At the FSTEC conference, a conversation between Sean Thompson, VP of IT at Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, and Adam Fish, CEO of Ditto, addressed the challenges and solutions of restaurant networking in a mobile-first world. The discussion highlighted the need for more reliable infrastructure that doesn't depend on continuous cloud connectivity, drawing parallels with similar challenges faced by the airline industry. By learning from these industries, restaurants can implement device-to-device synchronization to enhance service continuity, even during connectivity issues. The conversation also explored the difficulty of justifying infrastructure investments to CFOs, emphasizing that the return on investment lies in maintaining operational throughput and efficiency. Additionally, the potential for AI applications, such as inventory tracking and real-time analytics, was discussed, though it requires efficient data management at the edge. The session underscored that reliability in IT infrastructure is crucial for brand reputation, suggesting that future innovations should focus on building resilient mobile-first operations with reduced cloud dependency.