I'm On A Flight To The First Toast Global Customer Advisory Board

Being invited to join the first-ever Global Toast CAB in Boston is an honor — but more importantly, it’s a responsibility

I was just sitting at the San Diego airport, reflecting on my journey before boarding a flight to Boston.

I couldn’t help but look back as I waited to fly out for the first-ever Toast Global Customer Advisory Board meeting.

Every time I go to Toast HQ in Boston it feels like visiting family. And now our family is spread out all over the world. It’s amazing.

My restaurant story didn’t start with Toast, but partnering with them in 2020 was one of the most consequential moments of my life.

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Seventeen years ago, we opened the doors to Cali BBQ with a simple idea — serve slow food fast, and build deep relationships with every guest.

Over time, we realized that if we wanted to grow, we had to think differently about hospitality. We had to combine technology with heart.

That’s where Toast came in.

Switching from our legacy POS to Toast wasn’t just about point-of-sale. It was about empowering our team, simplifying operations, and delivering a better guest experience — in ways we never thought possible.

💡 I believe deeply in what Toast is building.

Because it’s not just technology — it’s hospitality infrastructure for the next generation of restaurants.

In 2021, I was honored to join Toast’s inaugural Customer Advisory Board for Small to Medium Businesses.

Since then, I’ve watched them expand that vision and much more.

That includes growing the CAB program to now include an Enterprise CAB and an International CAB. Seeing how seriously Toast listens and evolves alongside its customers has been incredible.

One of my proudest moments was standing on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange with my Toast Unboxing partner and Cali BBQ teammate Eric Olafsen, witnessing Toast’s IPO firsthand.

Being invited to join the first Global CAB is an honor — but more importantly, it’s a responsibility.

A responsibility to share what we’ve learned, and to advocate for the independent restaurants who are the backbone of every community.

This next chapter isn’t just about selling food. It’s about building businesses that serve, lead, and transform.

I’m grateful for the journey and so very excited for what’s next.

-Shawn Walchef

PS - Let me know if you want to talk about switching to Toast like I did.