Ziosk Expands Partnership with Cerca Trova to More Than 100 Outback Steakhouse Restaurants

Ziosk, maker of ordering, entertainment and pay-at-the table tablets, and Cerca Trova Restaurant Concepts (formerly T-Bird Restaurant Group), the exclusive franchisee of Outback Steakhouse locations in Arizona, California, Colorado, Nevada and New Mexico, announced a partnership expansion to bring tabletop tablets to an additional 45 Outback locations. This strategic move expands on the existing engagement, which features Ziosk table top tablets at 62 Outback locations in California, to now include a total of 107 franchised locations. Rollout of Ziosk tablets to the 45 new locations was completed in early August.

Under the partnership, Cerca Trova’s Outback Steakhouse guests will enjoy improved payment security through Ziosk’s Point-to-Point Encryption (P2PE) and Europay MasterCard Visa (EMV). P2PE technology helps to ensure sensitive credit card data is protected from first card swipe, while in transit, all the way to payment providers. The Ziosk will also improve efficiency and convenience by empowering guests to pay right at the table thereby freeing up servers to spend more time interacting with guests. Guests will have the option to use Google Android Pay and other mobile wallet solutions in addition to QR code coupon scanning at the table.

Cerca Trova locations already using Ziosk have seen significant benefits including:

• Payment Speed: Ziosk has saved dining guests, on average, seven minutes during the check process.
• Server/Guest Engagement: With time freed up from running checks and payment, servers are empowered to spend more time on the dining floor, interacting with guests.
• E-Club Membership: Cerca Trova restaurants that feature Ziosk have experienced a 10X increase in e-club enrollments.
• Real-time Feedback: Increased operational efficiency and greater guest satisfaction scores achieved through an unprecedented level of real-time feedback from surveys.
• Labor Savings: Cerca Trova restaurants expect to recognize up to $3.7 million in labor savings annually while improving guest satisfaction, server tips and retention.

The Ziosk 7-inch tablet is displayed on each table in Outback Steakhouse restaurants, enabling diners to interactively explore menu items and specials as well as order appetizers, beverages and desserts at their convenience. Additionally, guests can participate in a variety of entertainment activities including trivia and games, all designed to enhance a communal experience at the table.

“We have established a very successful relationship with Ziosk to date and this strategic expansion to provide premier tabletop technology at additional Outback restaurants will further strengthen and improve our operations and payment security standards,” said CEO Steve Weigel, President and CEO of Cerca Trova. “Guest satisfaction is a top priority at Cerca Trova, and given Ziosk’s strong track record in helping other national restaurant operators enhance the guest experience, they were the clear choice from day one.”

Commanding 95 percent market share in the deployed tabletop tablet space, Ziosk tablets are currently in more than 3,000 restaurants across all 50 states. Ziosk has over 170,000 tablets interacting with more than 50 million guests per month.