News Briefs

The Munich-based Toedt, Dr. Selk & Coll. GmbH (TSC) with its dailypoint™ Data Management platform, is intensifying its cooperation with Accor, a world leading augmented hospitality group with the shared objective of propelling the data management platform dailypoint to new heights.

The three founding shareholders of TSC have divested additional shares to Accor, solidifying a groundbreaking alliance while retaining a controlling majority stake of 63%. At the heart of this development is the seamless integration between the dailypoint platform, renowned for its exceptional cross-system guest profiling capabilities, and D EDGE’s cutting-edge CRS (Central Reservation System) technology. Over a meticulous 3.5-year development period, these two worlds, CRS and CRM, have been intricately merged, resulting in an unparalleled level of guest personalisation and service.

The convergence of CRS and CRM has reached new heights, empowering customers of the D-EDGE Guest Management Solution to effortlessly manage guest profiles across all channels and deliver highly personalized services. dailypoint’s Central Guest Profile, driven by artificial intelligence and real-time data cleansing from multiple sources, has become the cornerstone of modern IT strategy in the industry. Moreover, the collaboration includes a deep integration with dailypoint’s loyalty solution, offering a powerful platform for individual hotels and chains to run one or more programs simultaneously, such as B2C, B2B, or HR programs.

“Particularly unique is the out-of-the-box integration between loyalty and the booking process. Member rates, voucher codes, redemption of points, and seamless integration with D-EDGE CRO (Reservation Office) are all part of the combined solution, providing an all-encompassing guest experience like never before.” stated Dr. Michael Toedt, Managing Partner and co-founder of TSC. “With dailypoint, we place our trust in a company that consistently sets industry standards and embraces cutting-edge technology,” asserted Pierre-Charles Grob, CEO of D-EDGE speaking about the transformative partnership. The management emphasizes that Toedt, Dr. Selk & Coll. GmbH will remain completely independent despite the investment and this is not a multi-stage acquisition.

Domino's Pizza Inc. introduces its new and improved loyalty program. 

Domino's Rewards offers loyalty members even more opportunities to earn and redeem points across its corporate and franchise store locations. Domino's enhanced rewards program allows customers to:

• Earn points for less
  • Loyalty members will now earn 10 points on every order of $5 or more
• Redeem points for even more menu items – and earn free Domino's after just two orders
  • Members can redeem a variety of points for more menu items:
    • 20 points: A free dipping cup, a 16-piece order of Parmesan Bread Bites or a 20 oz. drink
    • 40 points: An order of Bread Twists or Stuffed Cheesy Bread
    • 60 points: A medium, two-topping pizza; pasta; Oven-Baked Sandwich; or a 3-piece order of Chocolate Lava Crunch Cakes
• Earn more rewards
  • Loyalty perks are now even better, as members will have exclusive access to member-only deals, special discounts and opportunities to earn bonus points!

"We are thrilled to give the brand's loyal customers additional ways to earn free Domino's items more often," said Mark Messing, Domino's vice president of digital experience and loyalty. "At a time when most brands are scaling back their loyalty programs and making it more difficult to earn and redeem points, Domino's is doing the opposite. We want to make it easier to reward our customers and give them more options so they can get rewarded faster."

Marketing a LTO 

From now until Oct. 22, 2023, rewards members can take advantage of a limited time offer to redeem 20 points for a free order of Domino's new Pepperoni Stuffed Cheesy Bread, which is normally a 40-point redemption, in celebration of the product's recent launch. 

Shiji, a global hospitality technology innovator, has partnered with IPORT, an award-winning manufacturer known for enhancing the usability of iPads and iPhones, to introduce an all-in-one software solution for hotel restaurants. This collaboration will provide hoteliers with a seamless combination of a tablet and payment device to maximize their F&B operations.

The integrated iOS and payment device solution simplifies guest service for hotel restaurant servers, providing them with an effortless tool to cater to their guests' needs. As a certified Apple partner, Shiji and IPORT guarantee exceptional performance and reliability. Hoteliers can choose from multiple device options, including iPad Pro, iPad Mini, and iPhone, ensuring flexibility and compatibility with their operations.

“IPORT products are built around modularity and flexibility that empower our hospitality customers to do more with the iOS platform. We are thrilled to partner with a leading iPad and iPhone cloud PMS and POS platform provider like Shiji,” said Chris Lawson, Head of Partnerships, IPORT. “We look forward to innovating with Shiji in disrupting legacy, monolithic providers who have limited the industry from harnessing the power of iOS and mobility. The future is bright, and the possibilities are endless with IPORT, iOS, and Shiji.”

"The partnership with IPORT is a significant milestone for Shiji in our commitment to provide innovative technology solutions for the hospitality industry," said Ryan King, Senior Vice President of Shiji in the Americas. "By combining our expertise with IPORT’s hardware solutions, we empower hoteliers to streamline restaurant operations and deliver exceptional guest experiences. This collaboration represents another step forward in our dedication to driving success in the Americas, and globally."

The tablet and payment device solution seamlessly integrates with multiple payment gateways, allowing hoteliers to choose the system that best suits their needs. By simplifying the payment process, it reduces operational complexities, minimizes errors, and saves valuable time and resources for hoteliers.

Jack in the Box Inc. opened its first drive-thru only location featuring its CRAVED image. It is also the second opening this summer in the Salt Lake City metro area.

“This location features our dynamic new CRAVED image which includes a new color package, signage, and imagery. As a drive-thru only prototype, it includes a drive-thru and walk-up window for ordering and pickup, and dedicated parking for mobile and third-party delivery orders,” said Tim Linderman, chief development officer. “Our historic entry into the Salt Lake City metro area is strengthened with our new Ogden restaurant. We’re an iconic brand with a loyal following and we’re excited to bring Jack in the Box to our fans in Ogden.”

The new Ogden restaurant comes on the heels of the July opening in Salt Lake City, which reported a record-breaking full-first-month sales that outperformed the previous record setting new market opening by 66%. This was the brand’s first new market in over a decade and the first to feature the CRAVED image with dine-in seating.

“Growing our presence in new markets is a key Jack in the Box initiative. We’re excited because the Salt Lake City metro serves as a fantastic example of the success our brand is building as it expands across the United States,” said Linderman.

Additional CRAVED image restaurants are planned to open in the future, including locations in Louisville, Kentucky, another new market entry for the brand.

Boostly,  a text marketing and feedback solution for restaurants, has announced its partnership with ChowNow, a platform for independent restaurants that provides a suite of operating and marketing tools, including branded mobile apps, commission-free online ordering, automated email marketing, and more. The Boostly and ChowNow integration enables ChowNow’s restaurant partners to drive more incremental revenue, increase customer retention, and generate more feedback and reviews through Boostly’s  SMS marketing platform.

• 71% say the ability to integrate with other systems is driving their POS purchase decisions, according to HT’s2 2023 POS Software Trends Report.

According to recent research, restaurant customers who opt-in to text marketing spend $12-$15 more per transaction than customers who have not opted-in to a texting program.

“We love that ChowNow has focused on the success of independent restaurant owners. Both Boostly and ChowNow have always advocated for restaurants’ ability to control their customer data and relationships, so we’re thrilled to give ChowNow’s partners the opportunity to leverage their data for SMS marketing in ways that they haven’t had access to previously,” said Shane Murphy, Co-Founder and CEO of Boostly.

Boostly provides unique competitive advantages compared to other text marketing companies such as:

• Working seamlessly with the restaurant’s point of sale, online ordering, and phone system providers
• Providing an entirely automated experience
• Behavioral based texting, which sends unique content based on the customer’s interactions with the brand
• Interactive and gamified texting that performs 10x better than traditional SMS messages
• Collecting feedback on the customer experience to resolve issues in real time

Boostly is backed by Y Combinator. To learn more about Boostly, visit boostly.com.

Canadian-founded,  automated pizzeria chain, PizzaForno is opening kiosk locations in the public transportation sector with a public transit provider  Metrolinx. The PizzaForno kiosks at the 407 Bus Terminal and Weston GO & UP Station now serving pizza, baked fast and fresh in 3 minutes 24/7, to thousands of riders daily.

Thousands of riders daily can now enjoy hot and delicious pizza, baked fast and fresh in 3 minutes 24/7 at the station, as well as at Weston GO & UP station. PizzaForno marks the transit leader's first automated hot pizza option with additional kiosks anticipated to be announced at GO Transit stations in the coming months.

Metrolinx is responsible for the operation of GO Transit, UP Express, and PRESTO. It operates over 400,000 buses and trains and serves over 100 million commuters.

PizzaForno has more than 70 units across North America, with an additional 800 units already committed through 2024. PizzaForno uses patented technology to serve consumers the best in food, flavor, and convenience. Its 9 x 6 ft. kiosks are seamlessly installed and operating in food courts, convenience stores, post-secondary schools, military bases, tourist destinations, and boating marinas throughout Canada and the US.

PizzaForno app

PizzaForno customers have the benefit of touchless ordering. They can use the new PizzaForno app to pre-order to make the experience even speedier or order directly at the kiosk from an automated screen. A robotic arm takes the refrigerated pizza and puts it into an oven for baking. Less than three minutes later, a hot pizza in a box emerges from a slot. PizzaForno also offers a take-and-bake option to enjoy at home.

Founded in 2018 by Canadian entrepreneurs William Moyer and Les Tomlin, PizzaForno offers a selection of pizza options, each made with high-quality ingredients. Utilizing technology made popular in France by ADIAL, PizzaForno has built the brand on a proven machine with 2,500 units operating in Europe.  

Photo credit: (CNW Group/PizzaForno)