How Matt Wampler Came to Revolutionize Restaurant Operations with ClearCOGS
Guest: Matt Wampler, CEO & Co-Founder of ClearCOGS
Company: ClearCOGS
Episode Duration: 1h 2m 38s
Published: September 24, 2025
Topics: AI Technology, Operational Excellence, Franchise Operations, Demand Forecasting
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Episode Summary
From sleeping on aprons in a failing franchise to co-founding a cutting-edge AI company, Matt Wampler's journey exemplifies how the grittiest beginnings can lead to industry-changing innovation. As a self-described "ADD dyslexic kid," Matt transformed a train wreck Jimmy John's location into a million-dollar operation, then leveraged those hard-won lessons to build ClearCOGS, an AI platform solving one of the restaurant industry's most persistent challenges: demand forecasting.
Key Takeaways
Operational excellence beats academic theory – Real-world restaurant experience provided more practical learning than an MBA
AI can solve the daily guessing game – Demand forecasting technology helps restaurants optimize ordering, staffing, and prep
Technology should enhance, not replace – The best solutions amplify the human element rather than removing it
Personal pain points drive innovation – Matt's solutions address problems he personally experienced as an operator
The industry resists back-of-house tech – But operational efficiency is where the biggest gains are hiding
Meet Our Guest: Matt Wampler
Matt Wampler
Matt Wampler is the CEO & Co-Founder of ClearCOGS, an AI-driven platform revolutionizing restaurant operational efficiency through predictive and prescriptive analytics. Before entering the tech world, Matt successfully acquired and scaled five Jimmy John's franchises, growing one location's revenue by 600% – from $400,000 to nearly $1 million in the first year alone. He holds an MBA from Duke University's Fuqua School of Business.
Connect with Matt:
LinkedIn: /in/matthewjwampler/
Website: www.clearcogs.com
The Story: When Survival Becomes Your Business School
The Baptism by Fire
Matt's story begins with what he calls his "baptism by fire" – acquiring a failing Jimmy John's franchise for pennies on the dollar. This wasn't just a business opportunity; it was a complete disaster waiting to happen. He inherited a location with an overflowing grease trap, broken air conditioning, and a skeleton crew of just four employees.
The early days were nothing short of brutal. Matt worked 120-hour weeks, often sleeping on aprons in the store just to keep the doors open. There were moments when walking away seemed like the only rational choice – and for good reason. The operation was a mess, and as a self-described "ADD dyslexic kid," he was thrown into the deep end of restaurant operations with no safety net.
But instead of giving up, Matt made a crucial decision: he would double down on operational excellence. He followed the Jimmy John's playbook religiously, learning every aspect of the business firsthand – from managing the grease trap to perfecting sandwich assembly times.
The Transformation
The results spoke for themselves. Within the first year, Matt transformed the location's annual revenue from $400,000 to nearly $1 million – a staggering 150% increase. Eventually, his portfolio grew to five successful locations, each one a testament to what relentless focus on operations can achieve.
This wasn't luck or natural talent. It was the result of understanding every detail of the operation and optimizing relentlessly based on real data and customer behavior patterns.
The MBA Reality Check
After years of intensive restaurant operations, Matt stepped away to pursue an MBA at Duke's prestigious Fuqua School of Business. He even tried his hand at corporate life – an experience he describes as hating "every second of." But this detour provided a crucial perspective that would later inform his approach to building technology solutions.
"Owning restaurants gave me significantly more practical learning in finance, accounting, and even tech support than my MBA." - Matt Wampler
The real-world problem-solving skills he developed in the restaurant trenches far exceeded what any classroom could teach. This realization would prove instrumental in his approach to building technology solutions that actually work for operators.
Identifying the Restaurant Industry's Achilles' Heel
The Daily Impossible Question
When COVID-19 hit, Matt saw an opportunity to address one of the restaurant industry's most persistent challenges: demand forecasting. Every restaurant owner faces the same impossible daily question – "How many customers will walk through my doors today?"
This uncertainty makes critical decisions about ordering, staffing, and prep work incredibly difficult, often leading to:
Food waste from over-ordering
Lost sales from understaffing
Inefficient labor scheduling
Missed opportunities during unexpected rushes
The ClearCOGS Solution
In 2022, Matt co-founded ClearCogs to tackle this problem head-on. The company leverages advanced AI algorithms to provide predictive and prescriptive analytics, helping restaurants:
Prepare for busy periods with accurate demand forecasting
Manage inventory effectively by predicting ordering needs
Optimize staffing levels based on expected customer volume
Reduce waste through better preparation planning
It's technology designed by someone who has personally felt every pain point it addresses.
Key Insights: The Human-Tech Paradox
Why Restaurants Resist Technology
During our conversation on 86 Reason Podcast, Matt and host Xavier Mariezcurrena explored a fundamental industry challenge: resistance to technology adoption. This resistance is particularly strong when it comes to "back of house" operations – the less glamorous but equally critical aspects of running a restaurant.
As Matt insightfully observes:
"People don't enter the restaurant business to manage numbers or inventory but to work with people."
This passion for hospitality, while the heart and soul of great restaurants, often means crucial financial and operational aspects get overlooked or handled inefficiently.
The Solution: Enhancement, Not Replacement
ClearCogs bridges this gap by offering data-driven solutions that enhance rather than replace the human element that makes restaurants special. The goal isn't to remove the personal touch but to free up operators to focus on what they do best – creating memorable experiences for guests.
The future of restaurant operations isn't about replacing intuition with algorithms – it's about augmenting hard-won experience with data-driven insights.
The Personal Ingredient
Beyond the Numbers
Despite his success in the tech world, Matt's passion for the restaurant industry runs deeper than operational efficiency. He genuinely loves the people behind the plates – the operators, managers, and staff who make the hospitality magic happen every day.
His approach to AI isn't about removing the human element but about giving restaurant professionals the tools they need to focus on what they love most about the business: serving people and creating memorable experiences.
Matt's story is a reminder that the best technology solutions come from people who have walked in their customers' shoes – who have slept on aprons, dealt with broken equipment, and felt the pressure of not knowing how busy the next day will be.
Actionable Insights for Restaurant Operators
What You Can Apply Today
Embrace the Data You Already Have – Start tracking daily customer counts, weather patterns, and local events to identify your own demand patterns
Focus on Operational Excellence First – Technology amplifies good operations but can't fix fundamental operational problems
Look for Solutions Built by Operators – The best restaurant technology comes from people who understand the daily grind
Start with Back-of-House Efficiency – While less glamorous, operational improvements often deliver the biggest ROI
Don't Fear AI – Embrace It Strategically – Use technology to handle the analytical heavy lifting so you can focus on hospitality
Share Your Thoughts
Have you struggled with demand forecasting in your restaurants? What operational challenges would you love to see technology solve? Connect with us on and share your experiences.
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Interested in streamlining your restaurant's back-office operations like Matt did with his franchises? Learn how Over Easy Office's AP automation and financial services can help optimize your operational efficiency. Contact us today to discover solutions tailored for multi-unit restaurant groups.