Written by CardFree Founder and CRO, Alan Paul: There is an underlying assumption, often bolstered by restaurant tech pundits, that it’s not feasible for a tech company to be best-in-class in more than one thing. We don’t agree with that as a blanket statement, but, regardless, the narrative misses a crucial point: a suite…
Self-service restaurant kiosks have steadily grown in popularity over the last several years, with demand skyrocketing during the pandemic as operators looked for safer, contactless ordering options. It’s clear though, that restaurant kiosks are here to stay — not just a novel pandemic era trend, but a permanent fixture in the restaurant industry’s tech…
The concept of a mobile wallet has been around for more than two decades, but the journey of integrating these technologies and gaining adoption has been anything but straightforward. From the early excitement around NFC (near-field communication) technology to the dominance of Apple Wallet, mobile wallets have come a long way, yet there’s still significant…
At CardFree, we’re proudly product-first. While our CTO’s hair may be majestic, “sexy” would not be a word used to describe our company. We’re not going to be showing off the biggest, fanciest booths at the trade shows and our CEO isn’t a regular on any of the business podcasts. We haven’t raised capital in…
In a competitive industry where diners have endless options, a new wave of emerging restaurant brands is carving out space by doing things a little differently, whether it’s entering new territory with a fully digitized dining experience or simply adding some unique twists on tried and true business models. We took a look around the…
This press release was originally published via Business Wire. June 12, 2024 | SAN FRANCISCO — CardFree, the all-in-one platform empowering merchants to create customized order, pay, and loyalty solutions, has announced the launch of a new Smart AI Upsell feature incorporated into the first fully integrated (loyalty, payment and offers) online ordering platform. The new…
First impressions matter, especially in the world of food! You might be serving up the tastiest dishes in town, but if your branding is bland, people will walk right past you. Good branding is what keeps customers coming back for seconds. It’s not enough to slap on a slick logo or a catchy tagline…
Today, the digital transformation of dining has changed how we order food, as well as the expectations consumers have of service and efficiency. Restaurants now face the task of implementing online ordering systems as an extension of their services and as a core component of their operational strategy. Whether you have an established mobile…
John Oliver’s recent segment on ‘Last Week Tonight’ sheds some light on the financial drain that third-party delivery apps can cause for restaurant businesses, siphoning profits and weakening customer relationships in the process. If you’re feeling the pinch from these third-party delivery apps, it might be time to rethink your strategy and look at…
Today’s Restaurant Industry Landscape After a difficult few years facing pandemic-related issues with restaurant labor costs, supply chains, inflation, and changing customer habits, many large restaurant chains, especially QSRs, have bounced back successfully. However, smaller independent restaurants in the full service sector are still facing a tough path forward. While the National Restaurant Association…