Innovation

🍝 Pasta Emporium's first location opened on 25 July in Richmond, with a partnership between AMSRIC and Pasta Evangelists. A second venue is slated to launch in Greenwich. These locations offer fresh, hand-made pasta shapes, with dine-in and takeout options via digital screens or counters. Menu items include lobster tortellini, truffle mac'n'cheese, and a variety of antipasti, Italian desserts, and gelato. Features include self-pour wine machines, weekly free wine tastings, and kids' pasta-making sessions. The first Pasta Evangelists restaurant opened in May 2021 at Harrods Dining Hall, and the company was acquired by the Barilla Group in 2021.

📄 Guestline, part of Access Group, enhances GuestStay with AI-driven self-service options for hotel guests. The portal, integrating with ResDiary, allows reservation management, service pre-ordering, and facilitates restaurant bookings. Chris Jones stated the service benefits corporate travelers with trials showing popularity due to its ease of use. Guestline customers see restaurant bookings rise, with 25% now via GuestStay portal. The digital registration completion rate is at 31%, improving check-ins and driving direct repeat business. Additional features to boost ancillary revenue are expected in 2024.

💸 Hyatt integrated LinkedIn Sales Navigator to enhance sales operations, gaining 6,200 saved leads and 2,600 new connections within about three months. 100% of pilot participants affirmed its usefulness, prompting Hyatt to enter a long-term partnership with LinkedIn. The technology aids in identifying key contacts and establishing early customer relationships, pivotal as face-to-face meetings decline. Hyatt's sales teams now leverage Sales Navigator's AI capabilities for a modernized, relationship-driven sales strategy.

🏨 Guestline, part of Access Group, enhances its GuestStay with AI-driven self-service options, streamlining hotel operations and guest experiences. The portal allows guests to manage reservations, modify bookings, and pre-order services like breakfast or parking. AI integration into the Property Management System automates actionable requests, boosting efficiency. ResDiary's integration facilitates restaurant bookings. In trials, corporate travelers favored the self-service for its convenience. Guestline properties report about 25% of their table bookings via the portal, with plans to add more upsell features in 2024. Digital registration averages 31%, doubling real guest email collection, promoting direct repeat business over OTAs.

🏨 Four industry experts discussed AI in the hospitality industry, addressing its impact on guest experiences and operational efficiency. José Soares (The Capital Hotels), Louise Hibbert (SHR), Michael Cowen (Terraflow.ai), and Amy Branfield (GuestRevu) recommended implementing AI where it solves specific problems, enhancing rather than replacing human capabilities. AI-powered tools can personalize guest experiences, but hoteliers need to weigh cost, complexity, and data management. The panel remained optimistic about AI's role in hospitality, emphasizing core values and smart tech integration.

🏫 Budderfly installed smart sensors at Hart's Sonic Drive-In locations, enabling remote HVAC control and energy savings of 3-5% per month. Hart's average spend is over $5,000 monthly per store, totaling around $300,000 annually. Savings per percent equal $3,000. Hart plans to add solar panels with Budderfly's financial and operational support, and expresses interest in future EV charger installations.

🍚 Beef 'O' Brady's operates in 20+ US states and is collaborating with SoundHoundAI for phone orders. SoundHound's voice AI answers 100% of calls and can handle multiple orders, allowing staff to focus on service. Nearly 80% of US diners expect AI to dominate food ordering soon. SoundHound's AI is deployed in over 10,000 locations and the company recently acquired Allset to expand its reach. Beef 'O' Brady's emphasizes innovation for customer satisfaction, integrating AI to streamline ordering.

🛑 Today's global tech outage was caused by a software update from cybersecurity firm CrowdStrike, impacting organizations using Microsoft Windows, notably in the airline, financial, healthcare and broadcasting sectors. Hospitality and foodservice were also affected, highlighting the need for businesses to understand technological dependencies, have a business continuity plan, and embrace redundancy with manual procedures and backup systems to ensure operations can continue during such incidents.

🔊 Beef 'O' Brady's, operating in more than 20 states, partners with SoundHoundAI for AI-assisted phone ordering. SoundHound's voice AI, trained on the chain's menu, is live in all corporate locations and available for franchises, handling 100% of calls even during peak periods. As the 2024 Summer Olympics approach, the system offers enhanced ordering convenience. SoundHound AI, deployed in over 10,000 restaurant locations, recently acquired Allset, aiming to transform the voice commerce ecosystem. Nearly 80% of U.S. diners expect AI to manage most food ordering soon.

☕ Starting 3 September, Pret's Club Pret membership will offer a 50% discount on up to five barista-made drinks per day for £5/month until 31 March 2025, then £10/month. The current Club Pret offers five free coffees daily and a 20% food discount for £30/month. YourPret Barista launched in September 2020 costing £20/month, later increased to £25 and then rebranded to Club Pret at £30/month. Pret's UK&I MD Clare Clough cites over a quarter of a billion coffees served since the pandemic as a sign of success. The chain now provides Arabica Filter Coffee at 99p and croissants from £2.30 to £1.99, with earlier price cuts on egg mayo sandwiches and tuna baguettes. Pret has cracked down on QR code sharing and issued refunds for app issues. Leon challenges Pret with a £25/month coffee subscription including a 20% food discount.