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Podcast Episode

From Empty Seats to $200M+: How Dynamic Pricing Is Revolutionising Hospitality with Pan Koutlakis

That F*cking Marketing Podcast··5 October 2026·52 min

About this episode

What if discounting regularly was actually the secret to building a $200M+ hospitality empire?  In this episode, I sit down with Pan Koutlakis, co-founder and CEO of EatClub, the tech platform powering dynamic pricing across thousands of restaurants.  You'll learn how a subtle 5% pricing shift can double customer demand, why traditional menu pricing is flawed, and how to build a thriving two-sided marketplace. Mastering the real psychology of consumer behavior will show you how to drive massive volume without sacrificing your brand equity.  Key moments: 00:00 - Why discounting doesn't kill your brand equity   00:58 - This is how dynamic pricing fixes restaurant empty seats   03:22 - Why airlines make billions from price changes and restaurants don't   05:40 - The real reason price elasticity controls your restaurant volume   08:10 - The widow seat theory that fills dead timeslots 11:35 - Why total bill discounts trigger higher spending than free food   14:50 - The 35% discount rule that you need to know 17:15 - The way repeat diners become more profitable than full-paying guests   19:40 - The real reason push notifications drive massive app engagement   23:15 - You need to replace flash sale urgency with curated recommendations   32:40 - How to launch a two-sided marketplace by pitching the right side first   34:25 - Why friction-free payments turn users into brand advocates   41:10 - How landing major bank partnerships expands your total market size — Restaurants can sign up to fill spare tables at the EatClub Partner Portal, while diners can download the app on iOS or Android via EatClub Customer Offers. If you want to future-proof your visibility, head here to talk directly with our team about an AI Search Audit. If you want the TLDR of what you should actually care about, you're in the right place.  Hit follow and subscribe because you're not gonna wanna miss these episodes. See the behind the scenes over at @tfm.pod - ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tfm.pod/⁠  Follow the TFM team over at ⁠https://www.instagram.com/tfm.digital/⁠ and ⁠https://www.tiktok.com/@tfm.digital⁠