News Briefs
- 2/3/2025
Bob W Launches New Hotel Carbon Tool That Shows Sector Emissions Are Five Times Higher than Previously Thought
Hotel carbon emissions are at least five times higher than previously thought, according to research by Bob W.‘LEGIT’ (Lodging Emissions & Guest-night Impact Tracker), a new tool developed by the tech-powered hospitality operator and Furthr, a top tier environmental consultancy, gives guests complete environmental impact metrics for each of its room-types in every property. Bob W now clearly publishes these per-night guest emission numbers on their booking website, their guest app and in its sustainability reporting.Bob W’s LEGIT builds on existing frameworks for assessing hotel carbon footprints, such as the World Sustainable Hospitality Alliance’s Hotel Carbon Measurement Initiative (HCMI), as detailed in the company’s latest Sustainability Report.The HCMI standard for per night emissions includes electricity, gas, refrigerant gases and laundry services, and is used by more than 30,000 hospitality operators including Hyatt, Marriott International and Scandic.Bob’s LEGIT takes additional factors into consideration, including the environmental impact of construction materials, cleaning services, toiletries, food and drink consumables, waste and water and furnishings.HCMI has been widely praised for helping operators take a vital first step in carbon measurement. However, Niko Karstikko, Bob W’s co-founder and CEO, wants operators to go further by using more comprehensive measurement standards and is calling for greater transparency in sharing environmental performance to both guests and the wider industry.When applied to Bob W’s portfolio, the new more accurate methodology calculated an average carbon footprint 419% higher than the HCMI estimate – a five-fold increase.[1] This stark difference was driven by the inclusion of significantly more supplier-contributed indirect emissions.Bob W’s Koti Katajanokka building in Finland, for example, recorded an average of 1.48 kilograms of CO₂ equivalent per night (kgCO₂e/night) using the HCMI methodology. However, when the new model was applied, the figure rocketed to 19.7 kgCO₂e/night.Key factors like room rates and amenities have long played a pivotal role in guiding guest decisions when browsing property listings. By incorporating LEGIT per guest night emissions metrics into each of its property listings, Bob W guests are empowered to make informed and sustainable choices about their accommodation.While the new tool represents a major milestone in understanding the full environmental impact of the hotel sector, it also carries serious implications for how the industry currently gauges and mitigates its carbon footprint.Niko Karstikko, Co-founder and CEO of Bob W, said: “The emerging generation of travellers demands more transparency and is tired of greenwashing. The lodging industry owes it to its guests to give the numbers upfront and our aim is to make per-night guest emissions as prominent as nutrition facts on the back of a cereal packet.“Our work with Furthr suggests the true scale of the hotel sector’s environmental impact has been vastly underestimated. For an industry that accounts for approximately 9% of global carbon emissions,[2] there can be no room for guesswork when it comes to assessing its true contribution.“The disparity between our new methodology and others raises critical questions about the effectiveness of current sustainability strategies within the sector. Many operators could well be falling shorter than they realise in addressing the full scope of their emissions, especially indirect sources.“Among the pool of big, big hotel and hospitality players, we’re a relatively small challenger brand. So, if we are able to identify and measure our actual impact on the planet, then so too can others."We may not have all the answers, but we remain committed to being the most honest operator in the industry and are working hard to empower our guests to make informed decisions. We’re eager to hear feedback from other operators about our new LEGIT methodology and invite open dialogue to refine and enhance it together. Collaboration is key to evolving this initiative into something truly impactful for the entire industry.”Bob W’s latest Sustainability Report provides a detailed assessment of the operator’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions for its entire portfolio in 2023. It highlights a total carbon footprint of 4,489 tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (tCO₂e) – a 90% increase in 2022, driven by the rapid expansion of Bob W’s portfolio, which grew by around 200% during that same period.Bow W is a leader in sustainable hospitality having become the first international climate-neutral hospitality provider in 2021. The operator offsets 100% of its operational emissions, prioritises renewable energy sources and has committed to becoming a net-zero business by 2050.Paul Dunca, chief operating officer at Furthr, said: “Tools like HCMI have provided a strong foundation for measuring operational emissions, helping many operators take their first steps toward sustainability. By introducing standardised sustainability reporting, HCMI empowered hospitality businesses and established a centralised system to drive meaningful progress.“However, as our understanding of the hospitality industry’s true impact on the planet continues to evolve, it becomes increasingly clear that there is much more work to be done.“By adopting advanced measurement methods, the industry can develop a fuller, more accurate picture of its environmental impact, and then take meaningful steps towards achieving its sustainability goals.”“It's rare to see a team like Bob W’s. They already had sustainability baked into their ethos, and now they've taken it to the next level by formalising their net zero strategy. We worked closely with them to push for better data accuracy, streamline reporting, and align with the highest standards, giving them a clear foundation to achieve their bold vision.”References:[1] This weighted percentage has been calculated according to floor area by taking the average difference between Bob W’s carbon footprint using the HCMI methodology and Bob W and Furthr’s new LEGIT tool. - 8/27/2024
Shift4 Invests in German POS Company, Closes Deal on Revel Systems
Shift4 has acquired a majority stake in Vectron Systems AG, a European suppliers of point-of-sale (POS) systems to the restaurant and hospitality verticals.
Based in Germany, Vectron has 65,000 POS locations across Europe, representing. Shift4 is expected to acquire additional ownership of Vectron through a public tender offer that is expected to conclude within the next month, with a de-listing and formal integration process to occur shortly thereafter.
The acquisition is expected to provide Shift4 with an expansive customer footprint across Europe as well as a distribution network of ~300 POS resellers. As a result of the acquisition, Shift4 believes it will be able to add its integrated payment services to current Vectron customers and products, while also empowering the sales force with a compelling all-in-one POS and payments solution unrivaled in Europe.
“Shift4 was at the forefront of the convergence between software and payments in the restaurant and hospitality verticals in the US. We see an incredible amount of demand for a similar all-in-one solution across Europe,” states Shift4 CEO Jared Isaacman. “With our integrated payments and SkyTab offering, we believe we have the best solution at the right price point. Vectron will provide valuable local expertise, infrastructure, and the distribution necessary to meet the demand. This acquisition is right out of the Shift4 playbook – enabling us to unlock synergies, expand our distribution, and monetize payments for a large existing install base.”
Completes Revel Systems Acquistion
In addition to the acquisition of Vectron, Shift4 has also completed its previously announced acquisition of Revel Systems. Revel has over 18,000 merchant locations across the United States and internationally which Shift4 estimates represents a $17B+ payment opportunity. Revel also has a direct sales and dealer distribution network which Shift4 believes can be leveraged to accelerate SkyTab distribution both domestically and abroad.
- 8/27/2024
Shift4 Strikes Deal to Buy Givex
Shift4 has signed a definitive arrangement agreement to acquire Givex Corp., a global provider of gift cards, loyalty programs and point-of-sale solutions.
The Arrangement Agreement is subject to customary closing conditions and the transaction is expected to be completed in the fourth quarter of this year.
With across more than 100 countries, Givex serves a wide range of businesses in various industries, including 7-Eleven, Wendy’s, Best Western, Texas Roadhouse.
The company offers robust gift card and e-gift solutions as well as customizable loyalty programs, and a point-of-sale (POS) system for various business types, among other value-added services.
“Givex has a considerable footprint around the world which will dramatically increase Shift4’s overall customer base,” states Shift4 President Taylor Lauber. “At the same time, their gift card and loyalty solutions are second to none and will add significant value for our current customers, creating stickier relationships andh 130,000+ active locations enhancing our overall value proposition. Similar to other deals we have recently completed, this acquisition aligns perfectly with how we like to deploy capital – adding blue-chip merchants at a low customer acquisition cost while delivering additional benefits to our customer base.”
“The Givex team looks forward to joining the Shift4 family and bring our enterprise gift card capabilities and loyalty programs to hundreds of thousands of new customers,” says Don Gray, CEO of Givex. “By combining Shift4’s end-to-end payment solution with our value-added engagement services, we can deliver an unparalleled package to both of our customer bases.”
- 2/3/2025
Olo Partners with FreedomPay, Expands In-Store Capabilities of Olo Pay
Olo announced a new partnership with FreedomPay, an innovative leader in Next Level Commerce™ technologies, to improve restaurant payment experiences nationwide. The partnership also deepens Olo’s relationship with Stripe, a financial infrastructure platform for businesses, which will include in-person transaction processing.
Olo Pay launched with Stripe as its original partner for digital payments in 2022, and the partnership will now be updated for an omnichannel world providing restaurants with a truly unified solution.
This collaboration will accelerate Olo’s ability to process more card-present transactions by leveraging FreedomPay's payment gateway, which is processor-agnostic and already integrated with over 1,000 POS and payment systems. Olo Pay can now use Stripe’s payment processing on in-person POS transactions for the majority of its 700+ customers, extending the restaurant-centric benefits customers appreciate about Olo Pay’s digital payments.
By integrating Olo Pay with FreedomPay's Commerce Platform, Olo will be able to offer enterprise brands choice in how they integrate in-store payment processing with Olo: either directly through one of Olo Pay Card-Present partnerships announced in 2024 or through FreedomPay. Like the POS partnerships, integrating FreedomPay and Stripe will enable brands to integrate Olo Pay’s Card-Present solution with Olo Engage, the company’s guest engagement suite. Aggregating both digital and in-store transactions into a single guest data profile will create opportunities for more personalized guest experiences and data-driven decision-making.
"Currently, about 18% of restaurant transactions are digital,” said Noah Glass, Founder & CEO of Olo. “By processing the remaining 82% of on-premise transactions, we're uniquely positioned to provide restaurants with a 360-degree view of their guests by combining the newly captured in-store data with the digital order data they already have from our online ordering. This visibility will allow restaurants to better personalize interactions, making every guest feel like a regular and driving superior hospitality.”
In addition, this integration provides current Olo Pay Card-Not-Present customers additional benefits:
- Consolidates payment processing with a single provider
- Eliminates reconciliation, reporting, and refund challenges due to multiple processors
- Improves omnichannel tracking of guest purchasing history
- Enhances loyalty program and cross-channel promotion effectiveness
"By combining FreedomPay's Next Level Commerce™ platform with Olo's innovative payment solution purpose-built for restaurants, we're creating a unified, secure, and seamless checkout experience that will drive digital transformation," said Chris Kronenthal, President of FreedomPay. “Our work with Olo Pay will help unify the digital and in-store payment experience, improving reporting and providing restaurants with clearer insights for better decision-making.”
This partnership represents a step forward in Olo's strategy to streamline commerce across all ordering channels, offering restaurants more flexibility, efficiency, and guest engagement capabilities to drive the industry toward a more personalized future. To learn more about Olo Pay, visit https://www.olo.com/pay.
- 1/21/2025
Wonder Franchises Buys Pizza Factory
Tucker’s Farm Corp. has acquired Pizza Factory Inc., a restaurant franchisor. The acquisition was completed via the Farm’s franchisor platform Wonder Franchises. Founded in 1979 by Danny Wheeler and Ron Willey, Pizza Factory has approximately $94 million in system sales across 84 franchisees and 110 restaurants. Since 2012, the business has been led by owner and CEO, Mary Jane Riva, who will stay on as CEO moving forward.
In 2023, Tucker’s Farm launched Wonder, a franchise-focused holding vehicle, with $30 million of committed, long-term equity capital. Wonder is dedicated to partnering with and acquiring emerging to mid-size brands with the goal of long-term growth. Wonder’s priority is to be a great partner to sellers and a responsible steward for world-class brands and related assets.
“We’re extremely excited to be acquiring Pizza Factory and to be partnering with MJ to take Pizza Factory to the next level. We love the longevity and stability of the system, the passion that MJ and her team have for their franchisees, and the community-focused culture of the brand. We feel fortunate to be partnering with someone with as much character and knowledge as MJ and believe there’s a great fit both culturally and in terms of our respective skillsets. We’re excited to have the deal closed so we can now focus on driving value for our franchisees,” said Adam Lewin, a partner on the private equity team at Tucker’s Farm and CEO of Wonder Franchises.
This is the third franchise transaction for Tucker’s Farm in recent months, after portfolio company VIO Med Spa, the nation’s med spa franchisor, was successfully sold to Freeman Spogli in September 2024, and Wonder acquired The Decor Group, the leading holiday decorating franchisor with 245 franchised territories and $75 million in system sales, in November 2024.
Riva received HT's Top Women in Restaurant Technology - Lifetime Achievement Award in 2024.
“I’ve been part of this system for more than 30 years and this company means the world to me. I chose Wonder because I really felt they were the partner that could help improve and grow the system but would do so in a way that took good care of the brand and the franchisees. The Wonder team is smart, young, and energetic – all things that I love – but the thing that really stood out compared to other groups was the way they asked so many questions. They didn’t come in with a ‘we know best’ mindset, they truly wanted to learn about Pizza Factory, understand what’s gotten us this far, and build on what we’re doing. The better I’ve gotten to know their team, the more confident I am that Wonder is the right partner and that the next chapter for Pizza Factory will be a great one.”
A community staple in 100-plus communities, Pizza Factory has stayed true to its roots with hardworking operators, family-friendly dining and high-quality products, offering fresh, hand-tossed pizza, pasta, wings, sandwiches, salads, beer, wine and more. With multiple restaurant designs, an Express model, and robust off-premise dining options including delivery and mobile ordering through a custom app, Pizza Factory is built to excel in the restaurant industry moving forward.
- 2/2/2025
Smoothie King Hires Industry Vet to Lead Marketing
Smoothie King announced the appointment of Claudia Schaefer as the company's new Chief Marketing Officer. With an exceptional track record in transforming and elevating well-known restaurant and retail brands, Claudia brings a wealth of experience in driving revenue growth, enhancing profitability, and elevating the customer experience, making her the ideal leader to guide Smoothie King into its next phase of growth.
Schaefer will oversee all marketing efforts for Smoothie King, where she'll focus on further defining the brand's purpose and positioning by leveraging consumer insights to ultimately drive traffic and accelerate sales growth.
Schaefer joins Smoothie King from her most recent role as Chief Experience Officer at Caliber, the $6B parent company of Caliber Collision, where she was instrumental in positioning and marketing the Caliber brand while delivering a seamless and differentiated guest experience. Prior to her tenure at Caliber, Schaefer served as the CMO of multiple QSR and CDR brands, including Jamba and Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen. During both tenures, she successfully increased traffic and sales through strategic marketing efforts focusing on relevance and differentiation. Her past experience also includes significant leadership roles at Brinker International, parent company of Chili's Bar & Grill, where she worked in both marketing and culinary innovation across domestic and global markets.
Smoothie King's new CMO hire follows the brand's most recent quarterly business update and year- end recap. In 2024, Smoothie King opened 84 new stores, including signed agreements for new store openings across 24 states and 39 DMAs. The fourth quarter of 2024 alone saw the opening of 25 stores nationwide, including the opening of the brand's 1,200th domestic store and continued expansion across Chicago – one of the brand's fastest-growing markets. Smoothie King is setting its sights on an even bigger year in 2025 with accelerated growth, forecasting 105 new store openings across the country.
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