How Meez helps restaurants thrive with recipe management software featuring Ursula Siker

00:06 – Audrey Hogan:
Who are you and what do you do?

00:07 – Ursula Siker:
My name is Ursula. I am the Director of Partnerships for Meez Culinary Solutions.

00:13 – Audrey Hogan:
Fantastic. What’s Meez do?

00:15 – Ursula Siker:
We are a recipe management software. It’s like a digital cookbook where you can centralize your recipes, better train your teams, cost your recipes, and monitor overall profitability. There’s a real need for user-friendly tools like this in restaurants. A lot of tech forgets the user experience — they’re built by tech experts, but restaurant people aren’t always tech experts. We bridge that gap between profitability and creativity.

00:48 – Audrey Hogan:
You’re a former operator.

00:50 – Ursula Siker:
Yes, and I think that goes a long way in this industry. Operational empathy is our number one mantra. We’ve all been kitchen people. We know what it’s like to have something literally on fire and try to manage new tech on top of it. That experience guides how we build our product.

01:27 – Audrey Hogan:
What was your first hourly job?

01:28 – Ursula Siker:
Modeling at 14, then hostess at Truxton’s American Bistro in LA. I got fired after three months. My dad called the restaurant and made them hire me back — and then I no-call no-showed the next day. I was 15. Totally my fault.

02:06 – Audrey Hogan:
I wish I could’ve heard that call.

02:09 – Ursula Siker:
I remember telling him I didn’t feel like going in. I didn’t even tell him. I’ve worked every day since I was 15. I dropped out of high school and college, but I always worked. I was motivated by not wanting to let people down — total millennial energy.

02:59 – Audrey Hogan:
We’re fear-motivated.

03:01 – Ursula Siker:
Gen Z isn’t afraid of anything. Power to them!

03:08 – Audrey Hogan:
What did you love about your first job, before it went bad?

03:13 – Ursula Siker:
The coworkers. I realized I wasn’t front-of-house — I’m a back-of-house person. But I loved the community. I was the youngest, and the others really took me under their wing. That experience made me want to stay in hospitality.

03:51 – Audrey Hogan:
What’s your priority in 2025?

03:56 – Ursula Siker:
This is a year of stabilization, not growth. Smart operators are using this time to invest toward future growth without rushing it. We’re hearing a big focus on workforce — top priority across departments. That feedback aligns with everything we’re seeing.

04:30 – Audrey Hogan:
That’s great for me — I work in workforce management! But seriously, I’ve never seen the industry so aligned. Everyone’s asking: How do we attract and retain talent? How do we teach people this is a great career?

05:32 – Ursula Siker:
Investing in employees is huge. COVID really highlighted that. Operators used to distrust tech — I was that operator. I felt like tech was made at me, not for me. Now, we’re seeing a shift. Operators realize we’re actually here to help. We wouldn’t exist if we didn’t save you money.

06:13 – Ursula Siker:
It’s about understanding that investing in employees and systems stabilizes your business — and that’s what drives growth.

06:29 – Audrey Hogan:
Exactly. It’s about intentional investment. Not throwing money at problems, but building long-term solutions. It was inspiring to see so many leaders thinking that way at RLC.

06:58 – Ursula Siker:
There’s a cost to doing nothing. Too many brands have learned that the hard way. But the flip side is rushing in without doing your homework. This is the year to assess where you are and invest in a future that’s stable — even in a chaotic time.

07:29 – Ursula Siker:
I’m stoked to be here.

07:31 – Audrey Hogan:
Me too.

07:34 – Audrey Hogan:
If someone wants to know more about Meez or how you help restaurants, what should they do?

07:40 – Ursula Siker:
Check out our website at getmeez.com — that’s M-E-E-Z. You can find me online too — Ursula Siker, S-I-K-E-R. We’re happy to chat about how your restaurant operates today and how we might help. Also follow us on social media @getmeez and check out the Meez podcast!