News Briefs

Smart hospitality solutions provider, Hudini, has entered into an agreement with Orascom Hotels Management for the rollout of their new digital platform, Staff Connect, across Orascom’s portfolio of hotels globally.

Orascom Hotels Management has chosen the Staff Connect platform by Hudini to create exceptional guest arrival experiences with tailored personal interaction. Orascom’s vision is to transform the arrival experience by completely removing the front desk. Upon arrival, the guests are welcomed and escorted to their rooms by an Experience Ambassador who is assigned to the guests for the entire stay. With the Staff Connect platform, check-in formalities are completed seamlessly in less than a minute in the comfort of the guests’ room.

Staff Connect has already been successfully implemented across 15 properties within the Orascom portfolio. These properties include Casa Cook, Steigenberger, Club Paradisio, The Chedi and Cooks Club, Mosaique, all of which are located in El Gouna, Egypt.

Staff Connect is a seamless digital platform designed to streamline operations and staff communication, instantly making information accessible to all hotel departments from front desk to housekeeping. Seamlessly integrated with a hotel’s backend systems, the platform can be accessed on various portable devices, ensuring staff have real-time information at their fingertips. With Staff Connect, hotel staff can easily access guest profiles and preferences, leveraging AI-powered insights to deliver personalised promotions, experience recommendations, and curated amenities. Not only does this boost upsell opportunities, but it also creates truly bespoke stays for every guest.

Sanjay Sharma, Chief Technology Officer of Orascom Hotels Management, commented [with Hudini] “the switch to personalised arrival experiences has turned out to be immensely successful with guest feedback such as “stunning” and “out of this world”. In addition, we have attained an unprecedented operational efficiency which resulted in creatively destroying 30 processes across different business units. We have achieved up to 99% time saving in some of the re-engineered processes and significant time savings in in completing processes which free our colleagues to focus more on our valued guests.”

“We are delighted to have been chosen by Orascom Hotels Management to support their hotels around the world in elevating their guest experience with unique check-ins. Staff Connect has proven to not only differentiate the guest journey, but also effectively streamline hotel operations and internal communication”, said Prince Thampi, CEO and founder of Hudini.

TGI Fridays Inc. the owner and operator of 39 domestic restaurants in the  TGI Friday’s casual dining chain,  filed voluntary petitions under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code in the Northern District of Texas. The Company expects to use the time and legal protections made available through the Chapter 11 restructuring process to allow the Company to explore strategic alternatives in order to ensure the long-term viability of the brand.

The TGI Fridays brand and related intellectual property are owned by TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC as a result of a securitization agreement with a separate investor group. These entities are not included in the Chapter 11 process.

TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC has franchised the brand to 56 franchisees in 41 countries. All of these franchise locations, both domestic and international, are independently owned and therefore not included in TGI Fridays Inc.’s Chapter 11 process. They are open and serving customers as usual.

To ensure continuity of service to franchisees, TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC has negotiated a Transition Services Agreement (“TSA”) with – and provided interim funding to – TGI Fridays Inc. to maintain support services for franchisees while TGI Fridays Franchisor, LLC works to implement a new long-term support structure.

In addition to supporting franchise restaurants, TGI Fridays Inc. maintains operations across its corporate- owned restaurants in the U.S. The Company has secured a commitment for debtor-in-possession financing to support operations while proceeding through the Chapter 11 process. It also filed motions with the Bankruptcy Court that, when approved, will allow the Company to, among other things, continue its customer programs in the normal course. These motions are typical of the Chapter 11 process and are expected to be heard and approved in the first days of the case.

"The next steps announced today are difficult but necessary actions to protect the best interests of our stakeholders, including our domestic and international franchisees and our valued team members around the world," said Rohit Manocha, Executive Chairman of TGI Fridays Inc. "The primary driver of our financial challenges resulted from COVID-19 and our capital structure. This restructuring will allow our go- forward restaurants to proceed with an optimized corporate infrastructure that enables them to reach their full potential."
 

A Look Back

TGI Fridays Inc.  is the latest brand to file voluntary Chapter 11 in 2024, including  Roti, Buca di Beppo, World of Beer, Melted Bar & Grill, Kuma's Corner and Tijuana Flats, to name a few. RL Investor Holdings LLC acquired the bankrupt Red Lobster restaurant chain in September.   

BurgerFi International, Inc., owner of the casual dining chain Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and BurgerFi,  filed voluntary petitions for reorganization. On Oct. 31,  BurgerFi was sold out of bankruptcy to lender TREW Capital Management in a credit bid of $44 million.  TREW also purchased bankrupt Rubio's in August for $40 million. 

PAR Technology announces the introduction of Punchh  Wallet, a fully customizable digital wallet designed to bridge the gap between loyalty and payments. Punchh Wallet redefines the checkout experience and how restaurants engage with their guests by seamlessly integrating payment orchestration with loyalty programs across every channel—both within and beyond the app.

Punchh Wallet goes beyond streamlining checkout—it transforms every transaction into a valuable opportunity for deeper engagement. Whether guests are using in-app features like saved payments and stored value or out-of-app options like digital passes and Apple Wallet®, Punchh Wallet simplifies each step while providing restaurants powerful insights into guest behavior. This holistic approach not only enhances the customer experience but also drives increased lifetime value and strategic revenue growth.

“Restaurants are always searching for that sweet spot where simplicity meets innovation,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology. “Punchh Wallet isn’t just about streamlining processes—it’s about solving complex technological challenges that have hindered restaurants. Since its launch earlier this year, it has already demonstrated remarkable success, for example, by helping brands achieve a 6.5x lift in customer frequency. This is just the beginning, and we’re excited for what’s next.”

For customers granted early access to Punchh Wallet features, initial results have been remarkable, including:

• 163% increase in customer lifetime value
• 70% increase in sign-ups from customers using Apple Pay®
• 6.5x lift in customer frequency

At a time when nearly 80% of Gen Z consumers use digital wallets, and experts predict digital wallets will replace plastic cards by 2030, the demand for seamless, integrated technology is more critical than ever. Punchh Wallet meets this need by delivering a unified, streamlined loyalty and checkout experience that prepares restaurants for future success while offering immediate, tangible benefits.

Key Benefits of Punchh Wallet:

• Saved Payments – No more juggling between physical cards and the app. Now guests can securely save credit cards in the app and at checkout, simply scan the QR code to pay, earn, and redeem rewards – all at once.
• Stored Value: Forget the hassle of physical gift cards - load and auto-reload stored value reducing time at the POS and increasing convenience with the ability to pay with one tap or scan at checkout.
• Subscriptions: Offer loyal guests exclusive food passes at preferred pricing, all while creating a recurring revenue stream for your brand.
• Apple Wallet Loyalty & Digital Passes: No app? No problem. Guests can join, participate in your loyalty program, and pay directly through Apple Wallet® and Google Wallet®, eliminating the need for traditional apps.

“Punchh Wallet makes it easy for Apple Pay users to join our loyalty program, expanding our reach and engagement beyond the app. The seamless one-tap experience for collecting points, redeeming rewards, and paying has simplified the checkout process for our guests, leading to stronger customer engagement and loyalty,” Lauren Traylor, Director of Marketing at Salsarita’s Fresh Mexican Grill.

Simplify Operations

Punchh Wallet aligns with PAR Technology’s mission to simplify restaurant operations and enhance customer engagement through connected, future-ready solutions. By unifying loyalty, payments, and guest data under one roof, Punchh Wallet overcomes the technological challenges that have deterred many restaurants from adopting integrated systems. This streamlined orchestration reduces the need for multiple vendors, driving operational efficiency and boosting revenue for restaurants.

“Punchh Wallet is helping us increase engagement in our app and provides our guests the added convenience at checkout to effortlessly pay and reap the rewards of our Healthy Rewards™ loyalty program—all in one click,” said Shannon Murphy, Senior Director of Digital Marketing & Loyalty at Smoothie King. “The ability to segment and incentivize users to utilize both saved payments and stored value in one execution is an incredibly compelling proposition for us as we continue to focus on digital growth.”

For more information, please visit partech.com.

The United Kingdom-based Access Group has entered an agreement to acquire Paytronix, a provider in guest engagement for restaurants and convenience stores, from Boston-based Great Hill Partners. 

Terms of the deal were not disclosed. 

This investment represents one of Access Group’s most significant acquisitions in its 30-plus-year history and is a major step forward for the Group as it continues to focus on its product offering in the United States. Access Group, known as a provider of business management software to mid-market organisations in Europe, the US and Asia Pacific, hopes to add further support to the Paytronix team, helping to accelerate its growth and expand the footprint, bringing high-quality products and a digital guest engagement platform to more clients worldwide, helping them to excel in meeting ever-evolving customer demands. 

Guest Engagement Platform

Currently, the full Paytronix guest engagement platform includes numerous capabilities for online ordering, loyalty, omnichannel messaging, branded mobile apps, gift cards, third-party marketplace management, and payments. Leveraging data from transactions and personalized customer accounts, Paytronix creates targeted marketing campaigns that motivate increased interaction and spending throughout the customer journey. Paytronix will retain its name and plans to integrate its platform with a selection of Access products; the enhanced comprehensive suite of products and services will further improve the guest experience. 

Founded in 2001 by executive chairman Andrew Robbins, Paytronix is based in Newton, Mass. Its platform is deployed in over 50,000 sites across 1,800 brands and has processed more than 40bn consumer transactions. It boasts over 500 partnerships including many of the biggest names in the restaurant and convenience space, such as Google and Apple Pay, Toast, Square, DoorDash, UberEats, and many more. Their customers range from single operators to successful regional chains and large multi-unit enterprises like Panera, Qdoba, Nando’s and Five Guys. 

Paytronix was purchased by Boston-based Great Hill Partners in 2017, and they have been a valued accelerator of the company’s rapid growth. “We’ve had the privilege of working alongside Great Hill Partners to deliver our solutions and services to the innovative restaurant and convenience store brands that we proudly call clients,” said Paytronix CEO, Jeff Hindman. “The acquisition by The Access Group is the beginning of another stage in our growth, and I’m excited to say that from here we’re only going to build upon the service and capabilities that our clients know us for.  

“Joining a global force such as Access will further broaden the software solutions available to our current and future client base, enhancing the value we can offer and helping to solve everyday business challenges.” 

“Since our founding, we’ve worked to help clients build one-to-one interactions, enhance customer engagement and streamline operations for their businesses. Billions of transactions and millions of data-driven guest profiles later we realize our vision every time an AI-enhanced campaign is sent, which is nearly once every minute,” continued Hindman. “Joining a global force such as Access will further broaden the software solutions available to our current and future client base, enhancing the value we can offer and helping to solve everyday business challenges.” 

“We are incredibly proud of the progress and achievements made by Paytronix during our partnership. Over the past seven years, Paytronix has demonstrated remarkable growth and innovation, solidifying its position as a leader in guest engagements,” said Nick Cayer, Managing Director at Great Hill Partners. “We are confident that Paytronix will be well positioned under the Access umbrella, and we wish Jeff and the entire team success moving forward.” 

The Access Group has extensive experience in delivering world-class technology solutions to the hospitality sector across the UK, Europe and APAC with a suite of products covering front-of-house and operations, including the ResDiary online reservations management system, Wireless Social guest wi-fi and QikServe digital order and pay capabilities. The company’s leading software solutions also cover HR, payroll, learning, staff scheduling, procurement, EPoS, property management and accounting. 

FAT Brands Inc., parent company of Great American Cookies, Marble Slab Creamery and 16 other restaurant concepts, announces the launch of a brand new app experience and loyalty program for sister brands Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery – the Great American Cookies and Marble Slab Creamery Rewards App.

• 58% of diners say they'd like to receive complimentary products & services from a loyalty program, according to HT's 2024 Customer Engagement Technology Study

QSR Automations,announced a strategic, majority growth investment from Battery Ventures, a global, technology-focused investment firm. This investment represents a pivotal moment in QSR Automations’ history, positioning the company for accelerated growth, enhanced innovation, and expanded market reach.

Founded in 1996, QSR Automations has been at the forefront of developing innovative technology solutions for the restaurant industry, including kitchen display systems (KDS), guest management software, table management, and digital recipe solutions. With nearly three decades of experience, the company has built a reputation for improving operational efficiency, enhancing guest experiences, and driving profitability for restaurant operators worldwide. The company’s ConnectSmart technology is currently used in 21 of the nation’s 25 largest casual-dining chains including The Cheesecake Factory and Brinker International.

A New CEO

Alongside the new investment, QSR Automations announced that Battery Executive-in-Residence Robbie Payne, a longtime software-industry executive, will become the company’s new CEO. Angela Leet, who has served as CEO of the company since 2021, will remain involved with the company as a board member.

“I have been so impressed with the business Angela and her team have built at QSR Automations, and the traction the company has gotten inside large restaurant accounts,” said Payne, who previously ran Battery-backed, smart-manufacturing solutions company CAMBRIO, which was acquired by Sweden’s Sandvik AB three years ago. “We are excited about working with the team to help take QSR Automations to the next level and scaling the business through this next growth phase.”

Leet said,“It’s been such an honor to lead this company. But now, my team and I are incredibly excited for QSR Automations’ next chapter. Partnering with Battery allows us to re-focus on our product development efforts, expand our market reach, and continue delivering exceptional value to our customers. This acquisition provides the resources and expertise we need to innovate even faster and meet the evolving needs of the restaurant industry.”

A Winning Record

Battery Ventures has a long history of backing and scaling business-focused software companies,including those in the hospitality technology space. In restaurant tech, Battery has backed Olo, Crunchtime, and Vita Mojo.

“QSR Automations has built an impressive platform that we feel provides a critical service to restaurant operators worldwide,” said Battery General Partner Morad Elhafed. “We see a unique opportunity to build on their success and are thrilled to partner with such an innovative team to help drive the next phase of growth.” Elhafed will join the company’s board, along with his Battery colleagues Satoshi Harris-Koizumi and Becca Jones.

The Battery growth investment is designed to accelerate QSR Automations’ ability to deliver cutting-edge technology solutions that help restaurant operators streamline their operations, improve guest satisfaction, and optimize their workflows. The company will continue to operate under its existing brand, with no immediate changes to its day-to-day operations.