From Apple Genius to Restaurant Tech Visionary: Kyle Mark’s Journey
In this episode of Restrocast, Kyle Mark shares his journey from Apple to leading tech at WOWorks. He discusses fixing POS issues, scaling systems, and how COVID made tech a key restaurant driver. Kyle also talks about the importance of team alignment, smart integrations, and personal growth habits that help him lead with clarity and intent.
Kyle Mark
CIO, WOWorks
Kyle Mark is a seasoned restaurant technology leader with experience at Apple, Datum Technologies, Gecko’s Hospitality, and Ciccio Restaurant Group. Known for bridging tech and operations, he played a key role in supporting WOWorks through FTR Hospitality, where he helped scale and streamline multi-brand systems with a focus on integration, implementation, and business impact.
In this episode of Restrocast, Ashish Tulsian sits down with Kyle Mark, a restaurant tech leader whose career has spanned Apple, various startups, and enterprise restaurant operations. Kyle shares how his journey started in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, took root at Apple’s flagship store, and evolved into a career transforming how restaurants use technology.
Kyle reflects on transitioning from Apple to the foodservice world through roles at Standard Market, Datum Technologies, and Fresh Kitchen—where he helped lead a rapid digital transformation just as the COVID-19 pandemic hit. He discusses how delivery became a lifeline, forcing restaurant tech to shift from cost center to growth engine.
Now leading tech at WOWorks, Kyle talks about fixing POS systems that weren’t set up well and how poor setup—not the tools themselves—is often the real problem. He explains that many failures happen because teams aren’t aligned. Kyle believes restaurant tech should work together smoothly, and that “best-in-class” means choosing tools that actually fit your business—not just the ones with the most features.