he runs Development and advises for OrderMark, Babylon Micro Farms, and Nurish. Automation, Robotics, AI, and Facial Recognition are some of Massimo's priorities.

Prior to launching Kitchen United, Massimo owned and operated PH+E, a boutique consulting firm focusing on opening restaurants, hotels and bars across the US, Mexico and Europe. He served as Vice President of Operations for SBE Entertainment, controlling all operational aspects for the Restaurants and Nightlife division. Previously he covered the same role at Wolfgang Puck Catering and Events, overseeing operations for all venues in S. California, including major events and awards shows, such as the Academy Awards.

Formerly, Massimo owned and operated restaurants in NYC and Los Angeles and ran the Food and Beverage Department for The Ritz Carlton Marina Del Rey and Hillcrest Country Club in Beverly Hills.

Massimo was raised in a seven-generation family in Hospitality in the Lake District outside of Milan, Italy. For three years he ran the family business composed of boutique hotels and restaurants in Italy.

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Favorite success quote or mantra:

• "Here's to all the mad ones."

In this episode with Massimo Noja De Marco we will discuss:

• What is Italian hospitality?
• FOH best practices and true hospitality
• Correcting systems and profitability
• Creating the most efficient dine-in/take-out kitchen
• Creating the first "ghost kitchen" in the US
• How to attract investors
• The economics of implementing robotics in your kitchen
• The future of robotics in the commercial kitchen

Today's sponsor:

This episode is brought to  you by Plate IQ, your Accounts Payable Automation and Expense Management solution. PateIQ works with 20,000 restaurants across the country. Plate IQ uses OCR "Optical Character Recognition" and Deep Machine Learning to eliminate manual data entry from the AP process. Automate the full life cycle of your invoices from General Ledger coding to bill payment via PlateIQ’s VendorPay network. With PlateIQ’s VendorPay you can seamless flow from invoice upload to paying your bills. You can earn cashback on invoices from over 180,000 vendors. With Plate IQ Vender Pay, you can see what is due when. Schedule payment by check/ACH/or Plate IQ Card. Lastly, VendorPay is also FOR Vendors. Keeping your vendors happy will give you leverage in negotiating your terms. Vendors participating in Plate IQ’s VendorPay network LOVE it because it shortens Day Sales Outstanding by 25% - AKA: Vendors get paid 25% faster. To learn more head to plateIQ.com/unstoppable to get at least 25% off implementation.

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Diageo Bar Academy equips bartenders, servers, managers, and hospitality professionals with the insights, stories, and tools to be better - raising the bar on industry standards. Diageo Bar Academy reaches a diverse audience, with backgrounds and skill levels of all ranges- providing them with skills, knowledge, and the techniques they need to improve their personal and professional lives.

Contact info:

Connect with Massimo on Linked-In

Thanks for listening!

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Huge thanks to Massimo Noja De Marco for joining me for another awesome episode. Until next time!

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