Technology

  • A restaurant worker smiling behind the counter next to a Square kiosk.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    From TikTok to the table: What I learned from opening Salt Hank’s

    I had a day to decide if I was ready to turn my restaurant dream into reality. Here's what happened.

    Jan. 26, 2026
  • Several screenshots on a smart phone that illustrate Claim, a restaurant loyalty application.
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    Permission granted by Grubhub/Wonder
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    Grubhub parent acquires restaurant rewards app Claim

    The delivery platform will integrate Claim’s technology, which helps restaurants acquire high-value, long-term customers, within its platform later this year.

    By • Jan. 20, 2026
  • A man and a woman dressed as a chef look at a tablet. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Back-of-house Technology

    From AI-enhanced inventory management systems and analytics to robot-powered kitchen equipment, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • Backs of bike couriers with Uber Eats bags.
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    Tomohiro Ohsumi / Stringer via Getty Images
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    California law gives food delivery customers right to talk to a human

    The legislation puts guardrails around how food delivery companies handle service issues and to what extent it can rely on automation.

    By Kristen Doerer • Jan. 20, 2026
  • A person in a cozy sweater uses a smartphone near a bright window. The scene is warm and calm, with soft natural light enhancing a peaceful mood.
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    Canva.com/bongkarngraphic

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    Sponsored by Marqii

    Why restaurant executives must reclaim the website in the era of AI

    In a world of AI chatbots and changing guest search behavior, the restaurant website is more important than ever.

    By Kelsey Verdier • Jan. 20, 2026
  • A view of a Taco Bell restaurant on February 06, 2025 in Dublin, California.
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    Justin Sullivan via Getty Images
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    Taco Bell aims for memorable, not frictionless, experiences

    Fast, easy experiences are part of good CX, but they aren’t the most important ingredient, Taco Bell’s Dane Mathews said at NRF.

    By Bryan Wassel • Jan. 15, 2026
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    Getty Images
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    Opinion

    January reset: Turning the post-holiday slowdown into strategic growth

    Savvy operators can stop revenue bleed and convert downtime into training time, writes Toast’s Julie Powell.

    By Julie Powell • Jan. 12, 2026
  • A restaurant worker holding a pretzel.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    Why a national pretzel brand keeps coming back to Square

    Ben's Soft Pretzels has explored other options over the years, but keeps coming back to Square.

    Jan. 12, 2026
  • A person wearing black pours coffee into a white mug inside a restaurant. There is another person sitting at the table with her back to the camera.
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    Permission granted by First Watch
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    Toast, Clover battle for small eateries

    The two payments processors have the biggest market shares with respect to smaller restaurants, according to a new report from the financial firm Baird.

    By Lynne Marek • Jan. 12, 2026
  • An image of a blue sign in the foreground says "Presto Hello! I'm your automated drive-trhoug ordering assistant." In the background, there are red menu signs and a speaker box for a Wienerschnitzel restaurant drive-thru.
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    Courtesy of Presto
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    Presto raises $10M in funding

    The drive-thru voice AI company, which spun off its tabletop business in 2024, will put the cash toward expansion, deployments and further innovation.

    By • Jan. 8, 2026
  • The outside of a Starbucks store
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Starbucks hires technology chief from Amazon

    Anand Varadarajan brings nearly two decades of retail technology experience to the coffee giant, which is working to implement customer-centric solutions.

    By • Dec. 22, 2025
  • A DoorDash delivery worker walks his bike along the road in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
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    Getty Images
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    DoorDash tests AI-powered restaurant discovery app

    The delivery giant’s technology chief said Zesty, now in testing in New York City and the San Francisco Bay Area, improves local restaurant visibility.

    By • Dec. 17, 2025
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    Permission granted by PAR Technology
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    Sponsored by PAR Technology

    The 3 ingredients of the golden age of loyalty

    Loyalty’s golden age: brands win with personal, playful and community-driven engagement.

    By Joe Yetter, General Manager of PAR Engagement at PAR Technology • Dec. 15, 2025
  • Bicycle gig workers congregate on the street with their packs.
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    DoorDash, Uber Eats sue NYC over tip prompt rules

    The delivery aggregators allege that New York City’s requirement that they ask consumers to tip drivers before checkout abridges their freedom of speech. 

    By • Dec. 12, 2025
  • A person in a suit stands on stage surrounded by a large crowd in the stands.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks’ on-premise experience could stave off coffee competitors

    CEO Brian Niccol said the chain’s emphasis on a coffeehouse atmosphere would result in consumers choosing the chain over “soulless” options.

    By • Dec. 10, 2025
  • Two women in colorful winter clothes laugh joyfully outside a café, holding coffee cups. A food hygiene rating sign is visible.
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    Getty Images
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    Sponsored by ZS

    Activating the long tail: A digital-first strategy for SMB customer acquisition

    A smarter way for restaurants to win repeat business from small and midsize companies.

    By By Kunal Shah, Kajal Narasimha and Mrugesh Agarwala • Dec. 8, 2025
  • A spread of White Castle's Love Kit offering for Valentine's Day.
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    Courtesy of White Castle
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    White Castle debuts burger kiosk at Boston Logan Airport

    The automated kiosk gives the chain, which has long embraced new technologies, a toehold in New England with which to build brand awareness.

    By • Updated Dec. 3, 2025
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    iStock | Igor Suka

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    Sponsored by Facteus

    Market research meets reality: How verified spend data is transforming restaurant decision-making

    Your dashboards look steady and surveys show loyalty—yet a competitor just took your share. See what’s really happening, and from whom.

    By Andrew Donsbach • Dec. 1, 2025
  • modern restaurant interior with blue neon lighting, cushioned booth seating, and a wooden tabletop in sharp focus in the foreground.
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    Permission granted by Scale Computingᵀᴹ
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    Sponsored by Scale Computingᵀᴹ

    Built for the rush: inside the new digital kitchen

    Why edge computing is becoming restaurants’ secret ingredient for uptime and reliability.

    Nov. 24, 2025
  • An image of a hand holding a smartphone and on the right a burger.
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    Courtesy of Culver's
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    Culver’s unveils rewards program

    The Delicious Rewards program offers 10 points for every dollar spent, birthday rewards and other future benefits, like offering menu development input.

    By • Nov. 17, 2025
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    BONNINSTUDIO/stock.adobe.com

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    Sponsored by Rokt

    What really matters in brand building: Why feeling heard builds lasting loyalty

    Restaurant brand loyalty starts with listening and making every customer feel valued.

    By Brendan DiLandro • Nov. 17, 2025
  • An image of a Sweetgreen restaurant with a drive-thru
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen opens first drive-thru location with automated makeline

    The Costa Mesa, California, store features an automated Infinite Kitchen makeline and a digital pickup Sweetlane, combining two of its major technology pushes.

    By • Nov. 13, 2025
  • Person looking at charts and graphs on a tablet
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    iStock | Igor Suka

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    Sponsored by Facteus

    Market research meets reality: How verified spend data is transforming restaurant decision-making

    Your dashboards look steady and surveys show loyalty—yet a competitor just took your share. See what’s really happening, and from whom.

    By Andrew Donsbach • Nov. 10, 2025
  • An image of sweetgreen's automated kitchen in Naperville, Illinois
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen sells Spyce to Wonder for $186M

    Sweetgreen will use the proceeds from offloading Spyce, which developed the salad brand’s Infinite Kitchen technology, to reinvest in profitability after three quarters of sales declines.

    By • Nov. 6, 2025
  • A blurred image of a point of sales machine and a green bag that says Uber Eats in the background.
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    Courtesy of Uber Eats/Toast
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    Uber, Toast enter multi-year strategic global partnership

    The companies will focus on product innovation and other initiatives that could help restaurants retain and grow their customer bases.

    By • Nov. 3, 2025
  • Person looking at charts and graphs on a tablet
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    iStock | Igor Suka

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    Sponsored by Facteus

    Market research meets reality: How verified spend data is transforming restaurant decision-making

    Your dashboards look steady and surveys show loyalty—yet a competitor just took your share. See what’s really happening, and from whom.

    By Andrew Donsbach • Nov. 3, 2025