As restaurants continue to seek out ways to combat declining traffic, fast-casual chains including Sweetgreen, Noodles & Company and Panera Bread are taking their loyalty efforts beyond the digital sphere into their brick-and-mortar restaurants. Sweetgreen, a health-focused fast-casual concept with more than 200 restaurants, shared on its most recent earnings call that, to...
Cava’s blockbuster initial public offering (IPO) comes as restaurant customers look to strike a balance between convenience and quality — the sweet spot for the fast-casual segment. The Mediterranean fast-casual brand shared in a news release Wednesday (June 14) that it brought in about $318...
As technology providers compete to offer restaurants the most powerful digital tools, Amazon is promising eateries the ability to capitalize on consumers’ cravings nearly the moment they arise. In an interview with PYMNTS, Mark Yoshitake, general manager and director of Alexa Skills at Amazon, explained that the company’s...
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...
May 22, 2023
Quick-service restaurants (QSRs) are finding new ways to take the need to make meals off consumers’ plates as they develop subscription models in direct challenge to meal kit providers. The direct-to-consumer (D2C) subscription model has seen volatility since high rates of inflation took hold across the United States, which caused consumers to make cutbacks in their discretionary spending. […]
June 15, 2020
To say that last week was an active week of news in the restaurant world would be an understatement. First the much-anticipated Uber-Grubhub deal went up in smoke under the threat of antitrust...
June 26, 2017
Last week Verifone and airport kiosk and IT specialists SITA announced a deal that will see Verifone payment-enable airport self-service kiosks at every airport terminal in the world. Karen Webster talked to Joe Mach, Verifone’s NA President, who says...
May 31, 2023
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 the drive-thru window.” According to a news release, the service […]
May 23, 2023
Panera Brands is making some leadership changes to prepare for its “eventual IPO.” The head of one of its brands, Einstein Bros. Bagels President and CEO José Alberto Dueñas, will become Panera Brands CEO July 1,...
October 28, 2020
Known for its soup, salads and, of course, bread, Panera Bread is adding flatbread pizza to its menu as demand for delivery and takeout surges in tandem with the coronavirus...
August 25, 2020
Panera has bolstered its digital commerce and off-premise services with a Google integration to make it easier for diners to order food via Google Maps, Google Assistant and Google Search. The restaurant...
