News Briefs

Duetto has reported an increase in hotel revenue tech investment in the first half of 2023.

The cloud-based software-as-a-service provider has enjoyed a 30% increase in business in the first half of 2023, compared to new hotel subscriptions in H1 2022.

Notable new signings in the year's first half have included Pierre et Vacances, Deutsche Hospitality, Apex Hotels, and GCH Hotel Group.

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Duetto’s results mirror those of its Duetto Outlook & Trends 2023 Survey. In early 2023, Duetto surveyed the global hospitality industry and found that more hoteliers are investing in tech. The Duetto Outlook & Trends 2023 Survey showed that 82.3% of those surveyed were now using a revenue management system (RMS), up from 67.6% in the 2022 survey. Of those not using an RMS, 71.4% planned to invest in revenue management technology in 2023, up from 50% in 2022.

50 percent of hotels say their operational technologies are somewhat or significantly better than their competitors', according to HT's 2023 Lodging Technology Study

Looking back on tech investment in 2022, 72.2% said their hotel tech spend had either increased or stayed the same. Looking ahead, 60.8% expected their hotel tech spend to increase in the next three years.

New hotels onboarded with Duetto in 2023 are already seeing positive results:

• “The way rates, restrictions, and rules can be managed with Duetto is literally a  Game Changer. Easy to set up, use and control, there are almost no boundaries. You just use your imagination and determination. Duetto isn’t just bringing us to the next level, it takes our Revenue Management to an entirely new dimension.” - Christian Fischer, Head of Revenue Management, Bold Hotels.
• “...Duetto is truly a weapon against your competition, giving you a detailed analysis of your data, smart pricing models and what we were really impressed about is that they take feedback from their customers very seriously.” -  Linh Hoang, Hotel Manager, The Yacht Hotel by DC.

Duetto is exhibiting at HITEC Toronto booth 1334..

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.

Steak n Shake will offer PopID Check In and PopPay on its self-ordering kiosks in select locations in the Orlando market, with plans to expand to more than 300 corporate locations. PopID Check In is an opt-in service that enables consumers to scan their face to automatically sign into their loyalty reward account and see their past orders, making the ordering process as convenient as possible. When a guest checks in with PopID, they also have the option to use PopPay to automatically complete their payment.

• 57% of respondents say enabling new payment options is a  top business driver impacting POS upgrade decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

“Our partnership with PopID is a key part of our effort to provide guests with a fast and seamless ordering experience," said Keith Correia, Chief Information Officer. "When using PopID Check In, a guest does not need to use their phone or take out their wallet as part of the ordering process. They will automatically be checked in for loyalty rewards, and they can choose to make an automated payment with PopPay. A guest can even see their past orders and quickly reorder their favorite menu items. Ordering at Steak n Shake has never been easier or more convenient.”

In addition to enhancing the guest experience and improving order throughput, PopPay helps to reduce fraud and offers lower payment processing fees.

For electric vehicle owners in British Columbia, Tim Hortons is now fueling road trips in more ways than one.  The company has announced the expansion of its electric vehicle charging station pilot launched earlier this year in Oakville, Ontario, by unveiling six new charging stations at restaurants throughout  British Columbia.

Tim Hortons announced the pilot in February in an effort to study the technology, its usage and opportunities.

"We have been thrilled with the results of the pilot so far.  Usage of the charging station in Oakville has surpassed our expectations and we received many calls with requests to expand the pilot," said Paulo Ferreira, Senior Director, International Strategic Restaurant Design and Building Standards, Tim Hortons. "With more than 3,300 eligible restaurants across the country, we continue to look for opportunities to expand the pilot and contribute to the EV infrastructure."

The BC expansion, supported by the Province of BC's Community Charging Infrastructure Fund and Koben Systems Inc. (KSI), placed charging stations strategically in Nanaimo, Langford, North Vancouver, Burnaby, Abbotsford and Coquitlam to create paths within the province, allowing guests to travel from restaurant to restaurant strictly on electric power.

Tim Hortons offers charging stations as a courtesy to guests at six locations.  As of March 31st, 2013, Tim Hortons had 4,288 system-wide restaurants, including 3,453 in Canada, 808 in the United States and 27 in the Gulf Cooperation Council. 

Square announced the beta launch of new banking and spend management solutions for its U.S. sellers, including new credit tools and features that help businesses simplify their cash flow management and consolidate their finances.

The Square Credit Card, running on the American Express network, gives sellers a new, yet familiar tool that provides them with more spending flexibility when they need it and a rewards program that helps them reinvest back in their business. With no late fees or annual fees, the Square Credit Card features a credit limit determined by the sales a seller processes through Square, growing as their business grows, and rewards them with free card processing every time they spend.

Square is also broadening the functionality of its popular Square Loans product. To better serve large sellers, Square is providing these businesses with loans that can be repaid on a fixed monthly schedule, rather than through daily repayments – offering a more predictable repayment schedule – as well as the optional ability to use external data to improve loan offer size.

“Our business has been expanding rapidly over the past couple of years, and keeping pace requires additional spending and investment,” said Magen Bynum, owner of Mississippi-based Magnolia Soap and Bath Company, a multi-location retailer specializing in plant-based soap and beauty products. “The Square Credit Card gives us the spending flexibility we need to continue investing in our growth, and being able to manage it right from Square makes staying on top of our finances that much simpler.”

• 57% of respondents say enabling new payment options is a  top business driver impacting POS upgrade decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

Both Square Credit Card and the new loan options are currently in beta.In addition to new credit tools, Square is also introducing more ways for Square Checking sellers to simplify their cash flow and spend management:

• Available today to Square Checking sellers, early deposit access further empowers businesses to simplify their finances by enabling quicker access to ACH deposits. In addition to receiving funds from sales made through off-platform channels like delivery apps and ecommerce marketplaces up to two days quicker, early deposit access helps sellers consolidate their revenue in a single place so they can easily access their money when they need it.
• Coming later this year, sellers will be able to have up to four additional Debit Cards connected to their Checking account, giving co-owners and business partners more flexibility over the way they spend and allowing larger sellers to more easily deputize team members to purchase items like ingredients and inventory for the business.

For more information about Square Banking, visit squareup.com/banking.

Jack in the Box   recently expanded its relationship with InMoment to include InMoment Spotlight, advanced artificial intelligence (AI) analytics software, to more easily uncover valuable guest insight from 500 million annual guests.

Jack in the Box has had a long-standing partnership with InMoment for its Voice of the Guest (VOG) program and is now leveraging its latest AI capabilities to proactively surface and act on even more guest feedback with the goal of continuing to improve the omnichannel guest experience with quality products and service. Spotlight capabilities will improve the clarity of guest feedback for both structured and unstructured data that includes social media, videos, and audio files to elevate omnichannel guest experiences.

“The use of the InMoment AI solution will allow us to easily analyze feedback in all of its forms to receive more detailed and immediate insight from a wider variety of guest experiences,” says Tony Darden COO, Jack in the Box. “Our team is focused on using the additional insight to make business decisions without delay–having a faster time to guest improvement that will positively influence their experience with our brand leading to increased loyalty.”

The AI-driven technology will help Jack in the Box focus on three key areas:

• Enhance Limited Time Offer (LTO) Knowledge —A comprehensive tool that dives into feedback phrases and themes to help define a better LTO experience for future guests.
• Accelerate Restaurant Performance—The AI-driven capabilities facilitate comparison models across restaurants and time frames to identify high-performing drivers for individual restaurants.
• Automate Monthly Business Views—A monthly view of the most important feedback insights for each restaurant rolls up to mid-level managers for immediate action.

Learn More About the InMoment AI solution here.