Operations: Page 40
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Kitchen United teams with Simon Property Group to bring off-premise eating to malls
The ghost kitchen's "Grab Go Eat" concept lets diners order from mall restaurants for on-premise pickup, delivery to tables or stores and off-premise takeaway, CEO Michael Montagano said.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 3, 2022 -
Wingstop opens digital-focused prototype with no seating
The Dallas store will function as an innovation lab for new restaurant configurations and equipment as the chain pursues 100% digital transactions.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 3, 2022 -
Trendline
Back-of-house Technology
From voice AI at the drive-thru to robot-powered makelines, restaurants are investing in technology solutions to optimize kitchen operations and reduce employee turnover.
By Restaurant Dive staff -
Opinion
Rise of the robots: How restaurants can automate without losing the human touch
Instead of adopting technology to replace human beings, employers should embrace digital tools that make jobs more satisfying, writes Raju Malhotra, chief product and technology officer at PAR Technology Corporation.
By Raju Malhotra • Feb. 2, 2022 -
Panera diners can now order at the table through mobile app
The digital dine-in feature lets diners skip lines for cashiers and kiosks and may save employees time, Chief Digital Officer George Hanson said.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Feb. 1, 2022 -
Opinion
Digital-first diners are driving the rise of collaborative commerce
Collaborative commerce immerses customers in the dining experience and makes them active participants in shaping the operational experience, writes futurist Brian Solis.
By Brian Solis • Jan. 27, 2022 -
Pret a Manger settles Illinois suit challenging use of fingerprints for timekeeping
State law strictly limits employers' use of biometric technology.
By Kate Tornone • Jan. 26, 2022 -
7-Eleven introduces subscription delivery service
For $5.95 a month, shoppers can get items, including hot food and drinks, delivered by the convenience store in about 30 minutes.
By Kaarin Vembar , Emma Liem Beckett • Jan. 25, 2022 -
Sponsored by Elohi Strategic Advisors
How to navigate an evolving restaurant environment
How restaurants can adjust their approach to optimize their sales and profit potential going forward.
Jan. 24, 2022 -
Deep Dive
Delivery firms are offering more flexibility to retain partners. Will it work?
Major aggregators are rolling out white labels, subscription programs and new data tools to keep partner restaurants and delivery customers as more diners order from operators directly.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 19, 2022 -
IRC warns sales are falling, debt is rising for independent restaurants
Forty-two percent of restaurants that didn't receive Restaurant Revitalization Fund grants risk filing for or have filed for bankruptcy, a survey by the Independent Restaurant Coalition finds.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Jan. 18, 2022 -
Deep Dive
Can restaurant marketers get digital right while facing panoply of pressures?
Amid labor, supply chain and inflationary issues, 2022 will be a year of increased pressure to deliver on fronts that span media, ordering and loyalty.
By Chris Kelly • Jan. 18, 2022 -
Instacart launches Ready Meals Hub
Like Instacart's convenience delivery offering, Ready Meals adds another service that addresses cross-channel challengers — in this case, restaurants.
By Catherine Douglas Moran • Jan. 14, 2022 -
Reef signs expansion deal with Denny's amid closure of 95 units
Reef considers these units, which temporarily shuttered on Jan. 7, to be "underperforming," Business Insider reports. The company said these units are being revamped to service partner brands.
By Aneurin Canham-Clyne • Updated Jan. 13, 2022 -
C3 snags Uber Eats' former ghost kitchen chief
Pasha Mehran joins as chief strategy officer, overseeing collaborations with celebrity chef-driven restaurants and ghost kitchen partners, as well as expansion into suburban markets.
By Emma Liem Beckett • Jan. 12, 2022 -
Deep Dive
Sustained delivery profitability may hinge on business beyond restaurants
While eateries remain their core businesses, third-party aggregators are adding new verticals, like retail and grocery, and services to diversify.
By Julie Littman • Jan. 12, 2022 -
Dickey's opens its fourth virtual brand, Trailer Birds Hot Chicken
The chain entered the virtual space with Wing Boss in April 2021 and followed up with the launch of Big Deal Burger and Barbecue at Home.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 11, 2022 -
Checkers & Rally's to deploy AI tech at corporate-owned drive-thrus
The chain's rollout of Presto's artificial intelligence-based voice assistant will mark one of the widest deployments of such a solution by a QSR.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 10, 2022 -
Sponsored by BentoBox
4 ways to maximize restaurant staff with limited resources
Tips and best practices for hiring new employees to cross-training and retaining valuable staff.
Jan. 10, 2022 -
Opinion
Why convenience retailers are gearing up to win in foodservice
As vehicles go electric, stores will increasingly turn away from fuel pumps and toward innovative meals and snacks, writes retail analyst Frank Beard.
By Frank Beard • Jan. 7, 2022 -
Chipotle, KFC and Donatos ring in 2022 with plant-based launches
Two out of the three products are only limited-time offerings, but come as the plant-based meat market is expected to grow more than 20% per year through 2028.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 6, 2022 -
Waitr partners with Virtual Dining Concepts
The third-party delivery firm could soon offer brands like MrBeast Burger, Mariah's Cookies and Barstool Bites on its app, and will allow restaurant partners to add VDC's virtual brands to their operations.
By Alicia Kelso • Jan. 5, 2022 -
Survey: Employers turn to bonuses for critical, hard-to-fill roles
"Only 2% of organizations offer a higher referral bonus for candidates from under-represented groups," according to WorldatWork, but more are considering the practice.
By Carla Bell • Dec. 21, 2021 -
Report: Most restaurant customers don't want to wait more than 5 minutes for their order
Nearly 50% of diners believe delivery and takeout orders have resulted in longer waits for in-person ordering, Oracle research finds.
By Alicia Kelso • Dec. 17, 2021 -
Chipotle to open first digital-only Chipotlane restaurant
The format, which will open in Cuyahoga Falls, Ohio, later this month, will not have a dining room or front line access as customers pick up food through a Chipotlane or walk-up window.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 16, 2021 -
Focus Brands accelerates non-traditional growth
The holding company has signed several deals to open new units in ghost kitchens, airports, convenience stores, amusement parks, colleges and other high-trafficked venues.
By Julie Littman • Dec. 14, 2021