Waitr adds chief information officer as it expands business model

Matthew Coy joins the company shortly after it named Timothy Newton as its chief technology officer and announced a rebrand to emphasize new verticals.

By Alicia Kelso • March 8, 2022

Sweetgreen's digital sales made up 67% of Q4 2021 revenue

By capturing the majority of its online orders through proprietary platforms, the salad chain has been able to collect valuable consumer data that informs digital-exclusive offerings. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • March 7, 2022

Saladworks to offer delivery from 20 host kitchens through Combo Kitchen deal

The partnership allows Saladworks to experiment with its menu and offerings in a large market without significant investment in labor, capital or real estate.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 4, 2022

IHOP tests 2 virtual brands in 50 stores

Parent company Dine Brands has expanded Thrilled Cheese and Super Mega Dilla from nine restaurants last quarter to 50.

By Alicia Kelso • March 3, 2022

Delivery bot firm Starship has raised $100M since January

The company's funding includes $57 million from the European Investment Bank and $42 million from a Series B funding round led by NordicNinja and Taavet+Sten.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • March 2, 2022

Toast CFO leans into tactical investments for market share

“As CFO it’s my role to make sure I take the strategy and paint the picture with numbers,” Elena Gomez said.  

By Maura Webber Sadovi • Feb. 28, 2022

Taco Bell's subscription service increased rewards members by 20%

Taco Lover's Pass subscribers visit three times more often than non-members and close to half of transactions included more than one taco.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 23, 2022

Checkers & Rally's to deploy Valyant AI at franchisee drive-thrus

Valyant's conversational artificial intelligence, called "Holly," is currently used at 12 of the chain's franchised restaurants. The chain will deploy Presto's AI at all of its corporate units. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 23, 2022

Jamba, Blendid expand robot smoothie kiosks to 2 college campuses

The kiosk's entry into Georgia College and Kennesaw State University follows previous pilot locations in a shopping mall and a Walmart.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 16, 2022

White Castle brings cooking robot to 100 more restaurants

The burger chain will soon use Miso Robotics' Flippy 2 robot, which can perform the work of a whole fry station, at nearly one-third of its units. 

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 15, 2022

How top multi-unit brands are growing with tech

Leading multi-unit restaurant brands are using technology to scale. Discover how a few are managing scheduling and communication.

Feb. 14, 2022

Why integrations are the next major step in restaurant technology

The right combination of technologies can make restaurant businesses leaner, faster and more profitable. 

Feb. 14, 2022

7shifts raises $80M to grow workforce management tech

The company will use the latest round of funding to double the size of its team and build more products to support and expedite restaurant HR processes.

By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 11, 2022

Kitchen United teams with Simon Property Group to bring off-premise eating to malls

The ghost kitchen's "Grab Go Eat" concept lets diners order from mall restaurants for on-premise pickup, delivery to tables or stores and off-premise takeaway, CEO Michael Montagano said.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 3, 2022

Rise of the robots: How restaurants can automate without losing the human touch

Instead of adopting technology to replace human beings, employers should embrace digital tools that make jobs more satisfying, writes Raju Malhotra, chief product and technology officer at PAR Technology Corporation.

By Raju Malhotra • Feb. 2, 2022

Panera diners can now order at the table through mobile app

The digital dine-in feature lets diners skip lines for cashiers and kiosks and may save employees time, Chief Digital Officer George Hanson said.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 1, 2022

McDonald's enlists fashion designer for Lunar New Year celebration in metaverse

An interactive virtual space displays towering zodiac sculptures by Humberto Leon in the latest sign the chain is committed to exploring the tech frontier.

By Peter Adams • Jan. 31, 2022

On the Border to launch new loyalty app amid brand turnaround

The app, which drops on Feb. 2,  will allow diners to track loyalty points, order and complete lunch visits more quickly, CMO Edithann Ramey said.

By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 28, 2022

Digital-first diners are driving the rise of collaborative commerce

Collaborative commerce immerses customers in the dining experience and makes them active participants in shaping the operational experience, writes futurist Brian Solis.

By Brian Solis • Jan. 27, 2022

Deliverect secures another $150M, pushing its valuation above $1.4B

The company has accrued $240 million in total funding since its founding in 2018, and is reportedly considering an IPO. 

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 25, 2022

Waitr adds chief technology officer as it expands into new verticals

Timothy Newton previously worked as vice president of global technology operations at Papa John's, and appears to be Waitr's first CTO.

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 19, 2022

Can restaurant marketers get digital right while facing panoply of pressures?

Amid labor, supply chain and inflationary issues, 2022 will be a year of increased pressure to deliver on fronts that span media, ordering and loyalty.

By Chris Kelly • Jan. 18, 2022

The manager red book alternative that restaurants love

Running a successful restaurant operation—from 1 to 100 locations—requires rock-solid communication.

Jan. 18, 2022

Checkers & Rally's to deploy AI tech at corporate-owned drive-thrus

The chain's rollout of Presto's artificial intelligence-based voice assistant will mark one of the widest deployments of such a solution by a QSR.

By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 10, 2022

Kroger takes the next step in testing ghost kitchens

The Kitchen United Mix location at a Ralphs in Los Angeles offers pickup and delivery orders from 10 different restaurants.

By Jeff Wells • Jan. 10, 2022