Innovation

🍳 Careit aims to ease food donations by integrating with kitchen and inventory platforms, allowing quick donation logging via an API. Amid rising food costs and closures, food insecurity is increasing, with four times more people seeking emergency assistance than pre-pandemic, yet only 2% of potential food is rescued. Careit seeks to enhance sustainability toolkits and ensure food reaches those in need efficiently.

📱 Michael Sien and Niko Papademetriou from Qu highlight tech innovations at the NRA show. With startups focusing on back-of-house solutions like inventory and supply chain, the industry sees a shift. Jace Kovacevich of Dish.io identifies increased traffic as 2025's primary restaurant challenge. Dish.io, in South Hall, introduces a marketing platform using QR codes to engage guests and boost return visits, stressing the importance of mobile presence with users spending 5-6 hours daily on phones.

🛩 DoorDash and Wing launched drone delivery in Charlotte, NC. Customers within four miles of The Arboretum Shopping Center can order from local and national restaurants like Matcha Cafe Maiko and Panera Bread. This follows their 2022 Australia launch and US expansions to Southwest Virginia and Dallas-Fort Worth. The service aims to redefine local logistics and enhance customer experiences. Eligible addresses can access the service via the DoorDash app, with live tracking provided for deliveries.

💰 Annemarie Gubanski, CEO of Taktikon, discusses the evolution in the hospitality industry's revenue, distribution, and commercial management. Traditional silos are breaking down, leading to integrated strategies. Dynamic pricing is crucial, optimizing public and corporate rates. Hyper-personalization and AI are emerging trends. Effective strategies include balancing direct bookings and OTA dependency. Cross-department collaboration is essential for success. The blend of human intuition and AI optimizes decision-making in revenue management.

AI-powered revenue management and seamless PMS connectivity aim to deliver a unified revenue management and BI solutions for French hoteliers Sunnyvale, CA, May 27th, 2025 – LodgIQ, the AI-powered revenue…

🍽 Courtney Radke from SageNet highlighted at the National Restaurant Show in 2025 that technology investments in restaurants are essential, not optional. Emerging brands benefit from early tech adoption, while established brands risk costly delays. The digital gap is closing with accessible solutions like Starlink and private 5G. Christopher Sebes observed numerous new POS platforms and noted the mainstream growth of VoiceAI in restaurants. Toast has emerged as a strong enterprise competitor in the industry.

Philips booth 3351: Taking sustainability, flexibility, and durability to new levels, PPDS will be launching exciting new lines of Philips Digital Signage and dvLED displays, as well as a major…

💻 By January 2023, ChatGPT, launched in November 2022, reached 100 million users in two months, setting a record for the fastest-growing consumer app. In July 2023, Meta's Threads surpassed this milestone. In contrast, by 2025, just 50,000 of several hundred thousand hotels have adopted Revenue Management Systems, reflecting the hospitality sector's slow tech adoption. Despite clear benefits, the hotel industry's hesitance persists due to misconceptions, fear of change, and complex integration challenges.