News Briefs

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.”

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

As rising costs continue to cut into profit margins, restaurants and retailers are implementing automation technology to grow their business. Software Advice’s 2024 Automated Customer Experience Survey of over 2,000 global consumers, found that consumers rate automation most acceptable for self-checkout and help locating products in stores, but do have concerns when it comes to food preparation, cleaning, and security.

A majority (72%) of consumers are already loyal users of automated technologies such as self-checkout, curbside pickup, and contactless payment. Yet fewer than half have experienced the most cutting-edge retail technologies such as AI-enabled cashierless checkout and augmented reality try-on tools. Consumers believe automated tech has brought speed and convenience to in-store shopping and restaurant ordering, and many are ready for more to be introduced.

Software Advice’s survey identifies three consumer automation trends to help businesses with implementation strategies:

Trend #1: Consumers want more speed and efficiency

Today’s consumers are in a rush when they shop in-store. Nearly a quarter (73%) of global consumers want to get in and out of the grocery store as quickly as possible, and 52% say the same of other retail stores.

To that end, most consumers use technology that speeds up transactions. For example, most consumers prefer self-checkout to staffed checkout when they have under 20 items, need to make a purchase quickly, or want to avoid a time-consuming conversation. However, this tech isn’t a cure-all for customers in a time crunch—the overall experience rating with self-checkout declines significantly with an increase in age, suggesting that stores can’t eliminate human assistance if they want to be inclusive. Close to a third (29%) of users experienced an issue or delay the last time they used the technology.

At restaurants, nearly half (49%) of diners say they’re likely to order food through an artificial intelligence tool, such as a chatbot or drive-thru, both of which have the potential to reduce time taken to order by serving customers personalized recommendations based on preferences and past orders.

Trend #2: Today’s customer values autonomy and privacy

Consumers now rely on technology to get information they would have had to seek out from human store associates in the recent past. Today, most consumers rarely seek out interaction with retail employees and often have already researched online what they want to purchase prior to leaving their houses. When shopping in physical stores, 62% of global consumers pull out their smartphones to compare online prices to what they see on shelves and browse product reviews.

Consumers believe technology makes their in-store shopping experiences more efficient and safer but are concerned about how that technology may use and protect their personal data.

With the recent expansion of AI-equipped security cameras at self-checkout kiosks, many customers are aware that their purchases, and their likenesses, are never truly private, even when they scan and bag their own items.

Trend #3: Humans are irreplaceable for personalization, empathy and safety

Only 33% of global consumers think it’s acceptable for businesses to exclusively use automated tech to deliver personalized recommendations. Fewer still think it's okay for businesses to fully automate store security. Only a slightly higher figure, 35% say it's okay for businesses to fully automate returns, exchanges, and refunds. Customers don’t find it acceptable for stores to rely on robots and software to handle complex problem-solving tasks, or tasks that keep people and spaces clean and safe.

Most consumers (67%) say human-centered customer service at restaurants is very important, while 31% say the same of retail and grocery stores. Over half (55%) of global consumers say automated food preparation is unacceptable for both quick service and table service restaurants. Some diners are more open to robot servers at quick service restaurants (30%) and table service (10%) but are still in the minority.

The full report offers additional findings, expert analysis, and recommendations to help automate functions without alienating customers.

Biscuitville,  the 80+ location family-owned regional fast-food restaurant chain, signs on with Lunchbox to launch the brand's first native online ordering platform. The announcement comes at a time when the enterprise brand is eyeing an expected 7-8 corporate stores opening annually and doubling down on investments in guest-engagement solutions.

"We are excited to partner with Lunchbox to launch Biscuitville's first online ordering website. Lunchbox has a great track record and functionality that we anticipate will transform our customer experience. This venture with Lunchbox and our POS system (CBS NorthStar) highlights our commitment to meeting the demands of today's digital-savvy consumers," said Biscuitville's Chief Information Officer, Jeff Archer. "It also positions Biscuitville for long-term success in the rapidly evolving digital ordering marketplace."

Biscuitville will leverage the Lunchbox Web Ordering platform with a fully branded custom user interface (UI) and POS-integrated system that enables a seamless operational flow for its front and back-of-house staff.

The announcement follows the emergence of a preferred partnership between Lunchbox and CBS NorthStar — an enterprise restaurant POS software provider in hospitality management solutions. Integrating seamlessly into the CBS NorthStar point-of-sale system, the partnership opens the door for all CBS customers to enroll in the full Lunchbox suite of order management solutions, including App and Web Ordering, Catering, Loyalty, Marketing CRM, and more.

• 85% say integrations with other systems is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

"We are thrilled to partner with Lunchbox, leveraging their solutions to enhance our comprehensive POS solution. This collaboration is more than a technological upgrade; it's a transformative endeavor that promises to streamline operations, amplify customer engagement, and drive growth across all our partnered brands. By integrating Lunchbox's capabilities into CBS NorthStar, we are setting a new standard for innovation and service in the hospitality industry.", commented CTO Anthony Presley of CBS NorthStar.

"Partnering with Biscuitville marks a significant milestone for both, Lunchbox and CBS," said Nabeel Alamgir, CEO and Co-Founder of Lunchbox. "It's an important piece to their future expansion, tapping into best-in-class customer engagement to scale their market reach. We look forward to helping Biscuitville propel towards achieving its ambitious growth targets and transforming how its customers interact with their brand."

A whalloping 89% of diners are bothered by inconsistent experiences making more than half (57%) of them less likely to go back, according to Tillster's 2024 Phygital Index Report.

Consistency is key for delivering on the demands for a phygital restaurant experience, according to the second annual report from the global provider of unified commerce solutions for restaurant brands. Tillster’s sixth annual consumer index uncovers what consumers are seeking from their dining experiences when it comes to digital ordering, self-service kiosks, delivery, pickup, coupons, loyalty programs, and more.

Great Expectations

The survey of more than 1,000 U.S.-based quick-service and fast-casual diners uncovers consumers' expectations for digital ordering in the restaurant and off-premise. Demand for customizable and personalized experiences continues to grow, and this year diners continue to set a high bar for expectations when it comes to consistency across the digital and physical experience. 89% of diners say inconsistent experiences across locations of the same QSR chain bothers them, and these inconsistent experiences make 57% of diners less likely to go back. Nearly half of QSR customers have experienced digital tools not working together the way they should be which leaves the vast majority of them (93%) frustrated. However, this creates an opportunity for restaurant brands to close the gap and benefit from improved consistency in the experience provided across physical and digital engagements with customers which can ultimately drive higher frequency, deeper loyalty and larger check size.

To help brands create more seamless, personalized and customizable phygital experiences, the Phygital Index Report uncovers a range of pain points and solutions, including:

• Self-service kiosk adoption is growing, helping operators navigate labor and cost challenges. 57% of those who use kiosks wish restaurants had more self-service kiosks available, compared to 36% of diners who said the same last year. Kiosks are gaining traction for the convenience they offer customers and for the way they can help offset labor costs for operators.
• The third-party bubble burst. Diners have favored third-party platforms for the variety of choices, but the advantage is waning. Today, 17% of diners expect to reduce their use of third-party websites/apps in favor of restaurant-specific websites/apps in the coming year. There’s an opportunity to shift focus to mobile apps and websites, where 47% of diners are eager to see more exclusive offers and discounts. With the shift, operators gain the opportunity to engage and retain customers in new ways with first-party data and direct connections.
• Pickup picks up, but parking is a problem. 89% of diners who have used curbside pickup say they would be more likely to visit a QSR that offers curbside pickup in the coming year (up from 69% last year). While diners demand more curbside, logistical challenges are a pain point. Over half of customers (55%) who ordered pickup in the last three months have had issues with parking when collecting their order, presenting a clear focus area for operators.
• Personalization has become the expectation. More than half (58%) of diners are likely to recommend a QSR based on a positive personalized ordering experience. In fact, 33% of diners have even decided not to order from a QSR because the ordering experience was not personalized to their preferences — up from 21% who said so in 2023. There's an opportunity for restaurant operators to uplevel personalization in the ordering process.

“As restaurants continue to adjust their digital transformation strategies, it’s never been more important to build synergy between the digital and physical tools and components of the QSR dining experience,” said Perse Faily, CEO of Tillster. “It’s clear from our Phygital Index Report for 2024 that today’s diners want interconnected, yet tailored and personalized experiences. We initiated this report to uncover consumer preferences to help brands and operators deepen their understanding of the tools and how they can create more seamless, meaningful and valuable experiences for customers and boost profitability.”

View the complete Tillster’s Phygital Index report here..

Patrick Kirk – previously Vice President of Bar and Beverage for Applebee's Neighborhood Grill + Bar  – has joined Fuzzy’s Taco Shop's leadership team as Chief Marketing Officer. In his new role, Kirk will continue to define the Fuzzy’s Taco Shop experience as he develops and delivers strategic direction across all aspects of marketing including advertising, digital marketing, and culinary and beverage innovation.

“Over the past eight years, Patrick has disrupted the casual dining industry through stand out marketing campaigns at Applebee’s,” says Paul Damico, President of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “His ability to create strategic platforms and forge strong brand and franchisee partnerships with a focus on creating buzzworthy and fun guest experiences is undeniable. I look forward to the new expertise and creative thinking he’ll bring to our talented team.”

With more than 23 years of experience in the restaurant industry, Kirk was responsible for creating industry-leading beverage programs and building trusted relationships at national brands, including Applebee’s, Tony Roma’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings. In his previous role, Kirk led the vision and strategy for Applebee’s bar and beverage experience across restaurants nationwide, growing his marketing department into a substantial revenue driver for the business.

“I love Fuzzy’s badass attitude and strong values,” says Patrick Kirk, Chief Marketing Officer of Fuzzy’s Taco Shop. “After Dine Brands acquired Fuzzy’s in 2022, I’ve had the chance to get to know the team and have been impressed by the way the brand brings its Baja vibe to life and connects with guests. I can’t wait to dive in further with the team to unlock the brand’s marketing potential.”

Kirk currently is a member of Millennium Advisory Board, a collection of industry leaders helping shape the future of on-premise beverage. He has also served on other industry councils including the VIBE Conference and the Bar & Nightclub Expo. He earned his Bachelor of Science degree and graduated with honors from the University of Illinois.