Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit
Chris Demery, CTO of Blaze Pizza, shares a take a look at his profession, his achievements and business tendencies forward of his look on the Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit 2026.
Picture: Willie Lawless/ Networld Media Group
January 5, 2026
Right this moment, we’re shining a highlight on Chris Demery, CTO of Blaze Pizza. Mobley will probably be a speaker on the upcoming Restaurant Franchising & Innovation Summit, which takes place on March 16-18, 2026, in San Diego, California. He will probably be a panelist on the “Grinding Your Franchise into Omichannel Overdrive” breakout session.
We thought it will be enjoyable to get to know Demery a bit higher forward of his look at RFIS.
Describe your present position.
I’m at present CTO of Blaze Pizza LLC. I am an progressive and resourceful restaurant and expertise govt with demonstrated experience in all facets of restaurant expertise, off-premises eating, digital buyer expertise, utility growth, software program integration, client/knowledge insights, enterprise growth, implementations, troubleshooting, coaching/growth, vendor administration, knowledge/community safety and retail operations. Confirmed aptitude in bettering organizational effectiveness and effectivity whereas constructing high-performance groups to finish, troubleshoot and implement key expertise tasks. An distinctive chief who delivers high-level strategic and “huge image” pondering, making certain tasks are delivered on time, on price range, and in response to buyer necessities to broaden providers and drive income development. Beforehand expertise at PF Chang’s, CKE, Bloomin’ Manufacturers and Domino’s Pizza.
What was your first-ever profession position and what’s one vital lesson you realized from it?
1st position within the restaurant business was as chief of data expertise at Domino’s Pizza, accountable to build-out the restaurant expertise stack from the bottom-up. Operators are the important thing to integrating expertise into the restaurant; the individuals on the front-line are what make issues work and won’t use any expertise that’s complicated to make use of.
What impressed you to work in your business?
The chance to positively impression the hospitality business.
What do you take pleasure in most about your present position?
The flexibility to innovate round bettering the visitor expertise and bettering operational functionality.
What’s a typical false impression individuals have about what you do?
They imagine that I give attention to expertise; I give attention to the visitor expertise, Operational simplicity and the way expertise can help.
What’s one profession achievement you are most happy with?
The profitable rollout of 4 totally different POS options, each in several model.
Who’s/was your mentor and what’s one vital lesson you realized from them?
Eileen Quann; most vital lesson was the artwork of listening, then negotiating to a center floor workable for all-sides of an settlement.
What business tendencies do you assume are at present over-hyped and why?
Synthetic Intelligence; in some unspecified time in the future, when an AI Bot is speaking with my AI Bot, neither will probably be correct.
What business tendencies do you assume do not get sufficient consideration and why?
The flexibility to regulate to altering visitor expectations; eating places exit of enterprise due to this.
What recommendation would you give to somebody simply beginning out in your business?
If it’s a technologist throughout the restaurant business, make sure you get a great deal of operational expertise, as a result of operators are on the entrance line, and those that know what is admittedly taking place; e.g., have the ability to talk-the-talk and walk-the-walk.
When you weren’t working in your present subject, what would you be doing as an alternative?
Scuba diving.
What do you do to have enjoyable outdoors of labor?
Work with canines and other people as a part of the American Kennel Membership; I am a lure coursing choose.
The place did you develop up and the way did your upbringing impression the individual you’re right now?
I grew up the world over; born in Germany and lived and traveled to many international locations as a part of a army household and subsequently as a member of the army; this taught me to worth native nation tradition as a lot as US tradition; adapt to the place you’re at, as a result of it’s more than likely totally different and might educate you a large number.
What’s one fascinating factor about you that even the individuals you’re employed with day-after-day most likely do not know?
My unique aim was to turn into a health care provider; and most of the people know that right now I’m not a health care provider.
