QSR Automations earned recognition for excellence in customer service and support.

At MURTEC, QSR Automations’ VP of Hardware Solutions and Support, Kathi Klein, received fHospitality Technology ’s 2023 Top Women in Technology Lifetime Achievement Award. 

During her more than 30 years in the restaurant technology industry – half of those at QSR Automations–Klein has amassed incomparable knowledge in understanding and troubleshooting kitchen display, front-of-house, and the associated hardware and networking platforms needed to run them. 

But what truly sets Klein apart is her natural ability to nurture relationships and foster talent, which has made her an effective leader in QSR Automations’ Support Services Team. During her long tenure at QSR Automations, Klein has built one of the industry’s strongest and most effective support teams. In fact, under Klein’s guidance, the team has received a 99 percent satisfaction rate from customers in 2021, and last year handled more than 16,000 inbound and outbound calls, which earned them a bronze award for Excellence in Customer Service from the 2022 Stevie Awards. 

This was the third bronze Stevie award for the team, as last fall, Klein accepted two additional bronze awards from the Stevie Women in Business Awards on behalf of QSR Automations–one for excellence in customer service, and the other for growth. QSR Automations was selected for these honors from more than 1,500 nominations from around the world.

“Just as our technology is the heart of a restaurant kitchen, our people are truly the heart of this business,” said Angela Leet, CEO of QSR Automations. “My colleagues are passionate about innovation both in and out of the office, and it’s immensely gratifying to see them recognized for these achievements.”

QSR Automations, headquartered in Louisville, Ky., with offices in the United Kingdom, is a global industry leader in kitchen automation and guest management services.

Up and coming QSR  Salad and Go  is expanding in Texas with three new locations opening in February in the Houston markets of Katy, Richmond and League City.

The Katy store located opened February 1, the Richmond location at  is set to open February 17, and the League City store plans to open its doors on February 22. These new locations will mark the start of rapid brand expansion across the Greater Houston area.

These suburbs were strategically selected as ideal markets for Salad and Go as some of the fastest growing communities in the region. Conveniently located in some of Houston's most popular suburbs, the new locations will provide fresh, high-quality meals with quick and easy convenience at an affordable price.

As Salad and Go continues growing its national presence with a strong focus on Arizona, Texas, Oklahoma, and Nevada, the brand's expansive growth has it on a positive trajectory to provide fresh and affordable food to communities in more than 125 locations by the end of 2023. Houston is the next step in the brand's expansion across Texas with plans to open additional stores in the market throughout the new year.

Salad and Go's chef-curated menu provides guests with food for any time of the day by offering a variety of delicious and healthy items including salads, wraps, breakfast burritos and soup as well as beverages including hand-crafted lemonades, teas and cold brew coffees.

Salad and Go ensures each meal contains fresh, quality ingredients while keeping prices low by vertically integrating operations and distribution, and sourcing ingredients directly from high-quality local farmers and suppliers whenever possible. The brand's mission to make fresh, nutritious food convenient and affordable for ALL extends beyond its stores and is demonstrated in the work the brand does to donate 4,000 meals every week to those in need, as well as in partnerships with nonprofits to support and fundraise for various worthy causes.

Focus Brands says dual branding is the future of QSR, and the parent company of Auntie Anne’s®, Carvel, Cinnabon, Jamba, McAlister’s Deli, Moe’s Southwest Grill, and Schlotzsky’s, is leading the charge. Today, the Focus Brands portfolio boasts 175-plus open dual branded units with at least 65 more in various stages of development across the country. 

Drive-Thru Convenience

The Focus Brands portfolio brands have signed agreements to open more than 50 dual and tri-brand locations in the coming year, many of which include drive-thrus for added convenience as interest in dual branded franchise opportunities continues to surge.

Flexible Store Formats

Focus Brands is among the brands introducing new store formats, including Krystal, Jack-in-the-Box and Panera Bread, which opened its Panera To Go, solely offering Rapid Pick-Up and Delivery shelves where guests and delivery drivers can easily pick up orders.  

Focus Brands has long pioneered the concept of dual branding, predominately in malls and non-traditional locations with Auntie Anne’s and Cinnabon. Now, the company’s portfolio brands have found new opportunities with streetside dual branded units, which is paving the way for immense franchise growth. 

“Dual branding is the future of our brands, especially on the specialty side of the business,” said Brian Krause, Chief Development Officer at Focus Brands. “There will always be a place in malls, but there is an immense amount of growth opportunity in streetside venues, and, by dual branding, there is more opportunity for enhanced revenue.”

The company invested heavily in consumer research to identify how to create combinations of its iconic brands to resonate with consumers and meet them where they want to be met.

Focus Brands has identified four dual-brand concepts:

• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon
• Auntie Anne’s/Cinnabon/Carvel
• Auntie Anne’s/Jamba
• Cinnabon/Carvel – Cinnabon Swirl. 

While key consumer benefits vary by dual-brand combination, one consistent benefit has been convenience. Having these brands together in one location makes them far more accessible than they are individually. This convenience also creates opportunity for franchisees, as co-branding leads to an expansive menu that drives enhanced unit-level volume. 

Epson introduces the new m-Series OmniLink  TM-m50II thermal receipt printer is now available through Epson Authorized Partners. Offering a compact, modern design with a small size ideal for tight spaces, the OmniLink TM-m50II is engineered to deliver exceptional performance, reliability and fast speeds to produce fast checkouts and help minimize downtime, ideal for today's high-volume retail and hospitality businesses.

 The new mSeries model offers print speeds up to 500 mm/sec  for fast checkouts in high-volume retail and hospitality environments. The sleek enclosure is IPX2 rated for water resistance and its specially treated antimicrobial enclosure material suppresses the growth of bacteria. Additionally, the printer has a flexible configuration, working in either a top-exit or front-exit orientation.

The OmniLink TM-m50II has the versatility to support both traditional PC-POS and mPOS systems with built-in serial, Ethernet and USB interfaces, along with optional Wi-Fi^® connectivity.  The new printer allows merchants to print from Web-based applications using Epson’s ePOS^™ Print technology or utilize Epson Server Direct Print technology for online ordering or remote printing.² With innovative paper-saving technology, the printer enables businesses to reduce paper usage by up to 49 percent.³

Now available through Epson Authorized Partners, the OmniLink TM-m50II is backed by Epson’s  service and support and include a four-year limited warranty coverage. 

Brizo Data is excited to announce series A funding of over $12 million Canadian in combined venture capital and debt.

The company was launched in 2020 by seasoned entrepreneurs Ian Delisle, Trevor Shimizu, Gaetan Corneau and Jean-Sébastien Vachon. Brizo's vision is to become the source of truth on the foodservice and hospitality industries through their depth of industry data and insights.

Brizo Data's flagship product, Brizo FoodMetrics, is a comprehensive source of near real-time, foodservice market analytics. Restaurant intelligence is now a key driver in industry research, marketing and sales, enabling businesses in the food and beverage industry to thrive through data-informed decisions. Brizo provides insights to foodservice suppliers and vendors of all kinds – from who is selling Wagyu beef or linen services, to companies offering staffing technologies, delivery or online reservation solutions. 

Brizo FoodMetrics includes dashboard customizations for a wide variety of customer uses including technology vendors, franchisors, food and beverage distributors and industry investors. 

The capital will allow the company to accelerate growth and expand into new markets. The round was led by FRAMEWORK Venture Partners and BDC Capital's Industrial Innovation Venture Fund.

Denny's Corporation has forged a strategic partnership with Sparkfly and Olo  to launch a next-generation intelligent customer engagement ecosystem. Leveraging Sparkfly's comprehensive Offer & Reward Management Platform and adding Olo's Marketing and Guest Data Platform (GDP) modules, Denny's will create and implement bespoke customer engagement initiatives to incentivize and retain loyal customers.

Real-Time Insights

Leveraging intelligent, data-driven marketing technology, Denny’s will be able to utilize real-time insights to cultivate unique and engaging customer experiences. The new ecosystem will provide a frictionless and digital-first user experience, making it easier than ever for Denny’s customers to earn rewards and receive personalized offers.

"Personalized experiences are key to building and nurturing lasting relationships with our Denny’s guests," said Luis Martinez, Denny’s Senior Director of Brand Intelligence and Customer Relationship Management. "For 70 years, we have forged meaningful connections with our customers that go beyond their restaurant visits. By teaming up with Sparkfly and Olo, we will continue to provide our guests with a rewarding experience that will keep them coming back for years to come."

Sparkfly and Olo’s full-featured customer engagement suite, including Loyalty, Offer Management, POS Middleware, Digital Wallet, CRM + Automations and Guest Data Platform, will enable Denny’s to offer personalized reward programs based on first-party insights and buying behaviors. These insights are critical to maximizing engagement and driving ROI.

"In times of economic uncertainty, it is paramount that businesses prioritize customer loyalty and recognize it as a key growth driver,” said Catherine Tabor, Founder and CEO of Sparkfly and HT's 2020 Top Women in Restaurant Technology Innovator. “By leveraging advanced technology to deliver personalized rewards and engagement programs, companies like Denny's can deepen customer relationships and create more meaningful and lasting connections. A customer-first approach is essential for success in any market condition."

The new ecosystem is now live across all 1,600+ Denny’s locations.