Joe Rossi is the Managing Director of Town & Country Pizza and Pasta, a 36-year-old Victorian-founded hospitality franchise brand with 14 high-volume locations across Victoria and Western Australia.

A finalist at the Franchise Council of Australia Industry Awards for franchise innovation, Joe leads a business that combines traditional hospitality values with an AI-driven approach to franchise operations, team training and customer experience.

In this episode of the Franchise Everything Podcast, recorded at the FCA Franchise Forum in Brisbane, Joe shares how Town & Country Pizza & Pasta is using AI in hospitality franchising to improve business operations, support franchise teams and enhance the customer experience — while maintaining the human connection that sits at the heart of great hospitality.

Episode Highlights

0:00 Welcome and introduction to Joe Rossi, Managing Director of Town & Country Pizza and Pasta 

0:43 Town & Country Pizza and Pasta: Building a 36-year-old hospitality franchise brand across 14 locations 

1:23 Growing a traditional hospitality brand with a technology-first mindset 

2:04 How technology evolved through COVID while preserving the fundamentals of great hospitality

3:37 Why Town & Country prioritises high-volume locations over simply chasing store numbers 

4:24 How AI is transforming franchise operations: site selection, franchisee training, forecasting and customer data 

5:38 Using AI to reduce ordering friction and improve the customer experience

6:09 How AI is improving back-of-house efficiency and kitchen operations 

6:38 The AI-powered training technology helping franchise teams learn faster

8:00 Why Town & Country has maintained its approach to third-party food delivery platforms 

9:16 Why deliberate franchise growth and consistency matter more than rapid expansion 

10:07 How AI can strengthen hospitality values rather than replace them 

10:46 Why human connection will become more valuable in an AI-driven hospitality world 

11:18 Key takeaways and episode wrap-up

Listen or Watch on SPOTIFY HERE | Listen or Watch on Apple Podcasts HERE

Listen or Watch on Amazon Music HERE