News Briefs

Family dining brand Huddle House  is undergoing a transformative evolution to better serve its loyal guests. Under the leadership of CEO James O’Reilly and Chief Operating Officer Blain Shortreed, the brand unveils a reimagined brand identity and positioning based on months of guest research, new menu innovation improving on the quality of core products for current guests and developing new products for new guests, and a trio of new restaurant prototypes to accelerate the brand’s geographic expansion.

“As we celebrate 60 incredible years, we lay the foundation for the next 60 in a big way, stepping confidently into our evolution,” said James O’Reilly, CEO of Ascent Hospitality Management, the parent company of Huddle House. “This new chapter, driven by extensive customer research and a refined brand positioning, reflects our commitment to meet the needs of today’s diners while staying true to our core values.”

A Fresh Look with Deep Roots

Huddle House unveiled a redesigned logo that modernizes the iconic "HH"—a nod to the signature imprint on every fresh-cooked waffle—blending 60 years of heritage with a contemporary edge. Paired with the new tagline, "Bring it in," Huddle House reaffirms its role as a welcoming hometown gathering spot, delivering high-quality food, personalized service, and unbeatable value. The brand updated every asset that guests touch including packaging, photography, advertising, and signage to name a few. This transformation is a full reimagining of the guest experience, designed to elevate what current fans love while also appealing to a broader, younger audience.

New Restaurant Designs

At the heart of Huddle House’s transformation is a bold redesign of Huddle House restaurants, crafted to maintain the brand’s welcoming heart while attracting new and younger guests. Studio 11 Design leads this redesign, balancing Huddle House’s timelessness with contemporary dining expectations. In addition to a totally redesigned and improved new small-town mainline restaurant, Huddle House has also developed two new restaurant concepts designed to accelerate growth in urban, suburban, and non-traditional settings.

The QSR conversion format focuses on drive-thru and walk-up ordering, catering to busy urban and suburban areas with a menu packed with Huddle House classics and portable options like sandwiches, burgers, burritos, and waffle tacos. This prototype will be piloted with a select group of franchisees. The Huddle House Non-traditional format targets high-traffic locations such as airports, colleges, malls, and travel centers. The Non-traditional concept is designed for convenience, with portable, off-premise dining options in a smaller space of 500 to 1,200 square feet.

“The new transformed restaurant designs will serve as the blueprint for the transformed Huddle House, opening up new trade areas and new growth potential beyond what has ever been possible before,” said Blain Shortreed, COO of Ascent Hospitality. “Our new assets will be more welcoming, higher-tech, more off-premise centric, and will feature Huddle House classics, and our new / evolved menu platforms such as burritos, smashburgers, and waffle tacos."

Menu Innovation

After 18 months of rigorous development and testing, Huddle House is currently rolling out significant upgrades to its core offerings—a key pillar of its transformation. Guests can now enjoy the new soft and buttery Southern Country Biscuit, all-new crispy and juicy Chicken Tenders, the new Smashed Huddle Burger, a reimagined Huddle Burger with a soft buttery potato bun, and all-new crispy crinkle fries.

These enhancements, part of the brand’s "Innovate - Elevate - Communicate" strategy, underscore Huddle House’s commitment to quality and flavor. Leading the development and communication of these initiatives is Huddle House’s new VP of Marketing, Stephanie Mattingly, who will spearhead the marketing of these and future menu innovations.

“We’re thrilled to share these improvements to our core products with our guests,” Mattingly says. “It’s about celebrating what makes Huddle House special while inviting everyone to taste the exciting future of our brand.”

Guests and Data Agree: Huddle House Leads the Pack

The proof is in the numbers. Full-year 2024 Blackbox guest feedback data reveals Huddle House outperformed all peer competitors in the family dining category on overall guest sentiment. This is a testament to the brands focus on exceptional experiences and strong franchise partnerships. Fresh off a record-breaking year with the highest number of new franchise development signings in its history, Huddle House is riding this wave of guest love to accelerate its growth trajectory into 2025 and beyond.

“We’re elevating every touchpoint for our guests, from the food on their plates to the way they feel when they walk through our doors,” said Blain Shortreed, Chief Operating Officer of Ascent Hospitality Management, who oversees operations for both Huddle House and Perkins. “Our company and franchise teams have worked tirelessly to make Huddle House a standout in family dining, and these results show we’re delivering.”

SpotOn is unveiling its significant AI advancements, reinforcing its commitment to building intelligent, integrated solutions that improve margins, save time, and simplify decision-making. SpotOn's AI vision is guided by empathy and real-world practicality. At a time when consumer spending is slowing and operators are navigating unpredictable costs, SpotOn is democratizing AI for the independent restaurant community by designing practical tools that reduce the burden of back-office work and unlock clearer, faster decision-making.

As AI buzz reaches a fever pitch heading into the National Restaurant Association Show, SpotOnis cutting through the noise with a clear message: AI should empower operators, not overwhelm them.

Earlier this year, SpotOn piloted 'Picked for You' an AI-powered feature for its direct online ordering solution, SpotOn Order, developed in partnership with Amazon Web Services (AWS). Picked for You intelligently recommends menu items to online guests, helping drive a higher overall conversion rate and more orders for restaurants. In this case, SpotOn is leveraging AI to help restaurants personalize their customers' online ordering experiences by basing menu recommendations on guest behavior and preferences, similar to the recommendation engine used by Amazon. The tool also takes into account day, daypart, most-viewed items and most-purchased items. Restaurants will see a larger volume of online orders and fewer abandoned carts while providing guests with a better online-ordering experience with no additional lift for staff.

"I think Picked For You is an extremely powerful tool to grow the online sales customer engagement, and I think it's going to be a game changer," said Steven DaPolito, Owner of Bisonte Pizza Co. in North Carolina.

And then to be showcased at the 2025 NRA Show, SpotOn will be unveiling a first-of-its-kind AI-powered tool to help restaurant operators cut costs.

Underscoring SpotOn's commitment to delivering AI that's invisible, intuitive, and impactful, these AI tools join Marketing Assist, launched in 2024, which automates personalized email and social media campaigns using guest data and business objectives—saving operators up to 5 hours a week.

"Restaurant operators need AI that fits into their workflow and helps protect their profit margin," said Bryan Solar, Chief Product Officer at SpotOn. "That's the core of our AI vision: practical, integrated technology that makes it easier for restaurants to do more with less—without compromising service quality or getting buried in complexity."

SpotOn approaches AI the same way its restaurant clients approach hospitality—by listening, learning, and improving. Like chefs who adjust their menus based on guest feedback, SpotOn launches products that evolve with input from operators. Its AI vision spans the entire platform, using smart technology to reduce friction, uncover opportunities, and save operators time. At the core, SpotOn believes AI should be simple, practical, and built to boost margins while fitting seamlessly into everyday restaurant operations.

SpotOn will be showcasing its AI-powered tools—including Marketing Assist, Picked for You, and a brand new AI-powered solution—at Booth #6045 during the 2025 National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago. 

Cash App announces its partnership with Domino’s giving customers payment flexibility when ordering their favorite pizzas. This launch marks one of the first restaurant partnerships for Cash App Pay and will give next generation consumers the choice and flexibility they crave at checkout.

“We’re all about providing convenience to customers, and that includes making sure their checkout experience is seamless,” said Mark Messing, Domino’s Vice President of Global Digital Marketing. “We are excited to give them another easy and convenient way to pay for their order.”

With 79% of Gen Z and 85% of Millennials using mobile apps for fast-food orders, it’s clear that convenience and speed are non-negotiables for the next generation of consumers.¹ Cash App Pay provides them with a seamless and simple way to pay by using their own money from their Cash App balance when checking out with Domino’s. Additionally, this partnership allows Domino’s to connect with Cash App’s young and growing user base, building long-term loyalty as these consumers continue to shape the future of dining and digital payments.

“We are thrilled to partner with Domino’s as this marks our first-ever pizza restaurant partner for Cash App Pay. Through this integration we are able to help them unlock incremental value with next generation consumers who we know are looking for convenience and flexibility at checkout,” said Alex Fisher, Head of Revenue, North America, Cash App Commerce.

When checking out on the Domino’s app, consumers can select Cash App Pay as their preferred payment method. Download Cash App to get access to all available merchants.

GhostPhone AI is set to spice up the National Restaurant Show with the debut of their Omnichannel Auto-Attendant and OPM (One Page Mobile Menu) mobile-optimized digital resources featuring video backgrounds, online ordering capabilities, interactive maps, and more.

"GhostPhone was a game-changer for us. We know it's working when our phone rings less during peak hours," reports one early adopter restaurant owner.

The most innovative feature being unveiled at the show is the OnePage Mobile Menus with swipe and tap audio functionality. This complimentary solution empowers restaurant operators to:

• Edit menus in real-time without technical expertise

• Convert static PDFs to responsive, mobile-friendly displays

• Add descriptive audio narrations to menu items

• Update food imagery instantly from their smartphone camera

"GhostPhone AI is ready to cook up a storm in the world of AI-driven omnichannel communication for the hospitality industry," said CoFounder Jim Martin. "Our no-BS, all-inclusive pricing, white glove customer support, and hospitality backgrounds set us apart from other clunky and cost-prohibitive solutions in this space. Our tech solutions are purposely engineered first to solve problems from the operator's seat and then make it tasty for their customers."

Restaurant professionals attending the National Restaurant Show are invited to experience GhostPhone AI firsthand at booth #9128b. For those unable to attend, more information is available at www.ghostphoneai.com.

Cantaloupe, Inc., a global leading provider of end-to-end technology solutions for self-service commerce, announced a new partnership with Carnival Cruise Line to power food and beverage sales at Celebration Key, Carnival’s new exclusive destination set to open on Grand Bahama July 19, 2025. With Cantaloupe’s advanced point-of-sale (POS) technology, guests will have access to a seamless, self-service ordering and payment experience across the destination’s food and beverage outlets.

Celebration Key is designed to be a premier exclusive cruise destination and features a variety of food and beverage options. To make ordering and payment as convenient as possible, guests’ Sail & Sign cards, which are used to make cashless payments on board Carnival ships, will now be available for use at Celebration Key. Guests will be able to scan their Sail & Sign cards to make purchases directly linked to their onboard accounts at Cantaloupe-powered kiosks on the island. This collaboration marks the first time the Sail & Sign program will be available off-ship, creating an effortless extension of the onboard cashless experience.

“Cantaloupe is excited to power this experience by providing a frictionless, technology-driven solution that will simplify guests’ dining and service experiences,” said Tom Lapham, senior vice president of Cheq at Cantaloupe, Inc. “Cantaloupe’s POS technology is built to support large-scale environments, with real-time updates and scalability that can handle high volumes of transactions and peak demand. We’re proud to help Carnival deliver an elevated guest experience at its stunning new Celebration Key destination.”

With Cantaloupe’s self-service kiosks located throughout the island, guests can quickly and easily place orders and enjoy their time at Celebration Key without the need for cash or credit cards.

“Our collaboration with Cantaloupe is critical to making Celebration Key a destination that is full of fun and takes the worry out of carrying cash for our guests,” said Richard Morse, senior vice president of Food and Beverage at Carnival Cruise Line. “Through this partnership, we’re able to offer an experience that extends the ease and familiarity of onboard dining to our exclusive destination. Guests will have the freedom to choose from a diverse range of dining and beverage options with the same seamless process they’re used to onboard.”

Cantaloupe’s POS solutions, including its Cheq management platform, are designed to support high-traffic venues, providing large organizations like Carnival Cruise Line with reliable, high-performance payment technology that enhances operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. This partnership aligns with Cantaloupe’s expansion into the travel and hospitality sectors and underscores Cantaloupe’s commitment to delivering world-class customer service, self-service and digital payment solutions across diverse venues.

Real Time Ordering, in cooperation with  Platinum Relations and National Computer Corporation (NCC), launched RTO Tableside Order and Pay solutions. 

RTO Tableside Applications leverage the NCC API to communicate with restaurants’ Reflection POS systems, allowing servers to communicate orders directly to the kitchen via the point of sale (POS) system. When customers are ready to pay, servers can recall open checks by table or check number. Restaurants can accept cash or run credit or debit card transactions through NETePay Hosted from Datacap Systems.

RTO Tableside Applications combine cutting-edge software, exceptional service, and powerful handheld technology. RTO Applications allow users to experience seamless transactions with the sleek and ergonomic PAX A77, built for durability, long battery life, and effortless mobility. Whether customers prefer to email digital receipts or print them at the POS, RTO Applications keep businesses running smoothly and efficiently.

In addition, both Wi-Fi and 4G connectivity allow restaurants to use RTO Connections inside, outside, or curbside. This flexibility makes it ideal for a range of use cases across the industry, including QSR line busting, food truck operations, and café, nightclub, or bar service, in addition to full service or fine dining tableside ordering and payment. 

“The industry has been waiting for a practical order- and pay-at-the-table solution that seamlessly communicates with the POS system and makes servers’ lives easier with a device that’s easy to carry and use in a demanding restaurant environment,” Chuck Prince, President, NCC, says. “RTO Tableside Order and Pay makes it accessible with a total solution offered for a low monthly subscription.” 

“RTO Tableside Order and Pay allows restaurants to provide modern, convenient service, and protect cardholder data and privacy because payment cards never leave the customer’s sight,” Dave Beneteau, President, Platinum Relations, points out. “But as much as RTO Tableside Applications enhance experiences for diners, it has even more of an impact on restaurants. It increases server productivity, which can help control labor costs, and it accelerates table turn rates. Overall, this solution helps restaurants operate more successfully.” 

RTO Tableside Applications are now available from certified resellers across the U.S. and Canada.