Innovation

🥑 Shy Bird, an all-day rotisserie concept, opened its first location in Kendall Square, Boston, in 2019. It recently launched its third venue in the Fenway neighborhood. Owner Andrew Holden designed Shy Bird to fill a gap in Boston's dining scene by providing quality food and drink across various dayparts. Despite the COVID-19 pandemic hitting just months after opening, Shy Bird adapted by offering takeout and delivery. The second outpost opened in South Boston in 2022, adjusting to the neighborhood's livelier all-hours atmosphere. The brand carefully crafts its service model and menu to cater to different occasions, aiming to offer value and appropriate ambiance from morning till night. Shy Bird remains in "startup mode," with ambitions for future expansion.

💾 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.

📈 SHR, a hotel technology specialist based in Houston, TX, was awarded Google Premier Partner status on 10 March 2025, placing it in the top 3% of Google’s digital marketing partners. The recognition underscores SHR's capability to drive direct bookings and optimize Google Ads for hotels globally. As part of the Google Partners program, SHR now has access to advanced tools, priority support, and can offer improved services to over 2,000 hoteliers worldwide, enhancing clients' revenue and digital presence. Founded in 2004, SHR continues to innovate in the hospitality industry.

🏨 In Eatontown, New Jersey, the 131-suite Homewood Suites by Hilton announced a $5 million renovation completed by Avion Hospitality and owned by Highline Hospitality Partners. The renovation updated guest suites, public spaces, and amenities, including new furnishings, flooring, kitchen amenities, and technology, along with a revitalized fitness center and outdoor spaces. The hotel offers all-suite accommodations, complete with fully equipped kitchens, near the Jersey Shore, corporate hubs, and Monmouth University.

📱 A study in the "Journal of Hospitality & Tourism Research" shows language in hotel descriptions affects room rates and bookings. SHR's AI Assistant optimizes room descriptions, translations, and adapts content for various channels to boost hotel profits. Key hotel content issues include time-consuming updates, neglected OTA/website updates, unoptimized mobile/voice search content, lack of multi-language support, and fragmented workflows. AI fixes include automated generation, multilingual translations, channel adaptation, seamless system integration, and reduced training time. SHR advises consistent branding and strategic AI use to streamline operations and increase efficiency.

🎡 Attempting to integrate Philips Hue lights with Apple Home, a home automation enthusiast experiences frustration as the lights fail to respond despite being connected and recognized by the app. This incident is part of a 25-year history of struggling with IoT devices, which often fail and are overpriced. The IoT industry is criticized for trapping consumers in ecosystems rather than focusing on product quality. Concerns are raised about IoT devices' security and excessive data collection, highlighting the need for more intuitive and reliable smart home products. India beat Australia in a Champions Trophy cricket match during the ordeal.

💸 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.

🏥 The WHO declared the Covid crisis over in May 2023. A May 2024 AHLA survey showed 76% of hotels face staff shortages. In 2024, international travel nearly reached pre-pandemic levels at 99%. More than half of Americans plan to travel more in 2025. Hospitality IT teams are now using advanced tools for demand prediction. Hurricane Ian's impact led to a major hospitality client outsourcing 1,472 service hours within 48 hours. The gig customer service model is being adopted, and Arise Platform helps hospitality brands with flexible staffing. In 2022, training initiatives for a cruise client increased revenue per booking by almost 12%.

📱 Eva Klausner, Director of Guest Experience at Numa, discusses on March 10, 2025, how they've redefined hospitality without a traditional front desk, focusing on a digital-first guest experience. The episode features Danica Smith from MorningStar GX and is supported by Sojern's marketing platform for hoteliers. Music for the podcast is by Clay Bassford of Bespoke Sound.