In fast-casual environments, physical kitchen space is one of the most valuable resources a restaurant has. For Steve Barrow, Senior Director of Information Technology at Nando’s Peri-Peri North America, who spoke at Crunchtime’s Innovation Forum on the future of the connected kitchen at FS/TEC 2026, eliminating technology fragmentation is both a digital initiative and a physical necessity for optimizing kitchen performance.
Fighting for Physical and Digital Real Estate
High-volume kitchens leave very little room for unnecessary hardware, meaning every additional device directly impacts team movement and execution. Steve sees that constraint firsthand. “At Nando’s, we fight for real estate in our kitchens. When you put six screens and four printers into a very small footprint, form factor becomes critical, and managing that amount of tech in the kitchen is a constant focus,” Steve explained. Managing that physical tech footprint requires a deliberate operational strategy.
To combat hardware sprawl without sacrificing functionality, Nando’s relies on kitchen tools that give operations teams direct control over execution while minimizing IT strain. Steve noted, “At Nando’s, Crunchtime Ops Execution serves as an easy-to-use sandbox that our operations team fully owns to create forms, manage tasks, and eliminate daily friction without creating heavy IT overhead.”
Unlocking the Full Power of Integrations
Consolidating technology isn't just about reducing physical screens; it’s about making sure software integrations don't compromise system performance. Steve pointed to a common problem with fragmented technology stacks, explaining, “When you integrate multiple restaurant systems, you expect to gain the collective capabilities of all of them, but you often risk ending up with the lowest common denominator of their abilities. Bringing everything under one roof allows us to maximize those integrations.”
Looking ahead, connecting data channels enables operators to anticipate demand and deploy labor far more effectively before shifts even begin. Understanding customer intent early helps operators make better decisions about labor and preparation while keeping margins healthy. “I firmly believe, particularly in the QSR and fast-casual space, that we're going to know what you're ordering that day. Through some incentive, something in the loyalty platform, or some sort of reservation system, the restaurant is going to know what you're going to order. Costs continue to go up, so we need to be 100% efficiently deployed in the restaurants to be profitable,” Steve noted.
Scaling Operations Through Consolidated Data
Ultimately, growing concepts must transform high-volume operational metrics into clear, actionable insights for store managers. As Steve summarized, “The key to scaling restaurant operations is taking the disjointed tools and silos that exist today and scaling them up into real-time, manageable data.” Rather than adding another layer of reporting to an already complex environment, connected kitchen solutions turn real-time data into a manageable foundation for scale.
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