News Briefs

GRUBBRR, a provider of self-ordering technology, today its strategic partnership with Olo.  This collaboration aims to elevate the onsite dining experience by combining GRUBBRR's extensive platform, which includes self-ordering kiosks and dynamic digital menu boards, with Olo's robust ordering and payment processing capabilities.

By integrating Olo's solutions with GRUBBRR's kiosks, restaurants can now offer a seamless, omnichannel dining experience catering to diverse guest preferences. Since guests can conveniently order and pay directly at a kiosk, this partnership aims to combat ongoing labor costs and shortages while resolving challenges like reconciliation and refunds through Olo Pay's value-added features on top of traditional payment processing. Additionally, the partnership integration creates operational efficiencies by enabling operators to succinctly manage menus across multiple ordering channels such as online ordering, point of sale, kiosks and digital menu boards.

"We are excited to join forces with Olo to bring a new level of convenience and innovation to the restaurant industry," said Sam Zietz, CEO at GRUBBRR. "Our self-ordering kiosks, enhanced by Olo's advanced ordering and payment processing, will empower restaurants to streamline operations, reduce wait times, and ultimately provide an exceptional dining experience."

In addition to improving the guest experience, this collaboration increases average sales tickets as consumers spend an average of 12-22% more when placing orders on kiosks. With Olo Order and Pay seamlessly integrated into GRUBBRR's self-service kiosks for card-present transactions, the restaurant brand receives guest data the same way they do with their other digital orders and payments that run on Olo's platform. By consolidating in-store and online guest ordering and payment data into a single guest data profile, Olo and GRUBBRR provide valuable insight to drive traffic and profitability, while inspiring and informing high-level business decisions.

"We are thrilled to partner with GRUBBRR to enhance the dining experience for both guests and restaurant operators," said Nolan DeCoster, SVP of Partnerships and Business Development at Olo. "By bringing together our guest-centric technologies, we enable restaurants to meet the evolving demands of today's digital-savvy consumers while providing more actionable data, on more guests back to restaurant brands—all in one place, no matter where the order is placed—to better serve guests in the future."

This partnership marks another exciting step in the industry's digital transformation, creating additional value for restaurants without burdening their resources. GRUBBRR and Olo are committed to helping restaurants thrive in an increasingly competitive market by providing innovative solutions that enhance efficiency, accuracy, and guest satisfaction.

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.  

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.”

IRIS, a global market leader in mobile ordering and digital guest experience solutions for hotels, has been chosen by W Sydney to provide a personalised, digital ordering experience to guests and improve operational efficiencies with its cutting-edge hospitality platform.

With 588 stylish rooms and suites, and multi-venue dining experiences, W Sydney brings a new energy and modern take on luxury to the city and harbour waterfront. The five-star hotel, rising over Darling Harbour, was one of the most anticipated hotel openings of 2023. 

The IRIS app provides guests with an invaluable reference tool, with instant access to information on the hotel facilities and amenities, F&B menus and local weather and attractions, all of which they can book or order in a few clicks. Furthermore, it supports the hotel with useful revenue generating, upsell opportunities and empowers guests to tailor their hotel experience to their preferences, all from the convenience of their smartphones or tablets.

Anand Prabeer, W Sydney B&F Director, added, “Our implementation of an advanced digital F&B ordering and guest directory app has been a game-changer for our hotel. This technology enables us to offer a seamless digital experience that our guests appreciate, while also streamlining operations for our staff. Within the first 6 months, we've seen a significant rise in room service orders and a notable increase in ancillary revenue. This progress highlights our guests' preference for a mobile-driven experience. We are excited to continue enhancing our guest experience and reinforcing our reputation as a premier luxury hotel.”

Guests at W Sydney will enjoy an unparalleled experience, reduced wait times, and improved order accuracy with mobile ordering, with the app enabling guests to be fully in control of their stay - placing orders and accessing information from their own device, at their own pace, wherever they are.

Graham Rushin, VP Sales and Marketing at IRIS, commented, “We’re delighted with our partnership with the newly opened W Sydney. The team are really engaged and embracing the challenge of meeting and surpassing guest demands for a modern and efficient service.

Through digital ordering and the app's seamless integration into the hotel's operations, W Sydney is enjoying a boost in F&B revenue, optimised staff workflows, and reduced operational costs. 

We are thrilled to build upon our existing success with W Hotels and contribute to W Sydney's commitment to providing exceptional guest experiences."