Reflecting on Olo's first-ever Partner Summit at the Chicago Athletic Association this week, I am humbled by the amazing community of partners and brands Olo has the honor of serving and supporting.

At FSTEC last week, our team spoke directly with restaurant leaders about some of the industry's most pressing issues and opportunities. Here are five topics everyone was talking about that will play a critical role in the coming year.

Long before joining Olo, I was a maître d' and manager for 4.5 years at Searsucker, an upscale full-service restaurant owned by celebrity chef Brian Malarkey. Running the door was like a high-stakes game of Tetris.

Restaurants are in a bind. Despite rapid tech adoption over the last few years, most guests remain anonymous.