“This year’s winners demonstrate that innovation has entered a new accountability era,” said Russ Fordyce, Chief Recognition Officer at the Business Intelligence Group. “The 2026 winners are not celebrating experimentation for its own sake. They are operationalizing advanced analytics, automation, and intelligent systems with the discipline of balance sheets and clinical trials. They are not just riding the AI wave, they are architecting the operating models that will define the next decade of global business performance.”

Read More at the Business Intelligence Group

PAR’s unified platform to strengthen operations as part of Papa Johns’ technology advancement

NEW HARTFORD, N.Y. (January 12, 2026) – Papa Johns today announced it has selected PAR POS and PAR OPS from PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) to anchor its next-generation U.S. in-restaurant technology stack.

The strategic partnership is a major milestone in Papa Johns multi-year effort to build a faster, more intelligent, and connected restaurant and digital ordering experience for guests, operators, and franchisees.

“At Papa Johns, one of our strategic priorities is investing in and optimizing our technology to deliver a better experience,” said Kevin Vasconi, Chief Digital and Technology Officer, Papa Johns. “A key element of that strategy is reducing complexity, driving efficiency, and accelerating innovation to improve our in-restaurant operations. PAR Technology’s integrated solutions give us the scale, performance, and support infrastructure needed to run our business better and help our restaurant teams deliver every day.”

Papa Johns will transition from its legacy on-premise systems to PAR’s enterprise solutions. PAR POS and PAR OPS will bring front-of-house ordering, make-line operations, above-restaurant management, as well as AI-powered labor, inventory, and restaurant management on one platform engineered for scale, reliability, and flexibility. Real-time shared data, a consistent interface, and unified support will enable teams to operate with greater discipline and deliver a more consistent guest experience. Papa Johns plans to integrate PAR’s enterprise solutions with their standard store technology configuration, which significantly reduces deployment costs.

“Utilizing PAR’s front- and back-of-house solutions gives Papa Johns real-time insight, operational control, and the foundation required for intelligent automation,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology. “Our mission is to simplify operations at scale and empower restaurants to create exceptional guest experiences. We’re ready to support Papa Johns as they scale for the future with PAR.”

Key features include:

• AI-Native and Future-Ready Architecture: Powered by an intelligent AI layer embedded across the platform, and strengthened by PAR’s open APIs and flexible middleware – the system is built for automation, smarter decision-making, and the rapid deployment of new AI capabilities.
• Streamlined Menu and Promotion Management: Centralized control for faster, less manual deployment of limited-time offers and robust submenu support.
• Real-Time Intelligence: Enhanced visibility into critical operational metrics to enable faster, data-driven decision-making.

The partnership aligns with Papa Johns broader technology transformation strategy, including expanded use of AI and analytics through its Google Cloud partnership.

Transitioning to PAR’s platform represents a foundational shift in how Papa Johns operates its restaurants and enhances digital experiences. By investing in AI-native systems that connect data, teams, and workflows, Papa Johns is positioning its network for stronger performance today and flexibility to innovate for years to come.

A full system rollout is planned across all U.S. corporate and franchise locations by the end of 2027.

To learn more about PAR POS and PAR OPS, visit www.partech.com.

About Papa Johns
Papa John’s International, Inc. (Nasdaq: PZZA) opened its doors in 1984 with one goal in mind: BETTER INGREDIENTS. BETTER PIZZA.® Papa Johns believes that using high-quality ingredients leads to superior quality pizzas. Its original dough is made of only six ingredients and is fresh, never frozen. Papa Johns tops its pizzas with real cheese made from mozzarella, pizza sauce made with vine-ripened tomatoes that go from vine to can in the same day and meat free of fillers. It was the first national pizza delivery chain to announce the removal of artificial flavors and synthetic colors from its entire food menu. Papa Johns is co-headquartered in Atlanta, Ga. and Louisville, Ky. and is the world’s third-largest pizza delivery company with more than 6,000 restaurants in approximately 50 countries and territories. For more information about the company or to order pizza online, visit www.PapaJohns.com or download the Papa Johns mobile app for iOS or Android.

About PAR® Technology
PAR Technology Corporation (NYSE: PAR) is a leading foodservice technology provider, powering a unified, purpose-built platform engineered to scale and adapt with brands at every stage of growth. Designed with flexibility and openness at its core, PAR’s solutions—spanning point-of-sale, digital ordering, loyalty, back-office, payments, and hardware—integrate with others, yet deliver maximum impact as a unified system. With intentional innovation at the forefront, PAR’s solutions streamline operations, drive higher engagement, and strengthen guest experiences for restaurants and retailers globally. To learn more, visitpartech.com or connect with us on social media.

Media Contacts:

Sydney.schultice@partech.com, 609-238-6663
Noomi.Grootens@papajohns.com, 305-484-5468

Smart Passes, built into the PAR Punchh platform and designed for mobile-first guests, gives restaurant brands a new way to reach, convert, and retain guests where they already are: their phones. With one-tap enrollment and real-time delivery of points, perks, and offers, Smart

Passes brings loyalty into guests’ daily routines without downloads, logins, or delays.

“This isn’t loyalty tacked on; it’s loyalty-first by design,” said Savneet Singh, CEO of PAR Technology. “Smart Passes creates a new, native loyalty channel that removes friction without disrupting the guest experience or operational flow. By embedding this into the tech stack, brands can deliver a truly unified guest experience—where loyalty feels effortless, intuitive, and part of every interaction.”

Loyalty That Lives Where Guests Live
As the loyalty market surges toward $217 billion by 2028, brands need frictionless solutions to stay competitive. Yet, many loyalty programs still fall short with outdated systems, such as forcing logins and tedious sign-ups, that drive away 70% of guests.

Read More at QSR

The future of loyalty isn’t about giving away points—it’s about building emotional connection and belonging. We’ve entered the golden age of digital engagement, where leading brands go beyond transactions to deliver personal, experiential and identity-driven moments that make guests feel part of something bigger.

Think insider access, cultural touchpoints and playful challenges that turn loyalty from a perk into a lifestyle. The brands winning today aren’t just rewarding purchases; they’re building communities that pull people in and keep them coming back.

This is especially important now because consumers are more selective than ever. Many are skipping dining out, even with discounts, because price alone isn’t compelling enough.

Read More at the Restaurant Dive

The current White House administration’s “No Tax on Tips” bill is on the minds of restaurant operators everywhere. The idea is that starting in 2028, tipped wages would no longer be taxed. More take-home pay is a win, especially in an industry where tips often carry the bulk of someone’s income. The National Restaurant Association has welcomed the move, and many folks in the industry see it as a way to give servers a little more breathing room in their paychecks.

But if you zoom out from the headlines and take a closer look at what’s actually driving restaurant turnover, one thing becomes clear: This policy alone won’t be the end-all solution operators are hoping to drive employee retention.

The real problem isn’t taxes
Fast casual restaurants across the U.S. continue to face one of the highest turnover rates in the economy. According to PAR’s 2025 Industry Report, turnover sits at 122%. That number has come down slightly in recent years, but it still signals a lot of disruption.

Most in-store foodservice employees stay only 3 to 5 months. For operators, that means constant recruiting, training and reshuffling just to maintain a basic level of service. It’s expensive, time-consuming and exhausting for both management and staff.

Tax relief may help workers feel a bit more supported by the government and potentially add an extra sense of financial security, but it won’t solve the core issue that many restaurant jobs still don’t feel worth keeping. This can be addressed with the tech solutions many foodservice brands already use.

Rising labor costs, higher ingredient prices, and operational complexity have squeezed margins across the industry. At the same time, guests expect faster service, more personalization, and seamless digital experiences. AI tools are emerging to help restaurants meet those evolving expectations by boosting efficiency, streamlining operations, and unlocking new levels of loyalty.

But here’s the catch: AI only delivers real impact when it’s deeply integrated into a restaurant’s core systems. In disconnected environments, its potential is limited. For example, if your POS doesn’t talk to your loyalty engine, or your kitchen doesn’t know what’s running low, AI can’t connect the dots or deliver real-time insight, which is why AI must be built for restaurant operations, not bolted on.

According to Deloitte, eight in ten restaurant executives plan to increase AI investment in the coming fiscal year, with goals that include better guest experiences and smarter loyalty programs. But what does this actually mean? Especially with fewer than 30% saying their organizations are actually ready to support it from a talent and systems standpoint. AI is more than a buzzword — it’s powerful and can be transformational beyond belief, but only when done with intention.

A growing number of restaurants are focused on automating drive-thrus and phone orders. While adoption is still early, chains like Wendy’s, Taco Bell, and White Castle are rolling out AI ordering across hundreds of locations. But as more AI tools flood the space, the real differentiator will be who has the most integrated foundation.

Read More at The Cloud Awards

Culver’s CEO Julie Fussner knows the brand’s long-awaited loyalty reveal is going to be greeted with an emphasis on the “long-awaited” part. But the notion Culver’s was late to the game is one that requires context.

If you go back to the COVID stretch, and leading up, technology was simply not a space the 1984-brand invested in. There was no online ordering. Or delivery. This wasn’t a reflection of Culver’s lagging peers, though—it was a core tenet of its personality. As co-founder Craig Culver told QSR in 2022, “I am a face-to-face kind of person, and that’s who I want Culver’s to be as well.”

Record sales in 2020 and 2021, however, as drive-thru rocketed to 90 percent of the business during pandemic depths, led Culver’s to another place it was familiar with: consumer feedback. Guests continually asked for digital access and the brand needed to open the valve to widen capacity.

Read more at QSR

See the Winners

The company says the solution consolidates catering activity into a single hub, allowing orders from stores, call centres and online channels to be managed together.
Bookings are pushed straight into the POS so kitchens receive production information in real time and can remain on schedule.
The platform automates billing, accepts upfront payments and handles tax-exempt transactions, the company added.

Read More at Verdict Food Services

PAR Technology Corporation, a leading foodservice technology provider, today announced that Layne’s Chicken Fingers—the Texas “Born and Breaded” chicken finger concept—has selected PAR Engagement to modernize its digital ordering and loyalty experience as the brand prepares for rapid expansion with over 300 restaurants in the development pipeline in the coming years.

PAR Engagement, a suite of ordering, loyalty, guest data, and marketing tools, will serve as the digital backbone for Layne’s next phase of growth. From mobile ordering and rewards to rich guest data and insights, the platform is designed to keep pace with brands on the rise.

Learn More at QSR Magazine

Tennessee-based franchisee Charter Foods has begun implementing PAR Technology’s Coach AI in its restaurants, giving operators a more efficient way to process data, streamline workflows and enhance the overall customer experience.

Charter Foods owns and operates over 400 fast food restaurants across nine states in the South and Northeast regions of the U.S. The restaurants include Taco Bell, Long John Silvers, KFC, Pizza Hut Express and A&W.

Read More at NewsNation

From its founding, Refuel has focused on one core mission: providing guests with a seamless, rewarding experience at every visit. The partnership with PAR Technology, a trusted provider of purpose-built solutions for the convenience and fuel retail industry, marks a new chapter in that journey, one that unites loyalty, personalization, and data-driven insights under one powerful platform.

“This transition is all about our customers,” said Carissa Cardy, Director of Marketing. “By leveraging PAR’s technology, we’re enhancing every aspect of the guest experience—from fueling up to checkout—while deepening our connection through smarter loyalty and personalized engagement.”

Read More at Refuel