Jason Riggs feels most at home with orders flying in, timers beeping, headsets crackling and cars wrapping around the building, all while the kitchen tries to keep up.
He’s spent his career designing technology for dynamic environments, like truckers navigating interstates, daredevils livestreaming with GoPros and operators aiming to shave seconds off ticket times. As the Chief Commercial and Product Officer at Audivi AI, his goal has been the same: Find clarity inside the chaos.
In this episode of Restaurant Reset, Jason shares how the right tech makes achieving that easier. Here are a few lessons from our conversation.
Good technology should reduce friction — not add to it
By the time Jason’s career brought him into the world of hospitality, the drive thru was the most important part of restaurant operations. But the tools supporting it were outdated, with limited visibility and no meaningful feedback.
When they failed, the impact was immediate: slower service, order errors and frustrated employees. But the reason why something went wrong was often less clear. As Jason put it, it was often an “isolated system within the restaurant.”
He saw the problem (and solution) clearly. Fixing the issue wasn’t about adding bells and whistles but rebuilding the drive thru to be faster, more reliable and future-proof.
“The ecosystem went from the POS being the sun, to the drive thru now being the sun of the ecosystem.” When the most important system works consistently, everything downstream gets easier.
Strong restaurants are built on connected systems
Many operators think of their tech stack like plumbing: As long as it works, don’t touch it. In an industry with thin margins and zero tolerance for downtime, it’s an understandable approach. But it falls apart when you realize how dynamic restaurant tech can be and how important integration is.
Jason encourages operators to stop viewing restaurant technology as a collection of standalone tools and start thinking of it as a connected ecosystem.
“The software doesn’t stand alone… and the hardware doesn’t stand alone either. It only really works efficiently when it has the right inputs, the right data and the right systems connected to it.”
That interconnectedness is what helps technology support people instead of overwhelming them, and information move across the restaurant. Teams can spend less time managing software and more time delivering guest experiences that drive repeat visits.
Start with the problem
In Jason’s world, AI isn’t the hero; the operator is. And too often, teams may think AI is the solution without fully understanding what’s causing the problems they’re trying to solve. That's why Jason’s rule is simple.
“I don’t start with the solution, I start with the problem. Let’s figure out what we’re trying to fix and then see if AI is a viable solution.”
If you can’t clearly articulate whether the issue is order accuracy, speed of service or labor efficiency, AI quickly turns into a shiny distraction instead of a meaningful improvement.
When implemented with intention, AI can drive real gains in consistency and throughput. But without a clear “why,” it becomes one more thing to manage rather than a tool that moves the business forward.
The biggest mistake is over‑investing in today
Modern restaurant operators navigate a pace of technological change that the industry has never experienced before. New platforms, new vendors and new capabilities seem to appear almost monthly, and it can feel overwhelming to decide where to invest.
Jason’s message throughout our conversation was surprisingly grounding. The most successful operators are not the ones chasing every new tool. They’re the ones who remain focused on the fundamentals, identify the real problems, build systems that communicate and adopt tech that supports people — instead of replacing them.
AI isn’t replacing humans
Jason rejects the idea that AI is here to replace people. He believes the future of restaurants lies in augmentation, not automation for its own sake. AI may handle repetitive tasks like order processing or data analysis, but human judgment still anchors the experience.
In his words, “AI is a great tool in the places where it makes sense, but there’s always a need for human judgment.” Hospitality, empathy and real‑time decision‑making can’t be outsourced — and shouldn’t be.
When used well, restaurant technology gives teams more time for what matters, like connecting with guests, supporting each other and running smoother shifts. As Jason put it, “You can use AI to accelerate decisions … while keeping your soul.”
Bringing it all together
Restaurants today sit at a crossroads and the pace of change can feel overwhelming. But Jason’s message cuts through the noise: Focus on the problem, design for the human and don’t freeze just because the future feels uncertain.
In the end, innovation isn’t about chasing buzzwords. It’s about giving operators better tools so that the line keeps moving, the team stays focused and the work feels a little more manageable.
If you’d like to hear more conversations like these, check out Restaurant Reset wherever you listen to podcasts: