Behind the Tab

In the Season 2 premiere of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Will Donaldson of Politan Row to unpack what’s actually happening inside food halls as we head into the new year.

With more than a decade focused exclusively on food halls, Will shares a hospitality-first perspective shaped by restaurant operations, real estate realities, and human behavior. This isn’t a “trends” episode—it’s a reality check.

You’ll hear:

Why food halls succeed in some markets and struggle in others

What truly defines a food hall (and what doesn’t)

In Episode 11 of Behind the Tab, we continue the conversation with Noel Rodriguez, a longtime hospitality professional and Customer Success leader at GoTab, to unpack a deceptively simple question:

What do operators think is “new” in restaurant technology—and what actually isn’t?

From Kitchen Display Systems and buzzers to QR ordering and hybrid service models, Noel explains why many “new” tools have been around for years—and why success depends less on the technology itself and more on how it’s introduced, trusted, and supported.

In this episode, we discuss:

Why KDS adoption...

What does it really take to run a great hospitality operation in 2026?

In this episode of Behind the Tab, we sit down with Noel Rodriguez, a longtime hospitality professional turned Customer Success leader at GoTab.

Noel’s journey—from high-volume restaurants and events to supporting operators through modern hospitality technology—offers a rare, operator-first perspective. This conversation goes beyond features and platforms to explore how real hospitality experience shapes better service, smarter technology decisions, and more resilient operations.

In this episode, we cover:

Why lived hospitality experience matters in tech and custom...

Part 2 of our conversation with Ashley Owens of CourtReserve and Tim McLaughlin of GoTab zooms out from CourtReserve’s funding story into the broader racquet-sports and hospitality landscape.

Ashley and Tim dig into why pickleball, padel, tennis, and multi-sport venues are exploding, and how automation is reshaping both the operator and player experience. They compare the racquet-sports surge to past boom-and-bust cycles like craft beer, share what separates thriving facilities from struggling ones, and talk candidly about the stubborn persistence of pen-and-paper operations in public parks and rec centers.

The episode closes with Ashley’s outl...

In Part 1 of our conversation with Ashley Owens, co-founder of CourtReserve, and GoTab co-founder Tim McLaughlin, we unpack how CourtReserve grew from a simple tennis court booking idea into a leading facility management platform. Ashley shares her personal origin story, why she and her husband chose to become operators themselves, and what their $54M growth investment means for product quality, integrations, and the future of racquet sports. Along the way, Adam and Tim explore broader tech trends — from rollups and “walled gardens” to the rising expectation that every venue experience should be as seamless as the apps we use daily...

In this episode, Patricia sits down with Andrew Coplon, founder of Secret Hopper and Craft Beer Professionals, for a deep dive into the habits, data, and guest-experience strategies that separate good taprooms from great ones.

Andrew shares how a “crazy idea” in 2017—launching a mystery-shopping service for breweries—sparked his journey into the industry and inspired the creation of an 18,000-member community dedicated to brewery education and connection. Together, they explore what today’s guests expect, how the best operators deliver it consistently, and why hospitality—not beer quality—is now the true differentiator.

Why small habits d...

In this episode, Adam sits down with Luke Coan, GoTab's Regional Director of Growth, for a deep dive into his rise in the Chicago and Denver food scene, transition into hospitality technology, and future plans to tie it back to nature.

Luke takes time to provide his advice and insights to those looking to move up in high-level kitchen environments, his favorite pieces of tech he wishes he had in the moment, and what he likes most about staying industry adjacent.

Behind the Tab is where operators get real—sharing the stories, lessons, and strategies that help entrepreneurs run stronger, smarter businesses. In the second half of our conversation with Thomas Walsh of Chipshot Pickleball, we dig even deeper into what it takes to run a high-volume, high-touch eatertainment venue.

From practical, hard-earned insights to some downright scary fraud-fighting stories, Thomas doesn’t hold back. It’s candid, it’s operationally sharp, and it’s packed with takeaways every hospitality leader should hear.

We're thrilled to bring you a next-level conversation on the “Behind the Tab” podcast — this time featuring the founder of Chipshot Pickleball (Jacksonville, FL) and our guest partners from PourMyBeer. Together we dig into how a sports venue, a self-pour beer wall, and a cloud-POS system come together to redefine ‘eatertainment’.

What you’ll hear

How Chipshot Pickleball founder Thomas Walsh traded the pro-golfing life for building a 30,000-sq-ft destination with eight pickleball courts, golf simulators, a full smokehouse, and a self-pour beer wall.

The friction-points guests face at typical sports/rec venues (“You book a cou...

Catering to different demographics has its challenges, especially when they are of different species. In this episode, we chat with Megan Schaffer, CEO and Co-Founder of Crate Escapes, Indiana's first and only Dog Park Bar, about kicking off such a unique business, providing experiences for both dogs and humans alike, and lessons learned in their first year of business.

GoTab’s Behind the Tab podcast dives into the intersection of technology, creativity, and community in modern hospitality. In this episode, host Patricia Mejia sits down with John Karemy, Tripleseat’s international marketing lead, to explore the brand’s expansion into Australia, why the market is so uniquely guest-focused, and how Tripleseat + GoTab are transforming the way venues book, manage, and deliver events.

From Tasmania to London to Sydney, John shares his journey across global markets, lessons learned from building brand awareness abroad, and why trust and technology are powering a new era of hospitality Down Under.

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Expanding into new markets can be daunting, especially when there's an ocean in the middle. 🍻 In this episode, we chat with Pulkit Agrawal, CEO and Founder of The Fifth Ingedient and Tim McLaughlin, CEO and Co-Founder of GoTab, about starting their business to solve problems, expanding into new international markets, and the lessons learned along the way.

Ever wonder what happens when RV travelers, craft beer, and smart tech collide? 🍻 In this episode, we chat with Ashley Howe from FarmCraft Brewery about teaming up with Harvest Hosts and GoTab to welcome new guests, keep service smooth, and create a brewery experience that sticks with people long after they park and pour.