From Layout to Takeout

— By Zayn King-Dollie —   Utilizing mobile ordering and building design to capitalize on takeout trends.     Last year, The National Restaurant Association estimated that 2022 would have record-breaking sales revenue of $898 billion, a 12.4% increase from

Palmer Digital Group to Digitize Menu Boards for High-End QSR Chain

Aurora, Ill. — Palmer Digital Group, a full-service supplier and installer of custom indoor and outdoor digital kiosks, display enclosures and drive-thru digital menu boards, has been selected by The Patio, a high-end QSR specializing in barbeque, sandwiches and salads,

Bridging the Digital Divide

— By Jim Metevier —   Striking the right balance between dine-in and digital investments.   In a world where convenience is king, the quick-service restaurant industry is experiencing an unprecedented push toward digitization, and understandably so. Throughout 2020 and

POS Leader LINGA Appoints New VP of Sales

Naples, Fla. — LINGA rOS, the all-in-one cloud-based restaurant operating system provider, has appointed Daymion Phelps as its new vice president of sales. She joins LINGA from Heartland Retail. Phelps brings more than 20 years of retail automation solution sales

Variety Show

— Interview with Eduardo Luz —   Panera puts on a show with several new design formats catering to the needs of an increasingly digital and off-premise guest.   If variety is the spice of life, the many evolving iterations

HungerRush Expands Executive Leadership with 4 New Appointments

Houston — HungerRush, a leading cloud software provider for the restaurant industry, has expanded its leadership team with the addition of a new chief financial officer (CFO), chief operating officer (COO), vice president of finance and vice president of independent

Restaurant Technology Company Chowly Acquires Koala

Chicago — Chowly, a restaurant technology company that integrates third-party delivery marketplaces with point-of-sale (POS) systems, has acquired Koala, a guest experience platform that empowers established and emerging restaurant brands to elevate their digital ordering experience across web, app and

Presto Voice A.I. to Significantly Expand at Del Taco Drive-Thru Restaurants

San Carlos, Calif. — Presto Automation Inc., the largest drive-thru automation technology provider in the hospitality industry, is expanding its partnership with Del Taco Restaurants, Inc. to provide automated voice ordering at several drive-thru restaurants nationwide. Its artificial intelligence (A.I.)

Marks & Spencer Pilots Zyler Virtual Try-On Technology

London — UK department store Marks & Spencer (M&S) and technology company Zyler have partnered to deliver an in-store virtual try-on experience. M&S enlisted the technology in its Oxford Circus and Harrogate locations, where the feature was trialed with clothing

SpotOn Names New Chief Product Officer & Chief Innovation Officer

San Francisco — SpotOn, the top-rated software and payments partner for restaurants and small businesses, has named Bryan Solar as its new chief product officer. Solar joins SpotOn from Block, where he was the general manager for Square for Restaurants.

Salata Salad Kitchen Names Vice President of Information Technology

Houston — Salata, a leading built-to-order salad kitchen with 90 locations, has named Briton Smetzer as vice president of information technology. With a background in a variety of industries, including fast-casual restaurants, construction, ATM and technology services, Smetzer brings his

Trigo, REWE Launch Germany’s First Fully Automated Supermarket

Tel Aviv, Israel, and Munich, Germany — Trigo, an Israel-based computer vision company that builds systems for autonomous checkout and retail analytics, has rolled out Germany’s first fully-autonomous cashierless supermarket in partnership with German grocery giant REWE Group. The new

Rubio’s Coastal Grill Partners with SMG

Kansas City, Mo. — Service Management Group (SMG), a global customer, employee and brand experience management partner to more than 500 brands, has formed a new partnership with Rubio’s Coastal Grill. The fast-casual restaurant chain specializing in Baja-inspired Mexican food

ALDI U.S. and Spryker Testing New Digital Commerce Platform

Berlin and New York — ALDI U.S. and Spryker Systems have been working together to develop a new online food & grocery shopping experience for the U.S. market, offering grocery delivery or curbside pickup for ALDI U.S. shoppers. The new

Leaning In To Labor

— By Ashik Ahmed —   Scheduling hacks to foster a thriving workplace.     Across industries, happy employees are likely to be more productive and yield favorable customer satisfaction rates in return. This is especially true for restaurants and

Ziosk Sets Sights on Growth with New Executive Hires

Dallas — Ziosk®, an industry-leading technology platform that helps restaurants increase operational efficiency and optimize the guest experience, is ushering in a new era of innovation with the appointment of three new executive leadership team members: Eric Neilson, chief technology

Hobart Introduces Latest in Fleet Management with New HTe Software

Troy, Ohio — Hobart has introduced the newest edition of HTe Enterprise Asset Scale Management Software. HTe Enterprise is the latest in fleet management and offers several new features. Hobart’s HTe Enterprise improves efficiency, reduces downtime and increases profitability all

Equipped for Efficiency

— By Jason Roeder — Advancing restaurant and retail sustainability: the power of equipment data.   Last March, the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) proposed new rules that will impact every publicly traded multi-unit retailer or restaurant. If the regulations

West Elm Launches Virtual Design Experience on Roblox

Brooklyn, N.Y. — Global design company West Elm, a member of Williams-Sonoma, Inc., the world’s largest digital-first, design-led and sustainable home retailer, has launched its own virtual world, West Elm Home Design, on Roblox, a global platform bringing 52 million