Restaurant News Roundup: November 2018

This month mobile convenience is a topic that comes in the news quite often. Add in Resy and BigDish making major moves in the industry, it makes for an interesting news cycle. In the midst of the holiday season, we’re serving you an order of November restaurant news.

Trending: How Mobile Order-Ahead On Campus Attempts to Secure the Grade

In an increasingly mobile society, it should come as no surprise that waiting in line is becoming obsolete. Restaurants are gaining more revenue through mobile, online and delivery. Wendy’s and McDonald’s are both reaping the benefits of app users making purchases through mobile means. Panera Bread has restricted its technology initiatives to two-year timelines, allowing for, according to CEO Blaine Hurst, the ability to quickly adapt to technology innovations. In the same scope of digital and mobile payments, college campuses are embracing more secure ways to allow students to pay for dining options on campus. John Diaz, Vice President of Retail Solutions Product Management for Blackboard, has a solution: there’s an app for that.

Restaurant Management Platform BigDish Considers Selling Asian Business

In the business world, buying, selling, merging and takeovers are common practice. BigDish is no stranger to the ways of business. Amidst several offers to acquire their Asian business, BigDish is now strategically re-evaluating the best course for the company and its decision will be announced in Q1. Other changes to BigDish include the UK team’s addition of Sanj Naha to help develop the UK strategy; the alteration of BigDish UK’s logo within the app; and to further product development by hiring more members to its team over the next year. Check out other methods BigDish is implementing to further their international goals.

Resy Acquires Reserve to Better Challenge OpenTable

If you can’t beat them alone, double your chances against the competition by combining forces with another company. In this case, Resy recently purchased Reserve. The two companies will be joining forces, as much of Reserve’s staff will join Resy. The restaurants on Reserve’s platform will transition to Resy within the year. Resy has been busy this year; Reserve is its third purchase and now expands Resy’s reach to 4,000 restaurant customers and an increased footprint in larger cities including Chicago and Boston. In total, Resy has a worldwide network of 10,000 restaurants. Read more about the acquisition.

QSRs Serve Diners with Mobile Innovation

In an ever-innovative world, people are looking for convenience. Mobile technology is making quick-service restaurants more convenient through delivery options such as GrubHub. According to Restaurant Business, in October it was reported that 30 percent of Yum! Brands’ domestic restaurants had delivery options. Broadly, consumer interest in order-ahead technology is steadily rising. Until 2015, 38 percent of consumers had used mobile devices to order food at least one time. Now, as reported by the PYMNTS Commerce Connected Playbook, 40 percent of customers use an order-ahead app or other platform. This is an 11 percent increase from three years ago. Want more details on mobile options at quick service restaurants? We have the details for you! Subscribe to the blog for more interesting restaurant content!

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About the Author

Devyn Nance is the Marketing Coordinator at QSR Automations. She graduated from the University of Louisville with a bachelor’s degree in Communication and from Loyola University Chicago with a master’s degree in Global Strategic Communication. She considers herself an (amateur) profiler – trained solely from watching every episode of Criminal Minds. Outside of work, Devyn loves to shop, travel, hang out with friends and family, read, and watch shows on various streaming platforms.