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Waitr looks to add reservations, loyalty programs

The delivery platform, which focuses on single-unit restaurants and independent chains, has consistently grown since its launch in 2013. But its new plans could bring it head-to-head with heavyweights like OpenTable. 

Bloomin' Brands' CEO exit widens gender gap in restaurant leadership

Liz Smith's move, following 10 years at the helm and a turnaround of Outback Steakhouse, will leave female CEOs at just three publicly owned restaurant companies: Red Robin, Cracker Barrel and Ruth's Hospitality Group. 

Resy in serious talks with potential buyer, Recode reports

An acquisition of one of the largest reservation platforms could provide more space for rising stars Yelp and Google to carve a strong niche in the segment. 

Philadelphia becomes the 1st US city to ban cashless concepts

Laws against card-only payments are meant to protect low-income consumers, but could impact tech innovation at restaurants, especially as more chains like Sweetgreen make the switch to improve transaction speed.

Postmates integrates reviews from The Infatuation

Lines between review, reservation and delivery sites are blurring as diner demand for convenience grows, but it's unclear if this offering will be enough to gain long-term converts. 

DOL proposes $35K overtime rule threshold

The proposal, which is supported by the National Restaurant Association and International Franchise Association, will have far reaching implications for the restaurant industry and give over 1 million workers access to overtime pay.

Column

Shift Change: Smoothie King, Church's Chicken hire CMOs; Bojangles' top marketing leader to retire

The latest installment of Shift Change highlights executive changes at Starbucks, Church's Chicken, Smoothie King, Bojangles' and more. 

McDonald's drives 8.4K in-app actions by tying geofenced billboards to Waze

A campaign with the Google-owned app and agency Outdoor Media Group sent users a call to action message when their car came to a full stop. 

Yum China's Innovation Center could help fend off US transplants

The Yum Brands spinoff believes product experimentation is key to its success in the fast-changing market, where American heavyweights Shake Shack and Starbucks are testing their own new concepts. 

Wendy's trolls McDonald's on Frozen Food Day

A frozen cake for "you know who" reminded Twitter followers that its rival uses frozen beef and offered a free burger through Wendy's mobile app.

National Restaurant Association comes out strongly against 'Raise the Wage Act'

The group argues that raising the federal minimum wage from $7.25 per hour to $15 per hour would hurt small businesses and suppress job creation.

Mario Batali is no longer in the restaurant business

The celebrity chef has given up his stake in Batali & Bastianich Hospitality Group following backlash incited by sexual misconduct allegations, and will no longer profit from the 16 restaurants the firm manages.

Famous Dave's to test ghost restaurant, virtual kitchen concepts

The barbecue chain joins Red Robin, Outback Steakhouse and Carrabba's as it rolls out delivery-only concepts to strengthen its off-premise push.  

KFC's crowdfunding campaign gauges interest in half-baked ideas

Contributors to the Indiegogo site could win branded swag for supporting potential products like a Kentucky Fried Hot Tub or location-tracking necktie.

Papa Gino's, D'Angelo see 14x response rate for SMS offers

A mobile campaign with Mobivity's Recurrency platform drove more than 25,000 transactions and $125,000 in attributable revenue.

Toast's new offerings reflect tech's growing role in customer experience

The platform has launched a suite of new features, including Toast Guest Feedback, which allows restaurants to respond to guest reviews in real-time.

Dunkin' trolls McDonald's over Donut Sticks launch

The coffee chain mockingly tweeted "blueprints" of new donut packaging, which emulate the burger giant's Big Mac box, suggesting McDonald's copied its Donut Fries offering.

Papa John's founder John Schnatter agrees to resign from board

A settlement signals the beginning of the end of a yearlong dispute between the ousted founder and corporate, which could allow the pizza chain to put greater focus on new marketing efforts.

Habit Burger to open more drive-thrus this year

Car service will hit more than 20 locations, following moves by Chipotle and Panera as the fast casual category looks to capture more customers on the go.

Bartender told to dress 'date-ready' gets $80K settlement

The restaurant also agreed to provide her with a positive written job reference and to allow EEOC to conduct a workplace climate survey.

Poke concept Sweetfin partners with Postmates for delivery

Deliveries of raw fish bowls have skyrocked, with Grubhub reporting a 205% year-over-year jump in orders last year, but questions remain about the food safety risks that come with transportation by third-party platforms. 

Opinion

Restaurants need to incorporate apps to keep a seat at the table

As ordering online increases, eateries need to change their strategies related to customer flow, menus, real estate and data, says Ritual CEO Ray Reddy. 

Ingredion CEO talks designing ingredients with delivery in mind

Ensuring that the taste and quality of delivered food matches what is found in restaurants is no easy task, but Jim Zallie said the on-the-go eating trend has created "tremendous growth opportunities" for his company. 

Fast food 'significantly' saltier, more caloric than 30 years ago, report finds

As America's obesity problem continues, many chains are adding plant-based menu items to brighten their health halos.

Curry Up Now expands beyond California

The company, leveraging growing demand for the ethnic cuisine, plans to open one of the first Indian fast casual concepts in Utah and Colorado.