News Briefs

Hotel software solutions provider P3 is being credited for transforming the booking process for Rottnest Island Authority, after developing a customized booking engine that effectively addresses the authority’s diverse range of accommodations and guests. A popular island destination situated just offshore from the city of Petrh in Western Australia, Rottnest Island Authority operates Stay Rottnest, offering an expansive array of accommodations from campsites and cabins to bungalows and large self-contained units. With 69 different room types spanning seven locations and various views and room configurations, a robust and highly customized guest booking solution was required. After the previous provider announced plans to phase out its booking engine at the end of 2022, Rottnest Island’s management team conducted a thorough evaluation of systems capable of meeting their unique business requirements to identify a new solution.

“Stay Rottnest is different in many ways. It’s a unique business,” said Deborah Taylor, Director of Visitor Services at Rottnest Island Authority, “We had to cover data security issues, PCI-DSS and so forth because it’s a state-agency, not a private entity. We needed to find a new booking engine provider that could understand the uniqueness of our project and that could deliver the level of customization we needed to support our guests’ bookings and the significant spikes in demand for our accommodation.”

Another unique feature of Stay Rottnest is the loyalty of its clientele, with many guests returning year after year with their families for generations, often seeking the same location or even the same accommodation.

“The biggest piece of functionality that P3 built for us was a calendar with alternative dates. This calendar shows users the available dates for the particular type of accommodation they chose. Guests don’t need to exhaustively guess on possible available dates for their booking needs,” said Taylor. “They can now filter their booking search by location and/or by the types of units that meet their needs, including adults and children. When they move to the rooms and rates page, they are able to see what is sold out and what is available. If what they want is sold out, they can flick through the calendar and find an alternative date when their unit of interest is available. This makes much easier for the user to find availability gaps specific to certain units.”

In addition to making the booking process simpler and more intuitive for Stay Rottnest guests, the new P3 booking engine has also resulted in added revenue and increased occupancy rates.

“We now have a huge demand for short-lead time bookings, which didn’t happen before, continued Taylor. “There was suddenly a different booking behavior to fill out the accommodation gaps as people could scroll through the availability calendar. Within the first 24 hours of launching the new system, we sold double the amount of bookings that we would normally sell at that time of year. We also noticed that 25% of those bookings were actually made for the subsequent 5 months, from December to April. This is phenomenal because we rarely have customers booking in such a short lead time. Within the first month with the new system, 40% of the new bookings were made for gaps during the peak period from December to April and this trend continued throughout the peak season.”

Since deploying the new booking engine, the Rottnest Island properties are more consistently fully booked with few gaps between stays. Taylor credits P3 for the uptick in bookings. “We did a proof of concept, and the team was quickly able to demonstrate that they could undertake the customization required by Rottnest. From the very beginning of the conversations between P3 and Rottnest Island Authority, everything seemed possible to build,” she said. “They clearly understood the transparency and the complexities around selling our accommodation. Their CEO Phelim Pekaar and the team are always proactive in approaching us with ideas and suggestions to improve the Stay Rottnest guest booking experience.”

To view the full interview with Taylor, please click HERE. 

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

Del Taco debuted its new  Fresh Flex  Drive-Thru Only location in Albuquerque, N.M.  The location’s small footprint spans just 1,200 square feet.

“Our Fresh Flex design offers a modern, sleek look that is aligned with our Del Taco ^® Better Mex  brand promise – better quality, better value,” said Tim Linderman, Chief Development Officer. “This design allows us to reduce the overall footprint of the building which creates more real estate flexibility and the potential to reduce total buildout costs which will allow us to further accelerate the growth of our brand.”

In addition to the drive-thru lane, the new design features a walk-up window for ordering and pick-up. Also, to increase drive-thru efficiency, it provides pick-up lockers for orders placed via the Del Taco mobile app and third-party delivery service providers, allowing guests and delivery drivers to skip the line.

The Del Taco Fresh Flex store designs feature a “Menu of Venues” ranging from the drive-thru-only model to free standing, end cap and conversion locations, giving Del Taco franchisees maximum flexibility and options.

Peter Piper Pizza named seasoned restaurant industry executive Genaro Perez as the brand's chief marketing officer, effective immediately.

Perez most recently served as senior vice president of marketing at P.F Chang's. Prior to that, he was vice president of marketing for Peter Piper Pizza.

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As CMO, Perez is charged with all marketing strategy, planning and execution for Peter Piper Pizza, Peter Piper Express and Peter Piper Pizzeria, developing marketing campaigns and content strategies across all channels, including online, digital and social, as well as public relations. Perez will work alongside senior leadership to further develop Peter Piper Pizza's overall brand presence within the marketplace and support the brand's continued expansion.

TGI Fridays said that Brandon Coleman III has been named Chief Executive Officer after an extensive search among internal and external candidates.

Coleman joined the company in October 2022 where he led the domestic corporate and franchise stores as well as the TGI Fridays brand as US President and Chief Marketing Officer. Previously, Coleman had a highly successful career in the restaurant industry, serving as Senior Vice President and CMO of Dave & Busters, various leadership roles at Del Frisco's Restaurant Group, and as Chief Marketing Officer of Romano's Macaroni Grill as well as serving as CEO and Management Consultant for Brava Partners, a consulting group focused on branding and business strategy. In 2013, he was named one of Ad Age's 40 Under 40.

Coleman will lead TGI Fridays into a transformative next phase revitalizing the brand to position it as a growing market leader in the rapidly evolving food and hospitality industry. This entails accelerating the company's evolution as an experiential hospitality and entertainment destination by offering bold new offerings across key dayparts as well as an expansion of restaurant locations, domestically and internationally.

Leaning Into Creative Offerings

TGI Fridays and  Coleman launched, in restaurant and off premise, Krispy Rice, a sushi offering, developed in partnership with food technology company C3.He also recently led the brand through its biggest menu change since the 1990's with the launch of its Grilled & Sauced platform.

Most recently, under his  leadership, TGI Fridays expanded its presence at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport with a location that is on track to have an annual revenue of $14MM.
TGI Fridays operates and franchises over 650 restaurants across 52 countries. 

Regina Cheung has been promoted from Chief Financial Officer to the role of Chief Executive Officer at Pokeworks. She will pulling double duty as she retains the title of CFO as well. 

During her tenure as CFO, Cheung successfully created a data-driven culture focused on achieving the brand’s KPIs, built strong relationships with franchisees and modernized the company’s systems and infrastructure. In her new role as CEO, she is turning her focus to increasing franchise profitability, introducing the brand to new markets and leveraging the knowledge and talents of Pokeworks' team and board members, including the original founders and Toridoll Holdings, to build a sustainable and scalable franchise business.

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“I like to think of myself as a servant-leader to the team and our franchise owners,” Cheung said. “I want the whole team to feel a positive energy when they come to work and I think that is important for upholding Pokeworks’ core values and culture, which will ultimately lead to accelerated growth and innovation ... I’m also passionate about our entrepreneurial spirit; we are professional, but we’re also scrappy and growing every day.”

The brand has more than 60 locations across 20 states. The company will expand outside of the U.S. – with new locations opening in the Toronto area before the end of the year.