News Briefs

Darden Restaurants Inc.,  and Uber Technologies Inc.  have entered into an exclusive multi-year delivery partnership, set to begin with Olive Garden in late 2024. The agreement will enable restaurant guests to order on-demand delivery via Darden restaurant channels, with delivery handled by Uber Direct, through Uber's national delivery network.

An initial pilot of first-party delivery from a limited number of Olive Garden locations will begin in late 2024. Upon the completion of a successful pilot, national expansion at Olive Garden is expected to be complete by May 2025.

Once live, guests will be able to order delivery through Olive Garden's website and app at more than 900 company-owned locations across the U.S., giving Olive Garden fans access to stress-free delivery while guest data and insights will remain with Olive Garden. Uber Direct, which enables merchants to tap into Uber's delivery technology and logistics network, will power deliveries enabling couriers to bring guests their Olive Garden favorites at home.
 

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

"Guests have been asking us for home delivery options and they continue to show they are willing to pay for the convenience," said Rick Cardenas, Darden President and CEO. "As we continued to evaluate delivery, it was important for us to find a way to address this guest need state without disrupting the team member or guest experience and without compromising our competitive advantages and simple operating model. Uber is a partner we believe shares that vision and can meet our expectations. Their investment in a custom-integration, commitment to Olive Garden's first-party delivery growth, and efficiency and speed at a national scale, made this exclusive partnership a clear choice."

"We're excited to announce this partnership and look forward to bringing guests the excellent, convenient and reliable experience that is foundational to both of our brands," said Sarfraz Maredia, Vice President of Delivery, Head of Americas at Uber Eats. "On-demand delivery is increasingly a core expectation for consumers. People also expect a great experience, especially when it's from a brand they love like Olive Garden, and that doesn't change whether it's at the restaurant or at home. We're confident our teams can deliver on that promise together and continue to grow first-party delivery as a channel."

Paychex, Inc., a provider of integrated human capital management software solutions for human resources, employee benefits, insurance services, and payroll, has introduced a new AI-assisted recruiting tool for small- and medium-sized business owners and HR professionals. Paychex Recruiting Copilot, provided in partnership with Findem, is an AI talent acquisition solution powered by unique 3D data. This new solution will revolutionize the recruiting and hiring process by enabling Paychex customers to quickly find top talent instead of relying solely on traditional recruiting methods.

Paychex Recruiting Copilot analyzes millions of potential employees through a natural-language search engine to quickly produce an active list of qualified individuals for open positions, based on hiring requirements, job descriptions, and filters such as job title, location, skills, experience, industries, and other attributes.

“Recruiting is often a costly and time-consuming process that has traditionally required business leaders and HR professionals to spend valuable resources matching candidate resumes to the needs of the business,” said Beaumont Vance, Paychex senior vice president of data, analytics, and AI. “With our latest cutting-edge AI recruiting solution, Paychex Recruiting Copilot, we are helping SMBs proactively access qualified talent within seconds versus a reactive job board approach. This puts advanced technology that is often only available to enterprise-level organizations into the hands of small and mid-sized companies so they can more effectively compete for talent.”

According to a recent Paychex customer study, 80% of respondents reported that finding qualified candidates is challenging. Paychex Recruiting Copilot enables businesses to:

• Find and contact the best-matched individuals quickly, eliminating the need to post job descriptions and review resumes.
• Create a pool of active talent to generate a pipeline beyond filling current positions.

“We know that speed and quality are essential for SMBs as they balance all the demands of running their businesses while having the right people in the right place at the right time,” said John Phillips VP, GM for Findem. “Through this partnership with Paychex, we’re empowering users to now use AI-assisted search in a pool of hundreds of millions of potential candidates to find matches specific to a company’s needs, ultimately speeding the time to the next great hire.”

Paychex Recruiting Copilot brings advanced, enterprise-level recruiting capabilities to small- and medium-sized businesses and enhances the existing recruiting, applicant tracking, hiring, and onboarding solutions available through Paychex Flex^®, the company’s cloud-based HCM SaaS solution. Current recruiting solutions include Paychex Flex Hiring, a full-spectrum, recruiting-to-onboarding applicant tracking system (ATS) that allows data to automatically flow into Paychex Flex for payroll and HR purposes, integrations with major job boards, and outsourced recruiting and staffing solutions for Paychex customers through a national team of HR professionals.

“Recruiting is deeply tied to business growth and success,” said Ben Eubanks, chief research officer, Lighthouse Research & Advisory, a strategic human capital management advisory and research firm. “In our Talent Acquisition Trends study, our research team found that SMB employers are overwhelmed by the state of hiring today. From difficulties in screening and selection to the shortage of quality of applicants, it’s a tough recruiting market. This new partnership with Findem helps set Paychex up to support employers with award-winning talent acquisition technology. It’s truly a competitive edge.”

After filing for Chapter 11 last week, BurgerFi International has received the court's interim approval to access financing to keep Anthony's Coal Fired Pizza & Wings and the better burger concept BurgerFi's 144 locations open for business.  

On Sept. 16, the Court granted interim approval for the company to immediately access $3.5 million of the debtor-in-possession financing provided by an affiliate of TREW Capital Management. The Court also approved the use of the company's existing employee benefits, cash management systems, and customer programs.

Looking for a Buyer

As part of the financing agreement, the company intends to propose a sale process and bidding procedures for a sale with the support of its lenders. The "second day" hearing seeking final approval for the company's requests is scheduled for October 7

"The company has worked very hard to ensure that the transition into Chapter 11 would have no impact on our valued employees, customers and franchise partners," said Carl Bachmann, Chief Executive Officer of BurgerFi International, Inc. "We are very pleased that we received approval of our key motions to support our continued operations including employee wages and benefits, cash management and customer programs."

The "second day" hearing seeking final approval for the company's requests is scheduled for October 7.

 Agilysys, Inc., a global provider of hospitality software solutions and services, released the findings of its 2024 APAC Hospitality Impact Study. The survey of over 1,000 travelers from Australia, Hong Kong, New Zealand, and Singapore unveils critical insights into guest preferences and spending habits, highlighting substantial opportunities for revenue growth in the hospitality sector. 

The study reveals that 68% of APAC travelers would increase their hotel spending for personalized experiences, with 73% willing to pay up to 30% more for room upgrades when offered post-booking. Additionally, 66% of respondents would likely spend more if wait times were reduced across all hotel experiences, and 68% would increase spending when a robust loyalty program is in place. Interestingly, the research uncovered a significant "rebooking paradox" in the APAC market: despite high satisfaction levels (86%) and perceived value for money (61%), only 37% of travelers choose to return to hotels they've previously enjoyed.

"Our research uncovers a clear message: APAC travelers are willing to spend more for tailored, efficient, and memorable experiences," said Tony Marshall, VP Managing Director APAC, at Agilysys. "Hotels that fail to offer personalized guest experiences are leaving substantial revenue on the table."

The study identified several key factors driving increased spending among APAC travelers. Staff interactions play a crucial role, with 46% of respondents valuing staff who go the extra mile, 41% appreciating personalized activity recommendations, and 30% being influenced by staff recalling previous conversations. Personalized touches also significantly impact, as 40% of guests value being given their favorite room, 28% are likely to spend more when restaurant staff remember their preferences, and 57% respond positively to small surprises like pillow chocolates.

The 2024 APAC Hospitality Impact Study emphasises the need for a shift from traditional Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) metrics to a more holistic Revenue Per Available Guest (RevPAG) approach. This transition allows hotels to capture the full spectrum of guest spending and tailor their offerings accordingly. "To maximise profitability, hoteliers must leverage advanced Property Management Systems that provide real-time, data-driven insights into guest preferences," Marshall added. "By adopting a RevPAG focus, hotels can unlock hidden revenue streams, enhance guest satisfaction, and foster long-term loyalty in the competitive APAC market." 

The 2024 APAC Hospitality Impact Study emphasizes the need for a shift from traditional Revenue Per Available Room (RevPAR) metrics to a more holistic Revenue Per Available Guest (RevPAG) approach. This transition allows hotels to capture the full spectrum of guest spending and tailor their offerings accordingly. "To maximize profitability, hoteliers must leverage advanced Property Management Systems that provide real-time, data-driven insights into guest preferences," Marshall added. "By adopting a RevPAG focus, hotels can unlock hidden revenue streams, enhance guest satisfaction, and foster long-term loyalty in the competitive APAC market."

This study offers a roadmap for hoteliers to enhance their guest experiences, increase revenue, and stay competitive in the rapidly evolving APAC hospitality landscape.  

To access the full report, please visit: https://info.agilysys.com/l/76642/2024-09-16/cp495v 

Mirai – which provides hotels with technology and operations support to sell in the direct channel – is proud to announce the impressive results of its collaboration with Princess Hotels & Resorts – a hotel chain that offers luxurious holiday experiences – on the implementation of Google’s Demand Gen campaigns, significantly enhancing Princess Hotels' performance in the competitive luxury travel market. 

The Demand Gen campaigns, executed in Q2 2024 (April to June), delivered significant results for the luxury hotel chain in the hotels implemented in Princess Caribe (Riviera Maya and Punta Cana), showing a result of a 165% increase in qualified leads (CTR) and a 102% increase in profitability (ROAS) compared to last year's same period. Notably, the assist-to-conversion ratio was 19.1%, and the business data showed an impressive 18% growth in revenue and a 14% increase in bookings during this period.

Princess Hotels & Resorts, which has worked with Mirai since 2018, collaborated with Google to leverage the power of Demand Gen campaigns. This AI-driven solution enabled them to effectively target high-potential travelers by combining Google’s advanced AI technology with Princess Hotels’ own audience data. The company personalized the guest journey by creating custom videos and messages, targeting audiences based on website interactions, and maximizing the impact of the campaign. This approach re-engaged potential customers who had shown booking intent, keeping the brand top-of-mind.

“This new campaign, replacing Discovery Ads, offers more immersive ad environments. Partnering with Mirai, we defined a mid and low funnel strategy, boosting traffic, ROAS and revenue”,  said Pere Jordi Estivill, Head of Digital Marketing and Web at Princess Hotels & Resorts. 

Enrique Cano, Digital Marketing Consultant at Mirai, added: “Working with Princess Hotels & Resorts on this project has been a great collaboration. Our focus on maximising conversions through Google’s AI-driven tools and personalised messaging allowed us to deliver exceptional results for the client. This partnership is a testament to the power of combining strategic digital marketing with cutting-edge technology. Princess Hotels & Resorts, sought to attract new guests, generate qualified leads, and drive bookings for their exquisite properties in the Dominican Republic and Mexico. In a highly competitive luxury travel market, they aimed to engage new visitors and re-engage website users who had shown booking intent.”

With new products and a new brand on the horizon, travel technology leader Hotel Engine today announced a $140M Series C growth investment led by Permira Growth Opportunities II, a fund advised by global private equity firm Permira.

Hotel Engine will use the funding to support ongoing product development, including the launch of flight and rental car bookings to its platform. The new booking options will go live in October, making Hotel Engine an all-in-one solution for business travel.

Alongside the new product release, Hotel Engine will change its name to "Engine" to reflect its expanded focus.

“Hotel bookings will always be in our DNA, but we’re out to transform the entire travel experience,” said Hotel Engine CEO Elia Wallen. “We want to become the engine of business travel. Our new name will reflect that, and with Permira’s latest investment, we’ll be better positioned than ever to turn our ambitions into reality.”

Denver-based Hotel Engine has quickly become a go-to option for business travelers thanks to its industry-leading tech and innovative features like consolidated invoices, coverage for incidentals, 24/7 customer support, whole-company trip insurance and free travel-management software to help customers save time and money. Hotel Engine’s contract-free approach with no minimums or agent-assist fees makes adoption easy for businesses of all types and sizes.

Hotel Engine connects business travelers to a robust network of more than 750,000 hotels, 300 airlines and 40 rental car companies. Travel providers are also able to use Hotel Engine’s Partner Hub software platform for free which enables them to provide special offers to business travelers, manage reservations, create marketing campaigns and benchmark against competitors.

“We are proud to have built a platform that benefits everyone,” Wallen said. “In addition to the value we provide to businesses, we also help hotels raise their visibility and build relationships with business travelers worldwide through our Partner Hub platform.”

It’s a winning strategy. Hotel Engine has used only $20M of outside capital to reach its current $2.1B valuation, up from $1.3B at its Series B in November of 2021. The company is profitable, experiencing 70% year-over-year revenue growth at scale, and is on track to book over 10 million room nights this year.

Permira Principal Alex Melamud has joined Hotel Engine’s Board of Directors.

“Hotel Engine is a category leader in more ways than one,” he said. “They’ve figured out how to provide the benefits of managed travel without the downsides such as contracts, minimum spend requirements and extra support fees, and they’ve also created a business that appeals to both travelers and suppliers like hotels, airlines and car rental companies. We are confident that Hotel Engine has miles of room to run, and we’re excited to be part of the journey alongside Elia and his team,” commented Melamud.