News Briefs

Torchy’s Tacos has implemented  Oracle Simphony Cloud Point-of-Sale (POS). 

With a single restaurant POS across its 125 US locations, Torchy’s can unify its digital engagement channels and improve operations with automation and real-time data and analytics. This includes supporting better management of staff and costs with easier onboarding, improved inventory management, and faster speed of service. The platform has also enabled Torchy’s Tacos to be more efficient in both its online and mobile ordering channels, which can help to increase sales.

“Though each Torchy's Tacos location has its own unique and different design, our commitment to top-notch ingredients is found in all our kitchens,” said Thai Tran, chief technology officer, of the Austin, Texas-based chain. “Managing local suppliers and menus across various locations requires an enterprise-grade restaurant platform that offers flexibility and seamlessly connects kitchen, inventory, and supply chain systems. With Oracle, we are confident we can meet guest demand and serve up our famous ‘Damn Good’ Tacos faster and more efficiently, no matter how or where they decide to order from us.”

• 26% of restaurants are using AI to improve inventory tracking and the purchasing process, according to HT's 2024 Restaurant Technology Study

Tableside Engagement

Torchy’s Tacos is outfitting its locations with a combination of Oracle Workstation 6 and mobile tablets so that staff can engage with guest’s tableside and fire off orders to the kitchen immediately. Utilizing the expansive library of validated restaurant integrations found on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace, and cross platform extensibility layer, Torchy’s Tacos now has a robust technology stack that can easily expand as they seek out new ways to engage with guests and staff.   

The Simphony Transaction Services and Business Intelligence APIs, core to the Oracle digital technology platform, also ensures real-time menu changes are distributed to digital guest-facing endpoints. Simultaneously, automated transaction data updates back-office systems to help to maximize visibility into business performance. 

“Torchy’s Tacos is a great example of how modern restaurant operators are balancing business performance with brand promise,” said Simon de Montfort Walker, executive vice president and general manager of Oracle Restaurants. “With Oracle’s digital transaction platform, they can effectively test new concepts and add new technology swiftly to help increase the value to the business, guests, and staff.”

Torchy’s Tacos selected Oracle in Q4 FY2023.

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.”

PAR Technology Corp.  has completed the sale of 100% of PAR Government Systems Corp. to Booz Allen Hamilton Inc. in a simultaneous sign and close of the transaction on June 7.

PAR has also entered into a definitive acquisition agreement to sell RRC to NexTech Solutions Holdings, LLC (NTS). Pursuant to the definitive acquisition agreement, NTS will acquire 100% of the issued and outstanding equity interests of RRC with an expected close by the end of Q2, 2024.

“Today’s announcement represents a milestone in advancing PAR’s goal to become the world’s largest technology provider to enterprise foodservice,” said Savneet Singh, PAR Technology’s Chief Executive Officer ... “The divestiture is part of our efforts to divest non-core assets and reinvest capital where it will receive the highest return.”

More than 95,000 restaurants in more than 110 countries use PAR’s restaurant hardware, software, loyalty, drive-thru, and back-office solutions. 

More than three-quarters of surveyed hotels are experiencing a staffing shortage, and hotels are increasing pay, benefits, and perks to recruit and retain employees, according to a May survey of hoteliers conducted by the American Hotel & Lodging Association (AHLA).

Over the last six months, 86% of respondents have increased wages, 52% have offered greater flexibility with hours, and 33% have expanded benefits to cope with the nationwide workforce shortage. Nonetheless, 79% say they are still unable to fill open positions.

Seventy-six percent of survey respondents said they are experiencing a staffing shortage, and 13% reported they are severely understaffed, meaning the shortage is affecting their hotel’s ability to operate. The most critical staffing need is housekeeping, with 50% ranking it as their top hiring need.

These survey results indicate a worsening workforce situation for hoteliers over the last few months. In a January 2024 survey, fewer respondents (67%) said they were experiencing a staffing shortage, and fewer (72%) said they were unable to fill open positions.

In the May survey, however, respondents said they are attempting to fill an average of seven job openings per property, down from almost 9 positions per property in January.

These staffing challenges are resulting in historic career opportunities for hotel employees. Since the pandemic, average hotel wages have increased faster than average wages throughout the general economy, and hotel benefits and flexibility are better than ever.

“Strong summer travel demand and a nationwide workforce shortage have combined to create more pay, perks, and upward mobility for current and prospective hotel employees,” said AHLA Interim President & CEO Kevin Carey. “But hotels need access to more workers to continue creating jobs. AHLA is lobbying Congress and the administration for a variety solutions to grow the workforce, while the AHLA Foundation’s Empowering Youth and Registered Apprenticeship programs continue to give workers the tools and support they need to enter, advance, and succeed in our industry.”

As of April, there were 8.1 million job openings in the United States and only 6.5 million unemployed people to fill those jobs, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. There are tens of thousands of hotel jobs currently open across the nation, according to Indeed.

AHLA is calling on the Department of Homeland Security to expand the workforce by making available nearly 65,000 additional H-2B temporary nonagricultural worker visas as soon as possible, under authority Congress gave it as part of the Further Consolidated Appropriations Act.

Congress can help hoteliers address workforce shortages by taking the following actions:

Expanding and streamlining the legal H-2B guestworker program. The H-2B program allows employers to hire workers from other countries on temporary work permits to fill nonagricultural jobs that last less than one year. The H-2B program is vital to helping independent hotels and resorts in remote vacation destinations fill seasonal roles, but the program is capped at 66,000 visas each year.

Passing the Closing the Workforce Gap Act of 2024 (H.R. 7574). This bipartisan bill would replace the arbitrary annual cap of 66,000 H-2B guestworker visas with a new, needs-based system for allocating visas.

Passing the H-2 Improvements to Relieve Employers (HIRE) Act. This bill would expand the H-2A/H-2B labor certification period to three years and permanently authorize the waiver of in-person interviews for returning workers. The HIRE Act would make it easier for qualified workers to secure jobs in fields that are struggling to recruit and retain enough employees to meet demand. By growing the pool of seasonal workers, the bill would give seasonal small business hotels critical staffing relief and facilitate the hotel industry’s continued recovery.

Passing the Asylum Seeker Work Authorization Act (S.255/H.R.1325). This bill would allow people seeking asylum at ports of entry to be eligible for work authorizations starting 30 days after they apply for asylum, provided their applications are not frivolous; they are not detained; their identities have been verified; and their names are run through the federal government’s terrorist watch lists. This change would help hotels address critical staffing needs by allowing certain asylum seekers to work as soon as 30 days after applying for asylum. Current law prevents them from legally working for at least six months, forcing them to rely on assistance from local governments and communities.

Methodology: AHLA’s Front Desk Feedback survey of 456 hoteliers was conducted May 16-24, 2024.

Cvent, a meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider, announced that it has acquired Reposite, an AI-powered online vendor and supplier sourcing platform. Reposite streamlines the meetings and event planning process with its curated database of more than 35,000 group-friendly offerings, robust request for proposal (RFP) creation tools, and AI-powered quote matching solutions. Thousands of event professionals and leading third-party planners rely on Reposite for their vendor sourcing needs.  

As a long-time leader in hotel and venue sourcing, Cvent – through its acquisition of Reposite – further enhances its vendor and supplier sourcing offerings, enabling event professionals and third-party planners with:  

• Broadened Supplier Discovery and Coordination: More than $16B was sourced through Cvent’s hotel and venue sourcing solutions in 2023. Building on this multi-billion-dollar marketplace, Reposite will extend Cvent’s sourcing offerings with a diverse inventory of vendors across ten unique event-related categories including transportation, restaurants, entertainment, staffing, gifting, and more. In addition, Reposite’s technology will help to grow and expand the Cvent Vendor Marketplace, which offers users a curated network of vendors to support in-person, virtual and hybrid event requirements. 
• AI-Powered Supplier and Vendor Matching: Reposite's AI Matching technology pairs planner RFPs with the best-fit suppliers based on geography, group size, event dates, target audience, and other user preferences. This innovative matching solution removes the manual effort typically required to source and finetune a curated vendor list. 
• Streamlined End-to-End Group and Event Planning: Reposite is purpose-built to power the entire vendor sourcing process – from searching suppliers and generating RFPs, to quote management, customized proposal creation and payments – all within a centralized, easy-to-use workspace. This platform approach streamlines communication and improves efficiency for both event professionals and vendors, ultimately helping deliver greater ROI. 

"Cvent has been a driving force for the meetings and events industry and a long-time inspiration for our business,” said Alexa Berube, Co-Founder of Reposite. “Since founding Reposite in 2020, our aim has always been to create a platform that fuels supplier discovery and seamlessly connects event and travel professionals to the critical vendors they need to deliver successful events.” 

“This announcement marks an exciting new chapter for our Reposite team,” said Heather Stupi, Co-Founder of Reposite. “We’re excited to join an industry leader who shares our passion for connecting the meetings and events ecosystem and powering the human connection through in-person events.” 

"Alexa and Heather have built an impressive vendor sourcing solution in a very short amount of time, and we’re excited to bring their talented team and innovative technology to Cvent,” said Cvent CEO & Founder, Reggie Aggarwal. “Reposite is a perfect complement to our own hotel and venue sourcing platform and aligns seamlessly with our vision of creating a global marketplace where the meetings and events ecosystem can come together to deliver exceptional experiences.” 

Starbucks and Grubhub announced a partnership to bring Grubhub delivery to Starbucks customers in the U.S. Starbucks is the most searched merchant not yet available on Grubhub's Marketplace, and through this partnership, both brands will provide customers with the ultimate convenience of having their Starbucks orders delivered right to their door. 

Beginning this month, Starbucks Delivery with Grubhub will roll out to select markets in Pennsylvania, Colorado and Illinois, with national availability anticipated in all 50 states by August.

"Customer demand to get Starbucks delivered continues to increase, as evidenced by double-digit growth in the U.S. delivery business this past quarter, indicating that our customers continue to want convenience in their everyday lives," said Meg Mathes, vice president of digital experiences at Starbucks. "Our new partnership with Grubhub will help fuel this growth by increasing availability of Starbucks products to Grubhub's tens of millions of customers, via a leading delivery provider."

• Related: How Starbucks is Adapting to a ‘Challenging Operating Environment’

"By joining forces with a beloved national brand like Starbucks, we're offering customers more of what they want on Grubhub while strengthening our enterprise offering and growing our merchant supply in markets nationwide," said Liz Bosone, vice president of enterprise partnerships at Grubhub. "We're proud to offer national and independent restaurants on our platform — a complementary duo — to give customers more choices and build loyalty."

Increased Convenience 

 
Starbucks Delivery will be accessible through the Grubhub mobile app, available on iOS and Android devices, in addition to Grubhub.com. Starbucks and Grubhub have partnered to ensure delivery is as quick as possible so customers can enjoy their Starbucks beverages and food promptly. Customers can track their orders through Grubhub from preparation to drop off.

To ensure quality and assist with delivery, Starbucks developed multiple packaging solutions, including two-cup to-go trays and improved shopper bags, that are used for delivery orders and enable delivery drivers to easily transport multiple beverages at a time.

Customers can order most of the Starbucks menu, including seasonal beverages and food through Grubhub. Additionally, customers can customize their orders just as they would at Starbucks within the Grubhub app, including the ability to choose the amount of espresso shots, flavor, the type of milk and espresso roasts.

Delivering Customer Experience

Grubhub+, Grubhub's $9.99 monthly membership program, provides customers ordering from Starbucks on Grubhub with $0 delivery fees on eligible orders, lower service fees, and exclusive offers. Standard delivery and service fees apply for all other customers.

Over the past decade, Starbucks has continued to innovate the retail experience to connect with customers digitally. Whether through Starbucks Rewards, the Starbucks app or Starbucks Delivery, Starbucks continues to adapt to evolving customer preferences with the belief that the Starbucks experience should be effortless and delightful. Delivering an uplifting, connected, and personalized experience to their customers continues to be a strategic and relevant differentiation that Starbucks offers.