DoorDash Collabs With Dollar General to Expand SNAP/EBT Online Grocery Delivery
DoorDash and Dollar General have collaboratively announced a partnership to offer SNAP/EBT payment capabilities at over 16,000 Dollar General stores nationwide through the DoorDash Marketplace. The initiative, powered by Forage, significantly expands the availability of online SNAP/EBT payment options, nearly doubling the number of stores that accept these payments to more than 35,000, enhancing accessibility for SNAP recipients and enabling them to shop for groceries online and have them delivered directly to their homes.
Dollar General Senior Vice President and Chief Marketing Officer Tony Rogers said, “Dollar General’s mission of Serving Others includes helping customers save time and money everyday. Unlocking the ability for SNAP/EBT recipients to shop online and have groceries delivered straight to their door through DoorDash provides even more accessibility and convenience. With approximately 75% of the U.S. located within five miles of a DG store, we are proud to bridge gaps to serve the communities we call home.”
DoorDash is reinforcing its commitment by offering a discounted DashPass subscription plan for SNAP/EBT recipients. The plan, priced at $4.99 per month, provides customers with benefits such as zero delivery fees, reduced service fees, and exclusive offers.
Read more here: https://ir.doordash.com/news/news-details/2025/DoorDash-and-Dollar-General-Partner-to-Unlock-Unprecedented-Food-Access-for-SNAP-Customers/default.aspx
Yum! Brands Partners With NVIDIA to Enhance Restaurant Operations Through AI
Yum! Brands, the parent company of subsidiaries Pizza Hut, KFC, and Taco Bell, has announced a strategic partnership with NVIDIA to enhance AI capabilities across its restaurant network at more than 61,000 locations worldwide. The partnership aims to drive innovative AI technologies, focusing on improving both customer and team member experiences. By leveraging NVIDIA’s AI expertise, Yum! plans to integrate AI-driven solutions to optimize restaurant operations, making them more efficient, scalable, and affordable. The collaboration focuses on several key areas of improvement for Yum!’s operations. Among these are voice-automated ordering systems that use conversational AI to enhance drive-thru and call center services, computer vision to streamline back-of-house management, and AI-driven analytics for assessing and optimizing restaurant performance.
Yum! Brands, Inc. Chief Digital and Technology Officer Joe Park said, “At Yum, we have a bold vision to deliver leading-edge, AI-powered technology capabilities to our customers and team members globally. We are thrilled to partner with a pioneering company like NVIDIA to help us accelerate this ambition. This partnership will enable us to harness the rich consumer and operational data sets on our Byte by Yum! integrated platform to build smarter AI engines that will create easier experiences for our customers and team members.”
The AI solutions are already in use at select Taco Bell and Pizza Hut locations in the U.S. and promise to offer smoother customer interactions, faster order-taking processes, and smarter operational decisions. A broader rollout is set to target 500 locations across multiple Yum! Brands by the second quarter of the year. NVIDIA’s technologies, such as Riva and NIM microservices, will be integrated into Yum!’s Byte by Yum! platform, providing scalable AI solutions that improve both customer satisfaction and operational efficiency. In the future, Yum! plans to expand its AI applications to assist team members with more complex tasks, including AI agents that help with planning and problem-solving across restaurant operations.
Read more here: https://blogs.nvidia.com/blog/yum-brands-ai/
Choice Hotels Unveils New Prototypes for Comfort and Country Inn & Suites Brands
Hotel franchisor Choice Hotels International, Inc. has introduced redesigned prototypes for its Comfort and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brands to enhance both operational efficiency and guest satisfaction. The new prototypes are designed to provide franchise owners with more revenue-generating spaces within the same property footprint while reducing construction costs by 10 to 15 percent. The updates are part of Choice Hotels’ ongoing efforts to refine its upper midscale brand offerings, ensuring greater market differentiation and a more memorable guest experience. As part of the initiative, the company plans to test and roll out new brand hallmarks throughout the year, such as updated breakfast offerings, refreshed furniture and fixtures, and other improvements to foster long-term brand growth and success.
Choice Hotels’ Core brands SVP and General Manager Judd Wadholm said, “Choice Hotels is committed to growing and strengthening both Comfort and Country Inn & Suites by Radisson by ensuring we are providing incredible value and return for both owners and guests. With an average 90 percent brand recognition for both brands, deep expertise in the upper midscale segment, and newly refined brand identities—combined with the power of Choice Hotels’ franchisee support system—we’re creating an environment to help drive hotel performance.”
The Comfort brand, with more than 2,100 locations, focuses on creating an inviting and familiar atmosphere for guests. The newly revamped prototype features a more intuitive design for the lobby, breakfast area, and flexible spaces, with vibrant, uplifting colors and refined furniture finishes. The redesigned prototype also incorporates a 30 percent reduction in stock-keeping units (SKUs) for a faster and more efficient hotel opening process. Meanwhile, the Country Inn & Suites by Radisson brand has been updated to emphasize warm hospitality and a comfortable, residential-like ambiance. The new prototype increases the number of revenue-generating rooms while reducing land requirements, offering franchisees a more cost-effective approach to development without sacrificing the brand’s signature charm.
Learn more here: https://investor.choicehotels.com/news/news-details/2025/Choice-Hotels-International-Introduces-Sharpened-Brand-Identities-and-Refreshed-Brand-Prototypes-for-Comfort-and-Country-Inn--Suites-by-Radisson/default.aspx