Technology
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Starbucks launches voice ordering with Alibaba in China
Consumers will be able to order delivery from the coffee chain through Alibaba's smart speaker, Tmall Genie, which tracks orders in real time.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 19, 2019 -
&pizza deploys mobile kitchens from Zume
The partnership will allow the fast casual chain to deliver pizza and test new markets without paying for real estate.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 19, 2019 -
Postmates brings mobile food ordering to Yankee Stadium
Attendees can order and pay for food on the app and receive a notification when it's ready for pickup from designated locations.
By Robert Williams • Sept. 18, 2019 -
Yum Brands taps Walmart CIO for global digital, tech strategy
Clay Johnson will fill a newly created role at the company, which has been looking for a senior leader since February as part of its digital transformation.
By Samantha Ann Schwartz • Sept. 18, 2019 -
Papa John's Snapchat lens boosted pizza orders 25% for Valentine's Day
Snapcodes and an AR lens let users create pizza-themed pictures and order directly from the app.
By Robert Williams • Sept. 17, 2019 -
Yelp's new 'Connect' tool lets restaurants send targeted brand updates
In addition to offering eateries a way to directly share personalized events, deals and menu items, the review platform launched predictive wait times to its Waitlist feature.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 12, 2019 -
McDonald's acquires AI tech company Apprente
The chain will also form a global technology team, McD Tech Labs, which will help further support its future innovations.
By Julie Littman • Sept. 10, 2019 -
Chowly and DoorDash partner for POS integration
The collaboration will let Chowly's restaurant partners use third-party delivery drivers while still taking orders through their native channels.
By Alicia Kelso • Sept. 10, 2019 -
Deep DiveHow 5 Bay Area restaurateurs are surviving rising operating costs
Real estate pressures and a chef shortage are forcing restaurants to find creative solutions — like covering workers' Uber rides and having chefs serve diners — to protect their bottom lines and retain talent.
By Rosie Bradbury • Sept. 03, 2019 -
Yelp personalizes app based on user lifestyle
Users can now tailor their search experience based on diet, accessibility concerns, food and drink categories and interest.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 27, 2019 -
TripAdvisor's Wi-Fi subscription could help restaurants mine diner data
TripAdvisor Wi-Fi Plus lets restaurants offer customers an opt-in for free internet in exchange for their contact information.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 22, 2019 -
Waitr debuts app redesign amid continued struggles
The new app comes as the platform's stock is on a downward swing and less than a month after its founder and CEO stepped down.
By Lauren Manning • Aug. 22, 2019 -
Does DoorDash's latest acquisition give it an edge in autonomous delivery?
The delivery platform bought Scotty Labs, a startup developing autonomous and remote-controlled vehicle technology. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Aug. 21, 2019 -
Domino's bolsters tech lead with new Innovation Garage
Over 100 workers will be tasked with technological development in the space, which features a fully functioning pizza theater to test ideas in a store setting.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 21, 2019 -
Starship food delivery robots to expand to 100 college campuses before 2022
The tech startup raised $40 million in a Series A funding round, helping it inch closer to its goal of reaching more than 1 million university students.
By Rosie Bradbury • Aug. 21, 2019 -
Over 50% of consumers don't know how brands use their data, report says
The new survey from Acquia also finds that 65% of customers would stop engaging with a brand that's dishonest about its data usage.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 20, 2019 -
Cava's first test kitchen will accelerate menu innovation
The chain's data scientists will analyze diner reactions to products in real time and evaluate which products and technologies should be scaled.
By Rosie Bradbury • Aug. 20, 2019 -
FAA grants approval for drone food delivery pilot in North Carolina
Third-party platforms and restaurants are looking to the skies for the next phase of food delivery, but landing in crowded urban areas and navigating liability issues could prove challenging.
By Emma Liem Beckett , Emma Cosgrove • Aug. 16, 2019 -
Postmates scores first permit for robot deliveries in San Francisco
The delivery platform's Serve bots are only allowed to roam a few sections of the city and must be accompanied by a human operator, but the technology could help optimize delivery for local drivers.
By Lauren Manning • UPDATED: Aug. 19, 2019 at 9:59 a.m. -
McDonald's, Burger King and Subway pilot scannable programmatic print ads
A Brazilian newspaper printed QR codes to deliver ads that can be customized in real time based on weather and location.
By Robert Williams • Aug. 08, 2019 -
OpenTable, Quandoo partner to integrate restaurant bookings
Diners will soon be able to book the firms' listed restaurants via both platforms, while American Express plans to add perks for members on Resy.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 07, 2019 -
Waitr teams with Olo to streamline POS systems
The partnership could strengthen restaurant loyalty by simplifying operations and providing solutions to order errors and delays, a growing trend in the competitive delivery space.
By Rosie Bradbury • Aug. 07, 2019 -
Jack in the Box lets Snapchat users turn virtual burgers into reality
An AR experience gives customers a chance to win prizes, including seeing their virtual burger creations added to the chain's menu.
By Robert Williams • Aug. 06, 2019 -
Aramark buys college food delivery service Good Uncle
Growing competition from third-party aggregators is pushing college foodservice providers into offering delivery and pickup.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 06, 2019 -
Tabletop tech speeds up service and boosts profits, study says
Research into the impact of POS technology at a casual dining chain found that it bridged gaps in waiter performance without impacting staff numbers.
By Rosie Bradbury • Aug. 05, 2019
