135 stories · last 30 days by relevance
Taco Bell is expanding AI-powered voice ordering in its drive-thrus through a partnership with Omilia, which already operates in nearly 900 U.S. restaurants, signaling continued industry momentum towa
Domino's Pizza is expanding its presence in China.
Golden Chick is launching a new marketing campaign, loyalty program, and digital-first strategy to compete in the competitive chicken tender category.
Audivi AI has released a new pricing model designed to make drive-thru automation more accessible to quick-service restaurant operators.
Despite access to unprecedented guest data, restaurants struggle to retain customers, suggesting that loyalty programs alone may not drive repeat visits without translating data into personalized expe
Nearly half of U.S. diners switched their favorite restaurant last year, up from 33 percent the prior year—a shift that signals growing customer volatility and potential vulnerability in restaurant lo
Dutch Bros reports 74% rewards penetration among customers, with the company attributing boosted transactions and digital engagement to its loyalty program; the metric signals rewards programs' growin
Fast food chains are leveraging collectible cups and limited-edition merchandise to drive loyalty while menu prices have climbed significantly since 2019, signaling an industry strategy to offset cost
Wendy's is investing in digital sales, AI-powered ordering, and menu innovation to address weak customer traffic.
Starbucks' loyalty program, personalization features, and faster service are cited as drivers of higher store traffic and customer engagement.
Eric Knott, who scaled PDQ as COO before becoming CEO of Kansas City-based Tiki Taco, joined Restaurant Tech Trends to discuss growth discipline learned from both successes and failures.
Quick-service restaurants are receiving a higher share of citations in AI search results compared to fast-casual chains.
Ben Leventhal's Blackbird Labs tackles independent-restaurant invisibility and profitability through frequency-driven loyalty — a template applicable to multi-unit brands rethinking guest retention.
Labor scheduling is moving to AI — the trade headline signals cost pressure and tech adoption spreading across QSR.
Restaurant operators are adopting voice AI technology to capture phone call data as a way to recognize and engage customers across locations, suggesting the phone channel may become a key loyalty and
Fuzzy's Taco Shop is running a summer promotion through August 30 featuring limited-time menu items, rewards offers, and events designed to drive repeat visits and engagement during peak season.
Restaurant technology adoption remains a critical challenge; even sophisticated software fails to deliver value without consistent team engagement, according to a discussion with Decision Logic's CEO
GoTab has acquired Fishbowl, a guest marketing and loyalty platform, to expand its restaurant commerce ecosystem that includes POS, ordering, payments, and mobile solutions.
SoundHound AI is introducing voice and agentic AI capabilities for restaurant ordering, drive-thru, and guest service operations, signaling that voice technology is transitioning from experimental to
MarginEdge added real-time cost management, AI forecasting, and back-office automation capabilities to its platform.
Skyline Essentials launched SkAI, an AI forecasting platform designed to help independent and multi-unit restaurant operators predict revenue and labor costs—capabilities historically available mainly
TouchBistro is positioning its POS platform as a unified system for orders, payments, operations, and guest engagement, signaling a shift in how restaurant operators evaluate POS beyond traditional tr
Domino's is distributing $1 million in rewards to loyalty members following a penalty card issued to U.S. soccer player Folarin Balogun during a World Cup match, triggering a promotional commitment th
Restaurant brands are increasingly centering their apps around loyalty programs, personalization, and direct customer engagement rather than just order-ahead convenience, signaling a shift toward usin
MashMore Potato introduced an AI operating system it says is reducing management workload at its Albany location; the company frames this as a step toward making its model more scalable and software-d
Chipotle's COO discussed the chain's technology investments in back-of-house operations as part of its strategy to attract and retain younger diners.
McDonald's is testing an AI-powered drive-thru system developed with Google, signaling a push toward automation in order-taking.
Commerce media platforms struggle with measuring ad impact due to probabilistic attribution and modeled incrementality, but in-store data offers a potential solution to verify whether digital ads tran
Yelp is integrating AI-powered guest management tools into its restaurant platform, connecting discovery and operations workflows; this suggests a shift toward consolidating reservation, waitlist, and
Chuck E. Cheese's new CEO is pursuing global expansion through subscription models, AI parent tools, and a shift toward active-play formats, signaling confidence in the chain's financial position to f
Shake Shack is publicly showcasing operational or strategic work under an initiative called 'Project Catalyst,' though specific details about the project's scope or outcomes are not provided in the av
DoorDash has introduced AI features allowing customers to order food and book reservations using photos and prompts, signaling the company's strategy to reduce friction in the discovery-to-ordering jo
McDonald's is deploying AI to handle drive-thru orders, signaling a shift toward automation in a labor-intensive channel where accuracy and speed have long been operational pain points.
Dishio, an AI platform for restaurants, reached 350 customers in its first year by helping operators consolidate guest data and boost retention.
Miso Robotics, known for its burger-cooking robot Flippy, has acquired pizza automation intellectual property from Zume.
Membership models emerging as loyalty alternative — worth evaluating if your brand hasn't tested recurring membership vs. points-based programs.
A restaurant AI executive contends that the most valuable AI applications are unglamorous operational tools—faster lines, accurate orders, ready food—rather than headline-grabbing conversational AI li
Taco Bell has launched a global platform called L.O.C.O.S. aimed at engaging emotionally connected fans.
Kea and Thanx have integrated their platforms to enable phone-order customers to earn rewards and provide restaurants with additional customer data.
A webinar discusses how AI and location intelligence tools are reshaping restaurant site selection strategies beyond traditional methods.
Toast announced updates to its POS platform including AI and guest engagement capabilities, signaling the consolidation of restaurant operations into integrated software suites.
DoorDash is testing AI-powered ordering capabilities and expanding street safety initiatives as part of a broader business model expansion.
A report indicates quick-service restaurants are receiving higher citation shares than fast-casual chains in AI search results.
A new playbook argues that reducing friction in ordering and payment systems through unified platforms and self-service technology can improve throughput in QSR operations.
Everytable's commissary-kitchen model and income-based pricing show how mission-driven operators can scale into underserved markets without sacrificing unit economics.
Fully automated drive-thru eliminates 20–30% labor burden and fits into 240 sq ft footprint, signaling how automation reshapes site selection and unit economics in QSR.
A podcast episode explores how restaurants can use guest recognition and personalization technology to improve customer loyalty, addressing what the source frames as widespread guest retention challen
A California privacy bill may reshape how restaurants collect and use customer data in loyalty programs, signaling potential compliance costs for chains operating in the state.
QSR loyalty programs may need restructuring to account for diverging consumer spending patterns in a K-shaped economy.
Nory has launched agentic AI tools aimed at restaurant forecasting, labor scheduling, inventory management, and profitability tracking.