News Briefs

BeCause, the Danish start-up transforming how the global hospitality, travel, and tourism industries manage their sustainability data, is gearing up to offer a new digital tool that helps global hotel chains meet their reporting and compliance obligations under the European Union's Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD).

Starting in the second half of 2024, hotels utilizing BeCause's enterprise solution will gain access to a digitized version of the European Sustainability Reporting Standards (ESRS), the first-ever mandatory and standardized sustainability framework for companies in Europe. With this solution, hotels can efficiently collect and create audit-ready reports on their sustainability data.

Current BeCause users will also be able to apply any existing data collected previously through the BeCause platform and automatically map it to ESRS. Similarly, any data collected for ESRS can then be reused for other purposes such as voluntary eco-certifications, eliminating costly, time-intensive, and redundant processes and multiple input of the same data, allowing hotels to re-direct their resources elsewhere.

"Instead of starting from scratch, hotels will be able to leverage the sustainability data they already have at hand and upcycle it to the ESRS framework for CSRD compliance purposes. This ability to reuse data is a hallmark of BeCause for a reason – not only does it significantly reduce workload and conserve resources, but it encourages transparency and eliminates double-accounting errors," explains BeCause co-founder and CEO Frederik Steensgaard. "By adding the ESRS framework to our platform, we are helping hotels minimize the risk of non-compliance penalties as well as reputational damage," he adds.

Simplifying Double Materiality for Hotels

Following the release of the ESRS framework on its platform, BeCause will also launch a new feature to help hotels address the complex issue of double materiality. This issue asks organizations to report on climate's direct and indirect effects on their business and how their activities affect the environment. The feature will consist of a digitized framework based on the guidelines released by the European Corporate Reporting Lab (EFRAG), enabling hotels to efficiently determine the material matters and information to be reported on.

With 1,100 data points under ESRS, creating this kind of list would typically require large hotels to work with an outside consultant, a process that would usually take months and require costly upfront investment. Once BeCause implements double materiality into its platform – the only one of its kind built exclusively for the hotel and tourism industries – hotels can easily see which of the data points are pertinent to their business and independently determine the material information on sustainability impacts, risks, and opportunities in just a few days.

Modernizing Sustainability Data Management

The BeCause platform is a modern approach to managing hotel sustainability. Instead of manually collecting and transmitting data about a property's environmental impact, BeCause is a centralized hub through which all information seamlessly flows. For instance, hotels seeking GreenKey certification can upload all their data into BeCause and overlay that data against the certification's framework already in the platform.

Any updates to that framework are made automatically so hotels can be instantly alerted when their status is threatened due to missing data.

Travel booking websites like Booking.com also use the BeCause platform to ascertain which sustainable certificates a hotel has earned and automatically sync those with their database, enabling them to present up-to-date information to the consumer – an increasingly important factor in travelers' purchasing decisions. According to the online travel agency's 2023 Sustainable Travel Report, 76% of travelers want to travel more sustainably in the near future, while 43% say they would be willing to pay extra for travel options with a sustainable certification, representing a potentially lucrative source of room revenue for hotels that can meet these expectations.

"With hotels now obligated to report on their sustainability, there is a clear opportunity for them to also capitalize on the consumer demand for more sustainable accommodations by using BeCause to manage their sustainability data holistically," Steensgaard says. "Once on the platform, the data can be used, analyzed, and distributed in many ways. This not only gives hospitality leaders the ability to pursue more climate-friendly projects but also get more value for their efforts. That's a journey we're proud to be part of."

PopID and Steak n Shake announced today that all Steak n Shake locations in the United States now accept PopID Check In (to review favorite orders and loyalty points) and PopPay for checkout. With more than 300 locations, Steak n Shake is the first national restaurant brand in the United States to adopt biometric check-in and checkout nationwide. PopID’s biometric check-in feature makes kiosk ordering faster, easier, and more personalized.

The implementation of PopID in every Steak n Shake location was accomplished rapidly and at low cost through a partnership between PopID and ACRELEC, a leading supplier of kiosk-ordering hardware and drive-through products. Cameras were shipped to every restaurant for attachment to the existing ACRELEC kiosks. “As explained in our recent publication, ACRELEC believes that our integrated biometric solution provides various benefits to restaurant operators related to throughput, ticket size, and loyalty engagement,” says Bruno Lo-Re, President of ACRELEC America.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with PopID and to be on the edge of biometric technology for the benefit of our customers. Our guests now have the option to use biometrics for a faster and more seamless experience,” says Sardar Biglari, Chairman of Biglari Holdings, the parent company of Steak n Shake.

Now that biometrics are enabled for all ordering and payment inside Steak n Shake restaurants, PopID and Steak n Shake will begin implementing biometric check-in and checkout at the restaurant’s drive-through units. “Similar to the kiosks, biometric check in can increase loyalty participation and revenue at the drive thru while also reducing payment processing costs,” says John Miller, CEO of PopID and Chairman of Cali Group. “Additionally, biometric payment at the order confirmation screen enables staff members to work on tasks other than taking payments by card and phone at the order pick-up window.”

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

IRIS, a global leader in digital ordering for the hospitality industry, today announces the integration of its F&B mobile ordering solution with Infrasys Cloud POS by Shiji. This strategic partnership will enrich the guest experience, save labour and increase ancillary revenue. 

The IRIS mobile ordering platform empowers guests to self-serve from their own devices at their convenience. It firmly puts guests in control of their ordering experience, freeing up staff time and resources to enable them to focus on delivering an exceptional service.

The integration of the two solutions comes with full security approval for Marriott mobile dining and IRIS’ greater F&B ordering estate, and enables operators to optimise the management of mobile orders: These orders will now flow directly to the kitchen via Infrasys Cloud POS saving time, improving order accuracy, and reducing wait times. The process delivers convenience and comfort to both guests and staff, enhancing the overall ordering experience and mitigating any language barriers. Furthermore, hoteliers can promote items and services 24/7 maximising revenue opportunities across their properties.

The seamless partnership has been welcomed by the industry, with Eicha Medina, F&B Assistant Manager at The Westin Manila commenting, "The IRIS mobile dining and Shiji Infrasys POS integration significantly reduces the number of calls and inquiries, thereby lessening the workload on staff, improving accuracy and communication.

Guests that face language difficulties can conveniently access the mobile dining platform, easily review order details and write comments to the Chef.

We're enjoying the seamless guest payment options, the recommended items, and updating guests in real time on expected delivery times. Guests can also request a tray collection to further elevate their mobile dining experience."

Graham Rushin, IRIS VP Sales & Marketing, adds, “We’re delighted to announce this hotly anticipated partnership. It further solidifies our dedication and commitment to delivering a tailored and efficient mobile ordering service to hoteliers who are striving to provide guests with meaningful, seamless digital experiences.
We aim to empower hoteliers with the tools to drive additional revenue and free up resources, and this true integration delivers all this and more!”

Brian Garvan, Director, Global Partnerships and Product Integration at Shiji comments, "It’s great to launch this integration of IRIS Mobile Ordering and Infrasys Cloud POS to provide unparalleled convenience, efficiency, and guest satisfaction. It's the result of many months' work by both teams and is sure to support the demanding requirements of some of our key hotel clients' in delivering a first-class service in the F&B space. Thanks to the whole team at IRIS.”

Thanx, the leading guest engagement and retention platform for restaurants, announces today major enhancements to their already powerful mobile app content management system (CMS). Restaurants now have unprecedented control over the design, branding and user experience, without building a custom app with a developer. These enhancements represent an important milestone for restaurants, as it marks the first time an app solution has provided such extensive customization within a white-label framework.

"Good customer loyalty is about more than great rewards; in order to shine, a brand’s digital experiences must be differentiated and easy to use. But, building and maintaining a custom app is expensive and time-consuming. We're thrilled to provide new tools empowering restaurants to create infinitely customizable mobile apps without the prohibitive costs and lengthy cycles of custom development—all without additional fees or software development delays when a brand wants to make a change,” says Zach Goldstein, Thanx Founder and CEO.

Brands can style components to precisely match brand guidelines, going beyond the font, color, and logo basics, allowing for full customization of every element – background and foreground colors, borders, border radius, padding and more. Components within the app can be arranged as desired, even appearing dynamically based on applicability to the user, while completely custom components can showcase new program benefits, limited time offers, seasonal menus and more. As before, restaurants can instantly make and publish changes right from within the Thanx dashboard – without an app store review or incremental fees.

Bubbakoo’s Burritos, the fusion-style restaurant that puts a unique spin on classic Mexican dishes, was an early adopter of the new capabilities. The restaurant saw an uptick in downloads of the new app – an impressive 12.8% increase from February to March.

According to Chief Financial Officer, Chris Ives, “With Thanx, we don't compromise between cost and elegant design in our mobile app. The Bubbakoo’s app seamlessly aligns with our brand identity, and of equal importance — we have the flexibility to modify the app any time to precisely tailor the guest experience to better serve our customers.”

App Onboarding

With Thanx, restaurant operators can customize the app first impression, tailoring the onboarding flow with any desired imagery and messaging. Welcome pages, tutorials, and notifications can be used to educate new users about the program benefits, help them understand how to navigate the app, and ease the transition for existing loyalty members.

Home Screen Customization

Operators can effortlessly update every element of the app home screen, customizing standard and custom components in any arrangement. Precise styling options ensure alignment with brand guidelines, giving control over fonts, background and foreground colors, borders, padding and other elements. Operators can also incorporate personalized content based on the user profile to encourage actions such as collecting profile information, reordering a previous order, or exploring rewards.

Menu Showcase

Restaurant operators can showcase menu items with unique design elements. The menu can either blend cohesively with the homepage design or can adopt a unique style, spotlighting specific menus. Pricing, images, and more pull directly from the ordering platform, streamlining menu content management for all operators.

Loyalty Marketplace

Unique to Thanx, brands can create and edit loyalty program branding, reward design and availability, assign and adjust values, and set expiration dates – all in real time. In addition to ensuring uniform design and branding, this flexibility also allows brands to dynamically update their content and rewards, responding to consumer trends and fluctuating costs, ensuring that reward conversion rates and available rewards are attractive to customers and favorable to profitability.

Ordering and POS Integrations

With Thanx’s seamless integrations with ordering and POS providers, restaurant operators can make changes without the need to coordinate with other technology providers. Merchants can measure order conversion rates and app downloads in Thanx, ensuring any iterations on the app are aligned with business outcomes.