Restaurant Reinvention, Contactless Tech And Big Hair Promo Top HT’s Most Read-List

October was a busy month on the restaurant technology newsdesk. Here are the most-read restaurant stories for the month. 

6) Trending on Hospitality Technology: Contactless Technologies
A trio of stories on HT about contactless tech solutions were among the most read for the month of October. The number of views were neck in neck, so we’ll call this a three-way tie.

Shift4 Payments Launches QR Code Ordering Solution
Shift4 launched QR Pay earlier this year, allowing customers to pay through their phones for a touch-free payment experience. 

Contactless Payments Provider Tops 1M US Restaurant Transactions
Contactless payments have gone from a nice to have to a must have. Up n' Go has seen usage soar and is now used in 1,000 restaurants in 49 states. To use, guests scan the QR code on their check, split their check among their party and quickly pay using Apple Pay, Google Pay, Venmo and credit cards. Restaurants don’t have to download an app, register, etc., they just use their smartphone. 

Ziosk Expands Tech Platform
Restaurants are looking for solutions to improve their operational efficiency. Case in point, this story about Ziosk's expanded platform, which now includes a QR code web solution, a handheld tablet for servers, a tech integration to process secure EMV NFC and P2PE payments and more. 

5) 3 Tips to Protect Your Guests
Remember the days when E. coli and salmonella were your main concerns? The sanitizers that are used against these easy-to-kill pathogens are no match for COVID-19. This article details three measures restaurant operators should consider when reviewing cleaning procedures.  

4) The Tech Chef Podcast: Restaurant Next Day 1 Recap
Produced in partnership with HT and RTN, The Tech Chef podcast recapped Restaurant Next, the industry’s first virtual restaurant experience and educational conference. The virtual event is now accessible to the industry until Nov. 10.

3) Del Taco Rocks Social Media
To promote the new Cholula menu items, Del Taco is sharing ads on social media that pay homage to '80s big hair bands while delivering the marketing message in a fun and memorable way. Check it out here.

The humorous approach is paying off. Worth mentioning: its loyalty program has grown 39% to 1.2 million registered users. Rock on, Del Taco, rock on!

2) Roadmap to Digital Signage: Solutions that Deliver
This infographic is among the most-read stories of the month. Even before the pandemic, more than half of respondents to Hospitality Technology’s 2020 Restaurant Technology Study were planning action on digital signage: 27% planned an upgrade, 5% were changing suppliers and 20% were adding digital signage for the first time. Fortunately, significant recent advances mean setting up and running a digital signage solution is easier than ever. As brands such as Burger King, Tim Hortons and Taco Bell reinvent their drive-thrus, expect more digital signage.  

1) Restaurant of the Future
This story about the Restaurant of the Future and how leading brands are reinventing themselves was the most-read story in October. The common thread: off-premises dining is the north star that’s guiding the restaurant industry’s present and future.