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Panera Bread Creates Transformation, Strategy Office

💻 Fast-growing Keke’s Breakfast Cafe partners with PAR Technology Corp. to enhance its service with PAR POS, PAR Pay, and new hardware. Acquired by Denny’s in 2022, Keke’s now operates 73 locations, with over 140 units underway. The tech upgrade aligns with a brand transformation to improve operational efficiency. PAR’s cloud-based platform ensures seamless integration, empowering staff to deliver faster, personalized service. This modernization sets new standards in the breakfast space for Keke's.
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Be-Tech Unveils Comprehensive Smart Lock Solutions for Hotels

📊 NYU SPS released "The State of Distribution 2025" with RateGain and HEDNA. Surveying 700 hotel brands and 21,000 properties across 310 cities, it highlights trends in hotel distribution. AI adoption is early-stage; independent hotels test new tech while chains streamline systems. Distribution teams are leaner, with 80% of hotels spending up to two days weekly on manual reporting. Integration and collaboration remain focus areas. Investment in technology is essential, but without readiness, potential is missed.
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Elavon and Wyndham Expand Collaboration with Cloud Payment Interface for Hotels

📑 The State of Distribution 2025 report, from NYU SPS Tisch Center's HI Hub, RateGain, and HEDNA, surveys 700 hotel brands and 21,000+ properties in 310 cities. AI adoption is nascent; hotels prioritize system integration and talent development over AI investment. 80% of hotels spend up to two days weekly on manual reporting. Independent hotels test new tech, while larger chains consolidate systems. The study emphasizes technology readiness and integration to adapt to rising traveler expectations.
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UKG: Gen Z Employees Embrace AI at Work

📑 NYU SPS Jonathan M. Tisch Center of Hospitality, RateGain Travel Technologies, and HEDNA released the second edition of "The State of Distribution 2025". The report analyzes insights from over 700 hotel brands and 21,000+ properties across 310 cities worldwide. Key findings reveal early-stage AI adoption, varying commercial strategies by hotel size, leaner distribution functions, and the need for improved system integration—with 80% of hotels spending up to two days per week on manual reporting.
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What Restaurant Tech Leaders Can Learn from Olive Garden’s Uber Direct Playbook

🍽 Darden Restaurants reported a 10.6% increase in total sales, reaching $3.3 billion for the fiscal year ending May 25, 2025, including the acquisition of 103 Chuy's Tex Mex restaurants. Olive Garden's takeout sales grew nearly 20%, with delivery now making up 3.5% of total sales via Uber Direct. Darden launched the “1 million free deliveries” campaign, doubling weekly delivery volume. For 2026, Darden expects sales growth between 7% to 8% and same-restaurant sales growth of 2% to 3.5%.
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Hospitable Helps US Hosts Recover $1.2M in Abandoned Bookings

🧀 Appetronix launched a fully-autonomous kitchen for Donatos Pizza in Columbus, Ohio, last week and is developing new robotic verticals for Asian and Mexican cuisines. Their system integrates AI and robotics to improve QSR operations in airports, hospitals, and more. Key partners include Viam, providing AI for quality assurance, and investors N49P and AlleyCorp. Appetronix aims to solve labor crises and achieve scalability, with plans for a nationwide rollout and further investment.
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AI Adoption in Hospitality: Divided, Yet Accelerating

💻 2023's Rackspace report reveals 75% of travel/hospitality firms view AI as key, but 56% cite accuracy issues. Only 28% are “AI leaders,” while 250% AI spending growth is expected from 2024 ($2.5M) to 2025 ($8.7M). Top AI uses: customer service (51%), productivity (44%). Key barriers: resistance (54%), talent gaps (52%). 42% of companies plan $1M–$5M AI investments in 2023, with 78% planning more by 2030. Compliance challenges grow with evolving data laws.
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