Point of Sale

On June 24th, 7-Eleven updated their app and launched a delivery service that will deliver a Slurpee or just about anything the convenience chain carries to public places ranging from parks to beaches.  More than 2,000 7-Eleven "hot spots" called 7NOW Pins including New York's Central Park and Venice Beach in Los Angeles have recently been activated. The proprietary technology allows customers...

We've reported on Domino's a few times, discussing their amazing tech innovations in their quest to sell pizza.--On a side note, car maker Chevrolet just announced that they added Domino's to Marketplace, their in car infotainment system so Chey drivers can order pizza from their dashboard baord. Well, they're considering another future facing option. Domino’s Pizza Inc. plans to start testing unmanned pizza delivery in Texas...

Sometimes when you make a purchase using a credit card, in your online account you'll temporarily see a charge different than your purchase amount or you'll see two charges for the same purchase. What's going on? Are you being charged incorrectly? More often than not, you're simply seeing a pending charge which also know as an authorization hold or a...

On Monday  coffee and donuts chain Dunkin' announced a partnership with third party delivery platform Grubhub. The companies are rolling out Dunkin' Delivers, a new food-ordering and delivery service. Through Seamless, Grubhub's NY brand, 400 Dunkin' locations in New York City will deliver doughnut goodness. The companies began testing the service in February to great success. They  plan to expand the delivery partnership to Boston, Chicago...

Chick-fil-A is now the 3rd-largest restaurant chain in America, according to the Nation's Restaurant News analysis published Monday. The chain famous for its fried chicken sandwiches jumped from the No. 7 spot on last year's Nation's Restaurant News' Top 200, all the way up to number 3, surpassing Wendy's, Burger King, Taco Bell and Subway. Chick-fil-A's sales grew 16.7% in...

This weekend Target stores around the country were thrown into disarray when system outages prevented customers from making purchases. Many stores' cash registers were offline for about 2 hours because of the glitch. However, most stores were able to accept cash during the outage, but there were long lines. A company spokesperson said the outage was the result of a...

For some time now gigantic retail chain Walmart and e-commerce giant Amazon has been battling it out to see who can offer the quickest delivery options and dominate the online retail market. Walmart has fired a new salvo. Walmart has created a Prime like grocery membership subscription service service of its own. The new service called Delivery Unlimited. At this...

Doughnut brand Krispy Kreme recently announced that they be will be opening a 4,500-square-foot flagship location in Times Square by early 2020. The flagship store will have a “doughnut theater experience,” in which visitors can view the doughnut making process from start to finish via stadium-style seating. Also it will feature a Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze “waterfall” where streams of...

Summer is here! Along with heavy power use on the grid due to customers cranking up the air conditioning, some areas may experience power surges or rolling blackouts due to extreme weather events such as wildfires or hurricanes. In fact, due to the catastrophic 2018 wildfire season in California, PG&E, the largest CA utility which serves 5.2 million households, announced that...

Today at the 3rd annual Uber Elevate Summit, the company announced plans for Uber Eats to make deliveries by drone. Uber showed a video where they processed an Uber Eats order from McDonald's for delivery via drone. The McDonald's employee placed the order of a Big Mac and fries into specially designed drone packaging meant to regulate food temperature. The package was then...

Amazon announced yesterday that it was ending Amazon Restaurants on June 24. As a result, shares of rival online food delivery services GrubHub and Waitr Holdings jumped. Grubhub shares gained more than 7% on Tuesday, while shares of smaller competitor Waitr gained 3%. Uber, the parent company of Uber Eats, saw its stock rise less than 1%. Amazon Restaurants first...

Panera Bread is most known for warm soups served in bread bowls. Come summer, customers tend to seek meals that are lighter and less cozy. Panera recently added some seasonal summer menu items to stores nationwide. Also, a select few dishes were added specifically to the northeast. Panera distinguishes itself from the pack with its Summer Strawberry Caprese salad: Salad greens...

Walmart has fired a big salvo in the battle over the delivery retail market. While competitors e-commerce giant Amazon and retailer Target focus on quick deliver times and pick up options, Walmart is now offering a personalized, rapid 'white glove' service. Yesterday the company announced a new in-home delivery service aimed at time strapped customers. Customers can purchase groceries online...

As an existing or potential business owner, you’re probably already aware of how important it is to be able to accept credit and debit cards as payment methods from your customers. Over 70% of Americans have credit cards. According to data collected in Gallup polls, the average American has 2.6 credit cards. Credit and debit card acceptance prevents the possible loss...

In a bid to combat a labor shortage of workers, retail giant Walmart, which is the largest private employer in the U.S., is heavily recruiting high school students to become the next generation of Walmart employees. Previously we discussed how McDonald's has focused on older workers to increase their pool of employees. The retail industry is suffering a similar worker shortage as restaurants. Walmart's...

Pizza Hut announced in a press release that for the first time since the early 1980's, they are changing the original pan pizza recipe. The chain spent 3 year developing the new pizza which is said to have a tasty revamped sauce and cheese topping. Also the company has created a new pan and baking process to result in crispier...

NOTE to READER: At the time of the hack,  Sintel Systems was not involved. This week Checkers Drive-In Restaurants Inc. published a security notice on its website announcing that it suffered a data breach when hackers broke in and planted malware on its payments processing system. 102 stores or about 15% of its restaurants in 20 states may have had data exposures...

In Old Town La Verne, CA  at Cafe Wang, owner Fang Wang and her son manager Chris Li promote what they call “a unique taste of China into the US.” The cafe offers a variety of traditional and fusion Chinese cuisine including orange chicken, pot stickers and broccoli beef. Last summer Chris revamped the restaurant's menu and oversaw renovations. As part of the update, Chris redesigned...

Reverse engineering specialist Jane Manchun Wong  was poking around in Uber Eats Android App code and discovered placeholders for an upcoming monthly subscription option. Uber has since confirmed the existence of the feature to TechCrunch. At some point in the future, Uber Eats will most likely offer a $9.99 monthly subscription that allows users to place orders without incurring fees during a...

Today Global Payments Inc. (GPN) and Total System Services Inc. (TSS) announced an all-stock merger of equals with an equity value of about $21.5 billion. Global Payments is fifth-largest merchant acquirer in the U.S., helping businesses handle their credit and debit card payments. Total System Services is the third-biggest payment processor in the credit card issuers' market. The consolidation between these two...

Starbucks has launched in a new app called "Starbucks Now" for Starbucks Rewards members in Beijing and Shanghai. Pending its success, the app will roll out across the rest of China before the end of the year. The app features GPS functionality so that customers can select their nearest store. Users can then choose and customize a beverage, select food, view order time, and...

Food Icon and tv personality Martha Stewart is starring in a series of funny Postmate commercials to show that life in the kitchen isn't always perfect and sometimes you just need to "Postmate it." Postmates delivers anything to over than 3,500 cities, serving more than 70% of US households. The company offers on-demand delivery from more than 500,000 restaurants, grocery, retail...

Yesterday, popular search engine Google rolled out a new feature that iOS and Android users can use in Search, Maps, and Google Assistant to directly order restaurant delivery. The option allows customers to order food delivery without downloading a delivery app on their mobile device, or visiting a delivery platform from their computer. Customers should now see a "Order Online...

DoorDash, the third party food delivery company announced today that it has raised another $600 million during  a series G round. This brings the total amount of funding raised by by the company to $2 billion. With the new money, DoorDash is now valued by investors at $12.6 billion. Prior to this funding round,, the company raised $250 million in September of...

Not long ago, we discussed how parent company Dine Brands was planning to invest in remodeling and also improving technology at chains IHOP and Applebee's. Those plans continue, however previous strategies are currently paying off for IHOP. Recently, the restaurant reported five straight quarters of positive sales. Off-premise sales which include take-out, delivery, and drive-through orders were especially strong, having...

Margins for grocery stores have always been thin. However, lately the landscape for US supermarkets has intensified. Digital ordering and home delivery are changing the way people buy their food. More and more, drugstores offer diverse grocery items. Large companies increasingly control the industry, exerting pressure on smaller regional retailers. Southeastern Grocers, the owner of Winn-Dixie and Bi-Lo, filed for bankruptcy...

Restaurants are competing for talent and struggling to retain fast food workers. Previously we reported on McDonald's recruiting older workers to stem a labor shortage. The US jobless rate is now at a 49 year low. Also, some retailers such as Amazon.com, Walmart and Target are offering higher pay for lower-skilled workers. The effect is that restaurants are being squeezed and are...

E-commerce giant Amazon announced on Friday that it has become a major investor during food delivery company Deliveroo's latest funding round. The company was able to raise $575 million, bringing the investment total raised to date to $1.53 billion. London based Deliveroo was founded in 2013  and operates in two hundred cities across 14 countries, including locations in the United Kingdom, France, Germany, Australia and...

Sonic, the company that calls itself 'America's Drive In' has announced that it's testing new technology--an artificial intelligence-powered voice assistant and personalized dynamic menu at select U.S. locations later this year. There are 3,606 Sonic Drive-In restaurants in 45 U.S. states. Menu options include hamburgers, French fries, onion rings, corn dogs, chili dogs and breakfast toaster sandwiches. Sonic is especially...

The International Food and Beverage Industry Show will be held on May 18-21, 2019 at McCormick Place convention center near the shore of Lake Michigan, in Chicago, Illinois. The event is put on by the National Restaurant Association (NRA). The National Restaurant Association is the largest food service trade association in the world with a membership of  more than 500,000 restaurant businesses. The NRA...

After almost one year at the heart of lovely Old Town La Verne close to the University of La Verne, Cafe Wang continues to offer delicious Chinese Fusion food. The restaurant is open 7 days a week for lunch, dinner, or happy hour at the bar. Their hours are: Sunday - Thursday 11:00 am-10:00 pm & Friday - Saturday 11:00...

Postmates has partnered with ABC and online restaurant review & guide site The Infatuation to offer free delivery in celebration of "The Bachelorette"! The 15th season of pop culture hit "The Bachelorette," premieres tonight, Monday, May 13th on The ABC Television Network. The series which has had millions of viewers for over a decade, follows one lucky woman as she tries to...

Fried chicken chain Chick-fil-A is reportedly exploring adding meatless entree options to its menu. The restaurant which it operates more than 2,200 restaurants in 47 US states, currently has limited vegan and vegetarian options. Only menu items hash browns, waffle fries, and superfood sides are meatless. However, you can order certain items as the Spicy Southwest Salad or the Grilled Chicken Cool...

Fast food giant McDonald's recently announced that it’s bringing a series of popular international menu items to the US for a limited time beginning June 5th. With the world becoming increasingly more accessible Americans are traveling and discovering foreign foods. Also the rise of food posts on social media has sparked much interest in international fast foods. McDonald's is hoping to capitalize on...

Online delivery platform Postmates recently announced that it would partner with mobile payment and merchant services aggregator Square for merchant deliveries. The collaboration will enable retailers using Square's payment platform to offer customers the option of having any item delivered. Square acquired a food delivery service called Caviar in 2014 and already owns other food delivery services such as Entrees...

Pei Wei Asian Kitchen opened in 2000 and has grown to over 200 US locations.  The company has quickly gained a dedicated fan base serving a pan Asian menu that includes noodle bowls, cauliflower rice and bento boxes. Recently Pei Wei Kitchen announced a partnership with Postmates to offer Pei Wei fans free delivery. Customers will be able to get free delivery by subscribing...

Fried chicken giant Kentucky Fried Chicken announced that it will offer free delivery on Mother's Day, Sunday May 12 through its delivery partner, online food ordering platform Grubhub. Mother's Day tends to be one best-selling days of the year for KFC and the fried chicken chain is encouraging families to let the Colonel do the cooking. Customers will automatically receive...

Sizzler, the family friendly steakhouse known for its signature Cheese Toast, recently announced that it's launching a series of contests to giveaway Sizzler gift cards on social media for 'Celebration Season'--Mother's Day, graduations and Father's Day. Most importantly, the company is focusing on adding omni-channel solutions to its point of sales system to improve efficiency and enhance the customer experience. The...

Quick Service Restaurant franchise Wendy's (The Wendy's Company NASDAQ: WEN) with over 6,700 stores and 50 years of history reported higher than had been expected earnings today. The company which opened 43 more restaurants globally in the first quarter, is set to bring the Spicy Chicken Nugget back after a 2 million Tweet challenge. Earlier today on CNBC's Mad Money Wendy's CEO discussed the...

Dine Brands, owner of Applebee's and IHOP  has announced a 3 year plan to focus on technology to improve sales and guest experience. The company plans to utilize tools such as remote payment technology and geofencing devices that alert the kitchen to get out a takeout order. In addition to employee utilized technology, the company also plans to add Wi-Fi for guests in both chains. IHOP has...

Shake Shack recently announced strong first quarter earnings. Same-store sales grew 3.6% during the quarter, exceeding Wall Street's expectations for 0.8% growth. As a result, the company revised its revenue guidance for the year by $6 million, from a range of $576 million to $582 million, and boosted its expected same-store sales growth expectations to 1% to 2% from zero to 1%. The company...

Sintel Systems, the global industry leader in omni channel point of sale (POS) solutions is rolling out a new innovative hand held drive thru POS devices specifically created for fast food restaurants. These advanced terminals are designed to further increase the productivity and accuracy of busy quick service restaurants (QSR) with bustling drive thru operations through rapid wireless ordering that promotes face-to-face...

Online food delivery platform DoorDash recently announced that it was partnering with Wyndham Hotels and Resorts to offer hotel guests at more than 3,700 U.S. hotels free delivery. Among its many properties, Wyndham Hotels owns Baymont Inn & Suites, Days Inn, Howard Johnson's, Super 8, Travelodge, and Hawthorn Suites. DoorDash currently operates in more than 4,000 cities in the United States and Canada. This collaboration...

During its quarterly earnings conference call E-commerce giant Amazon announced that it will soon begin offering free one day shipping to all Prime membership customers. The move seemingly cuts the delivery time in half: Currently, Prime members can get free two day shipping on a wide range of products. Also, in certain areas, Prime members already have access to free same-day delivery...

After a successful month long test run at 59 restaurants around the St. Louis area, Burger King recently announced plans to offer Impossible Whoppers at all 7,300 U.S. locations by the end of 2019. The Impossible Whopper is made with a vegetarian patty from Impossible Foods, a California-based company that develops plant-based alternatives for meat. White Castle also offers meatless sliders...

Walmart is pushing forward into the future. Recently, Walmart began testing an artificial intelligence monitoring system at one of it's busiest Neighborhood Markets in Levittown, New York. The store is packed with video cameras, digital screens, sensors and over 100 servers. The groundbreaking system will immediately detect out detect out-of-stock items, signaling to an employee that the product needed to be restocked...

Fast food giant McDonald's franchisees need to hire 250,000 workers for the summer season. Amid a tight job market that is causing restaurants nationwide to struggle with a shortage of staff, McDonald's is hoping to lure older Americans into joining its workforce. The company is working with the AARP (American Association of Retired Persons) to hire older workers for its nearly 14,000 U.S...

Chinese coffee company Luckin recently filed for a US initial public offering. While main rival US coffee giant Starbucks has dominated the market in China since it first opened there in 1999, new kid on the block Luckin has experienced rapid growth. The upstart coffee company has expanded from zero to more than 2,300 stores in less than two years. Developed by the...

Domino's is dominating the pizza market when it comes to customer ordering options. We first discussed the company's new digital strategy last summer. Since then, Domino's AnyWare ordering platform has grown and now allows customers to order pizza in 15 different ways.  Customers can order through text message, Google Home, Alexa or even Slack, the communication hub, just to name...

Chipotle's Mexican Grill Inc. experienced a large surge of growth in it's digital sales last quarter. Chiptole, which has about 2,500 locations has focused on a multi pronged online strategy. In January the company released the popular Lifestyle Bowl menu which may only be ordered through Chipotle's website or mobile app. These entrée were created with diet conscious, keto and paleo customers in...

Kohl's department store announced that it was expanding its return partnership with online retail giant Amazon. Beginning in July, the program will allow Amazon customers to make returns at all Kohl’s 1,159 stores in the United States. The program began testing in 2017 and is currently available in 100 Kohl’s stores mostly in Los Angeles, Chicago and Milwaukee. Also 200...

Two years ago, McDonald’s Corp added the Signature Crafted premium burgers to its menu to keep pace with competitors such as Shake Shack, Burger King and Wendy’s. The signature sandwiches consisted of premium beef, grilled or crispy chicken and came with fancy condiments like pico guacamole, sweet BBQ bacon, or maple bacon Dijon. In addition to staving off the competition...

On April 17, Uber, the ride sharing company announced that it was adding an Apple Pay option to Uber Eats, its popular online food ordering and delivery platform. Customers who want to use the payment option can now do so either using the Face ID or Touch ID option inside the Uber Eats app. Apple Pay is already a payment...

Yopapa's Tacos sells delicious authentic Mexican and traditional American food. They are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and cater to a crowd of hungry tourists and locals alike. If you're in Las Vegas and have a 4 am craving for tacos or tamales, Yopapa's Tacos is the place to go! Recently Yopapa's Tacos partnered with Sintel...