Capabilities

Gut doesn't scale.

A fractional technology practice for growing restaurant brands — from the executive who scaled the Habit Burger Grill tech stack from a department of one, through IPO, to acquisition by the world's largest restaurant company.

Mike Repetti · Founder & Principal · mike@digitalhospitalitypartners.com
The case below
01 — The reality

Most growing restaurant brands don't have a technology problem. They have a technology strategy problem.

10–15
Years behind

Restaurants trail retail and eCommerce in MarTech maturity. Most brands have an app, online ordering, and a punch-card loyalty program — and think they're done.

0%
Implemented

Small and mid-sized brands have more tech than ever — poorly implemented. Point solutions bought piecemeal, none integrated, no one holding the vision.

$0K
All-in for a VP of IT

That's what a mid-market brand pays for a VP of IT who often isn't ready to lead. There's a better way — and it costs less.

02 — Where we focus

Three pillars. One connected stack.

Every growing brand needs the same three things working together. Most have pieces of each. We build the connective tissue.

01

Growth & Scaling

Org design · Ways of working · Tech leadership

Structuring the tech organization that matches where you're going, not where you've been — hiring plans, vendor strategy, and the operating cadence that turns ambition into execution.

02

Digital & MarTech

App · Web · Kiosk · 3PD · CRM · CDP · Loyalty

The guest-facing stack — and the data layer underneath that makes it pay for itself. Built for conversion, retention, and same-store sales lift. It's just math.

03

Team Member Experience

Inventory · Labor · Sales · Reporting · Payroll

The back-of-house stack that makes the line run and the P&L close — designed by someone who spent six years in restaurant operations before twenty-two in restaurant technology.

03 — The flagship engagement

The 90-Day
Digital Assessment.

A documented current-state map, a 2–3 year digital roadmap, and a prioritized initiative list with ROI estimates — delivered in 90 days.

Days 0–30

Assess

  • Leadership + operator interviews
  • System, data, and vendor audit
  • Guest journey & MarTech diagnostic
  • Team structure & skills review
Days 30–60

Design

  • Current-state architecture map
  • Gap analysis against growth plan
  • 2–3 year digital roadmap
  • Prioritized initiatives with ROI
Days 60–90

Align

  • Roadmap walkthrough with exec team
  • Vendor & build-vs-buy recommendations
  • Org design & hiring sequence
  • Handoff or transition to execution

Most engagements transition into an ongoing fractional CDTO retainer to execute the roadmap.

04 — The ongoing relationship

"They need me but can't afford all of me."

Executive-level technology leadership, embedded with your team — without the full-time cost. I sit in your leadership meetings. I own the roadmap. I hire and manage the boots-on-the-ground technical team underneath me. You get the strategic thinking of a Chief Digital & Technology Officer and the hands-on execution of a seasoned builder — at a fraction of the cost of either.

Full-time VP of IT — salary, bonus, benefits, equity
~$260K
DHP — Fractional CDTO
~$150K
+ a boots-on-ground technician
~$75K
Your total — with senior strategic leadership
~$225K
Every engagement has to pay for itself. If I can't see that return within the first 30 days, I will tell you — and we will stop.
— Mike Repetti, Founder
MR
Founder & Principal
Mike Repetti
06 — Who's behind this

28 years in restaurants.
6 on the line. 22 building
the technology that
runs them.

1 → 0+
Locations — scaled Habit Burger Grill from store 37 and a one-person IT team
IPO → Acq.
Led tech through the 2017 IPO and 2020 acquisition by the world's largest restaurant company
0+
Stores running a back-of-house platform he designed, later adopted at scale
2ND
Brand ever to integrate directly with DoorDash — guest and team member in mind
  • Designed, built and exited a full back-office solution — sales, labor, inventory, payroll, reporting, e-learning, and more.
  • Developed and scaled an owned omni-channel digital ordering experience — app, web, kiosk, and direct 3PD integrations.
  • Built and rolled out a proprietary POS fully integrated to the digital stack — after concluding the traditional POS was an expensive calculator we were renting.
Chief Digital & Technology Officer, Habit Burger Grill.
Habit Executive Team · Yum! Digital Technology Leadership Team · Yum! Cybersecurity Steering Committee · Yum! AI & Data Steering Committee
07 — Proof

Brands already trusting this work.

Current engagements
Salt & Straw
Fractional CDTO
Miguel's Jr
Fractional CDTO
California Fish Grill
MarTech Advisor
Ramen Tatsu-ya
Digital Advisor
Selected outcomes
PE Portfolio · Fast Casual

MarTech assessment, out of the park.

Expanded into an ongoing portfolio-wide relationship with the sponsor.

Mid-Market Concept · Board Referral

3-month transformation assessment.

As-is to to-be template delivered, then immediately expanded into Phase 1 execution.

Habit Burger Grill

End-to-end digital ecosystem, built in-house.

App, web, kiosk, and direct 3PD with DoorDash, Uber Eats, Postmates, and Grubhub. No tablets.

08 — Start here

What got you to 50 won't get you to 100. What got you to 100 won't get you to 200. Gut doesn't scale.

1

A 30-minute call

We diagnose whether there's a real fit — no pressure, no pitch deck.

2

A scoped proposal

If there's a fit, a tailored 90-Day Digital Assessment proposal follows.

3

A roadmap you can run

Delivered in 90 days, with optional fractional leadership to execute it.

Book the call