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News Briefs

  • 8/8/2024

    Mark Shambura Joins Panera Bread as CMO

    Mark Shambura Papa Johns

    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.

  • 10/30/2024

    Noodles' New EVP of Marketing

    Noodles logo

    Noodles & Company has appointed Stephen Kennedy as Executive Vice President of Marketing, starting November 18, to lead the company's brand strategy and customer growth initiatives.

    "Stephen is a transformational marketing leader with over two decades of experience driving growth for iconic brands," said Drew Madsen, CEO at Noodles & Company. "We're excited to add his expertise in digital innovation and customer engagement to our team as we deepen our brand relevance, capture new customers, and drive sustained, profitable growth."

    Kennedy most recently served as Vice President of Growth and Strategy at Bounteous, where he spearheaded digital strategies that enhanced brand experiences. At Nestle USA, he led the Marketing Enablement and Consumer Experience teams, increasing media ROI, social engagement, and e-commerce sales through data-driven strategies and a digital-first marketing approach.

    At Domino's, Kennedy was pivotal in helping drive record sales growth for the company. In various leadership roles, he guided the insights team on successful product launches and promotions, including Domino's Pan Pizza and the $5.99 Mix and Match deal. Kennedy also spearheaded the pilot, launch, and management of the award-winning Piece of the Pie Rewards program, overseeing all owned and paid digital marketing efforts.

    Prior to his time at Domino's, Kennedy worked in brand strategy and insights at General Motors. He began his career in marketing at Borders Group Inc. where he managed CRM and loyalty marketing teams.

    Kennedy's accomplishments have contributed to numerous awards from organizations such as Loyalty 360, The ARF David Ogilvy Awards, The Effie Awards, The American Advertising Federation, The In-House Agency Forum, Communication Arts, and Restaurant Business Tech Accelerator.

  • 10/30/2024

    SoundHound's AI Processes 100M Customer Interactions for Restaurants

    soundhound ai

    SoundHound AI, Inc. announced that the company’s AI phone ordering technology has crossed a milestone, processing over 100 million interactions with restaurant customers, including hundreds of millions of dollars’ worth of food orders.

    SoundHound’s current roster of customers using its Smart Ordering AI service includes Chipotle, Jersey Mike’s, Applebee’s, Habit Burger, Noodles & Company, Beef O’Brady's, Casey’s General Stores, and many more.

    This new data from SoundHound pertains to customer interactions handled by the company’s cutting-edge restaurant phone solutions, including those processed by AI phone ordering services developed by SYNQ3 (acquired by SoundHound in early 2024).

    The company works with over ten thousand restaurant locations in the U.S. and beyond, with AI phone ordering expanding rapidly as a key channel for restaurants looking to drive revenue, support employees, and provide an accurate, consistent experience for their customers – particularly during busy periods.

    “AI phone ordering is no longer just a 'nice to have;' it’s become a critical part of restaurant operations helping many of the best known brands in America deliver the kind of customer experience that they’re celebrated for,” said Steve Bigari, EVP, AI for Restaurants at SoundHound AI. “We’re proud to be the provider of choice for so many of them, and right now we’re rapidly deploying cutting-edge solutions so that restaurants can provide consistently excellent ordering and customer service across every channel.”

    SoundHound’s Smart Ordering phone AI takes carryout, curbside, and delivery orders for restaurant operators – processing payment for orders, offering quick and convenient reorders, and integrating with point of sale and loyalty systems. The automated service is also able to provide customizable answers to customer FAQs on topics like opening times and parking.

    Recently, SoundHound’s acquisition of Amelia has enabled the business to expand its comprehensive omnichannel solutions and offer marquee clients additional conversational AI support across IT, guest relations, catering, and more.

    For more information about SoundHound AI’s restaurant solutions, visit www.soundhound.com.

    The data shared in this release by SoundHound relates to interactions – including orders and other customer queries – handled exclusively by the company’s AI phone answering service since 2020.

  • 10/30/2024

    Fiserv Introduces All-in-One Clover Solutions for Restaurants

    new product solution

    Fiserv s empowering small business growth through an enhanced suite of industry-specific solutions from Clover. Built with small business owners in mind, these 'all-in-one' solutions combine flexible hardware with software that addresses the unique needs of individual businesses, providing restaurants, retailers, and service-based businesses with the vertical-specific capabilities they need to save time, make money and grow.

    “Small business owners are engines of growth, creators of jobs, builders of communities, and drivers of innovation”

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    Factors like rising costs, labor shortages, and the ongoing quest to attract and retain customers have led to a host of challenges for small businesses. As technology infiltrates the market to address these issues, small business owners are diverting their attention from their core mission of running their businesses efficiently to managing an assortment of complex systems. Recognizing the unique needs and pain points of today’s entrepreneur, Clover has invested to deliver small businesses with adaptable, vertically-integrated enhancements across three key verticals:

    • Restaurants can seamlessly manage front- and back-of-house operations and access real-time kitchen reporting for actionable insights and enhanced operational efficiency.
    • Service Businesses can implement a comprehensive appointment booking feature to operate and grow their business, manage employees, engage with customers, and take payments using a streamlined POS experience. In addition to appointment scheduling and employee management, the solution features a customizable website.
    • Retailers can enhance their presence through an omnichannel integration with customizable websites and digital storefronts, giving customers an end-to-end e-commerce experience. Retail solutions also support variance management, Buy Online/Pick up In-store (BOPIS) options, and merchant delivery as fulfillment methods.

    "Small business owners are engines of growth, creators of jobs, builders of communities, and drivers of innovation," said Jennifer LaClair, Head of Merchant Solutions at Fiserv. "An enhanced suite of industry-specific solutions allows small business owners across industries to transform challenges into opportunities and streamline processes so they can focus on what matters most – elevating their business."

    Working in tandem with upgraded vertical solutions and industry-leading payments capabilities, the enhanced solution set includes:

    • New hardware, like Clover Compact and Flex Pocket, that further build on the extensive Clover hardware suite, giving business owners more freedom to take payments and run their business how and where they want.
    • Integrated capabilities, like employee management, payroll, customer loyalty programs, and gift cards, that are seamlessly built into vertical software to streamline operations.
    • Flexible financial solutions, like cash discounting, cash advance and instant and same-day transfers, that provide small businesses with easy access to capital that facilitates growth.

    For more information about Clover’s enhanced vertical solutions and products, please visit http://www.clover.com.

  • 10/29/2024

    Zucchetti North America Launches New Customer Support Program at The Hospitality Show

    zuchetti north america logo

    Zucchetti North America is excited to launch a new customer support program, available to hotel clients 24/7, across their entire portfolio of operational solutions. From CRS, to POS, to booking engines, to PMS and RMS, Zucchetti North America offers a one-stop shop for hoteliers looking for a complete tech stack to support their operations; with the launch of the new customer support program, the company is demonstrating its commitment to providing the best user experience possible, enabling clients to maximize the ROI earned from their tech investment.

    As part of the new customer support program, Zucchetti North America implemented the following new procedures and processes:

    ·       Expanded the customer support team to ensure that live telephone and chat support is available to clients worldwide, 24/7.

    ·       Provided in-depth training to all support team members, enabling each employee to provide customer support for all the Zucchetti North America tech solutions.

    ·       Implemented an integrated email support program which enables clients to submit a support ticket for any of the solutions and receive a response within 24 hours. Once a ticket is submitted, hotels can also log into the customer portal to find out the status of their ticket request at any time.

    ·       Customers have access to the vast Zucchetti North America knowledge base through their online customer portal, which offers training videos and information about all the different solutions in the tech stack

    ·       Decreased the target response time for all support requests submitted through our online chat to a 24-hour turnaround.

    “In today’s competitive landscape, hoteliers are not just looking for tools; they’re looking for results and maximizing customer support responsiveness is key to unlocking the full potential of a hotel’s tech investment,” said Alison Cowan, Vice President of Sales at Zucchetti North America. “By ensuring timely support across all support channels, we help our clients optimize their technology to capture more bookings and maximize revenue opportunities. As such, improved customer support directly translates to a higher ROI on our client’s tech spend and empowers them to stand out from the competition online.”

    To find out more about Zucchetti North America’s new customer support, please contact Jennifer Nagy at [email protected] or +1.786.420.1160. Alternatively, you can meet Zucchetti North America at The Hospitality Show in San Antonio, TX on October 29 & 30 at Booth 925 on the tradeshow floor to find out more or for a demo of our fully integrated suite of operational solutions.

  • 10/29/2024

    Lajitas Golf Resort Chooses Agilysys Hospitality Software Solutions to Elevate Guest Experiences and Optimize Revenue Beyond Rooms

    agilysys
    Agilysys, Inc. (Nasdaq: AGYS), a leading global provider of hospitality software solutions and services, today announced that Lajitas Golf Resort has implemented 14 Agilysys solutions to connect and modernize guest experiences property-wide. These solutions also work together to share data, insights and processes to improve staff efficiencies and optimize revenue across the resort’s many amenities. All 14 Agilysys solutions were implemented and in production use within a 48-hour period!
     
    In addition to Agilysys software platforms for PMS, POS, Golf and Spa, Lajitas selected solutions that enhance payment efficiencies and security; enable mobile transactions and information access; improve check-in/check-out experiences; reserve dining and leisure activities; automate service requests; simplify retail and gift card purchases; and streamline sales and catering workflows. By offloading repetitive and administrative tasks, staff members now have more time to engage with guests, maintain operational consistency, and work more efficiently, especially during the off-season when resources are limited.
     
    With its Black Jack Crossing golf course consistently ranked by Golfweek as the #38 Resort Course in The USA and the #1 Course You Can Play in Texas, as well as by Golf Magazine as the Most Beautiful Course in Texas, Lajitas attracts discerning guests. Located on a bluff 2,200 feet above the Rio Grande River and adjacent to Big Bend National Park, the property’s uniquely remote location delivers diverse experiences not only for golfers but also for families, bucket list travelers, wedding guests and conference attendees.
     
    When Philip McLain, Director of Information Technology for Lajitas, was tasked with replacing and elevating technology systems and infrastructure across the property, his requirements were more stringent than most. He required software systems not only sophisticated enough to smoothly unify diverse, high-quality guest and staff experiences, but also delivered by a technology partner able to provide exceptional service, support, security and reliability in the resort’s decidedly remote location.
     
    Mr. McLain approached modernization holistically, not only to optimize booking across the property’s hotel, private villas, lakeside cottages and boardwalk condos, but also to enhance revenue opportunities beyond rooms, encompassing golf experiences, dining, shopping, event planning and catering, weddings and a host of other options such as zip lining, equestrian activities, mountain biking, shooting range activities, hiking, stand-up paddle boarding and spa treatments. To accomplish this, he heavily weighted providers able to deliver software solutions property-wide to minimize the technology integration burden on his team as well as the overhead of managing multiple vendors.
     
    Mr. McLain noted, “Our legacy PMS system was out-of-date, with inefficiencies and limitations that impacted our guests, employees and bottom line. We prioritized finding a solution able to be tailored specifically to our unique, remote destination, designed to be future-proof and able to expand and adapt with us. It also was imperative that we choose solutions intuitive and simple enough to be used easily by the seasonal staff that join our team each year.”
     
    Mr. McLain also preferred a solution provider committed to working side-by-side with his team to understand each department’s processes, pain points and desires, and able to configure improvements compelling enough to win unilateral buy-in.
     
    “After carefully evaluating all the options available to us, it became very clear that Agilysys has the technology, service and expertise we need to achieve our goals,” Mr. McLain explained. “The Agilysys team worked closely with us to consider our specific and unique requirements. The closeness of our collaboration and the experience Agilysys brought to the table gave us the confidence to implement 14 integrated solutions together at once to accelerate accomplishing our goals. The reality that Agilysys was able to work with us to configure and implement these solutions across our property in a matter of weeks is testimony to the level of insight and support we have received,” he added.
     
    Mr. McLain emphasized that a commitment to exceptional service and teamwork strongly contributed to successfully modernizing systems across the property. “The organization and professionalism of the team that came out to our property for our implementation were unmatched. Their immediate attention to issues and changes large and small was amazing. Everyone’s communication was outstanding, and the fact that we were given contact numbers for everyone we needed, from managers to directors and even executives, showed us how dedicated Agilysys is to customers. Launching 14 products at one time was a massive undertaking. For that project to go as smoothly as it did speaks volumes of the skill and dedication of everyone involved,” Mr. McLain concluded.
     
    Jeba Kingsley, Senior Vice President of Professional Services for Agilysys, commented, “Lajitas Golf Resort is known for singular, highly tailored experiences that reflect the remarkable qualities of its surroundings. The software solutions supporting guests and staff – both directly in front-line experiences and behind the scenes in back-office efficiencies – must be just as remarkable and ‘top-shelf’ as the resort’s environment. The same goes for the advice, service and support delivered to ensure ongoing technology excellence. We are proud to be the software provider chosen as the ideal partner for this property, standing out above others due to our ability to address its unique complexities. We look forward to our ongoing partnership with the stellar Lajitas IT team as they continue to elevate guest delight, staff satisfaction and revenue opportunities across this truly distinctive resort.”
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