Christopher Sebes: A Legacy of Innovation in Restaurant Technology
Christopher Sebes, a pioneering figure in restaurant technology, was awarded the MURTEC Lifetime Achievement Award at the 30th anniversary MURTEC Experience Matters event in Las Vegas on March 11.
A visionary leader and a key contributor to the Restaurant Technology Network (RTN), Sebes has played an instrumental role in setting industry standards and best practices. His career includes founding Xenial, a Global Payments Company, and XPIENT, later acquired by Heartland Payment Systems. He also co-created Twenty20 Visual Systems, the first Microsoft Windows-based point-of-sale (POS) solution. Today, Sebes serves as an adviser and board member for several restaurant technology companies while leading the Technology Practice at Results Thru Strategy.
A Career Defined by Innovation
Sebes’ journey began in the hospitality industry, first in hotels and later in a restaurant group in London. In 1985, he moved to New York to manage a restaurant group. His tech career took off in the 1990s when he and partners developed the first Windows-based POS system, later acquired by Radiant Systems (now NCR Voyix).
In 1998, Sebes identified potential in a North Carolina-based company with a strong DOS-based product transitioning to Windows software. He led the company through Chapter 11 reorganization, founding XPIENT.
“It took about five years to get to the point of ‘overnight success,’” Sebes joked.
XPIENT became a leading provider of restaurant technology, serving 13 of the top 25 quick-service and fast-casual brands. In 2014, the company was acquired by Heartland Payments. Sebes stayed on as the company expanded, eventually becoming part of Global Payments. There, he led the development of Xenial, a cloud-based restaurant technology solution.
By 2019, Sebes decided to step away from corporate life. “Working for a large public company wasn’t as much fun as it once was, so I decided to leave,” he said.
Continuing to Shape the Industry
Sebes now leads the Technology Practice at Results Thru Strategy and advises innovative restaurant tech startups, including Hellometer, GoTab, Bite Ninja, and TRAY POS.
For Sebes, solving complex problems remains the driving force behind his work.
Finding creative ways to solve problems is what’s fun,” he said.
In 2006, he developed the first graphical drive-thru timer, which he later sold to Hyperactive Technologies (now Acrelec America).
A longtime advocate for open standards, Sebes has been an active member of the Restaurant Technology Network’s Board of Governors.
“The idea that we could create a set of industry-wide standards that benefit everyone is very appealing,” he explained.
Historically, restaurant technology has been fragmented and proprietary, limiting operators' ability to mix and match solutions. RTN’s work is changing that.
“If a restaurant wants to use different vendors for POS, kitchen displays, and inventory management, they should be able to,” Sebes said. “RTN helps democratize that process by standardizing how these systems communicate.”
Even after decades of success, Sebes remains focused on collaboration, innovation, and problem-solving. His contributions continue to leave a lasting mark on restaurant technology.