News Briefs

Denny’s Inc.  announced two key leadership appointments aimed at advancing the company’s technological innovation and operational growth. Minh Le was named senior vice president and chief technology officer, effective September 23, and Christopher Bode will return as president and chief operating officer, effective September 30. These appointments reflect Denny’s ongoing commitment to enhancing its technological infrastructure and operational excellence across the brand.

Minh Le, a respected leader in restaurant technology, will serve as senior vice president and chief technology officer for Denny’s Corporation. In this role, he will oversee the entire technology ecosystem across both Denny’s and Keke’s Breakfast Café, with a focus on modernizing and integrating innovative solutions to enhance guest experiences, improving operational efficiencies, and ensuring data security and compliance. Le brings over 25 years of experience in steering large-scale technology transformations for major restaurant brands, including Checkers & Rally’s Drive-In Restaurants, CBC Restaurants, Romano’s Macaroni Grill, and Darden Restaurants.

Returning COO

Christopher Bode returns to Denny’s as president and chief operating officer, where he will oversee operations, marketing, finance, and HR for both corporate and franchise restaurants. Bode, who served as Denny’s COO from 2014 to 2022, brings extensive operational expertise and deep institutional knowledge of the brand. Most recently, he led Hardee’s USA as president, where he drove significant growth and operational excellence.

“Denny’s is a beloved brand known for its value and warm hospitality,” said Bode. “I’m excited to return as president and work closely with our franchisees and teams to deliver great guest experiences while driving profitable growth.”

Chris will report directly to Kelli Valade, CEO of Denny’s Inc., while Minh will report to Robert Verostek, Denny’s chief financial officer.

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.

DoorDash announced a suite of new products to help merchants manage and grow their businesses on their own channels. 

New products and features include:

• The DoorDash Commerce Platform where merchants can grow, run, and operate their businesses on their own channels - in-store and online;
• Online Ordering Mobile Apps provides merchants with the ability to create their own branded iOS or Android mobile app;
• The reimagined DoorDash Business Manager App which merchants can use to manage their businesses – wherever they are – with an array of new features

“At our core, DoorDash is a merchant-focused company. Our mission has always been to develop products and services that empower local merchants to succeed,” said Prabir Adarkar, President and Chief Operating Officer. “The restaurant industry has faced significant challenges in recent years, and it's more important than ever for merchants to find innovative ways to grow their sales and increase profitability. The DoorDash Commerce Platform is designed to meet this need by offering a comprehensive set of tools that allow merchants to create direct channels — whether through online, phone, or in-store ordering — and build lasting, direct relationships with their customers.”

A new platform to help merchants operate and grow their business on their own channels

The DoorDash Commerce Platform consists of five core products. Merchants can explore each of the products to integrate into their business, customizing them to suit their needs and operate on their own channels - whether that’s in-store, or online. The products include:

• Drive On-Demand - The ability to offer delivery through their own app or website.
• Online Ordering - A way to provide commission-free, digital sales and branding on their website or own branded app.
• Phone Ordering - An AI-powered call-in ordering system, with menu recommendations.
• Tableside Order & Pay, - An option for customers to scan a QR code with their phone for increased order efficiency. (This was previously known as Bbot.) 
• Customer Support Solutions - A dedicated delivery support platform for customer inquiries.

“We’re always looking to meet our customers where they are and make the online ordering experience easy to use,” said Joseph Kim, U.S. CEO at bb.q Chicken. “Through our partnership with DoorDash, which powers both our Online Ordering experience and mobile app, customers can now seamlessly place orders for pick-up and delivery, while also earning and redeeming loyalty points through our new bb.q rewards program. This is a huge step forward in bb.q’s digital transformation, making things more convenient and enjoyable for our customers and driving business for bb.q Family franchisees.”

Merchants can create their own branded mobile app to connect with customers directly

DoorDash also introduced Online Ordering Mobile Apps , allowing restaurants to create their own branded native mobile app to help increase customer loyalty and order frequency. Part of the DoorDash Commerce Platform, branded mobile apps offer restaurants a cohesive experience between their marketing and ordering websites, meeting customers across more touch points on their owned channels, and encouraging loyal customers to order directly from their favorite restaurants, right from their phone.

With each of these products, merchants can drive more sales on their own channels, scale their operations, and continue to deliver a best-in-class customer experience to guests anywhere they engage with their brand.

“We had been contemplating the idea of online ordering for some time but hadn't explored it deeply. We worked with DoorDash to implement a Smart ‘Order Online’ Button displayed on every page, and an ‘Order Now’ pop-up that appears on the main landing page,” said Jaclyn Bambino, Chief Brand Officer at 3Natives. “We’ve seen mobile app customers reorder 71% more often than web customers, and have been impressed with the performance of the Online Ordering platform.”

Helping merchants run their DoorDash business anywhere, anytime

Owners and managers of small and medium-sized businesses are often overwhelmed and lack the time and data to make real-time operating decisions for their off-premise businesses. With the Business Manager App , busy store managers and owners can manage their DoorDash business from their pocket – not just when they sit at the computer.

Building on merchant feedback, DoorDash has added expanded features to help merchants streamline daily operations and support growth. 

caption:  DoorDash Phone Ordering is an AI-powered call-in ordering system, with menu recommendations.

Piada Italian Street Food, a fast-casual Italian restaurant concept, announced its strategic partnership with Sparkfly, an award-winning retail technology solutions company, to transform its guest loyalty program that was custom developed in-house. 

Piada’s partnership with Sparkfly marks a significant milestone in enhancing their guest loyalty program and ensures a personalized and seamless experience for guests, supporting the company’s growth into new markets while maintaining a strong connection with their loyal patrons.  

Piada’s new loyalty program, powered by Sparkfly, introduces customizable tiers where guests can earn rewards based on their spending levels. Piada One is the overarching digital engagement platform for Piada, which includes the loyalty program, online ordering, and digital gift cards. 

The updated program allows guests to choose from various offers such as free entrées or drinks, unlock other prizes, and future prizes such as the ability to participate in exclusive challenges and earn badges. This flexibility addresses past limitations where all rewards had to be redeemed simultaneously, regardless of guest preference. Sparkfly’s platform allows seamless integration with third-party systems such as CRM tools and customer data platforms. 

“Relaunching our loyalty program in partnership with Sparkfly empowers us to develop custom features and adjust structures to meet our specific business needs and guest preferences, ultimately ensuring a personalized experience across all touchpoints,” said Jason Profitt, vice president of technology for Piada. “Sparkfly has a roster of impressive restaurant brands and offers robust support, and we felt they were the right choice to power our new loyalty program. Their approach allows us to maintain control over our guest engagement strategies and operational flow, enabling our internal team to focus on creating an exceptional guest experience through our digital engagement platform, Piada One.” 

Integrated Functionality

A key technological innovation in Piada’s new loyalty program is the integration of advanced functionalities with Olo, their online ordering platform, through Sparkfly’s capabilities. Sparkfly has tailored its internal systems to align with Piada’s specific needs, refining accrual rules and other operational aspects to ensure a smooth and personalized loyalty experience.  

“The new loyalty program is designed to meet customers where they are, offering a more personalized and flexible experience that enhances the customer journey through improved loyalty and offers," said Catherine Tabor, Founder and CEO at Sparkfly. "Our platform enables Piada to actively participate in the development of the program, suggesting new features and customizations that benefit both Piada and its customers." 

Piada plans to introduce tier-based marketing segmentation, offering personalized incentives such as early access to new menu items, exclusive offers, and special gifts tailored to each tier. This structure aims to foster a sense of exclusivity and appreciation among loyal guests, rewarding them beyond transactional benefits.  

Previously, Piada operated separate loyalty programs for regular purchases and catering. The new system, housed under Piada One, consolidates all platforms into a single, unified program powered by Sparkfly. This shift to a points-based system was influenced by guest feedback that better incentivizes higher value orders, so that guests who place large orders will accumulate points and rewards faster. 

Sparkfly has partnered with industry leaders such as Chipotle, First Watch and Bojangles, providing customized technology solutions to optimize customer engagement through loyalty and offer management programs. 

Epson announced the new TrueOrder  Kitchen Display System (KDS), designed with seamless compatibility and versatility for easy integration into point-of-sale (POS) systems compatible with an Epson printer. The TrueOrder KDS provides the ideal solution for POS software vendors looking for a way to optimize kitchen workflows in quick-service restaurant (QSR) or small-restaurant environments with fewer than 10 stations.

The TrueOrder KDS offers choices from kitchen, expediter and customer-facing stations, with views that can be configured to match existing workflows. The TrueOrder KDS comes with an intuitive interface that uses flexible grids and supports both portrait and landscape viewing. The system's simple, browser-based configurator is accessible from most devices with a Web browser and allows POS software vendors to add a logo as well as customize layouts and colors.

Lavu, a provider of mobile POS and payment processing solutions for bars and restaurants worldwide, has had success integrating TrueOrder KDS at many locations.

"Lavu's comprehensive product suite – including POS, payment processing and operational analytics – empowers restaurant owners and operators to streamline their operations, enhance efficiency and deliver an exceptional dining experience," said Paul Stanley, logistics manager, Lavu, Inc. "The Epson TrueOrder KDS solution has been an excellent addition to our product suite with easy configurations and customizations to match our ecosystem, helping get customers up and running even faster."

The TrueOrder KDS is compatible with a variety of display devices, including traditional bump bars, modern touchscreens or a combination of the two. Existing displays can be reused by pairing with a media player. For added flexibility, the TrueOrder KDS can be paired with an Epson label printer for use on take-out bags, to-go cups and more. This versatile KDS solution is easy to set up and integrate into POS systems and works on local networks without the need for an Internet connection.

Additional TrueOrder KDS Features
Designed with seamless compatibility and versatility for easy integration into POS systems, additional features include:

• Digitize kitchen operations: Digitize food prep processes and help minimize paper usage while expanding back-of-house footprint
• Customize defaults: Preconfigure specific elements to match existing ecosystem settings and help get customers up and running even faster
• Room for growth: Includes a comprehensive API and world-class developer support for more in-depth integration or advanced reporting
• Easy setup: POS-agnostic; compatible with traditional and tablet POS systems through printer emulation, with no software modifications or special licenses needed; connect to local networks with no Internet connection required
• Free POS integration: Provided free of charge by Epson when updates are needed for POS compatibility; usually delivered within just a few weeks 
• Skip typical upcharges: No additional software cost for features such as label printing and custom branding

Availability
The TrueOrder KDS is now available.