News Briefs

Panera Brands Inc., which includes the iconic fast casual concept Panera Bread, as well as Einstein Bros. Brands and Caribou Coffee, today announced that it has appointed Paul Carbone as Chief Executive Officer, effective immediately. Mr. Carbone previously served as Chief Financial Officer for the company and was appointed to the role of Interim CEO in January 2025.

“Paul’s commitment and significant contributions to Panera over the past two years – coupled with his impressive track record of success with both public and private companies in the industry – demonstrate that he has both the experience and the vision to lead the company through a period of transformation,” said Patrick Grismer, Board Chair of Panera Brands. “Paul’s tremendous focus on building talented teams who are passionate about delivering exceptional guest experiences and best-in-class franchisee profitability make him the right person to lead Panera into this next chapter of growth.”

Mr. Carbone is a seasoned professional with extensive experience working with consumer brands, including within the restaurant industry. During his time as Chief Financial Officer, Mr. Carbone played a significant role in strengthening Panera Bread’s business by identifying and executing improvements in key areas, including menu transformation, value and guest experience.

“There is tremendous opportunity ahead for Panera Brands and I believe that we are on the right path to return Panera back to its rightful position as the industry leader in fast casual,” said Paul Carbone, Chief Executive Officer of Panera Brands. “I look forward to working with the team to execute a strategic multi-year plan focused on building great teams, delivering an exceptional guest experience and driving franchise profitability.”

Mr. Carbone has spent his career driving change across the restaurant, consumer goods and retail industries. His background includes nine years as Chief Financial Officer at Dunkin’ Brands, during which time the company doubled its market capitalization after going public. He has also served as Chief Financial Officer of YETI Holdings, Inc., and SharkNinja.

The Employee Benefit Research Institute (EBRI) and Fourth published the results today of a worker hospitality industry case study which focused on the use of earned wage access programs (EWA). The study found that bill paying, food and access to wages were some of the top concerns of the workers.

In the fall 2024, nearly 70 hospitality industry workers were interviewed who used the EWA program, Fuego, during the past 12 months. The survey sought to understand the respondents’ current financial wellbeing, reasons for using an EWA and the impacts of EWA on their financial behavior.

An EWA program offers employees access to their earned pay before the traditional, scheduled payday. With earned wage access, employers can provide greater financial wellness support for their employees which can lead to a happier and more productive workforce.

“At Fourth, we're here to help restaurant owners and their teams thrive. We've always believed that earned wage access is a big lever for restaurant team members to take control of their finances, feel less stress and ultimately make them more engaged at work. I'm excited to see this study validates that,” said Clinton Anderson, CEO, Fourth.

Key findings in the new research report include:

• Paying monthly bills was the most common source of financial stress among study participants (60%), followed by not having enough savings in case of emergency (46%) and job/income security (33%).
• The most common reason cited for access to earned wages was food, reported by 76% of study participants. The second most common use reported by 47% was rent/housing.
• Over half (53%) of study participants indicated they always worry about their daily expenses.
• Approximately 57% stated EWA helped them avoid borrowing money from their friends and family and 40% noted it helped them avoid paying late fees on bills. Nearly 32% reported EWA helped them avoid a bank overdraft.
• The majority (75%) of users accessed earned wages at least on a weekly basis, as 58% indicated they use it several times a week and 17% said they use it once a week.
• Study participants were asked how much of their earned wages they accessed on average. Approximately 41% said they drew $100 or more, 27% said $50 - $99 and another 22% said $25-99.
• When asked whether they would be interested in accessing more of their wages earlier, 39% of participants stated yes. Among those, the reasoning addressed cash shortfalls, the economy and basic needs like housing, food or childcare, among other issues.

“Earned wage access programs have many features that could alleviate immediate financial stress by providing a liquidity buffer between pay periods. At the same time, concerns have been raised over the potential that on-demand access prolongs problems with cash management and, in the direct-to-consumer version, capitalizes on cyclical liquidity crunches through fees. Employer-partnered versions that can waive fees while reducing cash friction particularly when complemented by other financial wellness benefits addressing daily expenses like discounts, have the potential to improve the financial outlook of workers,” said Bridget Bearden, research and development strategist, EBRI.

To view the complete research report, “Employee Views on Earned Wage Access: A Case Study,” visit www.ebri.org/publications/research-publications/issue-briefs/content/employee-views-on-earned-wage-access--a-case-study.

This research study was conducted with the support of Fourth, a provider of Fuego, an EWA and financial wellness solution.

Grazzy, a digital tipping platform, has joined with U.S. Bank to offer a prepaid debit card program for hourly employees to easily access tips. Employers enrolled with Grazzy's digital tip service and the prepaid debit card program can issue employees a physical debit card and route tips and wages to the card, enabling access to tipped wages at the end of each shift. Like the Grazzy digital tip service, the U.S. Bank prepaid debit card program helps reduce costs for the employer and provides security and convenience for tipped employees.

Paired with Grazzy's cashless tipping platform, the debit card makes it easier for employees to access their earnings instantly, regardless of their banking status.

The debit cards also boast banking features like:

• No U.S. Bank fees charged for in-network ATM access
• Mobile app convenience
• No overdraft fees
• FDIC insurance

"This program furthers our mission to improve financial wellness for workers," said Courtney White, VP of Growth and Operations at Grazzy. "Inclusive banking solutions are essential to that mission. With this program, employers can now offer every employee instant access to their digital tips, as well as helping them spend and save in better ways."

The program is also designed to help employers retain employees longer and deliver a better pitch to job seekers. Grazzy and the new prepaid debit cards from U.S. Bank give employees instant access to tip earnings, helping employers deliver flexible pay options without changing their entire payroll structure.

"Direct debit options empower employees to manage their finances more effectively and access their earnings without delay," said Ben Osmond, Senior Vice President in Treasury and Payment Solutions at U.S. Bank. "The ability for companies to provide both the Grazzy digital tipping option and the U.S. Bank prepaid debit card solution not only creates convenience and security for employees, but also fosters a more motivated workforce and cost savings for employers."

U.S. Bank has deep history delivering efficient payment solutions to the hospitality industry. For example, many restaurants across the U.S. utilize the U.S. Bank Focus Card to pay employees. The reloadable Focus Card helps businesses reduce check issuing costs and digitally pay employees without a bank account. Cardholders can manage accounts via an app, receive text alerts when funds are deposited and withdraw funds from ATMs.  Elavon, the payment processing business of U.S. Bank, is an industry leader in hospitality, providing payment services to six of the 10 largest hotel brands.

This collaboration between Grazzy and U.S. Bank comes at a critical time as service industries continue navigating evolving post-pandemic workforce dynamics. As cashless tipping becomes a more common element of tipped jobs, this initiative provides a scalable solution for employers seeking to modernize their payment processes and improve employee satisfaction.

Marriott International, Inc. announced it has entered into a strategic agreement with technology company PathSpot Technologies, Inc., the creator of a real-time hygiene management and digital kitchen system that protects against the threat and spread of illness with a handwashing validation system and equipment monitoring technology. As Marriott continues its legacy of hospitality industry innovation, including food and beverage operations, it is the first hospitality company to make PathSpot technology available to the company’s portfolio of over 9,300 properties across the U.S. and Canada, Caribbean and Latin America, Asia Pacific, and Europe and the Middle East.

“As the world’s leading global hospitality company with over 10,000 food and beverage operations, $7 billion in sales, and 53 Michelin stars across more than 30 leading brands globally, Marriott is focused on the health and safety of the millions of guests that our properties serve each day,” said Stephen Toevs, Vice President of Culinary Operations for Marriott International. “Our collaboration with PathSpot allows Marriott to offer properties cost-effective technology that monitors food safety procedures more efficiently and effectively while empowering associates to better meet the needs of customers."

Using a network of sensors plus visible, audible, and electronic cues, PathSpot’s technology is engineered to immediately notify associates utilizing the scanners when invisible contamination is detected, and additional handwashing is needed. By utilizing PathSpot’s Hand Scanner technology and logging system, Marriott properties have the ability to more efficiently adhere to strict operating procedures while streamlining handwashing record-keeping and monitoring.

All Marriott properties that have installed PathSpot hand scanner technology have also implemented the PathSpot SafetySuite. The interconnected hardware and software tools are helping properties modernize, digitize, and elevate back-of-house operations to create improvements in health and safety standards, like PathSpot’s real time temperature monitoring, which consistently records temperatures in refrigerators and freezers and alerts associates of any temperature-related issues that may impact food quality. 

Implementation of PathSpot’s Hand Scanners and SafetySuite have helped properties save an estimated two to eight hours per day in back-of-house monitoring and logging, freeing up associates to focus on guest-facing efforts and allowing the properties to create efficiencies in maintenance and engineering costs as well as to reduce food waste and energy consumption.

"Marriott is an industry leader in its dedication to health and safety across its portfolio,” said Christine Schindler, CEO and Co-Founder of PathSpot. “By offering PathSpot's cost-effective food safety and operations technology to its properties, Marriott is promoting consistency, quality, efficiency, in their food and beverage operations while focusing on sustainability. We are grateful to work alongside Marriott as they take another proactive step to strengthen their rigorous safety standards. Our contamination-detection technology helps prevent foodborne illness before it can spread, ensuring a higher level of food safety for everyone they serve.”

Marriott’s commitment to innovation began with its founding nearly a century ago. Guided by the company’s core value of embracing change with an unwavering focus on its associates, guests, owners and franchisees, today, Marriott is driving transformation in the hospitality industry through innovative investing, research and development, creative collaborations, and piloting initiatives to test and learn at scale. In addition to the company’s strategic agreement, Marriott also participated in a minority equity investment in PathSpot. To learn more about PathSpot’s technology, visit https://pathspot.com.

VR design agency Customer XR launched this month with a mission to build custom virtual and augmented reality solutions to help  brands harness the power of Extended Reality (XR) and the greater Metaverse to connect with customers.

 Founded and headquartered in New York and with a team of Virtual and Augmented Reality application designers who are committed to helping major US brands connect with their customers using the power of Extended Reality. Additionally, Customer XR is an approved independent Software Vendor (ISV) for Meta and an approved development partner for Apple as a way of working as an ambassador between major brands and these two powerful VR ecosystems.

"...Many organizations are now looking to utilize the massive impact of Virtual and Augmented Reality applications via the Meta and Apple platforms, but do not know where to begin," reported Customer XR Co-Founder and President Kevin Sheehan. "...By having a team of developers in-house to build low-cost proof of concept applications and then the strategic partnerships with the most talented developers around the country, we can build any XR idea as an enterprise grade application."

Current projects include: 

• A VR design application for Kitchen Savers that allows users to see their current kitchen in augmented reality and then select from their portfolio of finishes and accessories.
• A proof of concept for a global luxury hotel chain that would allow potential guests to feel in full 360-degree 8K virtual reality the experience of being throughout their luxury resort from the lobby to the rooms out to all of their amenities.
• An innovative VR application for managers of the largest Asian American Quick Service Restaurant based exactly on their test kitchen at their CA headquarters, which will save the time and expense of bringing staff out for training and testing.

The New York-based firm was founded with Investment from Cloudlinx.

7shifts  released its Restaurant Labor and Cost Profitability Report for 2025. Based on the input of more than 500 restaurant professionals — including owner-operators, general and assistant managers — the findings identify key challenges currently shaping the industry and provides data and strategies restaurant operators need to overcome current industry challenges including balancing labor costs, combating inflation and driving profitability.

"When it comes to controlling costs, our data has confirmed that successful restaurants are choosing to invest in their people rather than just cutbacks," said Jordan Boesch, CEO at 7shifts. "These restaurants are building sustainable business models for the future. Savvy operators have realized that cross-training team members and leveraging technology reduces labor costs and enhances the overall guest experience — a win-win across the board."

The report explores strategies to mitigate the high cost of turnover, tactics operators are leveraging to protect their margins in the face of rising inflation, and how restaurants are using technology and cross-training to improve efficiency across both front- and back-of-house operations.

The report also uncovered the following key insights:

• Inflation: Food inflation is a top concern for 52% of operators with labor costs ranking a close second.
• Turnover Costs: The expense of replacing staff can be as much as $1,056 per FOH position and $1,491 per BOH position.
• Labor Cost Management: Instead of cutting staff, 68% of restaurants have embraced cross-training as the top labor cost management strategy.
• Technology: Operational tech adoption is growing, with 50% of restaurants using automated payroll and inventory tools to improve efficiency and operators are optimistic about technology's role in the future of the industry.

To access the full report, visit: www.7shifts.com.