From Pro Ball to Food Metrics: Trevor Shimizu's Unexpected Journey

In today's digital age, data reigns supreme, especially in the competitive foodservice industry. But who are the minds behind the tools that help restaurants thrive? This blog post explores the fascinating journey of Trevor Shimizu, co-founder and CRO of Brizo FoodMetrics, a leading data and analytics provider. From the baseball diamond to the world of tech entrepreneurship, Trevor's story is one of adaptability, problem-solving, and a keen eye for opportunity. We'll delve into the genesis of Brizo, the importance of online visibility, and how data-driven insights are reshaping the restaurant landscape. This post is an expansion on the recent episode of The Hospitality Hangout podcast, where Trevor shared his unique perspective. Give it a listen to hear the full conversation!

Trevor Shimizu's Transition: From Pro Ball to Tech Entrepreneur

Trevor's journey begins far from the world of data analytics. He spent several years pursuing a career in professional baseball, a path demanding discipline, teamwork, and relentless dedication. These are qualities that, while seemingly unrelated to the tech industry, proved invaluable in his later ventures. After his time in professional sports, Trevor transitioned into the tech sector, drawn by its dynamic nature and the potential to solve complex problems. This leap required a willingness to learn, adapt, and embrace new challenges. The transition wasn't immediate or easy. Trevor gained experience in various technology roles, honing his skills in sales, marketing, and business development. It was this diverse background that eventually led him to co-found Brizo FoodMetrics.

The lessons learned on the baseball field – the importance of strategy, the need to analyze opponents, and the power of collaboration – subtly shaped Trevor's approach to business. In sports, understanding your opponent's strengths and weaknesses is crucial for success. Similarly, in the business world, analyzing market trends and competitive landscapes is essential for strategic decision-making. Trevor's experience in a team environment also fostered his ability to build and lead effective teams at Brizo.

His transition from a structured environment with clear rules and objectives (baseball) to the more ambiguous and rapidly evolving world of technology demonstrates his adaptability. He recognized that the skills he developed in sports – resilience, perseverance, and the ability to perform under pressure – were transferable to the tech industry. This mindset allowed him to navigate the challenges of starting a new business and ultimately led to the success of Brizo FoodMetrics.

The Genesis of Brizo FoodMetrics: Solving Problems for Foodservice Companies

The story of Brizo FoodMetrics is rooted in the desire to solve a specific problem: the lack of readily available and actionable data for foodservice companies. Trevor and his co-founders initially focused on general technology solutions but soon discovered a niche within the foodservice industry. As Trevor mentioned in the Hospitality Hangout episode, the company's first two pilots were actually with foodservice businesses in Québec City. These pilot projects revealed a significant gap in the market. Restaurants and foodservice operators were struggling to understand their online presence, benchmark their performance against competitors, and make data-driven decisions. Existing data sources were often fragmented, unreliable, or difficult to interpret.

Brizo recognized the opportunity to consolidate and analyze vast amounts of data from various online sources, providing foodservice companies with a comprehensive view of their performance. This involved collecting data from restaurant review sites, social media platforms, online ordering platforms, and other relevant sources. The data was then cleaned, processed, and presented in an easy-to-understand dashboard, enabling operators to quickly identify trends, track their reputation, and compare their performance to their peers.

The key to Brizo's success was its focus on solving practical problems for foodservice companies. Instead of simply providing raw data, Brizo transformed it into actionable insights that operators could use to improve their business. This included identifying areas for improvement in customer service, optimizing online menus, and targeting marketing campaigns more effectively. By focusing on the specific needs of the foodservice industry, Brizo quickly established itself as a trusted partner for restaurants and other food-related businesses.

Diving into Data: Visibility and Reputation Scoring Explained

Two key metrics that Brizo FoodMetrics provides are visibility scoring and reputation scoring. These scores are designed to give foodservice operators a quick and easy way to assess their online presence and performance. Visibility scoring measures how easily a restaurant can be found online. It takes into account the number of online sources where the restaurant is listed, such as Google Maps, Yelp, TripAdvisor, and various online ordering platforms. As Trevor explained on the Hospitality Hangout podcast, "the more sources that we find you online the higher your visibility score is going to be."

A high visibility score indicates that a restaurant is actively managing its online presence and making it easy for potential customers to find them. This is crucial in today's digital age, where most consumers start their restaurant search online. A low visibility score, on the other hand, suggests that a restaurant may be missing out on potential customers due to a lack of online presence.

Reputation scoring, on the other hand, measures the overall sentiment of online reviews and ratings. Brizo collects reviews from various sources and analyzes them to determine a restaurant's overall reputation score. This score takes into account both the volume and the content of the reviews. A high reputation score indicates that customers are generally satisfied with their experience at the restaurant, while a low score suggests that there may be areas for improvement.

Both visibility and reputation scoring are benchmarked against competitors within the same geographic area. This allows restaurants to see how they stack up against their peers and identify areas where they can improve their performance. For example, a restaurant with a low visibility score compared to its competitors may need to focus on expanding its online presence by listing itself on more online platforms.

The Importance of Online Presence: Why More Sources Equal Higher Visibility

In today's digital landscape, a strong online presence is non-negotiable for restaurants. As Brizo's visibility scoring highlights, the more places a restaurant appears online, the greater its chances of attracting customers. This goes beyond simply having a website. It involves actively managing listings on popular platforms like Google Maps, Yelp, TripAdvisor, DoorDash, Uber Eats, and social media channels.

Each of these platforms serves a different purpose and caters to a different audience. Google Maps is often the first place people go when searching for nearby restaurants. Yelp and TripAdvisor are popular for reading reviews and comparing restaurants. Online ordering platforms like DoorDash and Uber Eats provide convenient delivery and takeout options. Social media channels like Facebook and Instagram are used for showcasing food photos, running promotions, and engaging with customers.

By maintaining a presence on all of these platforms, restaurants can reach a wider audience and increase their chances of being discovered. Furthermore, actively managing these listings – updating menus, responding to reviews, and posting engaging content – can significantly improve a restaurant's online reputation and attract more customers.

A comprehensive online presence also improves search engine optimization (SEO). When potential customers search for restaurants online, search engines like Google prioritize businesses with complete and accurate information across multiple platforms. By ensuring that their restaurant is listed on all relevant platforms and that their information is up-to-date, restaurants can improve their search engine ranking and attract more organic traffic.

Benchmarking Success: How Brizo Compares Restaurants to Their Peers

One of the most valuable features of Brizo FoodMetrics is its ability to benchmark restaurants against their peers. This allows operators to see how they stack up against similar businesses in their geographic area and identify areas where they can improve their performance. Benchmarking involves comparing key metrics, such as visibility score, reputation score, average review rating, and online order volume, across a group of restaurants.

By comparing these metrics, restaurants can gain valuable insights into their strengths and weaknesses. For example, a restaurant with a high reputation score but a low visibility score may need to focus on expanding its online presence to attract more customers. Conversely, a restaurant with a high visibility score but a low reputation score may need to focus on improving its customer service and food quality to boost its online reviews.

Benchmarking also helps restaurants identify best practices and learn from their competitors. By analyzing the strategies and tactics of successful restaurants in their area, operators can gain valuable insights into what works and what doesn't. This can help them make more informed decisions about their marketing, operations, and customer service strategies.

Brizo's benchmarking feature goes beyond simply comparing numbers. It also provides context and analysis, helping restaurants understand the reasons behind their performance. For example, Brizo may analyze the content of online reviews to identify specific areas where a restaurant is excelling or struggling. This allows operators to focus their efforts on the areas that will have the biggest impact on their business.

Beyond the Surface: Additional Insights from the Hospitality Hangout Episode

Trevor's appearance on the Hospitality Hangout podcast offered a deeper dive into the challenges and opportunities facing the foodservice industry. The conversation explored how technology companies are often perceived as a threat, but in reality, can be valuable partners for restaurants. Trevor emphasized the importance of collaboration and transparency in building trust between restaurants and technology providers.

The episode also touched on the evolving role of data in the foodservice industry. As data becomes more readily available and accessible, restaurants are increasingly using it to make informed decisions about everything from menu pricing to marketing campaigns. Trevor highlighted the importance of data literacy and the need for restaurants to invest in training and resources to help their staff understand and use data effectively.

The conversation also delved into the partnership between Brizo FoodMetrics and NextBite, a virtual restaurant platform. This partnership allows Brizo to provide its clients with even more comprehensive data and insights, helping them to optimize their virtual restaurant strategies and maximize their revenue potential. The episode underscored the importance of staying ahead of the curve and embracing new technologies to succeed in the ever-changing foodservice landscape.

Conclusion: The Future of Foodservice Data with Trevor Shimizu and Brizo FoodMetrics

Trevor Shimizu's journey from professional baseball to the co-founder and CRO of Brizo FoodMetrics is a testament to the power of adaptability, problem-solving, and a passion for innovation. His story highlights the importance of data-driven decision-making in the foodservice industry and the valuable role that companies like Brizo play in helping restaurants thrive in the digital age. By providing comprehensive data and actionable insights, Brizo is empowering restaurants to understand their online presence, benchmark their performance, and make informed decisions about their business.

The future of foodservice data is bright, with companies like Brizo FoodMetrics leading the way in developing innovative solutions to help restaurants succeed. As technology continues to evolve, data will become even more critical for restaurants to stay competitive and meet the ever-changing needs of their customers. To learn more about Trevor's insights and Brizo FoodMetrics, be sure to check out the full episode of The Hospitality Hangout. It's a conversation you won't want to miss!