57% of consumers believe restaurant employees have more control over their experience than the brand itself. Chicago — Labor demand is continuing to outstrip labor supply by a wider margin despite record job openings. The hospitality industry is just
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Newton, Mass. — Paytronix Systems, Inc., an advanced digital guest experience platform, has partnered with Kansas City restaurant management group KC Hopps to leverage its Paytronix Order & Delivery to open two takeout-only establishments bearing the name Stroud’s Express. The
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Atlanta — Krystal Restaurants LLC, the original quick-service restaurant chain in the South, recently named Steve Patel its new vice president of information technology. Patel will lead information technology for the brand and its nearly 300 restaurants. He is a
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— By Ara Aslanian — How to reopen your restaurant free of cyber concerns. Despite an apocalyptic prediction last year, only 14% of restaurants closed permanently during the pandemic. After a dark winter of to-go-only orders or limited capacity,
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Kansas City, Mo. — Service Management Group (SMG), a global customer, patient and employee experience management partner to more than 500 brands, has partnered with quick-service restaurant franchise Taco John’s. The Mexican QSR brand chose SMG for its differentiated software
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Chicago — Chicago-based restaurant tech company 86 Repairs has closed an additional $5.3 million from investors including TDF Ventures, Gordon Food Service (GFS), MATH Venture Partners, Revolution and Cleveland Avenue. The new financing brings the company’s funding in this round
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Columbus, Ohio — Big Lots, Inc. has appointed Gurmeet Singh as executive vice president, chief technology officer of Big Lots, effective July 12, 2021. He succeeds Stew Wenerstrom, who will be officially retiring in October following a transition period. Singh
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Richardson, Texas — Fossil Group, Inc. continues to build on its industry-leading transformation to a digital-first retailer with the appointment of Holly Briedis to the company’s executive leadership team as executive vice president, chief digital officer. “The digital footprint of
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Cincinnati — The Point of Sale Cloud, an easy-to-use, fully integrated cloud platform for multi-unit restaurants, recently launched as a new competitive advantage for the restaurant industry. The Point of Sale Cloud allows restaurants to take control of their technology
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Louisville, Ky., and Perth, Australia — Yum! Brands, Inc. and Dragontail Systems Limited, an innovative provider of technology solutions for the food industry, have entered into a binding agreement under which Yum! Brands would acquire Dragontail for A$93.5 million in
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Dallas — Tango, the leader in Store Lifecycle Management (SLM) and Integrated Workplace Management System (IWMS) software solutions, has extended its partnership with Big Lots for 3 additional years. Big Lots, a national neighborhood discount retailer with 1,414 stores, is
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— By Pranav Tyagi — Enhancing your store location strategy with technology. Retailers and restaurants live and die by the addresses they call home. Yet, over the last few years, rapid digital transformations have all but forced some retailers
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Boston — Toast, the cloud-based, end-to-end technology platform purpose-built for the entire restaurant community, has appointed Elena Gomez as chief financial officer, effective immediately. As CFO, Gomez will lead Toast’s finance organization and will be responsible for accounting, treasury, financial
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Ankeny, Iowa — Casey’s General Stores, Inc. has hired Paul Suarez as its chief information security officer. This is a newly created role that will lead the cybersecurity team at the fourth largest convenience retailer. Suarez will report to Adrian
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Boise, Idaho — Albertsons Companies, Inc. has hired Danielle Crop to join the company as senior vice president and chief data officer. Crop was most recently chief data officer at American Express. Crop will be responsible for building and executing
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Kansas City, Mo. — Service Management Group (SMG), a global customer, patient and employee experience management partner to more than 500 brands, has launched a new customer experience management program with QDOBA Mexican Eats. The Mexican fast-casual chain is working
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Greensboro, N.C. — Rusty Everhart has been hired as the director of IT, enterprise applications, at Biscuitville Fresh Southern. His primary responsibility will be to oversee all technology systems that support Biscuitville’s operations. From point-of-sale to back-end digital platforms such
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Chicago — 86 Repairs, an innovative platform that streamlines and optimizes equipment repair and maintenance for restaurants, has closed a $2 million round of seed funding from multiple investors. The investment will be used to accelerate the company’s aggressive growth
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Clearwater, Fla. — Omnivore, a technology company serving the restaurant industry, has named Dan Singer as chief executive officer and hired Shane Whitlatch as chief revenue officer. Both executives have significant experience in leading fast-growth companies. The executive appointments come
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— By Kenneth Gruskin, AIA — Coronavirus as a catalyst for innovation in stores and restaurants. The coronavirus has resulted in a cosmic shift in retail and hospitality. Customers have moved from seeking high-touch retail experiences, extensive product/service selection,
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San Francisco — Zippin, an industry leader in checkout-free technologies for brick-and-mortar retail, has hired veteran business development executive, Gary Jacobus, as senior vice president, business development. Most recently, Jacobus was with SSP America, the leading operator of food &
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Union, N.J. — Bed Bath & Beyond Inc. has appointed Scott Lindblom as its new chief technology officer. Effective September 28, 2020, Lindblom will report directly to COO John Hartmann and will lead the company’s enterprise technology transformation. He joins the company from
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Durham, N.C. — Luxury fashion specialty retailer HUGO BOSS is creating new in-store experiences for its shoppers with Toshiba Global Commerce Solutions. Using Toshiba’s TCx™ 800 to revitalize its front end and TCx™ 300 to optimize its mobile capabilities, HUGO
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— By Crystal Jacobs — Restaurant cybersecurity and cyber insurance are more relevant than ever as online orders boom amid COVID-19. As the Covid-19 viral pandemic continues to cause major disruptions throughout the global economy, countless restaurants across the
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Toronto — TouchBistro, an all-in-one POS platform for restaurants, has hired John Doolittle to join its executive leadership team as chief financial officer. As CFO, Doolittle will guide the transformation of TouchBistro’s financial structure to prepare for its future growth,
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— By Mike Welsh — Retail curbside pickup and mobile apps are here to stay — what that reliance on a digital platform means for the industry moving forward in a post-COVID world. In an effort to understand
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Redwood City, Calif. — Presto, known for its in-house ordering tablets, has pivoted its business to help out the restaurant industry and is now offering a free Contactless Dining kit. The new kit enables restaurants to provide an end-to-end contactless
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