Skip to main content

News Briefs

  • 7/24/2024

    Retail Vet Joins Zaxbys as CDO

    Zaxby's logo

    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.  

  • 8/20/2024

    Grubhub Campus Dining Adds Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology, Delivery Robots, Reusable Containers

    Grubhub delivery of food at door

    Grubhub is expanding its Campus Dining business to more than 60 schools . Grubhub Campus Dining is the higher-ed-focused part of Grubhub's business that serves college students and directly integrates mobile ordering into campus meal plans. 

    With these new additions, Grubhub now reaches half a million new students and serves a total of more than 4.5 million students.

    New campus partners include the University of Alabama at Birmingham, the University of Tampa, the University of Missouri, Howard University and Tulane University. With the addition of these campuses, Grubhub now works with more than 360 universities, up 21 percent from last year.

    Automated Delivery with Robots 


    Grubhub partners with Cartken, Kiwibot and Starship to provide robot delivery on college campuses and is expanding to nearly a dozen more schools this semester. New additions include the University of Mississippi, Prairie View A&M University, Howard University, the University of New Mexico and the University of Houston.

    Robot delivery is currently found on more than 20 campuses—including The Ohio State University, the University of Arizona, the University of Notre Dame and the University of North Dakota—where hundreds of thousands of orders have been delivered via robots to date.

    Amazon's Just Walk Out Technology


    Ursinus College, the University of Virginia and Lindenwood University are deploying Amazon's Just Walk Out technology on campuses this fall. Ahead of last year's fall semester, Grubhub brought Amazon's Just Walk Out technology to its campus partners to enhance the dining experience. This technology allows users to shop at campus convenience stores and skip the checkout line. At the same time, payment is automatically deducted from their meal plan, declining account balance, or other linked Grubhub payment methods. Schools that have already adopted this technology include Stevens Institute of Technology, Montclair State University and Loyola University Maryland.

    Sustainable Solutions 


    Grubhub partners with Topanga.io, a reusable packaging management platform, to bring a sustainable dining solution to its campus partners. Through Topanga.io's ReusePass program, students can select reusable packaging at checkout and have their meals packaged in a reusable container, utilizing Topanga.io's track-and-trace technology.

    Virginia Tech and the State University of New York at New Paltz are deploying this technology this semester. Schools that already use this technology include California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo, The Ohio State University, Colorado State University, Boston University, The University of Delaware and Brandeis University.

    Grubhub Campus Dining
    With Grubhub Campus Dining, campuses can choose the solution that works best for them—whether it's mobile integration, on- or off-campus ordering, or both. Students can easily find both on- and off-campus dining options and view their available balance on their campus homepage within the Grubhub mobile app. These solutions help campuses increase the value of their dining services by providing students with more flexibility in how and when they use their dining plans.

    And for even greater value, students whose schools are partnered with Grubhub are eligible to receive Grubhub+ Student for free. That means $0 delivery fees and lower service fees on eligible orders, 5 percent back in Grubhub+ credit on off-campus pickup orders, exclusive deals and more. 

  • 8/14/2024

    Meet Chick-fil-A's New President

    Susannah Frost Chick-fil-A

    Susannah Frost has been named President of Chick-fil-A, Inc., effective Oct. 1.

    She will be the sixth person to hold the leadership role since the company’s founding in 1967. 

    “Susannah has demonstrated tremendous leadership throughout the business and has the range of expertise that will help the company continue growing with care and confidence,” said Chief Executive Officer, Andrew T. Cathy and grandson of founder Truett Cathy. “Having served as the CEO for three years, the timing is right to expand our leadership capabilities to include a president who will work closely with me and our executive committee to steward our domestic and global expansion.” 
     

    Executives on the Move

    Frost's move to president marks a notable week of restaurant executives on the move.  Brian Niccol is leaving his top post at Chipotle to lead Starbucks.  Laxman Narasimhan stepped down as CEO and as a director of  Starbucks effective immediately.

    As CEO, Frost will continue to focus on the overall strategic direction for the enterprise and culture while Frost, as President, will focus on providing strategic clarity and alignment in the core business so that Chick-fil-A can sustain healthy growth and maintain market leadership. She will also lead the Executive Committee. Frost currently leads Restaurant Development and Field Operations for Chick-fil-A, Inc. overseeing the company’s real estate portfolio and leading field operations for more than 3,000 restaurants domestically.  

    In related news, Cliff Robinson is being named Chick-fil-A's Chief Operating Officer (COO). Robinson currently serves as Chief People Officer and his responsibilities will expand to include leading Field Operations and Restaurant Development.  As COO he will continue to ensure talent remains a competitive advantage, while overseeing operations and the company’s continued expansion.  Robinson began working at Chick-fil-A at a young age as the son of a Chick-fil-A restaurant Owner-Operator.  He joined the company corporate Support Center staff in 1990 and has held increasing roles of responsibility, including various roles leading Field Operations, Restaurant Development and most recently as Chief People Officer. 

    Robinson will assume his new role Oct. 1. 

  • 8/15/2024

    Knowland and Amadeus Report U.S. Group Business Delivers Seven Consecutive Quarters of Growth

    amadeus, knowland logos

    Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, and Amadeus, a technology provider for the travel industry, present the metrics from the companies’ Hospitality Group and Business Performance Index (the “Index”). For the second quarter of 2024, the Index shows overall health of 105.5 percent year-over-year (YOY.) This is the first time the overall Index has exceeded 100 percent, reflecting continued industry health across all reported indices. In addition, 22 of the top 25 U.S. markets have achieved 100 percent or more in overall performance compared to the same time in 2023. 

    1. Las Vegas               117.9 Percent 
    2. Seattle                 117.6 Percent
    3. Nashville            114.2 Percent
    4. Detroit                110.2 Percent
    5. Houston              108.9 Percent
    6. Miami                 108.2 Percent
    7. Washington DC   108.0 Percent
    8. Philadelphia        107.4 Percent
    9. Tampa                107.0 Percent
    10. New York City    106.6 Percent
    11. Dallas                 106.2 Percent
    12. San Francisco      105.9 Percent
    13. Boston                105.6 Percent
    14. Phoenix              104.5 Percent
    15. Denver                104.4 Percent
    16. Minneapolis        104.3 Percent
    17. San Diego           103.9 Percent
    18. Chicago              103.8 Percent
    19. Atlanta                103.7 Percent
    20. St. Louis             103.6 Percent
    21. San Antonio        102.9 Percent
    22. Austin                 102.7 Percent

    While these were the top growth markets overall, 21 of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more growth in the Group segment for 2Q2024 compared to the same period last year. This reflects continued growth for seven consecutive quarters. The top Group growth markets were Las Vegas (125.7 percent), Detroit (122.2 percent), and Seattle (117.8 percent). 

    The Index combines event data from the Knowland platform with hotel booking data from Amadeus’ Demand360® business intelligence solution to provide aggregate views of the key drivers of hotel performance. The aggregated index reflects performance or “health” for all segments – Group, Corporate Negotiated, Global Distribution System (GDS), and Events. It offers filters for event market segments and booking industries, empowering hoteliers, destinations, and convention and visitor bureaus to adapt strategies effectively.

    Key insights from the Index are as follows: 

    • Strong group growth with Northeast and Midwest regions leading the charge. The Group Index has achieved seven consecutive quarters of year-over-year growth, reaching 108 percent. This includes 103.4 percent of last year’s room nights and a 4.4 percent increase in the average daily rate. The Northeast and Midwest regions were standout performers, experiencing double-digit growth in group nights. 
    • Performance of indirect distribution rallies beyond 2023 levels, leading all segments in growth. The GDS Index scored 112 percent overall, with room night production at 109.1 percent of last year and a 2.4 percent increase in average daily rate (ADR). The most significant growth in GDS room nights booked occurred in the Northeastern region, with New Jersey, Maine, and Rhode Island experiencing more than 25 percent YOY growth.
    • Negotiated performance remains stable compared to last year. The Negotiated Index score was 102 percent with 98.5 percent of the 2023 room nights and a 3.8 percent increase in ADR. Eighteen of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more versus the same period last year.
    • Event volume is steady as meetings get bigger. Events remained consistent in 2024 compared to 2023. With the reduction of one-day meetings, some of those events have been moved to multi-day events that may be held less frequently. Growth continues in the Top 25 markets, which continue to attract events with their versatility and range of experiences. However, the higher ADR for these markets ($229/night in Q2) may have caused a share of events to transition to non-Top 25 markets, which averaged $185/night in Q2.
    • Meetings continue to provide stability for hotels after the 2023 boom year. Average attendee size held steady at 145 guests. Nashville rose to 131.6 percent, Detroit was 120.3 percent, and Miami was 113.7 percent. Eleven of the top 25 markets achieved 100 percent or more for Q2 2024 versus the same period last year. The average space used was consistent with Q1 moving slightly from 3,981 to 4,025 sq. ft. 
    • The normalization of business segments is evident. The comprehensive health index has demonstrated improvement, rising from 99.9 percent in Q1 2024 to 105.5 in Q2 2024, indicating consistency and robustness across all sectors as organic growth gains prominence. 

    Go here to download the full report.
     

    By using industry-leading data from the Knowland platform and trusted sales & catering solutions like Amadeus' Delphi®, hoteliers can develop precise, data-driven strategies to boost group sales and efficiently manage the entire process from lead to event execution.

     

    ABOUT THE HOSPITALITY GROUP & BUSINESS PERFORMANCE INDEX METHODOLOGY
    The Hospitality Group & Business Performance Index uses a multi-factor weighting system that balances metrics such as group, corporate transient, and GDS room nights with average daily rate (ADR) performance. Each factor is averaged to provide a final index score, ensuring a more accurate overall performance assessment. 

  • 8/15/2024

    Like Magic Available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace

    LIke Magic logo
    Like Magic, an employee and guest experience platform and a member of Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN), today announced it is available on Oracle Cloud Marketplace and can be deployed on Oracle Cloud Infrastructure (OCI) and integrated with OPERA Cloud via the Oracle Hospitality Integration Platform (OHIP). Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a centralized repository of enterprise applications offered by Oracle and Oracle partners. 
     
    The collaboration means that hoteliers using OPERA Cloud can now sync with Like Magic’s platform, which brings a booking engine, guest platform, employee interface and monitoring tools all into one place–creating a center of operations for hotel management. This unlocks a completely digital guest journey for guests if they prefer.
     
    With this integration, customers can leverage new advancements in service optimization software to significantly improve operational efficiency while simultaneously elevating the guest experience with self-service functionalities, enabling guests to carry out a range of actions without staff assistance. These range from checking in, ordering food, requesting additional linen or pillows, and creating keyless room passes – requiring only a smartphone. 
     
    Like Magic’s integration with OPERA Cloud also includes an employee platform that allows staff to perform 80% of their daily tasks from one single system. The platform enables staff to run operations using a traffic light system of notifications and recommended actions, making the whole process of customer service and property management much more automated. 
     
    Oracle Cloud Marketplace is a one-stop shop for Oracle customers seeking trusted business applications and services offering unique solutions, including ones that extend Oracle Fusion Cloud Applications. 
     
    OCI is a deep and broad platform of cloud infrastructure services that enables customers to build and run a wide range of applications in a scalable, secure, highly available, and high-performance environment. From application development and business analytics to data management, integration, security, AI, and infrastructure services including Kubernetes and VMware, OCI delivers comprehensive security, performance, and cost savings. In addition, with multicloud, hybrid cloud, public cloud, and dedicated cloud options, OCI’s distributed cloud offers customers the benefits of cloud with greater control over data residency, locality, and authority, even across multiple clouds. As a result, customers can bring enterprise workloads to the cloud quickly and efficiently while addressing the strictest regulatory compliance requirements. 
     
    “By combining Like Magic's innovative guest and employee experience tools with Oracle's powerhouse property management software, we are poised to deliver efficiency, service quality and satisfaction for both guests and hotel staff. Like Magic’s participation in Oracle Cloud Marketplace further extends our commitment to the Oracle community and enables customers to easily reap the benefits of our technology. We look forward to leveraging the power of OCI to help us achieve our business goals,” said Markus Feller, CEO of Like Magic.
  • 8/15/2024

    Otelier, Stayntouch Partner to Enhance Data Access for Hoteliers

    otelier, stayntouch logo

    Otelier, the hospitality performance optimization platform that puts data and efficiency at the heart of hotel operations, announces a new integration with Stayntouch, a global leader in cloud hotel property management systems (PMS) and guest-centric technology. Through the integration, hoteliers can access detailed reservations, guest and financial transaction data from Stayntouch into IntelliSight, Otelier’s business intelligence software. 

    Integrating with Stayntouch PMS allows Otelier to aggregate property-level data to empower companies with the insights and efficiencies they need to get back to delivering exceptional hospitality. In IntelliSight, Otelier’s business intelligence software, Stayntouch customers can normalize data from systems across their entire property and portfolio, providing leadership across all departments with the analytics they need to make more informed decisions.

    “Our customers rely on Otelier integrations with leading industry partners to ensure their data is timely and accurate,” said Vic Chynoweth, CEO of Otelier. “Stayntouch’s modern approach to cloud-based property management software is in high demand, and they will be a valuable partner as we continue to extend data elements into the Otelier platform and deliver actionable insights to our customers.”

    Stayntouch’s cloud PMS solution provides a flexible platform to deliver a digital welcome experience for guests, as well as an intuitive and mobile user interface to streamline operations and allow staff to engage guests anywhere on property. 

    “Otelier and Stayntouch are aligned on a goal to provide hoteliers with easy access to the data they need to make smarter business decisions,” said Reid Webster, Stayntouch’s VP of Partnerships & Strategic Growth. “Our full-featured cloud PMS empowers hoteliers to stay ahead of market trends and respond to changes from anywhere with internet access. Through this integration, hotels can overlay their critical PMS data from each property with additional data sources to build strategies that drive both revenue and profits.” 

    Otelier optimizes performance for hotel owners and operators by harnessing data, easing decision-making, and automating the mundane to release hoteliers back into hospitality. The Otelier product suite comprises:

    • DigiAudit: A night audit compliance software that allows hoteliers to centralize and store nightly reports, automate signature workflows, and stay in audit compliance while reducing operating expenses. 
    • TruePlan: A budgeting and forecasting software that allows hoteliers to simplify and streamline budgeting processes and forecast with confidence. 
    • IntelliSight: A business intelligence software that allows hoteliers to aggregate cross-functional data for powerful analysis and insights. 
    • DigiPay: An accounts payable automation software that moves supplier payment workflows into a digital environment to manage, verify, authorize, and pay invoices. 
    • Rec: An automated financial reconciliation software to automatically detect accounting discrepancies for bank and OTA reconciliations and income audit journaling.
  • Show MoreShow More
X
This ad will auto-close in 10 seconds