Rob Miller

About Rob Miller

I’ve spent 30 years in the restaurant industry, and as far as I’m concerned, my uncle invented the \"Ghost Kitchen\" in the early 1990s.My story started in a basement in Framingham, MA. My uncle, the GM of a local spot, rented the basement for a delivery-only wing concept. There was no storefront and no dining room: just a fryer, a phone line, and an old PLU register. I was the kid at the fryers, and when I wasn\'t cooking, I was the marketing department. I drove door-to-door, papering thousands of menus onto local doorsteps. On deliveries, I wasn\'t using GPS; I was navigating Friday night rushes with a highlighted Road Atlas and a prayer that the street signs were visible.The FoundationThat basement startup grew into a standalone Blues Bar where I did everything from cooking and bartending to managing the chaos of a live music venue. Later, my career took me to high-volume beachside Tiki Bars in Florida and eventually into leadership roles for two major National Brands. I’ve operated at every level, including serving as a Multi-Unit GM for an international chain during its initial U.S. launch. I’ve seen how the big players use systems and data to dominate, but my heart stayed with the independent operator. After becoming an independent Owner/Operator myself, I realized the playing field had become dangerously uneven.The MissionThe industry has shifted from paper menus to SEO, and from Road Atlases to complex delivery apps. While the tools have changed, the pressure on the independent owner has intensified. I’ve watched brilliant operators, the backbone of our communities, get squeezed by third-party commissions and eroding margins they don\'t have the time to decode.I’ve spent three decades in the trenches, and my purpose now is to level the playing field. I speak the language of the entire operation, from the line to the ledger, and I understand the digital leverage needed to win today. I’m here to arm independent owners with the same visibility the giants use.I’ve traded the stack of paper menus for hyper-local SEO to get customers through the door, and I’ve replaced the manual navigation of a Road Atlas with direct ordering systems that put power back in the owner\'s hands. I’ve been the fry cook, the multi-unit leader, and the owner. Today, I am a dedicated partner to independent operators, cutting through the tech noise because I’ve lived every mile of the road that got us here.If you’re ready to 86 the predatory commissions and take back your margins, let’s connect.

Experience

1. Chief Operations Officer (COO)

   Devournow

   Jul 2024 — Present · Boston, MA, US

   https://getdevournow.com/

Education

• New England Institute of Technology

  Bachelor of Science