News Briefs

Visiting Media, a provider of immersive sales and marketing technology for the hospitality industry, announced the appointment of Chad Kimner as Senior Vice President of Growth & Operations. In this newly created role, Kimner will oversee Product, Marketing, and Product Studio teams while serving as a strategic partner to the CEO in driving operational excellence.

Kimner brings extensive product management and marketing expertise, along with operational leadership to Visiting Media, with a background spanning both established technology companies and high-growth startups. Most recently, he served as Director of Product Marketing at Meta’s Reality Labs, where he led Go-to-Market efforts for AI, Mixed Reality, and AR products. Previously, he spent nine years at Mozilla in escalating leadership roles, including driving hockey-stick growth of the new product development portfolio.

"Chad's unique blend of product leadership and operational excellence comes at a perfect time as we scale our solutions across the global hospitality sector," said Jascha Kaykas-Wolff, CEO of Visiting Media. "His proven track record in building robust product management and marketing systems and driving cross-functional alignment will help us move with greater clarity and purpose as we enter our next growth phase."

In his role, Kimner will focus on strengthening the connection between product development and go-to-market execution. He will partner closely with industry veterans at Visiting Media Steve Sackman, SVP Sales, and Kevin Huang, SVP Customer Experience, to ensure a unified approach across the entire customer journey.

"I'm thrilled to join Visiting Media at such a pivotal moment in the company's growth story," said Kimner. "The team has built an impressive foundation with industry-leading immersive technology. I look forward to helping scale our impact through disciplined product management, operational rigor, and strategic alignment across our go-to-market functions."

Kimner holds an MBA from UCLA Anderson and a BA from Middlebury College. His appointment is effective May 12, 2025.

Cash App announces its partnership with Domino’s giving customers payment flexibility when ordering their favorite pizzas. This launch marks one of the first restaurant partnerships for Cash App Pay and will give next generation consumers the choice and flexibility they crave at checkout.

“We’re all about providing convenience to customers, and that includes making sure their checkout experience is seamless,” said Mark Messing, Domino’s Vice President of Global Digital Marketing. “We are excited to give them another easy and convenient way to pay for their order.”

With 79% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials using mobile apps for fast-food orders, it’s clear that convenience and speed are non-negotiables for the next generation of consumers.¹ Cash App Pay provides them with a seamless and simple way to pay by using their own money from their Cash App balance when checking out with Domino’s. Additionally, this partnership allows Domino’s to connect with Cash App’s young and growing user base, building long-term loyalty as these consumers continue to shape the future of dining and digital payments.

“We are thrilled to partner with Domino’s as this marks our first-ever pizza restaurant partner for Cash App Pay. Through this integration we are able to help them unlock incremental value with next generation consumers who we know are looking for convenience and flexibility at checkout,” said Alex Fisher, Head of Revenue, North America, Cash App Commerce.

When checking out on the Domino’s app, consumers can select Cash App Pay as their preferred payment method. Download Cash App to get access to all available merchants.

Real Time Ordering, in cooperation with  Platinum Relations and National Computer Corporation (NCC), launched RTO Tableside Order and Pay solutions. 

RTO Tableside Applications leverage the NCC API to communicate with restaurants’ Reflection POS systems, allowing servers to communicate orders directly to the kitchen via the point of sale (POS) system. When customers are ready to pay, servers can recall open checks by table or check number. Restaurants can accept cash or run credit or debit card transactions through NETePay Hosted from Datacap Systems.

RTO Tableside Applications combine cutting-edge software, exceptional service, and powerful handheld technology. RTO Applications allow users to experience seamless transactions with the sleek and ergonomic PAX A77, built for durability, long battery life, and effortless mobility. Whether customers prefer to email digital receipts or print them at the POS, RTO Applications keep businesses running smoothly and efficiently.

In addition, both Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity allow restaurants to use RTO Connections inside, outside, or curbside. This flexibility makes it ideal for a range of use cases across the industry, including QSR line busting, food truck operations, and café, nightclub, or bar service, in addition to full service or fine dining tableside ordering and payment. 

“The industry has been waiting for a practical order- and pay-at-the-table solution that seamlessly communicates with the POS system and makes servers’ lives easier with a device that’s easy to carry and use in a demanding restaurant environment,” Chuck Prince, President, NCC, says. “RTO Tableside Order and Pay makes it accessible with a total solution offered for a low monthly subscription.” 

“RTO Tableside Order and Pay allows restaurants to provide modern, convenient service, and protect cardholder data and privacy because payment cards never leave the customer’s sight,” Dave Beneteau, President, Platinum Relations, points out. “But as much as RTO Tableside Applications enhance experiences for diners, it has even more of an impact on restaurants. It increases server productivity, which can help control labor costs, and it accelerates table turn rates. Overall, this solution helps restaurants operate more successfully.” 

RTO Tableside Applications are now available from certified resellers across the U.S. and Canada.  

Toast is teaming up with with modern golf entertainment leader Topgolf to implement Toast Enterprise Solutions across its venues in the United States. In addition to Toast point-of-sale (POS) terminals, Topgolf will use Toast Payments, Kitchen Display Systems (KDS), Toast Go® handhelds and Multi-Location Management.

Topgolf is known for its laid-back, no-golf-experience-needed atmosphere, paired with delicious food and drinks from a full-service bar and restaurant. Selecting a new, modern POS partner was a critical step in its journey to continue both enhancing the guest experience for maximum enjoyment and support its growing footprint. With Player experience at the forefront, Topgolf sought a provider who could offer frictionless hospitality, with benefits such as in-bay food and beverage ordering capabilities and contactless payments, and was particularly attracted to features like Toast Go  handhelds.

“We’re all about taking big swings at Topgolf, and Toast’s existing capabilities combined with its track record of scaling with brands as they grow gave us confidence to make this update with Toast as our new POS partner,” said Rafik Hanna, Senior Vice President, Topgolf Technologies at Topgolf.

“We built Toast from the ground up to seamlessly manage all kinds of unique and complex food and beverage operations. Topgolf is a great example of an iconic, high-traffic concept that can benefit from the flexibility of our platform,” said Kelly Esten, Chief Marketing Officer at Toast. “Toast is thrilled to be working with Topgolf to provide an enjoyable and differentiated experience for their guests, and we look forward to demonstrating the power of acing a hospitality experience that two tech-forward companies can provide together.”

Toast currently serves hundreds of multi-unit brands, including Caribou Coffee, Choice Hotels, Potbelly Sandwich Shop, Craveworthy Brands, Perkins American Food Co., Nothing Bundt Cakes, Papa Gino's & D'Angelo, and Costa Vida Fresh Mexican Grill, among others. 

Chipotle Mexican Grill has hired Jason Kidd as its chief operating officer, effective May 19. Kidd will be responsible for overseeing operations of Chipotle's nearly 3,800 restaurants and will report directly to Chief Executive Officer Scott Boatwright, based in the company's Newport Beach headquarters. Additionally, after nearly 25 years with the company, President and Chief Strategy Officer Jack Hartung will step down from his current role on June 1 and will remain with the company as a senior advisor through early March 2026.

Kidd joins Chipotle from Taco Bell, where he was the global chief operating officer. Prior to that, he held the role of president of Hearing Lab Technology, LLC. Before that, Kidd spent six years leading operations at 99 Cents Only Stores, most recently serving as president and chief operating officer. Additionally, he held roles of increasing responsibility across operations, merchandising, planning and supply chain at Sam's Club for 20 years.

"Kidd brings proven accomplishments and a wealth of knowledge that will further support our 130,000 team members in our restaurants with delivering exceptional hospitality to our guests," said Boatwright. "His vast operational experience at large scale multi-unit retail will bring a strong foundation and new strategic thinking to our executive team."

Hartung, who joined Chipotle in 2002 and has held various titles including chief financial and administrative officer, will become a senior advisor beginning next month prior to his 2026 retirement. He has spent the last nine months working alongside Boatwright and Chief Financial Officer Adam Rymer as they took on their new roles. The smooth transition is a testament to Chipotle's strong talent bench and thoughtful succession planning, as the company continues to execute against its strategic plan.

As part of Hartung's transition, Curt Garner, chief customer and technology officer, will expand his scope of responsibility to oversee supply chain as the president, chief strategy and technology officer. In conjunction, Chris Brandt, chief brand officer, will lead a cross-functional team to drive all menu and ingredient processes as president, chief brand officer.

“Just Google it” is officially outdated advice. Marketers blame AI, algorithms, or platform changes for declining visibility, but the real issue is something bigger. According to SOCi’s newly released 2025 Consumer Behavior Index (CBI), while 83% of consumers still use traditional engines to search, platforms like social media (73%), navigation apps (58%), review sites (19%), and AI tools (19%) have turned consumer discovery into a free-for-all. Brands are fighting for attention across a fragmented landscape, and those still focused on traditional search strategies alone are losing attention and relevance.  

"At SOCi, we’ve been keeping a close eye on this shift. Our proprietary data shows search impressions are down 10% year-over-year, and multi-location brands are feeling the impact. While AI tools like ChatGPT are gaining momentum, they aren’t the sole culprit, ” said Monica Ho, Chief Marketing Officer, SOCi. “Consumers want more from their overall search experiences, and the multi-platform discovery journey is a hunt for authenticity, especially for Gen Z.”  

This shift has been building over the last few years. SOCi revealed this fragmentation in 2024 with the rise of search on social media platforms, and Gen Z in particular choosing Instagram and TikTok over Google when conducting local searches. Younger consumers are overindexing in seeking real stories, real experiences, and validation from real people – and they are no longer relying on one platform to find it. The 2025 CBI shows that Gen Z bounces between an average 3.6 platforms before deciding on even simple purchases. 

“We are not only seeing the continued use of social for search this year, but also the rise of AI search engines like ChatGPT and community websites like Reddit, which are taking market share away from traditional search engines,” Ho added. “This shift is already happening. Unless marketers change their strategies now, they’ll continue to lose not only search demand but visibility as well.”  

As search and discovery shifts toward social, AI tools, and forums, the real question isn’t how you rank on Google – it’s whether you show up at all where consumers are actually searching. Are your local pages and reviews optimized? Are you showing up in ChatGPT responses or Reddit threads? How are you appearing in top social media sites? These areas will only become more influential as Social Platforms, AI Assisted Engines and others test new experiences to attract younger generations.   

Gartner predicted in 2024 that search demand would drop 25% by 2026. “SOCi’s proprietary data shows we are already on pace to hit that decline,” Ho added. “If brands do nothing, they should expect search demand to drop by more than a quarter by the end of this year.” 

The takeaway is clear: Multi-location brands must evolve to stay discoverable in a radically reshaped digital landscape. For marketers, this is a wake-up call: adapt to this fragmented reality now, or risk becoming invisible, irrelevant, or untrusted in the eyes of today’s digitally fluent consumers.

To explore the full findings of the 2025 Consumer Behavior Index, visit soci.ai/insights/consumer-behavior-index.