This week in restaurant news, Sweetgreen taps robotics, drive-thru chains get automated, and social commerce starts to take hold in digital ordering. Fast-casual chain Sweetgreen is planning to integrate automation into almost all of its restaurants within the next five years, according to CEO Jonathan...
While virtual brands on third-party aggregators are challenged to find ways to game the system, Hooters notes, direct ordering platforms enable restaurants to offer a greater variety of options, including some that may be a riskier bet. Hooters of America, which spans more than 400...
Snack POS has integrated its point-of-sale (POS) solutions for restaurants with several third-party delivery applications. The integration with UberEats, Grubhub, DoorDash and Postmates is now available to all Snack POS customers, the company said in a Wednesday (June 7) press release. “Our mission has always been to provide restaurant owners and operators with innovative...
As restaurant inflation rises, Cracker Barrel is seeing consumers dining out less frequently, even as they order as much as ever each visit. The Tennessee-based restaurant and retail chain, which has roughly 660 locations across 45 states, shared on a call with analysts Tuesday (June...
As restaurants compete to take advantage of new digital capabilities as quickly and effectively as possible, Dunkin’ is leveraging artificial intelligence (AI) to optimize stores’ performance on a unit-to-unit basis. On Tuesday (June 6), marketing technology company HubKonnect, which leverages local data to improve stores’...
For menu change insights, some quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are not looking to food scientists but to cold, hard numbers. QSRs have been caught between a rock and a hard place as consumers pull back their overall spending. On one hand, price anxiety has driven consumers toward QSRs as...
Quick-service restaurant (QSR) giant KFC has become the latest eatery to announce a rewards partnership with a video game company, collaborating with action role-playing game Diablo IV to offer in-game rewards when diners buy chicken sandwiches via the restaurant’s digital channels. “As the fried chicken experts, we’ve set the standard in...
IHOP is reportedly shutting down its test of fast-casual concept Flip’d as restaurant customers increasingly seek out hospitality on the one end and low prices on the other, leaving fast-casuals in a tricky spot. On Wednesday (May 31), Spring, Md. news outlet Source of the...
Panera says it will allow diners to pick up their orders without leaving their cars. The fast-casual restaurant chain Wednesday (May 31) announced the launch of its Drive-Thru Pick-Up program, which combines “the ease of the digital ordering experience with the comfort and convenience of...