News Briefs

QDOBA, America's rapidly growing #2 restaurant brand in the Mexican fast-casual category, today announced Kevin Carroll has joined the company as Chief Operating Officer. Carroll brings extensive restaurant leadership experience and is responsible for all aspects of QDOBA's operations strategy and execution across approximately 800 restaurants in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada. This appointment comes on the heels of the brand posting a 7.7% increase in comp sales for its fiscal year ending September 2024, on top of last year's 6.3% comp sales growth.  

"We are thrilled with Kevin's decision to join the QDOBA family," said John Cywinski, CEO of QDOBA. "Kevin is a truly exceptional leader and one of the most respected operators in the restaurant industry. I've worked alongside Kevin for many years, and I know first-hand the invaluable leadership and partnership he'll bring to the QDOBA brand."

Carroll joins QDOBA at a time of robust growth, accelerating momentum and unlimited potential. "I'm fired up to be partnering with John again in support of this extraordinarily well-positioned brand," said Carroll. "QDOBA is indeed the best kept secret in the restaurant industry, and I'm looking forward to working alongside our talented team and franchise partners to unlock our full potential."

Cywinski added, "Kevin is a deeply experienced and highly regarded executive with a well-deserved reputation for excellence. Beyond his character and integrity, what I value most about Kevin is his guest-first orientation and his commitment to a culture of accountability. We are very fortunate to have a leader of Kevin's caliber help guide us at this time of unprecedented growth."

With four consecutive years of unprecedented growth, QDOBA plans to double the size of its current footprint to more than 1,600 restaurants over the next decade.

For the past seven years, Carroll was COO for Applebee's Grill & Bar, leaving an indelible mark on the 1,600-restaurant brand while earning the trust and respect of franchise partners and team members throughout his tenure. Prior to Applebee's, Carroll was Senior Vice President of Operations for Chili's Grill & Bar (Brinker International), accountable for 700 company-owned restaurants, 35,000 team members and an approximate $2B portfolio. Throughout his 27-year tenure with Chili's, Carroll rose steadily through the ranks of the organization from Restaurant General Manager to Area Director to Regional Director to Regional Vice President to Senior Vice President.

UrVenue will offer an exclusive preview of its new sister platform, UrResort, at The Hospitality Show in San Antonio October 29 to 30 at Booth #444. UrResort is a suite of products designed to power resorts with a comprehensive Property Experience Management System (PXMS), featuring UrVenue’s Venue Management System (VMS) as a key component. The preview will showcase the platform’s capabilities ahead of its official launch in 2025, with a focus on gaining additional pilot partners whose valuable insights will help shape the product and ensure its success when introduced to the broader market.

UrResort delivers centralized management of property experiences, including activity center and guest itinerary management, and distribution of these experiences across direct and third party channels such OTAs. Designed to optimize both on-property and off-property experiences, UrResort enhances operational efficiency, guest satisfaction, and drives revenue growth for hotels and resorts.

Additionally, UrVenue and UrResort are now members of the Oracle PartnerNetwork (OPN) and available on the Oracle Cloud Marketplace. These out-of-the-box integrations with Oracle OPERA Cloud Property Management System (PMS) and Simphony Cloud Point-of-Sale (POS) will enable resorts to streamline guest engagement and operations. The Crane Resort in Barbados will be the first to implement the OPERA Cloud PMS integration with UrResort, creating personalized guest itineraries and centralizing experience management, while Wynn Las Vegas will adopt the Simphony Cloud POS integration with UrVenue, connecting guest bookings, presales, and check data for deeper insights into guest behaviors.

“We’re excited to preview UrResort at The Hospitality Show and demonstrate how our new suite of products, combined with our Oracle integrations, creates the most advanced engine for managing experiences,” said Tracee Nalewak, Chief Growth Officer at UrVenue. “With centralized activity management, group and guest itinerary planning, and seamless distribution of experiences, UrResort will redefine how resorts manage and monetize on- and off-property experiences, driving efficiency, guest satisfaction, and revenue growth.”

Attendees at the show will get an exclusive preview of several key components from UrResort’s experience platform, including standout features and integrations with OpenTable, Book4Time, and Oracle.

Hallmark's new Gift Card Greetings combines a physical greeting card with a digital gift card that offers an easy solution for personalized gifting.

"When it comes to gifting, especially during the busy holiday season, customers want convenience and customizability, and that's exactly what Gift Card Greetings offer," said Lauren Benson, senior director of creative product development at Hallmark. "Nothing compares to the feeling of opening a greeting card with a heartfelt message, and when combined with a surprise digital gift card that caters to the recipient's favorite store, restaurant or retailer, it's truly a gift that's perfectly suited for anyone."  

Powered by The Gift Card Shop, Gift Card Greetings offer an innovative way for customers to add a digital gift card to a physical card. With more than 100 favorite brands including Starbucks, Darden Restaurants and DoorDash, to choose from, Gift Card Greetings provide a more meaningful way to send and receive digital gift cards this holiday season – and for any celebratory occasion.

"Pairing gift cards with greeting cards is a popular way to celebrate special occasions, and now consumers can make this experience even more personable," said Jaime Yeager, vice president of global business development at InComm Payments. "This collaboration highlights our shared commitment to enhancing customer experiences by merging the best of both worlds: Hallmark's trusted brand for meaningful greetings and InComm Payments' leadership in the gift card industry. The result is Gift Card Greetings, a seamless way to deliver digital gifts with a physical touch."

Gift Card Greetings come in a wide range of designs for multiple occasions and seasonal celebrations,  as well as holiday styles for Christmas. With Gift Card Greetings, it's simple, secure and fun to surprise someone with a digital gift card to their favorite brand inside a Hallmark greeting card.

To send a Gift Card Greeting, customers choose a design, scan the unique code inside the card to visit The Gift Card Shop, select a digital gift card from more than 100 favorite brands, add a dollar amount, and handwrite a personalized message. When the recipient opens the card, they simply scan the code and enter a four-digit PIN to redeem their digital gift card. More details on how Gift Card Greetings work can be found here.

Gift Card Greetings are powered by The Gift Card Shop, an e-commerce website managed by InComm Payments. They are available for $4.99 at Hallmark.com, Hallmark Gold Crown Stores and select retailers nationwide. For more information about Gift Card Greetings or to locate a Hallmark Gold Crown Store visit Hallmark.com.

As it celebrates 15 years, Kura Sushi USA Inc is currently implementing across all locations a QR-scan plate system that provides real-time consumption analytics, ensuring operational efficiency with precise demand forecasting.

The self-described "trailblazing leader in technology-driven dining experiences and authentic Japanese cuisine," celebrates its 15th anniversary in the U.S. this month. Since opening in Irvine, Calif.., in 2009, Kura Sushi has grown into the country’s largest revolving sushi bar chain, with nearly 70 locations across 19 states and Washington, D.C.

“Reaching this milestone is a testament to our commitment to innovation and our ability to seamlessly integrate advanced technology while staying true to our roots in Japanese culinary tradition,” said Jimmy Uba, President and CEO of Kura Sushi USA. “As we continue expanding, we remain dedicated to bringing our proprietary technology and eater-tainment experience to more diners across the country.”

Pioneering Technology

For the past 15 years, Kura Sushi’s growth and success have been driven by its pioneering technological innovations and partnerships. Central to this is the dual-layer conveyor system, featuring the revolving sushi bar that circulates freshly prepared dishes and the Express Belt, which delivers made-to-order items directly to diners. The revolving belt leverages the brand’s Mr. Fresh food safety dome, a plate-lid system that preserves sushi freshness by limiting airborne exposure coupled with tracking technology. Further accentuating the entertaining element is the Bikkura Pon prize system, a gamified feature that integrates with the table by counting plates for seamless billing accuracy and rewarding guests for every 15 plates, merging entertainment with dining. In continuous effort to create fun, immersive dining experiences, Kura Sushi has collaborated with IPs from notable licensors such as Bandai Namco Entertainment America Inc., Crunchyroll, Nintendo of America, Peanuts , Sanrio , SEGA of America, Inc. and Warner Bros. Discovery Global Consumer Products. These innovations and partnerships have created a seamless and efficient dining experience rooted in quality and authenticity, serving as a cornerstone of the brand’s distinct atmosphere.

Building upon this legacy, Kura Sushi has continued to roll out more advances in recent years, further establishing the brand as one of the most robot-enhanced restaurant chains in the U.S.

• 2022: Introduced the largest fleet of drink delivery robots deployed by RobotLAB.
• 2023: Launched an improved waitlist system with robust integrated AI technology to increase accurate wait times powered by Wisely.
• 2023: Debuted the new Kura Sushi Rewards app with an upgraded interface powered by Punchh.
• 2024: Partnered with DoorDash to offer delivery, further expanding accessibility and consumer reach.
• 2024: Further building upon Mr. Fresh technology capabilities, Kura Sushi is currently implementing across all locations a QR-scan plate system that provides real-time consumption analytics, ensuring operational efficiency with precise demand forecasting.

Looking ahead, Kura Sushi will continue expanding into new U.S. markets, exploring innovations and introducing limited-time menu offerings. These additions reflect the company’s commitment to keeping its experience dynamic, while maintaining the authenticity of its Japanese flavors.

In celebration of this milestone, Kura Sushi is launching the “Fly to Japan” sweepstakes, running from Oct. 23 to Oct. 30. Guests who dine in and spend $65 or more will be provided with commemorative 15th anniversary chopsticks while supplies last, which will serve as an entry for the grand prize trip to Japan for two.