[Preview] FSTEC Innovation Forum 2025: How Red Lobster and Zaxby’s Power Growth Through Smart Kitchen Operations

From the back-of-house to the guest experience, today’s restaurants are facing an unprecedented challenge: drive growth and profitability in the midst of a shifting labor market, inflationary pressures, and evolving guest expectations.

But what if the secret to sustainable growth lies in rethinking the lifecycle of kitchen operations, from inventory and staffing to order routing and prep timing?

At FSTEC 2025, newly merged Crunchtime and QSR Automations are coming together to bring you a powerful joint panel featuring two standout operators who are using integrated back-of-house and kitchen technology to reshape how their restaurants run. Get ready to hear firsthand how Red Lobster and Zaxby’s are unlocking operational stability that fuels long-term growth, even in unpredictable times.

Meet the Panelists

Michele Brennan
Senior Director, Digital Experience at Red Lobster

With a 25-year career spanning consumer goods and themed entertainment, Michele Brennan brings deep cross-industry expertise to her role leading in-restaurant applications, infrastructure, and IT operations at Red Lobster.

Since joining the brand two and a half years ago, she’s been focused on making technology more intuitive for team members while enhancing the guest experience. Whether it’s optimizing prep workflows or ensuring seamless handoffs in the kitchen, Michele’s team is driving a more connected restaurant from the inside out. She’s also a board advisor for QSR Automations and an active member of the International Food and Beverage Technology Association.

Nick Petrocci
Director, Restaurant Technology at Zaxby’s

At Zaxby’s, Nick Petrocci leads the technology team supporting nearly 1,000 restaurants across more than 18 states. From new product launches to franchisee tech rollouts, Nick’s world moves fast, and his team keeps pace by anchoring everything in a flexible, scalable restaurant tech stack.

Before Zaxby’s, Nick was at Grubhub, where he helped restaurants of all sizes build loyalty programs and launch branded digital experiences with direct POS integrations. That e-commerce experience continues to inform how he drives digital growth at Zaxby’s today.

High-Impact Growth Strategies for the Kitchen Operations Lifecycle 

The panel will be moderated by James Byrne, Vice President, Enterprise & EMEA at Crunchtime. James will guide the conversation as our expert moderator, bringing deep industry insight and a global perspective to the discussion. Don’t Miss It: Monday, September 15, at 10:45 –11:30 AM. Hope to see you there!