Top POS Stories from May: Robotics, Mobility & Integration Make Headlines

Customer service and satisfaction is intrinsically tied to the point of sale, but so too, is basic operations. With so much riding on the POS, it’s little wonder that when news concerns the point of sale, it is always a hot topic. Looking back at HT’s online headlines from May, top stories included the rollout of robotics at Pizza Huts in Asia, new tablet point of sale rollouts and new supplier partnerships that address integration needs. Read on for more information on these headlines that you might have missed the first time around.

Pizza Huts in Asia to Pilot Robot Servers
Pizza Hut Restaurants Asia P/L will be the inaugural launch partner working together with MasterCard to create innovative customer engagement with Pepper, a SoftBank Robotics’ humanoid robot. The MasterCard application will be powered by MasterPass, the global digital payment service from MasterCard that connects consumers with merchants, enabling them to make fast, simple, and secure digital payments across channels and devices.  A consumer will be able to initiate an engagement by simply greeting Pepper and pairing the consumer’s MasterPass account by either tapping the Pepper icon within the wallet or by scanning a QR code on the tablet that the robot holds. After pairing with MasterPass, Pepper will be able to assist cardholders by providing personalized recommendations and offers, additional information on products, and assistance in checking out and paying for items.  

Blazing Onion Launches Digital Menu Platform
Fast casual chain Blazing Onion is continuing with its mission to implement new layers of technology throughout its restaurants. The chain has deployed eTouchMenu at its restaurant in Gig Harbor, Wash., and plans to launch the digital menu platform across all seven locations. eTouchMenu expands on a restaurant's paper menu by taking it one step further through a digital application. The technology is compatible on Android, Windows and Apple devices, and in the case of Blazing Onion, eTouchMenu has increased menu customization options, improved check averages and dessert sales, and enhanced the overall guest connection.

Survey of Diners Finds Mobile Major Influencer on Food and Dining Choices
A new study, titled "The Evolution of Dining in the Digital Age," explores mobile habits among restaurant patrons, as well as general habits related to dining out and spending. Convenience is a major factor for today's mobile consumer. Of the diners surveyed, one in four currently has at least one restaurant-specific mobile app on his or her smartphone and paying for a meal via mobile is a priority for 8%.

Punchh and Olo Announce Partnership
Punchh, the restaurant industry’s Mobile Engagement & Insights Platform, announced an official partnership with Olo, the digital ordering provider for 150+ restaurant brands across the nation.
As a foundation of the partnership, Punchh and Olo have developed full integrations between their respective platforms. This combination now tightly couples Olo’s digital ordering with Punchh’s CRM and Mobile Engagement Suite (loyalty, offers, and more) for restaurant brands that choose both platforms.

DT Research Delivers 3-in-1 Mobile POS Tablet for Hospitality and Logistics
DT Research has announced the DT315CR and DT327CR Mobile Point-of-Service (POS) Tablets. These unique multi-function tablets provide secure mobile data capture, storage and transmission within a sleek, durable design ideal for food ordering, tableside check-out, mobile check-in and efficient inventory management. DT Research Mobile POS tablets run on Windows® 10 IoT Enterprise OS for seamless front and back office application integration and take full advantage of advanced Windows 10 security.

Tablet POS Provider Deploys PCI-Validated P2PE Security Solution
Appetize  has selected the FreedomPay Commerce Platform to provide EMV and PCI-validated point-to-point encryption (P2PE), the payment industry’s highest standard for payment data security. The partnership marks Appetize as one of the first tablet-based POS providers to deploy PCI-validated P2PE security and enables the most advanced payments protection for Appetize customers spanning stadiums to convention centers to university campuses.

Upserve Acquires Breadcrumb POS
Upserve announced has acquired Breadcrumb from Groupon creating the industry's largest cloud-based restaurant management platform serving more than 6,000 restaurants in every U.S. state. Bringing together Breadcrumb's mobile Point of Sale with Upserve's smart management assistant allows Upserve to deliver the most complete suite of solutions purpose-built for restaurants to increase profit, improve guest experiences, lift productivity, and reduce costs.