David Cantu: The $150 Billion Problem Hiding in Restaurant Back Offices

In this episode of the Restaurant AI Podcast, host Matt Wampler, Co-Founder and CEO of ClearCOGS, sits down with David Cantu, CEO of Craftable and one of the most experienced operators and builders in hospitality technology. David co-founded HotSchedules and spent over two decades scaling it into one of the most widely used labor management platforms in the restaurant industry. He later served as CEO of Black Box Intelligence before joining Craftable's board and stepping into the CEO role with a clear mission: build the back office the restaurant industry has always needed but never had. In this conversation, Matt and David dig into why restaurant margins are higher than most operators realize and why the industry has been conditioned to stop looking too soon. David shares the story of saving 600 basis points in five months at an iconic Austin restaurant simply by tying managers to all controllable costs, not just food and labor. He breaks down why the painful end of week inventory count may soon be a thing of the past, what it actually takes to get managers emotionally connected to profitability, and why he sees the SaaSpocalypse as noise compared to the real opportunity sitting inside the back office right now. Whether you are a restaurant operator trying to unlock hidden profitability, a multi-unit brand still running on legacy back of house tech, or a hospitality tech executive watching the AI boom unfold, this episode gives you one of the most grounded and practical perspectives on where the industry is heading and what it will take to get there. Connect with David Cantu on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/jdavidcantu Learn more about Craftable: craftable.com Connect with Matt Wampler on LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/matthewjwampler Learn more about ClearCOGS: clearcogs.com