News Briefs

Sodexo and ART have announced a partnership to deploy thousands of state-of-the-art hot food robotic kiosks across Sodexo-served facilities throughout the U.S. A culmination of Sodexo’s global leadership and ART’s progress in robotics and AI, this partnership will establish new benchmarks in the automated dining domain.

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"Our dedication to innovation in convenience, dining, and the broader evolution of food hinges entirely on technological advancements,” said Husein Kitabwalla, CEO, Tech & Services and Food Transformation, Sodexo North America. "We're excited to collaborate with ART and leverage their Just Baked Technology, further expanding our network of partners utilizing AI for food production and bringing our clients and consumers foods that transcend conventional norms."

Effective March 26, 2024, Just Baked Smart Bistro kiosks can be found at Sodexo client sites across a variety of industries, producing giant cinnamon rolls, White Castle Cheeseburger Slider 4 packs, bao buns, breakfast sandwiches, and other delectable options with a click of a button.

“We are thrilled to partner with Sodexo and its vast network of food service clients,” said Ben Porter, CEO of ART. “Sodexo’s reputation for quality and commitment to their customers is unparalleled, making them an ideal collaborator for us. The value proposition of ART’s cutting-edge technology transcends mere convenience, boasting features such as streamlined operations through automation, advanced analytics powered by machine learning algorithms, and unparalleled food service delivery to end users available round the clock. We are also excited to work with innovative food suppliers to bring new, exciting products to customers throughout Sodexo’s customer base.”

ART is a hot food technology supplier for the food service industry. With a focus on technology-forward solutions, including the Just Baked Smart Bistro automated hot food robotic kiosk, ART partners with  food service operators and venues to deliver convenience and excellence in North America. ART is shaping the future of the hot food kiosk food service industry, experienced in distribution model, delivering exceptional experiences to consumers, and creating value for our partners and investors. With its small footprint and wide variety of food options, ART is pioneering a new era of convenience and sophistication. Serving an ever-expanding array of sweet and savory hot-food options, Just Baked Smart Bistro provides venues such as colleges, hospitals, resorts, airports, and casinos with 24/7 availability. Unlike anything else on the market, Just Baked Smart Bistro has cracked the code on distribution and placement, setting a new standard for hot food technology. For more information, visit www.justbakedkiosk.com.

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has announced that Melco Resorts & Entertainment (Melco), owner and operator of integrated resort facilities in Asia and Europe has selected Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS to power their global portfolio of resorts. The company will begin implementation at their locations in Macau, completely transforming its current technical infrastructure.

With 5 properties located throughout Asia and Europe and a combined 8 Michelin Stars earned by its restaurants, Melco focuses on delivering an unparalleled luxury gaming and hospitality experience. Having already implemented Shiji’s innovative Infrasys Cloud POS and Shiji Payment Solution, the Melco team was looking for a PMS that could both streamline operations and provide deep insights into customer preferences to deliver an improved experience for their guests. Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS stood out for its ability to unify guest data via single guest profiles along with its universal search and top-of-the-line security features. The Shiji Enterprise Platform team worked alongside AWS Outpost teams to implement the state-of-the-art, future-proof PMS.

"We are thrilled to partner with Melco Resorts & Entertainment, a true leader in the hospitality and entertainment industry," said Kevin King, CEO of Shiji International. "Our Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS is designed to meet the unique needs of luxury hotel groups, offering next-level product functionality and data security in an easy-to-use, modern platform."

The gaming industry has some of the hospitality’s most demanding security requirements, but Shiji’s successful track record with several top luxury hotel groups worldwide proved that it could meet the challenge. Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS’s ability to balance staff visibility into guest preferences with stringent privacy guidelines makes it perfect for rapidly expanding luxury hotel groups.

"Having already worked with Shiji for several years, their quality of service, combined with their push for product refinement through innovation made them an obvious choice. Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS stood out as a product to help us modernize the way we manage our properties," said Avery Palos, Senior Vice President, Chief Information Officer of Melco Resorts & Entertainment. "Its intuitive interface and robust features have allowed us to better serve our guests and streamline our operations, setting new standards for luxury hospitality."

The partnership highlights how Shiji Enterprise Platform PMS is ideally suited for the luxury hospitality sector across the globe. To learn more about Shiji's technology solutions for the hotel industry, visit www.shijigroup.com.

Domino's Pizza Inc.  is launching You Tip, We Tip – a promotion that tips customers who tip their delivery drivers, beginning April 29, 2024.

"Domino's drivers have been hustling to deliver hot, delicious pizzas since 1960, and we love that customers have been tipping them for their great service since day one," said Kate Trumbull, Domino's senior vice president – chief brand officer. "But these days, everywhere you go, there's a tip screen. The pressure to tip is real, even when no extra service is provided. So, we decided to flip the script and show our appreciation by tipping customers back." 

In fact, in HT's 2024 Restaurant Industry Outlook,  one executive said tipping is "turning customer sentiments negatively."

How Does You Tip, We Tip Work?

When customers tip their Domino's delivery driver $3 or more online, they'll receive a $3 coupon to use on the following week's online delivery order. \

• Is Your POS to Blame for This Top Customer Complaint?

Domino's is the first quick-service restaurant to tip customers for tipping their delivery drivers. To learn more about Domino's You Tip, We Tip promotion, visit dominos.com/youtipwetip.

Tropical Smoothie Cafe is changing hands. 

Private equity funds managed by Blackstone have entered into a definitive agreement to acquire Tropical Smoothie Cafe from Levine Leichtman Capital Partners. This buyout intended to help accelerate Tropical Smoothie Cafe's expansion through continued investment in menu innovation, operating excellence, and best-in-class marketing.

Blackstone has a long history of successfully propelling the growth of leading franchisors, including in its previous acquisitions of Hilton Hotels and SERVPRO. 

Tropical Smoothie Cafe began operating as a single location on a beach in Destin, Florida in 1997, and has grown into a nationally recognized brand with more than 1,400 locations in 44 states across the U.S. today. Known for its delicious mix of smoothies and food offerings, the company opened more than 175 new locations in 2023 alone, 70 percent of which were opened by existing franchisees. Tropical Smoothie Cafe has also been ranked #1 in the Smoothie/Juice Category by Entrepreneur Franchisee 500 for four consecutive years.

Peter Wallace, a Senior Managing Director in Blackstone’s Private Equity business, said, “Tropical Smoothie Cafe has had an impressive growth trajectory consistently building on its loyal customer base as it has scaled nationwide. Blackstone has deep experience helping accelerate the expansion of leading franchise businesses as one of our highest-conviction investment areas. We believe our capital and resources will help position Tropical Smoothie Cafe for continued success and innovation for the benefit of its guests and franchisees.”

Terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Leanpath builds on its integration capability with menu management systems, announcing a partnership with Galley Solutions and its culinary operating system.

Leanpath's intelligent food waste prevention platform is a complete solution that allows foodservice kitchens to understand what they are wasting and why it's being wasted. Leanpath's analytics, reporting, and automated prevention tools empower kitchens to stop that waste from reoccurring.

At MURTEC 2023, Hospitality Technology presented Leanpath with the Industry Hero Award for its contributions in reducing food waste.

The new integration between Leanpath and Galley Solutions imports customers' daily menus into the Leanpath food waste tracking platform. This enables kitchen staff to more easily and precisely identify what foods are being wasted and to make more informed adjustments to planning menus, automating production, and optimizing purchasing to prevent that waste in the future.

"We're always trying to shave some pennies off our cost per meal," says Chef Antonio Pignagrande, Director of Culinary Enablement with Harvest Table Culinary Group, an early adopter of the new integration. "The best way to do that is to not put food in the trash to begin with. Leanpath helps us avoid that food waste, and the integration with Galley Solutions is the next evolution of that work. It's going to allow us to understand where the opportunities are to reduce waste down to the recipe level."

"At Leanpath, we're laser-focused on helping our customers go beyond just gathering food waste data by turning that data into actions that reduce waste," says Leanpath VP of Product Brennan Hogan. "With this new integration, Galley Solutions customers are going to be able to drive even more precise and impactful food waste actions."

"This integration highlights the importance of the Galley Solutions culinary operating system as the hub of customer's food data," says Galley Solutions CTO Matt Ferguson. "Having that clean food data for things like recipes, ingredients, menus and vendor items is what makes this integration with Leanpath so effective for our customers."