News Briefs

Domino's Pizza Inc. has launched a new and more efficient way to order while on the go: via Domino's iOS app on Apple CarPlay.

Customers have two ordering options via Domino's app on CarPlay: "Tap to Order" or "Call to Order." Tap to Order lets customers submit their saved Easy Order or one of their most recent orders, while "Call to Order" allows them to place the order of their choice, hands-free, by talking to a customer service representative.

"Domino's has been known as the industry leader when it comes to pizza and technology, and we're constantly striving to continue providing the best experience to customers. That's why we launched Domino's app on CarPlay," said Christopher Thomas-Moore, Domino's senior vice president – chief digital officer. "We know how frustrating it can be to wait in a drive-thru line just to place an order. Domino's app on CarPlay is a great alternative to that, as customers still have the convenience of staying in their car, and can place an order from wherever they are, without waiting in a long drive-thru. It's yet another way we're bringing more ease and ordering options to customers across the U.S."

How Does It Work?
Ordering Domino's via CarPlay is easy! To do so, customers simply need to:

• Download Domino's iPhone^® app
• Log into their Pizza Profile
• Have a saved Easy Order or recently placed order (in order to use "Tap to Order")
• Select Domino's app on Apple CarPlay and voila! Ordering is at your fingertips.

Domino's is one of the first quick service restaurant brands in the U.S. to offer easy on-the-go ordering via CarPlay. In addition to placing an order via Domino's on CarPlay, customers can also track the status of their order via Domino's Tracker. Domino's app on CarPlay is the brand's newest AnyWare ordering platform – a suite of technology that allows customers to order from wherever they are, using whatever device they prefer. Other AnyWare ordering platforms include ordering via Apple Watch or with an emoji via text.

QSR Automations earned recognition for excellence in customer service and support.

At MURTEC, QSR Automations’ VP of Hardware Solutions and Support, Kathi Klein, received fHospitality Technology ’s 2023 Top Women in Technology Lifetime Achievement Award. 

During her more than 30 years in the restaurant technology industry – half of those at QSR Automations–Klein has amassed incomparable knowledge in understanding and troubleshooting kitchen display, front-of-house, and the associated hardware and networking platforms needed to run them. 

But what truly sets Klein apart is her natural ability to nurture relationships and foster talent, which has made her an effective leader in QSR Automations’ Support Services Team. During her long tenure at QSR Automations, Klein has built one of the industry’s strongest and most effective support teams. In fact, under Klein’s guidance, the team has received a 99 percent satisfaction rate from customers in 2021, and last year handled more than 16,000 inbound and outbound calls, which earned them a bronze award for Excellence in Customer Service from the 2022 Stevie Awards. 

This was the third bronze Stevie award for the team, as last fall, Klein accepted two additional bronze awards from the Stevie Women in Business Awards on behalf of QSR Automations–one for excellence in customer service, and the other for growth. QSR Automations was selected for these honors from more than 1,500 nominations from around the world.

“Just as our technology is the heart of a restaurant kitchen, our people are truly the heart of this business,” said Angela Leet, CEO of QSR Automations. “My colleagues are passionate about innovation both in and out of the office, and it’s immensely gratifying to see them recognized for these achievements.”

QSR Automations, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., with offices in the United Kingdom, is a global industry leader in kitchen automation and guest management services.

Up and coming QSR  Salad and Go  is expanding in Texas with three new locations opening in February in the Houston markets of Katy, Richmond and League City.

The Katy store located opened February 1, the Richmond location at  is set to open February 17, and the League City store plans to open its doors on February 22. These new locations will mark the start of rapid brand expansion across the Greater Houston area.

These suburbs were strategically selected as ideal markets for Salad and Go as some of the fastest growing communities in the region. Conveniently located in some of Houston's most popular suburbs, the new locations will provide fresh, high-quality meals with quick and easy convenience at an affordable price.

As Salad and Go continues growing its national presence with a strong focus on Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada, the brand's expansive growth has it on a positive trajectory to provide fresh and affordable food to communities in more than 125 locations by the end of 2023. Houston is the next step in the brand's expansion across Texas with plans to open additional stores in the market throughout the new year.

Salad and Go's chef-curated menu provides guests with food for any time of the day by offering a variety of delicious and healthy items including salads, wraps, breakfast burritos and soup as well as beverages including hand-crafted lemonades, teas and cold brew coffees.

Salad and Go ensures each meal contains fresh, quality ingredients while keeping prices low by vertically integrating operations and distribution, and sourcing ingredients directly from high-quality local farmers and suppliers whenever possible. The brand's mission to make fresh, nutritious food convenient and affordable for ALL extends beyond its stores and is demonstrated in the work the brand does to donate 4,000 meals every week to those in need, as well as in partnerships with nonprofits to support and fundraise for various worthy causes.

Focus Brands says dual branding is the future of QSR, and the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s, is leading the charge. Today, the Focus Brands portfolio boasts 175-plus open dual branded units with at least 65 more in various stages of development across the country. 

Drive-Thru Convenience

The Focus Brands portfolio brands have signed agreements to open more than 50 dual and tri-brand locations in the coming year, many of which include drive-thrus for added convenience as interest in dual branded franchise opportunities continues to surge.

Flexible Store Formats

Focus Brands is among the brands introducing new store formats, including Krystal, Jack-in-the-Box and Panera Bread, which opened its Panera To Go, solely offering Rapid Pick-Up and Delivery shelves where guests and delivery drivers can easily pick up orders.  

Focus Brands has long pioneered the concept of dual branding, predominately in malls and non-traditional locations with Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon. Now, the company’s portfolio brands have found new opportunities with streetside dual branded units, which is paving the way for immense franchise growth. 

“Dual branding is the future of our brands, especially on the specialty side of the business,” said Brian Krause, Chief Development Officer at Focus Brands. “There will always be a place in malls, but there is an immense amount of growth opportunity in streetside venues, and, by dual branding, there is more opportunity for enhanced revenue.”

The company invested heavily in consumer research to identify how to create combinations of its iconic brands to resonate with consumers and meet them where they want to be met.

Focus Brands has identified four dual-brand concepts:

• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon
• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon/Carvel
• Auntie Anne’s/Jamba
• Cinnabon/Carvel – Cinnabon Swirl. 

While key consumer benefits vary by dual-brand combination, one consistent benefit has been convenience. Having these brands together in one location makes them far more accessible than they are individually. This convenience also creates opportunity for franchisees, as co-branding leads to an expansive menu that drives enhanced unit-level volume. 

 

Flyby Robotics, the end-to-end drone automation and delivery company, raised $4M in pre-seed investment funding.

Drone Delivery Now Available

This news comes alongside their pilot launch and a series of active partnerships with food retailers and innovative snack brands across the US. The first cohort of live retailers include smoothies from Nekter Juice Bar, salad from MAD Greens, sushi from Tokyo Joe's, and crunchy shiitake mushroom chips from Popadelics. During the live pilot, customers from participating retailers are able to order drone delivery for just $3, and experience delivery times averaging under 4 minutes.

"Nekter Juice Bar has always pushed forward to the forefront of technology to improve the guest experience, starting with our best-in-class app with more than 1.3 million loyalty members and user-friendly online ordering capabilities," said Steve Schulze, co-founder and CEO, Nekter Juice Bar. "We are now continuing that tradition of innovation working with future-looking companies like Flyby."

This pre-seed will fund product development with the goal of achieving Level 4 autonomy for Flyby's flight systems, which currently perform at Level 3. At Level 4 autonomy, drones operate without any human intervention throughout the delivery process, but allow a pilot in a remote command center the option to manually override in rare circumstances.

Flyby has already developed a package deployment system, which gently winches products down from a hovering drone to customers' doorsteps. The system is designed to uphold a product's quality during flight and delivery, and allows Flyby to deliver fragile products like smoothies.

CEC Entertainment LLC appointed marketing veteran Sean Gleason to the position of Chief Marketing Officer for the company's flagship brand, Chuck E. Cheese, and its virtual kitchen brands, including Pasqually's Pizza & Wings.

Gleason has expertise in brand development, digital media, menu innovation, and in leading high-performance teams to deliver transformational growth.

As Chuck E. Cheese CMO, Gleason will lead all marketing functions, menu innovation, guest insights, communications, as well as the brand's digital marketing and consumer journey initiatives. He will be responsible for developing and executing strategies that position Chuck E. Cheese for long-term growth, both domestically and internationally.

Industry Vet 

Gleason has more than 25 years of marketing strategy, media, advertising and brand experience. Most recently, he ran his own consulting firm. Prior to that, Gleason led the marketing efforts at Dave & Buster's for more than a decade as Chief Marketing Officer. During his tenure, he oversaw the brand's revitalization and digital transformation, special events, and culinary as the company grew revenue from $521 million to $1.35 billion.

Before Dave & Buster's, Gleason held senior level marketing positions at Dr Pepper Snapple Group and Pizza Hut. Gleason will be based at the CEC Entertainment corporate support center in Irving, Texas.