Technology: Page 25


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    Retrieved from Punchh on April 09, 2021
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    Par Technology expands into loyalty with $500M Punchh acquisition

    The addition of the loyalty and guest engagement firm will help Par create an all-in-one cloud platform for its 100,000-plus global restaurant clients.

    By April 9, 2021
  • OpenTable opens 1st restaurant as innovation lab

    The reservation platform's brick-and-mortar eatery is located inside Kayak Miami Beach — the first hotel from sister company Kayak— and will be used to hone diner data and develop new technology. 

    By Alicia Kelso • April 8, 2021
  • 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
  • Yelp added an Asian-owned filter in April 2021.
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    Permission granted by Yelp
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    Yelp adds new search filters for Asian-owned businesses

    Anti-Asian hate crimes rose in 2020, but support for these businesses is increasing, with searches rising 130% in February on Yelp's platform. 

    By April 7, 2021
  • A banner outside Izzy's Restaurant in Eugene, Oregon, during the coronavirus pandemic in 2020.
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    "The image" by Rick Obst is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    OpenTable launches restaurant restriction heat map for diners

    The reservation platform will also roll out a hub for operators on Thursday called At Your Service, which includes flow controls to limit the number of covers or parties that can book a reservation.

    By Alicia Kelso • April 6, 2021
  • Squarespace buys reservation platform Tock for $400M

    The acquisition comes a year after Tock pivoted from offering pre-paid reservations to providing a resource for restaurants to add an online takeout and delivery menu. 

    By April 1, 2021
  • An example of DoorDash Storefront app service
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    Permission granted by DoorDash
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    DoorDash, Olo settle dispute

    The two companies hashed out a new multi-year agreement after DoorDash sued Olo in October for $7 million, claiming breach of contract, fraud and concealment.

    By Updated April 23, 2021
  • A rendering of Pizza Hut's drive-thru pickup lane dubbed The Hut Lane
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    Courtesy of Pizza Hut
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    Pizza Hut adds drive-thru lanes to over 1,500 US restaurants

    Nearly a year after it debuted contactless curbside pickup, the chain has added digital order pickup windows in a continued effort to modernize its system.

    By March 30, 2021
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    Courtesy of Chipotle Mexican Grill
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    Chipotle gives away $100K in bitcoin for National Burrito Day

    By asking people to register for a chance to win burritos or bitcoin, the restaurant can continue to build out its first-party data about consumers for future campaigns.

    By Robert Williams • March 30, 2021
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    Courtesy of Nuro
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    Chipotle invests in self-driving delivery company Nuro

    This marks the first time the fast casual chain has significantly funded a third-party technology company since 2018 and follows recent tech acquisitions by McDonald's and Yum Brands.

    By March 25, 2021
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    Courtesy of Taco Bell
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    Yum Brands acquires Tictuk to deepen commerce capabilities for social media, messaging

    The owner of KFC and Taco Bell makes its second tech acquisition in a month as it looks to transform its business on a faster timetable.

    By Peter Adams • March 24, 2021
  • Domino's teams with Datatron to streamline AI and machine learning tech

    The platform is automating and standardizing the deployment, monitoring, management, governance and validation of the pizza chain's artificial intelligence models. 

    By Alicia Kelso • March 23, 2021
  • Olo founder Noah Glass on Olo's first day of trading
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    Permission granted by Olo
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    What Olo's $450M IPO means for the restaurant industry

    Founder and CEO Noah Glass talks about how he wants to expand Olo's digital ordering capabilities with an influx of capital after shares rose 39% during day one of trading.

    By March 19, 2021
  • Walmart explores ghost kitchens

    The retailer's Canadian division is testing the virtual food court concept at several locations that will have meals from brands like Quiznos, Saladworks, Taco del Mar and The Cheesecake Factory Bakery.

    By Jeff Wells , March 12, 2021
  • Sonic Drive-In refreshes brand identity to focus on real families
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    Courtesy of Sonic Drive-In
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    Sonic diners can now tip carhops through its app

    The functionality, which CMO Lori Abou Habib said is a top request from customers, is available at 1,000 of the chain's 3,500 locations and will be available systemwide by the end of 2021. 

    By Alicia Kelso • March 11, 2021
  • Postmates' robotics division splits off, becomes Serve Robotics

    Serve Robotics closed its first funding round and will continue to develop and operate autonomous delivery robots in urban markets as it pursues new partnerships. 

    By March 3, 2021
  • Taco Bell mobile store
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    Retrieved from Taco Bell on August 20, 2020
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    Yum Brands buys Kvantum's AI business to 'fast-track' data-driven marketing

    The owner of KFC and Taco Bell will combine Kvantum's machine learning tech with culture-based insights from Collider Lab, a consultancy it acquired in 2015.

    By Peter Adams • March 2, 2021
  • McDonald's mulls partial sale of AI company Dynamic Yield

    Following franchisee complaints, the fast food giant is evaluating the tech company's drive-thru performance and could sell the part that works with outside retailers.

    By Alicia Kelso • Updated March 1, 2021
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    "The image" by Marco Verch is licensed under CC BY 2.0
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    88% of restaurants considering swapping to digital menus, survey says

    Seventy-six percent of operators plan to continue offering contactless payment options this year as well, Square's Future of Restaurants 2021 report shows. 

    By Feb. 24, 2021
  • Olo's curbside enhancement offering launched in 2020
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    Retrieved from Olo/Business Wire on February 22, 2021
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    Olo files to go public with $100M offering

    The software company posted a 94% increase in revenue during 2020 as customers shifted toward digital ordering channels during the pandemic. 

    By Feb. 23, 2021
  • Yelp updated its waitlist features with enhanced analytics in February 2021
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    Permission granted by Yelp
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    Yelp adds takeout features, enhanced analytics to Waitlist

    The latest updates to the company's restaurant products include guest profiles and POS integration, which give users more data on operational performance, customer preferences and ordering behavior. 

    By Feb. 23, 2021
  • Toast Inc. point of sale device
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    Courtesy of Toast Inc.
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    Toast considering IPO valued at $20B, WSJ reports

    The software company, which processed 50 million digital guest orders in 2020, is also exploring a sale or merger with a special purpose acquisition corporation, per the publication.

    By Feb. 22, 2021
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    Retrieved from LinkedIn on February 11, 2021
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    Will Clubhouse be the next social media platform for marketers?

    The parent company of Burger King and Popeyes jumped on the buzzy app last week, opening the possibility of another digital channel for brands to utilize.

    By Chris Kelly • Feb. 18, 2021
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    Julie Littman/Industry Dive
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    Report: Loyalty customers spend more than twice as much on takeout meals

    The spending disparity between loyalty members and non-members reflects why so many major brands, including Taco Bell, Wendy's and White Castle, have added or enhanced their loyalty programs during the pandemic.

    By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 17, 2021
  • McDonald’s agrees to independent review of contentious technology fees

    At the request of the National Franchisee Leadership, which claims that no outstanding fees were due, the chain said it plans to enlist Ernst & Young to provide certainty that payables are owed. 

    By Alicia Kelso • Feb. 16, 2021
  • Taco Bell is expected to open this two-story drive-thru unit in the summer of 2022.
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    Permission granted by Taco Bell
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    Taco Bell franchisee to break ground this month on new Defy model

    The two-story store with four drive-thru lanes in Minnesota will let mobile order customers use digital check-in screens to scan unique QR codes and then have their order delivered through a proprietary lift system.

    By Updated Aug. 12, 2021