Restaurants Marketers are Flying Blind: How They Can Get Back on Course, Fast
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Original story and image on QSR Magazine
Restaurants Marketers are Flying Blind: How They Can Get Back on Course, Fast
Real growth isn’t simply rewarding loyalty; it’s about sparking it from the start. Brands that prioritize clarity and leverage actionable insights are already winning.
It’s tough out there for restaurant marketers right now. Really tough.
If you’re running marketing at a restaurant brand, you’re likely navigating the toughest environment we’ve seen in recent memory. The tectonic shifts triggered by COVID, inflation, tariffs, and shifting consumer habits weren’t temporary bumps; they’ve permanently rewritten the playbook.
But there’s another big disadvantage that isn’t getting nearly enough airtime: restaurant marketers are flying blind.
Think about the biggest consumer tech companies. They know exactly when a user is hooked. When the “magic moment” of lock-in happens.
Restaurants Marketers are Flying Blind: How They Can Get Back on Course, Fast
Original story and image on QSR Media
Numbers Into Nourishment: How Hospitality Businesses Can Grow With Data
Data helps operators scale human connection, personalise service, and run smarter venues.
Hospitality has always been about people, about creating warmth, welcome and belonging.
This is reflected in recent data, which shows that Aussies value community-connected venues, casual dining formats, and service that leaves a lasting impression. Over half of Aussies (53%) prefer a neighbourhood venue or growing restaurant group over a national chain, and eight in ten (82%) say quality of service matters deeply in their decision regarding whether they return.
But increasingly, data is becoming the key cog in allowing those human moments to scale and sustain. Across hundreds of conversations I've had with venue operators, a clear theme has emerged: those who embrace data not only make smarter decisions, they make more meaningful ones too. And in an industry built on instinct and hustle, "data" can sound abstract or even intimidating. But it doesn't need to be.
Numbers Into Nourishment: How Hospitality Businesses Can Grow With Data
Original story and image on Restaurant Technology
DoorDash Buys SevenRooms for $1.2 Billion to Broaden Restaurant Services and Tech Capabilities Beyond Delivery
DoorDash has announced its acquisition of restaurant technology company SevenRooms for $1.2 billion, marking one of the largest strategic bets in the hospitality tech sector in recent years. This move signals a deliberate step by DoorDash to broaden its focus beyond food delivery and deepen its involvement in the core operations of the restaurants it serves.
SevenRooms, founded in 2011, has become a well-regarded provider of guest experience and customer relationship management (CRM) tools tailored to the hospitality industry. Its platform includes reservation and waitlist management, automated marketing campaigns, guest profiles, table and seating optimization, and operational analytics. These capabilities are currently in use at thousands of hospitality venues, including major players like MGM Resorts, Mandarin Oriental, and Marriott International. SevenRooms distinguishes itself by prioritizing direct relationships between operators and their guests—an approach that gives restaurants ownership over guest data, enabling better personalization and more efficient loyalty-building strategies.
Original story and image on Daily Motivation News
7 names of people most likely to complain at restaurants (according to research)
Dining out can be a joy – until a loud complaint echoes across the room.
Interestingly, data analyses of customer reviews and surveys suggest that certain first names pop up more often among those who voice grievances in restaurants and other businesses.
Of course, a name doesn’t cause someone to complain, but patterns in reviews hint that these names are correlated with a higher tendency to leave negative feedback.
This may reflect generational or cultural factors – for example, some names were very popular in mid-20th century, and many people with those names are now older adults who might be more inclined to “speak to the manager.”
Below we explore seven names repeatedly linked to complaining customers, backed by review statistics and social insights.
- Karen - The name “Karen” has become a cultural shorthand for an entitled complainer – the person most likely to demand, “I want to speak with the manager!”
7 names of people most likely to complain at restaurants (according to research)
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