Scottsdale, Ariz. — Vixxo Facility Solutions was named the 2026 ConnexFM Supplier of the Year after receiving multiple client nominations telling a consistent story of partnership. “Vixxo exemplifies what this award is all about, a supplier that raises the bar for the entire industry,” says Bill Yanek, CEO of ConnexFM. “Their commitment to innovation, accountability and execution is exactly the kind of excellence we are proud to recognize.” That recognition reflects real results in the field. Each nomination described the same experience: a partner that shows up, solves problems and …
facilities management
Interface Systems Introduces Digital Keys to Simplify Access Control
St. Louis, Mo. — Interface Systems, a leading provider of AI-powered security and expert remote video monitoring for restaurants, retailers and commercial businesses, has launched Digital Keys, a mobile credential solution for Digital Monitoring Products (DMP) access control systems. Digital Keys enables businesses to replace traditional cards, fobs and physical keys with secure mobile credentials stored directly in Apple Wallet and Google Wallet. Designed for retailers, quick-service restaurants and other distributed enterprises, Digital Keys simplifies access management by allowing administrators to issue, update, schedule and revoke employee, contractor and vendor …
Irvine, Calif. — Restaurant365, a leading AI-powered restaurant management platform, has partnered with Hungry Howie’s Pizza, which has selected Restaurant365 as its back-office operations platform across all franchise locations. The partnership will standardize inventory management, scheduling, labor management and operational reporting across the Hungry Howie’s system, while all new franchisees entering the brand will also adopt Restaurant365’s accounting platform. By consolidating critical back-office functions into a single platform, Hungry Howie’s franchisees will gain real-time visibility into food costs, labor performance and store-level profitability while reducing manual processes and administrative complexity. …
Chicago Faucets Launches Multi-Feed Soap Dispensing System for High-Traffic Restrooms
Des Plaines, Ill. — Chicago Faucets introduces the E-Tronic® 80 SoapBank™, a Multi-Feed Soap Dispensing System. The centralized bulk soap delivery solution is designed for high-traffic commercial and institutional restrooms. Engineered for applications including airports, retail, stadiums, education campuses and public venues, the system helps architects, plumbing engineers, designers and facility owners simplify maintenance while supporting cohesive touchless design. Unlike individual cartridge-based dispensers that require frequent replacement and ongoing maintenance, the E-Tronic® 80 system uses a centralized bulk soap reservoir capable of supplying multiple dispensers from a single refill point. …
— By Ken Huening — How to mitigate the risks rodents pose to the foodservice and restaurant industries. Rodents have been a problem for the food industry since the first food cart operator started hawking meat pies in the Middle Ages. But the problem has exploded in scope in recent years. According to a recent study published in the journal Science, 69% of cities studied, including Washington, D.C., San Francisco, New York City, Oakland, Buffalo, Chicago, Boston, Kansas City and Cincinnati, had significant increases in rat populations in the period …
Los Angeles — Sweetgreen, Inc. has appointed Ryan Slemons as its new chief development officer, effective May 4, 2026. He now leads all aspects of real estate, design, construction, facilities and portfolio management, and he reports directly to Jonathan Neman, co-founder and CEO. Slemons brings nearly two decades of experience in real estate, franchising and store development across various industries. Most recently, he served as chief development officer of Unleashed Brands, a portfolio of franchise brands including Urban Air Adventure Park, The Little Gym, Sylvan Learning Centers and more. “Ryan …
Prefix Secures $7.5 Million to Scale its FM Solution for Retail and Restaurant Operators
New York City — Prefix, a facility management platform for multi-site restaurant and retail operators, has raised a $7.5 million seed round. The funding was co-led by Collide Capital and Slow Ventures, with participation from Connexa Capital, Kyle Archer of Elevated Inc, and existing investors I2BF, and Bienville Capital. Prefix will use the capital to continue development of its AI infrastructure, boost sales and marketing efforts, and drive scalability to service more than 10,000 locations across the United States. Multi-location retail and restaurant brands spend an estimated $500 billion annually …
Philadelphia — NEST, a national provider of integrated facilities management (IFM) solutions, has partnered with MINISO USA to serve as its facilities management partner for more than 300 MINISO stores across the United States. NEST will deliver a full-service IFM solution designed to streamline operations, reduce complexity and support store performance as the MINISO brand continues to expand in the U.S. NEST will manage a broad range of services, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, lighting and general maintenance across MINISO stores. The partnership includes vendor management, service coordination, analytics and operational …
A Scalable Refresh
— By Katie Lee — 2026 marks the full rollout of Gong cha 2.0, a comprehensive modernization of technology, operations and store design for the bubble tea leader. Gong cha is the world’s leading bubble tea brand with nearly 2,200 locations in 33 markets globally, including more than 240 stores in the U.S. across 23 states, Washington, D.C. and Puerto Rico. But it still has plenty of room to grow — both in number of locations and in brand recognition — in the United States. With a solid foundation undergirding …
Boston — Toast, a digital technology platform built for hospitality, has launched Toast Drive-Thru, an enterprise-grade solution designed to help modern quick-service restaurants (QSR) increase throughput and order accuracy at scale while optimizing labor efficiency through a single, unified platform. There are just over 140,000 total drive-thru locations across the entire U.S. restaurant industry, according to 2026 data from Technomic Ignite. These operators must deliver fast, error-free guest service while facing increased pressure on labor efficiency. The growth of AI voice ordering solutions in drive-thru has left many brands struggling …