News Briefs

Regina Cheung has been promoted from Chief Financial Officer to the role of Chief Executive Officer at Pokeworks. She will pulling double duty as she retains the title of CFO as well. 

During her tenure as CFO, Cheung successfully created a data-driven culture focused on achieving the brand’s KPIs, built strong relationships with franchisees and modernized the company’s systems and infrastructure. In her new role as CEO, she is turning her focus to increasing franchise profitability, introducing the brand to new markets and leveraging the knowledge and talents of Pokeworks' team and board members, including the original founders and Toridoll Holdings, to build a sustainable and scalable franchise business.

• Check out more people on the move in  hospitality

“I like to think of myself as a servant-leader to the team and our franchise owners,” Cheung said. “I want the whole team to feel a positive energy when they come to work and I think that is important for upholding Pokeworks’ core values and culture, which will ultimately lead to accelerated growth and innovation ... I’m also passionate about our entrepreneurial spirit; we are professional, but we’re also scrappy and growing every day.”

The brand has more than 60 locations across 20 states. The company will expand outside of the U.S. – with new locations opening in the Toronto area before the end of the year. 

 

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

VAI Resort, a $1 billion, 60-acre oasis featuring a 1,100-room luxury hotel scheduled to open in 2024 in Glendale, Arizona, has partnered with Hapi and Salesforce to personalize and differentiate guest service across the entire resort.

The VAI operating team has selected Hapi Guest, a suite of hospitality-ready tools and configurations built for Salesforce CRM, to power a groundbreaking 360-degree personalized guest experience when the hotel opens next year.

VAI Resort located in Glendale, Arizona less than 20 minutes from Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport and less than 1,000 feet from State Farm Stadium, will be the largest resort in Arizona and a premier daylife, nightlife, and entertainment destination in the U.S. At its core, a $40 million, state-of-the-art VAI Amphitheater concert stage is combined with a hotel tower that transforms into premium concert viewing from room balconies. Other amenities include:

• Konos Island, a 52,000-square-foot beach paradise and the largest party island in the U.S., featuring cabana service, DJ booth, and aerial bar.
• 5-acre swimming oasis with temperature-controlled clear blue water and white sand beaches.
• 12 elevated dining opportunities featuring a range of international cuisines.
• 80,000 square feet of high-end retail shopping and 40 luxury retail destinations.
• 80,000 square feet of flexible meeting and event space.
• 20,000-square-foot luxury spa and fitness center.
• The world’s first Mattel Adventure Park.

VAI Resort will turn to Hapi and Salesforce to deliver elevated, connected and memorable experiences that are orchestrated from booking to arrival and throughout the guest’s stay. Differentiated guest experiences start with guest data and the ability to action the data across all channels. Hapi Guest will seamlessly connect property systems in real time to Salesforce, providing rich, unified guest profiles that can be personalized with intelligence.

While Salesforce is recognized as the global leader in enterprise digital engagement and marketing across many industries, leadership at VAI wanted a partner with deep hospitality expertise to help setup and deploy the Salesforce ecosystem. This includes the many one and two-way integrations to VAI’s operational systems and enhanced hospitality functionality for Salesforce found only in Hapi Guest.

“The epitome of delivering exceptional guest experiences resides in accessible, superior data strategically harnessed by hoteliers.  VAI Resort, as a uniquely integrated entertainment and resort destination, selected Hapi and Salesforce to seamlessly unify diverse experiences, empowering our team to curate impactful memories at each guest touchpoint,” Grant Fisher, President and CEO of VAI Global Development. “These tools enable a cohesive and personalized guest journey, consistent across every area of the resort.”

“We’re proud to be one of the sought after technology partners for what will certainly be an incredibly innovative destination,” adds Luis Segredo, CEO of Hapi. “We look forward to helping the VAI team push the boundaries for providing the most elevated guest experiences across the entire guest lifecycle, leveraging data across all systems.”

BarTrack has joined the Toast Partner Ecosystem. This integration is designed to help restaurant, bar, and hospitality management teams with reports they can use to pinpoint where, when, why and how beverage waste occurs and strategize improvements to profitability and management efficiency.  

BarTrack`s beverage quality management tool uses plug-and-play sensors to measure nearly a dozen beverage-specific variables. BarTack's system helps monitor draft beverage quality and keg levels in real time–data from the sensors, combined with the intuitive BarTrack App and your sales data from Toast’s POS, offers a closer view into the possible causes and impact of waste on the bottom line. 

Toast is a cloud-based, all-in-one digital technology platform. Toast Partner Ecosystem, a curated portfolio of more than 200 partners who deliver specialized technology and services to help restaurant operators increase sales, engage guests, and keep employees happy.

• Tighter integrations with other systems are driving POS purchase decisions for 29% of restaurants, according to HT's 2023 POS Software Trends Report

Equipped with BarTrack’s draft monitoring system, hospitality management teams at bars, restaurants, breweries, and venues can:

• Gain access to insightful real-time data for every draft beverage pour
• View real-time data like keg-levels and quality metrics like temperature, pressure, and line cleanliness
• Categorize waste sources through BarTrack’s trend reporting
• Enable pour-by-pour analysis to identify if issues like foam or unrung pours are related to inventory management processes, equipment, or human error
• Automate inventory management
• Support data-driven decisions for improving operational efficiency, streamlining inventory, and ultimately boosting profits

Bar, restaurant, brewery, and stadium teams can request a demo to learn more about BarTrack’s innovative quality and data technology and Toast POS integrations. 

Jurny, a vertically integrated, AI-powered property management solution, has achieved yet another industry milestone with its advanced artificial intelligence, Nia. Specifically designed to address the complex pain points of the hospitality industry, Nia has yielded exceptional results, boasting a 640% increase in accuracy, and users have reported remarkable improvements of up to 80% in guest communication efficiency.

“Nia is not simply another AI chatbot; it’s a revolutionary AI system designed to address and overcome the complexities and billions of dollars in inefficiencies that plague the hospitality sector,” said Luca Zambello, Founder and CEO of Jurny. “With Nia, we are establishing new standards, providing a level of customization, control and efficiency unparalleled in the industry.”

By projecting a significant cost reduction of up to 30% industry-wide, Jurny’s technology has the potential to reshape the sector’s financial landscape. Nia utilizes cutting-edge machine learning algorithms and leverages Jurny’s unique, vertically integrated platform design, which unifies a myriad of tools under a single, intuitive dashboard. This allows for unprecedented control and automation of traditionally fragmented and inefficient processes.

Nia’s capabilities will soon encompass:

• Effortlessly confirming, altering and updating reservations
• Skillfully upselling services without human intervention
• Quickly troubleshooting smart devices
• Seamlessly delivering personalized guest experiences in virtually any language
• Continuously learning and adapting to every host and property preferences
• And much more!

"We've always aimed to equip the industry with technology surpassing human capabilities," affirmed Jurny's CEO. "Nia is fulfilling this commitment, empowering hosts with AI capabilities that excel far beyond industry standards."

To discover more about Jurny and to invest as little as $250 in the future of AI in hospitality, visit www.Wefunder.com/jurny before it's too late.

Cendyn, a catalyst for digital transformation in the hospitality industry, proudly announces the strategic acquisition of WIHP, an industry leader in hotel digital marketing services and technology. The acquisition signifies a key milestone in Cendyn's quest to facilitate profitable revenue growth for the hospitality industry through continued investment in driving direct bookings.

For close to 30 years, Cendyn has established itself as a pioneer in empowering people to excel in hospitality through world-class technology and services. This commitment enables hoteliers to foster deeper guest relationships, increase direct bookings, and enhance overall bottom-line results.

The merger between Cendyn and WIHP represents a leap for Cendyn, reinforcing its EMEA and global footprint at a time when the industry is focused on driving more profitable revenue. By joining forces, the two entities create a digital ecosystem that empowers clients of both Cendyn and WIHP to generate profitable revenue growth driven through their direct booking channels.

"We are thrilled to embark on this transformative journey with WIHP," said Jack Blaha, CEO at Cendyn, "The synergy between both companies is remarkable, and with WIHP's metasearch prowess, this merger reaffirms our commitment to driving more demand for our customers' most profitable direct booking channel."

"At the core of this transformative acquisition lies two true digital leaders in the industry," said Vincent Ramelli, CEO at WIHP. "Marrying Cendyn's rich heritage with WIHP's state-of-the-art metasearch expertise establishes a new epoch in the hospitality industry. We are incredibly excited to see what we can achieve together for our industry."

As Cendyn and WIHP unite under this acquisition, hoteliers can expect a revolutionized approach to hotel digital marketing services, setting an elevated standard for the future of hospitality technology.