News Briefs

PolyAI, a pioneer in voice AI solutions for customer experience and service, announced a partnership with OpenTable, a global leader in restaurant technology, expanding PolyAI's guest-led voice assistants to enterprise restaurants. Locations that opt in will be able to take reservations over the phone, answer questions, gain visibility in customer trends, and deliver on-brand experiences - all while alleviating staff time and resources.

This alliance delivers PolyAI's lifelike voice AI to help restaurants tackle challenges around staffing and provide consistent hospitality, even off premise. In a survey conducted by the National Restaurant Association, 62% of operators said their restaurants did not have enough employees to support existing demand. With onsite staff focused on in-house patrons, restaurant groups routinely miss between 30-60% of phone calls to their front of house (per PolyAI customer data) – meaning missed revenue opportunities and equally valuable customer touch points.

Never miss another call

With this strategic partnership, OpenTable's global network of restaurants will be able to integrate PolyAI voice assistants, built using generative AI and spoken language technologies, to assist their diners in seamlessly booking and managing reservations over the phone, during and outside of operating hours.

"We know how tightly restaurants manage their guest experience and this can be even more complex for our partners doing business at scale," said Susan Lee, Chief Strategy Officer at OpenTable. "We have, and continue to invest in, technology that pushes boundaries and enhances hospitality and our integration with PolyAI is a new way we can drive efficiencies for our restaurants, and diners."

For larger operators, this partnership enables numerous iterations of voice assistants to cater to the unique needs of multi-location and multi-brand portfolios, while providing PolyAI's proven enterprise-grade assurances around availability, security and data protection.

"We have extensive experience deploying voice assistants to hundreds of locations for some of the largest restaurant groups in the world, helping operators resolve up to 70% of calls over the phone without the need for additional staff," said Michael Chen, VP of Strategic Alliances at PolyAI. "This strong connection with the restaurant industry started right from the earliest days of PolyAI. We're thrilled to deepen that further and work with OpenTable to help even more restaurant operators attract more diners, streamline operations and maximize revenue."

Popular fondue restaurant group among the first to dip in

North America-based fondue restaurant Melting Pot is an early adopter in leveraging this partnership. With PolyAI voice assistants rolling out to locations in Indiana, New Jersey and New York and many other restaurants in the implementation stage, the appeal of quick scale is evident. "Locations can go live with a branded, pre-trained voice assistant in as few as three weeks, which for our restaurants, means less time working on technology and more time taking care of our guests." says Randy Barnett, VP of Innovative Technology Systems & Data at Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc.

Smart automation that puts the guest first and keeps the staff attentive to onsite diners is crucial for Barnett: "Anyone who's dined at a Melting Pot knows it's an immersive experience, and by integrating this technology our teams can spend more time delivering the Perfect Night Out to our guests. Having PolyAI's voice assistant answer our guest calls not only offers immediate attention and resolution to those offsite guests preparing for their meal with us, it also preserves that intimate, social environment we provide for our in-house guests and team members."

Barnett reports the voice assistant is popular with Melting Pot team members and guests alike, and that the ability to fully book, change or cancel a reservation through an integration with OpenTable has been seamless. Barnett anticipates wider spread adoption of the platform in the coming weeks and months among Melting Pot's 90+ locations.

The journey starts at the Integration Marketplace

OpenTable restaurants will be able to request an integration with PolyAI via its Integration Marketplace, which powers 150+ integrations among the most widely used restaurant software. Beyond managing reservations over the phone, PolyAI's guest-led voice assistants also offer operators a powerful new channel for implementing consistent brand experiences that can deliver greater personalization, more proactive revenue and upsell as well as offer new ways of collecting diner feedback and tracking customer satisfaction.

Mark Shambura has joined Panera Bread as Chief Marketing Officer. Shambura will lead all aspects of marketing at Panera, including Brand Building, Digital & Loyalty, Product Strategy & Consumer Insights. An accomplished marketing leader with broad expertise in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura has previously held marketing leadership roles during pivotal growth periods for top brands including Chipotle, MOD Pizza, and most recently Papa Johns.

"Mark brings an impressive background building brands and leading marketing teams for fast-casual restaurants, and we’re thrilled to welcome him to Panera Bread,” said José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer. “As Panera continues to evolve our brand, guided by listening to our guests, Mark’s depth of experience and ability will help drive our growth as a brand that serves great food you feel good about eating.”

Shambura previously served as CMO at Papa Johns, where he led a revitalization of the brand by enhancing its iconic “Better Ingredients, Better Pizza” platform, and developing a more modern, innovative omnichannel approach to transform how Papa Johns appealed to both new and loyal consumers. As Executive Director at Chipotle, Mr. Shambura guided the marketing function through periods of both sustained growth and transition, providing leadership over brand strategy, advertising, digital, social, events/sponsorships, promotions, and field marketing, including playing a key role in spearheading its “Real Ingredients” brand strategy.

“I’m proud to join the Panera Bread team and excited to build on the momentum of the brand's transformation as it continues to evolve in service of our guests,” Mr. Shambura said. “Panera propelled and cemented its position at the top of the fast casual restaurant segment through its promise of high-quality ingredients and freshly prepared food, and I’m thrilled to join a highly talented team to help shape its next chapter.”

Prior to his tenure in the restaurant industry, Mr. Shambura gained extensive marketing agency experience, working with a broad array of top global consumer brands for over a decade. Shambura will report directly to José Alberto Dueñas, Chief Executive Officer, and officially assumed the role of Chief Marketing Officer on July 29, 2024.

Restaurant Tipping Trends

•  In 2024, 38% of consumers say they tip restaurant servers 20% or more. This is down from 42% of consumers last year and 56% in 2021.
• In 2024, 19% of consumers say they tip restaurant delivery drivers 20% or more. This is down from 26% of consumers last year and 38% in 2021.  
• The number of consumers tipping restaurant staff 10% or less jumped 10 percentage points over last year:
  • 30% of consumers tip restaurant servers 10% or less, up from 19% of consumers last year.
  •  42% of consumers tip restaurant drivers 10% or less, up from 32% of consumers last year.

DailyPay, a worktech company and leading provider of earned wage access, is joining forces with WorkJam, the world’s leading digital frontline workplace to bring financial wellness and flexibility to daily workers.

"The partnership with WorkJam speaks to our commitment to empowering daily workers with the tools that enable them to be great at their jobs,” said Stacy Greiner, CEO of DailyPay. "Our employer-sponsored earned wage access solution is a win-win for both workers and employers, who are consistently challenged with retaining top talent. Research from the Hanover Group shows that 95% of companies offering an earned wage access solution today believe it has a positive impact on employee retention.”

"Partnering with DailyPay is a natural extension of WorkJam’s mission to empower frontline workers with the tools and flexibility they need to succeed," said Steve Kramer, CEO of WorkJam. "By integrating DailyPay’s earned wage access solution into our platform, we’re not only enhancing the employee experience but also enabling businesses to drive greater engagement and retention. This collaboration will help companies create a more connected, motivated workforce while simplifying how employees manage their earnings and time."

Demonstrating this win-win for workers and employers, recent research underscores the critical role earned wage access plays in boosting workplace performance. A Harvard Kennedy School study also found that 79% of employees using EWA experienced less financial stress and were more motivated at work. In fact, data from Arizent notes about 7 in 10 (69%) employees who previously paid late fees do this less often or stopped completely since they started using DailyPay.

The announcement with WorkJam demonstrates DailyPay’s continued growth and expansion, coming on the heels of the company’s recent announcement of expanding internationally.

By embedding DailyPay’s EWA solution into WorkJam’s platform, frontline employees will benefit from an all-in-one SuperApp experience, powered by industry leaders in both EWA and workforce management.

With this partnership, employers will be able to leverage DailyPay’s award-winning platform to strengthen their relationships with employees, boosting satisfaction and reducing turnover.

WorkJam is a digital workplace platform designed to improve frontline workforce management. WorkJam’s proprietary tools enable organizations to centralize employee communications, offer on-demand training, provide self-service scheduling, and manage tasks more effectively, all through one app. Industries with large frontline workforces, including retail, hospitality, healthcare, manufacturing, and distribution, are served by WorkJam

Lawrence Kim, previously Chief Innovation Officer at YUM! Brands has been appointed IHOP President Designee effective October 21, and will assume title of IHOP President on January 6, 2025.

Jay Johns will retire after 16 years at Dine Brands and nearly six years as President of IHOP. Johns will step down from his role on January 6, 2025, but will remain involved with the company in an advisory capacity until March 2025. 

From CIO to President

Kim brings over 20 years of leadership experience to IHOP, having held senior leadership roles in top-tier restaurant chains including YUM! Brands where he most recently served as Chief Innovation Officer, and earlier in his career at Taco Bell, Samsung, and Procter & Gamble. He has a proven track record of success and is a leader in global brand strategy, marketing, and digital innovation. At IHOP, Kim will oversee the continued expansion of the brand, with a focus on innovation, guest experience, and restaurant development growth.

Since joining Dine in 2012, Johns has held various leadership roles focused on improving restaurant performance and operations. As the President of IHOP, Johns successfully navigated the challenges posed by the pandemic, helping IHOP adapt through increased off-premise dining, curbside pickup, and delivery services. He has also prioritized modernizing the brand through digital initiatives and technology, including launching its loyalty program, making IHOP more accessible to a tech-savvy guest base.

Under Johns’ guidance, IHOP has significantly expanded its menu offeringss. His leadership also drove operational improvements to enhance guest experience and adapt to changing consumer habits. His strategic vision has been essential in maintaining the brand’s relevance in the competitive family dining sector, driving sustained growth, and guest loyalty. His tenure as IHOP President is marked by the brand’s strengthened market position, now operating over 1,800 restaurants globally, including locations in 13 countries outside the U.S.

"It has been an honor to lead IHOP and work alongside the hardest working team and franchisees in the industry," said Jay Johns, IHOP President. "I am incredibly proud of what we have accomplished together, and I have every confidence that Lawrence Kim will continue to drive the brand forward with passion and vision."

The Access Group has announced the acquisition of QikServe, the digital commerce platform, content management system (CMS), kiosk and mobile order & pay provider to the hospitality sector.

QikServe will become part of  the business management software provider’s hospitality division, which provides IT solutions for all aspects of the hospitality business, from guest booking, EPoS, table management and marketing to procurement, facilities management, training and hotel PMS.

QikServe, founded in 2011 by entrepreneurs Daniel Rodgers and Ronnie Forbes, developed a patented business-to-business cloud platform for the hospitality sector. The platform allows customers to order and pay for items from a smartphone, tablet or self-service terminal. Digital ordering has seen an explosion in growth as hospitality operators realise the benefits of digital on both operations and on sales. Self Service Kiosks deliver 32% higher transaction values while freeing up staff to focus on delivery and customer satisfaction. QikServe’s technology is deployed in over 8,000 outlets in over 40 countries and processes hundreds of millions of transactions, delivering over £3bn digital sales for hospitality operators. 

Based in the UK, The Access Group provides solutions that empower more than 100,000 small and mid-sized organisations in commercial and non-profit sectors across Europe, USA and APAC.

Access Hospitality’s managing director Champa Magesh said, “QikServe brings us new capabilities and a strong customer base in cafés, quick-service restaurants, hotels, casinos and resorts, which complements our existing UK operations and helps us further our international expansion plans. 

“Our goal is to build an integrated hospitality suite of solutions, on a single platform, which helps operators deliver the best guest experience, makes them more effective and ultimately more profitable. The acquisition of QikServe is an important step in bringing this vision to life through its innovative CMS, kiosk solution, connectivity and data orchestration capabilities.”

Tony Murphy, CEO of QikServe, said, “QikServe and Access have been working together for over five years, delivering best-in-class integrated Food and Beverage digital ordering solutions for hospitality. This exciting new chapter for QikServe opens new opportunities for digital transformation across our combined customer base.”