Investing in technology? Restaurants share hits and misses

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Companies need to do their research, and management has to be supportive for technology initiatives to succeed.

McDonald’s clarifies: No plans to replace workers with kiosks

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Cowen & Co. upgraded McDonald's outlook based on the chain's technology upgrades, including self-order kiosks. The company has been deploying kiosks globally…

New studies show restaurant 'do's and don'ts' of online ordering, delivery

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

As the restaurant industry continues to bask in the big-dollar benefits of online ordering, two new studies shed light on best practices when it comes to…

Harken restaurateurs: Are you ready for the 'Day of the Dad?'

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Read on to find out why that fancy cocktail and offbeat entree will do your brand no favors on Father's Day.

McDonald's France intros burger by 'la McFork'

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

McDonald's may be the iconic American brand, but at least in France this month the brand has made a concession to the sensibilities of the oh-so-refined tastes…

America's tastes today? Cauliflower on pizza; radishes as raw meat

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

With rapid-fire delivery and an upbeat attitude, menu analyst and Kruse Co. owner, Nancy Kruse, last week told a standing room only crowd at the National…

Capturing today's diners? A lot of it is still about 'the money'

Even with the surprises that the AlixPartners diners' preferences poll has shown this week, in many ways it still all comes down to the fact that customers…

Pie Five, Firehouse, First Watch,Pei Wei execs discuss 'the good, the bad and the ugly' of online reviews

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

A recent survey found that 61 percent of the dining public check online reviews before visiting a restaurant. How those reviews can help or hurt sales was a…

How fast food can be good food: London's LEON co-founder shares strategy for success

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

LEON CEO John Vincent, who will keynote the Restaurant Franchising and Innovation Summit being held July 18-20 in London, talks with FastCasual about how he…

ICX Summit: Neuroscience, millennials and measuring customer experience

The upcoming June ICX Summit boasts top leaders in customer experience speaking on a range of topics from CX strategy to measuring customer experience…

Pressure grows to make restaurant kiosks 'disability-friendly'

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

A recent lawsuit on behalf of a blind customer against Eatsa, a restaurant that uses self-order kiosks, has put the kiosk industry in the spotlight.

Hot Heads & Rapid Fired Pizza founder on a regional growth approach

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Hot Heads Burritos founder, Ray Wiley, is on a roll again, this time with a fast pizza concept, called Rapid Fired. The chain has taken a regional approach to…

Cowboy Chicken, Elevation Burger execs: Pay supply chain due respect or pay consequences

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

In a world, where customers are demanding that restaurants use ethically produced, sustainable and healthful ingredients, supply chain management has grown in…

Why playing the 'right' background music increases sales

by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Restaurants that play a carefully selected mix of music reflecting their cultures can increase sales by more than 9 percent, according to a 2016 study.

Keynoter: Want to motivate employees? Try ‘trust and track’ instead of ‘command and control’

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Creating an employee training system that delivers outstanding customer service requires making employees feel engaged and providing regular feedback…

How self-serve kiosks can rescue corporate dining — part 2: how the solution came to be

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

While self-serve kiosks allow corporate dining locations to eliminate the cashier and improve the speed of service for customers, there had been no…

How self-serve kiosks can rescue corporate dining — part 1

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The self-serve kiosk rewrites the economics of corporate dining.

Cousins redesign highlights why Boomers are still important

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Millennials are the age group of the moment, but the boomers who once held that title should not be forgotten just yet, particularly when it comes to…

Kiosk translates in sign language to assist hard of hearing customers

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Juke Slot develops a kiosk that offers sign language for hard of hearing customers, a significant market with special needs. One customer's experience alerted…

Gutting the 'gut feelings' from hiring: 2 restaurant companies' $40M story

by S.A. Whitehead — Food Editor, Net World Media Group

Who knew technology could help restaurateurs get the right human touch tableside? Two large restaurant companies tell their highly profitable story.