Restaurant And Hospitality News Roundup - April 10, 2014
By Christine Kern, contributing writer
Hotels & Restaurants Dabble In Mobile Payment
While there is not yet widespread use of mobile wallets, experts agree that this is the future of payments. A Hospitality Technology article points out consumers are becoming more reliant on mobile technology in every aspect of their lives — and customer-initiated mobile payments are a natural progression for both hotels and restaurants.
Next-Generation Tabletop Tablets To Come To Buffalo Wild Wings In North America, Giving Guests All-In-One Solution For Gaming, Music, And Ordering Food
In a press release, Buffalo Wild Wings, Inc. has announced that it is partnering with NTN Buzztime, Inc. to bring the company’s BEOND tablet-based entertainment platform to all of their North America restaurant locations by the end of 2015. The tablet lets Buffalo Wild Wings Guests order food, request songs and television programming, play games, and pay the bill. Already available in approximately 150 corporate-owned locations, it is expected that the tablets will be rolled out to about 500 Buffalo Wild Wings restaurants by the end of 2014 and to all North American locations by late next year.
Tabletop Technology Tested By Pizza Hut To Further Engage Guests
According to Hospitality Technology, Pizza Hut and Chaotic Moon Studios have partnered and are in the concept phase of testing an interactive table. The table lets guests visualize their pizza on the tabletop touchscreen as they order it, and allows them to select crust, sauce and cheese (half or whole), then add toppings. The entire menu will be available on the tabletop.
Duffy’s Sports Grill Adds Mobile And Messaging Capabilities To MVP Loyalty Program
A press release announced that that Duffy’s Sports Grill has expanded its Paytronix-powered MVP loyalty program with the addition of mobile check in, mobile sign-up, and real-time messaging capabilities. Duffy’s runs a highly successful MVP rewards program with over 425,000 active members who drive 70% of the transactions across its 24 casual-dining restaurants in Southern Florida. With check level data and other metrics provided by Paytronix’s POS integrated solution, Duffy’s is able to strategically design messaging, offers and promotions tailored to behavior in each of the MVP program’s three tiers.
Hospitality IT Talking Points
VeriFone Systems, Inc. announced its partnership with XPIENT Solutions to provide a class leading payment-as a service (PAAS) solution for quick service restaurant (QSR) and fast-casual dining markets. The solution enhances security through payment system isolation and end-to-end encryption while providing a pathway to EMV and NFC payment acceptance at the point-of-sale (POS).
Vivonet Acquisitions Ltd. announced that it has received an approval to support hotel environments with their omni-channel POS solutions. The new PAR Springer‐Miller integration will enable Vivonet to add various hotel‐based features to their POS solutions. Some new features include hotel‐based business features, house‐guest available credit enquiries, POS room charges, check‐in inquiries, and payment processing updates.
QSRweb.com cites Bureau of Labor Statistics March data that shows the number of private sector jobs surpassed its pre-recession peak. The article also points out the National Restaurant Association reports the restaurant industry added more than 30,000 jobs in March, “the 49th consecutive monthly gain and strongest increase since October.”