Greensboro, N.C. — Pete’s of Erie Inc., a convenience store retailer with 50 stores across Kansas, Oklahoma and Missouri, has selected Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s Passport® Express Lane™ self-checkout system to elevate the overall customer experience and store efficiency. The brand will install Express Lane in all 50 stores along with the CPI Paypod cash recyclers to ensure all forms of payment including cash, card and contactless options are available to customers. “Busy stores create new challenges in the shopping experience and we’re no different,” says Doug Mercer, information technology director. “Self-checkout allows us to maintain the …
software/technology
— By Chris Roy — The next level of tech experiences for retail and restaurant venues. Before the pandemic, immersive entertainment was an emerging trend in the retail sector. After a year and a half of reduced experiences, consumers’ appetite for this type of entertainment is stronger than ever. To slake this appetite, retail entertainment stakeholders are seeking increasingly tech-oriented features at their properties. In fact, there is a call for technology that enables all-encompassing immersion with more nuance. We live in an increasingly digital world, and people expect …
Los Angeles — FAT (Fresh. Authentic. Tasty.) Brands Inc. has hired its first chief information officer, Michael G. Chachula. Chachula joins FAT Brands with over 25 years of senior management experience in business and technology and will be focused on delivering scalable, sustainable and efficient technology platforms across the portfolio and franchise system to aid in the growth of the company. A seasoned executive with experience across the financial services, consumer goods, pharmaceuticals and hospitality industries, Chachula has a track-record of identifying and implementing innovative technological solutions that drive further …
Winston-Salem, N.C. — SWIPEBY, a holistic off-premises platform for curbside, pickup and delivery, has launched an initiative to start deploying its technology platform at convenience stores for ordering and in-store pickup as c-stores work to take back ownership of off-premise purchasing using the ordering platform that has been proven in the restaurant space. The effort is underscored by a deployment of the platform at Quality Marts in Winston-Salem, N.C., this month and other c-store chains in New England and the West Coast over the next few months. This is the …
Newton, Mass. — Paytronix Systems, Inc., an advanced digital guest experience platform, has teamed up with Aloha Poke Co., a premier fast-casual poke restaurant concept. Aloha Poke Co. has deployed the full Paytronix platform, including loyalty, order and delivery, and a white-labeled mobile app, to both its company-owned restaurants as well as a growing number of franchise locations. The points-based Aloha Rewards program encourages guests to spend and earn rewards that can be redeemed for bowls. “Aloha Poke Co. selected Paytronix because it is an all-in-one system that includes loyalty, order and delivery …
San Francisco — More than 5,000 franchise and company-owned Taco Bell restaurants are now using Zenput’s operations execution platform to support compliance against food safety protocols and brand standards. Embracing the move away from pen and paper tracking and towards the digitization of a range of procedures and food safety protocols, the corporate team joined several of its franchisees in rolling out Zenput to its 480 company-owned restaurants. Restaurant general managers and Taco Bell team members use Zenput on tablets to complete tasks throughout the day, including daily food safety …
— By John Moody — Five game-changing reports all restaurant operators should be using. Most small businesses start out using spreadsheets because they are basically free, easy to use and highly customizable. Restaurant operators can use a spreadsheet for almost every function in the restaurant from ordering, inventory, prep lists, invoicing, food costing, scheduling, accounting — you name it. These spreadsheets require hours of data entry along with manually creating formulas just to generate reports. Many of these spreadsheets are so complex that only the owner or general manager …
Dallas — Ziosk, the leading on-premise digital ordering and payments platform for restaurants, has entered into an agreement with Texas Roadhouse that will bring the Ziosk Cloud Commerce Platform to its Texas Roadhouse restaurants across the U.S. Texas Roadhouse has begun its rollout of “Roadhouse Pay,” which uses the Ziosk Mini, a smaller, portrait version of its powerful tabletop tablet, to allow guests to pay at the table. The Ziosk Mini allows restaurants to tap into pay-at-the-table technology, order entry, guest surveys, loyalty and QR technology while occupying less space …
Elgin, Ill. – Jay Fiske has been promoted to president of Powerhouse Dynamics, based in Newton, Mass. In this position he will lead all strategic and day-to-day company operations. Powerhouse Dynamics provides Internet of Things (IoT) solutions to leading restaurant, foodservice and retail outlets, delivering real-time control, automation and analytics to operators. “Jay is highly-respected and well-known for his IoT expertise within the foodservice and retail industries. With his deep knowledge of IoT and restaurant operations he has been able to clearly demonstrate the advantages of a connected kitchen, and …
— By Ahmed Abouelenein — The benefits and drawbacks of introducing new technology into restaurant operations. Restaurant industry professionals showcased an exceptional amount of resilience and resourcefulness in such a challenging time. One tool that has helped so many restaurant operators sustain, and even thrive, over the past 2 years is the adoption of smart technology. When used correctly and implemented appropriately, the benefits of technology can be business-changing. Technology offers the ability to increase productivity, address labor shortages, streamline operations and so much more. Being smart about …