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

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

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

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

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

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

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

El Pollo Loco to launch drone delivery pilot

The Mexican QSR, which will begin testing its Air Loco service on June 24, expects drones to reduce delivery costs by 25% to 30%. 

By Julie Littman • June 17, 2021

C3, Chowly partner to bring virtual brands to 10K restaurants

The collaboration will allow C3, which is currently in 250 kitchens, to rapidly expand through Chowly's network of enterprise and small restaurant clients. 

By Julie Littman • June 16, 2021

Jack in the Box duets with Jason Derulo on virtual restaurant brand

One in a Milli will be exclusively available to diners in Los Angeles via Uber Eats, and launches as the chain plans to open up to eight ghost kitchens in three states through Reef Technology this summer. 

By Chris Kelly • June 15, 2021

Restaurant365 acquires restaurant management platform Compeat

Both companies provide similar solutions aimed at simplifying day-to-day operations, including accounting, inventory, scheduling, payroll and HR management, and the combined firm will serve over 28,000 restaurants. 

By Alicia Kelso • June 14, 2021

Toast buys back-office tech provider

The acquisition will allow the POS company to offer insights into profitability by menu item, as well as automation and intelligence tools to streamline tasks like managing inventory and tracking margins.

By Julie Littman • June 11, 2021

Presto rolls out product suite aimed at improving restaurant labor

The technology company's Staff Multiplier offers various tools, including handheld devices and tablets, that could help understaffed operators contend with strong diner demand. 

By Julie Littman • June 3, 2021

McDonald's pilots automated drive-thru ordering in Chicago

The 10 restaurants testing the tech report roughly 85% order accuracy and only around 20% of orders at these locations need to be recorded by an employee, CEO Chris Kempczinski said at Bernstein's Strategic Decisions Conference. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • June 3, 2021

OpenTable teams with UrVenue to offer integrated resort booking

This partnership will make it easier for resort guests to make restaurant reservations alongside clubs, pools and other recreational experiences, while deepening OpenTable's connection to the hotel industry. 

By Julie Littman • June 3, 2021

Yum to acquire AI-based company Dragontail Systems for $72.3M

Yum plans to scale the tech globally. Nearly 1,500 Pizza Hut locations across 10 countries already use the technology, which automates operations from the kitchen flow through the delivery process.

By Julie Littman • May 27, 2021

Danny Meyer's equity group invests $21.5M in 7shifts' labor technology

7shifts will use the funding to scale its team and expand its product offerings, including scheduling and employee communication platforms.

By Alicia Kelso • May 26, 2021

Ghost kitchen provider JustKitchen to raise $20M as it plots US expansion

The company will enter Seattle and several California cities as part of its international growth plan, and will use the funds to develop software and build more spoke kitchens.   

By Julie Littman • Updated June 9, 2021

How a more financially stable workforce can fuel restaurant industry recovery

Forty-eight percent of restaurant workers said they'd be willing to leave their job for one that gives them their tips immediately at the end of their shift, writes Andrew Garner of Netspend.

By Andrew Garner • May 21, 2021

Panera unveils double drive-thru store design

Going forward, all Panera builds and remodels will feature this design, and most locations will be in suburban markets to accommodate the drive-thrus.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 20, 2021

Yum ramps up transformation with new tech deals. How will they impact marketing?

Broader trends in the QSR category and changing media consumption habits could herald a bigger focus on performance marketing, experts suggest.

By Peter Adams • May 17, 2021

Road trip! How restaurants can reach visitors and locals on the move

As people begin to plan their summer vacations,  here are three insights restaurants can use to get in front of tourists and locals alike. 

May 17, 2021

Grubhub launches commission-free platform for independent restaurants

Grubhub Direct allows independent operators to create customizable ordering websites, manage customer relationships and access diner data including names, emails and order history.

By Julie Littman • May 12, 2021

Why restaurants need to be digital now

To thrive in an increasingly online marketplace, restaurants need to invest in technologies that help manage the customer relationship and manage delivery automation, says Hypertrack founder and CEO Kashyap Deorah.

By Kashyap Deorah • May 7, 2021

Study: 92% of diners plan to maintain digital ordering habits post-vaccine

PYMTNTS/Paytronix research also found that 57% of vaccinated diners use loyalty programs compared to 42% of unvaccinated diners, which could be because immunized diners spend more on food orders, per the report. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 7, 2021