Technology
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Domino's promotes CTO, restructures tech unit as CIO retires
Kelly Garcia will replace EVP and CIO Kevin Vasconi, who is retiring Oct. 2, the company announced Monday.
By Roberto Torres • Sept. 23, 2020 -
Permission granted by Cousins Subs
Deep DiveHow chains are automating the curbside experience
Customers calling in for their food upon arrival have created logistical headaches for many chains new to curbside, and they are turning to geofencing and integrated alert systems to create a better experience.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 23, 2020 -
Courtesy of McDonald's
McDonald's app offers mock insurance to drive trial of new spicy McNuggets
The promotion that includes a 40-minute Instagram video of Anthony "Spice" Adams reflects the chain's focus on drive-thru, delivery and digital as it ramps up marketing spend.
By Robert Williams • Sept. 16, 2020 -
Stefan Tomic/Getty Images
Independent pizza sales boosted by COVID-19 pandemic, report shows
Operators on digital ordering platform Slice have doubled their weekly sales during the coronavirus, from $2,000 to $4,000 on average, according to BTIG.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 15, 2020 -
Grubhub/DoorDash/Wikimedia Commons
Delivery by the numbers: What third-party platforms are offering restaurants to survive the pandemic
As businesses grapple with high overhead costs amid dining room closures and reduced foot traffic, DoorDash, Postmates, Uber Eats and Grubhub have launched resources for their partners. Here's how they add up.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Sept. 14, 2020 -
Courtesy of Uber Eats
Uber Eats adds contactless ordering for pickup, dine in
Restaurants do not have to pay a marketplace fee through the end of 2020 for orders placed through this service, which customers use by scanning a QR code.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 11, 2020 -
Retrieved from Virtual Kitchen Co. on September 09, 2020
Bay Area-based Virtual Kitchen raises $20M
The company, led by former Uber executives, has brought in $37 million to date and plans to expand nationally and abroad as demand for food delivery rises.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 09, 2020 -
Courtesy of El Pollo Loco
El Pollo Loco's GPS-enabled curbside pickup expands digital channels
Beginning Sept. 28, customers can order curbside pickup online or through a revamped Loco Rewards app, building on the chicken chain's long-term e-commerce strategy.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 04, 2020 -
satingirlz3. (2011). "The image" [Photograph]. Retrieved from Flickr.
Mastercard expands AI drive-thru testing to White Castle
Building on its pilot at Sonic Drive-In, the credit card company's latest AI Powered Drive Through platform will enable QSRs to use vehicle recognition and voice ordering.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 01, 2020 -
Courtesy of Chowbotics
Saladworks to expand footprint with Chowbotics' robot
The $35,000 salad-making robot will help the chain save on labor and expand into nontraditional spaces like hospitals, universities and grocery stores.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 27, 2020 -
Courtesy of Seated
Seated acquires events booking platform VenueBook
The reservation app, which also raised $30 million in funding, estimates that private events generate 10% to 15% of a restaurant's revenue and up to 20% of its profit.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 19, 2020 -
64% of diners say staff wearing PPE is most important when eating out, survey shows
Consumers say restaurant staff taking safety precautions is a higher priority to them than efforts to add hand sanitizer and single-use menus at tables, according to a Toast report.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 07, 2020 -
Permission granted by Wendy's
Wendy's digital sales momentum grows with delivery expansion during Q2
While a majority of the mix was from delivery orders, the chain expects its newly launched loyalty program to boost mobile ordering.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 05, 2020 -
Shake Shack's digital sales doubled in Q2, but same-store sales declined sharply
As part of its expansion into new formats, the burger chain expects to open its first drive-thru next year in a suburban neighborhood.
By Alicia Kelso • July 31, 2020 -
47% of operators say moving to online ordering is their biggest challenge
This is particularly true for the majority of fine dining and upscale restaurants that didn't offer online ordering prior to the novel coronavirus outbreak, according to an Upserve survey.
By Alicia Kelso • July 30, 2020 -
Thai Phi Le
Yum grows digital sales $1B globally
Digital sales made up 30% of the company's global sales mix in Q2, bolstered by its launch of a tech team and various delivery and online assets.
By Julie Littman • July 30, 2020 -
Courtesy of Popeyes
Popeyes urges fans to prank family members with autocorrect campaign
In a ploy to turn pizza lovers into fried chicken fans, the QSR is asking people to edit "pizza" into "Popeyes instead of pizza" using the autocorrect feature on smartphones.
By Robert Williams • July 28, 2020 -
Dunkin' creates new chief digital officer role as it doubles down on tech, mobile offerings
The position oversees digital marketing and media, consumer insights and IT transformation — areas seeing growing demand under the pandemic.
By Peter Adams • July 24, 2020 -
Retrieved from Starbucks on July 22, 2020
Starbucks will add more ways to pay, earn rewards this fall
Loyalty members will no longer have to use the Starbucks card to collect rewards, and can instead opt for cash, credit/debit cards and mobile wallets.
By Alicia Kelso • July 22, 2020 -
Permission granted by Uber Eats
Uber Eats pilots commission-free direct online ordering through 2020
The platform is also rolling out delivery management tools so restaurants can track sales volumes, operational statistics, earnings and sales trends in real time.
By Julie Littman • July 21, 2020 -
Courtesy of Uber Eats
81% of operators say third-party delivery helped prevent layoffs
Ninety-two percent ​of restaurants plan to continue working with third-party delivery services beyond the COVID-19 crisis, according to an Uber Eats/Technomic survey.
By Emma Liem Beckett • July 21, 2020 -
Retrieved from Chipotle on July 15, 2020
Why Chipotle is 'pivoting the entire portfolio' to Chipotlanes
Two years after opening its drive-thrus for online orders, which helped the company surpass $1 billion in digital sales, the fast casual chain expects this concept to make up 60% of its new restaurants.
By Julie Littman • July 15, 2020 -
Courtesy of McDonald's
New McDonald's flagship runs 100% on renewable energy
The new restaurant, located near Disney's All-Star Resorts in Orlando, Florida, is part of the brand's push to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 36% by 2030.
By Alicia Kelso • July 13, 2020 -
Kitchen United
Ghost kitchens could be a $1T global market by 2030, says Euromonitor
Restaurant closures, in the wake of the novel coronavirus pandemic, could accelerate the growth of this market, Euromonitor's Michael Schaefer said in a webinar.
By Emma Liem Beckett • July 10, 2020 -
Courtesy of Taco Bell
Taco Bell to launch new loyalty program 5 years after first iteration
The promotion of Taco Bell Rewards, which rolls out later this month, crashed the company's site and app on Tuesday.
By Alicia Kelso • July 01, 2020
