Recent news from suburban destination Dave & Buster’s brings up memories of the weekend I had one too many Washington Apples and lost my credit card during a Dance Dance Revolution challenge. If you’re planning similar shenanigans for the weekend, you might want leave the plastic at home and consider the chain’s new contactless payment app. More on that below, along with a few more noteworthy stories that happened in the restaurant industry this week.
Uber Launches Group Ordering
Aiming to further streamline the process for customers choosing and ordering food, Uber Eats this week launched a Group Order feature that lets multiple people participate in a single order. Customers just click the “Start Group Order” button within the app and can then share a link with friends, family, and coworkers, according to a blog post from Uber Eats. Restaurants can opt into the service for no additional charge. The feature is similar to Postmates group order feature, which launched this past August. DoorDash, meanwhile, has offered group ordering since 2017.
Waitr in Danger of Getting Delisted
Third-party delivery service Waitr is in danger of getting delisted by Nasdaq, according to a recent regulatory filing. Nasdaq warned that the Louisiana-based company could be delisted because its stock has been below $1 per share for the last 30 consecutive business days. Waitr has until June 1, 2020 to regain compliance, which means its common stock needs to close at $1 or more per share for 10 consecutive business days before that time. This time last year, Waitr looked to be a promising alternative to bigger services (DoorDash, Uber Eats) for smaller U.S. cities. That has not been the case for Waitr, which has struggled over the last 12 months with bad press and profitability issues alike. The company acquired Bite Squad earlier in the year but has since written off much of that deal.
Flynn Restaurant Group Offers Instant Pay to Restaurant Workers
A sad reality for the restaurant biz is that its workers earning an hourly wage often live paycheck to paycheck. Of late, more restaurants are addressing the issue by teaming up with tech companies that offer employees faster access to their wages. The latest is DailyPay, an app users can link their bank account, payroll card, or debit card to and instantly access their earned but unpaid wages. This week, the company announced a partnership with Flynn Restaurant Group, parent company of well-known restaurant chains like Applebee’s, Arby’s, and Panera. According to a press release, the partnership makes DailyPay’s capabilities available to more than 48,000 restaurant employees across the U.S.
Dave & Buster’s Unveils In-store Contactless Payments App
If you’re up for a night of drinks and arcade games but worry about losing your credit card in the process (see above), there’s now an app for that. Dave & Buster’s this week announced a mobile app customers can use to pay for games at the famed arcade/bar/restaurant. Previously, one swiped a credit card to start a game. With the new app, customers can simply tap their phone. The app also manages rewards points users earn from in-store purchases like games.
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