Episode 17: From Grease Traps to the Cloud: Transforming the Restaurant CFO from Data Entry to Strategic Advisor
Guest: Chad Freedman, Director and Practice Lead for Hospitality at Sage Intacct
Episode: 86 Reason Ep17 | Chad Freedman from Sage: Grease Traps to Cloud, Transforming Restaurant CFOs
Episode Duration: 50m 42s
Published: Jan 26, 2026
Topics: Restaurant Finance, ERP Systems, Restaurant Technology, Sales Strategy, Financial Strategy, Hospitality Leadership, Tech Stack Planning, CFO Evolution, Restaurant Operations, Sage Intacct, Tech Sales
Episode Summary
What does collecting used cooking oil have to do with selling enterprise software to multi-million dollar restaurant groups? For Chad Freedman, the answer is everything.
In this episode of the 86 Reason Podcast, host Xavier Mariezcurrena sits down with the man who makes "restaurant tech accounting sales sound fun." From making sandwiches badly at age 14 to trading biodiesel commodities to leading the Hospitality practice at Sage Intacct, Chad's journey is a masterclass in understanding the "grind" of the hospitality industry before trying to sell to it.
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From the Sandwich Station to the C-Suite: The Unconventional Path
Chad's foundation in hospitality wasn't built in a sales training program or business school classroom—it was forged at the sandwich station, on grease collection routes, and through years of understanding the operational reality of the people he serves.
At 14 years old, Chad's introduction to the restaurant world was humbling. Working at a deli, he made so many sandwich mistakes that he had to eat the comps for lunch. It's the kind of failure that teaches you respect for the craft and the people who do it right every single day.
But it was his post-college venture into grease collection that gave him the real education. Door-knocking to collect used cooking oil taught him something most tech vendors never learn: restaurants aren't just kitchens—they're manufacturing plants.
"Your recipes are the Bill of Materials, and your ingredients are raw goods," Chad explains. This perspective—viewing restaurant operations through the lens of manufacturing and logistics, became the foundation for everything that followed.
Today, as Director and Practice Lead for Hospitality at Sage Intacct, and as a former top seller at Restaurant365, Chad brings nearly two decades of experience helping restaurant groups streamline their financial backbones. The lesson is clear: to succeed in restaurant tech, you first have to respect the grind of the line.
86 the "Salesy" Agenda: The Only Sales Strategy That Works
The 86 Reason Podcast is dedicated to unfiltered stories from the hospitality industry, and Chad doesn't hold back when it comes to his philosophy on sales.
"Your agenda does not matter."
It's a truth bomb that every vendor and operator needs to hear. In an industry flooded with software solutions and vendors competing for attention, the only way to cut through the noise is to stop selling and start solving.
Chad breaks down why the old-school sales tactics are dead:
"The days of golfing and 4-hour lunches... that's an antiquated way of selling. Your clients are too busy. If you want to win, forget your agenda and solve their problem fast."
Whether you're a vendor pitching software or an internal operator pitching a new idea to your board, if you aren't focused on the client's specific problem, you're wasting their time. The moment you prioritize your quota over the client's need, you lose.
The lesson: Authentic helpfulness is the only strategy that scales in the hospitality industry.
The Critical Shift: From Data Entry to Strategic Advisor
The core of Chad's message centers on a transformation happening right now across the restaurant industry: the evolution of the restaurant CFO from data entry clerk to strategic advisor.
The Problem Restaurant Finance Teams Face
Restaurants are being hit from all sides:
Escalating labor costs
Persistent inflation
Fluctuating food prices (eggs, beef, and other commodities swinging wildly)
Increasing operational complexity as groups scale
In this environment, looking backward at what happened last month isn't enough anymore.
The Solution: Forward-Looking Financial Leadership
"We're not just data entry people. We're like strategic advisors to the business now," Chad emphasizes.
The modern finance leader cannot just reconcile accounts and close the books. They must:
Anticipate market changes and their impact on profitability
Guide strategic decisions on expansion, menu pricing, and operational investments
Translate complex financial data into actionable insights for operators
Partner with operations to drive growth, not just report on history
This shift requires the right technology foundation, which is where the conversation gets interesting.
The Tech Stack Debate: All-in-One vs. Best-in-Class
One of the most valuable parts of the conversation is Chad's candid breakdown of when a restaurant group should graduate from all-in-one platforms like Restaurant365 to a specialized stack built around Sage Intacct.
When All-in-One Makes Sense
For smaller restaurant groups (typically under 7-10 locations) with straightforward operations, all-in-one solutions can provide everything you need in a single platform: accounting, inventory, labor, and operational reporting.
When Best-in-Class Wins
"If you want the best accounting software... Intacct is better than R365. I can say that with a straight face," Chad states.
For restaurant groups reaching a certain level of complexity, the best-in-class approach becomes superior:
Signs you've outgrown all-in-one:
Inter-entity transactions between multiple business entities
Multi-vertical businesses (e.g., restaurants plus catering plus retail)
Complex consolidation requirements
Need for sophisticated financial planning and analysis
The best-in-class strategy: Pair best-in-class accounting (Sage Intacct) with best-in-class operations tools like MarginEdge or Craftable. Yes, it requires integration, but the depth of functionality and financial sophistication often saves money and delivers better insights as complexity grows.
Chad explains that complex groups often save money by unbundling their tech stack—not because the software is cheaper, but because the strategic insights drive better decisions that impact the bottom line.
When Your Restaurant Group Needs Better Financial Technology
Chad has worked with restaurant groups at every stage of growth, and he's identified critical inflection points where technology decisions make or break financial effectiveness:
Early Stage (1-6 locations): All-in-one solutions often provide the best value and simplicity.
Growth Stage (7-15 locations): This is where the cracks start to show. If your finance team is drowning in manual processes, spending more time reconciling data than analyzing it, or if you're expanding into new verticals, it's time to evaluate your stack.
Scaling Stage (15+ locations or multi-concept): Best-in-class becomes essential. The complexity of inter-entity accounting, consolidation, and strategic financial planning requires sophisticated tools.
The key question to ask: Is your finance team stuck in data entry, or are they driving strategy?
If the answer is the former, the problem isn't your team, it's your tools.
About Chad Freedman
Chad Freedman serves as Director and Practice Lead for Hospitality at Sage Intacct. A former top seller at Restaurant365 and an entrepreneur in the logistics space, Chad leverages nearly two decades of experience to help restaurant groups streamline their financial backbones and transform their finance teams from number-crunchers to strategic partners.
Known on LinkedIn for making restaurant tech sales "sound fun," Chad brings an authentic, problem-first approach to every conversation—because he's lived the grind on both sides of the table.
Connect with Chad:
Company: Sage Intacct
LinkedIn: in/chadfreedman
Your Story Deserves a Seat at the Table
Chad’s journey highlights a principle that rings true across sales, operations, and finance: growth happens in the uncomfortable moments. It is the willingness to lean into that friction that separates those who plateau from those who scale.
At Over Easy Office, we share Chad’s belief that the most powerful lessons aren't found in textbooks, but in the grit of real-world experience. This is why we host the 86 Reason Podcast. We are more than a back-office solution; we are a partner dedicated to the resilience of the hospitality community, providing a space where the authentic stories of restaurant life are told.
Your experience—whether mastering a multi-unit scale or redefining the future of service, can inspire the next generation of operators.
Ready to share your story? We are looking for hospitality leaders to join us for a "moment" on the mic. If you’re ready to discuss your journey, challenges, and wins, contact us today. We’d love to hear from you.