The sixth annual State of Digital Report from Qu, a restaurant POS platform company identified six trends driving fast-casual and quick-serve restaurant profitability this year: 1) Shift from third- to first-party ordering: According to Qu’s survey, 40% of brands say first-party digital sales represent their biggest revenue growth potential in 2025, followed by catering (24%) and on-premises ordering (14%). For QSRs, 55% eye first-party ordering for revenue growth, outpacing drive-thru and third-party apps. Fast-casuals follow with 36% prioritizing direct digital channels. By reducing reliance on third-party platforms, Qu says brands can control costs, improve unit-level economics and expand personalized loyalty and marketing efforts. 2) Consolidating tech systems unlocks efficiency and prepares brands for AI: Nearly two-thirds (64%) of brands are simplifying their tech stack, transitioning to unified systems to reduce costs and eliminate tech debt, and aligning the underlying data infrastructure and models. Qu notes this simplification is freeing up resources for growth and accelerating access to richer data insights. For franchises, streamlined systems reduce onboarding time, lower training costs and make scaling easier.3) Data-driven personalization unlocks guest engagement: While loyalty program participation lags, with 85% of guests still unreachable through traditional programs according to Paytronix, operators are shifting investments. Loyalty spending dropped 8% year-over-year, but investments in guest data platforms increased by 11%. 4) Kiosks ease labor strains: 62% brands are adding kiosks, with adoption even higher in QSRs (80%). While kiosks are becoming more common, Qu says operators are primarily using them to reduce labor pressures and give guests more flexibility by speeding up service while enhancing the in-store experience. 5) Smart kitchens drive accuracy and productivity: With 70% of brands citing order accuracy and team productivity as key operating challenges, many are adopting smart kitchen tech that uses unified data and AI to optimize workflows, minimize errors and improve speed of service, leading to a more consistent guest experience. 6) Digital sales level off, pushing brands to focus on profitability: After years of rapid growth, digital sales have plateaued, rising just 4% over the past three years. Qu says this signals a shift from chasing volume to refining operations, balancing on-premises and off-premises channels and using data to build sustainable, long-term profits.
ICE Mortgage Technology automates borrower asset assessment using AI driven data analysis and configurable logic to identify large deposits and withdrawal patterns
ICE Mortgage Technology has announced the debut of ICE Asset Analyzer and ICE Audit Analyzer, adding to the existing ICE Income and ICE Credit analyzers. The products, which are fully integrated into the Encompass system, allow mortgage professionals to quickly and accurately streamline lending processes, improve accuracy and support compliance efforts. Asset Analyzer uses data analysis and configurable logic to “simplify the traditionally manual process of assessing borrower assets,” ICE said. It added that its key tasks include identifying large deposits, recognizing withdrawal patterns and applying a standardized checklist to ensure consistency across loans. The tools allow lenders to free up employees to execute higher-value work, ICE said. ICE’s Audit Analyzer is designed to improve post-closing quality control. Instead of relying on manual checklists, the tool uses automated technology to help identify missing documents, data discrepancies and compliance risks to ensure document accuracy, improve regulatory adherence and limit repurchase risk. Tim Bowler, president of ICE Mortgage Technology, said “By integrating these Analyzers within Encompass, we’re enabling our customers to perform more of their essential work within a single platform, making their lives easier, and saving them time and money they’d otherwise have to spend performing these functions offline.”
AI voice agents enable sales teams to practice realistic conversations and refine their skills by simulating buyer personas tailored to Ideal Customer Profiles
Voice agents, in particular, are emerging as one of the most powerful AI applications—some even call them the “gateway to AI.” They’re intuitive, customizable, and increasingly essential for businesses of all sizes. For early-stage businesses, customer acquisition is everything. One of the fastest ways to lose a potential customer is by failing to respond when they reach out. Without any goodwill established, they won’t hesitate to spring for the competitor. AI voice agents eliminate that risk—they’re available 24/7 to answer inquiries, ensuring a consistent presence. This reliability is crucial when you’re trying to grow your user base. A well-designed AI voice agent can operate across multiple platforms—your website, phone lines, Facebook Messenger, WhatsApp, and beyond. No matter how a potential customer reaches out, your agent can meet them on the relevant channel and engage with them. They can be tailored to fit your brand’s personality—whether it’s a peppy assistant for a craft coffee shop or a more formal agent for a hedge fund startup. These agents don’t just respond; they hold real conversations, offering natural-sounding follow-ups and even the occasional funny quip. Some platforms even support voice cloning, making agents even more lifelike. Many platforms now allow businesses to build custom agents, and while some are best suited to developers, others, like Voiceflow, are geared toward users with little or no coding experience. You can train an agent on your company’s website, design its tone and personality, and launch it the same day.
Co-branded Applebee’s-IHOP restaurants double revenue by optimizing all four meals, leveraging shared kitchens and flexible seating for efficiency
Dine Brands is planning to expand its dual-branded Applebee’s and IHOP restaurant concept at home and abroad. This includes entering the Costa Rican market with franchisee BLT UK Holdings Limited, and opening the first non-traditional restaurants in Mexico with franchisees Grupo Shogua and ATH Group. The dual-branded format, combining Applebee’s and IHOP under one roof, is a “key part” of Dine Brands’ international growth strategy, says the company. In 2025, the company aims to open 13 additional dual-branded restaurants in new international markets and complete 10 dual conversions, bringing the total number of dual-branded restaurants to 41. The company is slated to open 14 more dual-branded locations in the United States through 2026 by transforming existing single-branded restaurants and building new locations from the ground up. When guests walk through the co-branded restaurant doors, they will find distinct Applebee’s and IHOP dining areas to choose from. Dine Brands says the shared common areas, including the host stand and bathrooms, create an “integrated experience,” and the optimized back-of-house and single kitchen provide “operational efficiencies.”
Instacart’s Smart Shop technology dynamically provides shopping recommendations in real-time based on user interactions and inferred preferences like dietary restrictions or lifestyle goals leveraging GenAI and ML
Instacart is rolling out Smart Shop technology that leverages generative AI and advanced machine learning models to better understand customers’ shopping habits, household preferences and dietary preferences to provide them with ideas for relevant products. The Smart Shop technology, powered by Instacart’s catalog of 17 million items and its dataset of millions of grocery shopping journeys, combines information on consumer preferences, refined through sophisticated large language models, with gen AI to connect people with products for a more personalized experience. Among other smart features, this capability is built with an AI-driven Health Tag system that covers 1.3 billion data points across about 500,000 food and beverage products in the Instacart catalog. That data is used to provide shoppers with fast, understandable information on items they are browsing. Instacart also added new Inspiration Pages, personalized pages that highlight products that match health and dietary preferences. The first Inspiration Page was created in collaboration with the American Diabetes Association and was timed for National Nutrition Month in March. Users can also set preferences manually by selecting from 14 common diet and health descriptions in the Smart Shop preferences section on the Instacart experience.
Flinks integrates advanced document forensics into its financial data processing system, enabling actionable verdicts for each document with detailed explanations of the risk that identifies up to 3x more fraud compared to traditional methods
Financial data connectivity leader Flinks has announced a strategic partnership with Resistant AI, an innovator in AI-powered fraud detection, to enhance document authentication for lenders across North America. The partnership integrates Resistant AI’s advanced document forensics technology into Flinks’ document processing system, providing lenders with a comprehensive fraud detection solution. The combined offering aims to streamline underwriting by identifying fraudulent documents more effectively and reducing manual review workloads. Martin Rehak, CEO of Resistant AI, emphasized the urgency of combating evolving forgery tactics: “Integrating Resistant AI into Flinks’ document processing will give underwriters the means to confidently assess borrowers in record time.” With the combined solution, lenders can:
Gain clear, actionable verdicts for each document with detailed explanations of the risk that identifies up to 3x more fraud compared to traditional methods.
Define custom workflows and risk thresholds to automatically approve, flag or decline documents based on business goals—reducing manual reviews by 90%.
Verify the authenticity of a wide range of document types such as bank statements, invoices, pay stubs, tax returns, void cheques, IDs, and more submitted in PDF and image formats.
Zitcha integrates StackAdapt’s programmatic advertising, enabling mid-market brands to scale retail media campaigns with advanced targeting and real-time performance measurement
StackAdapt, a multi-channel advertising platform, has partnered with Zitcha, a unified retail media platform, to enable mid-market brands to leverage retail media opportunities traditionally limited to top-tier enterprises. The partnership enables brands to access, scale, and optimize their retail media campaigns across key regions including North America, Europe, and Asia-Pacific. Zitcha is the only platform designed to unify onsite, offsite, and in-store advertising into a single system, removing technical barriers and enhancing campaign efficiency. StackAdapt’s API integration allows brands to run personalized campaigns across multiple channels, including display, video, and connected TV. Zitcha is the first retail media platform to integrate StackAdapt’s programmatic advertising capabilities, ensuring brands can reach new customers through advanced targeting and personalization.
Persado’s AI-Powered dynamic email facilitates faster legal reviews of all content variants, and maintains no access to institutional platforms or PII data
Persado, a leading provider of AI-powered content optimization and personalization solutions for marketing, released Dynamic Email, a new AI solution for marketing that manages the heavy lifting for campaign setup, content library creation, and launch. Persado Dynamic Email enables CRM teams and marketers to update, optimize, and personalize content without any additional setup, coding, or tedious results analysis. The solution uses AI, automation, and performance data to meet objectives, while adapting each customer experience for optimal engagement. The process to launch a campaign is fast and efficient: One-time set up of a library of high-performing content structured to span a range of concepts (such as offer, emotion, narrative); Implement HTML, including Persado scripts; Launch the campaign; Continue to update content, design & launch new tests—without re-coding anything in your ESP.
Walmart plans to open or remodel more than 45 fuel+convenience stations in 2025, expanding to over 450 locations across 34 states, offering low fuel prices and a 10-cent discount for Walmart+ members
Walmart said that it will open or remodel more than 45 fuel stations this year. By the end of the year, the retailer will have more than 450 Walmart Fuel and Convenience stations operating across 34 states. Walmart Fuel and Convenience stations are open to all customers and offer low prices on fuel, the same prices on snacks and beverages as are offered inside the Walmart store, and the opportunity for Walmart+ members to save up to 10 cents per gallon. “By adding dozens of fuel and convenience stations this year, we are bringing even more value to our customers,” Dave DeSerio, vice president of fuel and convenience, Walmart U.S., said. “Customers shop Walmart for our everyday low prices and convenience offerings, and fuel stations are another example of us responding to our customer and member needs.” Walmart+ members can save 10 cents per gallon at not only Walmart fuel stations but also Exxon, Mobil and Murphy stations, according to the membership program’s web page. They can also access member prices at Sam’s Club fuel centers.
A direct connection from Square’s Terminals to LAVA’s membership and engagement platform delivers instant season-ticket membership benefits and real-time fan engagement activations for Los Angeles Rams fans
Lava.ai, a next generation customer engagement platform powered by Realtime AI™, has announced a strategic partnership with Square to enhance payment and loyalty solutions for fans across world-class sports, live entertainment, retail and development businesses. This collaboration integrates Square’s robust commerce software capabilities with LAVA’s membership management and Realtime fan engagement technology, providing seamless experiences for fans and businesses alike. The partnership launched with the Los Angeles Rams at the beginning of the 2024 season, enabling a direct connection from Square Terminals to LAVA’s membership and engagement platform delivering instant season-ticket membership benefits and innovative real-time fan engagement activations. LAVA and Square also teamed up at one of the world’s best known entertainment venues late 2024 to deliver a custom on-site benefits pass experience for current and alumni performers, and are together working with other sports leagues and teams to activate and deliver on next generation real-time ‘surprise and delight’ membership programs for global fan bases. “Square’s work with LAVA, a leading fan engagement platform, marks a significant milestone in our mission to enhance customer experiences through innovative loyalty and commerce solutions that provide greater flexibility for fans and businesses alike,” said Jonathan Ghio, Sports & Entertainment Partnerships Lead at Square. “With a diverse suite of payment and business software solutions, Square continues to support venues of all sizes—from intimate local music halls to stadiums accommodating over 60,000 fans.” “Combining Square’s innovative commerce solutions with LAVA’s real-time membership and engagement platform means better, faster and smarter purchase and reward redemption experiences for fans which in turn means more engaged, more valuable fans for our joint clients,” said Dave Landa, Chief Business Officer at LAVA. “Together, we are bringing seamless customer engagement and payments to a higher level of execution and to a broader base of clients.”