Driving Growth in Catering with Agility and Execution

As an accomplished operations leader in the restaurant industry, Allen Beck specializes in optimizing off-premise sales and streamlining operations through the effective use of technology. At Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill, he oversees brand partnerships with marketing technology providers, manages contracts with third-party delivery and catering platforms, and drives strategy for the broader MarTech stack. His focus is on collaboration, performance, and integration to deliver measurable results. Here is our conversation with him.

From Sales to Costa Vida Leadership

My career began far from restaurants. I worked in door-to-door sales, moving between satellite TV, home security, and pest control. It paid the bills, but I was tired of restarting my career every few months. I reached out to Sean Collins, the CEO of Costa Vida and a neighbor from my childhood, and asked for a chance to build something lasting.

Sean gave me that chance. I started as an assistant manager in one of our locations, and just three months later became a general manager. I spent two years in that role, then moved into district manager training. After a brief return to sales, Costa Vida asked me back in 2019 as catering manager. By 2021, I was promoted to director of off-premise and catering, where I now focus on growing off-premise sales and catering across the brand.

Having run stores myself, I bring the operator’s perspective into every decision. I know firsthand the pressures teams face in executing orders on time, maintaining quality, and delivering great guest experiences. That background shapes how I lead today: by bridging the support center with our operators and making sure strategies translate into results on the ground.

Tackling Today’s Catering Challenges

The pandemic accelerated the rise of technical solutions across foodservice. Artificial intelligence, new apps, back-office systems, and customer-facing platforms all promised to transform operations. Many of these tools are exciting, but the biggest challenge I see today is that technology does not automatically solve the right problems.

Too often, companies make boardroom decisions about software without talking to their operators or guests. A brand might invest heavily in a new app provider, only to discover the real friction lies in a loyalty program that is hard to use. Or they might roll out new inventory systems while ignoring guest complaints about an inconvenient checkout process.

My philosophy is simple. The answers to your problems are in your restaurants. Talk to your operators, work alongside them, and listen to your guests. They will show you where the true pain points lie. Technology should be a tool to fix real issues, not a solution in search of a problem.

Leveraging Technology with Purpose

I evaluate every technology against three questions. Does it improve efficiency for operators? Does it enhance hospitality and the guest experience? And does it reduce costs? For me to even consider a solution, it must answer at least two of these. Before rolling it out, it has to meet all three.

Take vision AI as an example. If it helps our teams serve accurate orders more quickly, then efficiency improves. If food arrives hot, fresh, and correct, then guest satisfaction improves. And if error charges decline, then costs come down. That is how technology earns its place.

Listening to guests recently led us to a new initiative. Customers told us they love our loyalty program for direct ordering and wanted the same experience for catering. We heard them. Within weeks, we designed a catering loyalty program that allows customers to earn and redeem points for catering orders. Some guests want free appetizers or desserts, while others prefer dollars off to manage budgets. By answering both needs, we built a program that deepens engagement and rewards loyalty.

This project launches in mid-October and is one I am especially proud of because it reflects our philosophy of aligning technology with customer and operator feedback. Instead of searching for flashy solutions, we doubled down on listening and execution.

Lessons for Leaders Driving Change

Looking to the future, technology will continue to evolve, but no platform can replace operational excellence. You can be on the best marketplace in the world, but if food arrives late or poorly packaged, the experience fails. Execution, not software, determines whether catering grows. That is why partnerships with operators are critical.

My advice to professionals in foodservice leadership is clear. Get to know your stores. Work shifts in the drive-through. Deliver a catering order yourself. Stand shoulder to shoulder with your teams. When you do that, you see the real challenges, whether it is menu design, packaging, or workflow, and you gain credibility.

This approach also builds buy-in. When teams see that I have worked the line or delivered with them, they trust that any solution I roll out is grounded in their reality. They know I would not recommend a change unless I had experienced the problem firsthand. That trust makes adoption smoother and impact stronger.

As I reflect on my journey, one belief has remained constant. No technology can replace great execution. Growth starts with listening to guests, working alongside operators, and solving the problems that matter most. That principle has guided my work, and it will continue to guide the future of catering.

Sustainable growth in this industry means treating innovation not as a separate agenda but as a driver of efficiency, hospitality, and resilience. Above all, it means recognizing that success depends on collaboration between leaders, operators, and teams in the field. That partnership is what will shape the future of off-premise and catering in the years ahead.