Technology News
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NewsHot honey to AI: what’s shaping menu innovation
From Dubai chocolate to spice bags, operators at MCA’s Innovation Conference urged delagtes to look beneath the surface of viral trends and let customer feedback, careful execution and smarter technology guide their menu decisions
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NewsWagamama opens up reservations for the first time
The pan-Asian restaurant chain, known for its first-come, first-served approach, will now allow customers to book tables of any size at all restaurants
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NewsAI tools driving almost one fifth of decisions on eating out
Many consumers are already using AI tools, such as ChatGPT, to help them plan visits to hospitality venues, with 50% considering adopting them into their decision-making process, according to a new report
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NewsMcDonald’s focuses on chicken, AI and franchise investment to reboot growth
The fast food giant has unveiled a new long-term global growth strategy centred on expanding its share of the chicken market, deploying artificial intelligence across restaurants and providing billions of dollars in support to franchisees
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NewsDigital ID can now be used in pubs and bars
Customers can choose to use a certified app on their phone to prove they are over 18 when buying alcohol, without showing physical ID. The new law, which came in today, applies to licensed venues in England and Wales
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NewsFirst Table raises £5m in new funding
The restaurant booking platform that gives diners 50% off their food bill during off-peak times is looking to deepen its presence in the stand-out markets, the UK and Ireland
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NewsOlivia FitzGerald to join Airship & Toggle as CEO
The former chief sales and marketing officer for Zonal will take the reins of the integrated CRM and hospitality commerce platform in November, succeeding co-founder Dan Brookman
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NewsPopeyes launches debut rewards programme
Developed in-house, Popeyes Rewards will allow registered customers to earn 100 points for every £1 spent on eligible purchases, which can be redeemed against menu items.
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NewsTech on Toast rebrands as Stacked
The hospitality tech platform said the rebrand has been carried out to unify its services and expand its free support for operators wanting to digitise their businesses.
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NewsHeyGuest partners with OpenTable
Available to all restaurants using OpenTable, the integration makes HeyGuest’s AI concierge technology accessible to more than 70,000 restaurants, bars, wineries and hospitality venues worldwide
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NewsUK cinemas mull Meta glasses ban
Many of the UK’s chains could introduce policies to prohibit and/or restrict the wearing of camera-enabled smart glasses, according to the industry’s trade body
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NewsSquare and OpenTable partnership looks to unify restaurant guest data
The expanded partnership aims to give restaurant operators a single view of reservations, payments and customer data, in order to improve guest engagement and operational decision-making.
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NewsPopeyes UK: ‘We’ve got something pretty special’
The Louisiana-style fried chicken chain wants to ensure no customer is more than 30 minutes away from one of its restaurants, CEO Tom Crowley tells The Grocer
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NewsMeta glasses risk ‘invading customer privacy’
Jeremy King and Sir Tim Martin have come out against Meta’s ‘spy glasses’ being worn in their venues
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NewsTortilla: ‘2025 was a year of progress and of difficult lessons in equal measure’
While its UK business stabilised, the fast casual Mexican restaurant group says the integration of the France-based Fresh Burritos proved ‘far more challenging’ and it is now exiting underperforming sites
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NewsNell’s Pizza founder launches youth hospitality jobs platform
Called Lenny, the platform aims to help young people secure entry-level work while making it easier for operators to employ under-18s
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NewsMCA’s Innovation Conference returns on 8 October
Hospitality operators already on the programme include Bill’s, WatchHouse, Azzurri Group, Heartwood Group, Five Guys and Nightcap. Save 10% by booking your early bird tickets before the 31 July.
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NewsUber to acquire Delivery Hero for $14.8bn
The acquisition would accelerate Uber’s ambitions in food delivery, enhancing its ability to compete with rivals including Prosus-owned Just Eat and DoorDash, which acquired Deliveroo earlier this year
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NewsHospitality warned heatwave could drop bookings by up to 48%
Analysis of the June heatwave carried out by Access Hospitality and DesignMyNight also shows the hot weather caused hospitality covers to decline by 19% and walk-ins to drop by 11%
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NewsMoto Hospitality delivers ‘strong operational performance’ as turnover and profit both rise
The MSA operator said that despite a ‘challenging macroeconomic environment’ it was able to grow turnover to £1.12bn with pre-tax profits reaching £57m