News Briefs

Square launched Tap to Pay on iPhone in Canada. Available within the Square Point of Sale, Square for Retail, and Square Appointments iOS apps, Tap to Pay on iPhone lets sellers accept contactless payments directly from their iPhone with no additional hardware or payment terminal required and at no additional cost, making it a powerful free to enable option for entrepreneurs.

Through Tap to Pay on iPhone, Square is making it easier for both new sellers and established businesses to conduct in-person commerce. Any Square merchant with a compatible iPhone can accept contactless payments by simply opening the Square POS, Square for Retail, or Square Appointments app, adding the transaction, and presenting their iPhone to the buyer. The buyer completes the payment by holding a contactless payment method such as a contactless credit or debit card, Apple Pay, or other digital wallet, near the seller’s iPhone.

Apple’s Tap to Pay on iPhone technology uses the built-in features of iPhone to keep businesses’ and customers’ data private and secure. When a payment is processed, Apple doesn’t store card numbers on the device or on Apple servers.

Powered by Square’s elegant, intuitive software, Tap to Pay on iPhone gives sellers a flexible, mobile solution that can adapt to any environment while meeting evolving consumer preferences for contactless payments. Together with Apple’s contactless payment technology, Square’s software creates a smooth, straightforward checkout experience that provides shoppers with all the information needed to help them complete their purchase with confidence.

Tap to Pay on iPhone is already proving to be a valuable part of Square’s ecosystem after becoming available to millions of sellers in the US in late 2022 and most recently in Australia and the United Kingdom. Since launching, sellers of all types and sizes have found new value in the ability to seamlessly and securely conduct business with no additional hardware:

• Mobile professionals like tradespeople and caterers gained the ability to securely accept contactless payments onsite at their project location;
• Retailers found new efficiency through line busting and the convenience of helping shoppers complete their purchase wherever they are in store;
• Hairstylists and beauty professionals benefited from the speed and ease of enabling customers to pay for their services right from their chair.

“With Tap to Pay on iPhone, we are further levelling the playing field for businesses of all sizes to be able to start, run and grow,” said Saumil Mehta, Head of Product at Square. “The Canadian business landscape is competitive and tech savvy, always on the lookout for solutions that can make operating their business more efficient. Tap To Pay on iPhone helps reduce some of the barriers to entry for new businesses, and enables existing sellers to create new ways to sell with nothing more than their iPhone and Square’s software. They can get set up in minutes and begin making sales in seconds.”

Square sellers and new merchants can begin using Tap to Pay on iPhone today on an iPhone XS or later running the latest version of iOS, by downloading the Square POS, Square for Retail, or Square Appointments app from the Apple App Store. For more information, please visit squareup.com/ca/en/payments/tap-to-pay.

Lightspeed Commerce Inc. the one-stop commerce platform empowering merchants to provide the best omnichannel experiences, and Uber announced a new North American partnership to directly integrate Uber Direct and Uber Eats marketplace into Lightspeed's platform.

Through the partnership, Lightspeed will have built-in integrations with the Uber Eats marketplace and Uber Direct, Uber's white-label delivery facilitation service, enabling Lightspeed merchants to:

• List their menu offerings on and take orders from the Uber Eats marketplace, which is accessed by millions of monthly active platform consumers; and
• Take orders from their own branded website through Lightspeed's Order Anywhere, then access delivery via Uber Direct, allowing them to pay only the associated delivery fee without the added cost of developing their own custom delivery fleet.

The combination of solutions enables merchants to satisfy their customers' delivery demands, tap into new markets through the Uber Eats marketplace and reduce overhead on direct-to-consumer orders with Lightspeed Order Anywhere and Uber Direct.

"We are incredibly excited to be announcing this strategic partnership with Uber, as we believe it unlocks incredible value for our hospitality customers," said JD Saint-Martin, President of Lightspeed. "The restaurant industry continues to face significant challenges with staffing and increasingly narrow revenue margins. This partnership is an opportunity to provide our customers some relief in the form of a world-class delivery network and cost savings plan. We believe this is only the first step in a long-term relationship with Uber."

"On-demand delivery is now a core expectation for consumers, with 75% of them expecting express delivery as an option, and merchants are taking note," said Bernie Huddlestun, Head of Uber Direct for the US and Canada. "We're proud to partner with Lightspeed to offer restaurants solutions that meet their customers' needs and encourage repeat orders, while giving restaurants the flexibility to offer seamless delivery experiences in the way that works best for growing their business."

This integration is now available to Lightspeed Restaurant customers in North America with additional markets to follow.

Red Robin Gourmet Burgers Inc. has transformed its popular loyalty program, Red Robin Royalty , making it easier for members to earn free food and perks faster than ever before. 

Based on an internal survey conducted in 2023, where more than half of guest respondents indicated that they are looking to earn more rewards faster, Red Robin has replaced its previous rewards structure, which rewarded guests with a free entree for every nine entrees purchased.

• Domino’s Revamped Loyalty Pays Off

Now, Red Robin Royalty members will earn one point for every dollar spent on qualifying purchases, not just entrees. For every 100 points earned, members will receive a $10 reward to use on their Red Robin favorites.  

"Our Red Robin Royalty members deserve to feel like royalty when dining with us," said Kevin Mayer, Red Robin's Chief Marketing Officer. "This overhauled loyalty program is the latest in a series of upgrades at Red Robin to enhance the guest experience through culinary innovation and superb service, and now, our members will be able to earn points faster, along with other exclusive perks, allowing them to cash in on their continued love of our delicious burgers, which is the number one ask that we heard.

VIP Experiences 

"The new VIP-like experience gives members the royal treatment with crave worthy sneak peeks and early access to new menu items, exclusive offers, including free birthday burgers (and kids' birthday burgers for Red Robin's littlest fans), plus a free appetizer for new members on sign-up. Somehow, Red Robin's Towering Onion Rings taste even better!

Red Robin has always been about craveable food paired with an unbridled approach to hospitality and bottomless fun. The new loyalty program comes as Red Robin introduces its new Leave Room for Fun marketing campaign meant to remind people how great it feels to embrace their fun side and incentivize guests to dine at Red Robin for moments of connection over creative and delicious food that only Red Robin can provide.

Red Robin's more than 13-million-member strong Royalty program first launched in 2008 and is one of the original restaurant programs to reward guests for their loyalty. To sign up for Red Robin Royalty® and begin earning rewards and perks from Red Robin throughout the year, visit redrobin.com/rewards and download the Red Robin mobile app. Full terms and conditions apply.

The Wendy's Company announced the appointment of Abigail Pringle to the newly created role of President, U.S. and E.J. Wunsch to President, International effective June 17. Pringle has served as President, International and Chief Development Officer since 2019, and in numerous leadership roles across Development, Operations and Strategic Initiatives since joining the Company in 2002.   Wunsch has served as Chief Legal Officer since joining the Company in 2016. He has been a strategic partner on various international initiatives across Australia, Asia, Europe and South America. Prior to Wendy's, Wunsch oversaw a substantial international legal portfolio with The Procter & Gamble Company, including four years stationed in Singapore with responsibility throughout Asia.

As President, U.S., Pringle will direct all aspects of the Wendy's  U.S. business, which includes more than 6,000 Company-operated and franchised restaurants. Wunsch will assume similar accountability for the Wendy's International business across 33 countries and U.S. territories.

"Since joining Wendy's earlier this year, I've carefully reviewed our business strategy and structure, and believe dedicated Presidents for our U.S. and International business segments alongside our global centers of excellence will help us accelerate our growth in same restaurant sales, digital and new restaurant development even faster," said President and CEO Kirk Tanner. "I believe having one leader with clear accountability for development and operational performance in both the U.S. and International businesses, along with a singular voice to those respective franchise systems, will be a catalyst to accelerating growth and performance. Fortunately, we have exceptional leaders for these important roles on the leadership team today. Abigail has been a critical architect of our restaurant development journey and has put our International business on firm footing that is ready for accelerated growth. She will now bring that discipline and drive for outsized performance to our U.S. business. E.J. is a strong, strategic business leader who has been deeply involved in the business in his current role. I'm confident he will bring his global experience and keen business acumen to support the health of our existing International business and grow our footprint further around the world."   

"It has been a career highlight to lead our Global Development and International business over the past five years," said Pringle. "I know our U.S. business and franchisees exceptionally well and am confident that we still have much potential opportunity ahead for sales, profit and restaurant growth."

Wunsch said, "I see a huge opportunity for Wendy's on the international stage. I'm eager to support our current franchise and Company operations in driving outsized growth, while also advancing our footprint to bring more Wendy's to more customers around the globe."

Knowland, a provider of data-as-a-service insights on meetings and events for hospitality, announced an advanced data enhancement, Sub-Market Filter, to its popular Market Snapshot Report. The new filter was added to Knowland search and dashboard functions, including Market Snapshot and New-to-Market capabilities, enabling filtering down to the sub-market level within larger markets, saving time and effort by pinpointing localized opportunities.

As markets normalize and accounts continue to evolve in the meeting and events space, hotel sales teams need detailed data analytics to help them more easily source new business. This enhancement provides critical metrics on top geographical neighborhoods in a simple, easily accessible way, delivering essential insights sales teams need for an account-based approach to selling.

• Market Snapshot Updates—Knowland’s popular Market Snapshot feature can now be customized to help sales teams discover trends in meeting and event performance within a specific sub-market. It showcases sub-market level trends and analytics including key metrics, market segments, top industries, and average meeting size, providing valuable insights for informed decision-making. Click here for a quick preview.
• New-to-Market Capabilities—The sub-market enhancement to Knowland’s New-to-Market feature provides insights on accounts meeting in specific sub-markets for the first time, identifying new opportunities down to the local level. Sales leaders can choose to receive weekly, monthly, or quarterly updates via email, keeping them in the loop and providing insight to conduct account-based selling before competitors do. Click here for a quick preview.

Jeff Bzdawka, CEO, Knowland, said: “To stay agile in this competitive industry, hotel sellers must be savvy about community activity. With this localized market view, they see opportunities in their immediate area rather than sifting through broad datasets. We continue to innovate our platform with new features and functionalities to help sales teams excel in account-based selling and automate the sales process for better outcomes.”

Costa Coffee, in partnership with Delaware North, will launch its  autonomous coffee technology, Costa Coffee Creations, at the Austin-Bergstrom International Airport in August.

Located at Gates 11 and 16, Costa Coffee Creations is a fully robotic system that delivers barista-quality espresso drinks without the need for any human assistance for up to seven days. The equipment, capable of serving both hot and cold beverages, utilizes 100% freshly ground whole beans, milk and alternative milk options. 

• 63% of restaurants are looking to add automation and/or robotics this year, according to HT's 2024 Restaurant Technology Study

Delaware North, an early adopter of Costa Coffee Creations, recognizes the transformative potential of autonomous coffee solutions. Costa's current coffee robot in the Austin Airport and a precursor to Costa Coffee Creations, has demonstrated remarkable success, achieving double the revenue per square foot compared to other offerings in the airport, which saw 22 million passengers fly in and out in 2023 alone. 

Coffee Drinks 24/7

With a compact footprint of 24 square feet and round-the-clock availability, Costa Coffee Creations offers unparalleled convenience for travelers seeking coffee during non-traditional hours. Now, travelers will be able to get fresh, expertly crafted coffee drinks during those midnight hours or any other time they desire premium espresso beverages. 

“Amid persistent labor shortages and growing consumer demand for convenience and personalization, Costa Coffee Creations emerges as the perfect solution,” said Nick Rex, Senior Director at Costa Coffee. “With the ability to concoct an infinite array of coffee options in minutes and facilitating seamless mobile ordering, all without the need for human intervention, the machine embodies a win-win scenario for operators and guests alike.” 

"The tech-forward city of Austin is the perfect first location for Costa Coffee Creations,” said Terry Mahlum, a director of operations for Delaware North’s travel division. "Our partnership with Costa emphasizes our commitment to continuous innovation and delivering superior guest experiences."  

By partnering with Delaware North at the Austin airport, Costa Coffee Creations continues to lead the coffee market evolution through innovation, disrupting traditional coffee retail experiences and setting new standards for excellence in the industry.