Technology
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Deliveroo will now buy and deliver ingredients to restaurants
The U.K.-based company claims its program, where it procures food supplies on behalf of multiple eateries, can save small operators up to 40%.
By Julie Littman • July 19, 2019 -
Postmates adds emoji searches for World Emoji Day
Customers can combine the "taco" and "bell" emoji to look up Taco Bell, or the "hamburger" and "crown" to get Burger King.
By Robert Williams • July 18, 2019 -
69% of restaurants use multiple technologies, but many want all-in-one system
Despite reporting having numerous vendors for tasks like POS and labor, many expressed the need to consolidate for efficiency in a recent Toast survey.
By Alicia Kelso • July 18, 2019 -
Under pressure, Domino's ups the ante on tech
Squeezed by third-party aggregators, the pizza chain is using various means to improve delivery, from GPS tracking to alternative modes of transportation.
By Julie Littman • July 17, 2019 -
Self-service kiosk market to reach $30.8B
A number of QSR players like McDonald's are adopting the technology, but the value proposition remains unclear.
By Lauren Manning • July 17, 2019 -
Just Eat adds restaurant hygiene ratings to app
The feature is Just Eat's latest push to improve food safety, which has included dropping restaurants with a zero rating and investing over $1 million to help eateries improve scores.
By Lauren Manning • July 16, 2019 -
Domino's Australia improves pizza quality scores with AI
The DOM Pizza Checker, which was deployed in Australia and New Zealand in May, increased quality scores by 15% in its first month.
By Alicia Kelso • July 16, 2019 -
Food 4 Less, Smart Foodservice join the food delivery fight
Smart Foodservice's partnership with Shipt will deliver ingredients to restaurants and benefit operators, but other grocery delivery partnerships could threaten off-premise restaurant growth.
By Lauren Manning • July 15, 2019 -
Domino's pilots cashless payments in Australia
The test comes after a number of restaurants embraced the model only to reverse, like Sweetgreen, after the public complained the system discriminates against specific customers.
By Lauren Manning • July 11, 2019 -
Grubhub 'cybersquatting' outcry signals changing delivery landscape
Accusations of hidden fees and buying domains without permission highlight a need for clearer communication between third-party providers and restaurants.
By Julie Littman • July 11, 2019 -
Fast casuals rev up drive-thru, mobile pickup plans
Chains like Chipotle, Cava and Blaze Pizza are testing drive-up windows but may soon find it more difficult to find ideal locations.
By Julie Littman • July 10, 2019 -
23% of US smartphone users will use a food delivery app by 2023
Consumers will increasingly turn to third-party apps to place food orders as DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats vie for the top spot, according to an eMarketer report.
By Lauren Manning • July 09, 2019 -
Deep DiveWelcome to the drive-thru, AI will take your order
McDonald's and Sonic Drive-In are among the fast food chains testing out voice-automation and AI as part of an industrywide push to modernize.
By Julie Littman • July 08, 2019 -
Uber Eats adds dine-in option
This new service, in addition to its rollout of click-and-collect, allows the company to cover all areas of the restaurant experience, giving it an edge over its competitors.
By Alicia Kelso • July 03, 2019 -
MOD Pizza's early cloud start supports rapid expansion
Having the foundation of the cloud, years before the cloud boom, gave MOD a head start when it came time to scale.
By Samantha Ann Schwartz • July 01, 2019 -
79% of diners interested in personalized menu recommendations, report finds
According to PSFK research, trends driving the dining experience include improved dine-in environments and dynamic menus that analyze guest preferences, weather and other factors.
By Alicia Kelso • June 26, 2019 -
KFC's new flagship to serve as technology learning lab
The store includes self-serve digital kiosks, an area dedicated to mobile order and delivery pickup, and digital menu boards in-store and at the drive-thru.
By Alicia Kelso • June 21, 2019 -
McDonald's pilots robot fryer in kitchen
The fast food chain is also testing voice-activated drive-thrus and automated beverage systems to decrease wait times and improve customer service and employee satisfaction.
By Julie Littman • June 21, 2019 -
EatStreet suffers data breach
A hacker accessed restaurant and customer information on the third-party aggregator's database in early May, underscoring a growing vulnerability with online ordering and delivery.
By Alicia Kelso • June 20, 2019 -
Digital restaurant orders growing at a double-digit clip
An NPD Group report showed that orders made by app, text or online increased 23% over the past four years and now represent 3.1 billion visits and $26.8 billion in sales.
By Alicia Kelso • June 13, 2019 -
Uber Eats drone delivery nears liftoff in San Diego
Restaurants participating in the pilot expected to begin this summer will place an order on a drone, which will then fly the food to a courier who will complete the last leg to a customer's door.
By Emma Liem • June 12, 2019 -
Deep DiveBlockchain, 5G could transform restaurants. Are they ready?
These solutions will dramatically impact the industry’s ability to trace and monitor products and automate processes, but many operators are behind in current tech adoption.
By Julie Littman • June 06, 2019 -
OpenTable partners with Upserve to enhance service
The partnership will enable servers to have diner information and preferences in real-time to help staff personalize service during meal time.
By Alicia Kelso • June 06, 2019 -
OpinionWhy restaurants should implement the Internet of Things
Connected sensors can monitor, detect and alert restaurant operators to potential kitchen disasters, says Dan Jamieson, the general manager of Particle.
By Dan Jamieson • June 05, 2019 -
Food or technology? Restaurants struggle with 'split brain'
Start-ups eatsa and Yumpingo shifted their food-first missions as restaurants wrangle with how to evolve with new technologies.
By Thai Phi Le • June 04, 2019
