News Briefs

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

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.  

Palantir Technologies Inc., a provider of AI systems, and Wendy’s Quality Supply Chain Co-op  (QSCC) announced they have partnered to accelerate digital transformation, AI adoption and operational decision making across the co-op.

QSCC services Wendy’s more than 6,400 restaurants in the United States and Canada.

Integrated Supply Chain

This partnership will bring QSCC towards a fully integrated Supply Chain Network with opportunities for AI-driven, automated workflows as well as a future Wendy’s connected ecosystem of suppliers, distributors and restaurants. The cost savings and efficiencies from transforming QSCC into a digital forward company will benefit all Wendy’s operators it serves.

At first, QSCC will be moving onto Palantir’s Artificial Intelligence Platform (AIP) to improve the scale and speed of decision-making across the Co-op. The platform is designed to connect disparate data sources into a single common operating picture, enabling both technical and non-technical users to quickly make decisions, evaluate their efficacy, and custom build modular applications.

• Related: 35% say general AI is driving POS purchasing decisions, according to HT's 2024 POS Software Trends Survey

In a second phase, QSCC will be using Palantir AIP for supply chain management and waste prevention, including Dynamic Inventory Management, Variance and Gain Information for Restaurants, and Demand Deviation and Allocation. Palantir’s software enables organizations to bring the power of large-language models and other cutting-edge AI to their enterprise networks, private data, and core operations - with maximum security and trust - to help generate cost savings and efficiencies across the supply chain.

“Together with Palantir, we’re unlocking the inherent power of the supply chain ecosystem to drive new and compelling sales and operating efficiencies that will provide Wendy’s with a distinctive edge in the industry,” said Pete Suerken, QSCC President and CEO. “The sophisticated and nimble AI-powered planning and fulfillment system we’re developing will serve as the cornerstone for our state-of-the-art interconnected network.”

“We’re proud to partner with Wendy’s QSCC and support the Co-op’s digital transformation for the benefit of restaurant operators, suppliers and distributors alike,” said Ted Mabrey, Head of Global Commercial at Palantir. “Our AI operating system powers many of America’s most important companies, giving them a technology-driven competitive advantage, and we are excited to continue to grow in the QSR sector with this iconic brand and an ambitious vision.”

Forward-leaning technology and data science are integral to how Wendy’s runs its business and serves its customers. This includes using generative AI to reimagine the drive-thru experience with its FreshAI platform designed to enhance the customer and crew experience by automating the ordering process.

Palantir has partnerships across the food industry and a proven track record of helping customers improve their operations and supply chains with AI.

Touch Dynamic, a  manufacturer of all-in-one touch systems, announces a new partnership with Bite, a provider of intelligent kiosk solutions for fast-casual and quick-service restaurants. Being certified by Bite entails that Touch Dynamic's Edge Ultra and Pavilion Kiosk hardware will run Bite’s software optimally. Certified software ensures a seamless integration and superior performance for customers in the hospitality and retail sectors.

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

To achieve certification, Touch Dynamic and Bite collaborated extensively to conduct rigorous testing of the Edge Ultra and Pavilion Kiosks. This comprehensive process ensured that all hardware components, including peripherals, operated flawlessly under various conditions and use cases. If any issues arose during testing, the teams worked together to troubleshoot and resolve them, guaranteeing that customers received reliable and efficient solutions.

Craig Paritz, CEO of Touch Dynamic, expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership: “We are excited to partner with Bite to expand the reach of our kiosk solutions. Bite's expertise in self-service technology and digital ordering aligns perfectly with our commitment to providing high-quality, innovative technology. Together, we are dedicated to enhancing the customer experience through reliable and advanced solutions.”

“Partnering with Touch Dynamic allows us to offer our customers state-of-the-art kiosks that are thoroughly tested and certified for performance and reliability.” Jeff Hong, Co-founder at Bite, states, “We look forward to working closely with Touch Dynamic to deliver exceptional solutions that meet the evolving needs of our clients.”

The Touch Dynamic Edge Ultra and Pavilion Kiosks meet the demands of high-traffic environments, offering robust performance, flexibility, and a sleek design. With Bite's proven track record in delivering premium self-service and digital ordering solutions, this partnership is poised to deliver enhanced value to businesses seeking to streamline operations and improve customer engagement.

Winking Lizard Tavern has partnered with Onosys to elevate its off-premises guest experience.

The project was recently completed in June. It primarily focused on developing an intuitive and seamless off-premises guest experience for Winking Lizard Tavern. The digital ordering solution leverages an integration with the point of sale to sync product data and information. 

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

To create a seamless operational experience, the solution includes integrations for payments processing, and Google Analytics.

Seamless Guest Experiences

"We are already seeing the impact of the new online ordering platform as we see an increasing number of guests ordering online versus calling the restaurant. We have also seen a much more seamless experience for our kitchen and operations team. It has significantly reduced the number of calls that I receive from restaurant locations regarding issues with online orders." Angela Wharton, IT-POS Administrator, Winking Lizard Tavern.

Winking Lizard Tavern will continue to work with Onosys to evaluate additional tools and solutions that will further enhance their off-premises offerings with a goal to provide an intuitive and seamless guest experience while reducing operational friction.

"Considering a good majority of our employees are located in northeast Ohio, Onosys loves to work with local brands. We value our relationship with the Winking Lizard Tavern team and enjoyed helping them significantly improve their digital ordering solution for their guests while reducing operational friction." Chris Anderle, President, Onosys.

Since the first Winking Lizard Tavern opened in 1983, this locally owned, Northeast Ohio establishment has grown to 15 locations.  At the heart of their success is their commitment to quality, consistency, and passion for "all things food and beer."

The time for technology to transform, disrupt and accelerate business travel growth is here – according to a new study, “The Future is Now: Technological Transformation in Corporate Travel,” published today by the Global Business Association (GBTA), the world’s premier business travel and meetings trade organization, and made possible by Cvent, an industry-leading meetings, events, and hospitality technology provider.

Based on a survey of business travel professionals in North America and Europe, the report reveals that while 88% of travel management company respondents, 74% of suppliers, and 59% of travel buyers generally feel their organization does a good job with technology, a significant opportunity exists in actively integrating advanced technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI) and blockchain into their travel programs. In addition, while travel program spending on technology is expected to largely remain flat, most suppliers and TMC professionals say their company is ramping up technology investment in the year ahead. However, lodging suppliers are considerably less likely to do so than other types of suppliers. The report emphasizes the need for all travel industry professionals to better understand and adopt advanced technologies to remain competitive.

“As both our everyday and professional lives have ever-increasing touchpoints with technology, it is in parallel that we see the reach of the technological footprint in the business travel industry,” said Suzanne Neufang, CEO, GBTA. “The report gives a view to the potential for technology to do more, to further enable and empower all aspects of our industry to greater services, tools, platforms and achievements.”

Key findings from the GBTA and Cvent report include:

• AI AND BLOCKCHAIN ARE TOP OF MIND. The corporate travel industry is increasingly open to integrating AI and blockchain technologies to enhance efficiency and traveler experience. Three-quarters of buyers (75%) are interested in adopting an AI-powered travel program chatbot to automatically answer questions specifically about their program. Half of buyers are interested in offering blockchain-based booking (51%) or payment (49%).
• GROWING RELIANCE ON TECHNOLOGY IS DRIVING NEW ROLES. According to respondents, a third of travel programs (29%) now have a full-time employee who focuses primarily on tech-related responsibilities, which could include sourcing new digital tools, configuring booking and expensing solutions, managing data collection, or driving technology transformation across the travel program.​​The role is slightly more prevalent in Europe, with 36% of travel buyers saying their company has one, versus 22% of respondents in North America.
• TRAVEL PROGRAM TECHNOLOGY SPEND VARIES BY REGION. On average, travel buyers estimate 18% of their travel program’s overall budget is spent on technology. Despite overall budget increases, only one-third (36%) of travel buyers expect their technology spending to grow this year, with European programs leading in tech investment​​. European buyers (43%) are more likely than their North American counterparts (30%) to expect an increase in spending on technology.
• TRAVEL MANAGEMENT COMPANIES (TMCs) MORE LIKELY TO INCREASE TECHNOLOGY INVESTMENT THAN SUPPLIERS AND BUYERS. Most suppliers expect their company’s spending on internal technology (61%) and traveler-facing technology (56%) will increase this year. This is considerably lower than the share of TMC respondents who expect their investment in internal technology (83%) or their traveler-facing technology (79%) to increase. Only one-third of buyer travel programs (36%) expect to increase spending on technology in the coming year.
• HOTEL TECHNOLOGY ADOPTION IS MIXED. More than one-third of respondents who work at lodging companies (37%) – such as hotel properties or chains – say their company's use of technology has room to improve. This is higher than the number of other travel supplier respondents (10%) who said the same.
• HOTELS THAT ADOPT TECHNOLOGY ARE HIGHLY SATISFIED. Hotels commonly use technology platforms to simplify processes, market their property, and respond to Requests for Proposals (RFPs) from corporate customers. These include a Property Management System (95%), a transient RFP platform (81%), an event-focused sales, marketing, and RFP platform (75%), room block management software (63%), and event diagramming software (53%). Of the hotel respondents who use these platforms, at least two-thirds are satisfied with each technology solution.

“We have long believed in the power of technology to achieve more and improve how businesses operate, and the study results show that we are not alone in that belief,” said Julie Haddix, Senior Director of Marketing at Cvent. “While the business travel industry recognizes the importance of investing in technology, there is still a greenfield opportunity for both buyers and suppliers to truly embrace emerging technologies in a meaningful way. At Cvent, we’re making it easier to do that as we continue to integrate AI across our platform and we’re proud to partner with leaders like GBTA to accelerate growth across the meetings, events and hospitality sectors through the power of these emerging technologies.”

Data collection took place via an online survey of GBTA travel buyers, suppliers and TMCs in North America and Europe from February 6 – 19, 2024, with 388 participants completing the survey.

The full report can be downloaded on the Cvent website. GBTA members can access the complete research report from the GBTA Member Hub.