News Briefs

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.

Sage Hotel Management, a Sage Hospitality Group company, announced that Robert Butler has been promoted to Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer. In this role, Butler will have complete oversight of Sage’s growing portfolio of more than 60 independent, branded and soft-branded hotels in 16 states and the District of Columbia, with Senior Vice Presidents and Vice Presidents of Sage’s Independent Hotel Collection, Premier Collection and Upscale Collection all reporting to him.

“I am beyond proud to put oversight of our entire portfolio of hotels in the hands of such a talented and capable leader,” said Daniel del Olmo, president of hotels and restaurants for Sage Hospitality Group. “Robert is a proven senior executive with an impressive track record of delivering results by nurturing relationships with all stakeholders, making him the right person to take on the responsibilities of this position. As we continue to grow our portfolio in pursuit of our vision to become America’s favorite lifestyle hospitality company, I am very grateful to have a leader like Robert on our team.”

“Beyond his expertise as a leader and business partner, there are few who embrace our purpose of Enriching Lives, One Experience at a Time more than him,” del Olmo added. “It makes me so proud that an outstanding and like-hearted human like Robert has chosen to continue his career here with us.”

Butler’s career in hospitality spans more than 30 years, where he has consistently demonstrated the ability to lead hotel teams to deliver exceptional performance. Butler spent 14 years at Sage from 2004-2018, culminating in his role as Senior Vice President of the Premium Branded Division. After a short time away, Butler returned to Sage in August 2022 as Executive Vice President of the Premier and Upscale Collections where he has driven operational excellence at all properties in those collections. Outside of his focus on delivering meaningful results, Butler is dedicated to nurturing long-term partnerships with various ownership groups, growing and mentoring talented hoteliers and creating career paths for associates while driving superior associate engagement.

“It’s an honor to step into this role with Sage Hotel Management, and I look forward to continuing to build on the success of our teams as we continue to drive our portfolio forward,” Butler said. “I’m looking forward to exceeding expectations for our owners and partners for years to come.”

Hospitality management company Charlestowne Hotels announces the promotion of Maxwell Spangler to Vice President of Technology. During his 10-year tenure at Charlestowne, Spangler has overseen the strategic growth of the company’s evolving tech stack and road map, developing and deploying new software and systems, and identifying continued opportunities for innovation.  

“Max’s vast knowledge of the technology sector and his thoughtful leadership have been indispensable to Charlestowne’s continued growth,” said Kyle Hughey, Chief Executive Officer of Charlestowne Hotels. “With a keen pulse on industry trends and the tech landscape, Max is always a few steps ahead, keeping Charlestowne ahead of the curve when it comes to imaginative solutions. His growth within our organization is a testament to an unyielding desire for excellence, and a dedication to shepherding our team through the ever-changing currents of innovation." 

As a respected industry expert, Spangler leads on implementing cutting-edge tech tools across Charlestowne’s portfolio of 40+ properties. He ensures Charlestowne’s in-house team and on-site property managers are nimble enough to embrace emerging tech trends and also fully understand best practices surrounding key industry topics, such as information security and data integrity. 

Most notably, Spangler helped Charlestowne adapt during the pandemic to ensure long-term resilience as the hospitality industry shifted to technologies that enhanced safety, improved operational efficiency, and reimagined how to attract and serve guests.  

Spangler has a strong background in hotel operations and systems programming, having spent the early part of his career working in front-of-house and corporate positions within the Charlestowne Hotels portfolio. Some of his key achievements include obtaining optimum performance in financial reporting and strategic capital planning for a range of independent properties and designing and deploying new software—like the Groupify hospitality application—which Charlestowne used to manage and increase profitability for group business. Spangler’s new role enables him to join other VPs in lending strategy and building out more tools to support Charlestowne’s continued growth.  

“It’s been a joy to be part of Charlestowne’s portfolio growth over the years, and I look forward to bringing my passion for technology to our team in an even more impactful way through this new role,” said Spangler. “The company’s commitment to marrying timeless service culture with ongoing innovation is evident in the evolution of our tech team. I’m proud to be part of a forward-thinking company that embraces best practices and welcomes new ideas in the tech sector.” 

Sweetgreen has hired Chad Brauze, Head of Culinary, and Michael Kotick, VP, Head of Marketing.

Michael Kotick adds award-winning marketing, innovation, and communications experience to the team from his time working with fast casual and CPG food brands. In his role, Michael will be responsible for overseeing Sweetgreen’s marketing and menu strategy, and will report to Nathaniel Ru, Co-Founder and Chief Brand Officer.

Prior to joining Sweetgreen, Kotick served as Chipotle’s Senior Director of Marketing. He was responsible for driving Chipotle’s purpose-driven marketing through national campaigns, brand and sustainability actions, menu and product innovation, digital marketing, loyalty program growth, and in-restaurant experience. 

Kotick has been recognized as one of Business Insider’s 25 Rising Stars in Brand Marketing, and has earned a Master's in Global Management from Thunderbird School of Global Management, an MBA in Marketing and Finance from Michigan State University, and a BA in Economics from Michigan State University.

Chad Brauze brings extensive menu innovation experience from quick service to fast casual and fine dining restaurants. In his role, Chad will be responsible for overseeing the Sweetgreen menu development and the innovation roadmap, and will report to Nicolas Jammet, Co-Founder and Chief Concept Officer.

Brauze joins Sweetgreen from Burger King where he was the Senior Director of Culinary Innovation and Sustainability. Prior to that, he was the Director of Culinary and Menu Development at Chipotle Mexican Grill.

Juniper Group is excited to announce the successful acquisition of Vervotech, a tech start-up making significant strides in the Travel Industry with innovative products, particularly hotel mapping and room mapping solutions.

Vervotech's flagship product, Vervotech Mappings, has gained widespread recognition in the travel sector for its ability to ensure consistency and accuracy in hotel data. This strategic addition complements Juniper's powerful booking engine, setting the stage for a synergistic collaboration that aims to revolutionize the industry.

With this acquisition, Vervotech gains access to Juniper's extensive resources and vast industry knowledge. This empowers the company to enhance the capabilities of its products, making them more intelligent and efficient, while also investing further in research and development to remain at the forefront of cutting-edge travel technology.

"Joining forces with Juniper is an incredible opportunity for Vervotech to impact the global travel industry. By combining our expertise with Juniper's industry-leading booking engine, we'll deliver unparalleled value to our customers and partners," said Sanjay Ghare, Co-founder and CEO of Vervotech. "Leveraging Juniper's network and resources, we aim to establish a strong foothold in Europe, North America, and the Middle East, providing cutting-edge solutions to a diverse range of travel companies and enhancing their business performance."

With this acquisition, Vervotech will continue to operate independently, driven by the same passion and dedication that has made them a leading force in the travel technology sector. This will enable Vervotech to integrate with more tech partners, alongside Juniper Travel Technology, allowing the company to serve more customers around the world.

"We are excited to welcome Vervotech to the Juniper family," said Jaime Sastre, CEO at Juniper Group. "Their mapping products and solutions perfectly align with our vision of driving transformation in the travel industry through advanced technology. With Vervotech's expertise, we are confident in providing our customers and our travel technology companies with even more comprehensive and reliable mapping solutions, empowering them to thrive in today's competitive landscape."

eTip, the leading cashless tipping and digital gratuity platform in North America, today announces its general market availability in the United Kingdom (UK) and various nations of the European Union (EU). The launch furthers eTip’s market expansion strategy, enabling it to service customers with global portfolios and franchise businesses, as well as to reach new international service industry businesses. The launch solidifies eTip as the pioneering solution for digital tipping internationally with support for customers operating in the United States, Canada, and Europe.

“eTip has been on the forefront of providing digital tipping to customers in the US and Canada,” notes Nicolas Cassis, CEO and Co-founder at eTip. “With expanded market availability, we can meet the demand we’ve heard from customers with global portfolios, as well as support non-US brands eager to provide tipping and gratuity payouts to hospitality, retail, and restaurant workers in real time.”

eTip’s customers range across the services sector, including retail, restaurants, hospitality, and any industry where a worker’s income includes gratuity, tips, and service fees. Customers include leading brands across these industries that leverage eTip’s platform to support digital acceptance and disbursements of gratuity and tipping that utilize eTip as a benefit to incentivize employee retention, as well as businesses that wish to provide their guests with a secure and contact-free way to show cashless appreciation for services directly from their digital wallets or with a QR code.

eTip accelerated its efforts to launch in Europe to prepare customers in advance of changes to European labor regulations that are actively impacting any businesses that accept tips. In May 2024, the UK’s Employment (Allocation of Tips) Act 2022 received royal assent. The Act creates a legal obligation for employers to fairly distribute gratuity, tips, and applicable service charges between workers and is slated to be enforced by May 2024. With eTip, impacted businesses can seamlessly meet the new requirements, including digitally dividing qualifying tips and charges fairly, allocating tips instantly, well within the one-month payout period, and maintain records in line with reporting standards. Further, the eTip employee app enables workers to track gratuity and tips in a single app, request payouts in real time, and hold employers accountable to the new standards. The regulation follows similar regulatory reforms sweeping Europe, including Ireland’s Payment of Wages (Amendment) (Tips and Gratuities) Act 2022 which went into effect in December 2022 and where eTip is already actively working with customers.

In addition to the ability to meet current changes and forthcoming regulatory requirements in tipping, customers working with eTip benefit by being able to scale digital tipping to existing or upcoming operational expansion plans. Customers can leverage eTip’s existing benefits integration or utilize its turnkey service, lowering the barrier of setting up payouts when entering a new market. Further reducing employee onboarding friction, eTip is available in multiple languages, including Spanish, Italian, French, English, and any language native to the markets its customers operate in.

The general availability of eTip in Ireland, the United Kingdom, and in time, all nations of the EU is a critical step in its broader vision to bolster service sector businesses and empower workers globally by digitizing archaic cash-heavy functions with a seamless digital tipping and gratuity solutions.