The Disruption Delusion – Why We Still Fear Change in Hospitlaity with Maria McCann.

Tech on Toast, The Hospitality Tech Podcast

Business in Better Shape

Presented by Tech on Toast and Square

This series, Business in Better Shape, was born from new research by Tech on Toast and Square — The Long-Term Case for Smarter Tech Investment.

We spoke to more than 150 hospitality leaders across the UK, uncovering an industry stuck between ambition and hesitation.

The data showed that while most operators see technology as essential to their future, only 18% would currently recommend their existing systems, and a striking 94% only adopt new tech when absolutely necessary. Fear of disruption, complex integrations, and a lack of vendor support are holding progress back.

That insight inspired this series — real conversations with operators who are finding ways to move forward, simplify, and modernise without losing what makes hospitality human.

🎙️ Hosted by Chris Fletcher, Founder & CEO, Tech on Toast

In this first episode, Chris talks with Maria McCann, Operations Director at Blacklock, about fear of change, leading people through transformation, and how curiosity and courage can help hospitality get into better shape.

Maria’s career spans Hard Rock Café, Shake Shack, Living Ventures, and now Blacklock, where she’s helping scale one of London’s most characterful restaurant brands without losing its soul.

• Fear of Change in Hospitality – Why operators stick to the familiar and how to shift from fear to curiosity.

• Leading People Through Change – The importance of knowing your team, listening first, and adapting your leadership style.

• Tech & Adoption – From jargon to real impact; why successful rollouts depend on staff inclusion and smooth communication.

• The Vendor–Operator Relationship – How tech companies should approach operators: do your homework, personalise, and support after the sale.

• Innovation vs. Disruption – Practical examples where tech made life easier (sentiment analysis, AI-driven guest feedback) vs. areas still crying out for disruption (stock-taking).

🥩 Blacklock’s Identity – A modern British chop house, famous for roasts, chops, and sharing culture.
🎓 Career Path – From studying dietetics to falling in love with hospitality via Hard Rock, then on to Shake Shack and now Blacklock.
😨 Why We Fear Change – Hospitality people are problem solvers who learn from crises — so change is often associated with past mistakes.
💬 Communication Platforms – When Meta shut down Workplace, Blacklock had to pivot fast without losing team connection.
🤖 Tech Adoption – The secret is listening to staff frustrations first, then finding solutions to those exact pain points.
📊 Sentiment Analysis – A “quiet revolution” for guest feedback, giving operators clarity without the overwhelm.
🚴 Personal Challenge – Maria is training for a 400km charity cycle in Cuba with the hospitality community, despite being scared of bikes!

✅ Change feels less scary when staff are consulted and informed, not just handed new systems.
✅ The best innovations are those that make life easier quietly, not disruptively.
✅ Tech vendors: know the brand, personalise the pitch, and back up your product with real support.
✅ Embrace the philosophy of “calculated risk” — small tests, feedback loops, and mistakes well handled.

🍽️ Dine at Blacklock
💼 Follow Maria McCann on LinkedIn

This series is powered by Square, helping hospitality operators put their business in better shape through connected commerce, payments, and restaurant technology.

Learn more at squareup.com/gb/en/hospitality.