Brendan Sweeney of Popmenu on How Ego is the Root of All Evil Interview with Popmenu CEO Brendan Sweeney about building a positive user experience, the state of restaurant technology, and the importance of providing answers.

By Shawn P. Walchef

entrepreneur daily

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Takeaways from this episode:

Digital UX is a Part of the Customer JourneyCEO Brendan Sweeney and the Popmenu team understand the importance of digital hospitality, and that a restaurant's digital user experience (UX) is often the first impression for customers.

Ego is the Root of all Evil — According to Brendan Sweeney, money gets a bad rap. When building a longstanding positive culture, he and his teammates at Popmenu decided that they would make decisions devoid of ego as often as possible.

You Gotta Have an Answer — As the industry deals with worker shortage and a growing digital influence, Brendan Sweeney and company have implemented new technology to ensure that no customer question goes unanswered, and the experience is even enhanced by interacting with their new technology.

***

When co-founding Popmenu, CEO Brendan Sweeney knew to do things differently. The first rule? No corporate bullshit or egos.

Digital technology has grown to become an integral part of the restaurant industry. One of the leaders in the digital hospitality movement is Brendan Sweeney, the CEO and a cofounder of Popmenu (@popmenu). As its tagline states, the restaurant tool is "designed to turn more first-time guests into regulars."

"Popmenu is giving control and simplicity back to restaurants, helping them navigate this crazy digital world, put their best foot forward, attract, engage and transact with their guests in a way they've never been able to do before and simplifying their lives," says Brendan Sweeney to Restaurant Influencers host Shawn Walchef of CaliBBQ Media.

That user experience is what drives Popmenu to provide increasingly efficient mechanisms for their partners to use. With a background in product and marketing, Brendan Sweeney has a keen understanding of how potential customers shop with their senses prior to walking into the door and making the decision to become regulars. Years of research also helped the Popmenu team employ the strategy of a fairly well known business — Amazon.

"It does feel like an Amazon product page when you come to a regular menu on Popmenu," says Brendan. "You can see what does this dish look like? The chef could put as many pieces of text as they want about it. Tell the whole story. The reviews are directly there. The ratings, the social validation. It's all in one place."

That harmonious experience is paramount for Popmenu to provide to their restaurant partners and ultimately to the consumers. Harmony is also a cornerstone on which the Popmenu culture is built.

"We decided to try to do it differently," says Brendan Sweeney about founding Popmenu. "So we, from the beginning, said, number one: no corporate bullshit. And what that ends up really meaning long term is trying to keep ego out of it as much as possible."

The likelihood of more than one founding member of an organization being aligned in what they want is unlikely. Yet, the Popmenu team has hit the jackpot in that arena.

What started as just an idea to break out of cubicle life, and one which Brendan Sweeney admittedly thought would significantly dwindle after a year, has blossomed into an entity that is pushing the digital hospitality industry forward with no sign of losing momentum. The Popmenu team hope to also push the spirit of perseverance and encourage entrepreneurs to keep going.

"It is incredibly rewarding when you figure stuff out, but man, it's hard. It's hard. And so the whole thing is just not having this expectation it's going to happen overnight," he cautions.

Hard is not impossible. It took years in separate occupations for the minds that created Popmenu to come together, and the growth continues to be phenomenal.

***

NOMINATE A RESTAURANT INFLUENCER — Do you know someone who is killing it on social media? Let us know by emailing influencers@calibbq.media or sending the @calibbqmedia team a DM on social media.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS:

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

Toast — Powering Successful Restaurants. Learn more about Toast.

Popmenu is also a sponsor of the Restaurant Influencers podcast. We wanted to share with our audience this powerful opportunity to help your restaurant reclaim the power of your phone now. Learn more about Popmenu Answering.

Shawn P. Walchef

Founder of Cali BBQ Media

“Be the show, not the commercial.”

Cali BBQ Media Founder Shawn Walchef helps brands and leaders leverage the new Business Creator Economy with strategic Smartphone Storytelling and Digital Hospitality.

His Cali BBQ restaurant company has generated more than $35 million since opening in 2008. They operate numerous locations in San Diego and beyond.

Shawn’s weekly video series Restaurant Influencers (published by Entrepreneur Media and produced by Cali BBQ Media) has been seen by over 25 million people.

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

More from Restaurant Influencers

"I Was an Awful High School Student": How the Owner of an Award-Winning Restaurant Brand Beat the Odds and Found Success

Chef Says This Is the No. 1 Thing That Makes a Restaurant Successful or Not

How The Nourish Spot Is Building a Legacy of Healthy Eating and Community Connection

The Waitlist for This Sushi Spot Numbers in the Hundreds. Here's the Secret Ingredient of Its Success.

Editor's Pick

Leadership

Laughter Is a Universal Language — Here's How to Use It to Empower Your Team

Being able to make your people laugh can foster resilience, psychological safety and a culture of innovation, ultimately enhancing organizational performance and employee satisfaction. Here's how to harness its power.

Business News

2 Major Chicken Chains Are Experimenting With Selling 'Pizza' for the First Time in the U.S.

Do you prefer pizza over chicken or pizza topped with chicken?

Taxes

'The IRS is Coming in Hot': Jason Tartick Says All Business Owners Should Do This 1 Thing Before Filing Taxes — Or Risk a Potentially Pricey Audit

'Entrepreneur' sat down with the personal finance expert and former 'Bachelorette' star to talk all things taxes.

Productivity

This $40 Business Tool Helps You Organize Everything

Meet Taskomat, your key to organization and productivity.

Leadership

2 Leadership Tricks I Learned From a Senior CIA Officer

There are two things you should learn from modern covert operations and espionage. Use them wisely.

Business News

Reddit Debuts on New York Stock Exchange, First Major Tech IPO Since Pinterest in 2019

Reddit's IPO at $34 per share values the social media platform at around $6.4 billion.