Tony Loeb

🍴 At MURTEC 2025, Red Lobster CEO Damola Adamolekun discussed brand transformation amid challenges. Prioritizing stabilization of finances, he emphasized guest experience and hospitality to reverse a decade of traffic decline. The "Red Carpet Hospitality" initiative led to improved guest satisfaction scores. To attract Millennials and Gen Z, Red Lobster enhances ambiance and service, using the "10-4 Rule" for engagement. Technology plays a key role, with a focus on infrastructure, operational, and consumer tech. Adamolekun measures success through guest satisfaction and employee retention, aiming to make Red Lobster relevant and compelling in the evolving casual dining industry.

📈 Group travel is transforming with digital tools, data analytics, and evolving consumer expectations, making hotel sourcing, planning, and booking more efficient and personalized. Groups360's GroupSync platform offers access to 225,000 properties globally and has seen instant bookings nearly double in the past two years. About 25,000 properties can now be instantly booked, a new capability in the multi-branded setting. Data-driven decision-making, predictive analytics, and real-time information are crucial, with an emphasis on personalization, efficiency, and demonstrating ROI for event planners. Hoteliers adapt with tailored group rates and optimized pricing strategies, with 60% of bookings at Hilton Worldwide occurring outside normal business hours. The future of group travel is digital-first, demanding agility from the industry to meet the need for more personalized and adaptable solutions.

📢 Wyndham Hotels & Resorts and Canary Technologies received the 2024 Hotel Visionary Award for their partnership which began with Canary’s Digital Authorizations product reducing chargebacks and fraud. Their collaborative AI-powered guest experience drove revenue and operational efficiency. The Wyndham Connect℠ initiative, one of the largest AI tech rollouts in hospitality, was introduced in 2023 and implemented across thousands of properties by 2024. Results include 80% automated guest messaging responses, millions in incremental revenue via Dynamic Upsells, and average digital tips exceeding $10, showcasing the transformative impact of guest-facing AI technology in the hospitality sector.

🍕 Christopher Thomas-Moore (CTM), senior vice president and chief digital officer at Domino’s Pizza, presented at MURTEC 2025, highlighting a decade of innovations such as the Pizza Tracker, a pizza delivery car, AnyWare ordering by emoji, a 2017 partnership with Ford for autonomous delivery, Pinpoint Delivery, and in-vehicle ordering via Apple CarPlay. The Emergency Pizza promotion launched in 2023 responded to economic pressures like high inflation, offering creative value to customers with less disposable income. In 2024, the campaign evolved with gaming and Netflix collaborations, demonstrating Domino's seven tenets guiding innovation.

💾 Lunchbox appointed James Walker as CEO, with Nabeel Alamgir as Executive Chairman, focusing on AI and automation to advance restaurant technology. Walker brings 30+ years of experience from Subway®, Nathan's Famous®, and Cinnabon®. A record 340% increase in average deal size since 2022 and 300% growth in product adoption with clients using 1 to 4 products. Funding led by Shift4 will enhance Lunchbox's enterprise solutions and SkyTab POS integration.

📢 James Walker appointed CEO of Lunchbox, Nabeel Alamgir becomes Executive Chairman; they aim to scale Lunchbox with AI and automation. Walker brings 30+ years' experience from Subway®, Nathan's Famous®, and Cinnabon®. Lunchbox saw a 340% increase in average deal size and 300% growth in product adoption since 2022. Shift4 leads a new funding round for Lunchbox, planning to integrate with its SkyTab POS system to enhance services for enterprise restaurants.

💸 Digital tipping in hotels, encouraged via QR codes, aligns with guests' preferences for digital payments, which account for one-third of on-premises transactions according to McKinsey data. Hotel managers report that digital tipping boosts employee morale, sparks competition, improves service quality, and may increase cash tips. It also aids in reducing turnover costs by fostering employee engagement with the hotel's mission. Russ Lemmer, founder of Grazzy in 2021, aims to enhance service workers' earnings in various industries, including hotels, by promoting digital tipping, which can add several dollars per hour to employees' wages. Lemmer's background includes co-founding Silvercar, Inc., acquired by Audi in 2017, and creating Dealerware, a fleet management platform.