OpenTable showcases LGBTQ+ restaurants for Pride Month

The reservation platform joins a growing mix of restaurant brands including Starbucks, sweetgreen and fresh&co that are showing support for the LGBTQ+ community.

By Alicia Kelso • June 4, 2019

Google Maps' latest update highlights popular menu items

The navigation app is becoming a one-stop-shop for users with restaurant reviews, menus and delivery now integrated into search functionality. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 31, 2019

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

6 questions you need to ask about AI for restaurants

Restaurants need to know how they can gather data, if its clean and if an AI platform is the right model for their brand to reap significant rewards, says Sastry Penumarthy, co-founder of Punchh.

By Sastry Penumarthy • May 30, 2019

Domino's tests AI quality control technology

An AI-equipped robot will determine whether each pizza meets the company's quality metrics, analyzing pie type, toppings and topping distribution. 

By Lauren Manning • May 30, 2019

5 high-tech innovations at the NRA Show

The future is here. From robotic food runners to kiosks that let you pay with your face, the annual event was a parade of gadgets, gizmos and tech-heavy products that could streamline operations. 

By Emma Liem Beckett , Thai Phi Le , Julie Littman • May 29, 2019

Data is important, but insights drive restaurant growth

To remain competitive in a digital market, operators must walk the tightrope of processing as much diner data as possible without ceding control to third parties or alienating customers. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 29, 2019

Chick-fil-A taps AI to identify food safety issues

The chicken chain is using a customized artificial intelligence system to analyze social media posts for potential health risks across its system.

By Alicia Kelso • May 28, 2019

ChowNow, delivery.com partner with Google for online orders

Local restaurants will be able to accept orders via Google's Maps, Assistant and Search, creating a competitive advantage for small delivery providers.

By Lauren Manning • May 24, 2019

Ford pilots last-yard delivery robot

This pilot, which is testing the feasibility of removing humans from the last mile, is part of a larger collaboration between the carmaker, Walmart and Postmates to test autonomous food and consumer products delivery.

By Morgan Forde • May 24, 2019

Uber Eats reportedly adding monthly subscription

The third-party delivery provider will join DoorDash and Postmates with an option that waives order delivery fees in lieu of a monthly fee, which analysts say will be the future of the segment. 

By Julie Littman • May 22, 2019

Plant-based meat sizzles at NRA Show as brands eye retail

As Impossible Foods and Before the Butcher gear up for their grocery debuts and develop new products, such as Impossible Sausage for Little Caesar's, Beyond Meat's first-mover advantage in supermarkets may be threatened.

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 21, 2019

Wendy's teams with GasBuddy to reach Memorial Day road-trippers

A new Badges feature on the app lets advertisers reach drivers based on their location.

By Robert Williams • May 20, 2019

Amazon-led funding raises $575M for Deliveroo

The latest investment will strengthen Deliveroo's position as the top delivery provider in the U.K., putting additional pressure on Uber Eats and Just Eat. 

By Julie Littman • May 17, 2019

Sonic plans to test AI-powered menu

The restaurant will pilot technology from Mastercard and kiosk vendor ZIVELO that features a voice assistant and personalized menu, following McDonald's in a push for smart menus.

By Alicia Kelso • May 17, 2019

Resy acquired by American Express

The credit card company's acquisition is part of an ongoing strategy to expand its digital-first benefits and services to its more than 100 million card members, and could help Resy better compete with OpenTable. 

By Julie Littman • May 15, 2019

Uber, Nuro reportedly in discussions for driverless food delivery

A partnership could help decrease driver costs and improve efficiencies by allowing couriers to pickup multiple food orders from a central hub.

By Alicia Kelso • May 13, 2019

Burger King looks to bring roadside delivery stateside

After seeing a 63% jump in daily sales during a Mexico City pilot, the burger chain wants to try its Traffic Jam Whopper service in congested cities like Los Angeles. 

By Thai Phi Le , Lauren Manning • May 10, 2019

Why restaurants need big data to succeed

As consumer restaurant spending grows, operators should build loyalty by leveraging key information about diner behavior, location and order preferences, says IgnitionOne COO Christopher Hansen.

By Chris Hansen • May 8, 2019

Google Lens can tell diners what to order at restaurants

Consumers can point their phone camera at a menu and the mobile feature will highlight popular meals with ratings and reviews from online platforms, a development that could reduce restaurants' control of their messaging.  

By Alicia Kelso • May 8, 2019

Google Maps trials crowdsourced images of restaurant dishes

The new app feature appears to aggregate photos of meals from submissions and reviews to match an image to a menu offering.

By Lauren Manning • May 7, 2019

Starbucks taps Microsoft ML for weather, inventory-based order suggestions

The developments with Microsoft are part of a five-year strategy, which includes investigating disruptive technology and creating proprietary solutions. 

By Samantha Schwartz • May 7, 2019

Domino's turns to blockchain-based AI solution to scale operations

The chain's Malaysia and Singapore division has partnered with SingularityNET to deploy artificial intelligence services across its network as it looks to beef up its business in the region. 

By Alicia Kelso • May 6, 2019

Booking Holdings acquires guest management platform Venga

The move lets OpenTable's restaurant clients create comprehensive diner profiles that include eating preferences and spend and order history. 

By Emma Liem Beckett • May 6, 2019

Why more chains are turning to virtual kitchens

Restaurants like Dog Haus and Chick-fil-A are launching units minus dining areas to grow off-premise sales without overburdening in-store operations.

By Julie Littman • May 3, 2019

Uber Eats, Deliveroo look to diversify with click-and-collect

Uber Eats launched an in-app option called Pick-Up in select U.S. cities earlier this year, while Deliveroo announced in February it will deploy its own version.

By Alicia Kelso • April 30, 2019