Technology

  • The outside of a LongHorn Steakhouse.
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    Scott Olson / Staff via Getty Images
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    Darden Restaurants begins POS rollout as it pursues speedier service

    The new point-of-sale system will help the company speed up orders and improve its data capabilities at nine restaurant brands, executives said.

    By Bryan Wassel • Dec. 19, 2024
  • 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 names Lululemon exec as chief tech officer

    Venki Krishnababu has over 30 years of experience and joins the chain as it rapidly expands into mobile ordering.

    By • Dec. 17, 2024
  • A man and a woman dressed as a chef look at a tablet. Explore the Trendline➔
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    Wavebreakmedia via Getty Images
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    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
  • Instacart reaches out to retail partners in fresh rebrand
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    Courtesy of Instacart
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    Instacart says restaurant delivery is good for its grocery business

    The Uber Eats partnership aims to fuel engagement with its app and boost online grocery spending, Instacart CFO Emily Reuter said at a Nasdaq event.

    By Catherine Douglas Moran • Dec. 16, 2024
  • A bike courier with a red delivery bag.
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    Michael M. Santiago via Getty Images
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    DoorDash to require 150K workers to verify IDs weekly

    The delivery platform framed the more stringent verification policies as a way to improve consumer and merchant peace of mind.

    By • Dec. 13, 2024
  • An image of various doughnuts from Krispy Kreme behind a bakery counter.
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    Brandon Bell via Getty Images
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    Krispy Kreme online ordering disrupted by cyberattack

    After an attack on part of its information technology systems, the chain said it is working to restore online ordering. Store operations were not impacted.

    By • Dec. 11, 2024
  • 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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    Church’s Texas Chicken turns to drive-thru AI

    SoundHound’s technology could help the chicken chain speed up order processing by shifting workers from order taking to food making.

    By • Dec. 11, 2024
  • An image of three smartphone screens with various words and insights from Yelp reviews.
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    Permission granted by Yelp
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    Yelp enhances platform with more personalized home feeds

    The review platform added over 20 features, such as AI-powered review insights and enhancements to its business product suite.

    By • Dec. 10, 2024
  • A chat log from Chipotle's Ava Cado AI bot on a smartphone.
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    Permission granted by Paradox
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    Sponsored by Paradox

    Chipotle’s fresh new way to reduce time to hire by up to 75%

    Walk into Chipotle. Leave with a burrito...and a job. That's the magic of Chipotle's new virtual assistant.

    Dec. 9, 2024
  • A Torchy's Tacos sign shot from a low angle.
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    Tornado98 via Getty Images
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    Torchy’s Tacos deploys phone AI ordering

    The chain is using SoundHound’s tool, which can handle customized orders and answer questions about the menu, at all of its 130 locations. 

    By • Dec. 5, 2024
  • An image of a Starbucks sign
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks scheduling tools crippled by Blue Yonder outage

    A ransomware attack against the software vendor has pushed the coffee chain to temporarily rely on manual scheduling to ensure workers are paid for hours.

    By • Nov. 26, 2024
  • A woman holds up her smart phone to a tablet that is asking what percentage of a tip should be added.
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    lechatnoir via Getty Images
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    Are customers tipping more? Here’s what the data says.

    While customers feel more pressure to tip across industries, they still tip a relatively stable 18% at restaurants.

    By • Nov. 25, 2024
  • Paytronix
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    Retrieved from Paytronix website.
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    Paytronix upgrades its software weeks after being acquired

    Additions include an AI tool that answers operators’ questions and a group of features meant to help manage and process online orders.

    By Brett Dworski • Nov. 20, 2024
  • A Smoothie King with a drive-thru.
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    Courtesy of Smoothie King
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    Smoothie King hires Red Robin exec as CIO

    Jyoti Lynch is tasked with creating a comprehensive technology strategy to enhance the guest experience and improve franchise profitability.

    By • Nov. 20, 2024
  • A man stands in front of two self-order kiosks at Bojangles.
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    Permission granted by Grubbrr/Bojangles
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    Bojangles to install ordering kiosks across its system

    The chicken chain said its pilot of the Grubbrr technology had high adoption rates and helped increase throughput.

    By • Nov. 15, 2024
  • Person in blue collared shirt and apron behind a counter handing a paper bag to a person in a red shirt and short blonde hair.
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    NCR Voyix / Kate T. Parker Photography

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    Sponsored by NCR Voyix

    Deliver distinctive guest experiences and liberate your staff from manual tasks

    In the next decade, restaurants will drive rapid growth by owning the experience in new ways.

    Nov. 12, 2024
  • A worker takes a bowl of processed avocados from a prototype of Vebu's Autocado.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Serve Robotics buys Autocado maker Vebu

    The acquisition of the Chipotle-backed equipment developer signals Serve’s interests are growing from the sidewalk to the kitchen.

    By • Nov. 7, 2024
  • A photo of a phone showing a Paytronix app.
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    Courtesy of Paytronix
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    Paytronix acquired by The Access Group

    The deal will expand the offerings available through Paytronix’s platform and help accelerate its growth, executives said.

    By Jessica Loder • Nov. 1, 2024
  • Kitchen staff
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    10,000 Hours via Getty Images
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    Sponsored by NCR Voyix

    Optimizing technology costs through smarter architecture

    Maximize efficiency and cut costs — learn how smart tech architecture can transform your business's bottom line.

    By NCR Voyix • Oct. 28, 2024
  • A young man wears a black hat and black apron smiles at the camera. There are three people blurred out in the background. They are standing behind a makeline.
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    Courtesy of Chipotle
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    Chipotle’s latest automation tool to help with hiring, recruitment

    Paradox, a conversational AI system, will manage administrative tasks and is expected to reduce the time to hire by 75%.

    By • Oct. 22, 2024
  • A woman with brown hair is looking at her phone and carries an orange bag with white "Grubhub" logo.
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    Courtesy of Grubhub
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    Grubhub boosts delivery access with Amazon Key partnership

    The tie-up gives Grubhub delivery partners one-click access to restricted residential buildings and has already improved the driver and customer experience.

    By • Oct. 21, 2024
  • two people looking at computer
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    adobe.stock.com/PixelBus

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    Sponsored by reciProfity

    How the lack of food costing technology is costing restaurants more money

    For restaurant owners, understanding the nuances of food costing is not just an operational necessity; it’s a crucial factor in ensuring profitability and sustainability.

    Oct. 21, 2024
  • An image of a Richtech Robotics adanced robotic beverage system. The white robot is preparing a drink at a counter top.
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    Courtesy of Richtech Robotics
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    Richtech Robotics to open 20 more automated restaurants inside Walmart stores

    The tech company, which uses robotic arms to create drinks, will become a Ghost Kitchens America franchisee as part of its expansion plans.

    By • Oct. 18, 2024
  • One of Serve Robotics next generation robots
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    Courtesy of Serve Robotics
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    Serve Robotics debuts faster, larger robots for Uber Eats deal

    The company is on track to deploy about 250 robots in Los Angeles in Q1 2025, and its next gen model can run for longer and carry more.

    By • Oct. 16, 2024
  • A couple looks at food delivery packaging on the left. On the right a mobile app displays generic branding and discounts for a restaurant.
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    Courtesy of Toast
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    Toast adds branded apps and text marketing

    The company said its new features can help restaurants drive traffic and frequency, and that apps are more effective than websites.

    By • Oct. 8, 2024
  • A farmer holds a coffee plant bearing fruit
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    Courtesy of Starbucks
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    Starbucks buys more innovation farms to create climate-proof coffee

    Farmers in Costa Rica and Guatemala will test drones, hybrid crop varieties and more as the company aims to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the region.

    By Sarah Zimmerman • Oct. 7, 2024