News Briefs

Posist, a pioneer in cloud-based restaurant technology solutions, announced a comprehensive rebranding as it changed its name to Restroworks. This new identity reflects the company's transformation since its inception in 2012 from a Point of Sale (POS) provider to a unified technology platform serving global restaurant chains like Taco Bell, Subway, Nando’s, Buffalo Wild Wings, Caribou Coffee, Arby’s and Sbarro across multiple formats, including food courts, IT parks, universities, food zones in airports, among other.

Restroworks, a fusion of 'Restro' and 'works,' symbolizes the company's commitment to encompassing the entirety of the restaurant technology domain. The new brand name embodies the company’s unified suite of products addressing all aspects of restaurant operations and technological requirements.

With its renewed mission of ‘making restaurants prosperous,’ the company has undergone rebranding by introducing a new company name, logo, website, and fresh identity to represent its unified technology platform  — including cloud-native POS software, inventory management software, a kitchen automation suite, analytics, digital ordering solutions, and integrations with over 400+ third-party solutions like delivery aggregators, payment gateways, loyalty programs, financial and accounting tools, and ERP solutions.

"In 2012, we started Posist with the vision of making a mark in restaurant technology with our cloud-native POS solution. As we grew, we pushed the boundaries, driven by our vision to build products that can create a long-term impact on the bottom-line efficiency of global restaurants and make them prosperous. Our company's evolution and expanded vision called for a new brand identity that allows us to articulate our progression as a unified restaurant technology platform. In sync with our vision, we have unveiled Restroworks - a name that symbolizes our commitment to providing comprehensive technology that seamlessly works across the entire restaurant ecosystem. This rebrand is more than just a name change; it reflects our strategic approach to building the company over the next decade as a pioneering force in restaurant technology," said Sakshi & Ashish Tulsian, Founders of Restroworks.  

Early this year, Restroworks (formerly Posist) cemented its market leadership and was named one of the top 50 highest-satisfaction software companies in the prestigious G2 2023 Best Software Companies list. The company achieved over 80% year-over-year growth, reaching 20,000 customers across more than 50 countries.

Over the last five years, Restroworks has significantly invested in expanding its global presence in the US, Middle East, Latin America, and Southeast Asia. The company also invested in high-quality infrastructure and upgraded security compliance to provide a scalable, enterprise-grade cloud platform for multi-national restaurant chains. Restroworks is certified with ISO 27001, ISO 27017, ISO 27701, SOC1 Type 2, SOC 2 Type 2, and GDPR compliant.

To boost the industry's technological prowess, the company has launched Restroworks Academy—a platform for customers and their frontline staff, equipping them with the knowledge to become more efficient and upskill their technology knowledge. The initiative is now being rolled out to impart skill development among hospitality students in various universities.

Restroworks aspires to be a platform synonymous with restaurant technology globally and is on a mission to bring efficiency for a healthy bottom line for its restaurant partners. 

Fiserv, Inc., a global provider of payments and financial technology solutions, is enabling restaurants to streamline operations and enhance the customer experience with the new Clover Kiosk and an enhanced 24” Clover Kitchen Display System. Designed to integrate with each other and additional Clover software and hardware, these solutions enable end-to-end order management with up to a 40% lower total cost of ownership than competitive offerings, based on a comparison of published prices.

“The restaurant industry continues to undergo significant change, and the right technology can help owners and operators adapt to run more efficiently and scale more effectively,” said Krystle Mobayeni, Head of Restaurant Solutions at Fiserv. “Clover is enabling restaurants to blend digital and physical experiences to meet diners' expectations, while lifting a significant weight off the shoulders of restaurant staff.”

As customer expectations continue to shift, technologies like Clover Kiosk and Clover Kitchen Display System, which combine intuitive usability with robust, elegant design, are vital. Kiosks free up front-of-house staff and can improve the customer experience with reduced wait times and increased order accuracy, encouraging repeat business and higher average ticket sizes. In combination with recent Kitchen Display System software enhancements, restaurants have complete control of menus, modifiers, and the lifecycle of an order.

“Implementing a self-service kiosk has been a gamechanger for us,” said Hanh Nguyen, owner of specialty Asian bakery and coffee shop July Moon Bakery & Café. “Our customers have found it easy to use and like the option of being able to place their own order, and it helps our staff keep up when the line is out the door on weekend mornings. We can serve customers quickly and accurately, even with the many customizations we offer.”

In addition to the newly launched Clover Kiosk, Fiserv has also enhanced its Clover Kitchen Display System, which allows orders to be accessed by back-of-house staff on a large, digital display, allowing seamless order fulfillment at food prep stations. It enables notifications from third party-delivery apps for cancellations and order changes, coursed fulfillment, expo-mode, bump bar support, color-coded order status, and runner ticket printing – all with the goal of reducing order errors and increasing customer satisfaction.

“Providing a consistent, quality customer experience in restaurants has always been hard to do, but post pandemic, the challenges that the restaurant industry has to deal with have increased, including staffing shortages and rising costs,” said Thad Peterson, Strategic Advisor at Datos Insights. “Enabling a positive self-service experience and integrating technologies to better connect the front and back of the house allows restaurant owners and managers to efficiently and profitably deliver their offering to customers who are increasingly comfortable with self-service and interactive technology.”

Clover Kiosk

Clover Kiosk is crafted with intuitive usability to help restaurants increase order size, streamline workflow and operations, and improve the overall customer experience.

With a 24” touch screen and 8” payment terminal plus a built-in printer, diners can browse menus at their own pace, customize items, and order and pay without having to wait in line. Differentiated from other self-ordering kiosks in the market, the low-touch Clover Kiosk offers a two-screen experience with an enterprise grade, large format display made for all-day operation.

Clover Kitchen Display System

Clover Kitchen Display System is enhanced with a 24” screen, designed with larger kitchens in mind. The goal remains the same: connect front- and back-of-house staff allowing for seamless flow of all orders to food prep stations.

The Kitchen Display System streamlines all orders, sending both online and in-house orders to one screen, creating a more efficient process and enhancing a restaurant’s ability to track key metrics. Built to integrate with other Clover software and hardware, the Clover Kitchen Display System automatically connects with Clover POS, Clover Online Ordering, and BentoBox and other online aggregators, for streamlined communication between front and back of house.

Clover is a complete business management system enabling businesses to maximize their operating efficiencies, grow their customer base, and accept customer payments. Businesses using Clover can accept payments of any type, including Apple Pay^®, Google Pay^®, Samsung Pay^®, contactless credit or debit cards, and other digital wallets. As a point-of-sale platform for merchants, Clover processes more than $272 billion in annualized payment volume.

ParTech, Inc. (PAR), a global restaurant technology company providing unified commerce solutions for enterprise restaurants, announced that the renowned American restaurant franchise, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, has selected PAR MENU and PAR Punchh^®for its innovative omnichannel ordering and loyalty platforms. This marks a new chapter as Beef ‘O’ Brady’s returns to PAR’s ecosystem, harnessing the advanced capabilities of both solutions.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, known for their motto ‘Good Food. Good Sports.’, is set to elevate its digital presence with PAR MENU, offering a comprehensive omnichannel ordering solution. Beyond its mobile app and web interfaces for first-party ordering channels, PAR MENU seamlessly integrates with third-party delivery marketplaces like UberEats, DoorDash and Grubhub, optimizing last-mile delivery management.

“MENU and Punchh complement each other, making them work Better Together and therefore benefiting Beef ‘O’ Brady’s operations, enabling them to deliver seamless guest experiences and drive revenue growth. This all-in-one solution allows brands to unify their data and experiences versus the disjointed experience we see so frequently today,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR. “We were excited to welcome the Beef ‘O’ Brady’s team back to Punchh and are even more thrilled to be supporting their first-party and third-party ordering channels with MENU. This marks a significant milestone, setting a new benchmark for omnichannel excellence and proving out our Better Together philosophy.”

At the heart of Beef 'O' Brady's return to PAR is MENU’s open API, which enables the integration with various POS systems. This strategic move not only enhances operational efficiency but also streamlines the ordering process, allowing Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to prioritize what truly matters – their guests. Furthermore, the swift adoption of MENU across all of Beef ‘O’ Brady’s 140 locations, facilitating over 35,000 orders since launch, underscores its scalability and reliability.

Beef ‘O’ Brady’s will further enhance its customer engagement and loyalty initiatives through the advanced features of PAR Punchh. Leveraging Punchh’s sophisticated segmentation, gamification capabilities, AI tools, and comprehensive loyalty and engagement features, Beef ‘O’ Brady’s is poised to elevate both revenue-driving strategies and emotional loyalty initiatives. The incorporation of gamification elements, such as loyalty challenges, adds an interactive and rewarding dimension to the customer experience. Additionally, the platform offers easy-to-access data insights, enabling Beef ‘O’ Brady’s to make informed decisions and further optimize their marketing and operational strategies.

Heather Boggs, Chief Marketing Officer at Beef ‘O’ Brady’s, emphasized the importance of an all-in-one solution in addressing their operational challenges, stating, "Implementing PAR MENU and Punchh has significantly streamlined our processes and improved our customer engagement. Having a unified solution allows us to focus more on delivering exceptional experiences to our guests while efficiently managing our operations."

Xenial, a Global Payments company, announced results of a wide-ranging survey of consumer quick service restaurant (QSR) ordering preferences. Conducted online by The Harris Poll on behalf of Xenial among nearly 2,000 US adults who visit QSRs (i.e., diners), the survey paints a detailed picture of how diners are choosing to engage with restaurants in a post-pandemic environment where all ordering options are on the table.

While the drive-thru remains king – more than half (52%) of diners list it as the ordering option they most often choose – in-restaurant dining popped to 22%, up from 17% when Xenial first asked the question in 2021. Curbside pickup was effectively flat at 7% over the same period. Interestingly, those with children under the age of 18 are nearly three times as likely as those who do not have children in that age group to say they use curbside pickup most often when visiting a QSR (11% vs. 4%).

“In-restaurant dining’s ongoing strength highlights the importance of an end-to-end technology stack that unites all the different ordering channels – including drive-thru and in-restaurant – so they work seamlessly together,” said Chris Siefken, head of technology at Xenial.

Diners’ top ordering and payment preference varies

When asked to rank the following ways to order and pay from most to least preferred, diners showed a range of preferences across traditional and tech-forward alternatives, demonstrating the importance of providing diverse options to match the transaction habits of consumers. Notably, ordering and paying ahead with a mobile device tied with “ordering inside with a real person” as the top choice for roughly 1 in 5 diners. The top preferred methods to order and pay include:

• 23% prefer to order in the drive-thru at a traditional speaker and pay the cashier at the window
• 21% prefer ordering and paying ahead with their mobile device
• 21% prefer ordering inside with a real person
• 12% prefer to order and pay in the drive-thru with a line buster (e.g., a real person taking orders on a tablet/mobile device)
• 7% prefer an automated experience, ordering and paying in the drive-thru at a self-service kiosk

“We’re seeing a splintering of QSR consumer preferences among all the different channels that enable them to order and pay for food,” Siefken said. “It has never been more important for QSR restaurants to offer a cohesive, holistic experience to serve the wide-ranging preferences of today’s consumers.”

Consumer patience evaporates at five cars

As some QSRs continue to struggle with labor shortages and accompanying service delays, Xenial asked diners how many cars lined up in the drive-thru would cause them to skip or leave the line to find another restaurant. The fifth car is the deal breaker, with 61% saying they would skip or leave the line if there were five or more cars. If there are less than five cars, only 29% would skip or leave the line.

Long lines do not have to scare customers away, however: 91% of diners who say they would skip or leave the line if there were too many cars also say they would be more likely to stay if they previously experienced speedy drive-thru service at the same restaurant.

Most diners arrive knowing what they want, but many change their minds

Xenial’s survey also gauged how often menus and advertisements impact what diners order. Although 83 percent arrive knowing what they want, 27 percent often change their order after looking at the menu or in-restaurant advertisements. Ten percent of diners don’t know what they want and use the menu or advertisements to decide.

“Technology can help alleviate many of the pain points identified by this survey,” Siefken concluded. “From providing a unified platform that unites the front and back of the restaurant to helping speed people through the drive-thru and investing in digital menu boards with the flexibility to present more offers to diners, the right technologies are important differentiators as restaurants compete for customers and workers.” 

Hospitality Financial and Technology Professionals (HFTP®), producers of Hospitality Industry Technology Exposition and Conference (HITEC®), has announced the eight outstanding startups participating in Entrepreneur 20X (E20X) Charlotte held on June 26, 2024 at HITEC Charlotte. Technologies being showcased in the HITEC 2024 cohort run the gamut of streamlining both back- and front-of-house operations, building guest profiles for enhanced stay experiences and strengthening property-vendor relationships.

Participating in Entrepreneur 20X is not just about pitching a great idea—it's about showcasing your ability to disrupt and redefine the hospitality industry. The selection process is rigorous and designed to identify truly innovative solutions and entrepreneurs who have the potential to make a lasting impact. E20X offers a rare platform for emerging talents to be heard, seen and supported on their journey to success. Frank Wolfe, CAE, CEO of HFTP

As the premier hospitality technology pitch competition for nearly a decade, Entrepreneur 20X is a unique opportunity for startups to gain visibility and credibility in the industry and network with fellow solution providers and influential industry professionals. Participants will have four minutes each to present their innovative products or services to a panel of judges with backgrounds in entrepreneurship and a live audience of HITEC attendees. Each pitch will be followed by another four minutes for Q&A between the judges and presenters.

The winning startup will receive a grand prize of $5,000 as the Judges’ Choice Award selection while the People’s Choice Award winner will also be recognized as voted on by their peers in real time during the presentation and deliberation periods. All startups will receive exposure to potential investors, customers and partners in the hospitality technology industry through their participation in the competition.

Beyond the stage, E20X participants receive a complimentary space to exhibit alongside more than 320 of their peers in the HITEC Charlotte exhibit hall at the E20X Pavilion. Pitchers will also have access to a team of industry mentors before the competition to inspire and educate the startups by lending them the insights, expertise and guidance they need to succeed for both the competition and their fledgling companies.

The participating 2024 E20X Charlotte startups are:

1. Affixify
2. Away Together
3. BonApp
4. Crqlar
5. Directful
6. Folio
7. H2O Connected
8. Yipy

HITEC is the world’s largest and longest-running hospitality technology conference. It attracts thousands of attendees and hundreds of industry solution providers and brings together the brightest minds and hottest technologies from across the globe in one place. Attendees gain access to essential education, top hospitality industry experts and the resources to find cost-effective ways to improve company bottom lines. New this year is the co-located HITEC Technology Investment Conference which will connect exhibiting company executives, investors and M&A consultants for the opportunity to discuss potential partnerships. The co-located event is invitation-only and will take place June 27-28. Those who are interested in attending can fill out an online form. HITEC Charlotte will be held June 24-27, 2024 at the Charlotte Convention Center in Charlotte, North Carolina USA. Learn more at www.hitec.org. 

Labor-optimization innovator Red e App is now Workrede. The change in company name reflects a logical shift up-market for an enterprise-wide communications pioneer. Workrede is a pathway to transform organizational communication from top to bottom and extract unrealized value.

“Our historic shift to Workrede is reflective of the modern, mobile workforce,” said Jonathan Erwin, CEO, Workrede. “Over the past thirty years, trends have focused on desktop workers with little regard for the power of mobile work, frontline workers and the mobile ecosystems that create organizational value.  Employers taking the next step to consider the relationships, behaviors and needs of those workers will derive new levels of workforce optimization. It’s the next frontier of employee engagement and culture.”

Founded in 2011, Workrede is the first technology platform to embrace the frontline worker and empower the non-desk workforce. Utilizing data, partnerships, and design, the company expanded by improving avenues for engagement, workflow automations, and management of the mobile workforce. 

Today, Workrede leverages a shift in the way companies assess their human capital, manage work tech, and make decisions with the help of data and AI. Workrede takes the critical next step of plotting a roadmap, integrating existing platforms and supporting the change management necessary for customer success. By consolidating existing enterprise platforms and a suite of Workrede features, employees now have a centralized resource for effectiveness.

The opportunity is now for Workrede to be a transformational enterprise solution. Large and small companies across a spectrum of industries are leveraging technology to enable change. Likewise, service, hospitality, and healthcare rely on large, diverse  employee populations; potentially across a broad geographic footprint. Workrede is prepared to help those organizations capitalize on the opportunity available today for the future of work.

“Our team is excited to embark on this next part of the Workrede journey,” said Erwin. “We recognize the opportunity to unlock the human elements of business and further extract value from the existing functions and resources available to working teams everywhere.