News Briefs

Chris Kung has joined Zaxby's as its new Chief Digital Officer. He will lead the transformation and acceleration of the company's Loyalty and e-Commerce initiatives.  

"Zaxbys rapid expansion requires the investment of world-class leaders and resources," said Bernard Acoca, Zaxbys CEO. "Chris's expertise in e-Commerce and loyalty programs will help drive incremental growth and enhance the Zaxbys experience as digital touchpoints continue to proliferate throughout the customer journey. His arrival will help us build stronger relationships with our guests by deepening our understanding of their needs and rewarding their patronage with personalized experiences." 

Growing Loyalty

Kung brings over 20 years of innovation and strategy experience to Zaxbys and most recently served as Chief Digital Officer at Dollar General, where he led initiatives that transformed the company into a digital innovator. Kung played a central role in creating the myDG loyalty program. Under his leadership, the company's e-Commerce sales grew 40x in three years, app usage surged from 1.8 million to 7 million monthly active users, and the DG App earned the distinction of the #1 couponing app in America.

Prior to Dollar General, Kung held key leadership positions at Macy's Inc., where he drove omnichannel technology and innovation.

Zaxbys is establishing a new Loyalty & e-Commerce Team, which will report to Kung. This new team will spearhead efforts to make Loyalty and e-Commerce significant contributors to its growth. The creation of the Chief Digital Officer role will open capacity and drive focus for Mike Nettles, Chief Technology Officer, and Patrick Schwing, Chief Marketing and Strategy Officer, who both previously oversaw a portion of this role.  

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.”

PizzaForno, the 24/7 automated pizzeria, has accelerated its expansion during the first half of 2024. adding six U.S. states.

The brand successfully launched in Utah, California, Delaware, New York, Florida, and Maryland. Additionally, there has been substantial expansion throughout Michigan.

So far in 2024, 39 new units have been awarded nationwide, nearly doubling the brand's rapid expansion achieved in the first half of 2023.

• Related: How Vending Machines Are Playing a Key Role in Ensuring Food Safety

PizzaForno is accelerating its international expansion in Mexico, already securing 20 locations with plans to exceed 100 units in the near future.

Meanwhile, in Canada, PizzaForno's home base, the popularity of pizza vending machines has soared, with 18 new units installed in 2024 and more expected by year’s end.

“PizzaForno is celebrating a record-breaking year, with the first six months of 2024 launching us to incredible new heights,” said Les Tomlin, Co-Founder and President of PizzaForno. “Our innovative vending machines are charting an ambitious path, presenting new opportunities for our licensees and delivering top-notch flavor and convenience to our customers. Our adaptable model ensures licensees can seize prime locations and capitalize on market opportunities in the rapidly evolving food service industry.”

International and National Expansion 

Since the beginning of 2024, PizzaForno has significantly expanded its presence in the United States by awarding 39 units nationwide. This includes 10 units across Utah, 10 units in Michigan, and another 10 units in Key West, Florida. Additionally, the brand has awarded 1 unit each in Gruene, Texas; St Lawrence, N.Y.; Sacramento,Calif. and 2 units in Laredo, Texas.

PizzaForno is currently launching its inaugural unit in Mexico, the world's second-largest pizza consuming country. Beginning with a location in Mexico City, the brand has ambitious plans to expand into prominent cities such as Los Cabos, Cancun, Puerto Vallarta, Monterrey, Puebla, Guadalajara, and beyond.

"2024 marks a pivotal year for PizzaForno as we ambitiously expand our footprint across the nation. We're thrilled to announce the addition of 39 new units strategically placed from coast to coast," said Travis Edmonson, Chief Development Officer at PizzaForno. “Our continued expansion underscores our commitment to revolutionizing the pizza industry while bringing our innovative, automated dining experience to even more communities."

PizzaForno plans to have 25,000 operating units by 2028. The brand is focusing on expanding into campuses and other unconventional locations, leveraging its cutting-edge technology to serve diverse markets.

Accessible 24/7 via digital screens, PizzaForno offers a variety of pizzas made with premium ingredients. Through the PizzaForno app, users can easily check inventory, place orders, and reserve pizzas for pick-up, providing a seamless ordering experience globally.

Square announced a new collaboration with US Foods, a foodservice distributor. For over a decade, hundreds of thousands of food and beverage businesses have relied on Square to power their operations. As the foodservice industry evolves and competitive pressures increase, this collaboration with US Foods will accelerate restaurants’ ability to adopt Square’s truly differentiated technology designed to help them grow and succeed.

A long time trusted partner for restaurants’ food distribution needs, US Foods also provides its customers with leading technology solutions through its CHECK Business Tools program. Now, as a CHECK program provider, Square’s software and hardware solutions for food and beverage businesses will be promoted and available to US Foods’ thousands of customers across the United States.
 

“Restaurant operators today are tasked with navigating numerous operational challenges, from labor management to growing sales and managing cash flow,” said Ming-Tai Huh, Head of Food and Beverage at Square. “US Foods shares our commitment to empowering restaurants with the tools and services they need to drive operational efficiency and find success. We’re confident we can bring Square’s comprehensive, easy-to-use, and time-saving suite of solutions to more and more restaurants. Together, we will help restaurants succeed, whether in the kitchen, dining room, or through digital channels.”
 

“Square’s software and hardware offerings for restaurants are powerful, and we believe they’ll help our customers modernize operations,” said Adam Stinn, Director, Business Solutions at US Foods. “We pride ourselves on ensuring our customers have access to innovative technology, and with Square’s integrated front- and back-of-house tools now part of our CHECK Business Tools program, we’re helping more restaurants lessen the complexity of their operations.”

This news comes on the heels of major product and business momentum from Square, having just announced Square Kiosk and integrations with new partners earlier in the year.  

Group business is top of mind for hoteliers in 2024, with new research finding that hoteliers are prioritizing ways to strengthen customer relationships, to improve outreach with new and repeat business, and to plan and execute events more effectively.

Recognizing this, Amadeus has harnessed over three decades of expertise to develop an enhanced Delphi solution. Designed to support teams from sales lead to execution, Delphi has been updated to better meet the needs of any hotel, no matter the size. Whether a small property with limited resources, a full-service hotel orchestrating large gatherings, or a hotel management company tracking portfolio performance, Delphi can be tailored and scalable to meet a wide range of needs.

At the core of the elevated offering is a modern user interface built on the Einstein 1 Platform*, enabling Delphi customers to get the combined benefit of Amadeus and Salesforce feature releases. Other highlights include:

• Widened accessibility and expanded integrations for limited-service properties
• Tailored training options from self-onboarding to expert-led masterclasses
• Centralized and unified database to grow relationships and repeat business
• Comprehensive performance reports to identify trends and enable accurate forecasting

In addition, Amadeus is also expanding its sales and catering suite of solutions with the debut of Delphi Direct. The online booking platform enables hoteliers to transform how they capture group business by allowing meeting spaces to be booked directly on a hotel’s website. This simplifies the entire sales process and unlocks more revenue while allowing teams to focus on capturing larger deals.

“At Amadeus, we’re proud of our investment in this enhanced Delphi with new capabilities and a totally new look,” says Iain Saxton, Senior Vice President of On-Property Solutions, Hospitality, Amadeus. "Delphi has always been a trusted name in the industry, and this latest innovation now extends our full-service sales and catering solution to all types of hotels. Our customers will enjoy improved sales, meeting and event planning, with the ability to sell online. The upgrades allow for true digital transformation.”

Along with Delphi, Amadeus offers a powerful sales and catering software ecosystem, including the new Delphi Direct, Delphi Diagramming, and MeetingBroker, as well as partner integrations designed to usher in a new era of streamlined business growth and management.  

*Salesforce, Einstein and others are among the trademarks of Salesforce, inc.