POS Trends, Integrations, Tech Innovators Among the Year's Most-Read Restaurant Stories
As 2019 comes to a close, we take a look back at the most-read restaurant stories on Hospitality Technology. In addition to HT's own groundbreaking research, point-of-sale (POS) systems, integrations and delivery were among the year’s hot topics.
In this special recap, HT counts down the most-read stories of the year.
20.
FOH vs BOH: The Great Divide No Longer Exists
This column by QSR Automations' CEO Lee Leet, details the benefits of an integrated system -- Point of Sale (POS), KDS all the way through to guest management. Operators without integrated restaurant solutions between FOH and BOH are coming up short. Those restaurants that are embracing an integrated system are surging ahead. Here’s how.
19.
HT talks with advisory board members to find out where the hospitality industry is heading. What's the most-underused tech? Over-hyped? Restaurant CIOs weigh in here!
18.
3 Reasons Automation Is Redefining Restaurants
Let’s face it, many tech-savvy millenials prefer to engage with technology vs. staff. Increasingly in the QSR and midscale space, restaurant operators are adding more DIY technology, everything from ordering to payment. McDonalds, Tap & Barrel, Brewhall, Fazoli’s, Applebee’s and The Salad Station are among the restaurants interviewed that are using autonomous technology. Read how, here.
17.
Robert Notte, vice president of IT of MOD Pizza, shared how the fastest-growing chain in the US focuses on scaling an intelligent infrastructure. In this May 2019 cover story from Hospitality Technology magazine, Notte shared his three main objectives since joining MOD Pizza in 2018. You can read this article here.
16.
Solving the Off-Premise Paradox
Between 2018 and 2023, delivery is projected to grow at more than three times the rate of on-premise sales, with the preponderance going to digital orders. From mobile ordering for in-store pickup to placing an order for third-party delivery, the customer experience is more digitally driven than ever. To deliver, both literally and figuratively, restaurants need to optimize technology infrastructure, with consideration for user experience, operations and data usage. This article from the June issue of Hospitality Technology magazine details some of the strategies restaurants are using now and in the future.
15.
POS Integration: The Problem Restaurants Want Solved in Next POS Buy
Stop! Before you spend any more on your POS, here’s what POS integration needs to look like to enable flexible, future-ready innovation.
HT research reveals that operators are putting pressure on the POS to have strong integrations to third-party delivery support (41%), loyalty/CRM management (41%), and online ordering management (32%), among a host of other customer- and employee-facing systems. It is not surprising, that integration with other systems is the number one factor driving POS purchases in 2020 as 60% of operators report in HT’s 2020 POS Software Trends Report.
14. Little Caesars, Panera and Firehouse Subs Named 2019 MURTEC Breakthrough Award Winners
The 2019 MURTEC Breakthrough Awards, sponsored by NovaDine, were presented at the MURTEC Executive Summit, taking place October 28-30 at the Four Seasons Scottsdale at Troon North in Scottsdale, Ariz. The three 2019 MURTEC Breakthrough Award winners are: Little Caesars (Customer Engagement Innovator), Firehouse Subs (Enterprise Innovator) and Panera Bread (Enterprise Innovator).
13.
Shift Happens: 3 Ways Tech is Revolutionizing the Restaurant Workforce
Finding staff is hard. Finding skilled staff is even harder. This feature from the August issue of Hospitality Technology shares how restaurants are using tech to onboard, train and retain employees.
12.
The Shocking Cost of Mismanaged Food Waste (Infographic)
“I love to throw away money!” said no one ever. Yet 3-10% of purchased food is thrown away before it ever makes it to the table, and with food costs forecasted to increase by 2%, food waste is a costly problem restaurants of all sizes can not afford to ignore. This infographic, sponsored by HotSchedules, provides an eye-opening look on why food waste occurs and how to use solutions to get a grip on your food waste once and for all. Make reducing food waste one of your new year’s resolutions!
11.
Effective Restaurant Loyalty Programs
Who doesn’t like a good how-to guide? This article details how you can create an engaging, future-proof restaurant loyalty program. Follow these 4 steps straight from the playbooks of Chipotle Starbucks Pacific Catch, TimHortons Famous Daves and B Good. Read on!
10.
McDonald’s Tests AI-Powered Digital Menu Boards
Stories about tech innovator McDonald’s always attract a lot of eyeballs. This story about the roll out Dynamic Yield’s machine learning technology, after acquiring the company earlier this year, is among the year’s most read. The cutting-edge tech is now in 9,500+ U.S. drive-thrus with full roll out to all U.S. outdoor digital menu boards in the US and Australia by 2020.
9.
MURTEC 2019 : Powering the Possible
MURTEC 2019 was one for the record books. This recap of the 24th annual event makes sure that what happened in Vegas, didn’t stay in Vegas. If you weren’t able to attend, you missed out on some top-notch #restaurant #tech #information and networking. Don’t miss out on the 25th annual MURTEC, March 9-11, 2020, in Las Vegas, baby!
8.
6 Technologies Shaping the Restaurant of the Future (Infographic)
This infographic, sponsored by HughesOn, visualized the top tech trends influencing the restaurant of the future. It’s easy to read, visual format effectively shows where the industry is heading.
7.
2020 POS Software Trends Report: Unlocking Agility
This annual report features new exclusive HT research and insights from restaurant operators and vendors. No wonder it is on the most-read list! This report is chock-full of insights from restaurants. Did you know: The majority of restaurants (65%) plan to expand upon feature sets of current POS software in 2020? Plus, HT reached out to POS vendors to get their take on trends, a recap of 2019 intros and new features and products planned for 2020. If you haven’t already, bookmark this report now. It’s a keeper!
6.
HT's 2019 Top Women in Restaurant Technology
This article details the accomplishments of 10 women who have made strides in restaurant technology on both the operator and vendor side. The 2019 class includes:
Rising Stars: Carissa De Santis, TGI Fridays; Laura Kirkwood, Merivale; Cacy Merrifield, Sonic Drive-In; Sif Rai, QikServe;
Innovators: Nora Naranjo, eatsa (now Brightloom); Kesha Williams, Chick-fil-A; Allison Page, SevenRooms; Kathy Hartman, HubKonnect, and
Lifetime Achievement: (10 or more years experience): Laura Rea Dickey, Dickey’s Barbecue Pit; and Kristi Turner, Compeat.
Did you know: HT's article on the 2019 Top Women in Restaurant Technology and HT’s 2019 Lodging Technology Study were both recognized by the FOLIO Awards for editorial excellence? (Kinda like the Oscars of journalism!) BTW, you can nominate your restaurant tech rockstar for the 2020 Top Women Awards here. Deadline is Jan. 11.
5.
2019 Customer Engagement Technology Study
This study is on the most-read lists for hotels and restaurants alike. Let’s face it: all hospitality companies want to know how to engage more efficiently and frequently with first-time and loyal guests. Book mark this must-read study now.
4.
Good news travels fast! HT officially unveiled the Restaurant Technology Network (RTN), a membership community dedicated to technology innovation for restaurants at the Multi-Unit Restaurant Technology Conference (MURTEC®) in Las Vegas. RTN membership is open to restaurant operators and the technology suppliers that serve them and has quickly grown to 84 member companies, including leading restaurant brands such as Brinker International, CKE Restaurant Group, Wendy’s, Dunkin Brands, Bloomin’ Brands, Firehouse Subs alongside technology suppliers like Comcast Business, Oracle, OpenTable, Restaurant 365. This group enables members to come together to solve industry pain points through peer workgroups, standards development and best practices and is already tackling common problems with third-party marketplace integration and open APIs.
3.
2019 Restaurant Technology Study: Exponential Digital Drives Quantum Convenience
HT is known for its outstanding industry research, so it is no wonder that the 2019 Restaurant Technology Study is among the most-read stories of the year. This report is a perennial powerhouse of restaurant tech insights. This year’s report, which is the 21st annual study!, reveals that restaurant technology spend is on the rise - and for good reason. Digital is not only changing technology, it is creating completely new service models and expectations at a dizzying pace. Where are restaurants investing now? In the future? Download this study now. (And be on the lookout for the 2020 survey, coming soon to your inbox!)
2.
McDonald's Says Yes, You Want Mobile Payment With That
Between acquisitions and the ousting of Steve Easterbrook as CEO, McDonald's made plenty of headlines in 2019. Wrapping up the year, the company announced the news of its teaming with global payments platform, Adyen. With this, the Big Mac factory is putting yet more of its fries into its mobile/digital basket. .
1.
Class-Action Lawsuit Filed Against DoorDash
The most-read restaurant story of the year involves a third-party delivery marketplace and class-action lawsuit from employees that alleges the service wasn’t paying them 100% of their tips; the company uses the gratuity to cover its costs for the guaranteed base pay promised. There was no shortage of DoorDash headlines in 2019 with both highs and lows, as the company acknowledged new partnerships, virtual kitchen strategies and acquisitions, as well as a data breach that impacted 5 million users.