Helping independent restaurant businesses operate more effectively through connected hardware and operational product systems

I joined Slice as Product Lead within the company’s R&D organisation, working on the new In Store Appliances team focused on developing physical and connected products for independent pizza shops.

Slice’s broader mission is to help independent pizzerias compete and thrive in an increasingly platform-driven market. The work within the In Store Appliances team extends that mission into the physical environment of the restaurant itself.

The role sits at the intersection of:

  • software
  • hardware
  • networking
  • operational workflows
  • real-world customer behaviour.

Unlike many purely digital product environments, the challenges here involve designing systems that must operate reliably inside busy, high-pressure restaurant environments where:

  • time is constrained
  • operational interruptions are costly
  • staff turnover is common
  • connectivity can be inconsistent
  • physical workflows matter just as much as interface design.

The work involves balancing:

  • usability
  • operational efficiency
  • technical constraints
  • installation and support considerations
  • the realities of small business operations.

A major part of the challenge is understanding how technology can support restaurant teams without introducing additional operational friction or cognitive overhead into already demanding environments.

The role has also expanded my experience working across:

  • embedded and connected products
  • hardware/software integration
  • service reliability
  • systems designed for real-world environments rather than purely digital contexts.

One of the most interesting aspects of the work has been observing how product decisions influence operational behaviour in physical environments, where even small usability issues can quickly compound into meaningful operational inefficiencies during busy service periods.

The experience continues to deepen my interest in:

  • systems thinking
  • operational product design
  • connected hardware
  • products that coordinate people, environments, and technology together in real-world settings.