News Briefs

Cantaloupe, Inc., a global leading provider of end-to-end technology solutions for self-service commerce, announced a new partnership with Carnival Cruise Line to power food and beverage sales at Celebration Key, Carnival’s new exclusive destination set to open on Grand Bahama July 19, 2025. With Cantaloupe’s advanced point-of-sale (POS) technology, guests will have access to a seamless, self-service ordering and payment experience across the destination’s food and beverage outlets.

Celebration Key is designed to be a premier exclusive cruise destination and features a variety of food and beverage options. To make ordering and payment as convenient as possible, guests’ Sail & Sign cards, which are used to make cashless payments on board Carnival ships, will now be available for use at Celebration Key. Guests will be able to scan their Sail & Sign cards to make purchases directly linked to their onboard accounts at Cantaloupe-powered kiosks on the island. This collaboration marks the first time the Sail & Sign program will be available off-ship, creating an effortless extension of the onboard cashless experience.

“Cantaloupe is excited to power this experience by providing a frictionless, technology-driven solution that will simplify guests’ dining and service experiences,” said Tom Lapham, senior vice president of Cheq at Cantaloupe, Inc. “Cantaloupe’s POS technology is built to support large-scale environments, with real-time updates and scalability that can handle high volumes of transactions and peak demand. We’re proud to help Carnival deliver an elevated guest experience at its stunning new Celebration Key destination.”

With Cantaloupe’s self-service kiosks located throughout the island, guests can quickly and easily place orders and enjoy their time at Celebration Key without the need for cash or credit cards.

“Our collaboration with Cantaloupe is critical to making Celebration Key a destination that is full of fun and takes the worry out of carrying cash for our guests,” said Richard Morse, senior vice president of Food and Beverage at Carnival Cruise Line. “Through this partnership, we’re able to offer an experience that extends the ease and familiarity of onboard dining to our exclusive destination. Guests will have the freedom to choose from a diverse range of dining and beverage options with the same seamless process they’re used to onboard.”

Cantaloupe’s POS solutions, including its Cheq management platform, are designed to support high-traffic venues, providing large organizations like Carnival Cruise Line with reliable, high-performance payment technology that enhances operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. This partnership aligns with Cantaloupe’s expansion into the travel and hospitality sectors and underscores Cantaloupe’s commitment to delivering world-class customer service, self-service and digital payment solutions across diverse venues.

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.

GhostPhone AI is set to spice up the National Restaurant Show with the debut of their Omnichannel Auto-Attendant and OPM (One Page Mobile Menu) mobile-optimized digital resources featuring video backgrounds, online ordering capabilities, interactive maps, and more.

"GhostPhone was a game-changer for us. We know it's working when our phone rings less during peak hours," reports one early adopter restaurant owner.

The most innovative feature being unveiled at the show is the OnePage Mobile Menus with swipe and tap audio functionality. This complimentary solution empowers restaurant operators to:

• Edit menus in real-time without technical expertise

• Convert static PDFs to responsive, mobile-friendly displays

• Add descriptive audio narrations to menu items

• Update food imagery instantly from their smartphone camera

"GhostPhone AI is ready to cook up a storm in the world of AI-driven omnichannel communication for the hospitality industry," said CoFounder Jim Martin. "Our no-BS, all-inclusive pricing, white glove customer support, and hospitality backgrounds set us apart from other clunky and cost-prohibitive solutions in this space. Our tech solutions are purposely engineered first to solve problems from the operator's seat and then make it tasty for their customers."

Restaurant professionals attending the National Restaurant Show are invited to experience GhostPhone AI firsthand at booth #9128b. For those unable to attend, more information is available at www.ghostphoneai.com.

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.  

Expedia® announced Expedia® Trip Matching, a first-of-its-kind feature that allows travelers to seamlessly build an itinerary based on reels found on Instagram and then book directly on Expedia. Travelers can share any publicly available travel-related reel—whether from content creators they follow or trending posts—directly with Expedia and receive customized itineraries, destination ideas, and travel tips based on the video. Powered by AI, this new experience transforms inspiration into real-world travel plans, making it easier than ever to book travel directly from Instagram.

"It's no secret people are getting their news, inspiration and travel ideas from influencers and content creators, with a recent study showing that 80% of millennials rely on social media for travel decisions*," said Jochen Koedijk, Chief Marketing Officer, Expedia Group. "We want to be where consumers get their inspiration, which is through social media. Now with Expedia® Trip Matching, travelers can seamlessly build an itinerary based on reels found on Instagram and book it directly on Expedia."

How Expedia® Trip Matching works:

• Find inspiration: While scrolling Instagram, a user finds a reel featuring a destination or experience they love.
• Share it with Expedia: They tap the share icon on the reel, search for the @Expedia account, and send the video.
• Receive fast results: Expedia replies with AI-generated, personalized travel recommendations, itineraries, and trip-planning resources based on the video.
• Book when ready: Travelers can review and book directly from the customized itinerary—seamlessly bridging social discovery with real-world booking.

Expedia® Trip Matching is now open for beta access by visiting Expedia.com/tripmatching. The feature will be available to U.S. travelers in the upcoming weeks. Through the new trip matching feature, Expedia becomes the first OTA to integrate real-time, AI-powered travel planning directly into Instagram. The feature reflects the company's commitment to innovation and meeting the next generation of travelers where they are—inspired, mobile, and social-first.

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.