Robert Hess Email & Phone Number

Atlanta, Ga, Us

Hospitality technology consulting with a focus on restaurants

Atlanta, Georgia, Us

Enterprise Architecture consulting for Zaxby's.

Sandy Springs, Georgia, Us

As CIO, I headed digital transformation efforts for a new company following Huddle House’s acquisition of Perkins Restaurants. I galvanized teams to unify and relocate data centers and create the foundation for a new multi-brand organization. Leveraging key synergies, I assembled, led, and mentored a dynamic team of 24 to help accomplish core business goals.Selected achievements in digital transformation : 🔹 Championed and implemented online ordering solution for core brands leveraging Olo ordering platform. 🔹 Orchestrated call center pilot testing for both core brands. 🔹 Enabled seamless/full integration of 3rd party delivery platforms like Uber Eats, DoorDash, and Grub Hub into POS systems. 🔹 Partnered with external development firm to rebuild customer-facing websites, reducing order friction across the board. 🔹 Collaborated with 3rd-party development firm to create Perkins mobile application.Other highlights include: 🔹 Led conversion of phone systems to Voice-over-IP (VoIP) phones; slashed monthly phone costs from $300 to $50 per location, a total of ~$200K and $100K annual savings for Perkins and Huddle House restaurants, respectively.🔹 Instituted EMV credit card processing to ensure PCI compliance; brand received PCI certification after each audit since. 🔹 Converted Huddle House restaurant brand to CrunchTime back-office solution to within 1.5% of theoretical food cost, saving $1M+ annually; concurrently reduced overtime by an average of 27 hours per pay period in each location. 🔹 Bolstered enterprise security by steering initiatives to improve current capabilities.

Sandy Springs, Ga, Us

Huddle House aquired Perkins restaurants in 2019.I was handpicked to build and implement the strategic roadmap critical to realizing the company’s goal of transforming and modernizing its IT systems and enterprise architecture. Selected achievements: 🔹 Reduced labor and food costs by 1.8% and 2.3%, respectively, by building RFP to select CrunchTime for replacement of legacy custom software; implemented new solution across all corporate and franchise locations. 🔹 Implemented DiscoverLink online Learning Management System using Chromebooks at each restaurant location. 🔹 Updated on-prem data center to align with modern industry standards.🔹 Consolidated two disparate IT Teams (Atlanta and Memphis) into a single department with focused goals.

Sandy Springs, Ga, Us

As VP and CIO of IT, I elevated the organization’s effectiveness and performance by driving transformation, coaching, guiding, and mentoring teams to foster successful outcomes.Selected achievements: 🔹 Reviewed and reassigned internal IT staff to build department structure, ensuring high-quality business deliverables.🔹 Verified regulatory compliance by upgrading Micros POS assets, driving smooth operations for restaurant managers. 🔹 Replaced legacy proprietary back-office technology with cloud-based solution from CrunchTime with employee mobile access to schedule and labor resources.🔹 Led upgrade of Lawson ERP system to modern version with new hardware. 🔹 Stabilized store operating environment by introduction of a quality assurance function in IT and enterprise change control to minimize impact to the operators with software changes.

Sandy Springs, Ga, Us

AS the VP of IT, I mentored, guided, coached, and provided general leadership to transform the development of the origination from an underperforming and disorganized entity to a high performing, structured team of internal staff. I also reimagined the operational systems and business processes in restaurants to the industry standard model utilizing third party suppliers and cloud based systems including design, configuration, testing, and implementation of third-party software and the integration to both POS and enterprise software systems.

Following American Blue Ribbon Holdings’ purchase of O’Charley’s, I spearheaded a full-service IT department of 52, which included six disparate IT groups. Selected achievements: 🔹 Steered project to consolidate data centers in Denver and Nashville, driving $700K in annual operating cost savings.🔹 Leveraged $9M and $12M operating and capital operating budgets, respectively. 🔹 Developed five-year strategic roadmap, including the enterprise’s shared service center and five restaurant brands.🔹 Led contract negotiations for outsourcing IT infrastructure and support desk functions.

Us

Us

Dallas, Texas, Us

Worked my way up through the organization beginning in the mailroom, moved to computer operations, computer operations management, mainframe payroll programmer and through the store systems group to a senior programmer level.