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MEET OUR CONSULTANT

Spencer Michiel

POS
OPERATIONS

Spencer brings over 20 years of restaurant industry experience, having worked nearly every position from busser to operations manager. He got his start bussing tables at his father’s restaurant, soon after, he was cooking in kitchens across independent restaurants. He deepened his culinary knowledge at Earl’s, a well-known Canadian chain, where he worked within the brigade kitchen system.

 

Spencer later transitioned to the front of house at The Keg, a Canadian steakhouse chain, where he moved into management and re-learned every position from dishwasher to bartender. He also spent time bartending at two high-volume pubs before stepping into the restaurant tech world with Vivonet, where he helped launch Halo POS, the first fully cloud-based POS on the market. Most recently, he served as Partnerships Manager at Ready, introducing U.S. operators to QR code ordering and mobile payments. At Back of House, Spencer combines his hands-on restaurant experience with deep tech knowledge to help operators find the right tools to streamline operations and boost performance.

 

Beyond his role at Back of House, Spencer shares his deep industry passion and expertise as the co-host of the "So You Want To Run a Restaurant" podcast, where he explores the real-world challenges and triumphs of modern restaurant ownership.

 

RESOURCES & ARTICLES

The Latest from Spencer

How Your Restaurant Can Capitalize on High-Protein Food Trends
Growth & Marketing

How Your Restaurant Can Capitalize on High-Protein Food Trends

Get the tips and tech you need to capitalize on today’s high-protein food trends. Our experts break down the operational and marketing...

Learning From the Noma Scandal: Tips for Effective Restaurant Staff Training
Staffing

Learning From the Noma Scandal: Tips for Effective Restaurant Staff Training

In the aftermath of the staff abuse scandal involving famous Noma chef René Redzepi, we offer tips for staff training that can improve...

Prepping for Outdoor Dining Season: A Restaurant Patio Preparation Guide
HR & Staffing

Prepping for Outdoor Dining Season: A Restaurant Patio Preparation Guide

Get your restaurant ready with this outdoor dining season preparation guide, covering operations, staffing, and marketing tips for patio...

5 Pro Tips for Setting Your Restaurant Technology Budget
Profitability & Cost Control

5 Pro Tips for Setting Your Restaurant Technology Budget

Check out these expert-level tips for setting your restaurant technology budget and controlling your restaurant technology costs by...

How To Hop on the Top Value Dining Trends Without Hurting Profits
Growth & Marketing

How To Hop on the Top Value Dining Trends Without Hurting Profits

Value dining trends are up as cost-conscious consumers look for ways to save. Find out how to attract deal-seeking diners without...

5 Ways We're Already Using AI in Restaurants
Staffing

5 Ways We're Already Using AI in Restaurants

AI isn’t just for the major restaurant chains. Independent operators can benefit from using AI in restaurants for staffing, waste...

4 Things You Can Do Today To Increase Restaurant Profits
Operations

4 Things You Can Do Today To Increase Restaurant Profits

Learn realistic ways to increase restaurant profits with creativity and some help from cutting edge restaurant tech.

Top 10 Takeaways of the Fall Back of House Podcast Season
Trends & Innovation

Top 10 Takeaways of the Fall Back of House Podcast Season

Check out our favorite moments from the Fall 2025 season of So You Want to Run a Restaurant, where we chat with chefs, owners and...

Our Top 7 Restaurant Predictions for 2026
Growth & Marketing

Our Top 7 Restaurant Predictions for 2026

Discover 2026 restaurant trends, including profitability strategies, AI, marketing shifts, and technology decisions shaping the future...

5 Ways to Improve Your Restaurant Operation When Business Is Slow
Growth & Marketing

5 Ways to Improve Your Restaurant Operation When Business Is Slow

Things are slow in the restaurant biz after the holiday rush. Use this time to work on your marketing and other long-term projects.

I'm Opening a Restaurant, What Tech Do I Need?
Growth & Marketing

I'm Opening a Restaurant, What Tech Do I Need?

Learn what should be in your restaurant tech stack in order to operate a profitable restaurant. After a point of sale system, what’s...

The Top Restaurant News Stories From This Year
Trends & Innovation

The Top Restaurant News Stories From This Year

Looking back at the biggest restaurant news stories from 2025, from price pressure to AI.

Make These 5 Resolutions To Increase Restaurant Profitability in 2026
Trends & Innovation

Make These 5 Resolutions To Increase Restaurant Profitability in 2026

Come out of the gate swinging in 2026 with our experts’ top New Year’s Resolutions for ways to improve your restaurant profit margin.

POS Data Analysis for Restaurants: Set and Hit Your Financial Targets
Profitability & Cost Control

POS Data Analysis for Restaurants: Set and Hit Your Financial Targets

Learn how to use restaurant POS software and POS data analysis to set financial goals, optimize sales, and improve your profitability.

Your Restaurant Communication Strategy: Use Emails, Texts, or Both?
Growth & Marketing

Your Restaurant Communication Strategy: Use Emails, Texts, or Both?

Learn how managing customer relationships with emails and texts supports your restaurant communication strategy and boosts guest...

Deepening the Restaurant Customer Experience
Growth & Marketing

Deepening the Restaurant Customer Experience

Learn how to improve your restaurant customer experience with quality, service, atmosphere, menu insights, technology, and loyalty...

Using Restaurant AI Technology To Improve Business Operations
Trends & Innovation

Using Restaurant AI Technology To Improve Business Operations

Learn about AI tools for restaurant management, including some you may already have. They can help with operations, staffing, and...

Restaurant Holiday Preparation: Lessons from the Busiest Season of the Year
Growth & Marketing

Restaurant Holiday Preparation: Lessons from the Busiest Season of the Year

Get expert advice on restaurant holiday preparation. Learn how to do holiday planning for restaurants, from staffing to marketing, for a...

The Food Truck Tech Checklist: Your Must-Have Solutions
Trends & Innovation

The Food Truck Tech Checklist: Your Must-Have Solutions

A food truck startup needs more than great food to thrive. Our food truck tech checklist covers everything you need to drive success.

One Vendor or Many? Choosing the Right Restaurant Tech Strategy
Operations

One Vendor or Many? Choosing the Right Restaurant Tech Strategy

Restaurant tech can save time and money, but how many vendors do you need to get results? Explore the pros and cons of a multi-vendor...

How AI Can Help Restaurants Improve Kitchen Efficiency
Technology & Innovation

How AI Can Help Restaurants Improve Kitchen Efficiency

Learn how AI-powered solutions are empowering restaurant operators to boost kitchen efficiency, redefine customer satisfaction, and more.

Restaurant Personalization Is Changing Customer Habits
Growth & Marketing

Restaurant Personalization Is Changing Customer Habits

Restaurant personalization satisfies customers who crave a new kind of service. Use it to increase customer satisfaction and encourage...

5 Ways To Make Your Restaurant More Sustainable
Trends & Innovation

5 Ways To Make Your Restaurant More Sustainable

Learn five things eco-friendly restaurants do and explore tech-based solutions that can help improve your sustainability — and your...

Adding Online Ordering to Your Restaurant’s Website
Ordering & Delivery

Adding Online Ordering to Your Restaurant’s Website

Learn how adding online ordering to your restaurant’s website will help you redefine service excellence, as well as what you need to do...

3 Ways to Improve Restaurant Work-Life Balance Through Tech
Scheduling

3 Ways to Improve Restaurant Work-Life Balance Through Tech

Learn three ways to improve the work-life balance for you and your staff by implementing restaurant technology.

An Introductory Guide to Restaurant POS Systems
POS Systems

An Introductory Guide to Restaurant POS Systems

Learn the basics of using restaurant POS systems, look at the key pieces of POS hardware, and discover what questions to ask when...

SUCCESS STORIES

Spencer’s Case Studies

A New Website to Support Business Growth

Cleo’s Southern Cuisine began as a single-location restaurant in Chicago’s vibrant Bronzeville neighborhood. But by 2021, Cleo’s had become a local sensation – the subject of glowing reviews and enthusiastic media coverage. That’s when owner, operator, and head chef Kristen Harper realized her growing business was going to need a new website.
KimKovacik_Chi_Cleos_WingDinner_03

Improving Social Marketing for a Strong Brand and Successful Launch

Located near Columbus, Ohio, Three Creeks Kitchen + Cocktails had a great menu and strong vision, but wanted to boost their profile using social media marketing efforts ahead of their grand opening.
Three Creeks-2

Turning an Event Space into a Ghost Kitchen

Located in Cocoa, Florida, Timeout Plus Sports Bar is a successful bar and grill that had an event space attached to the restaurant. Seeing the space go underutilized, owner Robert Boyd decided it would be better to renovate the space for a ghost kitchen venture.
Timeout Sports Bar Cocoa Florida
300+ Expert Consults

Interested in a Consultation?

300+ Expert Consults
  1. Book a Free Discovery Call
    We’ll get to know you, your business, your goals, and your challenges to figure out if we can find a tech-focused solution for your restaurant. See our areas of focus.
  2. Choose a Package 
    From a single consultation to ongoing support, you can pick a package and then schedule your official consultation meeting.
  3. Actionable Advice - No Sales Pitch! 
    Depending on your ask, we will take 1-2 weeks for research and put together a custom plan of action including recommendations, vendor solutions, deals, and next steps.

"

There  have been a lot of imposters in the world of restaurant tech, most of them over-promising and under-delivering on service.  At Back of House we try to cut through the noise and find solutions that are actually going to make a difference for restaurateurs."


- Spencer Michiel