This is presented to the company that has leveraged a specific strategy or technology beyond standard practice to improve overall restaurant operations. 

Areas of innovation can include but are not limited to:

Infrastructure: For technologies that improve hotel operations across the enterprise and/or back-office applications. Technologies can include, but are not limited to, POS, CRS, network infrastructure, data & analytics, etc.

Human Resources: For innovations in the use of technology to empower, recruit, optimize or otherwise manage the workforce. Areas can include but should not be limited to hiring, scheduling, tipping, payroll, training, workforce communications, etc.

Sales & Marketing: For innovations in the use of sales and/or marketing technology to boost brand awareness, customer satisfaction, occupancy, and/or revenue. Examples include customer relationship management (CRM), loyalty programs, email marketing campaigns, social media marketing, Web3, digital menu boards, and upsell technology.

Sustainability: For a technology initiative that contributes to a restaurant brand’s overall environmental, social and governance (ESG) goals. This can be at a corporate level or at a location level. Examples include improvements in food waste and non-food waste, energy conservation, and/or water conservation.

These awards recognize the restaurant operator’s work in the last 18 months. Submissions can be self-nominated or nominated by a third party (including PR firms, agencies and vendor partners.) Vendors are not eligible to receive these awards but are able to nominate their restaurants for consideration.

This is presented to the company that has leveraged a specific strategy or technologies to improve the guest experience, increase guest satisfaction, loyalty, and/or brand reputation.

Potential concepts can include but are not limited to: 

Digital Ordering: For a technology initiative related to the ordering and delivery of food including mobile apps, kiosks, websites, mobile wallet, and loyalty.
 
Guest Experience: For the innovative use of technology to improve the guest experience during any phase of their journey. Examples could include guest-facing communication and engagement solutions, location-based services, AI voice assistants, mobile apps, loyalty, social media, Web3 and personalization solutions. 
 
Guest-Facing Technology: For technology initiatives that are specifically guest-facing. This may include, but is not limited to kiosks, tableside ordering/ payment, voice assistants, digital menu boards, etc.

These awards recognize the restaurant operator’s work in the last 18 months. Submissions can be self-nominated or nominated by a third party (including PR firms, agencies and vendor partners.) Vendors are not eligible to receive these awards but are able to nominate their restaurants for consideration.

• Contact Information for Nominator and Nominee (if different): First Name, Last Name, Job Title, Job Function, Company Name, and Primary Business. At least one restaurant point of contact must be included.
• Nomination Submission Name
• Nominated Restaurant Brand Name
• Areas of innovation (select all that apply)
  • Infrastructure
  • Human Resources
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Sustainability
  • Other
• Problems/Challenges: What were the challenges/problems that this company set out to solve? Please only describe the challenges.
• Solutions Deployed: Please provide information on the technology vendors and solutions deployed to address the above problems. Your response must include a thorough description of the number (range) of technology vendors that were involved in this project, reason for selection, project expectations, key technological features/functions, and length of use.
• Restaurant's Role in Innovation: Beyond implementing a specific vendor solution(s), please describe the technological research and development work that was completed by the restaurant company that helped to make this project a success. Your answer should clearly explain the innovations that were made by the restaurant company, including key technology improvements and strategic best practices. Please do not recap the features and functions of the vendor solution(s) or the RFP process.
• Results: What has the restaurant achieved since committing to a particular agenda? Your answer must include supporting examples and/or hard data as evidence of your nomination’s success in this category.
• How was this technology rollout received by frontline staff and/or franchisees/owners? Any testimonials you can share?
• Timeframe of the project (include the approximate project inception date and completion date with a month and year).
• How many locations does the restaurant brand currently have?
• How many of these locations are currently using this new tech solution?
   

• Contact Information for Nominator and Nominee (if different): First Name, Last Name, Job Title, Job Function, Company Name, and Primary Business. At least one restaurant point of contact must be included.
• Nomination Submission Name
• Nominated Restaurant Brand Name
• Areas of innovation (select all that apply)
  • Digital Ordering
  • Guest Experience
  • Guest-Facing Technology
• Problems/Challenges: What were the challenges/problems that this company set out to solve? Please only describe the challenges.
• Solutions Deployed: Please provide information on the technology vendors and solutions deployed to address the above problems. Your response must include a thorough description of the number (range) of technology vendors that were involved in this project, reason for selection, project expectations, key technological features/functions, and length of use.
• Restaurant's Role in Innovation: Beyond implementing a specific vendor solution(s), please describe the technological research and development work that was completed by the restaurant company that helped to make this project a success. Your answer should clearly explain the innovations that were made by the restaurant company, including key technology improvements and strategic best practices. Please do not recap the features and functions of the vendor solution(s) or the RFP process.
• Results: What has the restaurant achieved since committing to a particular agenda? How is guest engagement measured?  And how has it improved?  Your answer must include supporting examples and/or hard data as evidence of your nomination’s success in this category.
• How was this technology rollout received by frontline staff and/or franchisees/owners?  Guests?  Any testimonials you can share?
• Timeframe of the project (include the approximate project inception date and completion date with a month and year).
• How many locations does the restaurant brand currently have?
• How many of these locations are currently using this new tech solution?