A Trusted Advisor Is Earned, One Honest Answer at a Time.
Ops9 exists to give restaurant and hospitality leaders an independent partner for technology. One who tells the truth, works for them, and stays until it works.
Chris Harrison, Founder
A technology executive who has spent his career in and around restaurant companies, from the server room to the boardroom.
Chris began his career in financial services, then spent time in wholesale distribution at a Fortune 250 company before settling into the restaurant industry. That path taught him how large, multi-location businesses really run, and how technology either helps or gets in the way.
Today he leads technology engagements for restaurant brands as a fractional executive. He has guided technology due diligence for a major restaurant acquisition, designed audio video architecture across more than a thousand locations, rationalized application portfolios, responded to security incidents, and served as interim and fractional technology leader for growing brands.
- Fractional approach
- Executive-level leadership without the full-time cost, with a plan to hand off cleanly.
- Hands-on platform depth
- POS, back office, loyalty and CRM, online ordering, and store network infrastructure.
- Franchise fluent
- Experience with the dynamics between franchisors, franchisees, and shared technology.
- Gives back
- Founder of The 68 Foundation, creating pathways for restaurant workers into technology careers.
Experience That Shows Up in the Work
Brands we have served include Inspire Brands, Buffalo Wild Wings, Tropical Smoothie Cafe, Slim Chickens, Condado Tacos, Another Broken Egg Cafe, Krystal, WalkOns, Ford’s Garage, Moka, and many others.
Due Diligence and Acquisition
Technology due diligence supporting a major multi-brand restaurant acquisition.
Scale at the Store Level
Audio video architecture designed and deployed across more than one thousand locations.
Portfolio Clean-Up
Application rationalization that cut overlap, cost, and risk for a national fast casual brand.
Interim and Fractional Leadership
Stepping in as technology leader for growing brands while teams, budgets, and plans took shape.
Research That Makes the Advice Better.
Chris is a Doctor of Business Administration candidate at the University of South Florida, studying trust between CEOs and their CIOs or CTOs in the restaurant industry.
The best technology plan fails when the executive team and the technology leader do not trust each other. That research shapes how Ops9 coaches IT leaders, aligns teams, and communicates with executives.
Technology succeeds at the speed of trust between the people who lead it.
What Being Your Trusted Advisor Means
We Tell You the Truth
Including when the answer is to wait, to spend less, or to keep what you already have.
We Work for You
No commissions, no referral fees, no preferred vendor. Our recommendations are yours to challenge.
We Stay Until It Works
We help you decide, then we help you deliver, and we are still there when the stores open.
A Bench of Industry Leaders
Chris leads a team of experienced restaurant and hospitality technology professionals. Each engagement is staffed with the people who fit your brand, your stage, and your stack.