News Briefs

Gen Xers who grew up with Chuck E. Cheese are getting their own arcade.

the iconic name behind America’s favorite arcade and family entertainment centers, is stepping into a new era with the launch of 

Chuck’s Arcade is a bold new arcade concept from Chuck E. Cheese that combines classic games and the hottest new games alongside iconic animatronic characters.

For Adults

The arcade was created "for adults and lifelong fans who grew up surrounded by the electric glow of arcade screens, the symphony of digital soundtracks and the thrill of chasing high scores with friends long into the night." Chuck’s Arcade, according to a statement,  is a" modern-day love letter to the games and people who made Chuck E. Cheese great."

While celebrating its legacy, Chuck’s Arcade  is a new destination where nostalgia meets the future.

“Chuck E. Cheese has spent decades mastering the arcade experience — it’s in our DNA,” said David McKillips, CEO of Chuck E. Cheese. “Thanks to the expertise of our talented technicians and the successful transformation of almost 500 fun centers worldwide, we’ve built the operational and creative foundation to take our brand beyond our traditional four walls. Chuck’s Arcade™ is a natural evolution — an opportunity to extend our arcade legacy into new formats that engage both lifelong fans and a new generation through a curated mix of retro classics and cutting-edge experiences.”

Chuck’s Arcade locations are now open in St. Petersburg, Florida; Trumbull, Connecticut; Oklahoma City and Tulsa, Oklahoma; Victor, New York; Buford, Georgia; El Paso, Texas; Nashua and Salem, New Hampshire; and St. Louis/

While the focus is on cutting-edge play, Chuck’s Arcade also features a curated collection of retro legends— think Ms. Pac-Man, Galaga, Mortal Kombat, Donkey Kong and Centipede —offering a nod to the games that shaped generations. 

As Chuck E. Cheese approaches its 50th anniversary, the brand is expanding with 10 Chuck’s Arcade  locations across eight states—including the one-of-a-kind Chuck’s Arcade and Pizzeria in Kansas City, Missouri, featuring original artwork spanning the history of Chuck E. Cheese and a full menu. Every Chuck’s Arcade  offers a unique environment, with a distinct lineup of today’s hottest games and a rotating mix of retro classics. No two locations are exactly alike.

Adding to the experience, each arcade is overseen by an animatronic character such as Chuck E. Cheese or one of the other characters from Munch’s Make Believe Band —historic figures from the brand’s past, now standing watch as a nostalgic nod rather than performing. Select locations also feature exclusive retro-themed merchandise: classic logo apparel, collectible toys, novelty candy and prize redemption items, all celebrating the magic of winning that fans have always loved. 

Lunchbox and 1Huddle are teaming up to roll out new technology, strategies, and campaigns faster to turn team training into a mobile-first, gamified experience.

Lunchbox equips restaurants with the tools to drive off-premise growth. but it says the biggest barrier to capturing that value isn't access, it's training. "Operators can't afford to spend weeks getting teams up to speed on new rollouts," said James Walker, CEO of Lunchbox. "With 1Huddle, we're helping our partners train faster, drive adoption, and ultimately boost revenue."

By pairing Lunchbox's flexible platform with 1Huddle's fast, competitive learning model, restaurant teams can execute more confidently and consistently. Restaurants using 1Huddle's gamified platform report a 45% reduction in training time, along with improvements in speed, accuracy, and frontline performance.

Through the partnership, Lunchbox brands will gain access to customizable 1Huddle games built to teach frontline employees how to use Lunchbox tools and solutions, turning education into action in minutes, not days. New hires can onboard quickly. Corporations can roll out updates and new tech to franchisees without retraining from scratch. And teams stay aligned on the strategies that move the needle.

"We've seen what happens when training keeps pace with innovation — sales go up, performance gets sharper, and execution gets faster," says Sam Caucci, CEO and Founder of 1Huddle. "This partnership is about helping teams win on day one."

1Huddle's platform is already used across hospitality, retail, and even the U.S. Air Force. Its model is simple: take critical knowledge, deliver it in short bursts, and gamify it for better retention and real-world results.

The partnership reflects a shared mission: to make restaurant operations faster, smarter, and more scalable, without slowing down the people who keep them running.

Bite, a provider of digital kiosk solutions, has a new partnership with Attentive, a platform specializing in AI-driven SMS and email marketing. The collaboration aims to help quick-service and fast-casual restaurants improve customer engagement and loyalty program participation by linking ordering technology with marketing automation.

The integration connects Bite’s self-service ordering kiosks with Attentive’s marketing tools, allowing restaurants to collect customer data at the POS and use it to deliver personalized messages and promotions. The setup enables guests to sign up for loyalty programs, redeem rewards, and receive targeted offers directly through the kiosk.

Key features of the integration include:

• Subscriber Growth: Customers can opt into SMS marketing during the ordering process, helping restaurants expand their communication reach.
• Loyalty and Rewards: Guests can access and redeem loyalty rewards during checkout.
• Automated Personalization: AI-driven campaigns are tailored to customer preferences and ordering history.
• Customer Retention: The solution supports efforts to encourage repeat visits through targeted engagement.
• Operational Support: Automation aims to reduce the burden on staff while maintaining guest service quality.

Starbird, a restaurant chain using the integrated system, reports improved customer communication. . “It's allowed us to build a stronger connection with our customers, delivering timely, personalized messages that enhance their experience and keep them engaged with the Starbird brand.” said Casey Hilder, the company's Director of Marketing.

The integration is designed to help restaurants address a common challenge—turning first-time visitors into returning customers—by offering a cohesive customer journey that starts at the kiosk and continues through follow-up engagement.

Brandon Barton, CEO of Bite, said the goal is to support restaurants in building stronger guest relationships using integrated tools. "By combining ordering and marketing technologies, we’re helping restaurants deliver more relevant service and communication."

The joint solution is now available to restaurant partners.

Jurny and Visual Matrix have teamed up to deliver a fully integrated guest experience platform designed to automate hotel operations at scale. 

The new partnership and integration will unlock a powerful set of AI-driven tools—including contactless mobile check-in and checkout, real-time guest messaging, identity verification, and revenue-generating upsells—seamlessly embedded within the Visual Matrix PMS environment.  Phase II will include use of Junry’s voice activated AI to bring further innovation and enhanced guest experiences.

“Partnering with a brand like Jurny gives our customers access to some of the most advanced, real-time guest engagement tools available today—all with minimal lift and immediate impact,” said Patty Jefferson, Chief Development Officer at Visual Matrix. “hotels can now offer the speed, personalization, and polish of enterprise-scale operations—on their own terms.”

As guest expectations rise and staffing challenges persist, this collaboration empowers hotels using the Visual Matrix PMS, a premium, high-touch service without expanding their teams. New capabilities like AI-powered inbox consolidation, website-integrated virtual concierge, and automated upgrade offers are designed to enhance personalization, reduce manual workload, and drive new revenue streams. With more than 300,000 rooms in reach, the partnership sets a new standard for what boutique and mid-market properties can deliver—instantly, intelligently, and at scale.

Jurny’s platform leverages next-generation agentic AI to act autonomously across the full guest journey. From responding to inquiries across multiple channels to executing backend tasks like identity verification and room upgrades, the system is built to handle complexity in real time. By embedding this capability directly into the Visual Matrix PMS, hotel teams can now operate smarter, faster, and with the confidence that every interaction meets today’s demand for immediacy and personalization.

“Partnering with Visual Matrix brings the scale and reach to deliver truly autonomous operations to thousands of hotels at once,” said Luca Zambello, Co-founder and CEO of Jurny. “Together, we’re creating infrastructure that allows hotel teams to move faster, reduce manual tasks, and elevate the guest experience using next-gen agentic AI NIA.”

This new offering, and fully integrated solution, is designed to streamline operations, increase revenue through automated upsells, and improve service quality by ensuring every guest interaction is fast, personalized, and consistent—without adding headcount. As staffing challenges persist and guest expectations continue to rise, this partnership equips hotels with the tools to deliver exceptional service at scale, around the clock.

Duetto introduces GameTime, a streamlined revenue management system (RMS) designed specifically for select-service and limited-service hotel brands.

Built from the ground up for this segment, GameTime offers a fast, scalable solution tailored to brands that prioritize efficiency and agility. Its mobile-friendly interface and intuitive setup empower lean teams to automate pricing decisions and scale operations effectively.

“We understand that one size doesn’t fit all,” said Sabrina Jackson, VP of Product Management at Duetto. "GameTime is built specifically for brands operating limited- and select- service hotels, delivering a smart, accessible solution that empowers teams to make confident pricing decisions and streamline revenue operations with simplicity.”

Simplified Pricing Strategy

Designed for enterprise brands with limited-service portfolios, GameTime simplifies pricing strategy and performance tracking, offering:

• Automated Pricing: Update rates in real time based on real-time demand signals.
• Flexible Automation: Use Autopilot to apply pricing recommendations automatically or retain manual control when needed.
• Real-Time Reporting & Forecasting: Access performance metrics and demand forecasts up to 365 days out.
• Portfolio Management: Manage multiple properties and brands with centralized visibility and enterprise-level strategies.
• Predefined Segmentation: Leverage preloaded guest segments for faster setup and dynamic pricing.
  Mobile-Friendly Interface: Adjust rates on the go with fast digital onboarding directly in the app.
   

With GameTime, busy teams can act faster, optimize smarter, and grow sustainably – without the complexity of legacy RMS platforms.

GameTime is already in use.

“What truly makes Gametime stand out is its ability to meet the specific needs of limited-service hotels while aligning seamlessly with our overall revenue management strategy. The tool delivers all the key features we need without overcomplicating the daily work of our on-site teams. Whether general or front desk managers, our staff use it with ease and confidence. GameTime has not only streamlined our operations but also had a direct, measurable impact on our performance. Today, it’s an essential solution for any property looking to combine simplicity, efficiency, and profitability.” – Selim Hadj, RM Solutions & Systems Director at Louvre Hotels Group

Lighthouse has launched Connect AI, a new engine designed to help hotels integrate with AI-powered travel planning platforms like ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, and Perplexity. As generative AI becomes a go-to resource for trip planning, hotels have struggled to appear in results due to data access issues. Connect AI solves this by delivering real-time rates, availability, and contextual property details directly to AI agents—making hotels easier to discover and book through these tools.

The new platform is built on the Model Context Protocol (MCP) and allows for direct, commission-free bookings, giving hotels a chance to maintain control over their distribution and avoid reliance on OTAs. Lighthouse, which already powers data for over 80,000 hotels, is piloting the tech through an early access program.

Why Hoteliers Should Care:

• AI-driven travel planning is surging: 50% of travelers say they plan to use generative AI for trip planning in the next year.
• Hotels are currently invisible: Most don’t appear in top AI-generated search results, missing a critical new discovery channel.
• Connect AI enables discoverability: By sharing structured rate and availability data with AI agents, hotels can finally be included in AI-based recommendations.
• Capture more direct bookings: Integration supports commission-free transactions through AI tools, reducing OTA dependence.
• Future-proof your distribution: As AI becomes the first point of contact for travelers, being bookable in that ecosystem is no longer optional—it’s strategic.
• Works across platforms: Whether a traveler uses ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Perplexity, Connect AI ensures your hotel shows up and can be booked.