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Chuck Tanowitz

Chuck Tanowitz directs marketing communications for Paytronix.

Family Express CEO Gus Olympidis talks tech and the future of c-stores

Convenience Store News recently named Family Express Founder, President, and CEO Gus Olympidis as its 2020 Technology Leader of the Year. Family Express is a long-time Paytronix client and Olympidis recently spoke at PXUX 2020 about his experience with the platform. Afterward, we sat down with him to discuss how Family Express approaches technology and uses it to maintain a leadership position in the market. […]

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Restaurants Continue Steady Recovery

As we enter the second half of the year, it’s a good time to take stock of where the restaurant industry is in regards to the pandemic.

 
We all know the story: The initial decline in March happened so fast that it sent a shock through the industry. But since cratering in March, we’ve seen a relatively consistent climb in both visits and revenue for restaurants as a whole that amounts to about .41% increase per day. Larger restaurants are recovering faster than smaller restaurants.

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Scenes from Moody Street, the Area’s Latest Outdoor Cafe

Moody Street in Waltham has long been a key restaurant destination for the Boston area. The storefronts are packed with eateries, most smaller but a few chains as well. In response to the pandemic, the City of Waltham shut down Moody Street to cars and gave it over to the restaurants, turning it into a pedestrian-only boulevard with outdoor seating.

The response has been nothing less than spectacular, […]

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McDonald’s leads the way into contactless

McDonald’s sets the standard for technology in the restaurant industry. The list of innovations the company brought is long, and that innovative spirit is a big reason why McDonald’s remains the leader in the quick-serve world.

Even before the pandemic hit, McDonald’s had developed a strong mobile ordering process through its Order & Pay mobile app that acted as a great launching point as the company moved into a contactless future. Better than most companies, McDonald’s knows that a contactless dining experience is key to alleviating consumer fears of returning to restaurants.

The McDonald’s app leverages the brand’s existing drive-thru operations as well as mobile payment options to ensure guests feel safe about dining with McDonald’s. The restaurant trade publication Nation’s Restaurant News reports these findings from a recent survey from AlixPartners in an article “Off-premise: The rise of contactless ordering and curbside pickup amid COVID-19 offer keys to survival”:

  • “43% of consumers said drive-thru is the most preferred method for ordering restaurant food during the pandemic.
  • “Takeout and curbside pickup is preferred by 33%. Third-party delivery was the least popular, as most say they’d rather order directly from a chain.”

Available for download at the AppStore and GooglePay, McDonald’s Order & Pay provides customers with a contactless experience for both Drive-Thru and Curbside pickup. Once the Order & Pay App has been downloaded and the guest is registered with the program, the app uses geolocation technology to help identify a participating restaurant nearby. […]

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