ConverseNow Teams with Valyant to Accelerate Voice AI in Drive-Thrus
Fueled by the restaurant industry’s push to use tech for better efficiency, two big AI-voice ordering players have teamed up. ConverseNow, which automates ordering for restaurants with AI, announced Tuesday it’s acquiring Valyant AI, a provider of drive-thru...
Delivery Hero Prepares To Write a Lot of Zeros
German company Delivery Hero (DH), which operates in more than 70 countries and partners with around a half-million restaurants, may face a fine of nearly a half-billion dollars from the European Commission (EC) for alleged antitrust violations connected to its...
Report Reveals How QSRs Can Create Marketing in the Moment With AI
Nearly 70 percent of quick-service restaurant sales nationwide take place in drive-thrus, and thanks to new technology, marketers see a way to connect with customers like never before. That was the conclusion in a report released by the Chief Marketing Officer...
PDQ Chicken Unveils Kiosks In Restaurants
PDQ Chicken is making it easier to mind your Ps and Qs when ordering in-store by taking humans right out of the equation and placing self-ordering kiosks in its 53 locations. PDQ has enlisted Samsung and GRUBBRR for its kiosks, which it began placing in stores in a...
Local Kitchens Raises Another $40 Million. Can It Go National?
Local Kitchens may be cracking the multi-brand restaurant code. Just don’t call it a ghost kitchen. In its 12 Northern California micro food halls, the company operates one kitchen and prepares items from many menus. Unlike ghost kitchens, it offers a dine-in...
Wade Allen Has Been Named President of Costa Vida
Wade Allen has been promoted to president of Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill, according to news the company shared on LinkedIn. Allen had previously served as executive vice president of strategic growth for the company. “Wade’s exceptional leadership at...
Instacart Brings Caper Carts To Two Grocery Stores in Missouri
Instacart is not a company that stands still. In May, it announced a deal with Uber Eats. And now it’s sharing that its futuristic Caper Carts, which allows consumers to use an interactive screen to track spending, check out by themselves, access coupons, receive...
Level Up Your Loyalty, Exploring Gamification in Restaurants
Is gamification in the metaverse poised to become the next frontier for restaurants to attract consumers? Paul Barron, CEO of Rever Networks, a blockchain and Web3 consulting service, thinks yes. He sees it as “the next evolution of what we know as a loyalty system...
Catering Is Back. But Now It’s Different.
It’s no exaggeration to say that the strength of the U.S. economy may rest on free food. Call it the Homer Simpson Rescue Plan. “When we surveyed employees, it was their favorite perk,” said David Meiselman, chief marketing officer for ezCater, which connects...
Outstanding Operators
Food On Demand Outstanding Operators features restaurant brands with innovative operations that are taking creative paths to success with delivery and all things off-premises.