Food rescue: there’s an app for that

By Jessica Brill Food waste has always presented a challenge to the foodservice industry, but as inflation continues to reach record highs, restaurants may even be more motivated to lower waste and cut costs. From tightening up inventory to better managing off-premise orders, there’s an opportunity for the foodservice industry to waste less, lower its […]

How ChatGPT can optimize restaurant staffing

By Matt Parkin As a restaurant manager, one of the key challenges is hiring and training staff efficiently and effectively, and ChatGPT is a tool that can help. In today’s fast-paced restaurant industry, finding ways to save time while preparing staff to handle various situations is crucial to success. One innovative tool that can greatly […]

Trendi: chasing a greener future

BC company, Trendi, is using robotics and innovation to help drive a global food rescue movement By Jessica Brill Can you imagine a world where food is not wasted, where it’s sustainably produced and accessible to everyone? Craig McIntosh and Carissa Campeotto sure can. They’re walking the walk, tapping into their over 45 years of […]

Automated scheduling is a must for your busy season

By Kris Edwards Restaurants and bars across Canada are prepping for a busy season in the face of many challenges, from labour shortages to the rising cost of ingredients like lettuce. In June 2022, there were 171,715 job vacancies in the foodservice industry, triple the amount of pre-pandemic levels. As a result, restaurant operators are […]

Voice technology: a long-term staffing solution?

Ask many experts and they will say that foodservice — despite the pain of the pandemic, inflation, staffing crises, and other problems — is in the middle of a great leap forward in technological advancement right now. Automation in the kitchen, the dining room, and beyond is propelling an evolution of the way restaurants do […]

Using social media to optimize your LTO sales

If you own or manage a restaurant, you’ve probably developed a marketing strategy around limited-time offers (LTOs), but are you using social media as part of that strategy? Social media can help you reach a large audience quickly and cheaply, using your LTOs to help drive traffic, create a sense of urgency, and up your […]

Foodservice brands must walk a tightrope between physical & digital experience

By Dustin Hassett Now more than ever, restaurateurs are operating in an experience economy. Customers are interacting with competitor brands over multiple channels every hour of every day, and they expect every digital experience to measure up to the Amazons and Ubers of this world. Just like the behemoth tech brands, foodservice businesses need to […]

QR codes seem here to stay despite diner disdain

Foodservice’s embrace of technological solutions was hastened by the COVID-19 pandemic and the economic, safety, and staffing challenges it brought on. But it isn’t just new innovations we’ve seen rise to prominence in the last few years. QR codes, a tool once sidelined, have rebounded in a big way. These days, in the second half […]

Uber launching “industry-first” pilot to deliver equipment to restaurants

Uber has announced it is partnering with foodservice equipment distributor Parts Town to provide equipment delivery to operators and service technicians in the Chicago market. A press release calls the partnerships “the restaurant industry’s first” between a parts distributor and ride-sharing provider to offer replacement parts for delivery. If the program goes well, Uber says […]

4 common mistakes to avoid when building a loyalty program tech stack

By Mo Chaar Customer loyalty is key for Canadian consumers, who are among the world’s most frequent users of a loyalty program. Over half of Canadians make reward-earning purchases several times a week, and a recent Givex survey found that 56 per cent of Canadians say loyalty programs make them more likely to dine out […]