Culture That Counts: Why people-first service drives loyalty

Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

What is great service in 2025? In this episode of Tech on Toast, powered by Zonal, we unpack why hospitality is still (and always will be) a people business—and how that truth fuels loyalty.

Host Chris Fletcher is joined by:

• Antony Pender — Founder, Yummy Collection (people-first pubs, bars & seafood concepts)

• Darren Smith — Head of Operations, Flat Iron (consistent, craveable steakhouse experiences)

• Gillian Nicholson — Sales Director, Zonal (tech that blends into brilliant service)

They dive into:

• Defining modern service: “relaxed rigor,” natural interactions, and letting guests drive the experience

• Training that sticks: stories, shadowing, and Gen Z–friendly, bite-size learning

• Tech that empowers (not replaces): surfacing the right info at the right time, seamlessly

• Culture and retention: flexibility, share schemes, meaningful recognition, and clear, kind feedback

• Protecting brand magic: value over hard sell; community, authenticity, and doing one thing exceptionally well

Pull quotes

“Hospitality is the job of making people happy.”
“It’s kind to be clear; it’s unkind to be unclear.”
“We’re far more emotionally intelligent than AI—especially right now.”

Catch up on the series: Missed an episode? Dive into the rest of our Loyalty Series to get fully up to speed.