Technology: Page 28
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Courtesy of Sweetgreen
Sweetgreen taps former Starbucks executive as new CTO
Wouleta Ayele comes to the salad chain after 16 years at Starbucks. She will help Sweetgreen scale its supply chain and develop its digital platform.
By Roberto Torres • Aug. 17, 2021 -
Wingstop shakes up marketing structure as it eyes 100% digital transactions
Inspired by tech companies, the realignment comes as the wing chain places bigger bets on emerging formats like ghost kitchens.
By Peter Adams • Aug. 17, 2021 -
Explore the Trendline➔
Getty Images
TrendlineBack-of-house Technology
From AI-enhanced POS 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 -
Courtesy of Dunkin'
Dunkin' plots more nontraditional growth in 2021
The chain plans to expand in airports, malls, supermarkets and universities this year, building on the 27 nontraditional restaurants it launched in 2020.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 17, 2021 -
Permission granted by OpenTable
OpenTable to add 'verified for entry' tags for vaccinated diners
Once customers meet certain entry requirements, they won't need to show proof of vaccination when returning to a restaurant or visiting another eatery within the same group.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 16, 2021 -
Permission granted by Grubhub
Grubhub replaces phone orders with assisted ordering feature
The service could potentially be a solution for the company's ongoing issues with orders placed over the phone, which have led to legislative changes in New York City.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 12, 2021 -
Permission granted by WoodSpoon
Burger King parent leads $14M investment in home-cooked delivery company
Restaurant Brands International will use its financial backing of WoodSpoon to learn more about new service modes and emerging trends as it dives deeper into digital guest engagements.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 11, 2021 -
Permission granted by OpenTable
OpenTable allows restaurants to share vaccine requirements
Diners can view these rules on a restaurant's profile page under Safety Precautions, which also shows measures such as contactless payment options and whether waitstaff wear masks.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 9, 2021 -
Retrieved from IHOP on March 09, 2020
IHOP explores virtual brands, new loyalty program
A delivery-only model could leverage the breakfast chain's current infrastructure, which includes two full kitchens in about 70% of its restaurants.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 6, 2021 -
Permission granted by Yelp
Yelp tag lets restaurants list 'proof of vaccination required' in profiles
The reservation platform has also deployed an "all staff fully vaccinated" tag, and is increasing its monitoring of restaurant pages to ensure operators aren't bombarded by negative reviews related to COVID-19 safety measures.
By Julie Littman • Aug. 5, 2021 -
Permission granted by OpenTable
OpenTable diners can now send restaurants direct messages
Customers can use the reservation platform's Direct Messaging feature to make requests, ask questions and modify or cancel their reservation.
By Alicia Kelso • Aug. 4, 2021 -
Courtesy of Gopuff
Gopuff raises another $1B to fuel rapid growth
The company, which is now valued at $15 billion, will use the funding to expand to new locations and offer fresh meal delivery through Gopuff Kitchens.
By Jeff Wells • Aug. 2, 2021 -
Opinion
The on-premise restaurant experiencing isn't dying — it's evolving
Rather than debating whether virtual channels are overtaking traditional ones, QSRs should focus on how the two avenues can complement each other, writes Shauna Moran, insights analyst at GWI.
By Shauna Moran • July 26, 2021 -
Retrieved from Chipotle/PR Newswire on March 09, 2021
Chipotle's digital sales rose 10.5% during Q2
CEO Brian Niccol said he expects the company's returns to continue to improve as it accelerates its order and pay ahead model, Chipotlanes, which open with 20% higher sales compared to traditional stores.
By Alicia Kelso , Julie Littman • July 21, 2021 -
Courtesy of Choco
Restaurant supply chain startup Choco secures $100M in funding
The company, which reported transaction volume quadrupling in the past year, will use the cash infusion to deploy new payment tools and expand in its existing markets.
By Alicia Kelso • July 20, 2021 -
Maja Hitij via Getty Images
OpinionHow successful ghost kitchens are built
Restaurant operators need to focus on location, menu development and consumer satisfaction KPIs when developing delivery-only concepts, writes Chris Adams, vice president of strategy at Oracle Food and Beverage.
By Chris Adams • July 16, 2021 -
Retrieved from Acelerate on July 15, 2021
Host kitchen and software startup Acelerate secures $14.4M in funding
The company licenses seven proprietary brands to existing restaurants and works with operators to bring their menus to other restaurant partners.
By Alicia Kelso , Emma Liem Beckett • July 15, 2021 -
Permission granted by Chipotle Mexican Grill
Chipotle hides giveaway codes in NBA Finals ads for a 'game within the game'
The TV spots show the brand drawing a clearer link to its mobile business and building on a popular "Freeting" promotion from 2019.
By Peter Adams • July 8, 2021 -
Retrieved from Umami Burger on July 06, 2021
C3 raises $80M to grow virtual brand footprint
Reef Technology, which co-led the investment alongside Brookfield Asset Management, has committed to carrying C3's brands in 500 of its ghost kitchens in the U.S.
By Julie Littman • July 7, 2021 -
Courtesy of Grubhub/Yandex
Grubhub, Yandex deploy delivery bots to first college campus
The Ohio State University students will be able to order deliveries from on-campus dining through Grubhub's app, which will be fulfilled by 50 Yandex robots.
By Julie Littman • Updated Aug. 19, 2021 -
Dan Kitwood via Getty Images
McDonald's plans to cut franchisees' tech fees by 62% following uproar
According to an internal memo obtained by Bloomberg, the change was made to "reset" the relationship between corporate and franchisees.
By Alicia Kelso • July 1, 2021 -
Permission granted by Alexander Mann Solutions
Report: 47% of diners use at least one loyalty program
The share of consumers using restaurant rewards increased 12% between Jan. 22 and April 22, research from Paytronix and PYMNTS finds.
By Alicia Kelso • June 30, 2021 -
Courtesy of PR Newswire
Donatos partners with Reef Kitchens to open a ghost kitchen
The delivery-only collaboration, which will expand the pizza chain's presence in Nashville, Tennessee, comes as the restaurant also grows through its relationship with Red Robin.
By Alicia Kelso • June 25, 2021 -
Permission granted by Snackpass
Social e-commerce platform Snackpass raises $70M
The company will use the cash infusion to expand to major restaurant markets, including New York City, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Chicago, Washington, D.C., and Austin, Texas.
By Alicia Kelso • June 24, 2021 -
Robert Mora via Getty Images
Grubhub partners with Las Vegas hotel to replace in-room dining
The deal with Resorts World Las Vegas lets guests order from the resort's 40 food and beverage concepts using the aggregator's app or via QR codes located on the property.
By Alicia Kelso • June 24, 2021 -
OpenTable launches initiative to combat diner no-shows
As part of its "Show-Up for Restaurants" campaign, the booking platform will offer the ability to label a diner as a potential no-show based on past activity.
By Alicia Kelso • June 22, 2021
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