Partnerships
Postmates Partners with CEC Entertainment to Bring Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings Right to Your Door
Pasqually’s Pizza and Wings, the delivery-only brand using the operational infrastructure of Chuck E. Cheese, has partnered with Postmates to allow the brand to bring its food right to the customer’s door.
“We are thrilled to partner with Postmates to bring Pasqually’s Pizza & Wings directly to wherever you are,” said CMO of CEC Entertainment, Sherri Landry, in a Postmates press release. “We are extremely proud of what we’re building and the excitement that our guests have expressed for this new brand. The results we’ve seen thus far have been extremely encouraging, and CEC Entertainment has more in store for this delivery-only brand.”
Reopening
AMC Theatres Planning to Reopen U.S. Theatres in August
AMC has announced that after previously planning to reopen theaters in July, it would now open its United States theaters in mid-to-late August. According to the press release, it is to coincide with the release of Warner Bros.’ TENET and Disney’s MULAN.
Around one-third of all AMC Cinemas in Europe and the Middle East have already opened and are running as normal.
Even though the press release does not mention it, Warner Bros.’ TENET and Disney’s MULAN have been delayed indefinitely, and do not have a specific August release date.
McDonald’s: New U.S. COVID-19 Safety Precautions
McDonald’s has announced new COVID-19 precautions. Those include requiring that customers wear face coverings in restaurants starting August 1 and that dining rooms are being closed for another 30 days.
“Finally, to further our efforts to slow the surge in COVID-19 cases and protect restaurant teams and customers, we will extend our pause on re-opening dining rooms for another 30 days,” said Joe Erlinger, President, McDonald’s USA and Mark Salebra, National Franchise Leadership Alliance Chair, in a McDonald’s open letter.” This means we will not approve the re-opening of any additional dining rooms. Locally, any dining room roll back decisions should be guided by state and local guidance. This continues to be an owner/operator-led decision, but we ask that you consult with your Operations Officer and Franchise Business Partner.”
Innovation
Sonic Adds Amazon Alexa Skill to Ordering
Sonic Drive-In has announced it is teaming up with Amazon to customers to connect to the Sonic app through Alexa. Guests can ask Alexa for a nearby location or what’s new and at once be taken to that section of the mobile app.
“Alexa for Apps is a natural fit for our mobile strategy as we are always on the lookout for new ways that technology can help us serve our millions of devoted fans better,” says Kim Lewis, vice president of digital strategies for Sonic, in the above QSR Magazine article. “Hungry consumers make choices quickly and asking Alexa on their mobile device to find nearby Sonic locations and discover new menu items removes friction from the process. In the future, we plan to build on our new custom skill, adding great features to make it even easier for our guests and fans to satisfy their Sonic cravings.”
Loyalty Programs
Afterpay Rewards On-Time Payments with New Loyalty Program
Afterpay has announced a new loyalty program, titled “Pulse.” This new loyalty program will reward customers that pay for their purchases on time and, according to the press release, spend responsibly.
“Until today, loyalty programs across our industry have encouraged excessive spending - leaving no options for those shoppers who want to spend responsibly and avoid expensive fees and extended debt,” said Nick Molnar, Co-Founder and U.S. CEO of Afterpay, in an Afterpay press release. “We built Pulse to fulfill a need and offer a program in which both consumers and retailers’ benefit. This approach is fundamental to our mission and values as a company to encourage financial wellness and power an economy where everyone wins.”