McDonald's sells AI tech firm Dynamic Yield to Mastercard

Franchisees complained Dynamic Yield hadn't delivered the sales boosts they expected at the drive-thru. The deal reflects McDonald's pivot toward outsourcing its technology.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Dec. 21, 2021

Reef loses David Chang's Fuku to Kitchen United as reports of food safety issues grow

The pivot may give Fuku more quality control, as Kitchen United makes restaurants responsible for preparing their food at rented kitchens. Reef, by contrast, handles the kitchen operations for its licensed brands.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Dec. 17, 2021

Explore the 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

Uber Eats to offer autonomous food delivery in 2022

Uber's partnership with Motional, which will launch in Santa Monica, California, could provide access to more affordable and convenient restaurant deliveries. 

By Julie Littman • Dec. 16, 2021

Serve Robotics closes $13M funding round

The autonomous delivery robot company's latest investment is backed by Uber, DX Ventures and 7-Eleven's corporate venture arm 7-Ventures LLC. 

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 6, 2021

Shake Shack to open first drive-thru location

The fast casual chain plans to open 10 drive-thrus in 2022 as part of its shifting development strategy to expand further into suburban markets.

By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 1, 2021

The restaurant robotics invasion is just beginning

From frying wings to delivering food, robots are being used to shore up labor gaps in the restaurant industry. 

Nov. 30, 2021

Grubhub teams with Deliverect, integrates delivery orders into POS systems

More than 12,000 restaurants will be able to receive Grubhub orders through their point-of-sale systems, enabling operators to sync and manage menus directly.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 22, 2021

62% of consumers want restaurant gift card for holidays, NRA finds

Of those consumers, most want a gift card to their favorite restaurant but many would like to try a new eatery, a National Restaurant Association survey shows.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 19, 2021

Starbucks, Amazon Go open cashierless store concept in NYC

The two plan to open additional stores in 2022, as more retailers experiment with grab-and-go technology. 

By Tatiana Walk-Morris • Nov. 19, 2021

C3 founder leads $20M funding round to establish robotic kitchen startup

The investment includes a partnership with C3, which will initially test Nommi's automated cooking system for "Iron Chef" Masaharu Morimoto's Sa'Moto restaurant brand.

By Alicia Kelso • Nov. 17, 2021

Toast's new restaurant products suite aims to alleviate labor pressure

Based on customer feedback, the POS platform developed features that will help operators manage operations and pay, Co-founder and President Aman Narang said.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Nov. 16, 2021

How Presto's public debut could help restaurants improve labor productivity

Raising millions of dollars in capital will help the restaurant technology company invest in improving its labor saving and guest experience products.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 15, 2021

Make your business an escape from holiday stress with custom entertainment

As the holiday season ramps up, so do customers' stress levels — here’s how businesses can be more mindful.

Nov. 15, 2021

Yelp personalizes home feed in latest upgrade

Available in 150 metro areas, the iOS update provides visual content and updates from local restaurants based on factors like proximity and popularity of dishes.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 9, 2021

How P.F. Chang's fuses innovation and business continuity during uncertain times

P. F. Chang's determined that their financial system was at its end of life and needed to be replaced. What was their solution? 

Nov. 8, 2021

5 ways QSRs are embracing technology

From drone delivery to artificial intelligence, fast food chains around the country are testing new ways to reach customers and fill the labor gap.

By Julie Littman • Nov. 3, 2021

McDonald's powers up 'Friendsgaming' livestream with FaZe Clan to unite gamers

As part of the event riffing on the Friendsgiving concept, the duo created a merchandise pack of co-branded gaming gear and DoorDash delivery codes.

By Peter Adams • Nov. 2, 2021

Emerging technologies call for robust data network

Data-driven decisions will expand beyond sales and staffing applications to guest services, supply-chain logistics and menu development, allowing restaurants to adapt what to sell in real-time as demand dictates.

Nov. 1, 2021

C3 deploys robot delivery in Los Angeles

Through a partnership with Coco, C3 will offer delivery via bots within two miles of several digital kitchens in the city, with plans to expand into new markets.

By Julie Littman • Oct. 28, 2021

McDonald's will sell McD Tech Labs to IBM

The sale of the platform reflects the chain's evolving approach to insourcing versus outsourcing technology, CEO Chris Kempczinski said.

By Emma Liem Beckett • Oct. 27, 2021

Bringing the phygital experience to restaurants

With the ever-growing use of technologies used in the restaurant industry, customers expect the same level of personalization and convenience in person as they do online.

Oct. 26, 2021

Introducing: A facts only approach to news designed for businesses

Cable news is broken, and it's detracting from the restaurant customer experience.

Oct. 25, 2021

Olo buys Wisely for $187M, its first acquisition as a public company

The transaction will allow Olo to expand its capabilities, which have largely been focused on online ordering, to include customer intelligence and engagement tools. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 22, 2021

Peet's Coffee adds more incentives to its loyalty program

The revamp comes as more chains add loyalty programs or enhance existing rewards offerings to attract digitally savvy consumers, and marks the first major change to the chain's program since 2017. 

By Alicia Kelso • Oct. 21, 2021

Buffalo Wild Wings tests robotic chicken wing fryer

Through a pilot program with Miso Robotics, the full-service chain's parent company plans to deploy Flippy Wings to its ghost kitchen and eventually install it in a Buffalo Wild Wings location this year. 

By Julie Littman • Oct. 21, 2021