software/technology

Phoenix — Vestar, one of the leading privately held shopping center owners and operators in the western United States, has named Bill Williams as vice president of technology and systems. Williams joined the company in June 2026 and serves as Vestar’s technology leader, reimagining the firm’s approach to IT and operations. In this new role, Williams is based in Vestar’s Phoenix headquarters and leads the execution of Vestar’s technology strategy. He will develop systems, strengthen security and advance technology-enabled operations to enhance performance across the organization. In his role, Williams …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Los Angeles — EVgo Inc., one of the nation’s largest providers of public fast-charging infrastructure for electric vehicles (EVs), and Regency Centers Corporation are expanding their partnership to bring fast charging to shopping centers, with plans to add more than 400 charging stalls at Regency locations across the U.S. Once complete, these new EVgo stalls are expected to help increase Regency’s EV infrastructure footprint by more than 20%.  EVgo installed its first charger at a Regency center in 2020 and today operates over 150 stalls at Regency locations. Located in …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Los Angeles — Cartwheel, an AI-powered delivery platform for restaurants, has teamed up with Hungry Howie’s Pizza to modernize delivery operations. The top 10 U.S. pizza chain is adopting Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery technology, following a successful pilot, that will implement a phased rollout across its nearly 500-location system, with all locations targeted to be live by second quarter 2027. Cartwheel’s Hybrid Delivery gives franchisees a single view of in-house and third-party delivery, with fulfillment powered by DoorDash Drive. Hybrid Delivery prioritizes in-house fleets based on configurable factors such as proximity …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Boston — Toast has released its 2026 Voice of the Restaurant Industry Survey. Each year, Toast polls hundreds of restaurant operators to get a pulse check on the industry. How are restaurants faring in 2026? What are the biggest pain points? Where do they see opportunity, and how has that changed since last year? What was clear from its 2026 survey — which took place from April 3, 2026, to April 20, 2026 — of 676 restaurant operators and decision-makers is that restaurants are durable, and they’re doubling down on …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Los Angeles — Coco Robotics, a leader in autonomous delivery, has collaborated with Little Caesars, the third-largest pizza chain in the world, to bring autonomous robot deliveries to locations throughout Los Angeles, Chicago and Miami, with Little Caesars deliveries coming soon to Coco’s recently expanded operations in downtown San Jose, Calif. Coco’s robots are currently serving participating Little Caesars locations, marking the beginning of a broader rollout to bring autonomous delivery to more Little Caesars guests. Orders placed through participating Little Caesars locations on DoorDash and Uber Eats may be …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Costa Mesa, Calif., and Coral Gables, Fla. — California Pizza Kitchen (CPK) has teamed up with T-ROC Global, a leading provider of technology-enabled retail solutions, to dramatically expand access to CPK through a new generation of automated retail experiences. Through the partnership, T-ROC will implement and operate up to 1,000 CPK automated retail machines nationwide over the next 3 years, bringing the brand to high-traffic locations where a traditional restaurant may be impractical, but consumers are often underserved with elevated food options. From airports and universities to hospitals, hotels, office …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Bentonville, Ark. — Walmart celebrated the opening of its 100th company-owned and operated electric vehicle (EV) fast-charging site at the Walmart Supercenter located in Monument, Colo. Walmart EV Chargers are now available at 100 stores across 20 states. “By expanding EV fast charging at Walmart locations across the country, we’re giving drivers a dependable way to charge while they’re in the store,” says Shayne Wahlmeier, senior vice president, Walmart Energy. “Reaching 100 sites is an important milestone, and our broad footprint positions us to make EV charging more accessible for …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

Arlington, Va. — Restaurant technology is entering one of its most significant periods of transformation, as advances in artificial intelligence and edge technologies reshape how restaurants operate and serve guests. To help enterprise QSR and fast-casual brands navigate these technology shifts, Qu has appointed restaurant technology pioneer Paul Rubin as chief product & technology officer. Rubin brings more than 30 years of experience building and scaling restaurant technology platforms, including founding Brink POS, one of the industry’s first cloud-based point-of-sale systems, and helping guide product strategy at PAR Technology. At …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

  San Francisco and Bradford, England — Instacart, a leading grocery technology company in North America, and Morrisons, one of the UK’s largest supermarket chains, have launched Caper smart trolleys at Morrisons’ Preston supermarket, marking Instacart’s first retail partnership in the UK for its AI-powered smart trolley. Caper smart trolleys bring the convenience and intelligence of online shopping directly into the store, and the launch comes as consumers increasingly seek technology that helps them shop more efficiently, stay on budget and rediscover the joy of browsing the aisles. Caper smart …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail

— By Tara Buchler — Why strategy — not software — determines whether technology investments actually deliver value. Technology buying failures rarely happen because a team chose the “wrong” software. They happen earlier when facilities or restaurant operations enter the RFP process without the strategy, clarity or alignment required to make a good decision. Most technology buyers in retail and restaurant facilities only see a handful of locations, kitchens or service workflows over the course of their careers — often within the same company, sometimes within the same operational model. …

0 FacebookTwitterPinterestEmail
Newer Posts