News Briefs

Firebirds Wood Fired Grill selected NCR Corp.'s Aloha to transform its operations

Firebirds operates casual American restaurants in 21 states via its headquarters in Charlotte, North Carolina. The NCR Commerce Platform unifies all of NCR Aloha’s capabilities and provides a cloud-based solution that is boosting Firebirds’ efficiency and creating a great dining experience.

More than a POS

71% of restaurants are leveraging data gathered via the POS for digital engagement, according to HTs 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

With NCR Aloha, Firebirds is able to get "operational and financial insights through analytics, can easily integrate solutions through the cloud and deploy directly to all our restaurants, and have a single point of support for faster IT resolutions,” said Patrick Greene, Vice President of Information Technology.

NCR’s solutions also extend to the  FIREBAR, its in-house bar, where handheld devices are making service smoother and helping increase revenue.  

NCR is a full end-to-end provider from order creation to payment settlement that brings together software, services and hardware -- trusted by more than 100,000 restaurant sites. NCR Aloha provides everything enterprise and SMB restaurants need to connect and run their businesses.

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.

Mews has been selected by Romantik Hotels as an official PMS partner for their portfolio of 200+ unique hotels across Europe. 

The international brand represents independent hoteliers with generations of experience. Many of the hotels are family-owned and are known for their strong sense of tradition and individual hospitality, creating special connections between guests and their environments.

“Romantik hoteliers put the guest experience before anything else, which is why we’ve chosen Mews as a PMS provider,” said Christina Neumann, Manager, Business Development at Romantik Hotels. “Their guest-centric platform is designed to put experiences before processes, and it gives each hotel the power to curate distinct and memorable stays.” 

“You can really feel the passion that the Romantik Hotels teams have for their work, which is why I know this partnership is a great fit,” said Matt Welle, Mews CEO. “I look forward to onboarding plenty of hotels in the coming months and helping them to meet their ambitious goals.” 

A direct, two-way connection to DIRS21 – a reservations and channel manager solution – was essential for the partnership. Mews built a new integration with DIRS21, allowing all Romantik Hotels to manage booking data centrally via Mews, with automatic inventory and rate updates. 

This is now available to any Mews hotelier on Mews Marketplace, which hosts approximately 800 live integrations, many of which can be connected with just a handful of clicks. 

Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a provider of hospitality technology, present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index, for the second quarter of this year. The Index, which combines event data from Knowland with hotel booking data from Amadeus to give both individual and aggregate views of the key drivers of hotel performance, was first launched in June and is updated on a quarterly basis.

With its 2Q 2023 data release, the Index now includes data for the Top 25 U.S. Markets. This quarter’s data shows that fourteen of the top markets have fully recovered group revenue in comparison to the same time in 2019. The recovered group markets (with percent of 2019 revenue) include:

1. Miami – 115 percent
2. Tampa - 114 percent
3. Orlando – 113 percent
4. Phoenix – 112 percent
5. Dallas – 108 percent
6. Houston – 107 percent
7. San Antonio – 105 percent
8. Denver – 105 percent
9. San Diego – 104 percent
10. New Orleans – 103 percent
11. Washington DC – 101 percent
12. St. Louis – 101 percent
13. Los Angeles – 101 percent
14. Austin – 100 percent

Key insights from the 2Q 2023 Index are as follows:

• Group business leads recovery – Group business continues to lead in recovery as Q2 2023 is at 102 percent of Q2 2019 levels, driven by a nearly 11 percent increase in Average Daily Rate (ADR) while room nights are lagging 8 percent behind Q2 2019 levels.

• Meetings and events provide a stabilizing revenue base – Supported by increased rates, both actualized group room revenue and event activity increased slightly in 2Q 2023 compared to 1Q 2023. This continues an overall trend of increases in group business since early 2022, providing a strong basis for optimism in terms of forward-looking occupancy and revenue in 2H 2023 and 1H 2024 as hotels build on the foundation of group business booked further in advance while identifying opportunities to capture shorter term transient demand.
• Corporate meetings significantly outperform other segments – Corporate meetings and events accounted for 62 percent of events held during the second quarter with Health Care, Technology and Training/Education as the top volume industry segments.
   

Launched in June, the Index was designed to help hotel sales teams and operators identify the top markets driving group business, enabling hotel sales teams to strategically target these markets and drive increased sales.

The Index compares figures quarterly to same-time performance before the pandemic in 2019, rolling up the data to score the overall ‘health’ of the industry. The Index also includes filters to view top event market segments and industries booking group events, allowing hoteliers, DMOs and CVBs to closely track trends and adapt their business strategies accordingly.

Bloomin’ Brands Inc. announced the promotion of Sheilina Henry to President of Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar. She will be responsible for leading operations and development for the company’s fine dining brand.

“Sheilina’s extensive background in operations and her drive and passion for excellence will help create a meaningful impact at this exceptional brand,” said David Deno, Chief Executive Officer of Bloomin' Brands. “New restaurant growth is a priority at Fleming’s, and it is as close as the new flagship location that recently broke ground across the street from the Restaurant Support Center in Tampa.”

Henry has more than 20 years of experience in restaurant operations, training, and project management. She joined Bloomin’ Brands in 2012 as an Outback Steakhouse Joint Venture Partner. She was promoted to Vice President, Training & Development in 2016, Regional Vice President of Operations in 2019, and Group Vice President of Diversity, Equity & Inclusion in 2020. She most recently added leadership for Off-Premises Dining to her Senior Vice President responsibilities.

Bloomin' Brands. has four founder-inspired brands: Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's Italian Grill, Bonefish Grill and Fleming's Prime Steakhouse and Wine Barand operates more than 1,450 restaurants.