Welcome to your Restaurant Tech News: Real Brief for December 24th, 2024. This is Julia Dunn from Popcorn GTM, bringing you a weekly brief of the newest restaurant technology innovations. Here are this week's leading stories in restaurant technology.
Let’s dive in!
Playa Bowls Partners with Qu for Smarter Operations
Smoothie bowl leader Playa Bowls is teaming up with Qu, an AI-driven restaurant management platform, to enhance its point-of-sale systems and operational efficiency. As the franchise aims to scale from 300 locations to over 800 in the next five years, the partnership focuses on streamlined menu management and a better guest experience. For more details, visit QSR Magazine.
Olive Garden Expands Delivery with Uber Direct
Following a successful trial in 100 locations, Olive Garden is expanding its delivery service by integrating Uber Direct into its operations. This move ensures faster, seamless order fulfillment and demonstrates the brand’s adaptability to evolving customer needs. Nation's Restaurant News reports that the nationwide rollout will kick off after the holiday season.
DoorDash and Wing Take Food Delivery to the Skies
In an innovative leap, DoorDash is collaborating with Wing to bring drone-powered delivery to Dallas. These drones, not to be mistaken with the UAPs flying over New Jersey, will pick up food orders from nearby malls, promising faster service and lower costs. The trial showcases the potential of airborne delivery systems, as highlighted by Business Insider. Looks like Santa won't be the only one in the air this holiday.
Square and Sysco Join Forces to Simplify Supply Chains
Square and Sysco are partnering to bring real-time inventory tracking and automated reordering directly into restaurant POS systems. This integration highlights how tech-forward solutions can optimize supply chain management for restaurants. Find out more on Yahoo Finance.
Sweetgreen Debuts Robotic Kitchens in Chicago
Sweetgreen is embracing automation by rolling out robotic kitchens in Chicago. These machines craft salads with precision and consistency, underscoring the growing role of robotics in fast-casual dining. Yahoo Tech shares more insights into this futuristic dining experience.
Diibs Launches AI-Powered Reservation App
The new Diibs dining reservation app uses AI analytics to revolutionize restaurant reservations, predicting peak times and optimizing seating arrangements. This technology promises to improve efficiency for restaurants and enhance the dining experience for guests.
Grubhub Settles FTC Lawsuit for $25 Million
Grubhub has agreed to pay $25 million to settle allegations from the FTC and Illinois Attorney General that it misled consumers about
delivery costs, exaggerated driver pay, and listed unaffiliated restaurants on its platform without consent, as reported by Cheddar. As part of the settlement, Grubhub must improve transparency by accurately disclosing delivery fees, honestly advertising driver earnings, and only listing partnered restaurants. This settlement highlights the importance of transparency in third-party delivery platforms.
That’s it for this week’s roundup! Stay tuned for more updates next week. Until then, keep innovating, dining, and thriving in the restaurant world.
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