Technology

  • An image of a white building with blue logo that says Zaxbys
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    Retrieved from Zaxbys on March 24, 2025
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    Zaxbys adds AI cameras to drive-thru

    The technology from Berry AI measures speed of service and line abandonment, which could help boost drive-thru times by identifying bottlenecks.

    By • March 24, 2025
  • Sandwiches sit on a counter as workers as ingredients.
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    Anna Moneymaker / Staff via Getty Images
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    Restaurants focus on tech, retention as labor market cools

    Speeding up hiring with applicant tracking systems, mobile applications and automated interview scheduling could save time and money, the National Restaurant Association said.

    By • March 20, 2025
  • A close up look at a digital beverage menu and kiosks at Taco Bell's Live Mas Cafe
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    Permission granted by Taco Bell/Diversified Restaurant Group
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    Yum Brands, Nvidia will deploy new AI at 500 restaurants

    The restaurant giant is working with the tech company to develop proprietary tech systems including back-of-house computer vision.

    By • March 19, 2025
  • An exterior image of a white restaurant with a yellow decoration and signs that say Church's Chicken
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    Courtesy of Church's Chicken
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    Q&A

    Church’s Texas Chicken CEO: Chain’s future is defined by franchising, unit growth

    Roland Gonzalez, who took the top exec role in February, said Church’s will sustain its momentum by deploying more technology to boost operations and attract more operator commitments.

    By • March 18, 2025
  • Coffee shop owner using computer and talking on phone
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    gorodenkoff via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by Deloitte

    Building restaurant resilience: Steps restaurant leaders are taking to help future-proof their businesses

    Discover how restaurant leaders are using tech and AI to build resilience and future-proof their businesses.

    March 17, 2025
  • An image of a brown building with red logo that says Tony Roma's
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    Permission granted by Tony Roma's
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    Tony Roma’s future will be embedded with AI, robotics

    CEO Mohaimina Haque said these technologies can help inform operator decisions such as real estate selection and back-of-house workflows.

    By • March 13, 2025
  • An image of a drive-thru digital menu board with a Taco Bell restaurant with white and purple paint in the background.
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    How PAR’s acquisition strategy targeted major restaurant chain clients

    The company is buying up software firms and building on its point-of-sale hardware to fill gaps in enterprise restaurant tech systems.

    By Lynne Marek • March 11, 2025
  • A restaurant worker serving a couple of plates in the restaurant kitchen.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    Mastering the restaurant business with Square

    See how you can navigate the restaurant industry hurdles with flexible, efficient, and integrated technology, and ultimately set your business up to thrive.

    By Chidinma Nnamani • March 10, 2025
  • An evening shot of a building with white and red coloring and signage that says "Portillo's."
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    Courtesy of Portillo's
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    Portillo’s launches loyalty without an app

    The hot dog chain hopes its loyalty program, based in digital wallets, can offer personalized options for guests and businesses without causing app fatigue.

    By • March 4, 2025
  • A zoomed in image of a smartphone with a on orange app square that says "Grubhub" in white.
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    Scott Olson via Getty Images
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    Grubhub lays off 500 employees

    The job cuts come over a month after Wonder completed its $650 million acquisition of the food delivery aggregator.

    By • Feb. 28, 2025
  • An image of the top of a silver car that contains a rectangular logo with a red square and blue square.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Domino’s targets long-term growth with loyalty, website and app upgrades

    Loyalty membership reached 35.7 million at the end of 2024, and the restaurant chain will launch a revamped website and app in 2025 to boost growth.

    By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 25, 2025
  • A woman is closing a paper bag with a round black sticker that says delivery. The woman is wearing a yellow shirt and black apron.
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    Dimensions via Getty Images
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    Uber Eats vs. DoorDash: Inside the legal battle between ‘two titans’ of delivery

    Uber Eats wants a more level playing field for first-party delivery contracts, and accuses DoorDash of intimidating partner restaurants that want to team with multiple aggregators.

    By • Feb. 25, 2025
  • An exterior image of a Shake Shack restaurant
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Shake Shack to open kitchen innovation lab in Atlanta this year

    The company will test equipment and layouts at the lab without having to build new restaurants, accelerating the rollout of processes and optimizations.

    By • Feb. 20, 2025
  • A Serve Robotics robot in front of some buildings in the Miami area.
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Serve Robotics is coming to Miami

    Serve will offer delivery through Uber Eats from Shake Shack and a local pizza chain in Brickell and Miami Beach, Florida. 

    By • Feb. 19, 2025
  • A thumb hovers over a smart phone with a photo of a cheeseburger and the words food delivery on top.
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    Tero Vesalainen via Getty Images
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    Uber sues DoorDash over alleged anti-competitive practices

    Uber claims that if a DoorDash merchant wants to work with Uber Eats for first-party delivery, DoorDash threatens higher fees or lower placement on its app.

    By • Feb. 18, 2025
  • Two people working in the restaurant My 2 Cents.
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    Permission granted by Square
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    Sponsored by Square

    Why fine dining-trained chef Alisa Reynolds switched to Square

    Discover how Executive Chef Alisa Reynolds of My 2 Cents in Los Angeles embraced Square to enhance efficiency and innovation in her restaurant.

    By Maya Rollings • Feb. 18, 2025
  • An interior photograph of a Wendy's restaurant with digital kiosks for ordering.
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    Courtesy of Wendy's
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    Wendy’s hits the gas on drive-thru AI, digital menu boards and kiosks

    Early results revealed this technology has simplified ordering and helped free up employees to enhance the customer experience. 

    By • Feb. 13, 2025
  • Dutch Bros Coffee's president, Christine Barone will replace Joth Ricci as CEO. Pictured is a Dutch Bros unit.
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    Permission granted by Dutch Bros
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    Dutch Bros’ mobile ordering is booming

    The new digital channel already accounts for 8% of sales just a year after initial testing, executives said, and is available at 96% of stores.

    By • Feb. 13, 2025
  • Popeyes unveils new brand identity, pilots store redesign
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    Courtesy of Popeyes
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    Popeyes will remodel stores and beef up ad spending

    Restaurant Brands International will add equipment, ranging from a cloud-based point-of-sales system to an automated batter-maker, at the chicken chain’s U.S. stores.

    By • Feb. 12, 2025
  • A Golden Corral.
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    Courtesy of Golden Corral
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    Inside Golden Corral’s complete tech overhaul

    CIO Dawn Gillis said the buffet chain’s new tech infrastructure, built by Qu, will help it double off-premise sales this year.

    By • Feb. 11, 2025
  • The outside of a Taco Bell restaurant.
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    Justin Sullivan / Staff via Getty Images
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    Yum Brands to scale loyalty, personalization in 2025

    Taco Bell’s parent company is leveraging loyalty programs and AI-driven personalization in pursuit of higher digital sales.

    By Bryan Wassel • Feb. 7, 2025
  • A Panera store.
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    Courtesy of Panera
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    Panera Bread hires Dunkin’ vet as CIO

    Santhosh Kumar, who spent almost two decades in IT roles at Dunkin’, will develop and deploy tech across the chain’s 2,200-plus cafes.

    By • Feb. 7, 2025
  • Taco Bell exterior
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Yum Brands launches integrated tech platform

    Thousands of Taco Bell, Pizza Hut and KFC restaurants already use Byte by Yum, which includes kitchen management and point-of-sale tools.

    By • Feb. 6, 2025
  • A DoorDash delivery worker walks his bike along the road in the Mission neighborhood of San Francisco, California.
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    hapabapa via Getty Images
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    Boston wants delivery firms to give drivers liability insurance

    Under the proposed ordinance, aggregators like DoorDash and Uber Eats would need to meet data-sharing requirements to obtain an operating permit.

    By • Feb. 5, 2025
  • Coffee drips into a white ceramic mug emblazoned with the Starbucks logo
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Brian Niccol wants to double Starbucks’ US footprint

    A host of changes to stores and operations could help Starbucks escape its sales trouble, and executives are already planning the company’s next move.

    By • Jan. 30, 2025