October 25, 2011
NEXTEP Releases Foundation5 - Complete Foodservice Technology Solution
Foundation 5 release by Nextep for QSR and food ordering. Along with the different channel support, it now comes with backend system. Approved PA DSS. Cloud-based command center.
NEXTEP Releases Foundation5 - Complete Foodservice Technology Solution | Business Wire
TROY, Mich.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--NEXTEP SYSTEMS, the leading provider of customer self order technology, today announced general availability of the Foundation5 foodservice technology platform. Foundation5 provides foodservice operators with a single vendor solution for operating high volume restaurant concepts.
Historically, restaurants only required cash registers or their high tech equivalent, the Point of Sale (POS) system. Each year, more ordering is done “beyond the counter”, for example ordering a pizza from a website, ordering from a touch screen kiosk, or ordering at the drive thru. Yet, multiple vendors were needed to supply the various technologies, requiring restaurateurs to act as systems integrators, with inevitable finger pointing when systems failed to properly function.
Over the past six years, NEXTEP developed a reputation for the highest quality customer facing technology, including self order kiosks, online ordering, digital signage, and mobile applications. However, NEXTEP customers still required another vendor to provide POS terminals and back of house systems (e.g. labor management and inventory), increasing project risk and overall expense. The industry needed a single vendor with a proven track record to develop and support one complete integrated platform. In close cooperation with local restaurant operators, NEXTEP leapfrogged existing options with a total solution as easy to use as a self order kiosk, but with all of the power of an enterprise POS system.
Foundation5 is scalable and secure, having been approved by the Payment Card Industry (PCI) for deployment. Multiple payment options are supported, including cash, credit, gift cards, and soon mobile payment options. NEXTEP’s product suite can be managed from anywhere, using NEXTEP’s cloud-based command center, providing a single touch point for managing menu items, promotions, inventory, employees, and reporting.
About NEXTEP SYSTEMS
NEXTEP SYSTEMS, based in Troy, Michigan, is the leading provider of foodservice technology for restaurants, airports, casinos, convenience stores, grocery stores, educational facilities, and sporting venues. Founded in 2005, NEXTEP is the industry’s only turnkey provider of integrated solutions including Point of Sale, Self Order Kiosks, Online Ordering, Dynamic Digital Menu Displays™, touch screen drive thru solutions, smartphone ordering, iPad touch screen kiosks, and iPod employee ordering.
Contacts
Tommy Woycik
President, NEXTEP SYSTEMS
866.654.8730
NEXTEP Releases Foundation5 - Complete Foodservice Technology Solution | Business Wire
October 11, 2011
Sodexo's High-Tech 'Food On Demand' College Concept Wins Kudos
Sodexo food service wins award. Students order via touch screen and then get buzzed on pager or smartphone.
Emily Jed
[email protected]
GAITHERSBURG, MD -- Sodexo's technology-focused FoD (Food on Demand) college campus dining concept was recognized by Nation's Restaurant News as the winner of one of five 2011 Hot Concepts Awards.
The program is customizable for each campus and includes whatever food the school chooses to offer. Guests order digitally from a touchscreen kiosk. Each dish is then individually prepared, and the customer is buzzed via smartphone or pager when the meal is ready.
Food on Demand is operating at six universities, including the University of Vermont in Burlington, Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy, NY, Academy of Art in San Francisco, Northwestern University in Chicago, and Colgate University in Hamilton, NY. Topping the list of favorites are Waffles Diane with blueberries, Asian steak salad, grilled chicken pesto stromboli, and chocolate torte.
Sodexo's FoD concept was lauded for displaying bold tactics, outstanding creativity and strong performance in a persistently sluggish economy.
January 14, 2011
Scala powers touch display self-service kiosks in German restaurant chain
Scala, a global digital-signage and advertising-management solutions provider announced today that its software is powering a touch interactive ordering system at holyfields restaurants in Germany.
Scala powers touch display self-service kiosks in German restaurant chain | QSRweb.com
According to the announcement, holyfields partnered with Newroom Media and the Ippolito Fleitz Group to develop user-friendly self-service kiosks, with the goal of creating a digital-ordering system to speed up the ordering process. To order a meal, a customer simply selects his or her preferred food and drink on one of the kiosks and then proceeds to a cashier. They receive pagers that will alert them from their tables when food is ready for pick-up.
The kiosks feature a design interface, high level of scalability, modern design, and a constant and stable system capable of operating for 17 hours a day, according to the annoucement. Each kiosk is equipped with a 32-inch Samsung LCD display, Tyco Electronics IntelliTouch Surface Wave Touchscreens and a DE7000 Digital Engine from AOpen.
The kiosk interface uses only Scala scripts, including some never-before used, as well as specially-developed optical effects, including transparent pop-ups. Scala Content Manager and Scala Player software drive content to the screens.
"At holyfields, our ordering system is reliant on the new terminals. Failure or downtime would result in customer dissatisfaction and a loss of money," said Gerhard Schöps, managing director of holyfields. "Therefore, the operation of these terminals is crucial. We are very satisfied with the speed and reliability of the Scala software, as are our customers."
Scala powers touch display self-service kiosks in German restaurant chain | QSRweb.com
March 24, 2010
Loyalty Trend - Kroger CEO: We offer more than Wal-Mart
CINCINNATI — Kroger Co.'s CEO says the grocer has more weapons than price in its arsenal in the fight for recession-pinched shoppers.
Retail giant Wal-Mart Stores Inc. has signaled that more price rollbacks are ahead as stores try to rebound from slow or falling sales of groceries. Shoppers have sought lower prices, drawing some to warehouse clubs and dollar stores.
But David B. Dillon, chairman and CEO of Cincinnati-based Kroger, says the nation's largest traditional grocer is adding frequent shoppers. He says that's important for long-term growth.
Dillon told an investor meeting Tuesday in New York that Kroger competes on price, but also offers a better shopping experience than Wal-Mart and other discount competitors.
November 16, 2009
Self-service kiosks boom all over
Do-it-yourself customer service continues to creep into everyday life via kiosks, smart-phone applications and the Internet. Consumers are using touch-screens everywhere from supermarket delis to hospital check-in stations. There are even machines that give vision exams and scan feet to produce custom insoles. Kiosk transactions are expected to surpass $775 billion this year, up from $607 billion in 2008, according to IHL Group, which tracks the self-service industry. The total could hit $1.6 trillion by 2013.
It's not surprising that kiosks are rapidly taking hold in the movie rental business. Six years after the first Redbox DVD rental kiosk test in Denver in 2004, kiosks could account for nearly 30 percent of the U.S. market in 2010, according to NPD Group.
Blockbuster Inc. said this month that it would close as many as 960 unprofitable stores by the end of next year and install 10,000 kiosks in their place.
The tipping point for kiosks came in 2001, when Kroger and Home Depot installed self-checkouts, said Lee Holman, lead retail analyst for IHL Group: "After some hand-holding, consumers have embraced it. Now there's a perception ... that 'I can do this quicker.'"
But it took a long time for Americans to make the leap, starting with ATMs and paying at the pump in the 1980s.
Airports were next, with carriers offering ticket check-in. Hertz first put a kiosk, fluent in several languages, at Orlando International Airport in 2007, and now about 80 percent of the car rental firm's transactions there take place at kiosks.
In Dallas, Kroger has installed kiosks at deli counters where consumers use a touch-screen to select the product, thickness and quantity, then keep shopping until they're ready to pick up their items.
To be sure, self-service options are adding to the millions of jobs already lost to automation. The average Blockbuster store has 10 employees, so the mass closures will have an impact, even if the company shifts some workers to other locations.
Dining self-service counters and tables could be the next frontier.
It's a rare family whose members all want to order from the same vendor at a food court, so NCR is pushing touch-screen tables that let each person order from a different eatery. The family then picks up all the food and pays in one transaction at one place in the food court.
THINGS YOU CAN DO AT KIOSKS
- Check out at a grocery store
- Rent DVDs
- Get cash or deposit a check at an ATM
- Pay at the pump for gas
- Reload prepaid phone cards
- Weigh a letter or package and buy postage at the post office
- Call home or play a video game after a day of soldiering in Iraq and Afghanistan
- Turn a piggy bank's contents into a gift card at a Coinstar machine
- Buy movie, ski lift, museum, train and bus tickets
- Apply for a job at Target
- Print documents at Staples
- Browse additional, off-premises inventory at some J.C. Penney stores
- Rent a car from Hertz
September 23, 2009
Food Order Kiosk - Casino Buffet deployment
Casino Queen in East St. Louis, IL and The Rivers in Pittsburg, PA are the latest casinos to implement NEXTEP's Casino Express™ touch screen automated buffet entry solution.
Casino Queen (www.casinoqueen.com) installed three kiosks to automate entry to their Market Street Buffet. Casino guests simply enter the number of guests and pay with cash, credit, debit, Dining Dollars, Room Charges, and/or Queen's Club Player cards. Each self order kiosk accepts payment and dispenses a receipt for the guests to gain entry to the buffet.
All orders are submitted to the InfoGenesis POS system for consolidated control and reporting. Casino Queen can manage the solution from anywhere through the mynextep.net customer portal.
The Rivers Casino (www.theriverscasino.com) installed four kiosks to automate entry to their Grand View Buffet. Guests have the opportunity to pay with cash, credit, debit, and/or Rivers Edge Players Club points. The Rivers also implemented NEXTEP's optional reservation module that allows guests to reserve seating space for their preferred dining time.
All Grand View Buffet orders are submitted to the MICROS 9700 POS system for consolidated control and reporting.
"Casino food service represents an ideal candidate for self service," said Jeff Breazeale, NEXTEP's Sales Director, "Casino dining concepts have high-traffic, long hours of operation, and relatively high labor cost, resulting in a 3-6 month payback period."
NEXTEP has successfully installed Casino Express™ kiosks across the United States and Canada, for both buffet entry and casual dining concepts. Contact NEXTEP SYSTEMS for a demonstration and case study on how Casino Express™ improves operational efficiencies and the guest experience.
July 29, 2009
Restaurant Self-Service via Bluetooth
Ordering by your table in Inamo in London (via Bluetooth). Nice video shows the complete process for self-ordering at your table.
Imagine a restaurant where you can browse food and drink at your table and place your order – all without having to get up or wait for a waiter.
That's Inamo, a swish Oriental restaurant and bar in the heart of London's Soho. TechRadar dropped in for a look.
The Flash-based 'interactive ordering system' uses a Bluetooth-linked trackpad embedded in the table, and enables you to look through a menu which is projected from a hood above.
The trackpad is literally the only thing on the table that isn't the usual dining paraphernalia like plates and chopsticks; there's no embedded screen or Microsoft Surface-type tech, it's all projected.
As well as an ordering system for food and drink, Inamo also has simple games such as Battleships to play against your dining partners as well as the ability to change the look of your table – you can change the virtual tablecloth every five minutes or keep the same theme for the rest of your meal. You can choose bright patterns or even a picture of space.
Tables are activated by your server when you are seated.
When TechRadar visited the venue it was early evening, but we were soon served after placing our journalist's special meal of cocktails and beer. The ordering experience may seem like just another part of the evening, but it's that it doesn't jar while you're doing it which is the real triumph.
reelance software architect Bernie Sumption relays how the system was created on his blog at BernieCode.com. The real challenge was that the system had to let the diners (two per projected table) interact at the same time. As Bernie says, that's a problem.
"You see, computers only have one mouse pointer. Even if you plug two mice into a PC, Windows will prevent them showing up as two devices and instead merge their input streams so that they both appear to applications as a single virtual device."
Mouse-driven applications are generally simple to write because the mouse stack is already in place and these detect when events take place, such as when the mouse has clicked a button or hovered over something active. However, it couldn't be the same for the Inamo tables.
"The only option was a ground-up re-implementation of a mouse stack that takes data from our Bluetooth trackpads, converts it into a coordinate stream, feeds it into Flash and performs collision detection," explains Bernie.
July 27, 2009
Jack In the Box Food Order Kiosk
Picture of food order kiosk being tested in Jack In The Box restaurant up in Washington.
Link to picture and article
July 24, 2009
Food Order Kiosk - LU Dining introduces kiosk order system
Cbord and Webfood kiosks installed at university for students. The kiosks take the orders and act like cashiers.
Liberty students are in for a treat when they arrive back on campus for the fall semester. Starting August 24, Liberty University Dining Services will offer meals at the touch of a screen.
LU Dining is introducing Webfood®, a web-based ordering service. Complete with touch screens, card readers and receipt printers, Webfood® kiosks take orders and act as cashiers, which will decrease lines for customers. Kiosk orders are transmitted to dining staff who can begin preparing the meals immediately. The system boasts that a full meal can be ordered in 10 seconds or less.
Kiosks are currently located at Sub Connection and The Hangar on main campus and at Founders Food Court on Campus North.
Students can also use the Webfood® system to view nutritional information, meal deals and favorite orders. LU Dining administrators can use it to edit menu items and prices and to track statistics and customer feedback.
Eventually, the kiosks will be integrated into an online ordering service. Students will be able to order and purchase meals from any computer with Internet access, then pick up their orders without having to wait in checkout lines.
The web-based kiosks are just one way LU Dining Services has enhanced the Liberty dining experience. In the past year, food options have been expanded at the Tilley Student Center and Founders Food Court on Campus North. On Main Campus, a Café a la Cart was added to the Circle and a second line was added to Sub Connection.
January 22, 2009
POS news - Subway Announces new system
Subway to Implement Restaurant POS across 30,000 Global Locations. SUBWAY announces a partnership with Torex to implement its Quick Service Restaurant POS solution globally. Upon completion of the roll out the SUBWAY chain…as posted on gokiosk.net
March 11, 2008
QSR Food Ordering Kiosks
A three restaurant pilot is underway that will test the level of guest adoption of the technology, improvement in speed of customer service, and lift in average check the franchisee can achieve. "The pilot period enables us to learn and improve the self-service program from both a customer service and store integration perspective," said Smith.
Boddie-Noell Enterprises and EMN8 Introduce Self-Service Kiosks at Hardee's Largest Franchisee
Boddie-Noell Enterprises and EMN8 Introduce Self-Service Kiosks at Hardee's Largest Franchisee
New Self-Service Kiosks Provide Quick and Easy Ordering for Hardee's Customers
SAN DIEGO — Boddie-Noell Enterprises (BNE), the largest Hardee's franchise operator in the United States with 345 restaurants in four states, and EMN8, the leader in technology-based, rich-media self-service systems for quick service restaurants (QSRs), today announced the introduction of EMN8 kiosks in BNE Hardee's restaurant locations.
According to BNE Director of Field Information Systems Jody Smith, a three restaurant pilot is underway that will test the level of guest adoption of the technology, improvement in speed of customer service, and lift in average check the franchisee can achieve. "The pilot period enables us to learn and improve the self-service program from both a customer service and store integration perspective," said Smith.
EMN8's self-service software features vibrant graphics and a user friendly interface that allows Hardee's customers to order their food quickly and easily. The menu presents products, suggestions and options in such a manner as to influence customers' decisions at the point of purchase, increasing average ticket and menu awareness. "We are in the early stages, yet customer feedback has been very positive and the increase in the average check amount exceeds our expectations," noted Mike Boddie, president of the BNE Restaurant Division.
BNE's selection of EMN8 as its self-service partner was driven by EMN8's experience in the QSR industry, its expertise in user interface design and point-of-sale (POS) integration, and its product's ability to accept both cash and credit card payments. More than 60 percent of the orders processed to date at the kiosks involved cash payments.
"The Boddie-Noell program is a true collaboration between our two companies that successfully leverages the knowledge EMN8 has gained through our ongoing market research, previous QSR implementations and POS integrations," said Peter Boylan, vice president of sales at EMN8.
About Boddie-Noell Enterprises Inc.
Advertisement
Boddie-Noell Enterprises, www.bneinc.com, is a diversified family-owned business engaged primarily in restaurants and land development. It is the largest Hardee's franchise operator in the United States with 345 restaurants across four states. The company owns the Texas Steakhouse & Saloon and Cafe Carolina and Bakery restaurant brands. It also operates Moe's Southwest Grill franchises and the historic Rose Hill Conference Center in Nashville. Boddie-Noell has major land-development projects completed or underway along the North Carolina coast and in Virginia. It employs more than 12,750 people and is headquartered in Rocky Mount.
About EMN8 Inc.
EMN8, www.emn8.com, is the leading developer of consumer self-service order and payment systems for the quick service restaurant and fast casual dining industries. Its products leverage innovative technology and designs, cash and payment card handling capabilities, integration with leading point-of-sale (POS) application, and compatibility with industry leading kiosk and POS hardware. EMN8 systems increase average check, improve speed of service and deliver consistent in-store brand messaging while reducing an enterprise's overall operating costs. EMN8 systems have been deployed within major QSR brands including Arby's, Burger King, Carl's Jr., Hardee's and Jack in the Box. EMN8 is headquartered in San Diego.
EMN8, Inc. Madeline Pantalone, Vice President of Marketing 858-784-0800 X106 [email protected] or Boddie-Noell Enterprises Jerry Allsbrook 252-937-2800 [email protected]
January 09, 2008
Fujitsu and Modiv Media Form Strategic Alliance for Deli Kiosk
NRF News: Fujitsu and Modiv team up on deli ordering kiosks.
Fujitsu and Modiv Media Form Strategic Alliance to Improve Grocery Retailers' Deli... | Reuters
Fujitsu and Modiv Media Form Strategic Alliance to Improve Grocery Retailers' Deli Sales, Operations and Customer Satisfaction
Deli-Queue Optimization and Coordinated Media Solution Featured at
NRF 2008
BOSTON--(Business Wire)--Modiv Media, a leader in retail interactive media delivery
solutions, announced today a comprehensive technology, sales and
marketing partnership with Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc. As part
of the agreement, the two companies will jointly market and sell Modiv
DeliVision(TM), a deli-queue optimization solution that features
self-service ordering and coordinated media. An interactive demo of
Modiv DeliVision will be at the Fujitsu booth, number 1613, at the NRF
97th Annual Convention & Expo on Jan. 14-15, 2008, at the Jacob K.
Javits Convention Center in New York City.
The Fujitsu U-Serv kiosk hardware and consulting resources with
Modiv DeliVision software not only significantly improves the customer
experience and deli operations but also has been proven to increase
deli sales, basket size and deli trips per week. By automating the
deli queue and integrating both self-service kiosk orders and
in-person counter service into one queue, Modiv DeliVision also
optimizes staffing levels and reduces "tickets not served" because all
deli customers know their exact place in line as well as the estimated
time until they will be served. Modiv DeliVision is the only deli
system to accomplish this -- resulting in overall increase in customer
satisfaction and revenue growth in the deli area.
Modiv DeliVision is a first-of-its-kind deli queue optimization
and media delivery solution that provides coordinated queue
management, self-service kiosk ordering, operations analysis and
targeted promotions delivery. The coordinated offers and
advertisements are located on the touch-screen self-service kiosk, the
deli department's overhead electronic display monitor as well as on
the printed-coupon tickets from the kiosk and the queue ticket
dispenser. Modiv DeliVision relies on Modiv MediaHub(TM), a
sophisticated campaign management and analytics engine, to coordinate
the timing and delivery of the offers and advertisements across these
touchpoints.
As part of the solution, shoppers enter their deli orders via the
touch-screen on the Fujitsu U-Serv kiosk. Retailers can opt for
multiple wireless U-Serv kiosks around the deli or throughout the
store to increase visibility and usage. Shoppers can select a specific
category, such as turkey or cheese; item, including store or other
well-known brands; weight and cut, such as thick, medium or thin. The
associate-facing Fujitsu TeamPoS 3000 terminals automatically guide
deli associates to fill both counter and kiosk requests in the exact
order.
"Both Fujitsu and Modiv Media believe deli shoppers want a better
customer experience, and store associates want to be more efficient in
providing service," said Modiv Media President and CEO Robert Wesley.
"Up to this point, there has been no solution to orchestrate in-person
counter and kiosk orders for deli associates. And because deli
departments are one of the most profitable departments of a grocery
store, it is a prime opportunity to increase sales through a better
customer experience. Our goal is to provide grocery retailers with an
unmatched ROI that will help meet their own strategic and growth
objectives by offering an alternative deli ordering choice for their
customers."
"Our combined efforts are specifically designed to meet the
demands of grocery retailers that need to easily implement an
end-to-end deli optimization solution, including the installation,
customization, management and ongoing service of Modiv DeliVision,"
said David Haigh, self-service strategic marketing leader, Fujitsu
Transaction Solutions Inc. "Fujitsu's extensive consulting resources
also ensure our joint-customers' success."
Modiv DeliVision is being used by several top grocers, including
select stores at Stop & Shop and Giant Landover, and has now processed
more than 8 million orders since it was first deployed at customers'
stores in 2006.
About Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc.
Fujitsu Transaction Solutions Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of
Fujitsu Limited (TSE: 6702), collaborates with retailing companies to
relentlessly reduce their costs and facilitate consumer interactions
that improve their profitability. Fujitsu's Pervasive Retailing(TM)
approach enables companies to minimize the time, cost and risk of
creating interoperability between disparate applications and devices
that support a multitude of consumer touch points. Fujitsu's offering
includes solution software, point-of-sale store technology, U-Scan
self-checkout systems, self-ordering systems and multi-vendor
lifecycle services. Customers include Canadian Tire, Chevron
Corporation, Hallmark, H-E-B, Kroger, Loblaws, Nordstrom, Payless
ShoeSource, Regal Cinema, Staples, Stop & Shop and The TJX Companies,
among others. Web site: us.fujitsu.com/retailing.
About Modiv Media
For brand marketers and retailers looking to influence consumers'
shopping habits and buying decisions, Modiv Media orchestrates
relevant retail messages and improved shopping experiences at exactly
the right moment in exactly the right place. Modiv Media's multi-touch
platform delivers consumer-convenient media through in-store
self-service solutions and on-the-go shoppers' mobile phones. Unlike
other retail media companies, Modiv Media removes the complexity out
of providing the right offers and ads, delivery timing and
self-service solutions when consumers are at their "moment of
decision" with what, where and when to buy.
With Modiv Media's multi-touch platform, consumers benefit by
saving time and money with self-service options and instant product
information, specials and rewards, while retailers can boost
operational efficiencies, loyalty and sales. Retail leaders such as
Stop & Shop, Giant Eagle, Ukrop's and Subway rely on Modiv Media for
measurable ROI gains.
Modiv Media has received several accolades: 1st place at the
Wireless Emerging Technologies Award at CTIA WIRELESS 2006; Gold Star
Award in Mobile Marketing/CRM Category at MobileVillage's 2006 Mobile
Star Awards; GEM Award for Best Systems and Programs; Innovation Award
from the Global Mobile Marketing Association; and the 2005 Global
Retail Technology Award for Best In-Store Innovation.
Modiv Media Inc. is privately held and based in the Boston area.
To learn more, please visit www.modivmedia.com.
Modiv Media
Christopher Leary, 617-826-3273
[email protected]
or
Fusion PR
Melissa Dolan, 212-651-4236
[email protected]
or
Fujitsu
David Naumann, 408-992-3509
[email protected]
October 17, 2007
Cub Foods to Add Coupon/Recipe Kiosks
OCTOBER 01, 2007 -- MINNEAPOLIS -- Supervalu's Cub Foods division based here will add Customer-Facing Media's Touch 'n Save kiosks in 55 Twin Cities-area stores by the end of the month, which will allow grocery-store patrons to print coupons, recipes and shopping lists.
After the Cub Foods roll-out is complete, Customer-Facing Media said it expects to see its products surface in 543 additional stores either owned or supplied by Eden Prairie-based Supervalu, according to press reports.
The kiosk firm said it anticipates having its kiosks in 2,000 stores by the end of next year.
May 01, 2007
Food ordering kiosks in Ireland
Tim Hortons Inc. today announced that SPAR Ireland, Ireland's leading convenience food retailer with over 440 franchised locations, has opened its 50th Tim Hortons coffee and donut self serve kiosk in SPAR Ratoath, Co Meath, Ireland, with plans to make the concept available to SPAR store owners nationwide over the next few years.
The self-serve kiosks, featuring Tim Hortons coffee and a selection of donuts, were tested and introduced over the past few months. The rollout is being managed by Cuisine de France, under license from Tim Hortons, and the
kiosks are operated by independent SPAR retailers. Cuisine de France is a leading provider of lifestyle foods in the Irish marketplace and is a subsidiary of IAWS Group, plc, a publicly traded food and agribusiness. At present, the distribution of coffee and donuts through SPAR with respect to these self-serve kiosks is not expected to be a material contributor to Tim Hortons net income, although it will result in incremental warehouse sales and royalties.
"Our decision to partner with Tim Hortons and Cuisine de France was part of a new Food Strategy that we launched at the end of 2005 which featured innovative store layouts, new food and beverage offerings and new partnerships with third-party premium brands such as Tim Hortons. The success of this strategy is evident from the milestone that we have achieved today with the roll-out of our 50th joint offering", said Leo Crawford, Chairman, SPAR Ireland.
Commenting on behalf of Tim Hortons, Paul House, Chairman and CEO of Tim Hortons Inc. said: "The rollout of Tim Hortons into SPAR Ireland has been a great success and we are delighted with the response of Irish consumers to our
coffee and baked goods concept."
March 09, 2007
KIOSKS - Remote Admin and Reporting for Self-Order Food Kiosks
Nextep Systems, which does Food Ordering Self-Order stations for QSRs and Restaurants announced their latest version 3.3 of its Self-Order Product suite along with new web administration for the software suite.
NEXTEP SYSTEMS - Touchscreen Kiosk Software and Solutions
NEXTEP SYSTEMS Announces New Product, New Release, New Pricing
NEXTEP SYSTEMS announced the general availability of its new Web Administration product, a browser-based administrative tool for Automated Ordering. The new product provides customers using NEXTEP’s Self Order Kiosks, Online Ordering, and Digital Signage products with complete, remote administration and reporting capabilities.
Web Administration includes Remote Dashboard, Remote Reporting, Remote Diagnostics, and Remote Administration. “Web Administration reflects NEXTEP’s ongoing commitment to providing the tools that our customers require to do business whenever and wherever they want,” commented Kevin Varga, Director of Development and Support at NEXTEP SYSTEMS.
NEXTEP also announced general availability of Release 3.3 of its Self Order Kiosk product suite, which includes several additional features including Customer Recognition, Customer Surveys, additional POS Interfaces, and a unique Order Governor that prevents kitchen overload.
NEXTEP also lowered Self Order Kiosk pricing an average of 10%. NEXTEP’s president Tommy Woycik explained, “Following a standard software strategy and dropping hardware costs has allowed NEXTEP to provide an even more economical total solution to our customers.”
February 10, 2007
Kiosks Case Study -- Acquisitions
Seems every other day some kiosk company is either changing hands, or going out of business, or sprouting up. Here we have Gilbarco (gas pump at cstores) buying Intermedia Kiosks which does food service ordering kiosks.
Gilbarco Veeder-Root acquires Intermedia Kiosks, Inc.
02-09-2007
GREENSBORO, N.C. -- Gilbarco Veeder-Root has acquired Intermedia Kiosks, Inc. of Owings Mills, Maryland. Intermedia Kiosks is a leading provider of customer-operated food service ordering solutions for gas and convenience stores, grocery, and quick service. Founded in 1993, the company has more than 1,600 installations of their food ordering and kitchen management system kiosks. With a leading market position in food service ordering kiosks, Intermedia Kiosks’ product line is highly regarded by operators for its sophisticated merchandising tools which are able to drive profit and by consumers for its intuitive design and use.
“We are incredibly excited about what the acquisition of Intermedia Kiosks will allow us to provide our customers. Their proven food service ordering kiosk and kitchen management solutions are an ideal addition to our technology portfolio aimed at helping retailers better merchandise and market to consumers,” said Kirsten Paust, Gilbarco’s vice president of retail systems. “Through this purchase, we are delivering customers a truly integrated suite of ordering and merchandising technology, both inside the convenience store and on the fuel island. This solution, combined with our powerful dispenser merchandising solutions and Passport, our next generation point of sale system, gives retailers the power and flexibility to merchandise and sell at various locations throughout the convenience store.”
“Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s highly-effective sales, distribution and service network will add value to our existing and future customers as well as our strategic partners” said Beth Kaplan, chairman of Intermedia Kiosks. “In addition, Gilbarco Veeder-Root’s depth of offering and expertise in the retail petroleum arena will allow us to bring comprehensive merchandising tools to our existing and future customers.”
Intermedia Kiosks will continue to operate from their Owings Mills, Maryland office.
About Gilbarco Veeder-Root
Gilbarco Veeder-Root and Gasboy are leading suppliers of integrated fuel control, site management, and support services for petroleum marketers and commercial fueling enterprises worldwide. (www.gilbarco.com, www.veeder.com, www.gasboy.com. For more information visit www.gilbarco.com.
June 28, 2005
Supermarkets spending and new kiosk implementations
Supermarkets plan to increase spending on self-checkout systems and workforce management software in the next 12 months, according to a new report from IHL Consulting Group, a leading retail analyst and consultancy firm. Over 40 percent are planning new kiosk implementations at the store level by June 2006.
FRANKLIN, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 28, 2005--Supermarkets plan to increase spending on self-checkout systems and workforce management software in the next 12 months, according to a new report from IHL Consulting Group, a leading retail analyst and consultancy firm.
"Self-checkout is the prominent focus of hardware capital spend this year for grocers," said Greg Buzek, president of IHL Consulting Group, based in Franklin, Tenn. "These systems are quite expensive in comparison to most other capital projects and the purchases are dominating IT budgets this year. In terms of software spend, grocers say their largest store-level software spend is focused on workforce management solutions as they re-align labor needs with self-checkout installations."
Released today, the 103-page report, "IT and the North American Supermarket," reveals how technology can be used to meet the challenges currently facing grocers. The report costs $1,495. A free summary may be viewed online at www.ihlservices.com.
Some of the report''s findings include:
* Thirty-one percent of the sample planned to install self-checkout systems in 2005 and a total of 50 percent plan to do so by June 2006.
* Grocers are planning to upgrade to self-checkout before replacing aging point-of-sale hardware. Once self-checkout is installed, POS hardware and software are their next big purchase in most cases.
* There is a shift in the purchase intentions of POS systems. Forty-three percent (43%) now say they will buy POS hardware and software from different vendors in their next purchase.
* Forty-four percent (44%) are planning new workforce management solutions in the next year and over 40 percent are planning new kiosk implementations at the store level by June 2006.
* Wal-Mart, Kroger, Safeway, Albertson''s and Costco are North America''s top five sellers of groceries accounting for over $222 billion in grocery sales in 2004.
The report also includes detailed technical summaries of the top 20 retailers. Summaries include key personnel, retailer competitive comparisons and specific hardware, software and services technologies for commerce, data warehouse, distribution and supply chain, financial, head office, knowledge management, sales/service and store automation.
IHL Consulting Group is a global research and advisory firm headquartered in Franklin, Tenn., that provides market analysis and business consulting services for retailers and information technology companies that focus on the retail industry. For more information, see www.ihlservices.com, call (615) 591-2955 or send e-mail to [email protected]. For press contacts and interviews, contact Roy Miller at (972) 716-4070 ext. 235, or via e-mail at [email protected].
November 12, 2003
Grocer Updates Layout
New Wild Oats gets updated look
New shopper-friendly store will open today
Jeffco's new Wild Oats gets updated look
New shopper-friendly store will open today
By Janet Forgrieve, Rocky Mountain News
November 12, 2003
Walls the color of pesticide-free mangoes and organic carrots glow warmly.
Signs display not only the product information but also definitions of terms, including natural and organic.
It's got enough of the old to be familiar to Wild Oats shoppers, but the new prototype store in Jefferson County is the first in Colorado to boast the company's updated, more shopper-friendly look.
The natural foods grocery store, at 8194 S. Kipling Parkway, opens at 9 a.m. today.
Regular Wild Oats customers will notice differences the minute they walk in the door. Health, fitness and beauty products have been moved from a display at the front of the store to a separate area on the side, which the company calls a "store within a store."
The result looks more like a traditional supermarket than a typical Wild Oats, with food items displayed prominently in wider aisles.
The layout gives the store a less- cluttered feel and makes shopping more intuitive, said spokeswoman Sonja Tuitele.
At 27,500 square feet, the Jefferson County store is about 6,500 square feet larger than older stores. Wild Oats has used the extra room to expand produce and bulk food offerings and separate the meat and seafood departments.
Wild Oats opened its first store using the new prototype in April 2002 in Long Beach, Calif., and has since added one in Maine and three in Kentucky. The company, which operates 102 locations nationally, expects 60 percent of its stores to be either new or remodeled in the new prototype style by the end of next year, Tuitele said.
One grocery analyst said he expects the new format to drive sales growth but cautions that the prototype is new and needs to prove itself.
"Future results hinge on the successful rollout of two new, relatively unproven formats and remodeling older stores to resemble the new format," said a Nov. 5 report by Scott Van Winkle of Boston-based Adams, Harkness & Hill.
Wild Oats, though, said the new stores are proving themselves pretty quickly.
"Sales (in new stores) are 20 percent to 50 percent better than in the older stores," Tuitele said.
In its most recent earnings report, Wild Oats reported a 4 percent sales increase but a net loss of 3 cents per share for the quarter ended Sept. 27, compared with earnings of 8 cents per share during the same period last year.
The company attributed some of the net losses to charges for restructuring and closing and to relocating warehouse and distribution facilities but said the primary cause was problems with its main vendor, Tree of Life Inc.
Wild Oats said it has terminated its contract with that vendor and is in the process of switching to United Natural Foods Inc.
It also said that it expects ongoing grocery strikes at Vons, Ralphs and Albertsons in California to boost sales during the current quarter. Wild Oats has 21 stores in Southern California, and all have seen double- digit sales increases since the workers went on strike about a month ago, Tuitele said.
One thing the new prototype doesn't do is give Wild Oats a big edge against its largest competitor, Austin, Texas-based Whole Foods Market Inc., Van Winkle said.
Whole Foods, whose typical store is about 45,000 square feet, can offer a wider range of products, he said.
Wild Oats' smaller size, however, makes it less expensive to build and stock stores. That means Wild Oats has the advantage of going into markets that Whole Foods can't, he said.
"It's not that Cherry Creek Whole Foods store," Van Winkle said of Wild Oats' updated look. "But it's leaps and bounds ahead of the old Wild Oats and Alfalfa's stores."
Wild Oats expects to open 15 stores next year and 20 in 2005.
In January, it will open its second in the state, in Colorado Springs. Later in 2004, the company will launch its flagship store in Superior. At 32,000 square feet, the store will offer a sit-down sushi bar and a community meeting room.
Early bird bonus
� The first 250 shoppers through the doors of the new Wild Oats store when it opens at 9 a.m. today will receive a canvas bag filled with natural and organic groceries valued at $50 to $55. The firm cautions that customers typically begin lining up about 7 a.m. and said it will provide breakfast and coffee to those in line.
November 06, 2003
Biometric Timecards More Efficient
McDonald's Reduces Payroll Costs up to 22% with IR Recognition Systems Biometric HandReaders
HandPunch Eliminates Expensive "Buddy Punching"; Over 3,400 Employees at 85 Restaurants Have Clocked In and Out Biometrically
IR Recognition Systems, the biometric component of Ingersoll-Rand's (IR) Security & Safety Group's Electronic Access Control Division (EACD), today announced that 85 McDonald's restaurants are cutting payroll costs by up to 22 percent annually after incorporating IR Recognition Systems' biometric HandPunch biometric terminals to record time and attendance. The HandPunch terminal eliminates expenses associated with employee badges and fraud caused by buddy punching. Over 3,400 employees at 85 McDonald's restaurants in Venezuela have been enrolled with the HandPunch over the past four years. On average, the system generates over 7,500 transactions each day resulting in over 2.5 million "punches" annually.
"McDonald's moved to biometrics because they wanted to verify that the employee clocking in was really that person," says Jose Ramon Casal of Caracas-based Electronica Quantum, which installed the systems. "Students make up about 90 percent of the McDonald's workforce in Venezuela. They were frequently punching one another in to cover for exams or other school-related events.
"A card only verifies a card," adds Casal. "We have used finger scanning for other applications, but we believe that hand geometry is more effective and produces fewer errors when there are larger employee populations. With hand geometry, a larger area is scanned than with finger scans and the template is updated after every scan so it remains current."
Instead of filling out or punching timecards, employees simply place their hands on the HandPunch. It automatically takes a three-dimensional reading of the size and shape of the employee's hand and verifies the user's identity in less than one second.
"McDonald's worldwide success has been built on being fast, convenient and affordable. These are the same key factors that have made our HandReaders the most widely used biometric in the industry. That's why they choose HandReaders over other biometrics," reports Bill Spence of IR Recognition Systems. "With major fast food retailers such as McDonald's realizing such tremendous cost savings by using our HandReaders, others are soon to follow."
Supervisors at each franchise using the HandPunch terminals authorize and verify employee time and overtime on a computer located at the store. The hours are then sent to a central payroll processing center via a telephone line. The supervisors themselves also use the HandPunch to clock in and out.
"Most supervisors at McDonald's are promoted from within and many find it difficult to impose rules and restrictions on their fellow workers," Casal explains. "The HandPunch ensures that everyone is treated the same and fairly. McDonald's employees are satisfied with the HandReaders because their payroll information is processed quickly and without mistakes. They receive regular reports with information about their time and attendance."
Language is not an issue because the software is in Spanish and the HandReaders accommodate several languages.
Hand geometry technology is the most commonly used technology for time and attendance and access control, according to Frost and Sullivan's "World Biometrics Report 2002."
About Electronica Quantum
Electronica Quantum, a Caracas, Venezuela-based systems integrator, has offered security and time-and-attendance solutions to customers in Latin America since 1983. The company offers a wide variety of technologies to its customers, including access control, CCTV, intercom and fire safety systems, time and attendance solutions, and explosives and drug detection services. About 20 percent of Electronica Quantum's business is in time and attendance solutions, while security comprises the other 80 percent. The company provides turnkey solutions to its clients.
About IR Recognition Systems
With over 75,000 hand geometry units throughout the world reading millions of hands each day, IR Recognition Systems, founded in 1986, is the pioneer of hand recognition technology used in access control, time and attendance and identification applications. The company is the world sales leader of biometric verification devices and serves an international clientele from its headquarters in Campbell, Calif. The hand geometry website is www.handreader.com. Phone is 408-341-4100. Recognition Systems is the biometric component of Ingersoll-Rand Corporation's Security & Safety Group's Electronic Access Control Division. The Ingersoll-Rand website is www.irco.com.
PHOTO: For a high-resolution photograph of a HandPunch, go to www.brighamscully.com and click Photos/IR Recognition Systems.
Contacts
IR Recognition Systems
Bill Spence, 408-341-4100
[email protected]
or
Brigham Scully
Tom Brigham, 818-716-9021
[email protected]
Wi-Fi at new McCafe
First McCafe Set To Open Tomorrow
2003-11-05]
"Going to McDonald's used to be a simple matter of ordering a number 3 combo with a Coke. Now you have dozens of coffees to choose from, and all of these desserts."
These were the words a television reporter, motioning at a tray of baked goods, said on camera as he walked through the first McCafe set to open in the U.S.
No, this isn't exactly your father's McDonald's, though it is in an existing McDonald's store. Driving up to the unit in Raleigh, North Carolina, one is struck by the elegance of the exterior. Walk inside, and you wonder if this can really be a McDonald's. To one side is the traditional McDonald's counter with the traditional McDonald's menu; in a separate alcove is the coffeehouse counter, complete with baristas, fancy coffee drinks, and a dizzying array of pastries, sandwiches, and cakes. The decor is woody and upscale�dare we say beautiful�and wi-fi access is available.
McCafe is a concept born in Australia, and it has been a hit both there and in New Zealand. Now the company wants to duplicate that success in the U.S.
Thus they decided to open the first unit at the store of franchisee Carol Martin and her son, Buck, who, according to the company, run a top-notch operation. (McDonald's actually opened a McCafe in Chicago in 2001 but closed it after a short time due to building construction.)
If the food and coffee served at a media reception the day before grand opening are any indication, both are quite good�and inexpensive. A large latte, for instance, sells for just $2.50. It is, as company literature says, "a coffeehouse without a superiority complex."
Why McCafe? According to Mats Lederhausen, president of the business development group at McDonald's Corp., the concept is an actual extension and growth of the McDonald's brand. That is, it falls under the rubric of the Golden Arches in a way that partner brands like Chipotle do not.
Several more units are slated to open in the Raleigh market, as well as a couple in the Bay Area, in the next few months. When QSR told Buck Martin we'd be anxious to see how sales went, he responded the only way he really could.
"So," he said, "will we."
October 29, 2003
Training Employees Pays off
While training can make a difference in any business, it can be especially crucial in the restaurant field, where the employees who are the company's public face tend to change jobs often.
At Cracker Barrel, training is a specialty
By KATHY CARLSON
Staff Writer
The Lebanon-based restaurant chain believes in investing in its employees.
Eleven years ago, Donna Golliher slipped a brown apron over her clothes and started work as a server at the Cracker Barrel Old Country Store in Crossville, Tenn.
Early one morning, before the rest of the servers had arrived, a bus pulled up and 45 people got out. When the store manager pitched in, taking drink orders and doing whatever was needed, Golliher noticed.
Then she learned about Cracker Barrel's training programs, which combine better pay, benefits and other incentives with the chance to move up. ''I was so taken away,'' she said last week. ''I knew that I wanted to stay with Cracker Barrel.''
Over her career, participating in the programs, she has earned the four stars that identify those who have completed all four segments of in-store training. She's worked on the red-shirt team that opens new restaurants across the country. Eventually she moved to the chain's home office in Lebanon, where she works now.
''I just think that Cracker Barrel provides a great opportunity to employees,'' she said.
While training can make a difference in any business, it can be especially crucial in the restaurant field, where the employees who are the company's public face tend to change jobs often. Training new workers can be expensive, especially now, when the restaurant industry grapples with whether to pass rising food costs on to consumers.
Trimming turnover by five percentage points, for example, through training and employee-recognition programs can yield big benefits at a restaurant, said Rick Ford, president of The Sage Group, a Brentwood company that offers training consulting primarily in the automotive and telecom industries.
Turnover for all hourly Cracker Barrel employees is about 118%, said Julie Davis, spokeswoman for the chain's parent company, CBRL Group Inc. That's about par for the restaurant industry as a whole, analysts said.
But for hourly workers who have completed all four parts of Cracker Barrel's Personal Achievement Responsibility training program, from cooks to servers, turnover is 24%, Davis said.
''They've created a real kind of career server, and that's different from the norm,'' said analyst Amy Greene of Nashville's Avondale Partners.
Every new Cracker Barrel restaurant employee starts as a PAR 0, and entering the PAR program is voluntary. Some, such as college students working part time, opt out because they know they won't make a career in the restaurant industry, Davis said.
Throughout the PAR program, employees learn and practice a growing set of skills, from the basics of the job to leadership and conflict resolution. They take written tests and are evaluated by managers. To progress through the program, workers must earn increasingly higher grades. The program is offered in English and Spanish, and workers are paid to study written learning materials.
As the workers progress, they earn salary raises and larger company contributions toward their health insurance, as well as other incentives, including discounts on store purchases. Davis declined to give amounts of the raises and insurance contributions.
The program has been in effect for 25 to 30 years, said Stacy Stinson, PAR program director.
''It's part of our culture. Our operations folks totally embrace it, and that's what makes it work,'' Davis said.
In more recent years, PAR IV employees have been able to participate in a separate internship program, which grooms in-store workers such as Golliher to become associate store managers, putting them on a management track. The only educational prerequisite is a high-school diploma or the equivalent. Golliher, for example, had some college credits but didn't graduate.
Golliher started in the internship program in 1995, as it was beginning. She made associate manager and then moved to the home office in Lebanon. She has had two promotions and now works as an operations specialist on special projects for the retail and restaurant parts of the company.
''If you have the desire, the ability is there to progress to any level that you would like. � I'm living proof of that,'' she said.
Restaurant industry analyst Robert Derrington of Morgan Keegan & Co.'s Nashville office says he doesn't get data on training per se, but he and other observers examine what he calls anecdotal evidence to see how customers are treated. The Cracker Barrel chain has been the top performing chain in its category for 13 years in a row, he said. In addition, the company has had ''solid'' same-store sales growth.
''The only way you grow your sales is if you take care of customers,'' he added.
CBRL Group Inc.
Headquarters: 106 Castle Heights Ave. N., Lebanon, Tenn. 37088
CEO: Michael A. Woodhouse
Symbol: CBRL (Nasdaq)
Description: CBRL is the parent of the restaurant-retail chain Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Inc. and the Logan's Roadhouse Inc. restaurant chain, both Tennessee corporations.
About the company: Both concepts are steeped in nostalgia. Cracker Barrel locations are modeled after yesteryear's country stores, and Logan's roots go back to the roadhouses of the 1940s and 1950s.
Number of employees: Approximately 65,000 people work for CBRL and its subsidiaries
2002 revenue: $2.2 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 1, 2003
2002 net income: $106.5 million
Market capitalization: Approximately $1.8 billion
Outstanding shares: Approximately 48 million 52-week share price range: $22.35 - 39.95
Kathy Carlson can be reached at 259-8047 or at [email protected].
October 28, 2003
Walk Up Systems, Codespear and Vultron Display Walk-Up Kiosk
FS-TEC Show -- Walk Up Systems, Codespear and Vultron Display Technologies have partnered to produce an innovative walk-up touch screen kiosk application providing comprehensive nutritional information and optional interactive ordering for fast food restaurants.
Walk Up Systems, Codespear and Vultron Display Walk-Up Kiosk Combining Nutritional Data & Self-Serve Ordering for Fast Food Menus
Addresses FDA Obesity Concerns and Helps Reduce Operational Costs
LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct. 27 /PRNewswire/ -- FS-TEC Show -- Walk Up Systems, Codespear and Vultron Display Technologies have partnered to produce an innovative walk-up touch screen kiosk application providing comprehensive nutritional information and optional interactive ordering for fast food restaurants. Integrated to a restaurant's existing POS system, the kiosks are designed to address FDA obesity and nutritional labeling concerns as well as the operational efficiencies provided by self-serve order entry. The systems can help increase order revenues and reduce operational costs.
The kiosks utilize an intuitive new touchscreen interface that Walk Up Systems has already sold to food service manager Sodexho for use at the University of South Carolina. The first phase of the South Carolina installation allows students to check menu items and nutritional information at a student union food court that serves more than 5,000 meals per day. Needed data can be quickly accessed through an animated user interface that mimics the structure of a food court. Phase 2 of the project, to be completed by March, will allow customers to order and pay for their meals at all 13 restaurants using credit cards and student account cards. Even the most complex orders can be completed in 30 seconds or less.
Walk Up Systems provides the application software that runs on the kiosk. Codespear collaborated in the software development and configures all kiosk components, including speakers, printers and credit card readers. Vultron manufactures the kiosk units.
The new kiosk solution is being demonstrated at the FS/TEC 2003 Trade Show that opens today in Long Beach, CA. It can be seen at Walk Up Systems (Booth 1238) and at Booth 450.
The kiosk interface can also be viewed at www.walkupsystems.com or by calling (888) 4-WALKUP.
About WALK UP SYSTEMS
Walk Up Systems ( www.walkupsystems.com ) provides a turnkey self-serve software solution for the quick serve industry. The solution can work with any commercially available POS systems and streamlines the order entry process and acceptance of credit and debit cards. Walk Up integrates interactive touch-screen kiosks and intuitive application software to provide easy-to-use information browsing, as well as time- and cost-saving user-initiated order entry. The company's software can be used for all service transactions, including fast food, concessions, food courts, hotel check-in and check-out, ticketing, merchandise sales and convenience stores. Walk Up Systems is privately held and headquartered in Birmingham, MI.
About CODESPEAR
CODESPEAR, LLC ( www.codespear.com ) develops interactive kiosk-based applications that address the need for highly intuitive and interactive solutions for walk-up inquiry and point of sale functions. The company also specializes in the development and marketing of urgent communication software for enterprises, providing SmartMSG software that expedites the broadcast of information across an organization to ensure rapid response to critical incidents such as emergencies, security concerns, and major operational events. CODESPEAR is privately held and headquartered in Birmingham, Michigan.
About VULTRON
Vultron, Incorporated ( www.vultron.com ) was established in 1966 to provide electronic products to the transportation industry. The initial product line of reflective disk changeable message signs utilized digi-dot technology and was installed as destination signs in transit buses. Through ongoing product development to meet ADA (Americans with Disabilities Act) standards, Vultron destination signs continue to have a strong presence in the market and are in use in over 20,000 transit vehicles worldwide today. In addition, the company's signs and interactive kiosk displays have many commercial applications, such as food service, sports arenas, theaters and schools. Vultron is headquartered in Rochester Hills, MI.
October 27, 2003
Fast Food and QSRs
ParTech, Inc., Quick Kiosk Partner to Offer Pioneering Self-Service Solutions for Fast-Food Market
October 27, 2003 09:03
ParTech, Inc., Quick Kiosk Partner to Offer Pioneering Self-Service Solutions for Fast-Food Market
New Strategic Partnership Agreement between Point-of-Sale and Self-Service Technology Leaders Will Revolutionize the Quick Service Restaurant Experience
LONG BEACH, Calif., Oct 27, 2003 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- ParTech, Inc., a subsidiary of PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE:PTC), and a leading provider of software, hardware and service solutions to the hospitality and retail industries, and Quick Kiosk, A Kinetics Company LLC, a leading provider of self-service solutions to the Quick Service Restaurant (QSR) industry, today announced they have formed a strategic partnership. The announcement of the partnership was made at this year's Food Service Technology Conference at the Long Beach, California, Convention Center.
Under this agreement Quick Kiosk and ParTech will work cooperatively to become an industry-leading provider of self-service solutions for the QSR and entertainment markets, possibly expanding in the future to other vertical markets.
"We are thrilled to ally ourselves with the most dominant player in the QSR point-of-sale (POS) market," said Todd Liebman, president of Quick Kiosk. "The potential of this type of strategic alliance is truly limitless. By combining our strengths, we can offer a product that will not only fulfill the needs of today's quick-service franchisees, as well as other hospitality and leisure markets, and their customers, but help anticipate future changes in those needs and meet them expeditiously and effectively."
"This partnership further connects ParTech with its core customers (restaurants, movie theatres, cruise lines, commercial banks, recreation sites) and their hospitality technology requirements," said Greg Cortese, CEO & president of ParTech, Inc. "Quick Kiosk's presence in the hospitality marketplace is a key method to further introduce combined (PAR/Quick Kiosk) solutions to other transaction based markets and showcase the superior quality of the software, hardware, and services of both Quick Kiosk and ParTech."
Self-service QSR ordering kiosks are one of the newest and most intriguing uses of self-service technology, and for the small number of owner/operators who now use them, the results have easily exceeded expectations. Self-service helps increase the average total receipt, increases repeat business, gets orders correctly every time, improves point-of-purchase merchandising and increases productivity.
PAR has provided integrated solutions to the restaurant, movie theatre, cruise line and recreation industries for over 25 years. Its POS management technology integrates both software applications and PAR's Pentium-based hardware platform. This hospitality management system can host fixed, as well as wireless, order-entry terminals, may include video monitors and/or third-party-supplied peripherals networked via an Ethernet local area network (LAN) and is accessible to enterprise-wide network configurations. PAR also provides extensive systems integration and professional service capabilities to design, tailor and implement solutions that enable its customers to manage, from a central location, all aspects of data collection and processing for single or multiple site enterprises.
As a subsidiary of Kinetics, Inc., Quick Kiosk will be able to utilize the expertise of the company that pioneered the modern airline self-service era. Kinetics now provides self-service technologies to 10 major North American airlines that offer self-service check-in services to their passengers, representing more than two-thirds of the total market.
Quick Kiosk has already introduced its self-ordering kiosks at approximately 50 McDonald's franchises in 15 metropolitan areas of the United States. The terminals allow McDonald's customers to self-service order at freestanding or countertop kiosks, using either credit card, debit card or cash for payment. They also allow for quick and easy ordering, with a suite of multi-media capabilities, including audio and animations. Customers can easily modify their orders to suit their personal preferences.
Although Quick Kiosk's current sales have been directed primarily at McDonald's franchises, the new strategic partnership agreement will open a vast new array of potential customers that could benefit from self-service technology.
ABOUT PAR TECHNOLOGY
PAR Technology Corporation is a leading provider of professional services and enterprise business intelligence software. PAR develops, markets and supports hardware and software products that improve the ability of business professionals to make timely, fact-based business decisions. PAR has been a leader in providing computer-based system design and engineering services to the Department of Defense and Federal Government Agencies. The Company is the world's largest supplier of Point-of-Sale systems to the quick service restaurant market with over 35,000 systems installed in over 95 countries. PAR Technology Corporation's stock is traded on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol PTC. More information can be found on the Company's website at www.partech.com.
ABOUT QUICK KIOSK
Framingham, Mass.-based Quick Kiosk, A Kinetics Company LLC, is a leading provider of innovative self-service solutions to the Quick Service Restaurant industry, using the time-tested hardware and innovative enterprise and e-commerce technology developed both by Quick Kiosk and Kinetics to create a state-of-the-art turnkey solution for any restaurant that wants to take advantage of the myriad benefits of self service. For more information, visit www.quickkiosk.com or www.kineticsusa.com.
SOURCE: Quick Kiosk, A Kinetics Company LLC
Quick Kiosk, a Kinetics Company LLC
Jim Brown, 407-333-4100, Ext. 142
or
PAR Technology Corp.
Chris Byrnes, 315-738-0600