Operations: Page 40

  • A Piestro branded pizza box.
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    Courtesy of Piestro/Matt Lucido
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    Piestro and Capriotti’s pilot automated pizzeria in Las Vegas

    The sandwich chain plans to buy up to 100 Piestro Pods in the five years following the pilot, and to incorporate the pods in future store layouts. 

    By • July 21, 2022
  • An exterior shot of a beige brick building with the words "Jamba," "drive-thru" and "Auntie Anne's."
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    Permission granted by Auntie Anne's
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    Why Auntie Anne's wants to become a drive-thru destination

    The soft pretzel chain opened its first co-branded drive-thru with Jamba in 2021. It now plans to have 15 such units by spring 2023.

    By • July 20, 2022
  • A man and a woman dressed as a chef look at a tablet. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
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    Trendline

    Back-of-house Technology

    From voice AI at the drive-thru to robot-powered makelines, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover. 

    By Restaurant Dive staff
  • Exterior of a Kroger store with a "Kitchen United Mix" sign on the building and delivery van.
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    Courtesy of Kroger
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    Kitchen United Mix opens in Dallas Kroger

    Food from the unit’s nine brands, including Capriotti's Sandwich Shop and Carl's Jr., can be bundled into one pickup or delivery order.

    By Catherine Douglas Moran • July 19, 2022
  • A Jamba by Blendid unit
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    Permission granted by Jamba by Blendid
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    Jamba by Blendid to open in Love's Travel Shops

    The robotic smoothie maker will first pilot in a Love’s Travel Shop in Williams, California, with additional locations and kiosk operations to be announced.

    By • July 19, 2022
  • An Arby's location featuring a double drive-thru operated by Kang Foods LLC in Oroville, California in the summer of 2022.
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    Permission granted by Kang Foods LLC
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    Arby's franchisee opens double drive-thru unit

    Kang Foods LLC, a franchise group in Northern California, said the restaurant is one of a small number of such models in the chain’s system.

    By • July 18, 2022
  • Two cooks making food dishes in restaurant kitchen.
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    Shutterstock/Jacob Lund

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    Sponsored by Mood Media

    How one simple solution can save you time and money

    Engage, inform, train and retain employees with digital kitchen communication.

    July 18, 2022
  • An image of various Asian food items in steamer bowls, like bao buns, rice
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    Permission granted by Wow Bao
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    Why Wow Bao is betting on vending machines for expansion

    With less square footage and easy setup, Wow Bao CEO Geoff Alexander thinks the potential for growth with heat-and-eat kiosks could be endless.

    By • July 14, 2022
  • An image of a vending machine that serves bao buns, potstickers and bowls.
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    Permission granted by Wow Bao
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    Wow Bao to open 50 vending machine kiosks in 24 cities

    Hot steam buns and dumplings will now be available in hotels, hospitals, bars, schools, airports and casinos through Automated Retail Technologies’ Just Baked Hot Food kiosks.

    By • July 13, 2022
  • An exterior shot of a restaurant front with teal colored window tints.
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    Aneurin Canham-Clyne/Restaurant Dive
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    Chopt opens eco-conscious, contactless store in Virginia

    For the next year, the salad chain will test iterations of this model with different square footage and equipment to balance speed of service and energy use.

    By • July 13, 2022
  • An image of two signs, one that says "Please be patient we are understaffed" and "Now hiring cooks, wait staff, bartenders. Apply now."
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    HABesen via Getty Images
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    4 ways to face labor shortages

    From recruitment and retention to operational efficiencies and employee communications, learn how executives are fighting to retain workers and improve costs.

    By • July 13, 2022
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Starbucks to permanently close 16 stores over safety issues

    Debbie Stroud and Denise Nelson, SVPs of U.S. operations, emphasized the company’s commitment to employee safety in a letter to workers on Monday. 

    By • July 12, 2022
  • A woman in a green apron at a coffee counter waves off camera
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    Retrieved from Starbucks on July 11, 2022
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    Starbucks unveils 'reinvention' plan, hikes wages

    Eligible workers will receive pay bumps of up to 3% in August, as interim CEO Howard Schultz looks to improve employee welfare and diner experiences.

    By • July 11, 2022
  • An image inside Cruising Kitchens' manufacturing facility where it builds food trucks.
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    Retrieved from Cruising Kitchens on July 11, 2022
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    Ghost Financial injects $100M into food truck manufacturer Cruising Kitchens

    The funding supports CK Ghost Kitchens, a new Cruising Kitchens division focused on developing ghost kitchen and food truck licensing agreements with celebrities, influencers and athletes. 

    By • July 11, 2022
  • US Foods Chef'Store
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    Retrieved from US Foods.
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    US Foods continues to expand foodservice outlets

    The distributor plans to open four Chef’Store locations over the next year across three states.

    By Jeff Wells • July 8, 2022
  • Serve Robotics delivery robot sits near Piestro's automated pizza kiosks
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    Permission granted by Piestro/Serve Robotics
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    Piestro, Serve Robotics partner to offer robot delivery from automated pizzerias

    The robot can carry up to four pizzas at a time and complete deliveries in about 15 minutes.

    By • July 7, 2022
  • Toast Inc. point of sale device
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    Courtesy of Toast Inc.
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    Toast buys Sling to enhance employee scheduling, communications

    The purchase will enhance Toast’s Team Management offerings by helping operators pay workers faster and better manage labor costs, Toast said.

    By • July 7, 2022
  • A promotional image of Starbucks Chicken Maple Butter and Egg sandwich.
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks chicken sandwich recall dents food strategy

    The coffee chain issued a stop-sale order on its Chicken, Maple Butter & Egg Sandwich on June 26. Some employees say the menu item made them sick.

    By • July 7, 2022
  • Pizza Hut new store concept retrieved by Marketing Dive on April 5, 2021
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    Yum Brands nears Russian exit with local Pizza Hut sale

    The company is also in “advanced stages” of handing off its roughly 1,000 Russian KFC restaurants.

    By • July 6, 2022
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    chameleonseye via Getty Images
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    McDonald’s franchisees ditch Dollar Drinks as inflation stings

    Some stores have dropped the long-standing beverage promotion and are marketing value meals instead, The Wall Street Journal reports.

    By • July 5, 2022
  • A promotional image for Subway's new menu
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    Permission granted by Subway
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    Subway launches biggest menu update in its history

    A year after its Eat Fresh Refresh menu debut, the chain unveiled 12 signature subs that customers can order by name or number instead of customizing.

    By • July 5, 2022
  • A help wanted sign is displayed at a boardwalk restaurant the day before the Memorial Day weekend, the unofficial start of summer, in the shore community of Wildwood on May 28, 2021 in Wildwood, New J
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    Spencer Platt via Getty Images
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    Survey: Most restaurants are still short-staffed even as demand recovers

    Thirty percent of restaurant owners said business has returned to pre-pandemic levels while 25% said it has surpassed them, per Popmenu. 

    By • June 30, 2022
  • Dinner in the Hotel Provided by Hotel Restaurant Room Service. Business Travel Theme.
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    iStock / Getty Images Plus via Getty Images
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    Hotel ghost kitchen company Butler Hospitality quietly dissolved in May

    The business raised tens of millions of dollars from investors that included &vest, which was co-founded by &pizza CEO Michael Lastoria, and provided foodservice at hundreds of hotels. Then overnight it shut down.

    By • June 29, 2022
  • Wawa is adding a drive-thru-only location
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    Courtesy of Wawa
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    Are c-stores the next QSR? One survey says it's 'entirely possible.'

    Fifty-nine percent of U.S. consumers consider buying a meal at a convenience store when stopping for fast food, per Bluedot data. 

    By Alicia Kelso • June 28, 2022
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    Courtesy of Sweetgreen
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    Sweetgreen launches digital feature to reward customers for meeting goals

    Rewards and Challenges is part of the company’s strategy to test different loyalty elements as it works toward deploying a loyalty program in 2023. 

    By • June 27, 2022
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    Permission granted by Kura Sushi
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    Kura Sushi deploys server robots systemwide

    Kur-B the KuraBot will deliver drinks and condiments to customers tableside at all 37 restaurant locations. 

    By Alicia Kelso • June 24, 2022