Most Restaurants Buy Technology First. An Amazon Web Services Exec Says That's Backwards.

Deborah Matteliano, Global Restaurant Industry Lead at Amazon Web Services, believes technology should make hospitality more personal. After helping restaurants navigate online ordering at Uber Eats, she now helps brands create better guest experiences through technology at AWS.

Watch now to learn what digital hospitality means, why first-party data matters and how technology can strengthen the guest experience.

Sponsored by:

• TOAST AllIn1 Restaurant POS

Chapters:

[01:42] - What Amazon Web Services Does for Restaurants

[03:28] - Defining Digital Hospitality

[12:12] - Why First-Party Data Matters

[13:56] - Work Backwards From the Guest Experience

[15:32] - Lessons From Building Uber Eats

SPONSORS:

RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS IS PRESENTED BY TOAST —

Restaurant Influencers is brought to you by Toast, the powerful restaurant point of sale and management system that helps restaurants improve operations, increase sales and create a better guest experience.

• Toast AllIn1 Restaurant POS

PEPSICO IS A SPONSOR OF THE RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS PODCAST —

Restaurant Influencers is proud to have PepsiCo as a sponsor of this episode. Partnering with PepsiCo Foodservice helps restaurant operators drive sustainable growth through smarter digital experiences, AI-backed menu optimization, and tools designed to create more profitable online orders.

Check out PepsiCo Foodservice

Episode Links:

Deborah Matteliano LinkedIn

AWS Restaurants

Amazon LinkedIn

Key Takeaways:

Technology Should Follow Hospitality: Deborah Matteliano believes restaurants often start with the wrong question by asking what new technology they should adopt. Instead, operators should first define the guest experience they want to create, then build technology around that vision. When hospitality leads, technology becomes a tool rather than the destination.

Data Needs a Soul: During her time at Uber Eats, Matteliano saw AI identify profitable virtual restaurant opportunities based on customer demand. But she learned that data alone can't determine what makes a great restaurant. The operators who succeeded chose concepts that matched their passion, brand and ability to deliver exceptional hospitality, proving that the best business decisions combine analytics with authenticity.

Own the Relationship: Personalization starts with first-party data. Matteliano argues that restaurants who own the customer relationship can create more meaningful experiences, whether it's recognizing a guest's milestone visit or tailoring future interactions. Technology may power those moments, but guests remember how the restaurant made them feel.

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ABOUT DEBORAH MATTELIANO —

Deborah Matteliano serves as the Global Head of Restaurants for AWS. She supports Quick Service Restaurants, Third Party Deliveries, Restaurant Technologies, and Virtual Concepts in deploying the cloud to power digital innovation. Prior to AWS, Deborah managed Amazon Buy with Prime and served as a founding member of Uber Eats marketplaces, where she scaled restaurant technologies globally. She has held leadership roles in sales, marketing, and technical business development and enjoys working at the intersection of food innovation and technology. She holds a Masters of Business Administration from the Cornell Johnson School of Management.

ABOUT RESTAURANT INFLUENCERS —

Restaurant Influencers is a weekly video podcast series presented by Entrepreneur Media and Cali BBQ Media. Every week host and restaurant owner Shawn Walchef (@shawnpwalchef) talks with business leaders like Shaquille O’Neal, Rob Dyrdek, Emeril Lagasse, Mayim Bialik, Jon Taffer, Robert Irvine, Toast co-founder Aman Narang, and more, about their secrets to Smartphone Storytelling, marketing, branding, and how to show up where customers are engaging online.

Published by Entrepreneur Media

Produced by Cali BBQ Media