Domino’s Pizza has been named the most innovative restaurant company in tech and honored with the 2018 Tech Accelerator of the Year award by Restaurant Business.
The quick-service pizza chain has forever changed the way consumers order from and interact with restaurants, with nearly two-thirds of its orders already coming through digital channels. And the chain is continuing to push its digital efforts forward. It constantly innovates, with Domino’s even saying that it considers itself a tech company that happens to serve food. Of late, the chain has gained attention for tech-driven initiatives such as its expanded test of self-driving cars in Miami, as well as its Hotspots delivery service, which allows customers to order pizza for delivery to parks, stadiums and other shared locations that do not have a physical address.
Consumers have responded favorably to the chain’s continued innovation: Domino’s has managed to nearly double its global systemwide sales since 2009, reaching $5.9 billion in 2017.
In accepting the award Tuesday at the FSTEC conference in Orlando, Fla., Domino’s Director of Digital Marketing Steve Kennedy said the company’s innovative spirit comes from the top.
“We have a culture of innovation,” he said. “We have a willingness to fail—fail, learn, and then move forward. When you set that as a precedent for how you operate you can continue to move forward.”
“We’re proud of all the work we are doing and truly appreciate being recognized for our efforts,” Kennedy said.
Domino’s was selected from among the three recipients of the Restaurant Business Tech Accelerator Awards, presented at FSTEC. Now in its fourth year, the Tech Accelerator Awards honor leading restaurant operators that have proven their business leadership in technology. The 2018 class of winners are: Domino’s Pizza, TGI Fridays and Zume Pizza.
“This year’s Tech Accelerator Award winners show that constant innovation in tech, whether through ordering, payment, customization or robotics, can enhance a customer’s experience and drive brand loyalty,” said Sarah Lockyer, SVP, content, of Restaurant Business. “We look forward to celebrating with these leaders at FSTEC and seeing where they’ll take foodservice tech—and the restaurant customer—next.”
Chosen by the editorial team of Restaurant Business, with consumer-preference insights from research firm Technomic, the Tech Accelerator Awards honor tech-minded foodservice brands that innovate and advance back-of-house operations, data science, consumer-facing advancements, automation and more.
Past Tech Accelerator of the Year winners have included Panera Bread, Eatsa and University of Colorado Boulder.
FSTEC is the foodservice industry’s top tech conference, presented by Restaurant Business’ parent company, Winsight.
Information technology and services company NCR sponsored the award presentation and panel. Don Zimmerman, general manager of NCR’s hospitality solutions group, said it was important to honor companies that “aim to set a new standard for our industry.”
Watch our Facebook Live video of the Tech Accelerator Panel here.
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