Little Things, Big Impact: Toast and Matty Matheson Celebrate the Details That Define Great Hospitality
In partnership with Matheson, Sophia Roe, and other culinary visionaries, Toast celebrates the heart and soul of restaurants—the people and tools that transform everyday moments into unforgettable dining experiences
Running a restaurant means mastering the little things—because in this industry, where success is often determined by the smallest of margins, every detail counts. Today, Toast (NYSE:TOST) launched "It's the Little Things," a campaign rooted in Toast's deep understanding of the restaurant industry, and the company's commitment to helping restaurants succeed on their terms.
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As part of this campaign, Toast has teamed up with luminaries in the food and beverage space to develop unique content for and by hospitality leaders and enthusiasts to showcase those "little things" that make a big difference at restaurants. This includes a short film featuring Toast customer and television star Matty Matheson that follows an unforgettable night at an iconic Manhattan restaurant, a 5-part video series with two-time Emmy nominated television host and James Beard award-winning chef Sophia Roe, and content from other tastemakers in food and beverage that will roll out in the coming months.
"Restaurant operations are an intricate dance of countless small steps, where every detail matters—each element adds up to the special experience a restaurant offers to its guests," said Kelly Esten, Chief Marketing Officer at Toast. "Working with Matty Matheson, Chef PJ Calapa and the entire Marea restaurant team, and other hospitality leaders like Sophia Roe, we'll highlight some of those often unseen but always crucial ingredients that transform good hospitality experiences into unforgettable ones."
Serving Up the Ultimate Restaurant Tech Test
According to research from Toast, 85% of diners1 said that a restaurant having friendly and professional service is important to them when choosing where to eat. To show how Toast technology is uniquely capable of helping restaurants offer exceptional hospitality with even the most complicated orders, Toast partnered with Arnold to stage "One of Those Nights" lighthearted short film that captures a particularly demanding, evening at one iconic restaurant.
Designed to show just how much pressure restaurant teams face every day—and how the right staff and technology partner can ensure a calm and delightful dining experience even when service starts to go sideways, actors flooded one of NYC's top restaurants, Marea by the Altamarea Group, with complex, custom orders during peak service, testing its ability to keep operations running smoothly. With Toast's platform in place—and the cameras running during what the staff thought was a product demo video filming—the restaurant's staff was able to navigate every challenging order with ease and even some laughs, proving that when a million things could go wrong, Toast helps ensure everything goes right.
Celebrated chef and restaurateur Matty Matheson joined in on the action, participating in the evening with his signature blend of humor and energy, and helping to give kudos to the Marea staff from front to back of house who kept their cool through a chaotic evening.
"Details matter. They can make or break anything, especially in restaurants," said Matheson. "We use Toast at Rizzo's House of Parm and it helps the team stay on top of everything; it was fun putting the Marea and Toast teams to the test, by ordering everything on the menu. They really kept up and made it happen!"
Marea has been a Toast customer since 2019, and credits Toast with helping them offer award-winning hospitality and a seamless guest experience. Executive Chef PJ Calapa noted how, while they received many unusual orders, the evening wasn't much different than a regular night of service in New York City. With the confidence of their Toast tech, Calapa's leadership, and Marea's standards of service behind them, the restaurant team was able to efficiently manage modified orders and ensure accuracy from the kitchen to each and every table.
"Everyone agreed it was an unforgettable night, and I was so proud to watch our staff maintain the same level of service and hospitality we always offer at Marea," said Calapa. "The Toast team threw us some real curveballs—oysters without the shell, really?!—but on the back end, our Toast tech was key to keeping things running smoothly behind the scenes."
Coming in 2025: Sophia Roe Digs into the Details with New Video Series
Building on the momentum of that big night at Marea, Toast will continue "It's the Little Things" by partnering with chef Sophia Roe to create and develop a 5-part video series that will go deeper on the nuances and intricacies that make each chef, restaurant and dish truly unique.
"Whether it's a specific napkin or a rare salt sourced from halfway around the world, as a chef, I understand the thought and care that goes into every decision that makes a magical dining experience," said Roe. "I'm thrilled to showcase these details and celebrate the craftsmanship that makes each restaurant special."
Launching in early 2025, the series will feature candid conversations with industry leaders, offering insights into the elements that define their culinary vision. The series will be available in both audio and video formats, and will be distributed across Toast's social media channels, providing a rich, multi-platform experience for audiences eager to learn from the best in the business.
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1 To help better understand the restaurant industry, Toast conducted a blind survey from February 14-21 2024 of 1,571 restaurant guests age 18+ who dined in, ordered takeout or delivery in the last 3 months. Respondents were not made aware that Toast was fielding the study. Panel providers granted incentives to restaurant respondents for participation. Using a standard margin of error calculation, at a confidence interval of 95%, the margin of error on average is +/- 2%.
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