News & Media From Elliot Maras

Smoke’s Poutinerie founder: 'We are entertainers'

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Ryan Smolkin, whose Smoke's Poutinerie has opened more than 150 locations in North America in less than 10 years, insists he is in the entertainment business…

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Is South Florida 'Mac' truck tough enough to survive saturated market?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

After managing an I Heart Mac & Cheese restaurant for a year in South Florida, Hector Gonzalez didn't hesitate to tackle the market with a made-to-order food…

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Farmer's Fridge builds kiosk system to ensure freshness

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Most entrepreneurs in the self-service space rely on commercially available equipment and management software, but Luke Saunders and his team at Farmer's…

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Cutting out the middle man: Farmer's Fridge disrupts convenience dining

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The marriage of fresh food with IoT technology has proven to be a winning combination for Farmer's Fridge, a company whose offering presents a refreshing…

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Are you prepared for the self-service era?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The pioneer stage has ended for restaurant self-serve kiosks, and adoption has shifted into high gear. The time has come for all serious players in the…

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Pinche Gringo introduces POS to keep up with growing business

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The success of their first restaurant encouraged the owners of Pinche Gringo to open a second restaurant in 2017. An enhanced customer display system enabled…

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Research: Short wait times, ambiance important to fast casual customers

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Ambiance — the look and feel of the service environment — has emerged as a critical factor in guest satisfaction, according to research presented at the…

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The push behind open kitchens move food preparation to the front

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Growing numbers of foodservice establishments are displaying food before it is prepared. Meanwhile, automated food preparation systems are on the rise.

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Retail decision-makers share their experiences introducing kiosks

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Given the customer benefits that kiosks and digital signage can deliver for retailers, the challenges that oftentimes accompany these deployments are an…

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Hank and Harry's Delicatessen CEO explains how his mobile app wins with millennials

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Buzzy Sklar, CEO and co-founder of Hank and Harry's Delicatessen, talks about winning over the millennial market.

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Why augmented reality is becoming more accessible to restaurant brands

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Though AR is still in its infancy, a pair of presenters at Infocomm said that it offers a new way to excite consumers and is more economical than creating…

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Emerging foodservice automation calls for new sanitation standards

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

As new types of equipment are introduced into the foodservice environment, new sanitation standards will be needed to protect consumers and the foodservice…

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Self-order kiosks dominate NRA Show

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The number of self-order kiosks on display at the National Restaurant Show nearly tripled over last year's exhibits as hardware and software manufacturers…

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How self-pour beer technology is helping casual dining brands keep up with fast casuals

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Self-pour technology enables restaurants to maximize revenue by offering more variety, including more premium-priced offerings, and it significantly reduces…

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Tech innovations leaving restaurateurs wondering how to upgrade without starting over

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Technology innovations dominated much of the show floor this week at the National Restaurant Association Show in Chicago, and while interesting, they also…

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Location, location, location: What makes a good one?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Finding the best location for a restaurant is a matter of knowing about the site's people, accessibility, visibility and energy, according to Subway…

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How to respond to the third-party restaurant delivery challenge

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

Halal Guys COO Mike Speck offers insight into how he addresses the need to provide third-party delivery to customers, a rising restaurant industry challenge.

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Free webinar: How Buffalo Wild Wings uses technology to optimize supply chain

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

A free webinar explores how state-of-the-art technology can help restaurants maximize the quality and efficiency of their supply chain.

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Will self-pour beer tech become the next big thing in fast casual?

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The craft beer revolution has changed the beer industry, and self-pour technology has made it easy for fast casual brands to also embrace the trend.

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Garbanzo trucks it to St. Louis

by Elliot Maras — Editor, Kiosk Marketplace & Vending Times

The Denver, Colorado-based chain recently opened its 25th brick-and-mortar unit in St. Louis and has also been driving sales there with its first food truck.

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