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News Briefs

  • 8/22/2024

    BWH Hotels Selects Canary Technologies to Power its AI-Driven Guest Engagement Platform

    Canary Technologies logo

    BWH Hotels, a leading global hospitality powerhouse with 19 distinct brands, has chosen Canary Technologies to power its AI-driven Guest Management System. The all-in-one platform will elevate the guest experience and streamline hotel operations across BWH Hotels’ portfolio. 

    This strategic partnership marks a significant milestone by integrating Canary’s industry-leading platform and AI-powered solutions with BWH Hotels’ renowned hospitality. From Canary’s Mobile Check-In to Smart Checkout to Dynamic Upsells, Digital Compendium and Guest Messaging, the guest journey at BWH Hotels is set to become more personalized and efficient.

    "Modernizing the guest experience with digital touchpoints is no longer a nice-to-have; it’s a necessity,” said Harman Singh Narula, CEO and co-founder of Canary Technologies. “We're excited to partner with BWH Hotels to propel hospitality into the digital age and engage guests in more seamless, personalized and delightful ways. This partnership strengthens our commitment to evolving the guest journey."

    Under the agreement, BWH Hotels will utilize Canary’s industry-leading Guest Engagement Platform, which includes Canary AI, Mobile Check-In, Smart Checkout, Dynamic Upsells, Guest Messaging, Digital Tipping and Digital Compendium. BWH Hotels will be able to manage guest engagement across multiple touch points in one platform that unlocks better guest experiences, increases revenue, and provides smoother staff operations. 

    “We are excited to partner with Canary to streamline hotel operations and create an elevated, modern and customized guest experience,” said Larry Cuculic, President and CEO for BWH Hotels. “This partnership aligns with our commitment to catering to the evolving needs of today's travelers, who increasingly seek technology-driven guest services. We selected Canary after a comprehensive evaluation and believe this collaboration will position BWH Hotels at the forefront of hospitality innovation.”

  • 8/8/2024

    Mark Shambura Joins Panera Bread as CMO

    Mark Shambura Papa Johns

    Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

    "Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

    Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

    “I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

    Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

  • 7/24/2024

    Retail Vet Joins Zaxbys as CDO

    Zaxby's logo

    Chris Kung has joined Zaxby's as its new Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the transformation and acceleration of the company's Loyalty and e-Commerce initiatives.  

    "Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources," said Bernard Acoca, Zaxbys CEO. "Chris's expertise in e-Commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxbys experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey. His arrival will help us build stronger relationships with our guests by deepening our understanding of their needs and rewarding their patronage with personalized experiences." 

    Growing Loyalty

    Kung brings over 20 years of innovation and strategy experience to Zaxbys and most recently served as Chief Digital Officer at Dollar General, where he led initiatives that transformed the company into a digital innovator. Kung played a central role in creating the myDG loyalty program. Under his leadership, the company's e-Commerce sales grew 40x in three years, app usage surged from 1.8 million to 7 million monthly active users, and the DG App earned the distinction of the #1 couponing app in America.

    Prior to Dollar General, Kung held key leadership positions at Macy's Inc., where he drove omnichannel technology and innovation.

    Zaxbys is establishing a new Loyalty & e-Commerce Team, which will report to Kung. This new team will spearhead efforts to make Loyalty and e-Commerce significant contributors to its growth. The creation of the Chief Digital Officer role will open capacity and drive focus for Mike Nettles, Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick Schwing, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, who both previously oversaw a portion of this role.  

  • 8/21/2024

    Chick-fil-A Opens First Elevated Drive-Thru Concept

    Chick-fi-la Quad Drive-Thru

    Chick-fil-A  is opening its first elevated drive-thru restaurant on August 22. Located south of metro Atlanta, its the first-of-its-kind restaurant for Chick-fil-A, a drive-thru only restaurant features four drive-thru lanes and an elevated kitchen with a unique meal transport system. 

    The concept was strategically designed to increase speed-of-service and simplify the drive-thru experience for guests. Following the opening of the Mobile Pickup concept in New York City in March, this restaurant is the second of two innovative test concepts from Chick-fil-A this year – both focused on efficiently serving the ‘on-the-go' guest.  

    As HT previously reported, Taco Bell opened an elevated drive-thru concept with four lanes in 2022. The concept received the 2022 MURTEC Breakthrough Award.  

    Since Chick-fil-A opened its first drive-thru only restaurant in 1993, the drive-thru has continued to grow as an important part of its business. Designed to expedite service, the Elevated Drive-Thru restaurant has four drive-thru lanes and a sophisticated conveyer belt system that streamlines food delivery by quickly moving the meal from the elevated kitchen above to a Team Member on the ground below. The kitchen is two times larger than a typical Chick-fil-A restaurant kitchen and the food conveyor system allows for a meal to be delivered to a Team Member every six seconds. Similar to other existing Chick-fil-A drive-thru only locations, there is no dining room or dine-in services at this restaurant. However, hospitality remains a focal point. Guests will continue to get the service and care that they know and love through an easy, drive-thru-focused experience. 

    “Our Guests lead busy lives, and we’re focused on designing our restaurants to best serve their needs,” said Jonathan Reed, Executive Director of Design for Chick-fil-A, Inc. “With the new Elevated Drive-Thru design, featuring our first four lane drive-thru, we're aiming to deliver quality food and genuine hospitality in a way that’s uniquely Chick-fil-A, and gives our Guests time back in their day.”   

    The four-lane drive-thru has the capacity to support two to three times more vehicles than a standard Chick-fil-A restaurant drive-thru. The restaurant will provide two options for Guests to get their meal: (1) they can order ahead through the Chick-fil-A  App and pick up using the dedicated Mobile Thru lanes; or (2) they can place their order with a Team Member in the traditional drive-thru lanes. Dedicated pull-aside lanes and Team Member touch points ensure Guests continue to receive
    Chick-fil-A’s signature hospitality. Guests can expect a Team Member to deliver the meal with a smile before they head on their way.  
     
    Chick-fil-A, Inc. has selected Brett Lewis as the local Owner-Operator of Chick-fil-A Jodeco Road. Lewis has served as the local Owner-Operator of a Chick-fil-A restaurant in Dalton, Georgia since 2019 and he is excited to relocate back to his hometown. 

  • 8/22/2024

    Papa Johns Chooses Loadmill as AI-Driven Software Testing Platform

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    Leveraging Loadmill's advanced AI technology, Papa Johns will further improve its software testing approach. 

    Beyond automating repetitive tasks, Loadmill empowers the team to construct a robust, interconnected testing framework encompassing their entire ecosystem. 

    By expansively testing digital ordering platforms, store technologies, dispatch applications, and related systems, Loadmill will help ensure a flawless customer experience, accelerate development, and drive innovation, ultimately enabling faster delivery of new features.

    Accelerating Innovation 

    "Partnering with Loadmill is a pivotal step in Papa Johns journey to deliver a better experience for our customers," says Joshua Sullivan, Senior Director of Digital Engineering at Papa Johns. "Loadmill's AI-powered API testing will significantly accelerate our ability to delight customers with innovative features and products while maintaining the highest quality standards."

    "At Loadmill, we're dedicated to delivering seamless digital experiences, and we're honored to embark on this journey with Papa Johns," says Ido Cohen, CEO of Loadmill. "Our team is eager to help Papa Johns continue its legacy as a digital pioneer as the company evolves its software testing and reaches even higher levels of customer satisfaction."

    The ultimate goal of this partnership is to enhance the customer experience. By integrating Loadmill's AI-driven API testing platform, Papa Johns can ensure that their digital platforms are always running smoothly and efficiently. This means that updates can be deployed faster, creating a superior user experience for Papa Johns customers. 

  • 8/22/2024

    DNA Payments' Pay at Reception, Pay at Counter and Pay at Table Now Available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace

    new product box

    DNA Payments' Pay at Reception, Pay at Counter and Pay at Table solutions are now available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace and can be deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI). 

    Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a centralised repository of enterprise applications offered by Oracle and Oracle partners.

    The Pay at Reception solution enables high-level business benefits for the hospitality sector. Oracle Payment Interface (OPI) communicates with axept PRO payment devices over the merchant's local area network through a secured HTTPS connection. The OPI service connects to the premise-based Oracle Property Management System (PMS). 

    The Pay at Counter and Pay at Table solutions enable a range of benefits for hotels, hospitality, food and beverage, and quick serve retail (QSR) businesses. DNA Payments' axept  PRO is integrated with Oracle Simphony to deliver Pay at Counter, which will allow payments to be accepted at the counter or bar using its payment terminals for QSR and retail concession outlets and enable sales, sale plus gratuity, refunds and more.

    Pay at Table allows customers to pay at their table without going to a counter. The server logs on to a payment terminal and retrieves the bill. Before asking for payment, the server may print the itemised bill or ask the customer to confirm.

    The axept  PRO Split Check Calculator helps customers determine which portion of the bill they wish to pay. Customers can also enter a gratuity added to the payment amount before the transaction is processed. A receipt is printed, and the amount paid is passed to the Oracle Simphony system, which then deducts the amount paid from the outstanding balance.

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