News Briefs

Sojern, a provider of AI-driven guest experience solutions, announced its integration with HotelKey, a next-generation hospitality platform.  This collaboration connects Sojern’s Guest Experience Platform with HotelKey's Property Management System (PMS), empowering hoteliers to increase profitability and enhance the guest experience.

"We are excited to partner with HotelKey, a leading next generation hospitality platform,” said Baskar Manivannan, Vice President, Guest Engagement Platform, at Sojern. “With our fully integrated Sojern Guest Experience Platform and HotelKey PMS, hoteliers can now drive profitability with an AI automated and personalized guest experience, increase guest satisfaction scores, generate ancillary revenue, and promote direct bookings. Together, we are revolutionizing the hospitality industry with a fully integrated and user-friendly platform."

Properties are leveraging the collaboration between HotelKey and Sojern to enhance their capabilities across multiple facets of their business.

"We are thrilled with the seamless integration of HotelKey and Sojern's Guest Experience Solution. The Sojern AI Concierge and Reputation Manager have truly elevated our guest services,” said Chuck Valentino, VP of Operations, Vista Investments. “The teams are collaborative and are fine-tuning the AI to cater to our specific requirements, ensuring a personalized and exceptional guest experience."

Sojern offers comprehensive solutions to hospitality challenges, requiring only essential data to deliver exceptional results. From streamlining housekeeping and maintenance to optimizing labor management, Sojern's solutions empower hotels to elevate their operations and provide exceptional guest experiences.

HotelKey stands out with its innovative solutions, focusing on streamlining day-to-day operations and enhancing guest satisfaction. 

“By integrating HotelKey’s PMS and Sojern’s Guest Experience Solution, hotel owners can focus on personalizing the guest experience,” said Aditya Thyagarajan, Co-Founder and President, HotelKey. “Our partnership with Sojern not only simplifies operations but empowers hotels to deliver unparalleled satisfaction to guests.”

PopID and Steak n Shake announced today that all Steak n Shake locations in the United States now accept PopID Check In (to review favorite orders and loyalty points) and PopPay for checkout. With more than 300 locations, Steak n Shake is the first national restaurant brand in the United States to adopt biometric check-in and checkout nationwide. PopID’s biometric check-in feature makes kiosk ordering faster, easier, and more personalized.

The implementation of PopID in every Steak n Shake location was accomplished rapidly and at low cost through a partnership between PopID and ACRELEC, a leading supplier of kiosk-ordering hardware and drive-through products. Cameras were shipped to every restaurant for attachment to the existing ACRELEC kiosks. “As explained in our recent publication, ACRELEC believes that our integrated biometric solution provides various benefits to restaurant operators related to throughput, ticket size, and loyalty engagement,” says Bruno Lo-Re, President of ACRELEC America.

“We are thrilled about our partnership with PopID and to be on the edge of biometric technology for the benefit of our customers. Our guests now have the option to use biometrics for a faster and more seamless experience,” says Sardar Biglari, Chairman of Biglari Holdings, the parent company of Steak n Shake.

Now that biometrics are enabled for all ordering and payment inside Steak n Shake restaurants, PopID and Steak n Shake will begin implementing biometric check-in and checkout at the restaurant’s drive-through units. “Similar to the kiosks, biometric check in can increase loyalty participation and revenue at the drive thru while also reducing payment processing costs,” says John Miller, CEO of PopID and Chairman of Cali Group. “Additionally, biometric payment at the order confirmation screen enables staff members to work on tasks other than taking payments by card and phone at the order pick-up window.”

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Intouch Insight, a provider of customer experience management solutions in North America, has released the second edition of its Emerging Experience study today in partnership with QSR Magazine. The report, Next-Gen Restaurant Experiences: The Rise of Innovative Locations, is focused on how technology is impacting the customer experience for multi-location QSR brands.

"We have been closely monitoring the latest trends in the technology and new prototypes launched by Quick Service Restaurants since the pandemic," says Laura Livers, Chief Revenue Officer at Intouch Insight. "This year, through our Emerging Experiences study, we wanted to dig deeper into the current performance of these prototypes and technology as compared to traditional experiences."

Driving Speed Improvements

The rapidly evolving quick service sector has seen many brands invest heavily in technology-enabled prototypes to enhance both in-person and digital experiences. This year's study highlights innovative brands that have incorporated features like mobile kiosks, improved drive-thru, AI-powered technology, innovative kitchens, and more to elevate the customer experience.
 

Taco Bell, Checkers & Rallys, bartaco Share the Stories Behind Their Award-Winning Technology Transformations

The results show that innovation experience overall scores outperformed legacy experiences in 7 out of 10 brands’. Some of the key findings of the study include:

• 3 out of 4 Innovation Experiences received higher overall satisfaction scores compared to their legacy counterparts.
• Technology innovations drove speed improvements for digital orders placed for pickup.
• 3 out of 4 innovation experiences' overall order accuracy scores outperformed the legacy experiences. 

“The data suggests that customers have a preference for innovative experiences,” says Livers. “As growth in these digital channels continues to surge, creating consistency across the varied customer engagement points will be critical for success. The brands who measure, learn, and pivot quickly, will be the brands who ultimately come out on top.”

Download the full study here: https://hubs.ly/Q02tjNSr0

Subway completed its previously announced sale to affiliates of Roark.

The acquisition comes on the heels of Subway's three exceptional years of sales growth and positive global net restaurant growth for the first time since 2016. The brand has continued to innovate in 2024, with the introduction of Subway Sidekicks, a hot new menu category, and a fresh lineup of signature wraps, served on a new lavash-style flatbread.

"The entire Subway system is excited that our sale to Roark is complete," said John Chidsey, CEO of Subway. "As we look to our future, our growth journey is far from over. With a continued strategic focus on delivering better food and a better guest experience, our next chapter will be the most exciting yet."

Staying the Course

Looking ahead, the company will continue its work to Build a Better Subway for its franchisees, employees and guests with a focus on ongoing culinary and digital innovation, modernization of restaurants, and strategic international expansion. There are no anticipated changes to the company's leadership team, strategic focus or operating plans.

As one of the world's largest quick service restaurant brands, Subway serves freshly made-to-order sandwiches, wraps, salads and bowls to millions of guests, across more than 100 countries and territories in nearly 37,000 restaurants every day. Subway restaurants are owned and operated by Subway franchisees—a network that includes thousands of dedicated entrepreneurs and small business owners—who are committed to delivering the best guest experience possible in their local communities.