From Empty Seats to $200M+: How Dynamic Pricing Is Revolutionising Hospitality with Pan Koutlakis
That F*cking Marketing PodcastShow Notes
What if discounting regularly was actually the secret to building a $200M+ hospitality empire?
In this episode, I sit down with Pan Koutlakis, co-founder and CEO of EatClub, the tech platform powering dynamic pricing across thousands of restaurants.
You'll learn how a subtle 5% pricing shift can double customer demand, why traditional menu pricing is flawed, and how to build a thriving two-sided marketplace. Mastering the real psychology of consumer behavior will show you how to drive massive volume without sacrificing your brand equity.
Key moments:
00:00 - Why discounting doesn't kill your brand equity
00:58 - This is how dynamic pricing fixes restaurant empty seats
03:22 - Why airlines make billions from price changes and restaurants don't
05:40 - The real reason price elasticity controls your restaurant volume
08:10 - The widow seat theory that fills dead timeslots
11:35 - Why total bill discounts trigger higher spending than free food
14:50 - The 35% discount rule that you need to know
17:15 - The way repeat diners become more profitable than full-paying guests
19:40 - The real reason push notifications drive massive app engagement
23:15 - You need to replace flash sale urgency with curated recommendations
32:40 - How to launch a two-sided marketplace by pitching the right side first
34:25 - Why friction-free payments turn users into brand advocates
41:10 - How landing major bank partnerships expands your total market size
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Restaurants can sign up to fill spare tables at the EatClub Partner Portal, while diners can download the app on iOS or Android via EatClub Customer Offers.
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