We recently connected with Graham Sabin and have shared our conversation below.

Graham, appreciate you joining us today. Let’s jump right into the heart of things. Outsiders often think businesses or industries have much larger profit margins than they actually do – the reason is that outsiders are often unaware of the biggest challenges to profitability in various industries – what’s the biggest challenge to profitability in your industry?

In many industries, asking for a 10% commission on $100 of revenue seems reasonable. However, in the restaurant tech space, it’s almost impossible due to the razor-thin margins restaurants operate on. Even the best-run establishments often see profit margins of around 30%, while the average hovers between 5-10%. For example, if a restaurant sells a $10 burger, they might only make $1 in profit after covering ingredients, packaging, and labor.

So, if I help them sell 10 extra burgers and ask for $1 commission per burger, it cuts into their already slim profit margin, sometimes pushing them into the red. To succeed in such a low-margin industry, companies like mine must either scale rapidly or develop creative pricing models that allow both us and our restaurant partners to thrive.

One analogy I love for describing the restaurant industry is comparing it to a pristine watering hole in the middle of a safari. The water appears clean and abundant, with no animals in sight. What you don’t see are the lions hidden in the tall grass, waiting to pounce on whatever approaches. In this analogy, the water symbolizes the large amounts of money flowing through the industry, while the lions represent the slim margins that make profitability a constant challenge.

Graham, before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

My name is Graham, I’m 22, and I’ve always had a passion for entrepreneurship—long before I even knew what it was. Growing up, I was constantly starting small businesses. In elementary school, it was picking blueberries and raspberries to sell door-to-door. By middle school, I had a lawn care business, hiring friends to help with yard work and other odd jobs. In high school, to avoid minimum wage jobs, I started a junk removal business, which I eventually passed on to other students when I went to college.

That entrepreneurial drive merged with my interest in technology when I began studying computer science at Gonzaga University (Go Zags!). During my freshman year, I co-founded a SaaS company called Pondr, building tools for eCommerce sellers on Amazon and Shopify. We made some great progress and even secured an investment from the Microsoft Startup Accelerator program. But in the end, we failed because we didn’t truly understand our customers. We didn’t spend enough time talking to them or learning their needs.

These experiences led me to co-found Platter with two friends in late 2023. Platter is designed to help restaurant owners—who are often non-technical—adapt to the evolving demands of their customers. We provide everything a restaurant needs to succeed online: websites, mobile apps, loyalty programs, catering solutions, and more, all packaged into a simple, easy-to-use platform. What sets us apart is that we allow restaurant owners to customize their digital presence without ever having to dive into the technology themselves.

The past year has been a whirlwind of listening to restaurant owners and building exactly what they need. This customer-first approach has helped us develop solutions we hadn’t initially imagined. Since graduating from college in May 2024, what I’m most proud of is the impact we’ve made in such a short time. We’ve processed over $400,000 in restaurant sales, putting that money back into the pockets of small, local businesses. We’ve supported restaurants that have been around for over 50 years and helped others open their doors for the first time.

While the restaurant industry presents its challenges, the relationships we’ve built with owners are incredibly rewarding, and that’s what drives us forward.

How do you keep in touch with clients and foster brand loyalty?

Fostering brand loyalty, for us, comes down to the basics: care and availability. We make sure to build real relationships with all our clients. Early on, we set up a Google Voice number that all of our restaurants can use. Any time a client calls or texts, the notification goes to all of our co-founders—just like a customer support line—and it always gets answered.

While we’ve designed our platform to be user-friendly enough that clients rarely need to reach out, the fact that they can speak to us directly if needed speaks volumes. Owners know they have someone ready to help, no matter the time of day, and that creates a sense of trust and loyalty that’s hard to find elsewhere.

What might seem like a hassle to others has actually helped us stay in touch with our clients in a meaningful way. Hearing their challenges firsthand allows us to continually improve and grow while staying connected to the people we serve.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

Growing up, I wasn’t surrounded by entrepreneurs. My parents worked corporate jobs, as did most of our family friends, so the natural path for me was to follow that same route. As a result, I believed that starting a business was far more difficult than it actually is. While building a business that can support you is by no means easy, I think we often overestimate the skill required. In reality, what matters most is the courage to take the risk.

The lesson I had to unlearn was that starting a business isn’t reserved for the exceptionally skilled or experienced—it’s something more people can and should pursue. I say this because I want to encourage others, especially young people, to build their own ventures instead of following the typical corporate path. I believe entrepreneurship has a net positive impact on society, driving innovation and pushing us forward. If you have something you want to strive for, do it!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.joinplatter.com/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/grahamsabin/
• Twitter: https://x.com/GrahamSabin