Technology

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    Permission granted by Wonder
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    Wonder plans another $600M funding round

    The food hall company has raised over $2.8 billion since 2021 and could file for an initial public offering as early as next year.

    By • July 10, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    OpenTable adds table reservation perk for frequent diners

    Gold status members can book tables set aside for them, making access to coveted restaurants easier.

    By • July 8, 2026
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    Courtesy of SevenRooms
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    Trendline

    How AI is shaping the restaurant industry

    Automated technology can transform restaurant systems and relieve pressure from rising operating costs, opening up new opportunities for chains looking to sharpen their value proposition. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
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    Courtesy of International Dairy Queen
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    Dairy Queen hires Shake Shack vet to modernize tech

    Phil Crawford joins the fast food and frozen treat chain just months after it expanded a drive-thru AI test.

    By • July 8, 2026
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    Courtesy of Yum Brands
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    Taco Bell revs up drive-thru AI deployment

    Through a partnership with Omilia, which has brought voice AI to nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, the Mexican chain will continue to add the tech across its domestic system.

    By • Updated July 7, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Restaurants have never known more about their guests. So why are they losing them?

    The answer to repeat customer visits isn’t more loyalty tiers or programs, but deploying guest data to enhance experiences and remember preferences, writes Guestologie’s Ryan Volberg.

    By Ryan Volberg • July 6, 2026
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    Permission granted by Rokt Marketing
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    Sponsored by Rokt

    The confirmation screen: QSR’s strategic frontier for owned media

    The next QSR growth frontier? Your confirmation screen. Turn transactions into profit.

    By Rob Murphy • June 29, 2026
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    Permission granted by Olo Inc.
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    Sponsored by Olo

    The channel restaurant marketers keep underestimating

    Email builds awareness. SMS drives action. For restaurant marketers, the pairing is hard to beat.

    By Ray Gallagher, SVP & GM, Engage at Olo • June 29, 2026
  • Two people stand in a bar looking at a tablet. One person is wearing a beige apron while the other is wearing a green dress.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Restaurant software was built by people who never worked a Friday night close

    Owners need technology that gives them back time and not something that just offers more dashboards to look at, writes Orbis AI’s Temo Benidze.

    By Temo Benidze • June 18, 2026
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    FilippoBacci via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Craftable

    How AI turns menu engineering into a margin strategy

    Rising costs squeezing margins? Discover how AI can turn your menu into a profit driver.

    June 15, 2026
  • A photograph of a person sitting at a bar doing financing.
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    Your financial tools aren’t built for your restaurant

    Operators need support built around how restaurants actually make and spend money, and that troubleshoot when those two things fall out of sync, writes Toast’s Michel Rbeiz.

    By Michel Rbeiz • June 12, 2026
  • A person holds up a black, blue, white and yellow chart titled “Reciprocal Tariffs” listing the names of several countries alongside percentages.
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    Chip Somodevilla via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    Why trade, swipe fees are NRA’s political priorities for restaurants

    The National Restaurant Association is urging the Trump administration to approve the U.S.-Mexico-Canada Trade Agreement and take a do-no-harm stance on tariffs.

    By • June 9, 2026
  • A Dave's Hot Chicken fast casual restaurant in Chicago viewed from above.
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    Courtesy of Dave's Hot Chicken
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    Dave’s Hot Chicken diners don’t want to talk to robots — so here’s how it’s innovating

    After successfully upgrading its point of sale and kitchen display tech, Dave’s is waiting for other tech to mature, the brand’s chief technology officer said.

    By • June 4, 2026
  • Little Caesars Hot and Ready
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    Courtesy of Little Caesars
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    Little Caesars offers $5 pizza deal through Amazon Prime

    The limited-time value play could help the chain reach consumers through a new channel at a moment when QSR pizza is generally stagnant.

    By • June 3, 2026
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    M. Suhail via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s bets chicken, restaurant improvements will grow sales

    The McDonald’s > NEXT plan focuses on improving food quality and taste, customer experiences, restaurant interiors and hospitality.  

    By • June 2, 2026
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    Permission granted by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS
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    Sponsored by DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS

    TV customer experience matters year-round

    When fans walk into a sports bar, they are not thinking about TV distribution models or technology transitions. They are there for the experience.

    By Mike Wittrock, Chief Operations Officer, DIRECTV • June 1, 2026
  • Sign above conference attendees reads "AI changes everything" referring to artificial intelligence
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    Sean Gallup via Getty Images
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    Deep Dive

    Restaurant tech execs warn against AI overdependence

    There are limits to AI’s use cases, reliability and applicability, industry leaders said at the 2026 National Restaurant Association Show.

    By • May 26, 2026
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    Adam Gray via Getty Images
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    Starbucks ditches AI inventory system after just 9 months

    The coffee giant is ending its computer vision inventory counting system — which employees called “unreliable” — in favor of traditional stock-keeping methods, Reuters reported. 

    By • May 22, 2026
  • A hand drops sauce from a spoon onto plates of food.
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    Getty Images
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    Can AI help independent restaurants close the gap with big chains?

    While large language models can identify gaps in brand messaging, AI is not a perfect solution for small players — and may not cater to their strengths.

    By • May 18, 2026
  • Pedestrians walk by a KFC and a Taco Bell restaurant on July 2, 2014 in San Rafael, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Yum Brands’ tech chief on building its ‘AI backbone’

    The company underwent modernization efforts for its decades-old brands to use one common data model across 35,000 restaurants.

    By Paige Gross • May 18, 2026
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    Photo courtesy of Salted Melon

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    Sponsored by Toast

    Inside a 90-minute, 200-order lunch rush

    At Salted Melon, a smooth lunch rush starts hours before the first ticket prints. Here’s what it takes to make it happen.

    By Caroline Price • May 18, 2026
  • An exterior image of a Pizza Hut with bricks and red signage
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    Courtesy of Yum Brands/Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut franchisee says AI caused $100M in damages

    Chaac Pizza Northeast, which depends on DoorDash to deliver its orders, said the chain’s Dragontail AI system hurt delivery times and damaged operations.

    By • May 14, 2026
  • Three friends joyfully share pizza at a restaurant. A woman in focus smiles while holding a slice, conveying warmth and camaraderie in a casual setting.
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    Rokt

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    Sponsored by Rokt

    The QSR checkout moment is being wasted. Here’s the fix.

    Learn how leading QSR brands are turning their confirmation pages into a performance surface.

    By Rob Murphy • May 12, 2026
  • Messages opposing harsh immigration measures on a restaurant's door.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Q&A

    What independent restaurants want out of politics in 2026

    Immigration enforcement, high swipe fees, delivery commissions and a lack of market power threaten restaurant margins, said the Independent Restaurant Coalition’s executive director.

    By • May 12, 2026
  • A Wing drone over a Papa Johns.
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    Courtesy of Wing
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    Papa Johns to deliver sandwiches by air in North Carolina

    This partnership, which will operate in parts of Charlotte, is the first between the Alphabet-backed Wing and a national QSR brand.

    By • May 12, 2026
  • An 18-wheeler drives down a highway. The cab of the truck is dark blue and the trailer has writing on the side that says "McLane. Food & Service drive us."
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    Courtesy of Aurora Innovation
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    McLane expanding driverless truck runs in Texas

    The supplier is automating long-haul transport between Dallas and Houston, with additional routes focused on restaurants to be added later this year.

    By Jessica Loder • May 11, 2026