ORLANDO Fla. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
Orlando-based Darden Restaurants Inc., owner of the LongHorn Steakhouse, Olive Garden and Red Lobster chains, among others, will be recognized for its multichain overhaul of in-restaurant technologies and integration of systems after the acquisition of LongHorn Steakhouse and its sister concepts. The company will accept the FS/TEC Team Excellence award Feb. 6 at Orlando’s Orange County Convention Center. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
“Alignment on the project objective and maintaining an unwavering focus on that objective from inception to completion,” is a defining characteristic of the 170-member Darden IT team, says Patti Reilly White, senior vice president and chief information officer for Darden and its 1,700-plus units. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
Also key to Darden’s IT successes, Reilly White says, is a view of the “team” in a broad sense covering not only department disciplines, including development, infrastructure and help desk, but internal corporate customers and vendors as well. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
Church’s Chicken of Atlanta, Domino’s Pizza Inc. of Ann Arbor, Mich., Papa John’s International Inc. of Louisville, Ky., and the Dallas-based Pizza Hut division of Yum! Brands Inc., likewise will accept awards. McDonald’s Corp. CIO David Weick will receive a lifetime achievement award. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
“For 13 years the FS/TEC awards program has had but one mission: to inspire achievement and excellence within foodservice technology by recognizing individuals and companies who move the performance bar higher,” said NRN publisher Tom Larranaga. “The accomplishments of the 2009 recipients are in keeping with the loftiest goals of this program.” –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
Domino’s, Papa John’s and Pizza Hut all will be presented with FS/TEC Innovation awards for their independent development of such projects as multiple online- and mobile-device order channels, interfaces to social networks, and support of new-media marketing. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
“Technology for the sake of ‘being hip’ or ‘trendy’ does not excite us,” says Chris McGlothlin, CIO at Domino’s, which has about 5,000 U.S. branches. “But when the opportunity arises to use technology to address issues of customer personalization, order accuracy [and other things], that’s when Domino’s will throw its full weight behind a new initiative.” –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
A convenient customer experience is the motivation for technological innovation at Papa John’s, says Glenn West, senior vice president of information systems and electronic commerce for Papa John’s Inc., parent of the chain with about 2,780 U.S. locations. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
ABOUT FS/TEC: FS/TEC is managed and produced by Nation’s Restaurant News with Robert N. Grimes of Accuvia. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence. The founding sponsor is MICROS Systems Inc., and the corporate sponsors are PAR and Radiant Systems Inc. Epson America Inc., HyperActive Technologies Inc. and XPIENT Solutions LLC are affiliate sponsors. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence. FS/TEC is co-located with The NAFEM Show equipment and serviceware exhibition staged biennially by the North American Association of Food Equipment Manufacturers of Chicago. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence. For 2009, the Florida Restaurant & Lodging Association of Tallahassee, Fla., is an FS/TEC association partner. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence. For additional information about FS/TEC, go to
“Papa John’s quality ethos extends beyond our products and into every aspect of our business,” he says. “The customer experience is a critical aspect, and that coupled with our goal for Papa John’s to be the easiest and most convenient pizza to order anytime or anywhere is a driver of innovation.” –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
The same is true at Pizza Hut, says Baron Concors, CIO at the chain of about 6,200 company-owned and franchised units. –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
“One of Yum Brands’ founding truths is to ‘respond to the voice of the customer, not just listen,’” Concors says. “This mentality is always top-of-mind for our teams and continues to be the driving force for innovation at Pizza Hut.” –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
Church’s’ Project Excellence award stems from the rollout to 260 company units of systems to simplify inventory management and ordering. CIO Alan Stukalsky said the automation project was motivated by a simple desire to “reduce the workload of operations [and] possibility of errors.” –Focus and commitment are just some of the secrets of success shared by the winners of the FS/TEC 2009 awards, which honor technology innovation and team and project excellence.
